Do all stories on LIT need to have sex in them?

[rwsteward]

The title says it all.

I know that LIT has a non-erotic category.

I really don’t want to place a story in that category as the one that swirling around in my head simply won’t work in the non-erotic category.

It’s a romance story, but with a rather dark story line. There will be no happy ending—everyone dies.

Of course, I could write in a sex scene to make it official. Somehow, when our Sun is expanding into a red giant, having sex seems, to me at least, is a few pages down on my to-do list.

I maybe wrong. I’ve been wrong before—I married my first wife.

Set in Arkansas, the story will follow a couple as they try to come to terms with their lives and the certainty of their own deaths.

The working title of the story is “Sunlight.”

So, opinions? Should they be pounding the headboard or scrambling to find water?


mike

 

[lovecraft68]

The title says it all.

I know that LIT has a non-erotic category.

I really don’t want to place a story in that category as the one that swirling around in my head simply won’t work in the non-erotic category.

It’s a romance story, but with a rather dark story line. There will be no happy ending—everyone dies.

Of course, I could write in a sex scene to make it official. Somehow, when our Sun is expanding into a red giant, having sex seems, to me at least, is a few pages down on my to-do list.

I maybe wrong. I’ve been wrong before—I married my first wife.

Set in Arkansas, the story will follow a couple as they try to come to terms with their lives and the certainty of their own deaths.

The working title of the story is “Sunlight.”

So, opinions? Should they be pounding the headboard or scrambling to find water?


mike

If it has several chapters you can go with the novels/novellas category

 

[rwsteward]

An interesting thought, but I don't want this to sound like a show from the science channel.

There has to be enough information to show the readers what the problem is, discover they're in deep shit and there is nothing they can do.

When a star, like our sun dies, the fight between gravity that wants to smash it together, and the energy from the fusion that wants to blow it apart, gravity starts to win, compressing the sun together. Fusion reacts by increasing the temperature of the sun's core. Having used all the hydrogen fuel, fusion tries to fuse helium. In the process, this creates elements. From carbon, to gold, all elements we know come from this process.

You, me, and everything we touch is made from the elements from a dying star.

We truly are made of star dust.

This pushes back the crust of the sun, expanding it into what is known as a red giant.

Long before that all happens, the increase of energy from the sun will burn off the atmosphere, boil the oceans, and melt the mountains. It wouldn't be a good time to be in Dodge.

End of the science lesson for today!

I don't know how many words this will end up, I don't believe it will go too long, and it will only be in one chapter---one story.

I need to explain what's going to happen, but without sounding like Michio Kaku on speed.

The issue I'm having with myself is to put in a sex scene or two while the sun is toasting them extra crispy.

Mike

 

[PennLady]

The title says it all.

I know that LIT has a non-erotic category.

I really don’t want to place a story in that category as the one that swirling around in my head simply won’t work in the non-erotic category.

It’s a romance story, but with a rather dark story line. There will be no happy ending—everyone dies.

Of course, I could write in a sex scene to make it official. Somehow, when our Sun is expanding into a red giant, having sex seems, to me at least, is a few pages down on my to-do list.

I maybe wrong. I’ve been wrong before—I married my first wife.

Set in Arkansas, the story will follow a couple as they try to come to terms with their lives and the certainty of their own deaths.

The working title of the story is “Sunlight.”

So, opinions? Should they be pounding the headboard or scrambling to find water?


mike

I suppose you could put it under romance. I mean, most people figure that to be HEA, but it doesn't have to be. Novels and novellas would be the next choice if you don't want to put it under non-erotic, although I'm not sure why you're resisting that. You say you'd put in a sex scene just so it would fit into a category, so it would seem the sex scene is at best unnecessary. So if it's non-erotic, why not put it in non-erotic? what is erotic about it that makes you think the non-erotic category doesn't work?

 

[LettersFromTatyana]

I really don’t want to place a story in that category as the one that swirling around in my head simply won’t work in the non-erotic category.

It’s a romance story, but with a rather dark story line. There will be no happy ending—everyone dies.

If it really is a romance, then put it in romance. However, including an author's note at the top that explicitly states the story is a non-erotic bittersweet (?) one might be nice.

 

[rwsteward]

Just kinda stuck in my ways I guess.

Statistically, the non-eroitc sub field had about 2900 entries.
The erotic novels and novellas have less than 9k entries.

Romance has almost 11K worth of stories.

If you're going to shoot fish in a bucket, pick a bucket with the most fish.

The stories in erotic novel and novellas seem to be in chapters, and the story that's in my head, is a one time shot.

You're correct in romance needs ( or should have) a HEA. However, one of the greatest love story ever told, didn't. Romeo and Juliet died.

My first wife cried and cried when Jenniefer Cavilleri died at the end of "Love Story."

I figure I'd mention something at the start of the story that it's a darker story than what i normally write.

 

[PennLady]

If it really is a romance, then put it in romance. However, including an author's note at the top that explicitly states the story is a non-erotic bittersweet (?) one might be nice.

And FWIW, I have read a number of romance stories that have little sex, no sex, or very "soft sex."

 

[sr71plt]

Looks to me like you are including too many of the wrong fish in your barrel on making a decision on where to post. The Romance formula (despite of "Romeo and Juliet") isn't an "everyone dies" one. From what you describe, it might be accepted in that category, however. (The ones I have in there where someone dies, though, get "why did he/she have to die?" comments.) Are the deaths bittersweet romantic ones? If so, it could go there.

The natural place to put it is non-erotic, from what you describe, and you don't give rationale reasons here for not putting it there. Sticking a sex scene not designed for it in it just to get it in an ideal category, or considering how many stories are in the category already, however, would be that putting the wrong fish in your barrel approach.

So, we're left with an answer to the direct question you asked: No, all stories posted to Lit. don't have to have sex in them.

 

[_Lynn_]

Looks to me like you are including too many of the wrong fish in your barrel on making a decision on where to post. The Romance formula (despite of "Romeo and Juliet") isn't an "everyone dies" one. From what you describe, it might be accepted in that category, however. (The ones I have in there where someone dies, though, get "why did he/she have to die?" comments.) Are the deaths bittersweet romantic ones? If so, it could go there.

The natural place to put it is non-erotic, from what you describe, and you don't give rationale reasons here for not putting it there. Sticking a sex scene not designed for it in it just to get it in an ideal category, or considering how many stories are in the category already, however, would be that putting the wrong fish in your barrel approach.

So, we're left with an answer to the direct question you asked: No, all stories posted to Lit. don't have to have sex in them.

I have a story with someone dying too. Although the piece includes a married couple, I chose the non-erotic category. If the storyline was about their love, I would have chosen romance.

 

[sr71plt]

I have a story with someone dying too. Although the piece includes a married couple, I chose the non-erotic category. If the storyline was about their love, I would have chosen romance.

There's usually an overriding category choice for my stories that have deaths in them, e.g., Gay Male or Horror. I have deaths in romance ones, too, though.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

The title says it all.

I know that LIT has a non-erotic category.

I really don’t want to place a story in that category as the one that swirling around in my head simply won’t work in the non-erotic category.

It’s a romance story, but with a rather dark story line. There will be no happy ending—everyone dies.

Of course, I could write in a sex scene to make it official. Somehow, when our Sun is expanding into a red giant, having sex seems, to me at least, is a few pages down on my to-do list.

I maybe wrong. I’ve been wrong before—I married my first wife.

Set in Arkansas, the story will follow a couple as they try to come to terms with their lives and the certainty of their own deaths.

The working title of the story is “Sunlight.”

So, opinions? Should they be pounding the headboard or scrambling to find water?


mike

Been there, done that, so to speak. Good question, not saying I have the right answer either, just my opiion.

I write a sex scene into every chapter. After all the rating system here is how "Hot" it is, not how well-written it is. In essence, did it make the reader "hard" and spit out what we know is the end result?

And there may be some readers who actually enjoy the story and skip over the sex, I can't say. So I write sex inti every chapter. Maybe at the start, the middle, or the edn.

Just me.

 

[PennLady]

Been there, done that, so to speak. Good question, not saying I have the right answer either, just my opiion.

I write a sex scene into every chapter. After all the rating system here is how "Hot" it is, not how well-written it is. In essence, did it make the reader "hard" and spit out what we know is the end result?

And there may be some readers who actually enjoy the story and skip over the sex, I can't say. So I write sex inti every chapter. Maybe at the start, the middle, or the edn.

Just me.

I'd say depending on the category, you don't need a sex scene in every chapter. I don't put one in, and most of mine have those H's (for what that's worth). I've had people write and say they skip the sex to get back to the story. My highest rated post, or one of them, is the last chapter of Numbers Game, which has no sex at all. But a lot of factors go into that -- it was the last of a series, it was in romance (which I think gets rated higher by its readers sometimes), and things like that.

But I would say you do not have to put sex in, and don't put it in just to have it there.

 

[sr71plt]

I try to get at least one sex scene in every chapter of an erotica story.

 

[Kurokami]

Well, despite the fact that the majority of the feedback I get on my stories is about the plot (although yes, there is always some mention of the sex, too ) I actually feel bad if I don't put a sex scene in there. I generally do story series, which I feel allows me to vary up the pacing and intensity of the naughty content in each submission, I still feel like I'm ignoring reader expectations if I don't put a sex scene of a certain length/type/flavor in there. Even though I absolutely love getting feedback on the plot, I still feel like I need the sex in there.

Granted, that's probably just me and my deep seated social anxieties, but I haven't actually got a bad review yet!

 

[rwsteward]

I've been kicking around the ideas presented here. Pennlady and AsylumSeeker make valid points.

The story that's bubbling around inside my head, is a dark tale. Everyone dies. Just to toss in a sex scene for shits and grins would seem to weaken the story. But, and that's a big but, this is Literotica, and readers expect someone's pants to come down. So, the idea Pennlady tossed on the table about 'soft sex' seems reasonable to me.

While the story is complete inside my head, I've yet to put one word down. I'm trying to walk the fine knife edge of believability. I certainly don't want this to read like 'Mr. Wizard tells a dirty story.'

I've decided the story will end up in the romance category. My rational? Numbers, 'cause at the end of the day, everything comes down to numbers.

The romance category has a three-to-one advantage over the non-ertoic category with less than 3k worth of stories.

Writers write because we want someone to read our work.

 

[PennLady]

I've been kicking around the ideas presented here. Pennlady and AsylumSeeker make valid points.

The story that's bubbling around inside my head, is a dark tale. Everyone dies. Just to toss in a sex scene for shits and grins would seem to weaken the story. But, and that's a big but, this is Literotica, and readers expect someone's pants to come down. So, the idea Pennlady tossed on the table about 'soft sex' seems reasonable to me.

If you want this in a category that isn't non-erotic, then romance seems like the best bet. I've read plenty of romance stories that have little or no sex in them. The authors that come to mind most are DGHear and woodmanone, and I also did a short story called "Guilt" that had no sex. I think people expect some kind of sex in a romance story, but I honestly don't now whether "soft" or "hard" sex affects the score.

Like I said, my long stories will go awhile with no sex, and no one seems to care. I guess they like the build up and anticipation. In fact, my "sex only" stories (of which I've done, um, three) are my lowest-rated. So I'd say in a romance, the expectations of explicit sex may be less than in other categories.

But soft or hard or explicit or not, make sure it fits that story.

I've decided the story will end up in the romance category. My rational? Numbers, 'cause at the end of the day, everything comes down to numbers.

The romance category has a three-to-one advantage over the non-ertoic category with less than 3k worth of stories.

Writers write because we want someone to read our work.

Well I'd argue that writers write b/c they have a story they want to tell, and any views, feedback, etc., is a bonus. However, that wouldn't be entirely true. Views and feedback encourage a person to write, I think. but you can't rely on them.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

If the proposed sex scene is merely gratuitous, and you are worried that otherwise there is no audience at Lit. for your story, maybe your story might be better placed on another venue. Just a thought.

 

[rwsteward]

If the proposed sex scene is merely gratuitous, and you are worried that otherwise there is no audience at Lit. for your story, maybe your story might be better placed on another venue. Just a thought.

No, of course not.

I've read that if a scene, any scene, can be deleted from a story without impacting the story, then that scene had no place there in the beginning.

I'll weave in a soft sex scenes that binds the story together.

They won't just drop their pants just for grins.

 

[MicKay]

Answer varies w/ gender?

It's amusing to read the responses which appear varied based on gender.

Gal: "What? Again? No way. We just did it in the last chapter."

Guy: "Yeah but that was like a thousand sentences ago."

I like to read the sex scenes - it is erotic fiction - but I struggle writing them; therefore, I've had the same question as the original post.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

It's amusing to read the responses which appear varied based on gender.

Gal: "What? Again? No way. We just did it in the last chapter."

Guy: "Yeah but that was like a thousand sentences ago."

I like to read the sex scenes - it is erotic fiction - but I struggle writing them; therefore, I've had the same question as the original post.

You mentioned earlier that at the end, everyone dies. I'd steer clear of Romance, they're a hard (as in difficult) crowd to please, unless your aim is for low votes. Just my thought. Unless your story takes the "Love Story" route, man/woman share a deep love, one dies of a disease, etc. But then that would be redundant.

Not knowing more about the story makes it a challenge for us to offer more specific assistance. I am currently writing a love story that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, take a peek at my Zombies: A Love Story series. There's sex in every chapter, you can borrow some ideas from this perhaps. The romance is there but it also includes sci-fi elements.

Just a thought, I see you're trying to find new ideas.

 

[rwsteward]

You mentioned earlier that at the end, everyone dies. I'd steer clear of Romance, they're a hard (as in difficult) crowd to please, unless your aim is for low votes. Just my thought. Unless your story takes the "Love Story" route, man/woman share a deep love, one dies of a disease, etc. But then that would be redundant.

Not knowing more about the story makes it a challenge for us to offer more specific assistance. I am currently writing a love story that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, take a peek at my Zombies: A Love Story series. There's sex in every chapter, you can borrow some ideas from this perhaps. The romance is there but it also includes sci-fi elements.

Just a thought, I see you're trying to find new ideas.

Egads! Ideas are never a problem for me. I've got thousands of stories lurking in the deep dark corners of my mind. It's getting them out in a logical and timely manor that's the hard part. At least for me.

Romance seems to be the niche I'm doing the best in, hell one of my stories took second place last year in one of the contests.

Yup, everyone is toast! Especially when the sun goes poof.

I originally asked if a 'sex scene' was necessary for a story in LIT, even though I know that there is a non-erotic sub section. I've decided to go with the suggestion from PennLady and write in a 'soft sex' scene to bind the story together.

 

[PennLady]

I originally asked if a 'sex scene' was necessary for a story in LIT, even though I know that there is a non-erotic sub section. I've decided to go with the suggestion from PennLady and write in a 'soft sex' scene to bind the story together.

I'd also re-emphasize that at least in certain genres, and romance is probably one of them, sex scenes are not necessary. Like I said, woodmanone is an author who pretty much never has an explicit sex scene, and DGHear's tend to be on the softer side, but both seem to have an audience. I've written many multi-part stories that do not have sex in every chapter, and no one seems to mind; some of those are rated even higher than the chapters with sex.

Some have theorized to me that romance readers are actually a little easier with their voting, but I can't back that up. Just throwing it out there.

 

[oggbashan]

Sex can be implicit, off-stage, or assumed and still be suitable for most categories except perhaps Incest.

The interaction between people can be arousing without detailed description of coupling.

Are you sure there will be no sex at all?

 

[rwsteward]

I'd also re-emphasize that at least in certain genres, and romance is probably one of them, sex scenes are not necessary. Like I said, woodmanone is an author who pretty much never has an explicit sex scene, and DGHear's tend to be on the softer side, but both seem to have an audience. I've written many multi-part stories that do not have sex in every chapter, and no one seems to mind; some of those are rated even higher than the chapters with sex.

Some have theorized to me that romance readers are actually a little easier with their voting, but I can't back that up. Just throwing it out there.

I'm a firm believer in knowing one's audience. Even if you're not the best writer in the world, but place your story into the correct category, you've got a willing audience.

If you're working on a gay shape shifting werewolf who falls in love with woman that's into bondage story, and you pick the right category, you've got a winner!


However, you need to have your cats walking in straight lines 'cause if you've written a story about bondage, placed it into that category, and not have it right. Ooh, God help you!

But the readers that are into gay werewolf sex (ignorant in the ways of bondage) will pound their fists on their desk (howl at the moon?)
demanding more.

What a fickle world we live in.

 

[rwsteward]

Sex can be implicit, off-stage, or assumed and still be suitable for most categories except perhaps Incest.

The interaction between people can be arousing without detailed description of coupling.

Are you sure there will be no sex at all?

No, no, no. Their will be sex. A kind gentle sex.

Just no headboard banging, juice gushing, sheet ripping sex.