Porn or plot?

[SecondCircle]

Mr. Patientlee says boobs are boobs. I tend to think a whole lotta guys think that way, whether they admit it or not.

It is that way I think. I guess that's nature's design though, but I do think as intelligent beings, we can like plot and character development along with our fondness of boobies. Boils down again to the individual reader's preference in the end.

 

[RichardBacula]

Mr. Patientlee says boobs are boobs. I tend to think a whole lotta guys think that way, whether they admit it or not.

Kind of, like snowflakes are snowflakes.
You take a close look, and they're pretty much all beautiful in their own ways, and it's fun to examine the ways.

 

[StrangeLife]

Plot - both as writer and reader.

Of course said plot must be centred around sex or motivated by sex - otherwise it wouldn't be erotica - but stories with only sex are boring.

 

[Feotakahari]

I think jumping straight into the sex is more appropriate for a visual medium, since you can instantly show what the characters look like and what they're doing to each other. A written medium requires description, so there's at least a little lead time between the start of the story and the start of the sexiness.

 

[HeyAll]

Bullshit. Guys, me included, will look at breasts all day and every day, no matter whose they are or how long we've known them. If you say different, you're a liar or gay.

Mr. Patientlee says boobs are boobs. I tend to think a whole lotta guys think that way, whether they admit it or not.

If you're watching a movie, and a famous actress shows her breasts, do you think it's more exciting than a random boob flash?

 

[LadyVer]

Plot, as an editor and reader. If the story is all sex, it gets old fast: fuck me good, fuck the shit out of me, fucked her so deep and so hard I impaled her with my 10 inch cock, her pussy looked like a flower, how do you like my snake, she screamed like a banshee, he screamed like a tiger, chain me up baby, hurt me so good, etc etc

 

[Handley_Page]

I prefer PLOT.
That said, the porn bit is often a very pleasant addition.

 

[patientlee]

If you're watching a movie, and a famous actress shows her breasts, do you think it's more exciting than a random boob flash?

Honestly, I don't know.

Boobs aren't really my thing. Sure, I'll look, but I'm a straight girl. They don't do too much for me.

Movies aren't my thing either. I don't know why. I just don't watch too many. I usually do work or a puzzle during a movie, so chances are that I won't see the boob flash anyway. I'm all auditory, so I listen more than look.

I see your point. I just don't know that it is true of the majority. I think it has more to do with the boob matching the individual's preferred ideal- size, skin, nipple, etc.

Doesn't matter what I think. This is an interesting conversation.

 

[patientlee]

I think jumping straight into the sex is more appropriate for a visual medium, since you can instantly show what the characters look like and what they're doing to each other. A written medium requires description, so there's at least a little lead time between the start of the story and the start of the sexiness.

But starting off in the sack and then backtracking to tell the story of how they got there works too.

 

[patientlee]

Kind of, like snowflakes are snowflakes.
You take a close look, and they're pretty much all beautiful in their own ways, and it's fun to examine the ways.

Interesting comparison!

 

[StrangeLife]

But starting off in the sack and then backtracking to tell the story of how they got there works too.

Flash-back stories are harder to write, I think.

Unless you start out with your characters in some extraordinarily interesting situation you're losing part of the tension before you even begin your tale. It's kinda like revealing the ending of a movie before you watch it.

 

[patientlee]

It is that way I think. I guess that's nature's design though, but I do think as intelligent beings, we can like plot and character development along with our fondness of boobies. Boils down again to the individual reader's preference in the end.

Also the reader's mood. If s/he is reading with one hand, quick and dirty might suffice, even when that same reader prefers a lot of plot.

 

[patientlee]

Flash-back stories are harder to write, I think.

Unless you start out with your characters in some extraordinarily interesting situation you're losing part of the tension before you even begin your tale. It's kinda like revealing the ending of a movie before you watch it.

Doesn't have to be flashbacks. Every story starts somewhere. Once the reader is hooked by the action, character development can evolve from there. I'm not saying that I've done this effectively. I'm just saying that it can be done well.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Its no different from music.

 

[patientlee]

Actually, what I mean is this- if the climax of the story is sex between those characters, you're right. You don't want to lead with that. If the climax of your story is something else- killing a spider or losing your job- starting off with sex can hook readers, drive plot, and begin to develop characters. But maybe that's the question: do readers want a story that is about something other than sex?

Running out to work. Ugh.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The story determines how the action unfolds, and the plot determines the story.

I don't get why LIT writers fret about trying to please all readers. It cant be done.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Flash-back stories are harder to write, I think.

Unless you start out with your characters in some extraordinarily interesting situation you're losing part of the tension before you even begin your tale. It's kinda like revealing the ending of a movie before you watch it.

I tend to agree; flashback can be a powerful technique but needs the right story and the right handling. I think the most obvious application is in a story where the tension is mostly about "how did we get here?" rather than "what happens next?" - e.g. Citizen Kane or Memento, or a lot of whodunnits.

But it can also be a useful pacing tool. Some stories end up feeling very uneven if you put them in chronological order: maybe you have twenty years of backstory before the hero even shows up, followed by a week of furious action. In that situation you may need to show them some of the exciting bits early on so they have some incentive to sit through the slow bits.

And then sometimes it actually works better to give away the ending. It can help build a sense of dread (Blair Witch Project) or manage expectations in a tragedy so the audience don't feel too bummed (Moulin Rouge).

 

[soflabbwlvr]

The story determines how the action unfolds, and the plot determines the story.

I don't get why LIT writers fret about trying to please all readers. It cant be done.

Amen.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Amen.

The genius behind LIT is its a market to scratch almost any itch. Yet! 99% of writers are frantic for the magic formula that pleases everyone. Fuck everyone! Find ur niche and scratch the itch.

 

[TxRad]

The genius behind LIT is its a market to scratch almost any itch. Yet! 99% of writers are frantic for the magic formula that pleases everyone. Fuck everyone! Find ur niche and scratch the itch.

Isn't that just a formula of a different type?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Isn't that just a formula of a different type?

Leave the heavy thinking to me, dear. Heavy lifting is your forte.

 

[Thematterisclosed]

Wow, this drew a lot of responses. Yeah, I was asking because I got different feedback from different volunteer editors about the style of my stories. Myself I think I like a stroke story best as a reader, but only if a bit of imagination has been used in setting the scene. Mr Big Dick bangs Ms Wet Pussy to squeaks and squeals does nothing for me. Its only if there is a picture in my head that looks hot that I enjoy it.

I love a great plot story where people are 'realistic' and there is a reason everyone is at it like bunnies. But they're very hard to find on LE because of the huge volume of material here. In my first two stories I kind of butchered things a bit, trying to do a short plot without too much description of the characters, but building up to the sex scene pretty quickly. Might just practice on a few stroke fics before I attempt anything more complicated, if only for the experience and to build up a few links.

 

[TxRad]

Wow, this drew a lot of responses. Yeah, I was asking because I got different feedback from different volunteer editors about the style of my stories. Myself I think I like a stroke story best as a reader, but only if a bit of imagination has been used in setting the scene. Mr Big Dick bangs Ms Wet Pussy to squeaks and squeals does nothing for me. Its only if there is a picture in my head that looks hot that I enjoy it.

I love a great plot story where people are 'realistic' and there is a reason everyone is at it like bunnies. But they're very hard to find on LE because of the huge volume of material here. In my first two stories I kind of butchered things a bit, trying to do a short plot without too much description of the characters, but building up to the sex scene pretty quickly. Might just practice on a few stroke fics before I attempt anything more complicated, if only for the experience and to build up a few links.

The best way to learn to write, is to write and then write some more. Try to make the next story as good or even better than the last. Try different styles until you find your own.

Stroke is good in some cases, if nothing more than to get a nagging scene out of your head. After all, why do most people come to a porn site to read. It ain't for the scenery in a lot of cases. Writers may like the window dressing but most readers are looking for the heat.

 

[RichardBacula]

And then sometimes it actually works better to give away the ending. It can help build a sense of dread (Blair Witch Project)

Good example.
With foreknowledge of (roughly) how things would work out, the line "If I never have to cross another creek on another log, I'll die a happy girl" became tragic and chilling.
Because we in the audience know that she's not going to die a happy girl.

 

[desertslave]

I'm very much a reader, not a stroker.