The suspension of disbelief paradox in erotic fiction

[Kumquatqueen]

I only like bingo cards for fun stuff. A sad lack of bicycles meant I didn't complete my Eurovision one this year.

I suppose I could make one for bad erotica clichés... Bra size, precise cock length, more than 3x 'thrust', lack of lube, sudden drop of 20 years of professionalism...

 

[8letters]

Inability to listen to and consider ALL views without jeering and name calling leads to a skewed take on reality and a false assessment of, for example, just what merit your own work really has.

If there was only same way for hundreds or thousands of strangers to read my stories and rate it somehow. If there was only some way for complete strangers to leave me comments on what they thought of my stories.

 

[SimonDoom]

With men, I don't know. I didn't ask what proportion of men have had a same-sex experience by 21, and certainly my friends would be outliers. The media may be a factor in men of 50 continuing to seek a partner who meets certain standards of looks rather than focusing on personality by that age, but hard to say which drives the other.

It's something of a chicken and egg question. What causes what? I don't purport to know.

I've had some male friends and acquaintances who came out as gay at a relatively late stage and in some cases I'm doubtful that they had an early same-sex experience. I don't know for sure; it's just a hunch. My sense is it's hard to generalize. I've known men who were actively sexual with women and then later identified as gay. And I've known men who had little to no sexual experience before they came out as gay. I suspect that there are many men who because of their orientation suppress sexual activity altogether through their early years until they find someone with whom they can express themselves and then--bam! It's a eureka moment for them.

It's probably much less true now because high schools have LGBTQ groups. It's accepted, and young people have an opportunity to explore these feelings in a more accepting environment. That didn't exist when I was in high school.

 

[Bramblethorn]

A whole lot of ultra-defensive stuff going on here, an unbiased, third-party observer might say. Looks to me like the "tribe" that was mentioned has had its skin pricked.

Well, let us know when that unbiased third-party observer shows up, and I'm sure they can speak for themselves. In the meantime, let's not put words in their mouth, eh?

On investigation there is, as I suspected, NO requirement whatsoever to be "published" here to be allowed to be a forum contributor - but there does seem to be an unwritten one to the effect that anyone so doing is only permitted to make ingratiating or sycophantic comments or it will go the worse for them.

Not particularly, no. There's plenty of middle ground in between "ingratiating or sycophantic" and "being a belligerent tosser", and perhaps one day you'll discover it.

The idea that comments which carry criticism are not to be considered in a logical, detached manner - or even entertained in the first place - unless you are "a paid-up member of the gang", is indeed one of the hallmarks of dictatorial intolerance. Gestapo, as was said, if perhaps exaggeratedly for the sake of illustration.

This sort of hands-over-ears, closing ranks attitude brings its own comeuppance eventually. Inability to listen to and consider ALL views without jeering and name calling leads to a skewed take on reality and a false assessment of, for example, just what merit your own work really has. I'm sure Putin has loads of people telling him right now what a fine job he's doing.

No, actually, some views are just not very clever and deserve to be jeered at. My jeering is just as much an exercise of freedom of expression as the offering of those opinions in the first place.

("logical" and "detached" says the guy who's comparing mild criticism on an Internet forum to regimes that murdered millions of people. Lol.)

Anyway, O Master of Liverpool, you're getting to be as tedious as your buddy, so on ignore you go. Have a nice life!

 

[LiverpoolMaster]

Well, let us know when that unbiased third-party observer shows up, and I'm sure they can speak for themselves. In the meantime, let's not put words in their mouth, eh?
Not particularly, no. There's plenty of middle ground in between "ingratiating or sycophantic" and "being a belligerent tosser", and perhaps one day you'll discover it.
No, actually, some views are just not very clever and deserve to be jeered at. My jeering is just as much an exercise of freedom of expression as the offering of those opinions in the first place.
Anyway, O Master of Liverpool, you're getting to be as tedious as your buddy, so on ignore you go. Have a nice life!

So, no name calling and then running for the hills there, then. Zero addressing of the actual issues at stake. Quite interesting for someone who had previously accused others of "sneering". Fine. Thanks for illustrating matters so nicely.

Anyone detecting a repeated pattern of behaviour here?

 

[LilyWaters]

In the novel, she has some kind of "open" interest in Luke but that fails, and she seems to have a stronger but hidden interest in Theodora. At one point she even asks to move in with Theo after they leave Hill House, but she is rudely rebuffed.

I think you mean the 1999 movie where the Professor (Liam Neeson) is far younger than the version in the book. In the novel he's in his sixties and nearing retirement. I don't remember what her view in the 1963 movie was. In that, the Professor is played by Richard Johnson, who was a mature but still youthful thirty-six at that time. His wife Grace shows up at the house later - Lois Maxwell, who was also thirty-six then.

In the novel, she has some kind of "open" interest in Luke but that fails, and she seems to have a stronger but hidden interest in Theodora. At one point she even asks to move in with Theo after they leave Hill House, but she is rudely rebuffed.

I think you mean the 1999 movie where the Professor (Liam Neeson) is far younger than the version in the book. In the novel he's in his sixties and nearing retirement. I don't remember what her view in the 1963 movie was. In that, the Professor is played by Richard Johnson, who was a mature but still youthful thirty-six at that time. His wife Grace shows up at the house later - Lois Maxwell, who was also thirty-six then.

No, I hate that movie. It's one of the worst novel to film adaptations of all time, IMHO.

Dr. Montague obviously takes a "fatherly" role in the group but the whole time he's reading books about much younger women who marry older men (Pamela, Clarissa). Eleanor looks to Montague as a parental figure, true, but there is definitely a romantic edge to some of their encounters: ("I love my love with a B because he is bearded.")

The sexual tension is there most with Theodora, then later with Luke, but it's there with Dr. Montague too, although much more subtly.

 

[gunhilltrain]

No, I hate that movie. It's one of the worst novel to film adaptations of all time, IMHO.

Dr. Montague obviously takes a "fatherly" role in the group but the whole time he's reading books about much younger women who marry older men (Pamela, Clarissa). Eleanor looks to Montague as a parental figure, true, but there is definitely a romantic edge to some of their encounters: ("I love my love with a B because he is bearded.")

The sexual tension is there most with Theodora, then later with Luke, but it's there with Dr. Montague too, although much more subtly.

Yeah, that double posting thing is annoying as hell. Anyway, my impression of Luke is that she thinks it's "proper" to go after a man but not Theodora (it's 1959 probably - and if Eleanor is thirty-two, she would be of a generation that stayed in the closet, for the most part.) In that one scene with Luke on the steps (of the summer house?) - they both make a complete botch of their conversation in about ten minutes. They're both so awkward that it's painful to read it.

The thing I remember most about Dr. Montague is that when his wife arrives - I don't think she's given a first name - nobody can stand her, not even her own husband. The one exception seems to be Mrs. Dudley - maybe that shouldn't surprise me.

 

[TheRedChamber]

A whole lot of ultra-defensive stuff going on here, an unbiased, third-party observer might say. Looks to me like the "tribe" that was mentioned has had its skin pricked.

On investigation there is, as I suspected, NO requirement whatsoever to be "published" here to be allowed to be a forum contributor - but there does seem to be an unwritten one to the effect that anyone so doing is only permitted to make ingratiating or sycophantic comments or it will go the worse for them. The idea that comments which carry criticism are not to be considered in a logical, detached manner - or even entertained in the first place - unless you are "a paid-up member of the gang", is indeed one of the hallmarks of dictatorial intolerance. Gestapo, as was said, if perhaps exaggeratedly for the sake of illustration.

This sort of hands-over-ears, closing ranks attitude brings its own comeuppance eventually. Inability to listen to and consider ALL views without jeering and name calling leads to a skewed take on reality and a false assessment of, for example, just what merit your own work really has. I'm sure Putin has loads of people telling him right now what a fine job he's doing.

I've been posting here for about four months after starting to write again. Am I part of the 'tribe' yet? - I don't know but there are a number of people on the site whom I'm starting to get to know, some who I follow and some who have been kind enough to follow me. The forum is generally a welcoming place, but you do from time to time find that things blow up and suddenly two or more posters are at each others throats over something big or small. There's a fairly wide range of people on here, ages ranging from 20 to 80, from every continent and of varying personalities and cultural backgrounds - and, yes, some of them have an ego. Some of them are going to rub you the wrong way, some of them are going to be writing stuff you're not intersted in or that you think is simply bad and as a result there are some people that you're going to want to ignore.


This thread has been quite a trip - I've been reading it every day since it started and it seems to have gone all over the place. I've stopped in to comment on tentacle porn and discovered a motorbike festival. At the moment it seems to be about some Liam Neason film I haven't seen which may or may not be connected to question of why sexuality can suddenly change late in life. A while ago it seemed to be about whether there's a typical reader and thus a typical type of story that can cater to them, or if there are an infinite variety of different likes and types of stories, all of which might be equally valid. I'm not sure how interested I am in this question, as it seems to me that the answer is obviously the second one (while acknowleding that within certain genres there are certain tropes that generally are beloved).


I suspect the reason that you've encountered such hosility (although looking back the first few replies you got were merely respectfully disagreeing) is because you've attempted to reduce what is a complicated argument to what seems to be 'clever people like this one thing and there's an infinite variety of things that idiots/wankers like'. Maybe there's more you want to say about this, but then you've gotten side-tracked defending yourself. You've then interpreted the responses as people closing ranks on you, when it more likely that the people who regularly read here are bemused by your response because it's generally understood here that it's impolite to shame people (either directly or indirectly) for the type of things they write.


You've also told a poster that they are confusing a concept and are trying to convince themselves of something when that poster has put forward their own position (right or wrong) in more details and (to me) more eloquently and convincingly than you have. This is a poster that a lot of people have know for years and a poster that a lot of people responding here have actually read the works of and so know where they are coming from. This together with the fact that I don't think you've fully acclimatized to the etiquette of this forum means people have mostly not been on yoru side. No-one would have minded if you'd continue to develop your ideas, especally if you were a bit more careful about making sure your ideas didn't denigrate others, but instead you've made it personal.


There are writers on this board who I like interacting with and I find fun to talk to, even though I don't actually like any of the stories they write. Similarly there are people on the board who I find somewhat insufferable, but have read their stories and have to admit they write damn well. I imagine that goes for everyone else here as well. If I don't like someone's stories, I don't comment on them (unless they are clearly asking for honest constructive criticism and even then I'm careful). If I don't like someone on the forum then I limit my interactions with them. Go and read some of Simon's stories (if you haven't already) and reread his comments in the light of them - you could start with his recent Snow White one which might demonstate why he doesn't think stories on this site need to be grounded and believable and maybe why he might have disagreed with your comment. And if you think it's crap, and Simon had made it clear that it wasn't going to be great literature even before it was published, remember that people here know and empathize a lot more about the authors who contribute regularly both the forum and with stories.

 

[jsmiam]

I’ll try to catch up on the overal thread, somehow.

As far as the original question, given that this is an erotica site with mostly erotic stories: the (roughly speaking) 100 percent ultimate success rate of seeking out: (sex; intimacy; romance; tentacles; fur; handcuffs; spankings; spanked; whatever), isn’t even close to realistic to begin with, so there’s always some suspension.

And there’s nothing wrong with that! This is fiction. An escape. A daydream. If we think too much, we spoil some of the fun

 

[LiverpoolMaster]

I've been posting here for about four months after starting to write again. Am I part of the 'tribe' yet? - I don't know but there are a number of people on the site whom I'm starting to get to know, some who I follow and some who have been kind enough to follow me. The forum is generally a welcoming place, but you do from time to time find that things blow up and suddenly two or more posters are at each others throats over something big or small. There's a fairly wide range of people on here, ages ranging from 20 to 80, from every continent and of varying personalities and cultural backgrounds - and, yes, some of them have an ego. Some of them are going to rub you the wrong way, some of them are going to be writing stuff you're not intersted in or that you think is simply bad and as a result there are some people that you're going to want to ignore.


This thread has been quite a trip - I've been reading it every day since it started and it seems to have gone all over the place. I've stopped in to comment on tentacle porn and discovered a motorbike festival. At the moment it seems to be about some Liam Neason film I haven't seen which may or may not be connected to question of why sexuality can suddenly change late in life. A while ago it seemed to be about whether there's a typical reader and thus a typical type of story that can cater to them, or if there are an infinite variety of different likes and types of stories, all of which might be equally valid. I'm not sure how interested I am in this question, as it seems to me that the answer is obviously the second one (while acknowleding that within certain genres there are certain tropes that generally are beloved).


I suspect the reason that you've encountered such hosility (although looking back the first few replies you got were merely respectfully disagreeing) is because you've attempted to reduce what is a complicated argument to what seems to be 'clever people like this one thing and there's an infinite variety of things that idiots/wankers like'. Maybe there's more you want to say about this, but then you've gotten side-tracked defending yourself. You've then interpreted the responses as people closing ranks on you, when it more likely that the people who regularly read here are bemused by your response because it's generally understood here that it's impolite to shame people (either directly or indirectly) for the type of things they write.


You've also told a poster that they are confusing a concept and are trying to convince themselves of something when that poster has put forward their own position (right or wrong) in more details and (to me) more eloquently and convincingly than you have. This is a poster that a lot of people have know for years and a poster that a lot of people responding here have actually read the works of and so know where they are coming from. This together with the fact that I don't think you've fully acclimatized to the etiquette of this forum means people have mostly not been on yoru side. No-one would have minded if you'd continue to develop your ideas, especally if you were a bit more careful about making sure your ideas didn't denigrate others, but instead you've made it personal.


There are writers on this board who I like interacting with and I find fun to talk to, even though I don't actually like any of the stories they write. Similarly there are people on the board who I find somewhat insufferable, but have read their stories and have to admit they write damn well. I imagine that goes for everyone else here as well. If I don't like someone's stories, I don't comment on them (unless they are clearly asking for honest constructive criticism and even then I'm careful). If I don't like someone on the forum then I limit my interactions with them. Go and read some of Simon's stories (if you haven't already) and reread his comments in the light of them - you could start with his recent Snow White one which might demonstate why he doesn't think stories on this site need to be grounded and believable and maybe why he might have disagreed with your comment. And if you think it's crap, and Simon had made it clear that it wasn't going to be great literature even before it was published, remember that people here know and empathize a lot more about the authors who contribute regularly both the forum and with stories.

Heard of the phrase "protesting too much"?

 

[TheRedChamber]

Heard of the phrase "protesting too much"?

Heard of the phrase 'contributing meaningfully to a discussion'?

I have to ask at this point, what exactly are you hoping to get out of this forum?

 

[gunhilltrain]

I’ll try to catch up on the overal thread, somehow.

As far as the original question, given that this is an erotica site with mostly erotic stories: the (roughly speaking) 100 percent ultimate success rate of seeking out: (sex; intimacy; romance; tentacles; fur; handcuffs; spankings; spanked; whatever), isn’t even close to realistic to begin with, so there’s always some suspension.

And there’s nothing wrong with that! This is fiction. An escape. A daydream. If we think too much, we spoil some of the fun

I'm going to partially disagree. It can be anything the writer wants it to be. It can be a daydream, or it can be realistic, or some combination of both. It doesn't even have to be erotic. I have one Non-erotic story that did pretty well, although I made sure it was in that section. I also have some entries in Reviews and Essays that have nothing to do with sex. One series, which I add to when I'm inspired, is about what it was like to drive a taxi in New York. I tried to remember it as accurately as I could, and it definitely wasn't escapism.

I did write a fictional story about an erotic encounter between a cab driver and a female passenger, set in the same era. Such a thing may have happened once in a while, but generally, cab drivers don't have the social status to have much luck in that area. They're not even "bad boy" enough to qualify by that standard. I don't know how Travis Bickle got as far as he did with Betsy because a woman like that probably would have nothing to do with him.

 

[LiverpoolMaster]

Heard of the phrase 'contributing meaningfully to a discussion'?

I have to ask at this point, what exactly are you hoping to get out of this forum?

You claim to have read through the thread and yet, despite this, appear not even to have twigged that I was merely trying to stand up for someone else. Yes, there has been multiple targeting hereabouts on the part of the poster whom you seem to be defending - the one who appears to get a thrill out of slagging off in his capacity of self-appointed forum sheriff and then scarpering, presumably all warm inside from having secured the "last word".

As regards what I personally was hoping to get out the forum - well, in respect of this thread, originally I was simply visiting to see what was meant by the "paradox" thing. Now I can see that any view which seeks to remind those of the general nature of the site - not an "UNmeaningful contribution" - is very far from welcome - and that, specifically, is what I take from the thread. A lesson learned.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I'm going to partially disagree. It can be anything the writer wants it to be. It can be a daydream, or it can be realistic, or some combination of both. It doesn't even have to be erotic. I have one Non-erotic story that did pretty well, although I made sure it was in that section. I also have some entries in Reviews and Essays that have nothing to do with sex. One series, which I add to when I'm inspired, is about what it was like to drive a taxi in New York. I tried to remember it as accurately as I could, and it definitely wasn't escapism.

I did write a fictional story about an erotic encounter between a cab driver and a female passenger, set in the same era. Such a thing may have happened once in a while, but generally, cab drivers don't have the social status to have much luck in that area. They're not even "bad boy" enough to qualify by that standard. I don't know how Travis Bickle got as far as he did with Betsy because a woman like that probably would have nothing to do with him.

If I may add to my own post: even in the fictional story, I did try some aspects to make it perhaps plausible. The times and places are accurately mapped out; one can follow the route of the cab on a map. There is quite a long build-up as she tries to figure out what to do with him. In fact, she teases him so much that he at first finds her annoying, then she starts to get annoyed by him pushing back against her jibes. Then, at the end, it's about more than just sex. Even though she's older than he is, he doesn't want her to just leave and she indeed initiates a future date with him, which he agrees to.

Minerva's Taxi Ride

 

[jsmiam]

I'm going to partially disagree. It can be anything the writer wants it to be. It can be a daydream, or it can be realistic, or some combination of both. It doesn't even have to be erotic. I have one Non-erotic story that did pretty well, although I made sure it was in that section. I also have some entries in Reviews and Essays that have nothing to do with sex. One series, which I add to when I'm inspired, is about what it was like to drive a taxi in New York. I tried to remember it as accurately as I could, and it definitely wasn't escapism.

I did write a fictional story about an erotic encounter between a cab driver and a female passenger, set in the same era. Such a thing may have happened once in a while, but generally, cab drivers don't have the social status to have much luck in that area. They're not even "bad boy" enough to qualify by that standard. I don't know how Travis Bickle got as far as he did with Betsy because a woman like that probably would have nothing to do with him.

You are correct of course, but I will still play my “roughly speaking” card.

I’m willing to say 95 percent of all stories, 90 percent minimum have erotic content. The majority involving the main character or someone successfully getting what they hoped for. Those are good odds!

I did this. N=20, I searched using google for: “the” site:Literotica.com/s

I clicked on exactly the first 20 stories (thereby n=20), and read until a sex scene happened. 20 out of 20 had sex scenes. I’ll defer to the large PhD community here for the perfect sample size, but 20 isn’t bad.

20 out of 20 had sex happen. I didn’t take the time to read carefully enough as to exactly what an “orc” is, but it had a dick, and it got sucked. And the mythical beast who kidnapped someone to mate (who was happy about it and chose to stay) also got lucky. 20 of 20.

17 of them were sexual pursuits, 3 of 20 a spouse lining up sex for (his) wife.

I realize only 20 wasn’t quite enough, but I bet if I sampled 100, I’d easily hit 94 or 95 percent.

I’m not disagreeing that it’s not 100 percent, but still, such a big majority, almost always with sexual success.

And I love it. It’s why we mostly are here.

I’m just saying, if that high a percentage of women would have gone upstairs to my room with me so that I could show them my etchings, well, I would definitely have learned how to etch. Sadly, my real success rate was more like about 1 percent. and that was just to get them not to pepper spray me! ;-)

 

[ElectricBlue]

I’m just saying, if that high a percentage of women would have gone upstairs to my room with me so that I could show them my etchings, well, I would definitely have learned how to etch. Sadly, my real success rate was more like about 1 percent. and that was just to get them not to pepper spray me! ;-)

That will be because of the orc costume. Don't use it .

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

20 out of 20 had sex happen. I didn’t take the time to read carefully enough as to exactly what an “orc” is, but it had a dick, and it got sucked. And the mythical beast who kidnapped someone to mate (who was happy about it and chose to stay) also got lucky. 20 of 20.

To bring it back to the original point, was the buildup to the orc getting their dick sucked plausible?

(Not asking seriously, I just really wanted to type that sentence)

 

[lovecraft68]

I think a lot of writers are wanting to get across the size of a woman's breasts in a more "technical" way than small, average or big. They think "I checked out her c-cup sized tits" is better than "I checked out her above-average sized tits". Having written for a while, I know that giving a vague description is better as the reader has more latitude in picturing the woman. Sometimes, people will leave a comment mentioning who they think my main female character looks like, and almost always it's someone that looks nothing like how I picture the MFC, typically with much bigger breasts than what I thought I was describing.

TBH for me both your examples suck. Let me tell you this, few men know a woman's cup size. They tell you they do, but they don't because there's a lot of variables, same for the number measurement 32 C looks different than 36 C because body type can alter size perception....but having said that, I can-unlike most guys-admit I'd be wrong more than right.

No one thinks "Look at those. bet they're C's! I know your second example was meant to be inferior but in case someone thinks you mean it as an actual option, no one talks like that.

How about...ready for this? Everyone sitting? "I had a hard time keeping my eyes off her tits, but considering their size it wasn't easy."

I think people obsessed with numbers and size may lack actual experience with sex so they're stuck thinking in juvenile porn terms(I.E. all tits and cocks have to be huge and described as such) or maybe they just haven't gotten there in their skill in dialogue or description and need some more work.

 

[lovecraft68]

Over description is such a killer. The moment I see a bra size is usually the moment that I nope out of a story.

I find that if it comes from a woman's POV I don't mind it as much. A woman knows her bra size, when its a male POV talking about it I just hear it in Beavis and Butthead voices.

 

[lovecraft68]

Weird how the ones who think their own criticisms of others are socially valuable free speech are the first ones to scream "censorship" when the others criticise them.

Anyway, you're tedious and I'm going to put you on ignore now (which also isn't censorship) but I'll leave you with this thought: just because your hand's not on your dick doesn't mean you're not a wanker.

I think this person stole Auden James word of the day calendar. He sure is a smart one, usin' all those $10 words on a free forum full of us porn hacks.

He is amusing in a way, I kind of smell performance alt.

 

[lovecraft68]

Those who can, do. Those who can not, bitch.

Going by this forum those who can bitch a lot too.

 

[SimonDoom]

few men know a woman's cup size.

I think this is very true. I was married for a long time to a woman with an A-cup. It didn't matter to me and I didn't care. Boobs are great, whatever size. Got divorced. Started dating someone. Somehow the subject of her cup size came up, and I guessed "B." I mean, I didn't know, but her expression told me, Oh fuck did I say the wrong thing. She was a C cup.

Unless navigated adroitly, this subject falls into the category of "Never ask a woman if she's pregnant unless you can see the baby coming out."

 

[jsmiam]

To bring it back to the original point, was the buildup to the orc getting their dick sucked plausible?

(Not asking seriously, I just really wanted to type that sentence)

This thread has been down many orcs!

 

[tenyari]

Over description is such a killer. The moment I see a bra size is usually the moment that I nope out of a story.

I've been guilty of putting in bra sizes and dick measurements on the assumption that my male readers needed it to get turned on - based on how common I found it in other writing. I do wonder how many of us are just copying each other on that though...

I'm working two completely different stories right now. One started last month and the other this month. In the first one I have all those measurements. The second one was started after I started participating in some of these writer's forums again on a couple of websites - and got the insight that I should drop that stuff. So I'm just using normal phrasing like "his dick seemed about average, not that I'd ever chased a guy down with a tape measure or anything..."

Kinda makes me wonder how many erotica story tropes only exist because writers see other writers do it and think they have to do it too.

At some point in one of these two stories I am just going to have to put in a scene where somebody brings out measuring tools, and play it for laughs.

 

[gunhilltrain]

You are correct of course, but I will still play my “roughly speaking” card.

I’m willing to say 95 percent of all stories, 90 percent minimum have erotic content. The majority involving the main character or someone successfully getting what they hoped for. Those are good odds!

I did this. N=20, I searched using google for: “the” site:Literotica.com/s

I clicked on exactly the first 20 stories (thereby n=20), and read until a sex scene happened. 20 out of 20 had sex scenes. I’ll defer to the large PhD community here for the perfect sample size, but 20 isn’t bad.

20 out of 20 had sex happen. I didn’t take the time to read carefully enough as to exactly what an “orc” is, but it had a dick, and it got sucked. And the mythical beast who kidnapped someone to mate (who was happy about it and chose to stay) also got lucky. 20 of 20.

17 of them were sexual pursuits, 3 of 20 a spouse lining up sex for (his) wife.

I realize only 20 wasn’t quite enough, but I bet if I sampled 100, I’d easily hit 94 or 95 percent.

I’m not disagreeing that it’s not 100 percent, but still, such a big majority, almost always with sexual success.

And I love it. It’s why we mostly are here.

I’m just saying, if that high a percentage of women would have gone upstairs to my room with me so that I could show them my etchings, well, I would definitely have learned how to etch. Sadly, my real success rate was more like about 1 percent. and that was just to get them not to pepper spray me! ;-)

I guess this is your business, but since you explicitly complained about your 1% success rate - how many women do you feel you need to be involved with and within what time period?

The rest of your post reminds me of somebody else on another thread who is overthinking his stories. All of those statistical measures - they're not relevant. Who cares what is most likely on this site? Just write it the way you want it to go.