“A Rose by any other name” – using the right words in Erotic Stories?

[ASIANDREAM]

I guess this is very much a “Newbie” question – and there may be past threads covering this.

I’m not a native English speaker – though I’m very good at this.

In writing about sex - I still don’t have a good idea of what words to use. So I often end up sounding rather clinical.

So I don’t know if I should use “penis” or “cock” or “dick” to refer to male genitals.

For females this is even more difficult – to me the word “Pussy” sounds silly. But words like Clitoris, Labia and vagina seem to have a medical connotation.

One English word I like is “Vulva” – it sounds so much more sexy and hot than the word “Cunt” – but others have said that this is just too “Clinical” to use in a sex story

Are there some words that are best used? One I have problems with is where to use Masturbate, Wank or “Jerk”

 

[sr71plt]

With both a full range of intensity and a full range of characters, there's no one way. The type of word you use should match the setting, time, level of eroticism targeted, and the personality of the character or narrator using the word.

Just about any question you ask here on what readers want is going to be answered with the truth that there's a wide range of reader interest on Literotica. Just write what you want using the words that seem to fit for you, submit it, watch the reactions, if any, and readjust in the following stories you write to the extent you want to and feel is necessary to move toward whatever goal you have in writing (which, again, isn't the same for everyone writing here--there is a wide range of writer and reader expectations here).

 

[Darkniciad]

To me, it depends entirely upon the story you're writing.

When I'm writing romance, I lean toward the softer, less vulgar words. her sex, hardness, bud, etc.

Most of my stories mix that up with a lot more 'cock' occurrences, nether lips, labia, and the occasional 'pussy'.

It's only when I'm writing something in dialogue or from a character's POV who would naturally have a more juvenile mindset that I go with "dick", "twat" or anything of that nature.

Things like 'cunt' only make it into the hardest edged stories, where the word choice is there to enhance the rough nature of the sex.

'Penis' almost never makes it into anything, because my wife despised the word *laugh* I started writing for her, so it's simply not a part of my erotic vocabulary except in the most rare of occasions, and only in dialogue for an appropriate character.

I had to fight my every instinct to even type it here

I tend to avoid the clinical, although I should probably start experimenting with a few for the female bits here and there to help cut down on repetition in long scenes ( probably romance )

 

[ASIANDREAM]

To me, it depends entirely upon the story you're writing.

When I'm writing romance, I lean toward the softer, less vulgar words. her sex, hardness, bud, etc.

Most of my stories mix that up with a lot more 'cock' occurrences, nether lips, labia, and the occasional 'pussy'.

It's only when I'm writing something in dialogue or from a character's POV who would naturally have a more juvenile mindset that I go with "dick", "twat" or anything of that nature.

Things like 'cunt' only make it into the hardest edged stories, where the word choice is there to enhance the rough nature of the sex.

'Penis' almost never makes it into anything, because my wife despised the word *laugh* I started writing for her, so it's simply not a part of my erotic vocabulary except in the most rare of occasions, and only in dialogue for an appropriate character.

I had to fight my every instinct to even type it here

I tend to avoid the clinical, although I should probably start experimenting with a few for the female bits here and there to help cut down on repetition in long scenes ( probably romance )

I actually see no difference between the word “Cunt” and “Vulva” – they are both a “Rose by any other name”

 

[robertreams]

I actually see no difference between the word “Cunt” and “Vulva” – they are both a “Rose by any other name”

I often use the more clinical term early in the story and the more "nasty" word as the action heats up, just as in a relationship,you may not eat her on the first encounter, but later you get your ears wet. Also, in general, females prefer less "gross" words, males not so much so. Now everyone, don't give me a lot of grief, I said "generally".

 

[geronimo_appleby]

I actually see no difference between the word “Cunt” and “Vulva” – they are both a “Rose by any other name”

walk up to a complete stranger and call them a cunt and see what happens.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

Find and use an editor from the editor ranks on Lit. Let them know your concern about word explicit word usage sounding "true" to a Westerner's ear.

 

[Ironiclaconic]

I guess this is very much a “Newbie” question – and there may be past threads covering this.

I’m not a native English speaker – though I’m very good at this.

In writing about sex - I still don’t have a good idea of what words to use. So I often end up sounding rather clinical.

So I don’t know if I should use “penis” or “cock” or “dick” to refer to male genitals.

For females this is even more difficult – to me the word “Pussy” sounds silly. But words like Clitoris, Labia and vagina seem to have a medical connotation.

One English word I like is “Vulva” – it sounds so much more sexy and hot than the word “Cunt” – but others have said that this is just too “Clinical” to use in a sex story

Are there some words that are best used? One I have problems with is where to use Masturbate, Wank or “Jerk”

Use the words your characters would use.

I can say that on reader forums where I lurk they make fun of purple prose euphemisms and clinical terms, and view vulgarity as erotic, but mileage varies, and it's your story.

 

[2981notrohrm]

One of the helpful editors included this little guide to word choice, including an amusing title:

http://www.literotica.com/s/i-pushed-my-pud-up-her-poop-chute

If this answers people's questions...