Balancing Erotic and Non-Erotic Content

[InBrightestDay]

I apologize if this is in the wrong forum; I didn't know whether to ask here or in the Authors' Hangout.

I'm currently still working on the second installment of my bro/sis story, but there's another story I want to write, tentatively entitled "Partners". I've done a lot of planning for this, in terms of world-building and backstory, but I haven't actually started writing it yet, and I wanted to ask for some input before I do.

I can explain in more detail if you'd like, but the heart of the matter is that Partners is a sci-fi war story, and the basic layout I've come up with involves three major battle sequences. Being a fan of science fiction and action movies, I'd very much like to detail the battle scenes and make them as fun and exciting as I can, but it given that this is an erotica website, I worry that people may not have any interest in reading these parts of the story. I fear that they may feel shortchanged in some way due to there being significant sections of the story without any sex going on.

I'd normally just trim the sex out and write a non-erotic sci-fi story, but in this case the sex is actually an important part of the story (again, I can explain in more detail if you'd like).

Has anyone else ever had this problem, trying to keep you audience interested when a story isn't just about sex?

 

[Darkniciad]

Because it's a Sci-Fi&Fantasy story, I wouldn't worry too much. The readership in the category wants some hot-n-sticky fun ( otherwise, they wouldn't have found themselves here in the first place ) but I can't even begin to count the number of emails I've gotten that say someone has started skimming the sex scenes to get back to the story, then coming back to read the heat later

Then I have to warn them that I sneak foreshadowing into the sex scenes sometimes *laugh*

But anyway, write your story and put in the sex where it's appropriate. You'll do just fine in the Sci-Fi&Fantasy category.

 

[InBrightestDay]

Thank You

Because it's a Sci-Fi&Fantasy story, I wouldn't worry too much. The readership in the category wants some hot-n-sticky fun ( otherwise, they wouldn't have found themselves here in the first place ) but I can't even begin to count the number of emails I've gotten that say someone has started skimming the sex scenes to get back to the story, then coming back to read the heat later

Then I have to warn them that I sneak foreshadowing into the sex scenes sometimes *laugh*

But anyway, write your story and put in the sex where it's appropriate. You'll do just fine in the Sci-Fi&Fantasy category.

Thanks! That's actually really reassuring.

 

[MatthewVett]

I personally think it's better to limit the sex scenes a bit. I think this video about video games does a great job of describing why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlBR1z-ue-I

 

[Darkniciad]

It varies widely. In some categories, if you don't get to the point pretty quick, the reader numbers and feedback are gone. The majority of readers are probably here for nothing more than a quick wank, anyway.

Even with the category variances, there are readers in all of them who want story with their sex, though. That's the nice thing about Lit's sheer dominance with erotica readers. ( At least double any other erotica site, and way more than that when compared to most of them, according to Alexa stats ) While not every type of story may generate the strongest readership and feedback possible, there's almost always a nice number of people who are going to thoroughly enjoy whatever you choose to write.

If you write it, they will come.

Pun intended.

 

[oggbashan]

Optional sex

If you are going to have sex in a story, it is a good idea to make it an integral part of the plot.

It is too easy, because you are writing for Literotica, to think 'I must include some sex' and therefore write a sex scene into the story.

If the story works without the sex, then the sex scene is unnecessary. The sex should be part of the development of the story and essential for the story to work.

I know some of my stories have 'optional sex'. I could delete the sex scene and the story will still work. That means I have written a poor story.

Many stories on Literotica are 'sex only'. They are written as sex scenes and any plot is optional. They can be popular and highly rated if they are well written or very arousing.

But the sex can be implied, off-stage, or even hidden. Some readers will criticise if the sex isn't obvious, but others will like the hint of sex. You can't please everyone.

If writing for the Loving Wives category, most of us can't please ANY of the fanatical followers of Loving Wives.

Sci-Fi readers are more forgiving. Good Sci-Fi can work with no sex at all.

 

[emap]

What Ogg said with an addendum. Damn the torpedoes!

No seriously, ignore what people say, not everyone will like everything. Like for example I would so cheat if Vin Diesel came up to me and said I'm going to fuck you right now. Not every woman wants him, do I care that not every woman desires to have that hunk fucking away at them? Not a chance in hell, which is also my chance on that actually happening.

Read my stories, go ahead everybody does and nobody admits to it. I'm the dirty little secret of lit. I get mostly good voting and mostly comments along the lines of your grammar sucks. Which is fucking funny because most of those people, if they give me an actual account, can't find good grammar if it bites them on the ass.

What I am saying is write what you want to write how you want to write it. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, you are the only one in your head. If you are not happy with what you typed up, change it. If somebody else isn't who the fuck cares. I mean seriously for every comment about how my grammar sucks, there are a hundred other people who read the story and liked it fine.

 

[Hitman7]

It's Like a Cake

Since you are doing sci-fi, it will be much easier for you to balance the erotic scenes with the non-erotic ones. What's great about sci-fic literoticas (other than the sex scenes of course) are the action scenes.

Personally, I don't really like stories that only focuses about sex. I also want the plot, the scenes, characters, etc. to be well-presented and well-written. It builds up to the sex scenes, if done right.

I actually have a story in the incest/taboo category, and most of my readers are so used to just straight 'bam-bam' story with limited plot and just straight up sex. It's boring in my opinion.


A good Literotica story for me is like a cake. The plot is like the base, or the different layers of the cake while the sex scenes are like the frostings. You can't have a cake, with only the frostings on it. You also can't have just the layers, or else it will not taste good.

You need to have a balance.

--------------------------

By the way, just in case you want to have a read of my story.

http://www.literotica.com/s/filius-ch-01
http://www.literotica.com/s/filius-ch-02

 

[InBrightestDay]

Since Oggbashan Brought It up...

It's been brought up that the sex has to be integral to the story, so I figured I'd explain what I meant when I said in my initial post that the sex in Partners is part of the story.

Warning: This Is a Bit Long

Partners is a response to something I see a lot in erotic fiction. Quite a few stories, generally in the NonHuman or Sci-Fi & Fantasy categories, involve characters (almost always female) fighting hostile forces (aliens, demons or even just other humans). The hostile force always wins in these stories, and it does so by making the female character orgasm. Upon reaching climax, or at least being brought close to it, the female character is totally willing to sell out her own friends, family, nation, species, free will, soul, etc., as long as she can keep cumming. It also seems that the female character in question is usually either a virgin or has been without sex for a very long time.

This is a pet peeve of mine in general (where does everyone get this idea that good people aren't allowed to enjoy sex?), but it also brings a question to mind: if the people in charge know their enemies are all rape-happy, then wouldn't they make sure that their paladins/space marines/whatever are sexually satisfied? It seems like it would be important to the war effort, if nothing else.

That was the genesis of Partners. The story goes that mankind is at war with aliens called medusae (singular: medusa), which are vaguely jellyfish-like in anatomy (radial symmetry, tentacles, etc.). Medusae are much stronger and faster than humans, so as a counter we produced genetically augmented soldiers, dubbed Furies after the Greco-Roman deities of vengeance. The gene therapy that creates Furies reacts badly to one or more genes on the Y chromosome, so at the moment Furies are exclusively female.

The problem is that medusae like to do things to women they capture, either turning them into servants (called "thralls") via a form of sexual conditioning, or using them as breeding vessels, a process which ultimately leaves them as burned out, nearly brain dead sex slaves (called "husks") with none of their former identity left. This is not the most efficient way for medusae to reproduce, but they do it because it hurts human morale.

The fact that Furies are all female, and that that leaves the super soldiers vulnerable to husking or thrall creation, has not escaped the notice of the military higher ups. Since almost all the women who become thralls are sexually frustrated (neglected wives, younger virgins, etc.), the decision was made to assign each Fury a male partner (or a female one if the Fury in question is gay). The partner is a fully trained soldier, but is also responsible for making sure that their super soldier is thoroughly sexually satisfied, which prevents thrall creation and increases their resistance to husking.

Specifically, Partners follows a young rookie named Christopher Smith, who is paired with a Fury named Anna Chen, and the story chronicles their relationship as it develops from Chris being Anna's "government issued fuck-buddy" (as she puts it) to the two of them developing much deeper feelings for each other.

Hopefully that explains what I meant when I said the sex is important to the story, but why I also want to detail the war sequences.

 

[Sonatatre]

That is hilarious InBrightestDay
I liked how your reasoning was so silly. For example how the jellyfish could only use sexually unsatisfied women to become thralls and tusks.
You have a great talent for comedy and I am sure your story would be a really funny parody. You must write it.

Hehe I can already picture the scene where the jellyfish capture a beautiful woman only to find she is not able to be used for breeding.

Jelly Captain: "Okay soldier Jellyfish2945, you know your duty. Impregnate her!"
Jelly Soldier: "Sir, we are having a problem. She seem to have had sex just before going into battle. We cant breed her if she is sexually satisfied. Also we cant give her any orgasms to become a thrall because she seem to have had a few recently."
Jelly Captain: "Oh well, we tried. Better release her."

All Jellies: "Damn you humans for figuring out that we can only use sexually unsatisfied women. We surrender."

 

[desertslave]

I'm not certain that this plot is intended to be comedic. I can see a great deal of dramatic potential, especially given the attitude towards a "government issue fuck-buddy."

I'm not that much of a writer (I have a few stories but my inspiration and attention is quite sporadic), but I'm a voracious reader. I have to admit, I don't read much SF here on Lit because I've been disappointed too often, but this potential story has me intrigued. Good writing to you!

 

[InBrightestDay]

Not Exactly What I Meant

That is hilarious InBrightestDay
I liked how your reasoning was so silly. For example how the jellyfish could only use sexually unsatisfied women to become thralls and tusks.
You have a great talent for comedy and I am sure your story would be a really funny parody. You must write it.

Hehe I can already picture the scene where the jellyfish capture a beautiful woman only to find she is not able to be used for breeding.

Jelly Captain: "Okay soldier Jellyfish2945, you know your duty. Impregnate her!"
Jelly Soldier: "Sir, we are having a problem. She seem to have had sex just before going into battle. We cant breed her if she is sexually satisfied. Also we cant give her any orgasms to become a thrall because she seem to have had a few recently."
Jelly Captain: "Oh well, we tried. Better release her."

All Jellies: "Damn you humans for figuring out that we can only use sexually unsatisfied women. We surrender."

To some extent it's a silly answer to a silly question (why exactly is an orgasm good enough to make you betray everything you're fighting for? "Because you're not used to it" was one answer), but I think you misunderstood part of it.

It's not that medusae can't give a captured soldier orgasms if she's had one recently, it's just that if her body is used to orgasm, then it won't have such a powerful effect on her mind.

Second, I said it increases resistance to husking; it doesn't stop it. Husking involves hormonal injections and some level of gradually inflicted damage to the breeding vessel's brain. You can slow it down, but you can't stop it. Also, while I would think this obvious, apparently I have to point out that you don't have to give someone an orgasm to impregnate them.

Overall, while there's a level of silliness inherent in the premise, the story's meant to be somewhat more serious.

 

[InBrightestDay]

Thank You

I'm not certain that this plot is intended to be comedic. I can see a great deal of dramatic potential, especially given the attitude towards a "government issue fuck-buddy."

I'm not that much of a writer (I have a few stories but my inspiration and attention is quite sporadic), but I'm a voracious reader. I have to admit, I don't read much SF here on Lit because I've been disappointed too often, but this potential story has me intrigued. Good writing to you!

Thank you, and yeah, it was actually intended to be more dramatic. Granted, it did start out as something of a joke, but I figured I could take a more serious slant to it (as serious as erotica about super soldiers fighting tentacle monsters can get, anyway ).

 

[Sonatatre]

To some extent it's a silly answer to a silly question (why exactly is an orgasm good enough to make you betray everything you're fighting for? "Because you're not used to it" was one answer), but I think you misunderstood part of it.

It's not that medusae can't give a captured soldier orgasms if she's had one recently, it's just that if her body is used to orgasm, then it won't have such a powerful effect on her mind.

Second, I said it increases resistance to husking; it doesn't stop it. Husking involves hormonal injections and some level of gradually inflicted damage to the breeding vessel's brain. You can slow it down, but you can't stop it. Also, while I would think this obvious, apparently I have to point out that you don't have to give someone an orgasm to impregnate them.

Overall, while there's a level of silliness inherent in the premise, the story's meant to be somewhat more serious.

Actually I was just making fun of you cause it was such a silly way for you to reason. You say it is your pet peeve and then you base the whole story around it being true and the most important premise for your story. I thought that was funny and a great setup for some humor.

I dont think anyone has said anything about needing orgasm to get pregnant. Was that a random thought you had?

If you really want to write the story you can easily create your sci-fi universe to work around the many flaws you have mentioned. Even leaving them in can work if the story is exciting enough for people to not think about it.

I hope you dont mind me making fun of you

 

[InBrightestDay]

Allow Me to Explain

Actually I was just making fun of you cause it was such a silly way for you to reason. You say it is your pet peeve and then you base the whole story around it being true and the most important premise for your story. I thought that was funny and a great setup for some humor.

I see what you mean, and I think I can explain a little better. When I mentioned my pet peeve, it's not that my pet peeve is the use of sex as a tool of behavioral conditioning or brainwashing; that in and of itself is believable enough. The problem is that nobody on the other side ever seems to do anything to compensate for it (we train intelligence operatives to resist interrogation and/or torture, after all).

My intent was to portray a situation where sex is used as a brainwashing tool, but where there is also a countermeasure for it.

I dont think anyone has said anything about needing orgasm to get pregnant. Was that a random thought you had?

No, I accidentally linked two parts of your post together, specifically the "we can't give her an orgasm because she had one recently" part and the "we can't impregnate her because she's sexually satisfied" part. What I should have said was that you can impregnate someone whether they want you to or not.

If you really want to write the story you can easily create your sci-fi universe to work around the many flaws you have mentioned. Even leaving them in can work if the story is exciting enough for people to not think about it.

I hope you dont mind me making fun of you

I'm not going to pretend I enjoy being made fun of, but I'm not going to hold a grudge or anything.

 

[emap]

I can't believe I am going to do this, but well here we go. Most of the ideas of a woman getting driven to orgasm and becoming a veritable slave to the man or thing comes straight from hentai. Hentai is made almost entirely by men, probably entirely but never can tell, and mostly in Japan.

Made in Japan is a key component to this because of how their society works. I have no idea why but women seem unwilling to admit they are sexually excited. Also don't want the guy looking at their pussy. You see it in their porn though not as pronounced. I think, I don't know Japanese and only sometimes find subtitled hentai.

Some of this I understand, not wanting to be looked at while naked. Most every woman can relate to that one. Some are only when they are going to the bathroom, some are always, some are in between those two. There is another facet, Japan is big in to bondage, I mean huge big in to it. Bondage is generally viewed as being a bit submissive, and most people think an Asian woman is submissive anyway.

The other side to it is the hentai is mostly to entirely, written, directed, and drawn by men. Men like to assume a woman will latch on to a guy if he can get her off. Do not ask where that comes from but it's pretty standard thinking.

Course all men are pigs, everybody knows this.

 

[InBrightestDay]

I can't believe I am going to do this, but well here we go.

Did I upset you? I'm really sorry if I did, as that was not my intention.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I can't believe I am going to do this, but well here we go. Most of the ideas of a woman getting driven to orgasm and becoming a veritable slave to the man or thing comes straight from hentai. Hentai is made almost entirely by men, probably entirely but never can tell, and mostly in Japan.

I don't think we need to look to Japan to explain that trope. It's been around in the English-reading world for more than a hundred years, long before Japanese literature had much influence on the West. The story I linked wouldn't look out of place in Lit's NC section today: man has grudge against woman, kidnaps and rapes her, she's overwhelmed by lust and helps him do the same with other women.

 

[horrorotica]

I think what is being discussed here is using sex as means to gain power over someone. This can happen to either sex if they allow another to dominate them like that. As a writer this leads to all kinds of scenarios that can be used in stories. I think this is something that is not very well understood by some authors on Lit. The reasons for sex and the subsequent set up is just as important as the actual act to me. Reading lurid descriptions of sex really does nothing for me unless I have the context of the act.

Putting in a sex scene just for the sake of it is flawed too. I agree with what someone said above that I prefer to incorporate the act into the plot. It gives it more punch to me. Builds a context for the sexual element.

 

[InBrightestDay]

Back on Track!

I think what is being discussed here is using sex as means to gain power over someone.

That's not the original topic of the thread, but as far as what the medusae do within the story, then yes, basically.

The reasons for sex and the subsequent set up is just as important as the actual act to me. Reading lurid descriptions of sex really does nothing for me unless I have the context of the act.

Putting in a sex scene just for the sake of it is flawed too. I agree with what someone said above that I prefer to incorporate the act into the plot. It gives it more punch to me. Builds a context for the sexual element.

And we're back to the original topic (I know this went on quite a tangent, but I really only gave the synopsis to explain why I felt the sex was part of the plot but why I wanted to do more story stuff too).

So you're of the opinion that it's best to sort of let the story take its course, and if this means that there's less sex in an absolute sense, that the sex there is will have more of an effect because it's in context?