Description and Background Strike Back?!

[charliesxxxangel]

Hey yall, yes I'm a newbie to Literotica---at least so far as I've only just recently taken the 2 minutes time to register myself as an official user. Anyways, I'm in the process of hopefully getting my story posted on this site. I have submitted it for review as the opening to my novella.

Getting to the point of my spiel, ladies and gentlemen out there, I have been wondering if you as readers enjoy stories that build up to--- rather than spit at you a sudden onslaught of sexuality, sex scenes, etc.

In my story I go so far as to layout the setting in detail, letting readers get a definite feel of the time and place in which my characters interact. My intentions also are to let the readers get familiar with the characters through descriptions interlaced with occasional dialogue.

In a world where a minute is one mintue too long to wait, do you think readers will breeze through my work to get to its erotic meat, or do you think they will kick back and enjoy the story as it unfolds???

Just to let you know a little on the basic concept of the particular story I've written, it's a crime/drama centering on the life of a mafia "princess." (Does this sound appealing???)

All comments and opinions welcome, this is just an open-ended friendly question.

 

[Guest]

It is an excellent question, and many writers on Lit agonize over the answer!

I imagine it depends on your who your audience will be.

There is a certain element here that will read stories with one hand, so to speak. They are looking for the quick "O" and stories that develop characters and plot before any actual sex occurs may not appeal.

But many people here look for intelligently written erotica - smut within a story - and you'll find many true fans there.

(at least that's been my experience!)

Welcome - and good luck!

 

[Sabledrake]

Hi, charliesxxxangel, and welcome!

I know that I greatly prefer (in reading and in writing) stories that establish characters, setting, and situation before diving into the sex. I like to know about the people involved, so that I am interested and care what happens to them.

But as the lovely sarahh said, there's those here of all different tastes and opinions. Can't please everyone, so I recommend writing what _you_ like.

Sabledrake

 

[jfinn]

I prefer reading slower stories myself and that's also what I write and I have an audience so it is do-able. You might also want to think about putting an authors note at the top of your story though that warns readers that this is what you're doing. I've had some success with that.

Goodluck.

Jayne

 

[mangrove jack]

I find the thrill of the chase more exciting than the in and out bit at the end. Stories that start the sex immediately remind me of porno vids.They are a turn off not a turn on. Mangrove Jack

 

[Octavian]

There seems to be a consensus here. I, too prefer the sex to be part of the story rather than have the story, if indeed there is one, part of the sex.

Octavian

My stories

 

[dr_mabeuse]

It really depends on how well you write. If it's really good, I'll l read it whether it's sex or not. If it's bad, I won't rerad it all, no matter how much sex there is.

If you're working on a novel and thinking of modifying it to remove non-sexual content, it would seem to suggest that this material is already expendable and therefore shouldn't be in there in the first place. Maybe you should reconsider

In any case, if you write with the express purpose of catering to the average reader, the most you can ever hope for is to produce average work.

Regards,

---dr.M.

 

[openthighs_sarah]

If the background seems superfluous (especially in a non-erotic sense), you'll encounter a lot of resistance, I think. This isn't a bad thing, just something to keep in mind. Even if the background is critical to the story, you'll encounter resistance if the build-up itself isn't designed specifically to heighten the sexual experience (and not simply the literary experience) for the reader.

Octavian wrote:
I, too prefer the sex to be part of the story rather than have the story, if indeed there is one, part of the sex.

I agree with that, but I would add that the story as a whole -- for me to really want to keep reading it, and to satisfy my thirst when I come to this site -- still has to be about sex, about eroticism and sexuality. Otherwise it's just a regular story with (hopefully) a few great sex scenes. (And again, I don't see anything wrong with that -- as long as you don't get upset by negative or sparse feedback.)

You may love the backdrop of your story -- place, time, context, ancillary characters -- and so you give those things the attention they deserve (and demand). Doing anything less would be betraying the story (if you take writing seriously enough to think in terms of betrayal). What you may love about the story, though, could seem insignificant to someone (or everyone) who reads it, and at least a few of those readers are sure to be annoyed at having to sift through paragraphs of "filler" to get to the meat.

But there are a lot of readers (and I'm one of them) who like substance with their smut. Not background filler, but anything that can make the characters come alive on the page, and that will make me remember the story later (hopefully after I've been brought to the cusp of an earth-shattering orgasm).

Welcome, and good luck with your stories!

Abuser (and over-user) of parenthetical expressions,
sarah

 

[Guest]

Hey yall, yes I'm a newbie to Literotica---at least so far as I've only just recently taken the 2 minutes time to register myself as an official user. Anyways, I'm in the process of hopefully getting my story posted on this site. I have submitted it for review as the opening to my novella.

Getting to the point of my spiel, ladies and gentlemen out there, I have been wondering if you as readers enjoy stories that build up to--- rather than spit at you a sudden onslaught of sexuality, sex scenes, etc.

In my story I go so far as to layout the setting in detail, letting readers get a definite feel of the time and place in which my characters interact. My intentions also are to let the readers get familiar with the characters through descriptions interlaced with occasional dialogue.

In a world where a minute is one mintue too long to wait, do you think readers will breeze through my work to get to its erotic meat, or do you think they will kick back and enjoy the story as it unfolds???

Just to let you know a little on the basic concept of the particular story I've written, it's a crime/drama centering on the life of a mafia "princess." (Does this sound appealing???)

All comments and opinions welcome, this is just an open-ended friendly question.

_____

If your story is submitted as a part of the "novella" genre, I think it will be generally accepted and enjoyed by readers that frequent that section. There are many Lit readers that enjoy a long read, especially by good authors that have the stamina to undertake such and effort, and love to write a story. I've come to expect that kind of formula, quite frankly, for stories with many pages, or those that are posted in separate (long) "chapters."

It may be too late now, but you may be more successful in securing an interested readership by posting more than just the first chapter of your novella, waiting until you have two or three (as an example), providing some initial continuity as well as an introduction, thereby offering a "hook" to the reader as enticement to come back for more. I know I would.