Erotic story cliches

[peterpan]

I keep noticing the same story elements and have the urge to psychoanalise them.

Here are three elements that are just really really common. They often overlap.

The 'Slut' meme-- Different variations. May not really be connected except by the 'slut' word.
1) Man explosively transforms. The words SLUT and BITCH, or alternatively slut! and bitch! appear thoughout speach. Sort of reminds me of tourettes syndrome, or the way GOD appears capitalised in religions pamphlets. Man exacts wrath on woman. Another pattern I detect is the way the man in every way denies that the woman has any hold on him, or alternatively that the woman forces his urges but they are separate from him in some way.
2) Man forces woman (often a prim-and-proper woman) to admit that she is a slut, often to specifically say 'I am a slut'. Forced felattio etc.
3) SuperSlut. Exposed to danger, or large knob, woman transforms into slut identity. Reminds me of mild mannered clark kent ripping open his shirt to reveal massive "S" emblasoned on his chest.

The 'Oh my god its so big' meme. The phallus is more than impressive, its terrifying. This is often exacerbated by the tightness of the woman's vagina. The woman is always confused by the paradox of pain and pleasure, or at least 'wanting it'. In tentacle erotica there may not even be a man, just a woman and a gigantic SF phallus. The monster is revolting in every way, increasing the paradox. I don't know if women ever write tentacle erotica.

The 'Joan of Arc meets Big Bad Wolf' meme. This is a story I see again and again in fantasy and SF. Women seem to especially go for it. A good woman becomes the possession of a strong man who ravages her. The woman has the moral highground but the man has rugged good looks, glowering eyes, impressive physique, is a leader. The woman is often indignant when another emotion would seem more appropriate (he murdered all my friends, I was indignant that he intended to rape me), and continually has her expectations of certain codes of conduct quashed. I interpret this as a womans internal conflict between the safe, boring socially responsible mate and the alpha male that society and her own common sense would frown on her for choosing.

any other memes/cliches that strike other people as being played out again and again in an unusually precise manner?

 

[ronde]

inches and cup sizes

Similar to your "Oh my God, it's so big" meme, is the description in absolute engineering units of cock size. I find this interesting, and it is sometimes hilarious when one considers the implications to the story.

I know I'm probably a minority of one, but I don't really need to know that he is eleven and a half inches of throbbing fuck meat. Now, I'm a straight guy, so maybe if my orientation was different or if I were female, my perspective would be different. Hell, I'm not really sure how big I am. I'm just really satisfied that it keeps standing up on it's own, but I suppose my age could have something to do with that.

I can appreciate women's breast sizes, each and every one of them in fact, but it would seem that female characters must be described with the correct lingerie measurements to be complete. As a side observation, if Lit stories were a statistically significant look at the general population, women would acquire walkers at puberty just so they could remain upright. Now, that is a vision for the mind.

I'm not complaining about this writing style, because it appeals to many, but it is interesting to observe.

 

[Star of Penumbra]

I agree. Whenever I write, I NEVER describe the characters in cup sizes or length in inches. There are a million of those stories out there, and the world doesn't need another mediocre writer churing out stories where the guys are totally irresistable to women (and in some cases, men), and the women are little more than one dimensional fuckdolls. Plus, I hate those stories.

I write differently because I know the readers will remember my stories. Even if they hate my writing, they'll remember it, because nobody else writes like I do.

 

[peterpan]

It always interests me to imagine how those people see the world. On the other hand I often suspect I am missing whole dimensions of human interaction as well, and appear at least as silly to others here.

 

[Chicklet]

I agree. Whenever I write, I NEVER describe the characters in cup sizes or length in inches.

plus, when you see "she was a 36DDD" it just makes you want to barf. I close those stories straightaway after hearing that their cup size is bigger than my head.

Chicklet

 

[Quint]

The sad thing is, some of those are formulas I search for when, ahem, I have too much time on my hands. I completely agree with your synapsis of the storyline (such as it is) and also that there is a certain inherent degree of cheesiness involved. But it gets me off, especially the "Joan of Arc vs. Big Bad" one. I've seen it done fabulously well. WhisperSecret took this one and made a terrific Novella ("Hostile Takeover") out of it. I've seen it done rougher and crueler by WindUpAtheist (see the "Story Recommendations" thread for more info on that). It pushes my buttons the right way.

Incidentally, I'm thinking about writing a tentacle porn story. No, my tongue is NOT in my cheek right now. This is part of a story experiment--take another cliche, which is similar to number 3 on your Slut list, except more of the anime "Five nubile young superheroines" thing than Wonder Woman, and see how good I can make it. I'm laughing now, but I do intend to do this one eventually. However, I am adamant about avoiding measurements, which might change my genre entirely. "But...she said the tentacle was thick and pulsing...where are the numbers? I have to have numbers! I can't read this shit!"

 

[peterpan]

That could be another twist: actresses in a hentai tentacle scene muffing their lines and having to redo it. (Think that first scene in Who F**d Roger Rabbit)

Nothing wrong with the same old stories. The key thing I dislike about #3 is that generally the guy is so oafish. He should have more involvment and character complexity than just wanting to get his rocks off on her face. her brains should matter at some point too. They should get into each others head in some way. I do want him to be likable in some respect, which I guess could be viewed as irresponsible.

My own favorite twist is where she is nonconsenting for a reason that is actually a flaw that binds her, and that the reader can see she will be happier free of. The captor has some magical knowledge of her heart. She finds herself finally in a happy environment that she could not access beforehand. Horribly specific and bloody easy to analyse. I wish there were as many of these as there were tentacle rape stories.

(actually, tentacles are sort of cool . its the other elements in those tales, or lack of them, that does not let me enjoy them)

 

[pinklipstick]

plus, when you see "she was a 36DDD" it just makes you want to barf. I close those stories straightaway after hearing that their cup size is bigger than my head.

Chicklet

I crack up when I read descriptions of a slim 48DDD. Perhaps a practical lesson in bra sizes should be posted.

 

[Modessitt]

Excellent point on the size thing. I always think it's ridiculous when, especially in first person POV, the characters just meet and the female lead reaches for "his 8-inch cock". How does she know how big it is? I've been reading everything that's happened since they met and didn't see any rulers. And if he told her or she asked, why wasn't it included in the story. Same thing with breasts. Why I may make a reference that it "looks big (or bigger" than usual to the narrator, but don't actually say how big, that way the reader can insert anything they want to make it more erotic or believable to him. (See my stories "Intervention" or "The Spice of Life" in Loving Wives or New for more on this.)

As to other cliches, here you go:

Loving Wives - If you took out every story where the wife was a huge, willing slut to everyone, the "other man" was black, she sleeps with a minimum of five men at once, or the husband stays with the wife even after she humiliates him by sleeping with all his coworkers and boss, the plumber, the mailman, and every friend he has, getting pregnant by all of them and making him raise them while she's out sleeping with everyone against his will, then there wouldn't be very many stories left in this category. However, it seems like a lot of people like these stories, perhaps as a fantasy substitute for what they can't (or won't) do in their real lives, so I guess it works anyway.

Incest - I hate reading a story where everyone has had the hots for each other for "years" and were just waiting for the other to acknowledge it. Bullshit. While I'm sure a lot of men and women had sexual thoughts for a parent when younger as they awakened to their first sexual responses, the idea that most parents felt the same for their offspring, especially mothers, is ridiculous. While I'm sure it may happen somewhere, I'd rather read a well-written piece where something momentous, or accidental, attributes to the thoughts and actions that follow. NakdSalr has some very interesting stories like this. Or, for an idea as to what I'm talking about, try the "Summer of Freedom" series by OhMama. Unfortunately, the author either didn't or was unable to finish the storyline, which brings me to my next gripe.

Series - You've heard the expression "trying to beat a dead horse?" I automatically skip stories like "My Slut Wife Ch. 74." For one thing, unless you've been reading the previous 73 chapters, you have no idea as to how we got to this point and what they're referring to from earlier chapters. Also, unless you have a fetish for certain things, the appeal of the story dies out after 2 or 3 chapter of the "same ol' thing". The exception for this is when you're building up to something, perhaps by taking steps to the final destination, but each chapter is a different encounter with just a little more progress towards the ultimate goal. These can be exciting, and are worth the time, but pale if continued past the final consummation. The other risk you run with a series is not finishing it. Sometimes the circumstance are beyond the author's control - loss of computer or internet connection, jail, or even death. This is a huge let-down for the reader, especially if it's a building-to-the-big-moment story like the "Summer of Freedom" series I mentioned earlier. If you're going to write a continuing story on purpose, it might be better to write the whole thing before posting the individual parts, then posting them all together. Of course, this doesn't let the anticipation build with your audience, but it does ensure a finished tale.

I'm sure there are other cliches out there, but this post is getting too long. Perhaps I'll put some more up another time.

Bye, y'all.

 

[peterpan]

Excellent point on the size thing. I always think it's ridiculous when, especially in first person POV, the characters just meet and the female lead reaches for "his 8-inch cock". How does she know how big it is? I've been reading everything that's happened since they met and didn't see any rulers...

I think it is something to do with the ratio the shadow subtends with the ground at a known time of day, the height of said cock assuming the man is standing, compared against a known reference point on the females anatomy, and the distance that the base of the cock shadow falls from the mans centre of mass. Women can do these sort of Pythagorian calculations in their head but have the wisdom not to admit it because construction work is a real good way to get a brick dropped on your head or a thumb mashed.

 

[mlyn]

Why are so many female leads blonde and busty?

There are lots of kinds of writing. And I'll be the first to admit that I've written three stories, with cliches, just to see the response I would get. I got what I expected, which didn't please me in the least.

But it comes down to do you write because you HAVE to write? Or is it to get positive feedback from readers, and therefore you adjust your writing to their comments about what they life?

Having grown up on Cinderella, Snow White, and other improbably fantasy tales, and then graduating to the Harlequin romance novel and Barbara Cartland, I find it rare to find a real woman in a story. So I try, don't always succeed, to make the women in my story real, physically, emotionally and mentally.

Didn't someone say there are only 4 or 5 basic themes for all stories ever written?

mlyn

 

[Whispersecret]

Modessitt, you nailed a great many of my pet peeves about erotic stories.

A few premises that show up a lot in incest is

--daughter makes herself a birthday present for daddy.
--family member finds out another family member looks at porn/writes porn/does something naughty and blackmails them into sex.

If I see another story where applying sunscreen leads to sex, I'll just puke.

 

[NoJo]

peterpan

I keep noticing the same story elements and have the urge to psychoanalise them.

How long have you had these urges?

 

[peterpan]

Did I spell that word right? I meant psychosodomize, naturally.

 

[NoJo]

Psychosodomizing Stories

Now there's a man after my own heart.

 

[NoJo]

 

[Star of Penumbra]

Hey SubJoe, you see that little button in the lower right corner of the posts that says EDIT? Just click on that and you can edit your posts.

 

[Quint]

Have I told you about my girlfriend, Sally? Boy, you're in for a treat. That girl has the wildest adventures.

First, a little about Sally. She is the most gorgeous girl on the planet. She has tits the size of a planet, hell, TWO planets, if the planets were 48DD. Her blonde hair falls down below her sweet curvy ass that I'd love to fuck if she would let me, and in the front is the sweetest pussy man ever tasted. It certainly was the sweetest pussy her twin sister Shelly ever tasted, she assured me! I guess Shelly's pretty hot too.

Need I go on? o)

 

[Street0]

Similar to your "Oh my God, it's so big" meme, is the description in absolute engineering units of cock size.

Does someone actually use inches in engineering?

 

[Star of Penumbra]

<SNIP>Need I go on? o)

Please... If you have any sense of mercy at all, you won't.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The Oh my God look how big it is! theme...that's every story here but two...and I haven't found eithe rof those yet...
LOL
Well, cliches are part of the game, but people forget that the characters are supposed to represent real people in some manner, and real people tend to not have the experiences that are written about in the group sex, non-consent, and incest areas, not to mention the whole "she's the most beautiful woman" thing that takes over every story. It's cool that she's beautiful, she almost has to be, but tell us why, damnit! Give her some character.
And male characters are only a touch better...they get about eight inches of character, and no personality whatsoever...
*sigh*
Oh, well. Mostly what bothers me isn't the stories here or the cliches, but that some people, a lot of people, seem to believe that what they read should apply to their lives somehow...That's sad in the same way believing that what we see in porn should somehow apply to reality...

 

[Uther_Pendragon]

Okay, weve dealt with size. (And BTW, the numbers in "48 DDDDDDDDD"
etc., report the measurement of the woman just UNDER
her breasts.) How about:
1) The girl who doesn't have sexual experience, so whe asks
a stranger to deflower her.
2) The woman who inspects herself in all sexual aspects in
the mirror to show us all how she looks. Come on, guys,
a woman who looks in the mirror is going to concentrate on
her face, and concentrate on aspecs which dissatisfy her.
3) The woman whose first orgasm occurs during her
first intercourse.
4) The woman who has a hymen several inches up her vagina.
(The hymen is at the ENTRANCE to the vagina, although it is
within the area guarded by the labia.)

 

[ezgoin]

Hey, Uther_P: it's been so long since I had a hymen, I'd forgotten where it was! Thanks for telling us!

Also, how exactly is a hard cock measured, anyway? Is it along the top from the belly to its tip, or from the bottom, including the balls, or would that be cheating? I think a measuring tape would be better than a rigid ruler: in case the shaft has curviture to it.

 

[Street0]

<i>Also, how exactly is a hard cock measured, anyway? Is it along the top from the belly to its tip, or from the bottom, including the balls, or would that be cheating? I think a measuring tape would be better than a rigid ruler: in case the shaft has curviture to it.</i>

Actually, you should average the two numbers. What you are really looking for is the length of the cock's axis and that's slightly shorter than the length a measuring tape would give.

 

[Coolville]

et al

regarding the 4-5 universal stories, I learned at film school that there are actually 7....
family
money
career
revenge
love
...and two others...?
(horny wife-slut taking on son's soccer team? - isn't that one of them?)

anyway, you can always mix and match. Godfather is Family with Revenge built in. and so on...

Describing the measurements of cocks and breasts is ridiculous. A good writer can do it with words. Often, I like a story, it turns me on... I get a picture of the characters in my head. "Ample bosom" and "long, rock-hard nipples" is enough. I have my preferences and they pop up in my fantasy. I have my own idea of how an ample bosom looks and the next reader has a different idea.

Okay, ample bosom isn't the best example, but you know what I mean. I don't think I've ever read 'ample bosom' on Lit....

Re: cock size, the average cock size, according to Kinsey and on a worldwide basis, is 13.2 cm... about 6 inches in the archaeic system.

Besides, like Robin Williams said, Metric is much better. How big is your cock? 130! (mm)