Filler & Killer - General story development

[UntoldDepths]

On my journey to write better stories, I now seem to be adding more non-sexual content. I'm not sure if it will add to my style of writing, but it seems like a natural progression from just setting up a sex scene and putting some bits and bobs around it.
I do think I need to make sure anything I put in is value add. I'm not sure if this is actually a question or a statement. My next story, which will be a follow up to 'The bucket list' is already about 20% done, and nobody has taken their clothes off yet!
I'm hoping this will make my stories more pleasurable to read, whilst remaining true to the sexy parts.

 

[StillStunned]

Overall, in my experience, readers appreciate sex scenes more if there's context and character. As long as the tension progresses towards the sex, and you can hold their attention, they'll enjoy the climax all the more.

 

[SimonDoom]

I agree with Stillstunned. I personally find the buildup is often more erotic than the sex.

 

[Writer61]

On my journey to write better stories, I now seem to be adding more non-sexual content. I'm not sure if it will add to my style of writing, but it seems like a natural progression from just setting up a sex scene and putting some bits and bobs around it.
I do think I need to make sure anything I put in is value add. I'm not sure if this is actually a question or a statement. My next story, which will be a follow up to 'The bucket list' is already about 20% done, and nobody has taken their clothes off yet!
I'm hoping this will make my stories more pleasurable to read, whilst remaining true to the sexy parts.

I spend most of my writing time creating situations and getting characters together.

 

[UntoldDepths]

I spend most of my writing time creating situations and getting characters together.

I feel like I should spend more time on characters. I might create a character portfolio, and add traits and details to it. Then tick off when that particular aspect of them has been revealed. I feel that so far, I know who my characters are, but how much have I conveyed to the reader. Not much.

 

[Writer61]

I feel like I should spend more time on characters.

That's something I need to do as well. I have a fair idea of who my lead characters are, and probably convey the basics, but the others are no better than sketches.

 

[CalBishForNow]

There's more to eroticism than just sex. Lingering glances, double entendres, remarks or gestures that blur the lines of relationships, clothes that expose more skin than they need to... going straight to a sex scene without any of that at all would almost definitely be a mistake.

There's also more to characterization than just eroticism. Almost everyone has family members and coworkers they don't want to fuck. How do your characters handle people like that? I wouldn't call a story good if it doesn't even try to address that.

That being said, this is primarily for erotica, and if your plot and writing style calls for one sex scene per every thousand words, I'm not sure there's anything wrong with that.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Sex should have a purpose and a point relative to the overall tale.

I am not alone in publishing several successful stories here with absolutely no graphic or detailed sex is described. Frequently the sex is merely implied or presented in a "fade to black" fashion that leaves everything up to the imagination of the readers.

 

[AG31]

On my journey to write better stories, I now seem to be adding more non-sexual content. I'm not sure if it will add to my style of writing, but it seems like a natural progression from just setting up a sex scene and putting some bits and bobs around it.
I do think I need to make sure anything I put in is value add. I'm not sure if this is actually a question or a statement. My next story, which will be a follow up to 'The bucket list' is already about 20% done, and nobody has taken their clothes off yet!
I'm hoping this will make my stories more pleasurable to read, whilst remaining true to the sexy parts.

It could be that you're following the path of most writers here in AH, a path towards more fleshed out fiction, with sex added here and there. But there's another way. Focus on sex and hone your skills for exploring it and conveying what you see as vividly as possible. I think sex is such a profound aspect of human experience that it deserves its own literary genre. I've made this point a lot here, but here's the thesis.

You can only find out what kind of a writer you are by introspection. I'm just suggesting that you not take it as a given that you have to add non-sexual content to write better stories. It depends on what kind of story you're trying to write.

 

[AG31]

Overall, in my experience, readers appreciate sex scenes more if there's context and character. As long as the tension progresses towards the sex, and you can hold their attention, they'll enjoy the climax all the more.

Except, of course, you've written some pretty outstanding examples of stories about sex that don't distract with too much plot and character.

 

[AG31]

There's more to eroticism than just sex. Lingering glances, double entendres, remarks or gestures that blur the lines of relationships, clothes that expose more skin than they need to... going straight to a sex scene without any of that at all would almost definitely be a mistake.

I'd like to redeem the word "sex." It's that mysterious, profound aspect of human experience that makes all those things you listed charged. When you say "just sex," what are you talking about? Penetration? That's a pretty diminished view of what sex is.

 

[StillStunned]

Except, of course, you've written some pretty outstanding examples of stories about sex that don't distract with too much plot and character.

Thank you for saying so!

 

[Rob_Royale]

On my journey to write better stories, I now seem to be adding more non-sexual content. I'm not sure if it will add to my style of writing, but it seems like a natural progression from just setting up a sex scene and putting some bits and bobs around it.
I do think I need to make sure anything I put in is value add. I'm not sure if this is actually a question or a statement. My next story, which will be a follow up to 'The bucket list' is already about 20% done, and nobody has taken their clothes off yet!
I'm hoping this will make my stories more pleasurable to read, whilst remaining true to the sexy parts.

I think this is part of all our journeys as writers. At first writing the sex and plenty of it was the what I felt erotica was. In time I realized that I enjoyed the writing the story up to the sex the most and the readers seemed to appreciate a thoughtful story.