How far should a writer adapt his writing to his readers' expectation?

[Morevinila]

I am a non-native newbie writer writing erotica in English and I have a number of plot lines some of which I have started writing.
I have posted 3 on Literotica. In the last one I wrote/submitted for Halloween Contest, I relate the incest relation occurring unawares at the party. I describe the preparation of the three groups involved (the son/the daughter/the parents) each believing they are going to a different party. Then I skipped the party itself to talk of the aftermath when the children discover they had been having sex with their parents. My editor told me it was a writer's decision but warned that readers would probably be frustrated not having any account of the party itself and would downvote. After consideration, I decided to add three scenes from the party though this wasn't my intention initially. The story is Halloween Libertine Party if you want to have a look.
My question is this: as a writer, should I follow my inspiration, regardless of what readers may expect or should I adapt my story to what readers expect even if that is not really what I had in mind initially? Or. more precisely, up to what point should I bend my initial story to cater to readers' expectation?
I have the same problem with a story I am now writing. The final scene is one where members of a family end up having sex each with their partner but they see their parents and siblings having sex in the same room. No I/T as such but once the reader starts reading and sees it is a story in a family setting won't he expect at least some I/T material and be disappointed there isn't any. All there is is the exhibitionist/voyeur side of the family members.

 

[Escierto]

Readers? There are people reading your stories? Do you know who they are?

 

[Voboy]

Here on Lit? There's no need to worry about reader expectations. This is all for fun. Write whatever you like, and the audience will find it.

For awhile I wrote commercially. I churned out stories roughly similar to what I produce here, and I got paid for it. Which sounds great, except... well, I found myself caring what the readers expected. I didn't like that, so I stopped. It was no longer about fun.

My sense of obligation to my Lit readership is self-imposed: I think I owe them a readable and well-written story that will excite them sexually. When I wrote for money, I was very conscious of where that money was coming from: peoples' pockets. I felt a DEEP sense of responsibility to them because of that. It was a lot.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Many authors here will tell you to pursue your own ideas and desires and not to fret about what readers want or demand. I simply think that your question is the wrong kind of question. If reader approval and popularity are what you seek, then go for it by all means. But don't expect to satisfy everyone's tastes and kinks, and also, you may at one point find yourself disliking the stuff you are writing. Or you can stick with your ideas and desires no matter what and accept the reader response you are getting. Or find some middle way.
The truth is that there is no universal answer. It all depends on what you want from your writing. So there should be no "should I do this" or "should I do that", although asking for other people's experiences makes sense.

 

[NotWise]

Never bend to your (or others) opinions about what readers want so far that you can't enjoy the writing.

 

[MrPixel]

Here on Lit? There's no need to worry about reader expectations. This is all for fun. Write whatever you like, and the audience will find it.

Many authors here will tell you to pursue your own ideas and desires and not to fret about what readers want or demand.

Never bend to your (or others) opinions about what readers want so far that you can't enjoy the writing.

Hear hear.

I write and publish for my own enjoyment, to bask in the satisfaction of reading my own wordsmithing, like an artist sitting back and appreciating their accomplishments. If it draws readers, fantastic.

Now I don't fully ignore reader comments and requests. There have been style and content "upgrades" due to comments about minor failings in my writing. I have a handful of regulars who request reading more about a regular FMC, who happens to be the MMC's wife. They are soon to be rewarded, though that is mostly the coincidence of a story about her exploits that was on the back-burner for several years. "Fear not, guys!"

 

[StillStunned]

From personal experience only: if it's a good story, people will appreciate it. I have several stories that feature no sex, or only abstract scenes, and they do perfectly fine.

Of course I tend to put them in my "One-Off Artsy Stuff" series, which I describe as "not intended as traditional erotica" so readers are warned. But even before I created that series the stories found an audience.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

How much? As much as you feel that you want to.

I think that this is a great question because the whole point of fiction is to convey ideas and emotions (emotional ideas?) through the page to the reader and so there has to be a reader, and therefore you must keep the reader in mind. On the other hand, if you pander to the audience's expectations you will lose your authenticity and your story could end up quite cold, or unoriginal - a cookie cutter. You have ideas to offer and you have to stay true to them, but then you also have to make them accessible and attractive to readers, both before reading to entice them to pick it up and then during reading to keep them from putting it down. There is a zen to it, and as with all matters of zen, it is very difficult to put into words.

I can provide one technique that I use. I don't have a name for this technique but it works like this.

1 ~ Think of something that your audience will want.
2 ~ Think of how that might fit into your plot.
3 ~ Will it provide anything more than the spectacle itself?
~ 3a) Will it reveal more about the characters?
~ 3b) Will it inspire or logically lead to another plot element?
~ 3c) Will it provide any extra info and replace any boring exposition?
~ 3d) any other benefit (I'm making this list quickly and I'm sure that I've missed some)

If the idea works well and passes item #2, and it scores a definite 'yes' on at least one element in item #3, then put it in.

An example: We are writing an action/crime story. What is something that an action/crime reader might want to 'see'? How about a car chase? Okay, how might car chase fit into our story? Let''s say that we already have a heist scene early in the story so a car chase could fit very well as they escape the heist. So item #2 is a pass. Will it reveal more about the characters? Let's say that we can use this to show that our main protag is a skilled driver. That works. Perhaps we could also make our main antag the pursuer and the chase could show the dogged determination and the risk that he is willing to take to catch him. Okay, this is even better. On top of that, we had already used some plain info-drop earlier to tell the reader of the protag's getaway skills, so now we can either back up our tell with a (really strong) show, or maybe even get rid of the earlier info-drop altogether (either is fine, depending on how we wrote our info-drop). So we decide that yes, a car chase scene that moves the plot away from the heist to the hideout would be a great addition that will also likely be a hit with the readers in much more than just a gratuitous way. The readers get their car chase spectacle but it's all still woven into and advances the story.

Now a sexual example: In erotica you're generally going to need a sex scene. The audience expects this. In an erotic novel, how long do you want to go between sex scenes? It's important in your pacing. So I wrote an erotic romance novel and I was very aware of where the sex scenes would happen. I felt that ending chapter 2 on a sex scene was important. Chapter 2 was the happy chapter before the plot thickened, so I wanted to finish on an emotional high, so a sex scene would be perfect. That satisfies item #2. So I asked myself, what more can I do with this sex scene so that it's not just an obligatory spectacle? I want to use the sex scene to show that these two are very happy, on top of the world and really falling for each other. It's the time of their life. It's a moment that they will remember forever. Well, in the scene before, they were drinking and dancing at a party where they've just earned an envelope of cash. So I decide that they spread all the cash out on the bed and fuck as they roll around in the bills. It's silly and it's fun and they can do it because they're on top of the world, and they will always remember the time that they did it on a pile of cash - it's like a bucket list thing. So it really shows how carefree the characters are in their 'top of the world' moment, and shows the strengthening bond between them, and the scene itself is more imaginative than just the spectacle of the obligatory sex scene. It also sets up the next chapter where things suddenly become not-so-happy. It creates a big fall (and emotional up-and-down is what I'm going for). The readers get their fuck scene spectacle but at the same time the scene still adds to and advances the story.

 

[StillStunned]

I think that this is a great question because the whole point of fiction is to convey ideas and emotions (emotional ideas?) through the page to the reader and so there has to be a reader, and therefore you must keep the reader in mind. On the other hand, if you pander to the audience's expectations you will lose your authenticity and your story could end up quite cold, or unoriginal - a cookie cutter. You have ideas to offer and you have to stay true to them, but then you also have to make them accessible and attractive to readers, both before reading to entice them to pick it up and then during reading to keep them from putting it down. There is a zen to it, and as with all matters of zen, it is very difficult to put into words.

There's probably a Venn diagram somewhere showing overlapping circles of "writing what you want to write" and "writing what your audience wants to read".

 

[mirafrida]

I think there's always some sort of dialogue between writer and reader. The text doesn't really mean anything except as it is experienced by the reader. I'm not saying that in a pretentious way - the reader-writer dialogue doesn't have to be "deep," nor highly intentional on either side. But whether you care about that dialogue as a writer or not, it is happening.

Personally, I try to steer a course between being beholden to that dialogue, and being deaf to it.

For one thing, I'm not looking to create a strong reaction just for the sake of a reaction. I have no interest in trolling readers, and I'd like reading one of my stories to be a positive experience in some way. So my hope, by means of judicious author notes and keywords, is to steer away people who won't enjoy my material. These mechanisms are never perfect, but it's certainly my goal. So, for example, if a story is light on sex and I think most readers will want/demand it, I'll warn them rather than just expecting them to "deal with it."

In my own mind, personally, there's also sort of a contract with readers, where I have made a commitment on my end to provide them with (I hope) a well-written, interesting, well-edited piece of writing, in which I've made an effort to develop three-dimensional characters, take motivations seriously, etc. In return, the reader is giving me their time.

Beyond all that, I also recognize that when people do read the story, they may or may not experience it as I do. Most times, of course, I have no idea how readers experienced it, beyond the reductionist absurdity of a 5 point rating. But when people do provide comments or send notes, I take them seriously. I don't think any reader's interpretation of a story is "invalid" per-se, and it provides me with a chance to learn.

Sometimes reader responses are fairly shallow, or markedly idiosyncratic, and that doesn't provide as much guidance. But as much as I can, I try to parse out what the commenter took from the story, or how they viewed it, and use that as data to inform my writing. That doesn't mean I will change everything at the whim of commenters. But over time, reader feedback has been useful to me as a sort of gestalt to help fine-tune themes, approaches, and content.

At the end of the day, I have to be into the story myself and enjoy writing it, or it's not going to happen anyway. So there are certainly limits around how much influence reader feedback can have.

 

[SimonDoom]

You "should" do whatever you enjoy doing.

For me personally, it's not an easy either/or question. I've read tons of erotica for a few decades, so my reading of other authors informs my taste. I didn't start posting erotic stories until 8 years ago, and by that time I had very well developed ideas of what I liked as a reader. So, I write for myself as a reader. But "myself" is a concept that has evolved through years and years of reading. My own personal philosophy about art is that you should learn as much as you can about how others do things but when it comes time to write the story, write it for yourself.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

The text doesn't really mean anything except as it is experienced by the reader.

Yes! The vast majority of writers don't understand this. The writing experience is merely a means to creating a reading experience.

For one thing, I'm not looking to create a strong reaction just for the sake of a reaction. I have no interest in trolling readers, and I'd like reading one of my stories to be a positive experience in some way. So my hope, by means of judicious author notes and keywords, is to steer away people who won't enjoy my material. These mechanisms are never perfect, but it's certainly my goal. So, for example, if a story is light on sex and I think most readers will want/demand it, I'll warn them rather than just expecting them to "deal with it."

I actually never do this. I write for those who might want to read my story. I never write to avoid those who don't. Even the world's greatest classics and best sellers have a multitude of readers who read the first page or chapter, think 'meh' and put it down. People will do this and I'm not the least bit afraid of that. I don't write scaredy-cat like that. Writing brave, writing fearless always turns out better.

What a disclaimer like that it tells many readers that what they are about to read has potential flaws, that the writer does not have full confidence that it will be enjoyable. Your first page is your first impression. If there is such a disclaimer right at the very top, it's a terrible first impression.

It's also pandering. Think about it. Pandering is writing to the audience's expectations for the sake of it. You are trying to engineer an audience with the expectations to match your story. That will help your score with the escape formula reader, but it also tells the more advanced reader looking for something fresh and original that you are almost certainly writing a tired formula for the masses.

Everything else in your post I not only totally agree with but would actually deem sage advice that most writers never understand, but that bit about disclaimers is very incongruous.

 

[Cagivagurl]

I am a non-native newbie writer writing erotica in English and I have a number of plot lines some of which I have started writing.
I have posted 3 on Literotica. In the last one I wrote/submitted for Halloween Contest, I relate the incest relation occurring unawares at the party. I describe the preparation of the three groups involved (the son/the daughter/the parents) each believing they are going to a different party. Then I skipped the party itself to talk of the aftermath when the children discover they had been having sex with their parents. My editor told me it was a writer's decision but warned that readers would probably be frustrated not having any account of the party itself and would downvote. After consideration, I decided to add three scenes from the party though this wasn't my intention initially. The story is Halloween Libertine Party if you want to have a look.
My question is this: as a writer, should I follow my inspiration, regardless of what readers may expect or should I adapt my story to what readers expect even if that is not really what I had in mind initially? Or. more precisely, up to what point should I bend my initial story to cater to readers' expectation?
I have the same problem with a story I am now writing. The final scene is one where members of a family end up having sex each with their partner but they see their parents and siblings having sex in the same room. No I/T as such but once the reader starts reading and sees it is a story in a family setting won't he expect at least some I/T material and be disappointed there isn't any. All there is is the exhibitionist/voyeur side of the family members.

There have been many threads in here discussing what writers owe readers....
The answer in my opinion is nothing.
Writers write here for fun...
We don't get financially reimbursed for what we post, so write what you want to. The only person you have to satisfy is yourself....

If readers enjoy what you write, then it becomes more enjoyable. You get some nice comments and feedback. If not, you'll get to feel their anger.

The one thing you can't do is satisfy them all. The harder you try to please a few, you will anger others.

Write for your own pleasure.

Enjoy it, embrace it.

Cagivagurl

 

[AlwaysDancing]

There are artists and illustrators. Artists paint their own vision and illustrators paint someone else’s.

If you’re an artist, then don’t bend. Your mission is to become a better writer and that’s completely independent of what other people want to read.

If you want to be an illustrator then ask what someone wants you to write that and do that. But your mission is the same. Be the best version of you that you can be.

 

[Writer61]

My question is this: as a writer, should I follow my inspiration, regardless of what readers may expect or should I adapt my story to what readers expect even if that is not really what I had in mind initially?

Depends on whether you are writing for approval or your own satisfaction. Only you can answer that.

 

[Morevinila]

Thank you all for all your answers/comments. If I sum up what you are all telling me, we have a wide spectrum of positions with at what end, 'write what you want to write, no matter what the reader thinks or wants' and at the other end 'write only what the reader is expecting you to write". Two extreme positions of course and I think I am somewhere in-between where I want to keep my original idea, yet know that I have an audience (can we say that about readers) to whom I am also up to a point 'accountable'. If I am writing for myself and my own pleasure, then there is no point publishing it. The moment I decide to publish, I engage like @mirafrida said, in a conversation with a reader.
If I take the example I have given about my next story, the fact that the characters are all from the same family (in-laws included) am I not creating an expectation that something is going to happen that is termed 'incest' or 'taboo' and what that thing doesn't happen, all sexual activity happening only between lawfully married couples, the only 'taboo' thing being the exhibitionism, am I not flouting that expectation?

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Surprising readers can be a good thing. Disappointing them can be a bad one. If that bothers you (it does me), you have to put yourself in the audience's heads and decide which reaction most people would have.

In my "Pranked", I have the protagonist feeling incestuous desire and being bitterly ashamed of it (and certainly not acting on it). I had to decide whether to put an "incest" tag on the story. I finally decided not to.

-Annie

 

[pink_silk_glove]

If I take the example I have given about my next story, the fact that the characters are all from the same family (in-laws included) am I not creating an expectation that something is going to happen that is termed 'incest' or 'taboo' and what that thing doesn't happen, all sexual activity happening only between lawfully married couples, the only 'taboo' thing being the exhibitionism, am I not flouting that expectation?

If you post it in incest and there's no incest, then effectively you're trolling, which personally I would not advocate.

If you post it exhib and it contains exhib, you'll be fine - especially if there is no incest. Incest is the most popular kink (by light years) but it it's also the biggest squick outside of the incest category. Incest is pretty cut-and-dried that way which makes it nice and simple (and a lot less controversial than say adultery which can become a shitstorm in any category).

 

[Thebrowneye]

I am a non-native newbie writer writing erotica in English and I have a number of plot lines some of which I have started writing.
I have posted 3 on Literotica. In the last one I wrote/submitted for Halloween Contest, I relate the incest relation occurring unawares at the party. I describe the preparation of the three groups involved (the son/the daughter/the parents) each believing they are going to a different party. Then I skipped the party itself to talk of the aftermath when the children discover they had been having sex with their parents. My editor told me it was a writer's decision but warned that readers would probably be frustrated not having any account of the party itself and would downvote. After consideration, I decided to add three scenes from the party though this wasn't my intention initially. The story is Halloween Libertine Party if you want to have a look.
My question is this: as a writer, should I follow my inspiration, regardless of what readers may expect or should I adapt my story to what readers expect even if that is not really what I had in mind initially? Or. more precisely, up to what point should I bend my initial story to cater to readers' expectation?
I have the same problem with a story I am now writing. The final scene is one where members of a family end up having sex each with their partner but they see their parents and siblings having sex in the same room. No I/T as such but once the reader starts reading and sees it is a story in a family setting won't he expect at least some I/T material and be disappointed there isn't any. All there is is the exhibitionist/voyeur side of the family members.

I say write what you want to write. You can't help what people like, and you can't adapt your story for all people. Two people won't agree were the story should go, so do what you feel is best.

 

[Britva415]

members of a family end up having sex each with their partner but they see their parents and siblings having sex in the same room. No I/T as such but once the reader starts reading and sees it is a story in a family setting won't he expect at least some I/T material and be disappointed there isn't any. All there is is the exhibitionist/voyeur side of the family members.

the fact that the characters are all from the same family (in-laws included) am I not creating an expectation that something is going to happen that is termed 'incest' or 'taboo' and what that thing doesn't happen, all sexual activity happening only between lawfully married couples, the only 'taboo' thing being the exhibitionism, am I not flouting that expectation?

So put it in the category with the right expectation. Don't put it in I/T, put it in E/V. You don't have to change the story at all if you don't want to.

 

[Rob_Royale]

My editor told me it was a writer's decision but warned that readers would probably be frustrated not having any account of the party itself and would downvote. After consideration, I decided to add three scenes from the party though this wasn't my intention initially.

I would think that if the story is about people at a party, one would include the party in the story. Setting the scene is an essential part of a story, regardless of the readers expectations. I can understand that as erotica writers, we want to get to the juicy bits, but characters, setting, atmosphere, and a bit of background are important. It's all part of putting out a good product. That is the readers expectation and we should strive to meet it. If you're not willing to do so, what's the point of posting anything?

 

[8letters]

My question is this: as a writer, should I follow my inspiration, regardless of what readers may expect or should I adapt my story to what readers expect even if that is not really what I had in mind initially? Or. more precisely, up to what point should I bend my initial story to cater to readers' expectation?
I have the same problem with a story I am now writing. The final scene is one where members of a family end up having sex each with their partner but they see their parents and siblings having sex in the same room. No I/T as such but once the reader starts reading and sees it is a story in a family setting won't he expect at least some I/T material and be disappointed there isn't any. All there is is the exhibitionist/voyeur side of the family members.

It really depends on how you view publishing stories on Literotica. Many authors to me view it as they are sharing their masterpiece with hoi polloi. What the hoi polloi thinks doesn't matter; they cannot comprehend the brilliance of the masterpiece.

To me, I'm sharing my stories with a community of which I am a part. What the readership thinks of the story matters to me just like I hope other authors in my community care what I think of their stories.

From what you've posted, you aren't a part of the I/T community, so what the I/T community thinks of your story shouldn't matter much to you. As someone else said, the story you are working on currently sounds more appropriate for the E/V community.

My philosophy is "Write what you want, but have realistic expectations for your stories". An I/T story without any I/T sex isn't going to a good reception, but if you're fine with that and that's what you want to write, write it.