Integrating fantasy and reality in a story

[Booleanean]

I'm toying with the idea of writing a story that integrates the fantasy the female PoV character is having while having sex with her real-life partner, where she integrates what's happening in the real world into her fantasy and expanding on it, occasionally just going off entirely into her fantasy world. Does anyone have any examples of this in existing stories? Is this a terrible idea what will only be confusing to the reader? Any practical, structural tips for how to represent the fantasy and separate it from the reality, without just switching paragraph by paragraph?

 

[Blind_Justice]

That sounds like a serious headache, especially given the lack of formatting tools here on Lit.

As for technicalities, you'd have to start by looking at the "unreliable narrator" concept. It can work both in first- and third-person POV, but requires a good amount of legwork to set up. Establish the scene, set the rules so that the reader is aware "OK, this seems normal" before messing with their perception.

LoquiSordidaAdMe did a fantastic take on this technique. "If Tomorrow Never Comes" should be a helpful read in that regard.

 

[Booleanean]

given the lack of formatting tools here on Lit.

I was considering adding the fantasy sequences in italics after establishing that in the first few paragraphs by clearly describing what parts are fantasy in both prose and formatting.

Thanks for the story recommendation, I'll give it a read!

 

[Blind_Justice]

Be mindful of two things.

1. Italics and other html formatting won't show up in the Lit mobile app which might lose you some readers.

2. Many people find long stretches of italics uncomfortable to read on a screen. I've had some complaints when I forgot to close a tag and at least one page was entirely in italics.

 

[Djmac1031]

I've had some complaints when I forgot to close a tag and at least one page was entirely in italics.

I used italics to represent alien dialog in my White Room sequel, and yeah, major pain in the ass editing, because I had to make sure I didn't miss any or it threw off all the rest of the story.

 

[NotWise]

It isn't exactly what you're doing, but the femaie character in my story "Her Dream House" relates a series of sexual fantasies in dialogue. She drifts from conversation with the male character into her fantasies and back into conversation. The fantasies are distinguished by context, but probably more importantly they're distinguished because her fantasies are told in first person, present tense. That gives the impression that she is experiencing them as she speaks.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

I'm toying with the idea of writing a story that integrates the fantasy the female PoV character is having while having sex with her real-life partner, where she integrates what's happening in the real world into her fantasy and expanding on it, occasionally just going off entirely into her fantasy world. Does anyone have any examples of this in existing stories? Is this a terrible idea what will only be confusing to the reader? Any practical, structural tips for how to represent the fantasy and separate it from the reality, without just switching paragraph by paragraph?

I'm confused just trying to understand what it is you're hoping to write.

Are you saying that the FMC is actively indulging in a mental fantasy while having sex with her real-life partner, and then just loses herself into it, effectively transforming her situation into a one-sided sexual roleplay? If that's the case, it sounds incredibly challenging... but if you could manage to pull it off without making the FMC a schizophrenic, I feel like it would be wonderfully entertaining and not at all something I personally have seen executed the way I'm imagining it.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'm toying with the idea of writing a story that integrates the fantasy the female PoV character is having while having sex with her real-life partner, where she integrates what's happening in the real world into her fantasy and expanding on it, occasionally just going off entirely into her fantasy world. Does anyone have any examples of this in existing stories? Is this a terrible idea what will only be confusing to the reader? Any practical, structural tips for how to represent the fantasy and separate it from the reality, without just switching paragraph by paragraph?

My story "Riddle of the Copper Coin" has a split narrative, where half of the story is a real-world romance between Rafi and Penny and the other half is an ongoing bedtime story that Rafi's telling Penny (partly as a way of courting her).

There are various techniques available, mix and match as desired:

- Text blocks with some sort of visible separator e.g. * * * * * (not sure how well this works with reader software though)
- Formatting to mark out the "fantasy" sections, e.g. italicisation (ditto)
- Develop a distinct "voice" for each of the two streams (e.g. Rafi's storytelling style is ornate 3rd-person, Penny's narration is sparer first-person)
- Contextual clues (if the characters have tails or wings, we're probably in the "fantasy" stream). If the same people are showing up in both streams, you could think about whether it makes sense to modify their names for one stream e.g. Liz becomes Liza.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I was considering adding the fantasy sequences in italics after establishing that in the first few paragraphs by clearly describing what parts are fantasy in both prose and formatting.

Thanks for the story recommendation, I'll give it a read!

I wouldn't do that. Great blocks of italics do stories no favours.

I'd do it through context and internal narrative clues. If it's written in close third person, the narrator can fill in any ambiguities.

 

[ronde]

It isn't exactly what you're doing, but the femaie character in my story "Her Dream House" relates a series of sexual fantasies in dialogue. She drifts from conversation with the male character into her fantasies and back into conversation. The fantasies are distinguished by context, but probably more importantly they're distinguished because her fantasies are told in first person, present tense. That gives the impression that she is experiencing them as she speaks.

I don't like complicated formatting. It's hard to write, and probably confusing to read. Dialogue is the way I handle fantasies in any situation. I'll have the character "think" the fantasy and then either have the 3rd person narrator put those thoughts into words (the narrator's dialogue), or have one character tell another character what he or she is thinking at the moment. I think this method flows better and is easier to read.

 

[Booleanean]

Thank you all for the tips and story recommendations. I'll definitely give them all a read!

I was unaware formatting doesn't work on the mobile app, that's incredibly frustrating as I use it for interspersed thoughts sometimes, or for emphasis when the character breaks through into the narration.

Are you saying that the FMC is actively indulging in a mental fantasy while having sex with her real-life partner, and then just loses herself into it, effectively transforming her situation into a one-sided sexual roleplay? If that's the case, it sounds incredibly challenging... but if you could manage to pull it off without making the FMC a schizophrenic, I feel like it would be wonderfully entertaining and not at all something I personally have seen executed the way I'm imagining it.

I want to portray a woman with an active imagination and fantasy life. I want to have the FMC spice things up for herself during an otherwise somewhat unremarkable session. Imagining toys are additional partners, that they are performing for a crowd, they are both different people, or just one of them is.

 

[Rob_Royale]

This sounds like a Ready Player One scenario. Maybe using a special suit and VR goggles she's fucking the "yawn" boy next door, but in the VR world, she's fucking some mega-hunk.

In this case, I'd have both main characters have common names and when describing their VR sex, using fancy screen names. Separate the scenes with a quick break icon.

Jane sat down in her worn-out chair and set her VR googles in place.
-----------------
Esmere1da, strode across the room, her elegant high heels clicking on the hardwood floor. The gorgeous Be0wu!f, lay naked before her on the divan.

Just the name change should be sufficient to to let the reader understand the change in viewpoint.