It's just porn.. right?

[Endlessly]

Okay. So despite my extremely.. erm.. (well, whatever it is, it's very much that) life, and the fact I can't get back to the BB as much as I'd like, I do occasionally check my Literotica mail. Every time I do, there's at least one or two feedback letters about the large amount of kinky literature I have spewed into the atmosphere over the last couple years.

Occasionally, the letters are really thoughtful, and compliment about specific things in my writing style, or something to that effect. One of the letters I once got that I'll never forget said that I made this young lady cry.. One I recently got asked me what my literary influences were. These types of letter never cease to flatter and/or amaze me, because it's people treating me like I'm a real writer. So I get all flattered and amazed, and I go to reply, and then a voice pops in my head:

"Fer crying out loud, Endlessly, IT'S JUST PORN."

And then I die laughing. I picture hypothetical fan mail in my head: "Wow, I must have cum 4 or 5 times during that story. Incidentally, it was very Orwellian. Did you mean to create that atmosphere?" You know what I mean.


Question is this. Authors, how seriously do you take your porn? Readers, has any porn ever moved you to do more than masturbate? I'm really interested in the responses..

 

[Xander]

Actually Endlessly, and very nice to see youre back btw

I do take my porn writing quite serious. I do put a lot of work into it, and with more or less success creates a story.
This is one of the reasons why i dont put out more stories than I do.
take Sex Wars for instance. there's several chapters missing from that one. But that's becasue it's one hell of a job, creating a new world, anno 2300 something.
And even though I have tried many times to finish it. I have not been satisfied with the result. So I am not gonna submit anything until I am.

now what other people think is a completely different matter.

I dont know about you E, but I have also recieved a hate mail once in a while for my stories. that happens too. Comes with the territory I guess.

 

[Svedish_Chef]

yes porn does more to me than masterbate...

Fuck, if you can get someone to do that its easy.

When you dont wanna cum because you have to finish the story, or in once case I came across I stopped reading one of roger's stories cause I felt I was intruding on a private matter.

Or Dixons two epics which I put each section together so I can read the whole piece as a short story.

And will boot up just to read Jazzy girl...

 

[Weird Harold]

"Fer crying out loud, Endlessly, IT'S JUST PORN."

And then I die laughing. I picture hypothetical fan mail in my head: "Wow, I must have cum 4 or 5 times during that story. Incidentally, it was very Orwellian. Did you mean to create that atmosphere?" You know what I mean.


Question is this. Authors, how seriously do you take your porn?

There are more than enough stories that are "just porn" on the net. I prefer to write stories first and porn second.

 

[Flagg]

I don't take it in the least bit seriously and have never taken more than an hour to complete a story. I do however occasionally take other people's stories seriously. Its obvious that some of the stories here are the result of a lot of work and effort. It would be shame to not give them the credit they deserve.

Why hasn't anyone done the "We have stories" gag yet by the way? Surely it couldn't be because its not funny anymore!!

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

Confession:

Most of the stories I have posted here I actually wrote when I was selling adult stories to webmasters. I got a large order and wrote a lot. The client paid me half of what he was supposed to. So, I gave him half of the stories.

While writing these, I had a 1000 word average to keep to. Many people here have commented that the stories are too short. That is why. I would write a good intro and start a story and then around the end I would realize I had to wrap it up soon, and the good story would descend into porno-fest.

I haven't bothered to rewrite the endings and I probably never will. But, when I am writing something I feel proud of, I take it painfuilly seriously.

I am actually going for a career in writing, so for me this is porno-practice ;-)

When I write porn, it is just that, porn. Nothing to it.

 

[Gaucho]

Question is this. Authors, how seriously do you take your porn? Readers, has any porn ever moved you to do more than masturbate? I'm really interested in the responses..

Endlessly, you must be psychic (or is that physic? Sometimes I get confused) because some very similar thoughts have been rolling around in my brain. Maybe it's because you're still waiting for that cold air I promised you.

Anyway, as a writer, I take everything I write seriously (well, maybe not these posts, but...). I'm at a stage in my life where I'm keenly aware of the passage of time and how little of it we really have, so for me to write something that would take me hours/days/weeks/months and not be serious about it would be incredibly stupid.

In "On Writing", Big Stevie says that at some point all writers have to look at what they've written (preferably after it's had a chance to sit awhile) and ask themselves, "Why did I write this?" While he talks about it as a tool in order to try and understand the underlying theme or meaning that may have crept into your work while you weren't looking, I think the question is equally valid for writers of erotica (or porn, if you will).

Before anyone trolls me, I'm not suggesting that anyone comes to the world of porn expecting to find great works of art (nor are they apt to find any), but still the question remains: Why did I write this? Am I doing it as a lark? Am I just trying to get myself (or others) off? Am I trying to say something about sex, or love, or people or whatever?

Why the fuck did I take the time to write (and rewrite) this?

While there are a number of people who have submitted stories to Lit who haven't asked themselves that question, there are a surprising number of writers here whose work literally screams that they have. These writers have consciously tried to raise the bar with their submissions and in most cases, have succeeded. A brief listing of those writers would certainly include Whispersecret, Dixon, Madame Pandora, KillerMuffin, CreamyLady, and several more, some of whom I haven't had the pleasure of discovering yet. It's obvious when you read their works that they didn't say to themselves, "Hell, it's just porn!" They bring to their stories all the ingredients you'd expect to find in mainstream fiction: Rich, vivid characters, a strong sense of pace and timing, a great ear for dialog and, last but not least, a geniune love of the English language.

For me, coming to Lit is like venturing into the world's largest pornographic bookstore (think Amazon Porn). As in any bookstore, some of the stuff here is gonna knock your socks off (in Deborah's case, literally) and some of it was written by morons with Internet access.

I wrote my first story (Office Hours) as a challenge to myself as much as anything else. I had only two goals with it: To make it hot (almost by definition, an erotic story has to at least make you wet - or hard, as the case may be) and (perhaps more importantly) to try and engage the reader on an emotional level by creating believable characters and describing the events of the story in a rich, vivid manner.

Did I succeed? Hell, honey, you tell me. I've read the thing so many times now, I can't tell anymore. LOL Judging by the feedback I've gotten, I did succeed, at least to a degree (I'd love your opinion, btw). But that doesn't mean I'm confusing it with "War and Peace", either.

But did I take it seriously? You bet. Anything worth doing in life is worth doing to the best of your ability. And if anyone should come to the site and think, "Hey, it's just porn! How hard could it be?" Do us all a favor. Back away from your keyboard and stick to using your mouse.

We'll all be the better for it.

And, honey, I still have all the cool air you'll ever need.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

I've received some very nice e-mails about my stuff, but I'm always taken aback by those few that express having had a nearly profound experience from my stories. People have told me they've cried, or found comfort because they relate to the shy characters, etc. etc. The letters I enjoy most are the ones that describe how my story has set them off on a Memory Quest of some sort -- how I've helped them to remember past relationships or younger days. I loved those.

Thanks Chef and Gaucho, by the way, for the above.

 

[cymbidia]

I'm not a real writer and never will be; my professional life and talents lie elsewhere.

Having so disclaimed, this truth remains: i write what i do as a way to process events that happen to me and/or fantasies i can't slip out from under in any other way. I think it must be so for many "hobby writers" like me. Still, i do the best job i can do on my little stories. I'm always aware of the high standard of excellent writing to which many of the stories at Lit adhere and that makes me try a little harder not to make horribly glaring errors. (Not that i don't still make them, i'm just more painfully aware of them when i do, especially after the story has been posted.)

As a perfectionist in other parts of my life, it's curiously liberating to be in a situation wherein i have no hope of being "perfect". Maybe it's the masochist in me, too, coming out to play in a somewhat non-sexual manner?

Bottom line for me as a reader AND writer: i don't finish it if it bores me. OTOH, i have read things in stories (even a couple stories here) that made me go hmmm...THAT might be fun...

 

[Iris]

I've written non-erotic stories before, this is my first try at an erotic story. This one, my first, I'm taking somewhat seriously because it involves real people. Names have been changed, or course but the story is about 60% reality and 40% fantasy. Since it involves people I actually know, I've been taking the time to develop the characters as they really are and not giving them fake personnas just because it's an erotic story.

In my non-erotic writing I take some seriously and some not. Just depends on what I'm writing about, I guess.

 

[Whispersecret]

I take my porn seriously. When I write it, I polish until it "shines like the top of the Chrysler building." (At least to me.) I do this, partly because I'm a perfectionist with my writing. But also because I spouted off so much about "quality writing" when I first became a Literotican, that by the time I posted "Hostile Takeover," I felt that it had progressed to the point where I'd better put up or shut up.

However, I will admit that when I've gotten lazy in my erotic writing, I wonder if it's because somewhere in the back of my mind, I downgrade it to "just porn," as an excuse to produce something less than my best.

Looking at it from another viewpoint, I wonder if I rely on writing erotica as a shield from rejection. See, I have a serious dream to be published in the print world--to see a book of mine on the shelf of my local Barnes and Noble. I'm working on that studiously and have been for the past three years.

But since I've found Literotica, I've been sidetracked from my mainstream writing. I've written more erotica in one year than I have regular fiction in three. It makes me wonder if I'm sticking with the area where I've had some success so that I don't have to face the almost certain rejection I'll face in the non-porn publishing world. I think I am, to some extent. Positive response from readers can be a powerful motivator. Winning awards is thrilling. But at what price to my personal goals?

Sorry, Endlessly, I sort of went off on a tangent.

 

[softwetpassions]

Just Porn?

Endless....Personally speaking, I just recently became actively bisexual, and I'll tell you right now that some of these girl/girl stories I have read on this site are dead-on. It has been such an awesome experience for me and as much as I like to think I am able to articulate just about anything I feel, this one has had me stumped. Yeah, a lot of it's just nasty old porn....but when it comes to describing the sensuality, eroticism, and powerful emotions two women can share together, there are some writers here that take my breath away. I thank those folks for being able to articulate what I can't. And yes, some of it HAS brought a tear to my eye!

 

[Charly]

Okay. So despite my extremely.. erm.. (well, whatever it is, it's very much that) life, and the fact I can't get back

"Fer crying out loud, Endlessly, IT'S JUST PORN."

I think anyone who writes a story is doing his best. No one is likely to go to the bother of doing it and then claiming to just throw it off without trying. That would be very strange behavior and I people's ego won't let them knowingly do less than their best.

So, the stories that aren't interesting, I skip through and discard.

 

[KillerMuffin]

I think this is where you have to separate the porn from the erotica. What is porn? What is erotica? What do I write?

Porn is a story of sex. The characters and plot are incidental. The sex is the important part of the story. Because the sex is the primary objective, porn becomes boring rather quickly, there are only so many way you can describe sex without yawning.

Erotica is a story of the characters, who just happen to be having sex. In this instance, the characters require attention and development and their dynamic is what makes the story interesting. There is a plot, a purpose to the story outside of sex.

I like to think I write erotica. Why? Because I'm vainly egotistical that way. More and more I find myself writing less sex and more character into my stories, or getting a bad case of ennui during the sex portions. It's not what excites me about writing the story.

I enjoy writing erotica, primarily because it's entirely about character development, almost like a character study with sex involved. People have the most interesting thoughts and feelings about sex and what they do in sex. Everyone reacts differently and occasionally they do it with a blindness or fear they would never have in normal human relations.

I like to think I write about characters, not just porn. Even though it's posted on a free erotic story site, I still put a lot of effort into each story and I am proud of most of them. There's one or two that make me cringe with the childishness of it. It's practice to me, a way of validating my writing. Most of my email is highly ego stroking and I've become quite addicted to it.

 

[ShyGuy68]

I do take it seriously when I write my porn, erotica or what ever category it comes into. Since I don't really have the talent to write non erotica it's through my stories that I practise, and hopefully they do get better every time I write one.

 

[Whispersecret]

"I think anyone who writes a story is doing his best. No one is likely to go to the bother of doing it and then claiming to just throw it off without trying. That would be very strange behavior and I people's ego won't let them knowingly do less than their best."

Baloney. Of course people claim that. It's protection. That way if someone says, "This is crap," they can reply, "Oh, well, I didn't spend all that much time on it anyway. I'm not surprised."

 

[His Whimsicality]

I think this is where you have to separate the porn from the erotica. What is porn? What is erotica? What do I write?

Porn is a story of sex. The characters and plot are incidental. The sex is the important part of the story. Because the sex is the primary objective, porn becomes boring rather quickly, there are only so many way you can describe sex without yawning.

Erotica is a story of the characters, who just happen to be having sex. In this instance, the characters require attention and development and their dynamic is what makes the story interesting. There is a plot, a purpose to the story outside of sex.

Yes, I also think that there´s (rather mindless) porn and that there´s erotica, a story that features sex, but essentially is a story, not porn.

 

[Endlessly]

Wow.. okay, so I don't feel as silly as I did for taking myself a bit more seriously. *chuckle*

Whisper, I know exactly how you feel, actually. I'm majoring in English, and I've been seriously struggling with writer's block lately-- and while I can't outline my next screenplay or crank out a haiku, I'm still working on my next story for Literotica.

D'oh!

I try to experiment with different styles, just to stretch my writing muscles and find something that works for me and might end up marketable; Lit is a great place to do that for me, because in all of the years I've written here, I've never gotten flamed or insulted for any of my work. If I want constructive critique, I find myself asking the writers on the site personally-- like I did with you and "Some things never change."

Sometimes I also wonder if that's the reason I keep writing here.. The English staff at my tiny college is somewhat incompetant, and it's frustrating when they don't understand something I've written. Sex, on the other hand, is universal.

*laughing* And SPEAKING of tangents..

 

[Skibum]

I take mine seriously, but not so much so that I worry about what most people think. If I can entertain, amuse, or titillate someone with my writing I consider it successful.

BTW, I am glad to see so many old regulars back on the board for this thread. I've not seen some of you post in quite a while.

 

[Charly]

"I think anyone who writes a story is doing his best. No one is likely to go to the bother of doing it and then claiming to just throw it off without trying. That would be very strange behavior and I people's ego won't let them knowingly do less than their best."

Baloney. Of course people claim that. It's protection. That way if someone says, "This is crap," they can reply, "Oh, well, I didn't spend all that much time on it anyway. I'm not surprised."

EXACTLY MY POINT. Sorry it wasn't clear. baloney yourself.