Nerd Stories

[THBGato]

Thanks for the mention @Nellymcboatface also writes wonderful, yet more ordinary, characters (hairdressers, truck drivers, policewomen, teachers).

I write a lot about musicians due to my background, but I always endeavour to show them as real people, to show the words behind their success. Even if - to get this thread back on track - some of them are complete music nerds. I have pretty much an entire Lit page of Desire & Duende that is Leila and their friends taking part in a flamenco tablao. It's full of technical musical terms that I don't explain (though you might be able to work out from context ) and it's very, very geeky. It's also what wins them the attention of a "black haired, flamenco dancer" in a Counting Crows moment. It's Leila's nerdiness - in terms of musical ability - that attracts Cristina to them.

 

[StillStunned]

To get this thread further back on track:

For last year's Geek Pride I started writing a story (which I hope to finish this year) about a geeky sci-fi writer who has to save the world by making love to the Galactic Empress from his books. The trouble is... he's bad at sex.

“Alright.” I thought. “Who says you’re bad sex, anyway? An angry ex?”

He flushed, a deep red that crept over his pale skin like spilled wine. “I know I am. I saw the disappointment in their eyes.”

It took a while, but finally a picture emerged. A friendless teenager, a shy young man too awkward to admit his inexperience or ask for instruction. By the time fame and fortune found him, it seemed impossible to do anything but pretend he knew what he was doing.

“There were some groupies, early on. I just became more and more nervous, and in the end I stopped even trying.”

“Fuck.” The human race doomed because one man didn’t dare to ask some girl what she liked.

 

[Ianus4]

Nah, I don’t think so. There are at least two ways with which you can identify with a fictional character: representation (when they are what you are) and aspiration (when they are what you want to be). Since erotica is often wish fulfillment anyway, I don’t see a problem with leaning mostly on the latter.

This obviously depends on how much someone believes that they can be different, they can be more than they actually are. One of the main problems in today's societies is that more and more people feel they have no chance of achieving the standard of living that their parents' generation was able to achieve through hard work. They probably find it harder to identify themselves with a CEO who retires at the age of 40.
On a lighter topic, changing penis size (for a bigger one) is also an unfulfillable desire.

 

[yowser]

With a small handful of exceptions (fantasy royalty, hindu demons, a diary excerpt from a rich Victorian uncle) all of my tales feature regular folks.

 

[anthrodisiac]

There are many things a person can aspire to, and one of them is simply building up the courage to approach the person you fancy, or to tread outside of your comfort zone

Going outside comfort zone has always been a big feature of erotic works. The discomfort and striving to improve is, I think, one of the more compelling narrative types in part because it's so relatable. Who doesn't have some area in their life they aren't trying to improve? Does it basically always lead to the same place? Sure, but I think most people would be fairly disappointed to do a story on growth, only to have the MC fail (there are, of course, exceptions). Setbacks are fine, and I feature them a lot, because it's boring to go growth > growth > growth > success, but ultimately we want to see what success looks like after the journey.

The real question, the one I love to entertain as I finish a story and wonder what will become of the characters, is: But does it stick?