Photos Enhance or Detract?

[Whiskey Will]

Curious to hear if the thought of adding a few photos of the woman who starred in, or heavily inspired, my stories would enhance or detract from their appea? Your thought please...

 

[sr71plt]

I think it would detract. You limit the reader's perspective of the character. Beyond that, you'd have to go through a whole lot of permissions hoops to have it accepted.

 

[Whiskey Will]

Thanks for your feedback. I was thinking the same thing. So much of good fiction becomes "theatre of the mind" and too much reality can spoil it.

 

[8letters]

There are very strict rules for photos - nothing X rated and you have to own the copyright.

Here's a story with pictures - link. Personally, I find pictures don't add much but drawings do (for example here).

 

[Whiskey Will]

I totally agree with you and think the drawings are much better! Thanks very much

 

[sr71plt]

There are very strict rules for photos - nothing X rated and you have to own the copyright.

Beyond that, you have to show proof that the one in the photo is over eighteen and gives permission for their photo to be used. Not easy to prove on the Internet.

 

[Whiskey Will]

Right you are and a bit of a buzzkill

 

[Carnevil9]

Thanks for your feedback. I was thinking the same thing. So much of good fiction becomes "theatre of the mind" and too much reality can spoil it.

Your phrase "theatre of the mind" is spot on. You have to let the reader bring his own biases to the story. That's how you make him own it, and love it.

Aside from writing amateurish erotica, I also create amateurish photography. I love making photos of silhouettes, shadows, backlit characters, any kind of image where you can't see the faces of the characters. Because if you see the details of the people in the photo, you think, "Hey, that's someone I don't know." And you can't relate to them. But with a shadow or a silhouette, you think, "That could be me!" and it sucks you in. Same with literature.