Recurring Motifs in your stories

[squirrelzo]

Im trying to liven up the AH here.

Has anyone pointed out to you little things you put in your stories over and over without realizing it?

Recently I told someone he is always very specific about what kind of food his characters are eating. Every story, someone's eating something. He had no clue he did it until I pointed it out. And he laughed because in the one he's currently writing mom and son share a piece of cheesecake in one sexy scene.

I know in mine you will always find:

Someone standing on a balcony. Feeling the wind, looking at the city, smoking a cig, kissing, whatever.

A man touching a woman's hair. Always. Apparently this is highly erotic to me.

Never noticed it till someone pointed it out.

Are there colors, words specific to you? Like a signature you're not aware of? Like always saying nipples stood out "like gumdrops."

 

[lovecraft68]

One that I do deliberately is my stories take place in my home state of RI. I don't always say it, but I will use street names and restaurants and locations that a Rhode Islander would know. Someone gave me a shout out for using "Mackeral Cove" on my Earth day story.

One that was pointed out to me was that I have thing for red dresses.

 

[squirrelzo]

Ah yes, that damn red dress

One that I do deliberately is my stories take place in my home state of RI. I don't always say it, but I will use street names and restaurants and locations that a Rhode Islander would know. Someone gave me a shout out for using "Mackeral Cove" on my Earth day story.

One that was pointed out to me was that I have thing for red dresses.

 

[JKendallDane]

Didn't really plan it, but cars seem to get a recurring role or used as part of my character's identity in most of my stories.

...the high school stud and his Camaro

...the country boy and his well-worn Ford Ranger pickup

...rich college boy driving a Hummer

...Ford Explorer on a summer road trip

...Lincoln Town Car limousines in two stories

...classic Mercedes Benz 450SL that makes a cameo in one story

Suddenly I feel like the Clive Cussler of gay smut.

 

[SecondCircle]

Hmm. The main one I can think of is the use of eyes in my EH series "The Watcher".

Seems kinda obvious but not really. The basic premise was a recently divorced young woman is being spied on at her bedroom window by... something. But there's heavy emphasis on the eyes she sees, both in a dream and then throughout the story. She's kinda turned on at first, thinking she's being an exhibitionist for her sexy new neighbors, until she sees the eyes and realizes they don't belong to something human. Those eyes keep popping up, always to identify that she's being watched, and (later) that the "thing" watching her is horrifying.

But the theme I wanted to support with the eyes was vulnerability. She's just come off a devastating divorce, and she can't stand putting herself out there. The eyes are both terrifying and alluring to her. She wants to shed her past and expose herself to the eyes, but wants to forever be hidden from them (and hurt).

To top that off, one of the horror techniques I used to further the vulnerability theme was her impaired eyesight. She wears glasses. So midway through the story, when it's all dark and dank and she needs her own eyes, her glasses are lost and she can't see. (Which paints the "thing" in a blurry and disturbing light)

Toward the end, the eyes (specifically the color) become hereditary... and changes her world forever.

...This post made no sense.

 

[StrangeLife]

If I ever read a StangStar story that does not feature some kind of Mustang I will assume it's fake and that somebody hacked his account....

 

[jomar]

Dp...

 

[TamLin01]

I have basically two types of protagonists:

-Young, naive, virginal males coupled with older, more experienced, more dominant females.

-Women who feel alienated or troubled and (unsuccessfully in most cases) seek an outlet through sex.

There are stories where the lead does not fit either of those modes, but they tend to be some of my weaker tales.

Motifs I include more consciously include infidelity, sex work, domination, the city of San Francisco, history/folklore, werewolves, and, often, women with sharp nails. But the above two items seem most significant because it took me years to notice the pattern.

 

[PayDay]

Coffee. Also: "Pleeeease!!"

I would think every writer does this unintentionally to some extent unless they go out of their way to rearrange their own writing style, or means of expressing their intent with words.

For instance: "Oh, I've typed this that way before in my other story so now I have to change it." Or: "I use this word too often so I won't anymore."

 

[49greg]

Most of mine take place in either a fictional Northern Iowa town (that has some resemblance to the one I am currently living in), or in the Ames area. Often names of locations are changed, so it won't be apparent to anyone but me.

And, while it won't be noticeable to anyone but a few people I grew up with, many of my stories include people I've known in school, college or army. Usually teachers and friends, with first and last names exchanged with other people.

I have plans for a story where all the characters have names of cigarettes, again first and last exchanged. I haven't picked them all out, but say, Paul Morris and Phil Mall. Miss Marlboro, Mr. Salem, VICE Principlel ROY Chesterfield. Joe Winston from Camel Heights.

Silly things like that. I keep hoping someone will email me from my old high school or Army unit and ask who I am and what years I was there because the recognize too many names, switched or not.

Edited: I think many of my stories tend to have stronger willed and/or older women and younger, weaker or naive men.

 

[oggbashan]

Mine?

Sheep and large skirts.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

A lot of mine take place in the late 60's.

The male protag will almost always drive a 1966 Chevy Nova II

If necessary, the male and/or female protags will shoot the villain(s) without a second thought.

My male protag has a thing for redheads and brunettes. Rarely a blond.

 

[lovecraft68]

Ah yes, that damn red dress

Yeah that one for sure and if you read it, the red dress was significant to the story.

But it was my Earth Day story that another AH member left this comment.

Wow. Slow clap of applause.

Damn, damn good job. Enjoyed it from start to finish. Liked the characters and could see something like this getting going between old friends. A lot times those oldest of friends are often more than that.


Would have liked to have met the girlfriend in more that a phone call. And I'm going to have to do a story check to see if you have done a single story without the sexy girl ending up in red. Beyond that I didn't see anything that could have been changed to make it read better.

Very, very nice work.

MST

So I at back and thought about it and could recall at least a dozen stories where the female lead ended up in red. In the long running SWB series the sister always wore black/red outfits.

So the last few things I have written I now catch myself making an effort to put them in other colors.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I favor old Airstream trailers and 1950 Willys Jeep trucks.

 

[jomar]

I have a series in which a wide, slow moving river is seen outside a big window. I have no idea what it means other than to anchor the character who is getting fucked seeing the ships go by again and again. It just happened but a case can be made it's a metaphor for a couple of things.

 

[StrangeLife]

After serious consideration I am forced to conclude that I don't have one. I wish I had thought about this when I started out...

 

[sr71plt]

A beaded curtain covering a doorway is a repeated motif in my GM stories. Once you've passed through the beaded curtain . . .

 

[lovecraft68]

A beaded curtain covering a doorway is a repeated motif in my GM stories. Once you've passed through the beaded curtain . . .

Aww man.... My acupuncturist has those in the doorways of a couple of his rooms.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

And barrels and saw horses and tables....

 

[sr71plt]

Aww man.... My acupuncturist has those in the doorways of a couple of his rooms.

And now you'll never be able to go through those doorways again without thinking of the motif.

 

[squirrelzo]

Whoops...Strange Life forgot to quote you...

That's what you think. If it's not a specific thing it will be words, phrases, a certain way of saying something. Give me time and Ill find something...

 

[lovecraft68]

Whoops...Strange Life forgot to quote you...

That's what you think. If it's not a specific thing it will be words, phrases, a certain way of saying something. Give me time and Ill find something...

During sex scenes I noticed a lot of authors will fall into similar descriptions

 

[lovecraft68]

And now you'll never be able to go through those doorways again without thinking of the motif.

Yeah if I ever have to get seen in one of those rooms I will make it clear I am only there to be stuck with needles and I do not mean that as an innuendo.

I never equated the beaded doorways with that lifestyle. I always saw it as a hippie sort of thing or something the poser palm and tarot card "mystics" are find of. Now I'll add this to the list

 

[squirrelzo]

Why yes! Ive noticed that. Its not one of your stories without some squealing and/or yelping.

During sex scenes I noticed a lot of authors will fall into similar descriptions

 

[LaRascasse]

During sex scenes I noticed a lot of authors will fall into similar descriptions

.... and bad metaphors.