What makes a story a “stroker”?

[Zeronix]

If I look at my stories which are relatively successful and those which aren’t, I think the most reliable predictor of whether my story “succeeds” is whether it’s a “stroker”.

Of course there are other factors important to good writing, eg quality of prose and characters etc, but these tend to be fairly consistent across my stories, so I feel the main difference is in the premise / plot. And my stories with a “stroker” plot seem to consistently do better on Lit (higher fave, comment, view counts, Hot rating, etc)

But what is a “stroker”? I dunno. Hard to pin down other than “I know it when I see it”. Here’s some preliminary thoughts:

1. Strokers maintain a steamy mood throughout. Ie they’ll get to the naughty bit pretty quickly and progressively escalate until the climax. Eg it might start with light fantasies, moving into flirting, then groping, then full-on sex, followed by a cozy ending. But they’ll rarely break it up with, eg, a dramatic confrontation, or anything that breaks the reader out of their wank.

2. Strokers have plenty of smut. Even if it’s not very vivid or physical. If there are non-smut scenes, these are barebones and minimal so the story can get back to the smutty bit.

3. Strokers are kind of like pornography if it was written down rather than filmed.

What do folks think? Curious to hear other opinions

 

[StillStunned]

I'd say that a stroker is a story where the sex takes precedence over character or plot.

That's not to say that it can't have strong, relatable or enjoyable characters, or an intriguing set-up. But those elements only serve as a vehicle for the sex.

 

[TheLobster]

I agree with #1 and #2 but not #3.

3. Strokers are kind of like pornography if it was written down rather than filmed.

Stories that are basically porn screenplays don't do all that well, actually, because they are a waste of the medium's potential. What the literary format allows you to do is to sketch the characters is a way that enhances eroticism of the action in a way that a porn movie cannot. If you limit your story to just the sexual action itself, you are not making it as hot as it could be if you included the elements of characterization, setting, (some) plot etc. that bolster the eroticism of the act itself.

 

[AlinaX]

a vehicle for the sex

Is that like those fake taxis and bang buses I keep scrolling past?

 

[StillStunned]

Is that like those fake taxis and bang buses I keep scrolling past?

And for the really low-budget stuff, bicycles.

 

[AlinaX]

And for the really low-budget stuff, bicycles.

Bicycles are my kink.

 

[TiberiusPrime]

What makes it a stroker? If the subject matter is something that the reader connects to or is turned on by it, that's a stroker. Every story that has a lot of sex that's written in great detail has that potential.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

And for the really low-budget stuff, bicycles.

Would you be extra stunned if I tell you the pizza delivery girl who I write about in my phone took this as a personal insult?

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Apropos the subject, I really like one of the features that SOL offers - the option to state how much about sex your story is. I think that's a huge help for any reader to know in advance. And unlike the binary choice we are discussing here, they offer it in gradation.


The options are: No Sex, Minimal Sex, Some Sex, Much Sex, and finally, Stroker Story. This information is clearly displayed in story lists. I really wish Lit would do something similar.

I think the stroker vs story is a false binary, and that there is plenty of overlap. Gradation helps.

 

[WCSGarland]

Bicycles are my kink.

That's a different kind of stroke isn't it?

 

[ElectricBlue]

What do folks think? Curious to hear other opinions

There's been several long discussions on this over the last year, over several threads. I suggest you do a search on "stroker". It'll save us all repeating ourselves.

 

[iwatchus]

That's a different kind of stroke isn't it?

If you put an engine on it, it's probably two stroke. But most motorcycles now are four stroke. Does that take two hands?

 

[WCSGarland]

If you put an engine on it, it's probably two stroke. But most motorcycles now are four stroke. Does that take two hands?

Motorcycles are not bicycles, so they definitely take two hands.

 

[Zeronix]

There's been several long discussions on this over the last year, over several threads. I suggest you do a search on "stroker". It'll save us all repeating ourselves.

I did try this before I made the post, and couldn’t find anything relevant. The thread ‘what is a stroker’ has definitely not been made before, or Lit search isn’t finding it.

Even now if I search “stroker” there’s this post, and a bunch of noise (people talking about masturbation, sex toys, or authors making casual references to ‘stroker’ without really defining it.)

If you know what these threads are, linking them would be super useful!

I feel like part of the value of this post is in giving a clearly-indexed answer to future searchers, and it’s a bit sad that it seems to be going off the rails. (Thank you to everyone who responded seriously though - very appreciated)

 

[ElectricBlue]

Here's a few of the recent(ish) threads

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/stroke-stories.1598374/

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/non-stroke-erotica.1592636/

https://forum.literotica.com/thread...rial-and-tell-me-whats-good-about-it.1594482/

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/are-we-writing-quality.1627094/page-3#post-100830026

 

[AG31]

If I look at my stories which are relatively successful and those which aren’t, I think the most reliable predictor of whether my story “succeeds” is whether it’s a “stroker”.

Of course there are other factors important to good writing, eg quality of prose and characters etc, but these tend to be fairly consistent across my stories, so I feel the main difference is in the premise / plot. And my stories with a “stroker” plot seem to consistently do better on Lit (higher fave, comment, view counts, Hot rating, etc)

But what is a “stroker”? I dunno. Hard to pin down other than “I know it when I see it”. Here’s some preliminary thoughts:

1. Strokers maintain a steamy mood throughout. Ie they’ll get to the naughty bit pretty quickly and progressively escalate until the climax. Eg it might start with light fantasies, moving into flirting, then groping, then full-on sex, followed by a cozy ending. But they’ll rarely break it up with, eg, a dramatic confrontation, or anything that breaks the reader out of their wank.

2. Strokers have plenty of smut. Even if it’s not very vivid or physical. If there are non-smut scenes, these are barebones and minimal so the story can get back to the smutty bit.

3. Strokers are kind of like pornography if it was written down rather than filmed.

What do folks think? Curious to hear other opinions

I think your points are on the mark. What people refer to as "strokers" are focused on arousal. Although I would suggest that there are stories focused on arousing the reader that don't have to be described as "naughty," or having "smut." I'm an advocate of "simple erotica," as a category side by side with "stroker." If you're interested in the distinction, check out this thread.

Here's something I posted recently, and thanks to ElectricBlue for his links up thread which reminded me.

Sexuality is a strong enough force in our lives that it commands its own literary category. And that category is not just "stories with sex in them." That's not erotica. Erotica is stories about sex. There may or may not be a strong non-sexual component, but if the story is not about sex, then it's not erotica. It's mainstream fiction with some hot, explicit scenes.

 

[AG31]

I'd say that a stroker is a story where the sex takes precedence over character or plot.

That's not to say that it can't have strong, relatable or enjoyable characters, or an intriguing set-up. But those elements only serve as a vehicle for the sex.

Simply stated and true.

 

[AG31]

There's been several long discussions on this over the last year, over several threads. I suggest you do a search on "stroker". It'll save us all repeating ourselves.

Yeah, but if he didn't post this thread we wouldn't be able to make our cases to new people!

 

[AG31]

I did try this before I made the post, and couldn’t find anything relevant.

Here you go!

 

[WittyUserName]

If I look at my stories which are relatively successful and those which aren’t, I think the most reliable predictor of whether my story “succeeds” is whether it’s a “stroker”.

Of course there are other factors important to good writing, eg quality of prose and characters etc, but these tend to be fairly consistent across my stories, so I feel the main difference is in the premise / plot. And my stories with a “stroker” plot seem to consistently do better on Lit (higher fave, comment, view counts, Hot rating, etc)

But what is a “stroker”? I dunno. Hard to pin down other than “I know it when I see it”. Here’s some preliminary thoughts:

1. Strokers maintain a steamy mood throughout. Ie they’ll get to the naughty bit pretty quickly and progressively escalate until the climax. Eg it might start with light fantasies, moving into flirting, then groping, then full-on sex, followed by a cozy ending. But they’ll rarely break it up with, eg, a dramatic confrontation, or anything that breaks the reader out of their wank.

2. Strokers have plenty of smut. Even if it’s not very vivid or physical. If there are non-smut scenes, these are barebones and minimal so the story can get back to the smutty bit.

3. Strokers are kind of like pornography if it was written down rather than filmed.

What do folks think? Curious to hear other opinions

I'd add that length is a factor, too. No matter how hot your characters, no one wants to read the same handful of people having sex in the same configuration over and over. It'll get boring, routine. A stroke story is short. A longer story, by necessity, has to have some non-sex related plots. If I open a story that's only 1 page or so, I expect the sex will start within the first few paragraphs.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I think your points are on the mark. What people refer to as "strokers" are focused on arousal. Although I would suggest that there are stories focused on arousing the reader that don't have to be described as "naughty," or having "smut." I'm an advocate of "simple erotica," as a category side by side with "stroker." If you're interested in the distinction, check out this thread.

Nahh, it's just stroke. Nothing to be ashamed of. No need to euphemize it. No one on a porn site is judging you for that.

 

[Zeronix]

I'd say that a stroker is a story where the sex takes precedence over character or plot.

That's not to say that it can't have strong, relatable or enjoyable characters, or an intriguing set-up. But those elements only serve as a vehicle for the sex.

I like this definition a lot on vibes, but I’m not sure what it excludes. Can you give an example of a non-stroker? It seems like most stories on Lit would ultimately be about the sex

 

[Bramblethorn]

I like this definition a lot on vibes, but I’m not sure what it excludes. Can you give an example of a non-stroker? It seems like most stories on Lit would ultimately be about the sex

Probably most, but there are plenty that aren't. Sex plays an important role in most of my stories but somebody who's reading them solely for the sake of getting off to the sexual content is likely to get bored by the non-sex parts. e.g.:

Stringed Instrument begins with a one-night stand between two women who turn out to be bad at the "one night" part, and ends up being a romance with sex in most of the chapters but not all.

Loss Function is about what it's like to love somebody who's insecure and bad at apologies, and about what we mean by a "person", and about how we hold people in our heads after they're gone. Maybe about 5% of it is sex?

Red Scarf is about how relationships change as people grow, and about how the end of a relationship isn't always a failure, and about autism. There's sex in most of the chapters but there's also graph theory, freight warehouse logistics, and atrocious puns.

etc.

 

[Djmac1031]

I agree with #1 and #2 but not #3.



Stories that are basically porn screenplays don't do all that well, actually, because they are a waste of the medium's potential. What the literary format allows you to do is to sketch the characters is a way that enhances eroticism of the action in a way that a porn movie cannot. If you limit your story to just the sexual action itself, you are not making it as hot as it could be if you included the elements of characterization, setting, (some) plot etc. that bolster the eroticism of the act itself.

I beg to differ.

As a joke, I wrote a story called Mom's Backseat Boy under the pseudonym Todd Everman.

Pure porn plot stroker with one dimensional characters and outrageous scenarios.

its outperformed every other story I've ever written in terms of views and votes.

https://www.literotica.com/s/moms-backseat-boy

Some people just wanna get off. Plot is irrelevant, characterization is irrelevant. As long as the sex is hot.

Nothing wrong with that or those who write that. There's room for the well thought out story and the porn plot here.

 

[THBGato]

Can you give an example of a non-stroker? It seems like most stories on Lit would ultimately be about the sex

The whole of the non-erotic category?

My personal favourite though, from Lesbian sex, is bi_cathy's "I'd go gay for you". No sex, just talk. I tried to imitate it myself with "I have seen love", which, interestingly, is my second most-commented upon story (out of 31).