Whats wrong with celebrity stories?

[Smith1012]

Hey,

I was wondering why readers don't prefer celebrity stories as much. I thought it makes it better to visualize such scenes and makes it more fun.

 

[Guest]

Hey,

I was wondering why readers don't prefer celebrity stories as much. I thought it makes it better to visualize such scenes and makes it more fun.

It depends on the reader, I'm certain, but I think the opposite may be true.

If the reader has already decided in their own mind what path their beloved characters should take, and you the writer somehow deviate the plot from that path, they'll be annoyed with the story. Very annoyed.

Seems almost like a no-win at times.

My two cents, anyway.

 

[slyc_willie]

Celebrity stories have a built-in pitfall. They're celebrities, after all, regardless of any sex videos that may have been released. Most fans of a celebrity tend to hold them to a 'pure, chaste,' model.

So, when you take Paris Hilton and turn her into a an ass-fuck-lovin', cum-guzzlin' slut, that detracts from the largely romantic image many of her fans possess.

Besides, the majority of readers don't want to read about Paris, or Brittney, or Lindsey or Angelina giving it up to the average Joe. Most want to fantasize about the girl next door, that cute brunette in the grocery store checkout lane, the sexy bartender down the street. The lure of fantasy lies in the possibility that it might be attainable.

 

[Stella_Omega]

The biggest problem with celebrity stories -- and I've written a few myself-- is that it's so easy to write them badly. The writer doesn't have to-- or doesn't think he has to-- develop the character. he assumes that everyone knows who Tiffany Bigstar is. So I who neither knows or cares about Miss Bigstar, am left reading about a name and nothing else. I don't know how she laughs, what color her hair is, or what her pussy tastes like-- unless the author tells me.

My advice for a good celeb story; spend just as much time introducing your celeb as you would an original character.

 

[elsol]

I think it's sweetsubsarah's point.

A celeb is a pseudo-shared thing between writer and reader... which in some cases is good, the shared thing can be used to make the connection between the writer and reader easier to establish.

But in this case, the reader has a particular fantasy already in mind for that celeb, you can't fulfill that fantasy 9 times out of 10 because it's a very specific fantasy.

 

[keeblercrumb]

Hey,

I was wondering why readers don't prefer celebrity stories as much. I thought it makes it better to visualize such scenes and makes it more fun.

Regardless of how well written "stroke" stories are..... I find them more erotic if they are credible and believable..... at least for me.

I rarely read "Celebrity Stories" because I suspect from the outset they are preposterous.... (even if they WERE true)...

Now.... it occurs to me that if I believed it... say written in the first person.. "You may know me better as Angela Jolie, but please don't tell anyone...." I would probably be hooked.

Are there laws against this?

-KC

 

[Liar]

But in this case, the reader has a particular fantasy already in mind for that celeb, you can't fulfill that fantasy 9 times out of 10 because it's a very specific fantasy.

Also, and more basically, 9 of 10 readers won't care to read it if it's not their specific celebrity crush. A story about a blonde girl is easier to pitch, since you can apply your own image of any blonde you want to it. A story about... erm... Jessica Simpson, will only work if you have a fancy for her specifically.

 

[rgraham666]

Personally it's because I have very little interest in 'celebrities'. They are, with very few exceptions, products carefully marketed to the public. So they are to my mind shallow and dull people.

Plus most of the celebrity stories I've read are badly written with no plot, insipid characters and poor word usage.

So II skip that category all together now.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

My big beef with celebrity stories is that too few of them feature me and Stella.

--Zoot

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

My big beef with celebrity stories is that too few of them feature me and Stella.

--Zoot

Fantasy can only stretch so far, Zoot.

There may be one other problem with "celebrity" fan-fic. Most of the celebs seem to be actors with singers coming in second. Both groups are performers, acting out a role either on-stage or on the screen.

The best bet for celeb/fan-fic is probably to focus not on the individual but on some signature role they've played that has wide recognition. That tends to limit the possibilites to stars of TV series. Buffy the VS seemed to dominate this category for ages.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[neonlyte]

Fantasy can only stretch so far, Zoot.

There may be one other problem with "celebrity" fan-fic. Most of the celebs seem to be actors with singers coming in second. Both groups are performers, acting out a role either on-stage or on the screen.

The best bet for celeb/fan-fic is probably to focus not on the individual but on some signature role they've played that has wide recognition. That tends to limit the possibilites to stars of TV series. Buffy the VS seemed to dominate this category for ages.

Rumple Foreskin

Screw Buffy is probably too short for a story... what do ya think?

Zoot and Stella... I'm guessing that's not Stella McCartney, though the dressing up would have mileage

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Screw Buffy is probably too short for a story... what do ya think?

Probably. Last time I checked, the common wisdom held that the shortest story was Ernest Hemingway's:

For Sale, baby shoes. Never worn.


Although, to be honest, I have come up with one that's semi-autobiographical, and even shorter:

For Sale, condoms. Never used.


Rumple Foreskin

 

[Stella_Omega]

Also, and more basically, 9 of 10 readers won't care to read it if it's not their specific celebrity crush. A story about a blonde girl is easier to pitch, since you can apply your own image of any blonde you want to it. A story about... erm... Jessica Simpson, will only work if you have a fancy for her specifically.

Or Bart Simpson, for that matter...

(Zoot! I'll meet you out on Rush street-- lets see what we can get up to...)

 

[JamesSD]

Others have made great points, I'll echo them:

1) Most people have their own preconcieved notion of a celebrity and how they should act. Futurama had a great line where Fry was dating a Lucy Liu Robot, and someone asked what her personality was programmed as. She replied it was a blend of the characters she had played in the movies, weighted based on box office take. So while everyone can agree what a celeb looks like, getting the personality right is tough, especially since people have a different version of "right".

2) Celebs are often boring people. We like to glamourize the lives of the rich and the famous, but actors are notorious for being pretty bland individuals in their real lives. Sure, you can inject spice, but you run the risk of violating the preconcieved notions people have.

3) Using a real life celeb imposes serious plot restrictions. You basically have two choices; screw any sense of realism and create a scenario that would never actually happen, or work very hard to craft a scenario where the celebrity would get into the situation you describe, and hope and pray the readers buy it.

4) When it comes to choosing a celeb, you have a choice between megapopular and borderline cliche (Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel would be two huge ones right now), or someone more niche, and narrow the audience (Say, Maggie Gyllenhal).

This isn't to say that all celeb stories are crap, just that they have some natural handicaps. As a newbie writer, I would suggest someone who was inspired by a celeb to write a sex story consider writing it with a character who physically looks like the celeb they have in mind, and even shares the first name, but remove the restiction of the actual celebrity. For example, having a large chested, early 20's redhead named Lindsey could often work better than simply trying to use Lindsey Lohan. You could avoid the complications of all her recent troubles, and instead focus on the fantasy.

 

[R. Richard]

The best bet for celeb/fan-fic is probably to focus not on the individual but on some signature role they've played that has wide recognition. That tends to limit the possibilites to stars of TV series. Buffy the VS seemed to dominate this category for ages.

Rumple Foreskin

I thought about the matter and wrote my celebrity story about a cartoon character [Wicked Wanda] who IS just a signature role.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I thought about the matter and wrote my celebrity story about a cartoon character [Wicked Wanda] who IS just a signature role.

And what a signature she is!

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Or Bart Simpson, for that matter...

(Zoot! I'll meet you out on Rush street-- lets see what we can get up to...)

You can be in my FanFic if I can be in yours, right?

I could do Pirate. Do you do Mad Scientist?

 

[Stella_Omega]

You can be in my FanFic if I can be in yours, right?

I could do Pirate. Do you do Mad Scientist?

Of course I do mad scientists!

 

[rgraham666]

Of course I do mad scientists!

Then you'll need this T-shirt.

http://www.offworlddesigns.com/images/PRODUCT/medium/291.jpg

 

[Stella_Omega]

Then you'll need this T-shirt.

http://www.offworlddesigns.com/images/PRODUCT/medium/291.jpg

OR a whopping double-handful of safe sex accoutrements...

 

[The_Fool]

Stella and Zoot are Celebrities....I bet I could write them into any number of cunundrums.

 

[cloudy]

Then you'll need this T-shirt.

http://www.offworlddesigns.com/images/PRODUCT/medium/291.jpg

I want it!

 

[Just-Legal]

Ah, the celebrities category. My last fic got banished there (its more non-human than celeb but being a gamefic I was re-catgeorised).


I think I'll stick to AFF (much as I hate the layout) for stuff like that, the audience is more... receptive.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Ah, the celebrities category. My last fic got banished there (its more non-human than celeb but being a gamefic I was re-catgeorised).


I think I'll stick to AFF (much as I hate the layout) for stuff like that, the audience is more... receptive.

I know.

The thing is, celebfic and fanfic are two very different things-- and Lit does not make that distinction.

Sort of like Loving Wives/Cheating Wives.

(I've dumped my AFF account, by the way-- if you write in more than one category, it's become impossible to navigate.)

 

[Stella_Omega]

Stella and Zoot are Celebrities....I bet I could write them into any number of cunundrums.

AH fantasies chain story!