Why do you write?

[IamGnuHere]

Several Factors

Long story, made short.

Always enjoyed writing, but thought teachers stifled creativity. Choosing punctuation over content.

My wife struggled with endometriosis starting in her early thirties. Having a full Hysterectomy at 40 years old.

Fast forward about 7 years. I reconnected with a female friend from high school. We were both overweight and shy at that point in our lives.

No, we didn't hook up. But she turned me onto this site, the rest is history.

Writing erotica has become my outlet. Where anything is possible.

 

[SimonDoom]

I write erotica because it's fun and satisfying. I began reading online erotica in the early days of the Internet, and I often thought, "I could write something like that, maybe better." For a few years I dabbled with story ideas and even wrote most of a story about a woman running in the nude before losing it in a hard drive crash. Finally, a little over three years ago I buckled down, wrote a story in about one day, and submitted it to Literotica. I've been hooked since.

Like A_Little_Show, I would describe myself as a long-time closet exhibitionist and kinkster. I was in a long and very sexually unsatisfying relationship that ended years ago, and I've been exploring some of those kinks since. I explore them further in writing. I've discovered in middle age that I enjoy, among other things, bondage, domination, role play, and erotic photography, and these themes recur in my stories. My imagination usually is in a state of overdrive, and few things turn me off in the realm of fiction and fantasy. I love coming up with story ideas, and I've developed dozens and dozens of ideas that have not yet been fleshed out as stories (but they will!).

I write and publish erotica at Lit, as well, to get better at it. I hope/plan to try to write and publish in the "real" publishing world soon and see writing erotic stories as a way to improve my skills at crafting fiction.

Finally, I write in part because it's a way to stay involved in an online community here at the Hangout that is full of interesting and intelligent people with similarly pervy perspectives.

 

[KeithD]

Perhaps the best answer to the "why do you write?" question is "to get to the other side of the story."

 

[Lydia_Deetz]

I supposes I should be a little more specific,

I want to know why you decided to write erotica- of some description (or non-erotica for those's that focus on that- I'm still interested to find out why and why here)

What was the reason you first started, and why did you continue or, maybe, why did you stop?

I'm always curious about what makes people tick- and this question has niggled at me for a while (my curiosity is a little unrestrained).

Merry Christmas to all who celebrated today (if you celebrate at all), and Merry Christmas to those who still have a lot of celebrating to come, Happy Holidays to the rest!

Thanks again,

Evelyn

I have not submitted anything here (yet), but I enjoy writing erotica and non-erotic stories and poems. I may be in the minority here, but I enjoy reading erotica more than watching. Reading inspires my imagination to go further than images in front of me that put everything blatantly on display. I like to use my imagination and creativity to make things interesting and tuned to my taste.

 

[TheStoryTeller2342]

I started writing as an outlet. Writing completely different people than the people I knew, situations and fantasies other than those I like allowed me to mentally escape and focus on something other than the (Almost) Dead Bedroom that began as soon as I got married. Without this site, I'd be divorced by now.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

I was a script editor on 'The Year of Living Dangerously' from when I was just a young student at Uni back when there was a huge tax benefit available in Australia for making movies. And then I got a book published by one of the exec producers as part of my pay and that completely sold out locally. I actually never appreciated it enough probably because it was the 'go-go' finance era and I was making much more money from doing IPO's.

And then I got into technical writing for scientists who were doing commercial reporting. And then ended up working for a Merchant Bank in Chicago that handled some of the contracts for InterTalent - in which situation I got to see a lot of stuff to do with big publishing.

For a long while I personally held the view that modern mainstream publishing was rubbish in the sense that it had imposed its own set of highly conservative censorship rules on what people were being allowed to write and how those stories reflected (well, in fact they DIDN'T reflect any more) real life. It was just completely artificial and false, as far as I could tell - and so when Literotica came along it provided me with the opportunity to write narratives from the way I actually saw or experienced personal relationships in real life, and using language and dialogue that 'could' be straight out of the mouths of real people I knew, and the way they actually did talk, as opposed to the false depictions I was continually reading in mainstream published material.

For example, 'Fifty Shades' is copycat rubbish to me. I have been to Sydney fetish/BDSM scene 'high society' private functions. They are much more interesting than 'Fifty Shades.' I'm not sure they were all that private, frankly - how is three hundred people 'private??' LOL.

Notwithstanding I think the present political climate has damaged even Literotica because of the extreme polarity of views, and what comes across as anger and aggression, often, even so, I have a fragile hope things will improve and this will continue to be the place where real life 'adult' stories, and edgy fantasies, as well as the avant garde will all find a place. Erotica is a lot of what 'life,' is all about to me, and sensuality is very definitely life and makes it worth living. I love to see, to read what other people think too.

 

[EricasDreams]

“Dr. Erica Beaumar Surrenders” is my first story, written over five years ago.

The story, of an attractive 30-something physician who falls in lust with her young patient, was simply a fantasy I had for many years. It is 100% fiction. My fantasy turned me on very much and kept me busy with myself many a lonely evening and morning. I refined it in my head over the course of a few years and decided to write it down for fun.

Then I came across Literotica and decided to submit it. It was a huge success! So many people seemed to love the story and Dr. Erica herself. To hear people tell me it was a great read and very erotic inspired me. That’s what I wanted to achieve - not just a dirty story, but an erotic one. Based on the feedback that’s how people reacted, though of course some loathed it. I was very happy since it was my first try at creative writing.

So I wanted to try some more. I delved into my treasure trove of fantasies, and my real life experiences. My subsequent stories are a melding of these real life experiences and fantasies. I am actually kind of conservative, a lot like my character “Michele”, though I am very in tune with my sexuality.

I guess my stories are a way to express my erotic obsessions while remaining “respectable”.

-EvH

 

[Athalia]

Absolutely! I have to write.

If I didn't, the voices in my head would drive me crazy. This has been true my whole life.

Why porn? It's pure fun.

Hi, Litfan! It's nice to see you're still around.

Writing is an exercise in creating worlds where we can control the characters. I want the characters to have fun, explore their sexuality, do things that I wouldn't or couldn't do IRL.

I also take pleasure in the effect I have on readers. I've written an essay about that:

https://www.literotica.com/s/i-want-to-make-love-to-you-1

 

[Touch_type]

Because I could finish them

That goes for me too. I'm five years into a whodunnit and staggering around in it hopelessly. My hard drive is also full of starts, middles and ends I keep going back to.

Seems to me there are no rules in erotica. Almost everyone has sex, or wishes to, or fantasises about it. The character pool is therefore vast. We can dip in and find someone we like the look of and see where they take us. I always enjoy the adventure, sometimes to the point where writing the erotic bits is a chore.

I appreciate our audience as well - lovers and haters - some of the nicest (and nastiest) things I've ever had said about my writing has been here.

OK, so I'm an older, mildly misanthropic white man whose engagement with the real thing is regrettably more fantasy than reality these days. But it's the art I'm here for, the art I tell you.

 

[Hypoxia]

Why write? Because I must. Why not write? Lack of impetus, which I somewhat link to my meds. Why write erotica? Because it's there. Why not write erotica? That leads to an old software-engineering paradigm:

Those who can, program.
Those who can't, manage.
Those who can't manage, manage programmers.​

Thus, the obvious:

Those who can, write erotica.
Those who can't, criticize.
Those who can't intelligently criticize, comment.​

All jealous feedback comes from underachievers. That's my excuse.

 

[davion2308]

My reasons

I have 30-odd stories published on here so I've created some content. I like writing for a few reasons:

1. I like sex. I like thinking about sex, talking about sex, and writing and reading and watching sex. It's fun, it's physical, and it's one of my favorite things so this is one of the several ways I indulge.

2. I like reading comments and getting scoring for how well I write. I realize the scores aren't always fair, especially in LW category, but it gives me a feeling of success when I generally hit that 4.3-4.6 range for scoring.

3. I want to turn people on. I consider it great success if I can directly or indirectly give someone an orgasm because of my ideas and my writing and my 'skill.' That's an ultimate compliment for me.

 

[Nezhul]

1) Because sometimes unless I get an idea out of my head and into a word document - I lose sleep.
2) Because I honestly enjoy re-reading my stories some time later. I wrire what I personally find super-entertaining
3) Because one day I would like to make a living as a writer. For now though, I do it as a hobby and have a day job.

 

[Cronton]

I have not submitted anything here (yet), but I enjoy writing erotica and non-erotic stories and poems. I may be in the minority here, but I enjoy reading erotica more than watching. Reading inspires my imagination to go further than images in front of me that put everything blatantly on display. I like to use my imagination and creativity to make things interesting and tuned to my taste.

I agree totally ... with film you are forced to see it as it is ... with written erotica you are free to imagine it any way you want - with a little guidance from the author who leads you on a journey. Also, you can pace it - you can take your time reading particularly interesting or attractive sections - but with video you're pace is fixed (unless you click pause).

Also, you maybe do not find the actors attractive -which can ruin the whole video - with written erotica you are free to imagine your favourite people.

I'm not saying there isn't a place for video with me - sometimes I just need that quick fix that video can give - but mostly I prefer the more leisurely guided journey in my head.

 

[kromen]

Challenge accepted

I always had stories in my head, but was challenged to include erotica in them. Haven't published for years, but still have a stack of unfinished work left. Looks like I'm back in the game.

 

[Recidiva]

Having asked myself this question for a good long while, this forum has in fact helped clarify for myself why I do the thing.

I know there are other authors who are more comprehensive and inclusive, who strive to master their craft in every direction and with all tools. For instance, Oggbashan is an author I admire who does his best to serve all communities, stretch his ability and spectrum. I remember him writing vore for the genre challenge and me thinking "Noping the fuck right outta there." He also encouraged NANOWRIMO for authors as another challenge. Potentially to put misdirected energy to better use in my case. Gently.

I definitely tried that, but I found that I work more like a chef who only cooks what they like to eat. I can't really accommodate all palates and my menu is not varied in genre particularly.

For instance, I don't like to cook beans, my tongue doesn't get it. I don't like to drink wine, my tongue only processes the acid and none of the flavor.

Eventually after trying out different recipes, I've settled on a few genres where I really like what I write and my brain and body get it. So in essence I've settled on "Chocolate. Chocolate is good."

Now that could be spicy chocolate with ghost pepper say in a horror theme or creamy milk chocolate in a fluffy romance or chocolate-covered pop rocks in the theme of humor, but my writing usually is composed of those elements.

I write what I like to read - or hear - I narrate audiobooks as well.

So something that goes well with voice and tends toward the romantic.

I have to say that I've written nonconsent and horror and although I was dubbed the Queen of Angst and given a barbed-wire tiara...

I still had to eventually go back and utilize a time machine to create an alternate universe happy ending for those characters because - yeah.

Chocolate.

 

[LaRascasse]

Population control mostly. My head would probably explode if the characters and their craziness did not get out onto paper (or in this case screen).

I write because a story in my head demands to be told, however incompetent the conduit may be.

 

[trysail]

Having asked myself this question for a good long while, this forum has in fact helped clarify for myself why I do the thing.

I know there are other authors who are more comprehensive and inclusive, who strive to master their craft in every direction and with all tools. For instance, Oggbashan is an author I admire who does his best to serve all communities, stretch his ability and spectrum. I remember him writing vore for the genre challenge and me thinking "Noping the fuck right outta there." He also encouraged NANOWRIMO for authors as another challenge. Potentially to put misdirected energy to better use in my case. Gently.

I definitely tried that, but I found that I work more like a chef who only cooks what they like to eat. I can't really accommodate all palates and my menu is not varied in genre particularly.

For instance, I don't like to cook beans, my tongue doesn't get it. I don't like to drink wine, my tongue only processes the acid and none of the flavor.

Eventually after trying out different recipes, I've settled on a few genres where I really like what I write and my brain and body get it. So in essence I've settled on "Chocolate. Chocolate is good."

Now that could be spicy chocolate with ghost pepper say in a horror theme or creamy milk chocolate in a fluffy romance or chocolate-covered pop rocks in the theme of humor, but my writing usually is composed of those elements.

I write what I like to read - or hear - I narrate audiobooks as well.

So something that goes well with voice and tends toward the romantic.

I have to say that I've written nonconsent and horror and although I was dubbed the Queen of Angst and given a barbed-wire tiara...

I still had to eventually go back and utilize a time machine to create an alternate universe happy ending for those characters because - yeah.

Chocolate.

Long time, no see.

It's been a while since, "edits compulsively" appeared around here.

​

 

[Recidiva]

Long time, no see.

It's been a while since, "edits compulsively" appeared around here.

​

It has!

I've been, well, writing. And, in fact, editing compulsively, both print and audio. Got my own publishing company and some voice acting gigs, so I've been happily busy with the stuff I love.

I hope you're doing well!

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I started writing up various episodes of my life to help make sense of them when I was a teenager, and in time that turned into notebooks of encounters I wanted to remember, ie bad erotica. I spent a lot of time on coaches and trains pre-mobile phones, and often ran out of books to read but could alwsys find a pen and paper. Now I can type straight into the phone.

I write other stuff too, mostly in a niche fanfic field including some slash, but often struggle with plot and characterisation - I did manage my first novel last year which was more a fascinating exercise in plotting and structure than a work of literature, but a few hundred fans enjoyed it (and gave excellent tough criticism). I figure if I want to get better at structure and story-telling, I need a volume of material to structure and shape, and I'm often more inclined to scribble paragraphs of porn than other things.
Mostly I don't need to think or imagine, just write down what happened with a few identifying details changed. It's also something to distract myself with when chronic pain means I can't sleep!

Also I'm very fussy about what I read, so writing my own means I can find the sort of thing I like - I've been posting a few things on Lit as a backup, but the fact that you can get feedback is nice. I've actually had almost no comments but I like to think the 50 people who've favourited my stories had their day improved.

 

[PaxNurgle]

I do it just because I like to create, and to share the stories in my head. Some of my works are based on actual dreams I have had, some were just ideas that I wanted to get out into the open and share.

My original motivation was to share some of the darker sexual fantasies I had- related to female domination, fetish and BDSM, but I have consciously moved away from that, and I no longer have any desire to write about that stuff. It's just too controversial. I now prefer more fantasy/sci fi type stories with the sex (strictly 'vanilla' these days) serving as a backdrop to the story instead of the main focus. (I only wish I could update my profile to reflect that shift.)

 

[TxRad]

Writing is cheaper than therapy.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Writing is cheaper than therapy.

Writing is therapy.

 

[letsusethethinkingchair]

I write because I’m a self-shipper and that’s one of the only ways I can spend time, so to speak, with my loved ones.

 

[Kay_Evans100]

As a new author here I though this was an interesting question to try and answer.

I started to write some things down a long time ago but always left it unfinished, it was sort of in the moment as a way of letting out some frustration.

Then my life changed quite dramatically a few years ago and I found myself entering a very different relationship and sex life. Things were happening to me that I had not experienced before and I felt the need again when I was one my own with time to write things down.

This time they sort of logically came together as a series of experiences; when I talked to one of my girlfriends about it she suggested I should join them all up; which I then spent some time doing. I found it a really enjoyable experience reflecting on real events and then blending them into something that hung together as a complete story.

I hope I have achieved this, and even if no one else likes it I found the whole exercise very relaxing and challenging. Perhaps in a twist some off the things I have written about have now flipped around to actually drive things in my relationship.

 

[Chrissyb1995]

I write as an outlet for my bi and lesbian fantasies. Trying to find others of simar mind that want to chat is hard