My first entry into Erotica, I wrote from a very male perspective (on a phone call) that was absolutely 100% myself.
I didn't like that I did it that way, ultimately (despite it being very successful).
As a follow up, I went full Kurosawa/ Rashoman. Same story, from 3 different perspectives (the 3 parties involved) and I thought it would tank without question. Nope. More successful than the prior thing. I sort of had a public personality of my own at that point so it's hard to factor in how that affected the scoring (at Literotica, way back in the day) but I think it's fair to accept that I could in fact write from any perspective I choose. I went on to write things that "couldn't possibly be written from a man's perspective," I was told. Which absolutely gave me a great and gigantic hardon, I should confirm. And I found all of that plenty liberating.
In fact. I use it to this day, 20 years since, to reason myself through my own issues. When I cannot get a grasp on something? I end up writing someone else in a better effort to perhaps understand what I cannot hear myself. And more often than not - there's an answer there.
So to answer the question?
I think it's a mistake not to try.
Serve the story. Not yourself. Find the voice that way.
PS That "Good As it Gets" quote is... not only monolithic and possibly accurate but rather - exactly the point ; )
Join the best erotica focused adult social network now
Login
46n2
Over 90 days ago
Straight Male
United States
Forum
Active Ink Slinger
I'm in California. We don't get anything inventive at all on the radio anymore. But occasionally I hear something that's clearly new and I don't get the band name.
I've noticed there's some pretty good chunky guitar coming back. Some throaty vocals. Some brick and mortar Rock. Nothing showy, just... "This is what your testicles used to feel like" type gimme. I heard something 2 days ago that has really been bothering me to NOT hear again. Is there hope for the future of Rock beyond yesterday?
There might be.
Call it in.
I've noticed there's some pretty good chunky guitar coming back. Some throaty vocals. Some brick and mortar Rock. Nothing showy, just... "This is what your testicles used to feel like" type gimme. I heard something 2 days ago that has really been bothering me to NOT hear again. Is there hope for the future of Rock beyond yesterday?
There might be.
Call it in.
Active Ink Slinger
Quote by LucaByDesign
Kubrick can do no wrong in my view. I would still love the film even if all the sex was jettisoned.
Re: Eyes Wide Shut
The way he made use of (and often does) that musical interlude… I’m not sure what to call it, there’s a “score” behind the scene at the party, involves the cane tap, repeatedly. He later ques that back up again when Cruise is slightly panicked in a street (being followed, if I remember it correctly).
Hella intense. And absolutely genius how he patterned that and brought it back. The exacting arrangement of that is absolutely Einstein.
Kubrick did not ever settle for less than a complete experience. Even if you don’t care for a particular film of his can we not all agree that your were completely glued in regardless?
PS Bring back vinyl ; )
Active Ink Slinger
For realz though. I like to use “background noise” from time to time. A movie might be playing in the backdrop. It’s not accidental. The narrative says so. A song plays on. Suddenly that lyric is everything.
I’m not stealing. I’m using what we know. It’s In the Room already.
How tied up is the concept of “stolen lyrics”?
When it’s only being used as an adjective, is that okay? To color?
I’m not stealing. I’m using what we know. It’s In the Room already.
How tied up is the concept of “stolen lyrics”?
When it’s only being used as an adjective, is that okay? To color?
Active Ink Slinger
I hate to come out of the box complaining (new here) so let me first assure you I’m not doing that. Just reasonably concerned I may have borked the submission process somehow.
Submitted a story the morning of 4/28. The guidelines (and I did a little research before reaching out) indicate 3 days or so is likely. Now on day 5.
Here’s where a Public Posting of my concern might be of benefit to others:
-During the cut/paste I had a warning that my PC settings wouldn’t allow for (something). So I had to cut/paste again into another box. Once that populated all paragraphs APPEARED to have an extra space between. On the follow up/preview page that again appeared to be the case. So I went back and eliminated the extra spacing on all the paragraphs, by hand in your submission window. The Preview page then appeared normal - or at least it does on my end.
It’s possible that even though it now looks normal to me - your end sees some fucktarded and endless paragraph of near 10k words? Yeah, we don’t want that.
I would assume if that were the case I’d get a note back to that effect? On the other hand, maybe you see that kinda nonsense and figure if I don’t know what a paragraph is then I’m a hopeless cause and forget it, eh? Or maybe it’s simply stuck in limbo or not viewable somehow.
Again, I did do some forum research here and I’m fairly certain I’ve exceeded whatever the que was Wed morning so I figured I best ask at this point (plus others may encounter that UI issue I did and a record of it here might be useful going forward. It happens to me when I cut/paste to email also, btw).
I’m not complaining! I’m just asking if it’s in the que and looks correct in terms of format ; )
Submitted a story the morning of 4/28. The guidelines (and I did a little research before reaching out) indicate 3 days or so is likely. Now on day 5.
Here’s where a Public Posting of my concern might be of benefit to others:
-During the cut/paste I had a warning that my PC settings wouldn’t allow for (something). So I had to cut/paste again into another box. Once that populated all paragraphs APPEARED to have an extra space between. On the follow up/preview page that again appeared to be the case. So I went back and eliminated the extra spacing on all the paragraphs, by hand in your submission window. The Preview page then appeared normal - or at least it does on my end.
It’s possible that even though it now looks normal to me - your end sees some fucktarded and endless paragraph of near 10k words? Yeah, we don’t want that.
I would assume if that were the case I’d get a note back to that effect? On the other hand, maybe you see that kinda nonsense and figure if I don’t know what a paragraph is then I’m a hopeless cause and forget it, eh? Or maybe it’s simply stuck in limbo or not viewable somehow.
Again, I did do some forum research here and I’m fairly certain I’ve exceeded whatever the que was Wed morning so I figured I best ask at this point (plus others may encounter that UI issue I did and a record of it here might be useful going forward. It happens to me when I cut/paste to email also, btw).
I’m not complaining! I’m just asking if it’s in the que and looks correct in terms of format ; )
Active Ink Slinger
Quote by Verbal
I was JUST discussing with my daughter the idea of unconditional love (she has her first official date this weekend for Homecoming!) and tried to drive home that while parental love is unconditional, romantic love should ALWAYS be conditional - if he treats you poorly, if you give way more to the relationship than he does, get out! It was, to be honest, more a lecture than a discussion.
Personally, I think it is a pooling of your lives together, so that the other person's desires and needs become the same as your own, and carry equal importance. There is a lot of beautiful synchronicity involved, where your lives simply intertwine naturally because you recognize some deep connection with each other.
But there is hard work involved too, because there are going to be disagreements, and misunderstandings. Love itself isn't enough. Love doesn't conquer shit. You have to have the commitment and patience to work things out when it's not all flowers and sunshine. That's when the work of truly understanding each other begins, compromising in those areas where you disagree, and not only accepting but embracing and celebrating the uniqueness of the one you love.
Well said. Your daughter is fortunate you fell in love with the other parent ; )
-I’ve got a neice. When that came to be I consciously gave that Unconditional Love thing a very welcome opportunity. The intent being that I’m not gonna get back what I might traditionally want (or even expect) out of such an approach but I don’t give a shit. I don’t have the right to expect anything from her so I’m not gonna. I’m just gonna Give. How refreshing.
Oddly, I ended up receiving far more than I had through the “barter” approach with others. Weird.
So naturally I then thought a lot about, ‘Well how do I incorporate some of this Unconditional approach to my wooing? How do I use this in terms of Romancing another? Oughta help me be a lot less of an asshole.’
But the answer is: you can’t.
It IS a barter system. You’ve got to work out the kinks enough through that process to where you ultimately decide, “Okay. I’m With this. And so are you? Let’s put a ring on it then”. At which point, as you indicated, you need to be ALL in there - having now made the commitment - and Love your partner with all you’ve got and then some, patiently and with eternity in mind (not to mention new little lives in the mix).
When the compromise does not occur? Then the both of you are not in Love enough - equally.
And that’s when you begin to thank and appreciate your own hand in a more appreciable and committed manner...
Active Ink Slinger
Quote by Twisted_Skald
A dear friend of mine gave me a little word of advice when I mentioned I was going to try writing.
1. Don't put yourself in your characters, that way you can play with how they respond to the world and allow them to be so much different to how you'd see the world that you can explore the world in whole new ways.
Tremendous advice.
I got into Erotic Writing years ago on a lark. While penning my first attempt - which was based around a random daydream I had that wouldn’t let go of me for some reason - I ended up quite literally (see what I did there?) falling in love with the object of affection in the story. At one point pretty deep into it she turned to me and said, “But will you come be in the painting with me?” Like, I typed that out while I was rolling and came to screeching halt… Wait, WHAT? What just happened there? Did I type that myself? Yikes.
So after that one I made a deal with myself to never do that ever again. That wasn’t meant to be the point of it. I had my jollies enough carting her around the way I was so how about I let the readers be the recipient of benefit and not be writing love letters to myself? Duh.
Since then pretty much everything I’ve ever written came from the motivation that I DON’T know what or who that is I want to write about and therefore won’t that be a fun discovery? Once I finish the story - I’ve now learned things I didn’t know. Or maybe I solved some subconscious thought I was having that couldn’t be solved any other way. And just as your friend recommended - spot on - that’s where most of the winning happens on my end. I got to be Not Me for awhile and it turned out to be a real blessing.
I don’t want to see things just my own way. Isn’t that the entire point?
(You got spectacular advice there right off the bat. Congrats.)
-Back on Topic: Isn’t that also why we read?
I mean, I don’t know how I read Hansel and Gretel and didn’t grow up to eat children one day. All it takes is some Gingerbread. Plenty of other smart and humorous examples like that have been said here already (I’m partial to the end the surviving Beatles one, that rocked).
I’ll refrain from going off the cliff about Dr Seuss books being put out of print now as well. (I didn’t learn how to be a racist. I learned in a more digestible manner what that was and that it’s out there and I should be aware of it; adjust accordingly).
But the point to make is this:
Might it actually be of great benefit that a person with a potential problem of some kind can READ about a very troubling episode or mindset and thereby learn… well shit, man - I do NOT want to be that. Creepy!! (Or maybe they see the forest through the trees and gain some subconscious absolution of a pain they’ve been carrying and didn’t even know it.)
Great. Now put the book down. It’s just a story. Go think about it all you’d like. But it’s not a fucking instruction manual on how to be a jackass (or even not to be). You gotta play The White Album backwards to learn that ; )
Nice discussion on this topic. Pleased to read the general train of thought here.
Yum.