Sep. 17th, 2010

TGIF

Sep. 17th, 2010 08:51 pm
altivo: Running Clydesdale (running clyde)
Seriously. This week was way too full as well as too long.

I may have done something I'll regret in the end. In a writing forum I've helped moderate for many months now, we've had a young guy appear who claims he wants to write, but seems unable to put together a single sentence without misspelling half the words, leaving out all the punctuation, and making all of us struggle to get what he's saying. (No, I don't think it's dyslexia or a disability, but rather just plain failure to put in an effort.)

In the midst of a discussion about how an erotic story is NOT just a sex scene, but a whole lot of development and tension that might even omit the actual sex, he popped up with "Oh, so you mean I should put in more hugging and kissing?"

Sigh. After pursuing this explanation for a while, I posted this:

Well, you're getting the idea. As I said, there has to a be a story, and the sex is not the story. Ask yourself "Why are they doing this?" and ask it again and again on every page.

Then remember you can't just put in a lot of "because" stuff. That doesn't make a story either. Instead you have to show why. Show things happening that explain it, or at least give an idea of what's going on.

If I were a writing teacher, I think the first assignment I'd give to new furry writers is this:

Write a story with at least two characters, in which the reader thinks there will be a sex scene but it never happens. Make it convincing, and interesting, Even make it a terrible tease if you like, but it must be believable, and in the end the reader should either like or dislike each character and be able to say why. Oh, and did I mention, no real sex happens. They may think about it a lot, talk about it, even lie about it, but no sex happens. Minimum length should be about 4000 words. Maximum perhaps 7500 words.

This is not a difficult assignment, really. But it may make you think harder about what you are doing when writing erotica.


End result? He says he's taking me up on it. This means I'll have to endure reading the 4000 words of it and then critique it. Sigh. Never pays to open your mouth.

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