I have nearly completed an erotic novel, and I would love to receive some feedback from this increasingly addictive (yes, I can admit it too!) site. However, I am anxious about offending people - the language is pretty... er... frank in places, and I don't want to be thrown out for contravening hosue rules. I gues I should be addressing this to David and other gatekeepers of this useful site - any guidelines before I post?

stephanieE - I've WWMailed you - it should be fine, though it may end up behind a warning page. Thanks for raising the question in advance - much appreciated!

Well, being male (it's well documented that men can't write erotica), erotic scenes in my writing are limited to prime-time style fall back onto pillows and fade to black type scenes. However, that isn't really the issue. The issue is that the language should suit the context, and the style of writing being used. So long as it's not used in an excessive and gratuitous sense, I have no problem with "frank language", in any form of writing.

I think erotica is really hard to write, very tightrope-y. If you suceed, the language wouldn't stand out and look sore.

Thank God, at last, something to get the punters all steamed up. The site was getting so boring.
Steph, I'm surprised at you. I, for the life of me can't understand why a person who is writing an erotic novel should worry about offending people, the two somehow don't seem to go together. My point being, of course you will offend some people! I'd go so far to say you should'nt be writing in this vein if offence concerns you. Surely the whole point of erotica is to write truthfully, to push to the limit (whatever and wherever that might be, to titillate and to tell it like it is? And finally...(he said, taking deep breaths)...to to describe the 'manfestations of sex in its widest (wildest?)application. By the way I love Becs choice of words, 'standing out' & 'sore', now that's what I call erotica.

Stephanie.

Although I am no expert, I find most 'erotica' is pretty crass stuff, but I guess that is the whole point.

However, perhaps there is a subtler form of writing though? I get pleasure out of what takes place on the subconscious level. (little things please little minds huh?) It is certainly evident in the comments on here sometimes, even silly things like the episode with the comments about the exclamation mark being a symbol of male potency etc. that we had with regard to the Icera Stone chapter. That's not erotica, but then, I do enjoy teasing games. Or the comments on Chef .. ‘certainly think it is the sort of piece that could and have a freeing-up effect, and could easily be developed into something longer.’ Etc etc. I guess it maybe just me though?

Will look forward to reading your piece if you are allowed to post any of it!

Hot stuff!

Andrew

Thanks for your contributions - I have to say that I'm not the shy sort, and normally have absolutely no qualms about offending anyone, but I had an interesting experience recently, which made me wonder exactly how offendable people are. I've been writing this novel, on and off, for about five years, and have been reading erotica for about ten. It's improved enormously in the last couple of years, from really crass shagfests to more plot-driven pieces that happen to have explicitly described sex-scenes. Anyway, I was struggling with a particular chapter, and wanted to run it past a group of peers (this was before I had the luxury of this site to turn to), so I read it to a small group of friends one night. Now these friends are pretty normal folk - teachers, estate agents, cabin crew (OK, sort of normal) - and they were decidedly uncomfortable with the language. I was puzzled, and wondered if I'd become so inured to the language of sex, that I'd lost some sort of sensitivity about what worked and what didn't. And just listening to the radio all day, I am amazed at how often the phrase 'It's disgraceful waht you can see on the internet...' is uttered. Hence the re-evaluation of what causes offence...

Well, David has agreed that I can post a chapter or two, but I think we should give people the option of passing over it if they think they are likely to be offended. (Erotica websites do this to avoid charges of offering to porn to minors - you have to click a button to confirm that you are over eighteen)

I'll try and post something at the end of the week.

Thanks

I'm reminded of a time in University when a friend of mine, Carl (a phillipino born in denmark, raised in sweden), deeemed that, after dragging our drunken hides back to his place after a night in the union, we should all sit down and watch a porno flick.

Following the drunken "hur-hurs", we eventually sat down together and watched it, about 8 19-20 year old lads sat watching Jenna Jameson porno together. Now, I like the odd "Jenna"-esque movie, but did I feel comfortable in that room? Did I hell. I've never felt so uncomfortable in my life.

Moral of the story? Porn is all well and good, but don't watch it with your mates, because you end up with a room full of people crossing their legs not wanting to be the first to run to the bathroom.

I think that's sort of quasi-relevant in reference to reading erotica to your friends...

Steph- good timing, cos we're just about to feature a very frank interview with a top erotic writer and from that hopefully/possibly an Erotic Writing Group, if there's a demand for it. (It's impossible not to become overly aware of using innuendo..) So you just might be psychic.

Erotica can be the most poetic of writing. Porn is a different thing altogether. The reason I used the expression tight-rope-y was to say that very thing.
I think this will be really interesting, because if the people who find it uncomfortable can put that aside and crit it just on its lit. merits and all the other things criting is about, it will a great exercise. We all have such different writing themes and styles, and quite often surely, we crit things that are not to our taste. I don't think Steph's piece should be viewed in any different way. I'm looking forward to it.

Erotic writing at its best touches the deepest unconscious and works its way to the surface....there is an extraordinary fine line between the crass and the poetic. I look forward ,along with many others here , I am sure to reading it StephanieE..... well done!

Ellenna

Oh good, no pressure then...

Be gentle with me - please?!

You've obviously got us all salivating already Steph.

I'm sure too that the gender question is going to come up again - men and women tend to have a different take on these things.

I'm doubtful whether a man could write erotic fiction that would appeal to women, (although I'm willing to be proved wrong), but perhaps that's a sexist remark.

It should be interesting.

You've made your bed, and now you've got to lie in it girl!