tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post667679283076386698..comments2024-03-10T00:20:21.089-08:00Comments on Relentless Writers: On-the-Page vs Fade-to-Black; How Do Your Characters Like Their Sex?Liv Rancourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171029958375171223noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-72865685115294040612015-01-17T15:06:52.584-08:002015-01-17T15:06:52.584-08:00Exactly!
-AExactly!<br /><br />-AAlex Onghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17338429566010013769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-18967230836214885442015-01-16T17:29:20.259-08:002015-01-16T17:29:20.259-08:00
I did read 50SOG. I tackled the novel like a cli...<br /><br />I did read 50SOG. I tackled the novel like a clinical study of the erotic psyche and threw my writer/critic hat away, jumping in as a reader instead to try and break down what it was that this book had to get everyone so riled up! I learned a lot. It uses the number one female fantasy (a woman relinquishing control to someone else so that she can experience and embrace her sexuality without explicitly asking for it) and plays it up brilliantly. The great dichotomy is that while she (Anastasia) is lead along on this wild sexual initiation, she is still firmly in control of her boundaries (even when she decided to push them, it was still her choice). There is enough open door detail in the book to make your mother blush, yet it highlights and capitalizes on a burning fantasy that recognizes many people want to experience more, want to experiment and play with their sexuality ... which they can safely explore in the pages of a book, all without mother finding out. ;) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14699089189198369542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-70751341654819829682015-01-16T15:46:22.898-08:002015-01-16T15:46:22.898-08:00You've hit the nail on the head Alex. It's...You've hit the nail on the head Alex. It's impossible for the author to know what makes the reader too uncomfortable to buy the next book.<br /><br />ReplyDeleteCharlotte Levine Gruberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08629132233515129950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-44155974586385941222015-01-16T15:46:03.856-08:002015-01-16T15:46:03.856-08:00You've hit the nail on the head Alex. It's...You've hit the nail on the head Alex. It's impossible for the author to know what makes the reader too uncomfortable to buy the next book. Charlotte Levine Gruberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08629132233515129950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-29909922227680941512015-01-16T13:11:06.428-08:002015-01-16T13:11:06.428-08:00OK, so growing up I read a lot of Jackie Collins &...OK, so growing up I read a lot of Jackie Collins & Danielle Steel. In fact I just bought the Kindle version of "Butterfly" by K Harvey about a very expensive brothel for female clients. Plus my PornHub account would make some blanch. Yet I still get squirmy when there's sex on the page or the screen.<br /><br />-AAlex Onghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17338429566010013769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-29324460840228976182015-01-16T11:53:30.344-08:002015-01-16T11:53:30.344-08:00I think everyone wants to be mainstream because it...I think everyone wants to be mainstream because its the biggest shelf space. As a marketing person, I have to wonder how many books 50SOG, would have sold without an online platform. As a fade-to-black writer. I'd like to work on the art of taking the reader to the bedroom door, opening it, and taking a little peek inside.Charlotte Levine Gruberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08629132233515129950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-23765050221976606622015-01-16T11:43:22.546-08:002015-01-16T11:43:22.546-08:00Did you read 50SOG? What did you think?Did you read 50SOG? What did you think?Charlotte Levine Gruberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08629132233515129950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-32184141193466630272015-01-16T10:41:16.884-08:002015-01-16T10:41:16.884-08:00Interesting post. I'm on the other side of the...Interesting post. I'm on the other side of the issue having written and published erotica, I find myself veering back to fade to black. Writing sex initially was fun and exciting, but then it started to feel like that was all I was writing. I've heard rumors that erotica sales across the board are dropping and I wonder if this is true if it's because sex is going mainstream.Mary C. Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00611451327805420623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-60068143204536024962015-01-16T10:13:34.141-08:002015-01-16T10:13:34.141-08:00Personally, I like to read and write full, lusciou...Personally, I like to read and write full, luscious sex scenes that awaken the body and titillate the mind. Doors flung wide open for me! :D Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14699089189198369542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-77286124470308626712015-01-16T09:39:58.862-08:002015-01-16T09:39:58.862-08:00The reader/whiter/character arc is complex--findin...The reader/whiter/character arc is complex--finding the balance for each is key. My plan is to listen to writers with more experience, and try not to push too far beyond my comfort zone. :-)Charlotte Levine Gruberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08629132233515129950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-33635157376058005792015-01-16T09:33:34.361-08:002015-01-16T09:33:34.361-08:00In my opinion, it's a fine line. I do think re...In my opinion, it's a fine line. I do think readers want to see more than true "fade-to-black." But, what's hot for one person, isn't for another. That's where the reader imagination can be best.Charlotte Levine Gruberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08629132233515129950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-31841565627423279802015-01-16T09:31:56.860-08:002015-01-16T09:31:56.860-08:00:-):-)Charlotte Levine Gruberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08629132233515129950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-89521326686921961022015-01-16T09:21:31.601-08:002015-01-16T09:21:31.601-08:00It's more tantalizing to conceal than revealIt's more tantalizing to conceal than revealRosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12145867483724913787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-175911597310436342015-01-16T08:39:06.672-08:002015-01-16T08:39:06.672-08:00My first couple ebooks & short stories were al...My first couple ebooks & short stories were all about the fade-to-black, but I've worked to open things up more because I agree with Charlotte - unless you're writing a cozy or sweet romance, people wanna see some skin. There are sides to a character that only come out when they're naked (literally), and you can push issues like trust and acceptance way further in a sexy scene than you can any other way. If there's not plot/character/goal-motivation-conflict built into your scene, though, even the naughtiest bits are going to be blah. Nice post!Liv Rancourthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13171029958375171223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-6446864201036931602015-01-16T08:17:04.940-08:002015-01-16T08:17:04.940-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Charlotte Levine Gruberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08629132233515129950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396137415213652776.post-82911740296437206722015-01-16T07:55:51.917-08:002015-01-16T07:55:51.917-08:00Great topic! I've also been watching the Fifty...Great topic! I've also been watching the Fifty Shades success with interest. Sex sells, of course. But sometimes there is more literary skill in the art of subtlety. Suggestion. Imagination. Your final point about alluding techniques hits home with me. Sometimes the imagination can be hotter than words on the page,Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16884267076174932989noreply@blogger.com