sex is not different

This is part of a comment I left over at chresimos's place:

[M]ost people (including pro authors) seem to see sexuality as somehow separate from other aspects of life, and erotic feelings as fundamentally different from other emotions/sensations. I see this division as arbitrary and basically false. If you're a writer whose style involves precise and meaningful descriptions of physical sensations, you'll talk about the feeling of a sweater against the skin, the scent of a new sheet of paper, and so on. Now, when your character gets into a sexual situation, why should your writing style change? Why should your approach to the characters' reality change? Shouldn't it be just as right and real to talk about the feeling of your lover's hand on your cock, and the scent of his arousal? Where's the difference?

As a writer, you hope your readers will be right there with your characters, feeling what they feel. When you can describe a sweater in a way that makes your reader feel the comfort and nostalgia the character feels, that's a beautiful and positive thing; it's part of what makes good writing. When that empathy extends to sex, and the reader feels the eroticism of the moment right along with the character, why is that suddenly negative and anti-intellectual?

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On the word association meme, was I the only one who responded to "sex" with "love"? Of course, I also responded to "dude" with "where's my car?", so it may not be all that meaningful.

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I'm really rather disappointed that hpbnfdeathmatch has gone missing. I was looking forward to getting the crap kicked out of me by some H/Der I've never heard of. (I actually *was*, is the thing.) Startlingly enough, I've just been friended by bnfwatcher as well. Swear to god, dudes, you're way off. Nobody knows who the hell I am.

sex is not different

This is part of a comment I left over at chresimos's place:

[M]ost people (including pro authors) seem to see sexuality as somehow separate from other aspects of life, and erotic feelings as fundamentally different from other emotions/sensations. I see this division as arbitrary and basically false. If you're a writer whose style involves precise and meaningful descriptions of physical sensations, you'll talk about the feeling of a sweater against the skin, the scent of a new sheet of paper, and so on. Now, when your character gets into a sexual situation, why should your writing style change? Why should your approach to the characters' reality change? Shouldn't it be just as right and real to talk about the feeling of your lover's hand on your cock, and the scent of his arousal? Where's the difference?

As a writer, you hope your readers will be right there with your characters, feeling what they feel. When you can describe a sweater in a way that makes your reader feel the comfort and nostalgia the character feels, that's a beautiful and positive thing; it's part of what makes good writing. When that empathy extends to sex, and the reader feels the eroticism of the moment right along with the character, why is that suddenly negative and anti-intellectual?

*

On the word association meme, was I the only one who responded to "sex" with "love"? Of course, I also responded to "dude" with "where's my car?", so it may not be all that meaningful.

*

I'm really rather disappointed that hpbnfdeathmatch has gone missing. I was looking forward to getting the crap kicked out of me by some H/Der I've never heard of. (I actually *was*, is the thing.) Startlingly enough, I've just been friended by bnfwatcher as well. Swear to god, dudes, you're way off. Nobody knows who the hell I am.

PotC vignette

From 15minuteficlets. 300 words, PotC, Jack/Bill, G. Just playing with voices and backstory. Pay it no mind.

( word of the week and resulting ficlet )

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EDIT: I've been looking at the other entries, and man -- how do people write so *much*? I can't see doing much more than 300 words in 15 minutes, and some of the ficlets are twice as long as that.

EDIT2: Icon!

PotC vignette

From 15minuteficlets. 300 words, PotC, Jack/Bill, G. Just playing with voices and backstory. Pay it no mind.

( word of the week and resulting ficlet )

*

EDIT: I've been looking at the other entries, and man -- how do people write so *much*? I can't see doing much more than 300 words in 15 minutes, and some of the ficlets are twice as long as that.

EDIT2: Icon!