Cold Shower
Hiya! Today my post is going to be a frank and extremely critical tirade about skanky writing. So, if anyone isn't interested in hearing it - you'd better split.
When I write I have a couple goals. One of them is that I want to make things emotional without being sappy or skanky. I feel like this is a fairly narrow avenue to hit and that I probably only hit it with about a 40% margin of accuracy when I write the romantic parts in my stories. It's just that recently, I had a couple get married in one of my stories, and I was amazed at how much complaining I got over how I just kinda "forgot" to write about the wedding night. I don't want to write about that kind of crap. I just don't. I feel like it would do a disservice to all involved.
However, the more I get involved in my little writing world, the more I understand that skank sells. No wonder there is a whole room devoted to crappy romances in my local used book store. So, there are the old romance novels that are clean, and when I say clean I mean devoid of described love scenes. But the men are all arrogent, power hungry, ego maniacs, who seem to want nothing more from life than to control the life of our Lethy (or some other equally unlikely name for a female). So, these books are about as likely to give an accurage depiction of male behaviour as suddenly sprout wings and fly to the next woman's balcony. And then there are the ones that were published in say the last ten years that the male behaviour is closer to reality. Yet, they can't keep it clean, and I don't need to have that sort of thing described. So, either way - you're hooped.
Don't get me wrong - I love romance. It was at that very threshold that I developed my love for reading, for learning, and for so many things in life. I can hardly count. I was a pitiful little girl once who had no passions whatever, no interest in anything, and no desire to become or be anything or anyone. I'm not saying that the person I am now has fulfilled all my childhood goals, but I am saying that I needed a source for inspiration and I found that source in romance.
But why do we need to taint good feelings with rubbish? Of course I can't convince anyone that reading a graphic sex scene will corrupt their soul and make them a slave to verbal pornography, causing no man alive to live up to their expectations.
It was just that when I released my last chapter, I felt like the time had come for me to make my stand - that I had my chance to stand up for what I believed in. I thought the choice would be easy, but in the end, it actually wasn't an easy choice. I thought about describing something. To my shame, I really considered it. I knew the chapter would be more successful if I did. I knew I'd get a wider readership. The most popular fanfic I ever saw was a bodice ripper. But, I just kept thinking to myself about the people who knew me who might read it. There are a few people I know reading that story, some out loud to their friends in their office lunchroom, and I knew I couldn't do that. I couldn't cause my dear friends embarrassment when they read my story. I couldn't. And that kept me in check. I wonder if people who write erotica let their mothers read it or let their children read it?
I guess I understand why writers compromise themselves and write such things. The pressure can get intense, and I'm not even published. I can't imagine what it would be like for someone who had hundreds of fans. How much would you go through to insure that you wouldn't let them down?
This reminds me that I also have a major beef about newspaper tabloids. That stuff is PURE CRAP. I wonder sometimes if movie stars resent their faces being on every other paper/magazine. Well, I certainly resent having to see their friggen face anytime I want to buy groceries. It makes me want to run out into the country and grow a garden and keep chickens.
But, anyway back on topic. Everyone - go take a cold shower or go soak your head. Whatever, will snap you out of the spell you're under. Look at reality, and see that sex is SO not the point or purpose of existance. Romance is great, but there are other kinds of love that are equally as fulfilling. It's a double edged sword so don't think you're slashing your opponent with the flat edge.
When I write I have a couple goals. One of them is that I want to make things emotional without being sappy or skanky. I feel like this is a fairly narrow avenue to hit and that I probably only hit it with about a 40% margin of accuracy when I write the romantic parts in my stories. It's just that recently, I had a couple get married in one of my stories, and I was amazed at how much complaining I got over how I just kinda "forgot" to write about the wedding night. I don't want to write about that kind of crap. I just don't. I feel like it would do a disservice to all involved.
However, the more I get involved in my little writing world, the more I understand that skank sells. No wonder there is a whole room devoted to crappy romances in my local used book store. So, there are the old romance novels that are clean, and when I say clean I mean devoid of described love scenes. But the men are all arrogent, power hungry, ego maniacs, who seem to want nothing more from life than to control the life of our Lethy (or some other equally unlikely name for a female). So, these books are about as likely to give an accurage depiction of male behaviour as suddenly sprout wings and fly to the next woman's balcony. And then there are the ones that were published in say the last ten years that the male behaviour is closer to reality. Yet, they can't keep it clean, and I don't need to have that sort of thing described. So, either way - you're hooped.
Don't get me wrong - I love romance. It was at that very threshold that I developed my love for reading, for learning, and for so many things in life. I can hardly count. I was a pitiful little girl once who had no passions whatever, no interest in anything, and no desire to become or be anything or anyone. I'm not saying that the person I am now has fulfilled all my childhood goals, but I am saying that I needed a source for inspiration and I found that source in romance.
But why do we need to taint good feelings with rubbish? Of course I can't convince anyone that reading a graphic sex scene will corrupt their soul and make them a slave to verbal pornography, causing no man alive to live up to their expectations.
It was just that when I released my last chapter, I felt like the time had come for me to make my stand - that I had my chance to stand up for what I believed in. I thought the choice would be easy, but in the end, it actually wasn't an easy choice. I thought about describing something. To my shame, I really considered it. I knew the chapter would be more successful if I did. I knew I'd get a wider readership. The most popular fanfic I ever saw was a bodice ripper. But, I just kept thinking to myself about the people who knew me who might read it. There are a few people I know reading that story, some out loud to their friends in their office lunchroom, and I knew I couldn't do that. I couldn't cause my dear friends embarrassment when they read my story. I couldn't. And that kept me in check. I wonder if people who write erotica let their mothers read it or let their children read it?
I guess I understand why writers compromise themselves and write such things. The pressure can get intense, and I'm not even published. I can't imagine what it would be like for someone who had hundreds of fans. How much would you go through to insure that you wouldn't let them down?
This reminds me that I also have a major beef about newspaper tabloids. That stuff is PURE CRAP. I wonder sometimes if movie stars resent their faces being on every other paper/magazine. Well, I certainly resent having to see their friggen face anytime I want to buy groceries. It makes me want to run out into the country and grow a garden and keep chickens.
But, anyway back on topic. Everyone - go take a cold shower or go soak your head. Whatever, will snap you out of the spell you're under. Look at reality, and see that sex is SO not the point or purpose of existance. Romance is great, but there are other kinds of love that are equally as fulfilling. It's a double edged sword so don't think you're slashing your opponent with the flat edge.
posted by Sapphirefly at
10:32 p.m.
1 Comments:
You're reminding me of one of Zelgadis's lines here. The one that goes something like "lucky for you I hit you with the back of my blade....oops it has two edges."
Anyway, let me know how your stand goes.
Shavaineth
By
Anonymous, at 9:27 a.m.
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