In your opinion, can a story be arousing without being explicit?

[Britva415]

can a story be arousing without being explicit?

I can't tell you how often I see a story here which is explicit and not arousing at all.

The arousing quality is completely independent from the explicit description. Sometimes the explicit description is arousing, but it's not because it's explicit, it's because it's written arousingly.

 

[gtnlynn]

Sure. My imagination can fill in a lot of blanks and expand a story as needed. Sometimes all I need is a hint.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Absolutely, but on lit in it will probably score shit.

Hah, one can never predict what those readers will like! That actually goes for everything in a fictional work. How much info should be included about everything? It's all a judgment call. John Updike could get away with "info dumps" because, well, he was Updike. Except, I did skip over a couple of pages about a two-person golf match. The guy just loved golf, that's for sure.

 

[CockSparrow]

Absolutely, but on lit in it will probably score shit.

I think readers in some categories are more 'lenient' than others. 'Mature' and 'Romance' readers seem to give points for engagingly-drawn characters even if the action is more suggestive than explicit.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I think readers in some categories are more 'lenient' than others. 'Mature' and 'Romance' readers seem to give points for engagingly-drawn characters even if the action is more suggestive than explicit.

Folks in Romance also love their cardboard thin saintly characters, no matter how eloquent they may be presented.

 

[mirafrida]

Non-explicit can certainly be arousing

At the risk of being in the small minority, i feel like most good writing could be even better - for me at least - with an added dose of "explicit done well."

It's kind of why I peck away at this stuff - trying (in my halting way) to write stuff that's "quality" but also way explicit.

 

[AG31]

It's kind of why I peck away at this stuff - trying (in my halting way) to write stuff that's "quality" but also way explicit.

Go for it!