Absurd story

[TheStungest]

I have an absolutely absurd idea for a story. I.e. not something that would ever be believable, even in terms of erotica.

How well received are these types of stories on literotica, and how best do I communicate to the reader that the story is not meant to be believable without a fourth wall breaking introduction?

 

[AlinaX]

Half the stories on Lit are improbable, the other half wildly so.

I do think you’re overthinking this. Write the story; skip the foreword.

My opinion as a reader is that forewords are annoying, especially long ones. I want to dive into a story, not have the author talk to me about the story.

I do use them occasionally, either as a brief content note (“Content Note: Incest”) or to acknowledge the involvement of another (“Based on a suggestion by …”).

As long as you stay within the site’s rules…

 

[anthrodisiac]

There's a whole section for Humor & Satire, if it's more comedic absurdism. As for how well received... it really depends on the story. Generally, I'd assume worse than straight-up erotica, but well-written ones can do quite well. If your concern is scores, maybe having a note that gives readers a heads up if the content is potentially problematic, or subverts expectations. For example: I recently had a story without sex, but it wasn't technically non-erotic, so I made sure to note there would be no sex so as not to annoy people wondering where it was; some readers can be vindictive scorers when they encounter things that aren't the way they want them, and will give you 1s not on the merits, but because it contains/didn't contain some thing or another. But don't make it a big deal, like @AlinaX said. Quick programming note, then get to it.

It also really depends on what you mean by "absurd." I know people who use that term, and it's laughably vanilla, and people who use the term, and I know to seek shelter from whatever ungodly madness they're about to yank out of their cranium. I don't know what your version of absurd is, so it's really hard to say if it's actually outrageous, or just, "Yeah, that's not that out there, you're fine."

 

[TheStungest]

Half the stories on Lit are improbable, the other half wildly so.

I do think you’re overthinking this. Write the story; skip the foreword.

My opinion as a reader is that forewords are annoying, especially long ones. I want to dive into a story, not have the author talk to me about the story.

I do use them occasionally, either as a brief content note (“Content Note: Incest”) or to acknowledge the involvement of another (“Based on a suggestion by …”).

As long as you stay within the site’s rules…

I definitely am overthinking it. I'll just go ahead and do it.

There's a whole section for Humor & Satire, if it's more comedic absurdism. As for how well received... it really depends on the story. Generally, I'd assume worse than straight-up erotica, but well-written ones can do quite well. If your concern is scores, maybe having a note that gives readers a heads up if the content is potentially problematic, or subverts expectations. For example: I recently had a story without sex, but it wasn't technically non-erotic, so I made sure to note there would be no sex so as not to annoy people wondering where it was; some readers can be vindictive scorers when they encounter things that aren't the way they want them, and will give you 1s not on the merits, but because it contains/didn't contain some thing or another. But don't make it a big deal, like @AlinaX said. Quick programming note, then get to it.

It also really depends on what you mean by "absurd." I know people who use that term, and it's laughably vanilla, and people who use the term, and I know to seek shelter from whatever ungodly madness they're about to yank out of their cranium. I don't know what your version of absurd is, so it's really hard to say if it's actually outrageous, or just, "Yeah, that's not that out there, you're fine."

Yep, it's almost definitely going to be vanilla in comparison to some of the stuff that I've read here. It's not absurd in terms of kinkiness, more just the premise of the story.

We'll see how it goes.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[anthrodisiac]

Good luck!

 

[TheLobster]

Absurd premises are fine. In some categories, they are quite popular.

I have an ongoing episodic series, for example, that’s far-fetched even by T/I standards, where the so-called family therapist “treats” their patients by convincing them to indulge in all their incestuous impulses as part of their “therapy.” It’s basically my word dump, that I doodle on when I don’t feel like writing anything serious, and it’s been well-liked so far.

As long as your plot and setting doesn’t descend into full-on ridiculousness, especially one that could be read as making fun of a particular kink you’re trying to cater to, you should be good.

 

[liliput1]

Half the stories on Lit are improbable, the other half wildly so.

A couple of genres here are trying to buck that trend and as I'm getting a bit older I really am appreciating that. I've been reading stories here for long enough that there were babies then who are old enough to read stories here now. But I was consuming it a couple stories a week on average and with the new batches of stories I'm devouring it. Like it's becoming a problem. I have a library book I haven't even cracked that's been extended twice. Send help.

But as you say there's still plenty of areas and room in the top 50 for porno plotlines, if you can write sex scenes.

 

[liliput1]

Would your premise make sense in one of the contests? I know some authors (and some artists) fear trying new things because what if their audience loves it and they hate it?

But among the authors on my follow list, it's the contest entries that stretch or bend their genres and have the more absurd premises. It's... do I want to say a safe space? There's permission to engage in more whimsy there without becoming the whimsical author.

 

[Djmac1031]

if there's one thing I've learned in my time here as both reader and writer: most readers don't give a shit about realism as long as theyre entertained. Which in most cases means they could get off to the story.

I mean seriously, is your idea any more "absurd" than the multiple Mom Sitting On Son's Lap stories that flood this site?

Hell, i wrote one of those myself under the pseudonym Todd Everman and its been my most successful story to date in terms of views and votes.

 

[AlinaX]

For some reason, my brother-in-sister’s-lap story hasn’t done amazingly well.

 

[StillStunned]

For some reason, my brother-in-sister’s-lap story hasn’t done amazingly well.

Maybe you should have called it "Sister Snu-Snu".

 

[Djmac1031]

For some reason, my brother-in-sister’s-lap story hasn’t done amazingly well.

Well unless the sister popped a really big clit-boner...

 

[AlinaX]

Well, kinda?

 

[TheStungest]

Well unless the sister popped a really big clit-boner...

"Clit boner" . Gonna slip that one into the story if I can.

 

[MrStill]

If you need any further encouragement, my most absurd story got a mention in passing in a review of the stories on the site here in The Guardian, back in the early days of COVID. So you just never know...