Left out the conflict

[Statius]

My 2nd most popular story has no real conflict unless you count the paragraph or so plus some back and forth dialogue about boredom during a game of pool.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Not quite sure what your point is. I'm saying stories don't need conflict and drama to work as evocative mood pieces, whereas nearly everyone else is saying a story must have conflict and drama or somehow there's no story.

Now you've mentioned a story, in response to my comment, which you say has conflict - so you're consistent with your own view about stories, which says they must have conflict. So that's good, for your writing.

Then you've quoted an evocative little piece, which is a study of life, and nicely written.

I must be missing something. You seem to be doubting yourself, or you're so wedded to this notion that stories must have conflict or they're not stories, that you're getting in the way of your own writing.

My point was, that story fits your description above ("What's difficult about two people wanting to fuck ..." but I do consider it to have conflict. You're taking the word to have certain connotations that I don't intend. I suspect English is taught differently Down Under and you learned different ways to say what I'm trying to express.

 

[ElectricBlue]

My point was, that story fits your description above ("What's difficult about two people wanting to fuck ..." but I do consider it to have conflict.

Which is fine - you feel conflict is necessary for a story to work, so your story fits your paradigm. You're not alone - in fact, I'm probably in the minority, saying that erotica can be written without drama, without conflict, but that's generally what I write. Seems to work, judging by the comments I get.

You're taking the word to have certain connotations that I don't intend. I suspect English is taught differently Down Under and you learned different ways to say what I'm trying to express.

Don't think so - I use dictionary definitions for words, and conflict means conflict and drama means drama. What other meanings do these words have?

This whole thread started coz you said you'd written 10,000 words or so, but felt there was no conflict in your story, and therefore it wasn't really a story. A bunch of people, including me, said, well you must have something, because: 10,000 words. If it's not a story, what is it?

 

[TheWritingGroup]

This whole thread started coz you said you'd written 10,000 words or so, but felt there was no conflict in your story, and therefore it wasn't really a story. A bunch of people, including me, said, well you must have something, because: 10,000 words. If it's not a story, what is it?

Narrative.

(Joke!)

 

[Britva415]

you said you'd written 10,000 words or so, but felt there was no conflict in your story, and therefore it wasn't really a story

I didn’t take it like they literally meant “not a story,” I took it like they meant “not much of a story” or maybe “not a very good story.”

I think that if anything happens (if there are events), then it’s a story. We do see prose where nothing happens and I do think we could call those “literally not a story.” But that’s not fantasy wish-fulfillment either.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I'd argue that writing any story of having sex is inherently a conflict between desperately wanting to come and also not wanting it to ever end.

You don't need anything else. Though conflict between wanting to finish dinner vs wanting to get it on ASAP is pretty good too.

 

[StillStunned]

I'd argue that writing any story of having sex is inherently a conflict between desperately wanting to come and also not wanting it to ever end.

You don't need anything else. Though conflict between wanting to finish dinner vs wanting to get it on ASAP is pretty good too.

Wanting to do things and wanting things to be done to you.

Or (as you grow older) wanting it to last forever, and really looking forward to the post-sex nap.