On writing: humour

[StillStunned]

Dick jokes though, I can never resist a good dick joke.

I wanted to make a dick joke in one of my stories, but as it turned out, it was really hard.

 

[StillStunned]

I don't know if this is true for all erotica. If you want the story to still be hot, this is probably good advice, but maybe the humor is the point, and the erotica is less so. It also depends on what are the main themes and focus of the story, what the crux of it is. After all, sex isn't always the main point of an erotic story. In some cases it is, but there are plenty of stories that, if you took out the sex, would still be whole, complete stories all on their own; the sex is mainly there for flavoring (and because we're on an erotic site, that's the expectation). Several of the stories I've written, I could've stripped out the sex and not really missed much, but to take out the humor would've changed the whole shape and vibe of the thing.

Good points. I've said once or twice on these forums that I think stories can be plot-driven, character-driven or sex-driven. On reflection, humour is probably another driver, or maybe "mood" would be a better umbrella term to cover things like romantic, magical, whimsical as well as funny.

But I think it's still important to decide what you want your story's main driver to be. If you're going for humour, you'd better make sure you're a very funny writer. If you leave out the sex (or the plot, or the character portrait), will the story still work as a comedy?

It is true, though, that it can be a delicate balance. Humor can often serve as antithesis to erotica, as can many types of emotions, which is why a lot of erotic scenes tend to lose a lot of the other elements that were previously in play and the focus becomes entirely the sex. But mixing in other things besides hot and sexness can elevate a sex scene into something beyond titilation, you just have to be cognizant of the delicate balancing act that's required to make it work well.

Seasoning, rather than overpowering. Like I said before, you don't want your story to fall midway between drivers and fail at both.

 

[StillStunned]

I am reminded of the quote from EB White:

“Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog. You understand it better but the frog dies in the process.”

But analysing any aspect of writing gives you a greater appreciation of it, and helps you to apply it deliberately in your own writing.

 

[anthrodisiac]

But analysing any aspect of writing gives you a greater appreciation of it, and helps you to apply it deliberately in your own writing.

Plus, the frog kinda had it coming.

 

[StillStunned]

Plus, the frog kinda had it coming.

Yup. No more than he deserved for sexually harassing that princess.

 

[yowser]

Yup. No more than he deserved for sexually harassing that princess.

There's a story that has legs.