What makes readers horny?

[big_cane_sugar]

I just realized this is the fundamental question I should be asking myself as long as I'm writing stories here. And oddly enough, I have very little idea what the answer might be.

I have some idea what makes me horny I when I read a story, but apparently I'm an oddball because my favorite stories (in an erotic, not literary sense) are not very popular here.

So what makes readers horny? I'm less interested in generalities (i.e. give them their kinks) than in practical advice we can incorporate into our stories. Everything from how the relationships between the characters are built up, ways to describe sexual acts, diction, et cetera.

And of course the fact that different things make different readers horny means we should consider everyone!

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Sorry that I can't help you.

I don't purposely pander to an audience's likes and dislikes for things such as you are referencing. I care not whether anyone gets titillated by what I write here as long as I get enjoyment out of writing it.

 

[sirhugs]

I on the other hand do try to titillate my readers, in search of decent scores and suportive comments, the two things which have fueled me to keep writing here for over 20 years.

yet the best that I can tell you is "it depends". From the range of categories, and variety of popular stories in each category, we can deduce that different strokes for different folks. Romance readers for instance are supposed to like the sex scenes less intense and less detailed- otherwise, as a non-Romance writer generally, i wuld suggest that detailed sex scenes work best. I also tend to think that readers want characters that they can empathize with, but I recall reading a good How To post suggesting not giving detailed character descriptions to allow readers to use their own imagination. Some readers want a lot of realism, others go for sci-fi and fantasy. Incest readers often go for age gaps, but Mature readers may disagree, unless they are part of the May-December crowd. Loving Wives is a whole different story

I suggest that you check out some of the relevant posts in the How To forum, and over on the story side there are some good essays on writing erotica that might help.

 

[nice90sguy]

What makes readers horny?​

Thinking about girls and/or rubbing my penis

 

[Dodola]

Sorry that I can't help you.

I don't purposely pander to an audience's likes and dislikes for things such as you are referencing. I care not whether anyone gets titillated by what I write here as long as I get enjoyment out of writing it.

For your sake, here's hoping you don't follow that same philosophy in the bedroom.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

I agree with what's already said, that it varies from category to category and reader to reader. Some readers have a very specific script in their heads, and if your story deviates from it (say, your BDSM story doesn't include humiliation of the one-down person by the dominant one) they find it jarring and it ruins their arousal. There's a pattern they want in their erotic fiction, and everything else doesn't do it for them.

 

[Happyfun1]

What makes me horny is slow, seduction foreplay good writing of descriptions. What she’s wearing what he’s wearing how he touches her. Flirting, kissing, teasing good story. line that has a slow burn or slow progression towards the actual sex. Intelligent dialogue between two people repeat two people can talk. Back-and-forth dialogue. Other characters in the plot or the story.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

For your sake, here's hoping you don't follow that same philosophy in the bedroom.

Thanks for your concern, but that's easy since I don't do any writing in the bedroom. It still remains a point of inspiration, however.

Once again, for what I (and my wife) enjoy. We are not concerned with anyone else their either.

 

[EmilyMiller]

So what makes readers horny?

You know the answer, and that it’s essentially unanswerable. Human sexuality is extremely diverse as attested to by the number of categories here, and the different types of stories within those categories.

 

[NotWise]

Specific comment: Incest seems to make readers horny, but not everyone. Take that for what it's worth.

Aside from that, what makes a reader horny is already in their head. Your story has to appeal to a taste that's already there. I doubt you can do anything to create a thing that the reader doesn't already have. And of course there are millions of readers, and a vast range in what they want.

 

[Alexxx90]

I just realized this is the fundamental question I should be asking myself as long as I'm writing stories here. And oddly enough, I have very little idea what the answer might be.

I have some idea what makes me horny I when I read a story, but apparently I'm an oddball because my favorite stories (in an erotic, not literary sense) are not very popular here.

So what makes readers horny? I'm less interested in generalities (i.e. give them their kinks) than in practical advice we can incorporate into our stories. Everything from how the relationships between the characters are built up, ways to describe sexual acts, diction, et cetera.

And of course the fact that different things make different readers horny means we should consider everyone!

Well I can only speak for myself but I just started reading your cheerleader story and it made me horny, sooo... I guess you must be doing something right?!

 

[Andreas_Kreuz]

For me, it helps if I can identify with one of the characters being raunchy.

 

[GuiltyCowboy]

Anticipation.

Horniness exists in that space between the thought and the action.

Edit: ok, that’s a generalization, which you didn’t ask for. Difficult to avoid when the question’s so broad. To be only slightly more specific, and sticking with the importance of anticipation, I find Einstein’s words especially useful for increasing horniness: ‘No problem is ever solved within the plane of its original conception.’ In other words, let people know they’re going to get what they want, just not in the way they thought they would. Expectation and uncertainty is a horny mix.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I write what makes me aroused, that is, likable people having enthusiastic sex. And so far that formula works pretty well with readers. It really is that simple.

 

[SavannaT]

Usually its getting into the minds of horny men for me lol .. its my favorite part of these stories… hearing what they think of the women

 

[EmilyMiller]

I write what makes me aroused, that is, likable people having enthusiastic sex. And so far that formula works pretty well with readers. It really is that simple.

This

 

[crookedletter]

I'm not sure there's a general answer that would satisfy, as readers vary.

But for my money one of the things that elevates erotica over straight-up porn is characters. When you build character and some tension between them it can be extremely gratifying when that tension gets released.

Based on feedback I've gotten [some] people seem to enjoy the sex scenes I write. But lift them out of their context, strip them of the setup and the characterization and tension, and I'd wager they'd be far less satisfying. Then it's just porn; may as well watch a five minute clip on pornhub or whatever.

EDIT: Put another way: foreplay.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I'm not sure there's a general answer that would satisfy, as readers vary.

But for my money one of the things that elevates erotica over straight-up porn is characters. When you build character and some tension between them it can be extremely gratifying when that tension gets released.

Based on feedback I've gotten [some] people seem to enjoy the sex scenes I write. But lift them out of their context, strip them of the setup and the characterization and tension, and I'd wager they'd be far less satisfying. Then it's just porn; may as well watch a five minute clip on pornhub or whatever.

EDIT: Put another way: foreplay.

It’s much sexier having people you are invested in fucking.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

It’s much sexier having people you are invested in fucking.

That sounds like an economist talking about pickup culture. "I invested resources in fucking him: 4 hours of my time, $75 for a nice blouse, $100 for a beautician ..."

 

[EmilyMiller]

That sounds like an economist talking about pickup culture. "I invested resources in fucking him: 4 hours of my time, $75 for a nice blouse, $100 for a beautician ..."

 

[AG31]

I just realized this is the fundamental question I should be asking myself as long as I'm writing stories here. And oddly enough, I have very little idea what the answer might be.

I have some idea what makes me horny I when I read a story, but apparently I'm an oddball because my favorite stories (in an erotic, not literary sense) are not very popular here.

So what makes readers horny? I'm less interested in generalities (i.e. give them their kinks) than in practical advice we can incorporate into our stories. Everything from how the relationships between the characters are built up, ways to describe sexual acts, diction, et cetera.

And of course the fact that different things make different readers horny means we should consider everyone!

Anything and everything. Unless you're a budding Shakespeare, you'll probably do best writing about stuff that makes you horny.

 

[AllenWoody]

That sounds like an economist talking about pickup culture. "I invested resources in fucking him: 4 hours of my time, $75 for a nice blouse, $100 for a beautician ..."

Debits = credits, so let’s say your time has been determined to be, with overhead included, worth $60 per hour. You’ll wear the blouse again but you can still justify $20 for that first time you wear it plus dry cleaning. So that’s a total of $360 you’ve invested. If he doesn’t give you a fuck greater than or equal to $360 you’ll have write off a partial loss.

I think I see an entry in the humor/satire category here somewhere…

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Debits = credits, so let’s say your time has been determined to be, with overhead included, worth $60 per hour. You’ll wear the blouse again but you can still justify $20 for that first time you wear it plus dry cleaning. So that’s a total of $360 you’ve invested. If he doesn’t give you a fuck greater than or equal to $360 you’ll have write off a partial loss.

I think I see an entry in the humor/satire category here somewhere…

But you have to consider the possibility of longer-term ROI, not just the one narrowly-delimited bedroom session ....

 

[SkyBubble]

I just realized this is the fundamental question I should be asking myself as long as I'm writing stories here. And oddly enough, I have very little idea what the answer might be.

I have some idea what makes me horny I when I read a story, but apparently I'm an oddball because my favorite stories (in an erotic, not literary sense) are not very popular here.

Hi @big_cane_sugar. I think we can all say we know what makes us horny, but none of us can say what makes others horny. It's the sexual version of De gustibus non est disputandum.

That said, I hope you're wrong about what you like not being very popular, as I noticed you favorited my latest (out 12 days now, and doing VERY well.) And thank you for that. The story is quite character driven, and the sexy events are a frame for that. That strongly appeals to some people here, and it does not appeal to others.

Just write what works for you and presumably others will enjoy it.

 

[SkyBubble]

I recall reading a good How To post suggesting not giving detailed character descriptions to allow readers to use their own imagination.

That's good advice and bad advice.

One of my FMCs appears clearly to me: She's about 5'2", great ass, not big but certainly ample tits, hair that is brown but not super dark, about long enough to reach those tits. That's now I see her in my head. None of that is in the story. If you see her as a tall blonde, then that's what works for you.

OTOH, without too much overt description, I make her character traits pretty clear. That's where you need to describe your characters, or at least let those traits and personalities be clear to the reader. Because that's part of the storytelling.