Smut fic and orgasm equality poll...

[severity_softly]

I got a beta comment recently (which I fully appreciate), that made me think about orgasm equality in fanfic. I'm really bad for getting one partner in fics off, and leaving the other one to get off "off screen," especially when the first person gets off via oral sex. Not sure why this is, but I was curious how that came across to readers... among other things. ;)

[Poll #1047227]

Looks like IJ, huh? *uses LJ's polls up*

Comments

[celandineb.livejournal.com]

I tend to go heavy on the sensory detail in sex scenes when I write them, but for reading it can go either way -- depends on the overall fic and the author's style.

[schemingreader.livejournal.com]

I don't mind if only one partner gets off, if that's what the story requires. I kind of like having more than one sex scene when I'm writing so I can use sex to show more than one thing. As you know, I love to use clinical terms, since I often find the euphemisms are more disturbing! I think thick description is good, but like celandineb I also think it depends on the style of the author.

[aleoninc.livejournal.com]

Damn it! I need a Zap Brannigan icon. *goes searching*

I'm neither truly one way or the other when it comes to the questions you posed. Like anything, I like a good healthy mix. Sometimes exquisite detail is fantastic to read and other times I'm like, "Alright already, lets get to the action already!" But also, not enough detail can feel more like a laundry list of actions rather than a true story:

Remus and Severus made out for a while. The kissing was good, but Severus wanted more. They took off each other's clothes, lubed up, and got down. It was very satisfying for both parties.

Okay, that was a truly badly written example, but you know what I mean.

As for clinical terms vs. slang. Ugh. Too much of either is a bad thing. I don't think it should be all one way or the other, simple because at some point, you'll run out of good descriptors and then things get ridiculous.

Penis - Good.
Cock - Yes.
Phallus - Er...
Trouser Dragon - Only in the crackiest of crack!fics.

[mosaic.livejournal.com]

*points to icon, but doesn't have much else to say*

[kittehkat.livejournal.com]

It depends who's writing the smut, to me, to determine how I hope it reads.

Lord knows I love my pr0ns, but some people can construct really beautiful prose and, depending on the situation and plot of the fic, that's even hotter, or even just what the fic needs, in the end.

Am I talking nonsense? *sigh* *hides*

Oh... and your IJ mention... does that mean you're leaving/moving?

[daintress.livejournal.com]

Here's my thought. Sometimes, not everybody gets to orgasm. That's reality. If we write that everyone gets one every time, that's not very realistic. So, I'm cool with one-sided sexual gratification, as long as it's not rapefic. I'm not cool with rapefic.

Also: Euphemisms are good. Technical medical terminology can come in handy, but it isn't very erotic, for the most part. At least, not to me.

[enigmalea]

The reality is... not everyone orgasms every time. If it's done well, I don't mind ending before both partners have climaxed... if it's done poorly, then I can get frustrated.

As for detail... too much detail is sometimes distracting, and as a reader I get so bogged down in the words that I can't enjoy it. Typically, I like a fair amount of detail, because vague can be really bad.

In other words, like everything in writing, you have to strike a fair balance, and only the writer can decide what they want a specific piece to accomplish. A reader may not like it, but not everyone is going to like everything.

[innerslytherin]

DAMMIT THAT WAS ME.

[innerslytherin]

If I read one scene in a fic where this happens, it probably goes right over my head. If I read two, I may be like, "Huh, didn't he leave Severus hanging last time they did this?" Three times and I'm going "OMG THAT REMUS IS A SELFISH BITCH!"

*grin*

I'm all about cock, baby. Prick is good, too. In dueSOUTH fic dick is a good word. Penis...is okay, if it's not overused. But I prefer descriptors that feel less clinical, but not too flowery. No throbbing manhoods, but cocks are great.

*grin*

Speaking of smut, I'm going to go read the second half of SoL in bed. Oh, wait, that sounds bad, doesn't it...

[bitterfic.livejournal.com]

It depends on the dynamic of the relationship whether or not both characters come. If one of the partners is dominating the other through sexuality it might make sense that only one of them would climax-- either the sub being forced to give into orgasm or the dom satisfying themselves without caring about their partner's pleasure.

As for detail, I tend to favor less is more just because there's only so many things people do during sex and after while all that heaving and panting begins to resemble the heaving and panting in a hundred other stories.

Terminology is a hard one. When it comes to men, I'd rather see the word penis used than a silly or embarassing term for penis. In fact I actually find a lot of slang terms for male genitals really off putting. However with female characters I find the use of terms like "pussy" and "cunt" very arousing.