Monday is for shitpollsting about sex in fanfic

[lunabee34]

I was just commenting in china_shop's journal that I don't write much explicit fanfic anymore and that I don't really read it much now either. When I first got into fanfic, the porn aspect was novel for me, and almost everything I read was explicit. Now if I do read explicit fanfic, I'm just as likely to skip all the sex scenes so I can get to the good parts: Draco crying in the bathroom because Harry hates him or Tony crying in the workshop because Steve hates him or, you know, some other people crying and misunderstanding each other egregiously (like in ways that stretch the limits of credulity).

And that got me to wondering about what the rest of you think about sex in fanfic. Please discuss any and all points in comments! Tangents welcome.

Poll #22479 And then the taller man licked into the tallest man's mouth

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 36

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I often skip the sex scenes in explicit fanfic.

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yes, and I'm going to tell you why in comments
9 (25.7%)

no
12 (34.3%)

how much is often?
14 (40.0%)

Never thought I'd be reading fic that features __________, but here I am. Reading it.

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OT3's

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do not solve love triangles, sheesh.
8 (25.0%)

are the best way to resolve love triangles, sheesh.
24 (75.0%)

Effective sex scenes are really hard to write.

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yes; I mean you can't just write, "she tasted like strawberries, and sugar, and something uniquely her," TWO times in a single fic
14 (42.4%)

no; you get the right combo of elements (say, spanking, some egg custard, and a little light bondage) and *somebody* out there's going to find it hot
5 (15.2%)

sometimes
14 (42.4%)

Comments

[lunabee34]

I am mostly kidding about the way I framed the OT3 question. Reading FFA has taught me that people on both sides of the OT3 divide can be extremely indignant about them with the solving a love triangle accusation thrown about quite a bit.

I would be interested in seeing that. Thanks!

#3 is definitely my platonic ideal of the way the sex scene should work. I don't think I find myself writing as many of those as I'd like.

The Things They Carried

[executrix]

I'm interested in "what does the way this character have sex tell us about the character?" So in my intoabar fic, I mention the pas-de-deux structure of that one time Jenna and Avon had sex, for not particularly admirable reasons, but without details, but I do mention what they brought along for a nooner.

BTW the ultimate "it's a fair cop, guv" is when a B7 fan said "You only write Blake POV so you can perv more over Avon."

Re: The Things They Carried

[lunabee34]

Ahahhaahhahaha. Isn't that why Blake exists?

Re: The Things They Carried

[executrix]

No, Blake exists to teach us How Not to Run a Rebellion.

It occurs to me that somewhere in this thread there should be a sub-thread called "Reply to An Entry."

Re: The Things They Carried

[lunabee34]

Bless his heart as we say.

[notasupervillain]

So, trigger warning for rape on the poem. The words are here, but it's well worth seeing her speak it on YouTube https://www.google.com/url?q=https://poetrylyrics.tumblr.com/post/125615167355/ask-me-what-kind-of-porn-i-am-into-and-i-will&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjn4Lexue_jAhWxoFwKHSy_Dr8QFjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw1wC5hipd7l1A1e0D7FatUy

‘Fantastic Breasts and Where to Find Them’ by Brenna Twohy

If you would like you read some very explicit fan fic that I consider the ideal #3 to strive for, I'll send you a link to that as well?

[lunabee34]

Oh, wow. That is fantastic if you will pardon the bun. Thank you. Really powerful stuff.

Link me up, please!

[notasupervillain]

Yeah, if all of slash fic exists solely to generate that poem, I'd say it was worth it.

Here we are! It is very explicitly porny, but it is also one of the saddest fics and might be my favourite fan fic I've ever read. I don't know if you've watched the reanimator movies, but you don't really have to for this one. Herbert is a Mad Scientist whose sexuality is never established in canon, but who it's hard not to read as gay and desparately in both love and lust for his classmate/roommate/reluctant partner in Mad Science, Dan. Dan is most certainly canon straight because he has lots of sex with women and he is definitely not bisexual because he is a Man. Their particular batch of Mad Science is bringing the dead back to life, in whole or in parts.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5309933

[lunabee34]

I am familiar with the Lovecraft; my husband is a huge fan and wrote his MA thesis largely on that story. I know I've seen the movie, but it's been 20 years?

*goes to read*

[notasupervillain]

Tell me what you think! Unless you hate it, don't tell me then.

[lunabee34]

I did not hate it! I think it's really well done.

I love the way that Herbert is always thinking of Dan in parts or as parts that add up to a whole, etc. His ruminations on life are really appropriate for the character. The way he's an experimental scientist the whole way through, issues of control.

This is a perfectly good example of a sex scene that's in service of character.

Thanks for linking me.

[notasupervillain]

Yay!

It's what I want to be able to write.