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Gratuitous overuse of the frog analogy
A recent book review in our newspaper read:
Wallace Stegner writes ... that the difficulty with explicit sex in novels is that it invariably usurps all else that the author is attempting to accomplish:
"The trouble with excessive sexuality, in novels or in life, is that it is so compellingly interesting and attention-holding that it makes everything else seem tame or dull; it crowds off the page whole areas of human experience and human feeling that belong there but can't maintain their foothold."
Such is the case in Sue Miller's newest novel, Lost in the Forest. Although Miller's exploration of grief and self-discovery is both compelling and insightful, the sexual trysts of 16-year-old Daisy are so unforgivingly explicit that Miller's attempts to uncover the depth of who Daisy is are muddled by a nipple here and an arched back there....
I thought this over and decided that somewhere, I had crossed over to where this wasn't true for me. I've noticed that after reading fan fiction for nearly two years, I no longer find excessive sexuality all that distracting. It's like the classic analogy of the frog in slowly heating water: little by little, I no longer notice the erosion of my ability to be shocked, tittilated, or even surprised by graphic writing. I have become comfortably numb.
How about you?
Aside: Does anyone have an mp3 of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven that I can, er, borrow? Got it. Thanks, Paula!
Wallace Stegner writes ... that the difficulty with explicit sex in novels is that it invariably usurps all else that the author is attempting to accomplish:
"The trouble with excessive sexuality, in novels or in life, is that it is so compellingly interesting and attention-holding that it makes everything else seem tame or dull; it crowds off the page whole areas of human experience and human feeling that belong there but can't maintain their foothold."
Such is the case in Sue Miller's newest novel, Lost in the Forest. Although Miller's exploration of grief and self-discovery is both compelling and insightful, the sexual trysts of 16-year-old Daisy are so unforgivingly explicit that Miller's attempts to uncover the depth of who Daisy is are muddled by a nipple here and an arched back there....
I thought this over and decided that somewhere, I had crossed over to where this wasn't true for me. I've noticed that after reading fan fiction for nearly two years, I no longer find excessive sexuality all that distracting. It's like the classic analogy of the frog in slowly heating water: little by little, I no longer notice the erosion of my ability to be shocked, tittilated, or even surprised by graphic writing. I have become comfortably numb.
How about you?
no subject
Well, I wouldn't say that I've gotten to the "comfortably numb" stage yet. But yes, I know what you're referring to. Actually, reading so much great fanfiction with good sex scenes has mostly just made me much pickier about the quality of the erotica. To really pull me in and interest me, the sex has to flow out of strong characterization, and be very well described (and also be used as a "tool" in the sense that [Unknown site tag] means, above, in terms of carrying forward the story).
I didn't used to have such high standards before I joined this fandom. Of course, this fandom has more high quality porn/erotica than I was ever exposed to, before.
no subject
Interesting you say that - I don't have much experience outside this fandom, so I haven't much to compare to. I felt a small flush of pride for our fandom, there: oh, we're the best sex writers evah!
You know where I really notice the change over two years - when I talk about/skirt around what I write with my RL friends. Used to be I was very closemouthed about all aspects of it, but now that I'm so accustomed to the topic, I say more than I probably should.
no subject
*nods emphatically*
Yes, I find myself falling into this, too. I'm pretty sure I'm going to live to regret it, if I don't put a better rein on my tongue.