Some writers have problem writing smut. Some writers like myself love writing smut. Some writers find it hard to write smut. Some writers feel hot and flustered after writing smut.
Some readers love reading smut. Some readers censure smut in fiction. I do not see the great fuss about it. Write it if you love it. Read it if you want it.
What do you think about it?
In a weird moment of synchronicity, there's a heated discussion about this very topic at a blog that hosted my alter ego's editor who called her erotic romance line "feminist smut" and a lot of romance readers were sputtering with anger about it.
ReplyDeleteI like to reclaim women's sexuality as something we have no need to disdain. Calling it smut is a good way to acknowledge the derision often aimed at our work and make clear we have no problem with it.
We live in a Puritanical country that nonetheless has no problem with marketing women's (and increasingly, men's) bodies as sexual titillation. Always the promise of sex, but never the reality. Men are supposed to be having it all the time to prove they're men, but women aren't supposed to have it outside of marriage. Just who are those men supposed to be having sex with? LOL.
I write about erotic romance in exotic places--including Japan. What I like so much about the Japanese culture is that they believe we have two souls--one that is spiritual, uplifting, goes to work every day.
ReplyDeleteThe other soul is...down and dirty. Sex and pleasure are indulged in freely without guilt. As long as these two souls never meet, anything goes...
My nickname, Spicy Contessa, came up instead of my name, Jina Bacarr, on that previous post. Thankz for your super comment on my blog, Enid!!
ReplyDeleteThe Economists called my stories dirty, so I guess smut fits here. K.A. So the readers don't like to refer to steamy scenes as smut? Jina, I like the 2 souls scenario. I probably have split personality too. LOL
ReplyDeleteTo each his or her own, as long as it harms no one else, what's the problem? That's my 2 cents :-)
ReplyDeleteAll success
Dr.Mani
Author: "Think, Write & RETIRE!"
http://ThinkWriteRetire.com
It can be startling if you're not expecting it -- or more importantly, if the writer has not led up to it well. It ought to be part of character-building, not an insert that has no purpose beyond titillation (although there's nothing wrong with titillation ;-).
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, Gayle and KA. My main focus is romance so the smut follows. I don't have much body parts around in most of my stories. LOL.
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