Monday, July 10, 2006

The Pirate's Family Jewels and the Same-Sex Lovin'

Got your attention now, eh?

I owe you all My Exalted Opinions on several different manifestations of same-sex sex, but first I had to relate my silly titles.

I was thinking of writing a highwayman story. Cuz I'm all about the highwaymen. What could I call it? I thought. The Highwayman's Treasure? Well, no, because highwaymen don't really have treasure, per se. The Highwayman's Gold? Eh, no...what's a good word for stolen stuff? Booty? The Highwyaman's Booty? Uh...yeah.

Which got me thinking about a series of tongue-in-cheek pirate stories: Stolen Booty, Hidden Booty, A Big Pile of Booty, Stealing Booty, Booty in the Chest, My Beloved Booty? How about The Pirate's Hidden Treasure? The Pirate's Stick of Gold? Oh, does the hilarity ever stop?

Okay. Now for the sex stuff. First, I do have a very strong opinion about men having sex with each other in the World Cup locker rooms. I am totally against it. Because I am a fan of old-time sports superstitions, or really any kind of semi-obsolete thought on anything, I don't think footballers should be having any kind of sex during the World Cup, heterosexual or homosexual, in the locker room or in their luxurious hotel rooms filled with champagne and performance-enhancing drugs. (I'm just kidding about the drugs, of course. Ha ha!) No sex! Sex steals their life force, or makes their muscles weak, or whatever the reason used to be for why athletes should keep it in their pants before The Big Game. You want pent-up sexual rage on the field, baby!

Now according to everything I've read and seen lately (all my insider info, y'know), the Next Big Thing in the erotic romance game is man-on-man love. Especially when that love is, ah, penetrative. Menage books are big, m/m books are big. Girl-on-girl not so much. I've written (to some extent) both.

There is a girl-on-girl scene in my vampire novel (it involves a vibrator, too!) It's a show being put on for the bad vampire, who is no longer capable of "performing" and so comes up with more and more interesting things to watch. Nobody is particularly tunred on by this except for the bad vamp, but I imagine if you were turned on by that sort of thing, it's a pretty hot scene. I mean, it's supposed to be, although it is short and a little less detailed than my other scenes are.

Keep in mind that's erotic erotic romance, though, meant to be strictly for the over-18s. I wouldn't put a scene like that in all my stories--it fit this one and gave us some insight into the motivations of Mr. Bad, but apparently readers aren't big fans of the g-on-g.

M/m, on the other hand...I've seen a lot of articles about this lately. And I just wrote my first menage story, along with my excellent crit/writing partner Anna J. Evans. We've been wanting to do something together for quite a while, and the opportunity came up.

It isn't a full, full menage. Technically there is no man/man penetration, although there is some oral and hand interaction. I'm proud of the way we did it, actually, and I love the book (and fingers crossed will have some news soonish!)

What's my point? I'm not really sure. I definitely prefer to write straight one-man/one-woman stuff. (If for no other reason than keeping your pronouns straight when you have two "he"s and they're both doing things to each other is really a bitch, and if you're not careful you sound like you're describing some sort of man-beast with three hands who's watching the action in a mirror.) But writing the man/man stuff was fun. It was something different, a bit of a challenge, which is always good.

I'd be sad if the world of erotic romance becomes exclusively women reading about men touching each other. I actually think that says a lot about men today, if you think about it, that women are so desperate for forceful men that they're now looking for men who spend their time skewering other men in the ass. But I guess that's a blog for another time...

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can view girl/girl action in porn, but I can't read it. I don't know why, it just bores me.

I *might* be able to read boy/boy action - but I'll be honest and say I can't view it for very long. It's hard enough (no pun intended there!) to stomach today's metrosexuals, let along watch my conception of "masculine" have the rug pulled out from under it's feet.

I don't find the idea offensive in the least - but as a female who's desperately trying to prove the existence of 'man'.. well.. you know.

:/

A. M. said...

*coughs* g/g porn - which is made to turn on guys - is so far away from authentic and looks fake to the nth degree, it's a total turn off.

Coincidentally, I've read an article (yesterday, in my doc's waiting room, BTW, in a city mag) written by the editor of L-Mag. The topic? How has the L-Word changed the style of the subculture? Answer: more lipstick lesbians can be seen. Perhaps that's a matter of perception, because even in the olde days there was a femme for every butch. But - factor in the invisibility of femme and there ya go. Not a mystery. Remember Bound? Violet!

Re: Are lesbians sexy? According to the article - now they are sexier in the perception of heteros simply due to the style-thing. But also - and I think that's important - because in the L-Word they aren't pretending to and/or aren't just having a lesbian phase.

Perhaps lesbian sex is hotter when based in reality, when there are no men around. Just look at the parties. Things going on at all-girl clubs are steamier than anything you'll see at a het club. And that's at regular nights *not* at designated f*ck parties. And yes, there are plenty of those unmistakably labeled parties to go to at any given week.

How many thought Thelma and Louise were lesbians (despite Brad Pitt etc.)? Didn't stop anyone from watching. I think it made for nice tension in their heads. Apropos - how many decades was The Well of Loneliness banned in the UK as being "obscene"? I think there was a kiss in that book. Oh my. A kiss!

Umm, there is one in my screenplay and I better go back to her now. IS there more than a kiss going on? You better believe it. I might have to tone that down. *coughcough* Have fun writing!

Bernita said...

Seems to be the "in" thing.
Just not my thing.
So, find it a yawner.

Anonymous said...

I guess it is just the stereotype that men are automatically turned on by g/g that irritates me. -JTC

Stacia said...

I was surprised that the m/m action was kind of hot to write, Isabella, but I agree that it's difficult to write men who aren't traditionally masculine and not have them come off as wimpy. We skitered the issue by making it a magical connection thing. I don't know if I could write a traditional m/m.

I agree with you, AM, the lipstick lesbian has always been around. Just because we're more attuned to the possibility of them now doesn't mean it's some spiffy new discovery. What is your screenplay about?

Yes, Bernita, it does seem to be the in thing...but I think as with most "hot new trends" it will find its core audience and level off.

Stacia said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Stacia said...

I guess it is a stereotype, JTC. It honestly never occurred to me that a man wouldn't be turned on by it. Certainly I can see why it would be offensive to assume that the sight of some chicks making out would be enough to distract men from an important life-or-death situation.

Good to know not all of you have the same dull sexual fantasies. Or perhaps it's just those of you with exceptional brains and taste. ;-)

Emmy Ellis said...

I popped over from Crabbycows as your advice about CC#2's stinky girl had me laughing out loud.

Have you read any Fiona Glass work? I reviewed two of her books (m-on-m) for WCP and bought another.

She is absolutely stunning with her stories. She adds a beauty to it. I never thought I would like m/m, I still don't, but Fiona's? Superb! I read her work for the main story, not the m/m action, but if it means missing out on her wonderful language, I can cope with the m/m.

:o)

Stacia said...

Hi, m.e.! Great to see you here!

No, I haven't read Fiona Glass. I'll put her on my list to try, definitely. I know what you mean about language. Sometimes even if the story isn't great I'll get so caught up in the words I don't care.

Or if the story is great, but the writing not so much...it spoils it. One reason why I prefer the LOTR movies to the books. Tolkein was a great storyteller, but not so great a writer. And I say that no matter how many people think it's blasphemy. :-)

Anonymous said...

Well, I must say I have watched a number of m/m oral sex scenes, because I wanted to see how men think it should be done. Shame men won't watch it.

On g/g, I disagree that it's all fake. That's ridiculous. I've seen some fantastic g/g porn that's plenty real.

I'm not bi, but good sex is good sex, and when 2 people are very into what they are doing, it's hot.

Well.. not m/m for me. That was purely educational. :)

But December, I don't doubt it was hot to WRITE it. You're in a different mindset when you write sex, than when you read it.

Anonymous said...

Oops..meant to say shame men won't watch g/g for the benefit of their own gf - not shame they dont watch m/m.

**doh!**

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