Humorous Erotica... Yay or nay?

S.R. Tooms

Confirmed Dimwit
Registered
Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Messages
19
Reaction score
2
After being inundated with the subpar clones of 50 shades for a while now... I have begun reading a bit of the erotic comedy stories. These seem to be right down my alley! Not everything is over the top romance/sexual tension -- and in a way (at least in my own personal experience...) the humorous erotica are more realistic!

What is your opinion? Not a good mix? Best thing under the sun?
 
Zoe X. Rider

Zoe X. Rider

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2013
Messages
947
Reaction score
30
Location
Tennessee
Website
zoexrider.tumblr.com
I recently enjoyed Jennifer D. Monro's "The Erotica Writer's Husband and other stories." I probably couldn't do a straight diet of erotic humor, but it's a refreshing palate cleanser. :)
 

S.R. Tooms

Confirmed Dimwit
Registered
Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Messages
19
Reaction score
2
Looking on amazon's free section for humorous erotica... they only have 31 books in the entire list! That gives a little insight into the popularity I should think!

I've not heard of that one, Zoe, although it looks like it could possess a few promising tales!

One of my personal favorites is a story by Roald Dahl (yes, that one) called Uncle Oswald. The descriptions aren't nearly as explicit as standard erotica, yet it is certainly an adult-minded book.
 

Rechan

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
239
Reaction score
18
Comedy is incredibly difficult to write, so if it's done well, then sure. But also the type of comedy too.

I recently wrote a non-fanfic story set in a universe similar to He-Man/Thundercats, with the intent of making jokes at the conventions there. Like how no one ages, everyone's clothes stay the same and never get dirty/ripped, etc. But most of the comedy comes from the fact a girl on the Bad Guy's side meets a sidekick on the Good Guy's side for sex. And the bad girl's secret filthy fantasy is tender lovemaking.

This is my favorite exchange (I've edited out the smut in between the dialogue)

"Talk dirty to me."

Squire's face tightening in thought. "... Mud! Spilled chamber pot!"

"No!" She punched his shoulder with her tiny fist. "I mean like this: I love you."

"Oh." His features pursed in hesitant caution. "I... love you?"

"Yes. More. Come on, have my babies. Give it to me softer!"

"Will... you marry me?"

Impira gasped at his raunchiness. "That's it!"

Squire said, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you!"

She hissed and slapped him. "I'm not that kind of girl!"
 
Last edited:
Filigree

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 16, 2010
Messages
16,450
Reaction score
1,550
Location
between rising apes and falling angels
Website
www.cranehanabooks.com
Okay, that's great, Rechan.

I think nonstop comedy/erotica might end up as disturbing as a clown car, in the wrong writer's hands. But I really like bits of humor and sass interspersed with the sex.

Because sex can be inherently funny.
 
kuwisdelu

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Messages
38,197
Reaction score
4,544
Location
The End of the World
I have roughly half of an erotic dark comedy novel written, but it ended up a bit too mindfucky and David Lynch-esque to be marketable, with a plot that wasn't quite working out, so I abandoned it.
 

S.R. Tooms

Confirmed Dimwit
Registered
Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Messages
19
Reaction score
2
Filigree said:
Okay, that's great, Rechan.

I think nonstop comedy/erotica might end up as disturbing as a clown car, in the wrong writer's hands. But I really like bits of humor and sass interspersed with the sex.

Because sex can be inherently funny.
Click to expand...

Yeah, too bad he/she cut out the spicy narrative bits!

I think comedic erotica can work, but on the basis that the sole intent is not on becoming a 'stroke-story.' If someone is using the story for the express purpose of rubbing one out... then you probably won't want too many outlandish, laugh out loud bits (unless that's your tickle fetish, babycakes).

If you find yourself in a desperate horny mood of 'find relief at all costs' -- hearing the benny hill chase music kick in at the critical moment may not aid your cause. Yet, if you've just got a sexual bent and enjoy the genre, then certainly why not!
 

Rechan

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
239
Reaction score
18
S.R. Tooms said:
Yeah, too bad he/she cut out the spicy narrative bits!
Click to expand...
Well, I woulda left them in but A) I think that'd have to go to the NC-17 board, and B) Squire is an anthro horse. I suspect that's not cool with some people. ;)
 
chickenma

chickenma

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
181
Reaction score
12
Location
Northern California
What I liked about 50 Shades was its humor. I laughed out loud at lines like (paraphrasing), "He unzipped his pants and his erection sprang free. Oh my!"
 

Rechan

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
239
Reaction score
18
In the anthology I'm editing, there's this amusing story about a submissive dragon with a knight fetish, but she keeps accidentally killing the knights before she can get off.
 
JulianneQJohnson

JulianneQJohnson

Ferret Herder
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
1,486
Reaction score
294
Location
Indiana
Website
julianneqjohnson.com
I too know more about fanfic land for this subject. A humorous story was one of my most popular, and there were other authors as well who had a large reader base for humorous stories. I'm not talking slapstick and Benny Hill necessarily, just stories that were lighter and humorous rather than dark and angsty. Honestly, there's a lot of readers who are tired of dark and angsty.
 

MollyHaven

Registered
Joined
Aug 15, 2016
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
My erotica has to be funny

Hi, friends, I'm new to these forums, and actually rather new to writing (fiction, at least; I was a journalist for many years).

When I decided to make the leap into the self-publishing field, I spent a long time considering my genre. I selected erotica because it was fun and it was popular, but it had to be comic erotica. Why? Because erotica is more, well, erotic to me when there's a humorous element involved. The sex is serious, but the situation is wild.

And yes, if you'll indulge me, I'd like to offer up my own first novel as an example. Back in May I published The Signatures, the story of a beautiful, young attorney who has the wildest day of her life when she's sent out on a mission to collect eight signatures vital to The Big Case. My heroine, Stacee Pockett, goes from one outrageous situation to another, meeting all sorts of larger-than-life figures.

I would love it if you'd give it a try. Here it is on Amazon. I even have a few free copies available that I'd love to share in return for an honest review, first-come, first-served. (You can see by the reviews already on Amazon that it's not everyone's cup of tea.) Send me a PM here or write to missmollyhaven (at) gmail.com.

Thanks!

 
Last edited:
Maryn

Maryn

At Sea
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
55,681
Reaction score
25,857
Actually, Amazon makes big trouble for writers who review other writers' books. Apparently there are too many authors playing the system, trading favorable reviews without regard to the book's actual quality, and authors working through personal grudges via review.

There's been discussion about it elsewhere at AW, but I'm somewhat rushed (traveling and slipping in while people are getting ready to leave the house for the day) and haven't got the time just now to hunt it down.

Lovely to meet new writers, always, but heads up there--the image of your cover looks to me to be larger than AW allows in signatures.
 
A.E.Fisher

A.E.Fisher

The first draft of anything is shit
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 18, 2016
Messages
110
Reaction score
20
Location
Canada
Website
jesuisley.com
Rechan said:
In the anthology I'm editing, there's this amusing story about a submissive dragon with a knight fetish, but she keeps accidentally killing the knights before she can get off.
Click to expand...

That is absolutely amazing. I want to read that!

I love finding bits of comedy in pretty much any genre, so I imagine that (done well) it would totally be my thing in a predominantly erotic story. Imagine Neil Gaiman writing erotica...yeah, I'd read that.
 

MollyHaven

Registered
Joined
Aug 15, 2016
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Thanks very much for the heads-up. Yes, you're correct about Amazon's policy, of course; I've seen the discussion on other forums and blogs. Not trying to game the system or claiming the rules don't apply to me. Like everyone else, I'm just trying to get folks to read my book.

I've reduced the image to 300 on the long side; it's hosted on my own site.

Thanks again.
 

Selkie

Registered
Joined
Aug 7, 2016
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Rechan said:
Comedy is incredibly difficult to write, so if it's done well, then sure. But also the type of comedy too.

I recently wrote a non-fanfic story set in a universe similar to He-Man/Thundercats, with the intent of making jokes at the conventions there. Like how no one ages, everyone's clothes stay the same and never get dirty/ripped, etc. But most of the comedy comes from the fact a girl on the Bad Guy's side meets a sidekick on the Good Guy's side for sex. And the bad girl's secret filthy fantasy is tender lovemaking.

This is my favorite exchange (I've edited out the smut in between the dialogue)

"Talk dirty to me."

Squire's face tightening in thought. "... Mud! Spilled chamber pot!"

"No!" She punched his shoulder with her tiny fist. "I mean like this: I love you."

"Oh." His features pursed in hesitant caution. "I... love you?"

"Yes. More. Come on, have my babies. Give it to me softer!"

"Will... you marry me?"

Impira gasped at his raunchiness. "That's it!"

Squire said, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you!"

She hissed and slapped him. "I'm not that kind of girl!"
Click to expand...

hhhahah that was really cute. I loved that last gag!
 

james86

Registered
Joined
Jun 11, 2016
Messages
28
Reaction score
1
The most popular story I ever wrote was erotica, but had comedy parts too. I didn't set out to do that, it just sort of happened, but then I don't really think about genre too much - I just write what I want to write!

The way I see it a lot of stories/books have different elements to them. Whether they're funny, but also sad. Or romantic, but have a supernatural element. If the comedy elements of your story are funny and your erotic elements get people going (hehe) I think it can work very well!
 
Last edited:
Thump

Thump

defying grabbity
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 19, 2006
Messages
1,380
Reaction score
288
Location
Spending one short day in the Emerald City
This thread is making me want to listen to the audiobook of TJ Klune's "The Lightning-Struck Heart" again. The book is brilliant but the addition of the awesome Michael Leslie as narrator... I laugh every time!

It's low on the "on-screen" sex though there is a lot of lusting, discussion about fetishes and gay unicorns getting rimmed by dragons... So... Yeah. I just typed that. Er...
 
Maryn

Maryn

At Sea
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
55,681
Reaction score
25,857
Yeah, you typed it, but might I get you to edit it? This board is open to members who are 13.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.