Writing about, um...sensitive...topics. And who does it well.
So most of you know that I've been taking a writing class this year. It's been great fun and I think that I've even learned alot; what more can you ask for, right? It has, however, had a sadly chilling effect on my LJ posts (which were never prodigious to start with, really.) There's only so much writing I can do, after all. *But* our topic at last week's class was right up my LJ, ww-fangirl, fanfic-reading alley. And that was: How to write about taboo subjects (aka how to write sex scenes.) Seriously. There was a wide-ranging discussion and the basic theme was this: to write a good sex scene that is actually true to your story and not just there to make the reader vaguely hot and bothered, the writer must look for the characters in the act. So it's not just tab A and slot B (yes, my writing instructor actually said that) but finding the motivation for the act. Where is the conflict in the two people's motivations? Where is the story?
Well, yeah.
Anyway, of course I couldn't help thinking of my favorite nc-17 ww writers and what good would it do if I just kept that information to myself? So, here are my personal faves. Tell me what you think... agree? disagree? don't care about the story so much but just want to pimp a hot tab a and slot b scene? Yeah, go right ahead!
My favorite ww nc-17 writers, in no particular order (and my favorite work of each writer -- altho sometimes it's darn hard to pick just one)
dianora -- she just kicks ass all the way around and I'll never get over the fact that she apparently watches more television than any other person on the planet, yet has abandoned ww fic-writing (sob!) I have a special love for Us but Better http://dianora.healthyinterest.net/archives/2004/06/us_but_better.html and I also love her post-Transition piece, For This Moment (hot sex and after you read it you are completely convinced that that is *exactly* what happened) http://dianora.healthyinterest.net/archives/2006/06/for_this_moment.html
yana -- she's one of the only writers who can do kind of ridiculous set-ups yet still have me buying it. Not to mention -- fans self -- seriously hot. Everyone likes Summer Spray but I love Negative ions http://ca.geocities.com/yanatya1/niagara.html. I also find the set-up of Nothing to See particularly, um, compelling (the darkness part... not so much the anatomically impossible part, although that might tell me a little more about yana than I really needed to know) http://ca.geocities.com/yanatya1/nothingtosee.htm
bramble -- sometimes her characterization slips a little, but... So. Funny. I can't help it; I love The One with the Shower and (part 2) the Naked Plan. http://bramble4.tripod.com/shower.html and http://bramble4.tripod.com/shower2.html
caz -- one of my favorite ww writers ever. And it just so happens that she *also* writes good smut. What do you know? Also: caz writes the best kisses. Seriously swoon-worthy. For nc-17 (which, after all, is our subject today) I probably like When All is Said and Done. http://caz-fic.livejournal.com/13041.html
vivian osborn -- her site is down now, but you can find alot of her stuff on the yahoo sites or courtesy of the wayback machine. I think that Go is my personal favorite. http://web.archive.org/web/20040402141322/vivianosborne.com/go_one.html
pix -- long gone from the fandom, but you can find some of her stuff on the yahoo sites or via the wayback machine . I love It's Such a Small Thing and the sequel To sleep, In time to Dream. They're both on the yahoo state of the Union site, msgs 541&542 and 599&600 (altho the first part of Such a small thing seems to have disappeared... if you want it, I can send it to you.)
.
One off's....
christine -- Coming Around to the Truth http://www.geocities.com/choch07675/bubbles2005
louisa lorin -- Intoxication http://www.geocities.com/llorin23/storage/intoxication.htm
carrie -- Cheating http://national-library.net/stories/carrie/cheating.htm
kho -- 12 year old Fantasy http://khohen1.livejournal.com/208903.html
macha -- An Occasion worthy of Baked Goods http://macha.healthyinterest.net/archives/2001/04/an_occasion_wor.html
edgy -- Sex and the City of the Miami http://edgeriffic.livejournal.com/5814.html
tk -- Later (hey, I just like it) http://elysium.ahkay.net/tk/tk_ww/later.html
nadera -- Losing a Glove http://national-library.net/stories/nadera/losing-a-glove.htm
carleton -- Sittin' in Committee -- Combines closet sex with schoolhouse rock. and has this line: "I'm not kidding, Donna. You owe me. This is way bigger than the panty thing." Characterization? Canon? yeah, whatever. http://carleton97.populli.net/committee.htm
This is all josh&donna het stuff, because I personally can't see Donna with Sam or (yuck! recoils violently) Toby and I also just don't buy the fact that Josh is gay. And Josh/Amy? Sorry. I actually liked Amy and definitely believe that she and Josh had some hot sex, but it doesn't mean that I want to read about it.
One exception to the j/d rule, which is a Josh/CJ that I find surprisingly believable. Also,.. you know... That's kho's Absolutely Incredible.
http://khohen1.livejournal.com/205223.html
Also? Threesome are particularly ok. Try these 2 by dia:
What Happens Here (J/D/S) http://dianora.healthyinterest.net/archives/2005/01/what_happens_he.html
Yours, Mine, Ours (J/D/A) http://dianora.healthyinterest.net/archives/2004/10/yours_mine_ours.html
Hopefully I've introduced you to something you haven't seen before. Feel free to add to the list, because more well-written smut can only be a good thing, imo.
Well, yeah.
Anyway, of course I couldn't help thinking of my favorite nc-17 ww writers and what good would it do if I just kept that information to myself? So, here are my personal faves. Tell me what you think... agree? disagree? don't care about the story so much but just want to pimp a hot tab a and slot b scene? Yeah, go right ahead!
My favorite ww nc-17 writers, in no particular order (and my favorite work of each writer -- altho sometimes it's darn hard to pick just one)
dianora -- she just kicks ass all the way around and I'll never get over the fact that she apparently watches more television than any other person on the planet, yet has abandoned ww fic-writing (sob!) I have a special love for Us but Better http://dianora.healthyinterest.net/archives/2004/06/us_but_better.html and I also love her post-Transition piece, For This Moment (hot sex and after you read it you are completely convinced that that is *exactly* what happened) http://dianora.healthyinterest.net/archives/2006/06/for_this_moment.html
yana -- she's one of the only writers who can do kind of ridiculous set-ups yet still have me buying it. Not to mention -- fans self -- seriously hot. Everyone likes Summer Spray but I love Negative ions http://ca.geocities.com/yanatya1/niagara.html. I also find the set-up of Nothing to See particularly, um, compelling (the darkness part... not so much the anatomically impossible part, although that might tell me a little more about yana than I really needed to know) http://ca.geocities.com/yanatya1/nothingtosee.htm
bramble -- sometimes her characterization slips a little, but... So. Funny. I can't help it; I love The One with the Shower and (part 2) the Naked Plan. http://bramble4.tripod.com/shower.html and http://bramble4.tripod.com/shower2.html
caz -- one of my favorite ww writers ever. And it just so happens that she *also* writes good smut. What do you know? Also: caz writes the best kisses. Seriously swoon-worthy. For nc-17 (which, after all, is our subject today) I probably like When All is Said and Done. http://caz-fic.livejournal.com/13041.html
vivian osborn -- her site is down now, but you can find alot of her stuff on the yahoo sites or courtesy of the wayback machine. I think that Go is my personal favorite. http://web.archive.org/web/20040402141322/vivianosborne.com/go_one.html
pix -- long gone from the fandom, but you can find some of her stuff on the yahoo sites or via the wayback machine . I love It's Such a Small Thing and the sequel To sleep, In time to Dream. They're both on the yahoo state of the Union site, msgs 541&542 and 599&600 (altho the first part of Such a small thing seems to have disappeared... if you want it, I can send it to you.)
.
One off's....
christine -- Coming Around to the Truth http://www.geocities.com/choch07675/bubbles2005
louisa lorin -- Intoxication http://www.geocities.com/llorin23/storage/intoxication.htm
carrie -- Cheating http://national-library.net/stories/carrie/cheating.htm
kho -- 12 year old Fantasy http://khohen1.livejournal.com/208903.html
macha -- An Occasion worthy of Baked Goods http://macha.healthyinterest.net/archives/2001/04/an_occasion_wor.html
edgy -- Sex and the City of the Miami http://edgeriffic.livejournal.com/5814.html
tk -- Later (hey, I just like it) http://elysium.ahkay.net/tk/tk_ww/later.html
nadera -- Losing a Glove http://national-library.net/stories/nadera/losing-a-glove.htm
carleton -- Sittin' in Committee -- Combines closet sex with schoolhouse rock. and has this line: "I'm not kidding, Donna. You owe me. This is way bigger than the panty thing." Characterization? Canon? yeah, whatever. http://carleton97.populli.net/committee.htm
This is all josh&donna het stuff, because I personally can't see Donna with Sam or (yuck! recoils violently) Toby and I also just don't buy the fact that Josh is gay. And Josh/Amy? Sorry. I actually liked Amy and definitely believe that she and Josh had some hot sex, but it doesn't mean that I want to read about it.
One exception to the j/d rule, which is a Josh/CJ that I find surprisingly believable. Also,.. you know... That's kho's Absolutely Incredible.
http://khohen1.livejournal.com/205223.html
Also? Threesome are particularly ok. Try these 2 by dia:
What Happens Here (J/D/S) http://dianora.healthyinterest.net/archives/2005/01/what_happens_he.html
Yours, Mine, Ours (J/D/A) http://dianora.healthyinterest.net/archives/2004/10/yours_mine_ours.html
Hopefully I've introduced you to something you haven't seen before. Feel free to add to the list, because more well-written smut can only be a good thing, imo.