It's not just that last sex scene, frankly, although what you've said seems very true. It's the whole reconciliation that does me in. The last sex scene often isn't even present, but I somehow feel terribly let down by the reconciliation. I feel, I think, that it should be proportionate to what came before, and it so rarely is. “Oh, you don't hate me! Okay then!”
I'm not sure why I am so difficult to satisfy on this point.
You know, I think this is the biggest reason *why* the genre tends to lose me more often than not. Because, yeah. Almost no one makes the reconciliation count as much as the angst, so the story winds up feeling like it's "really" just angst and I am sekritly not so much with the angst-love.
Hm… Yes. And it's not often angst with, shall we say, depth? So it's more like weak sustained angst with a splodge of schmarm at the end. Not too rewarding if you're not in it for the angst.
I'm with Sarah on this. Often, that last sex scene is... really dull. And yeah, part of it *is* that schmoop is incredibly difficult to do well -- it has to be in-character *and* interesting *and* sugary -- but... yeah. A lot of it is that it's hard to make a *truly* pointless sex scene feel like anything but
( ... )
Know what else is weird? Aside form the fact that 4b is the plot of virtually ever multi-part het fic I've ever read (sticking with what I know), if you place it agains the typical romance novel, something odd shows up. (And when I say typical, I mean, not a b-grade romance).
My point is that the sex occurs mostly in the middle and right about when it gets boring, the story generally shifts into plot and emotional development, ending on an upbeat. Mostly, the sex tapers off and becomes implicit rather than explicit. On a plot level, it has already served its function to stimulate emotional conflict.
So, I dunno. Ficcers shouldn't shun romance novel conventions quite so much because there's a (good) reason why certain cliches exist? *snorts* Maybe I should finish that fic I started where certain characters accept their love and hitch up in the first chapter, and the rest of the story happens with only implicit sex
( ... )
Hm… you have a really good point there. My point is that the sex occurs mostly in the middle and right about when it gets boring, the story generally shifts into plot and emotional development, ending on an upbeat. Mostly, the sex tapers off and becomes implicit rather than explicit. On a plot level, it has already served its function to stimulate emotional conflict.
I wonder if most of this sort of fic is just the first half of the conventional romance novel, with the final scene sort of artificially pasted on?
And most romance levels don't try to sustain the entire thing on merely the heroes love lives. They have some other Ebil Villain to conquer.
I think it may be more, and less, complex than that. Just to recap, all memorable fiction, no matter the time or culture, is composed of two basic elements: love & journeys. How the characters feel about each other motivates their actions which generates the plot, which in turn affects their continuing interactions, etc. Anything else is a plot device.
Mainstream comics have a strong tendency to epitomize journeys to the point of denigrating love. Romance is something to avoid, to tack on arbitrarily, and it appears spastic, without rhyme or reason. Recall the classic fan who says (and I always imagine this said in a condescending, sneering tone of voice), "Oh, I read comics for the stories, not the 'ships." Er... *checks paragraph one
( ... )
I agree with the other comments that the final sex scenes don't hold much interest for me. But then outside of kink fic that works for one of my kinks I tend to skim sex scenes anyway, and only really read them if they do something besides being a sex scene (i.e. like there's some revelation involved or in some way other plot is happening), so I'm not sure I have the same issues as you. I do like to read the reconciliation/resolution, even though I go more for the angst part (well not so much if it's really just stupidity causing angst, but in general). I think it may be something like the different preferences for the balance of hurt and comfort in h/c fic. I'm much more into the "hurt" part than the comfort, but mileages vary widely, so others feel cheated if there's lot of hurt and no or very little comfort.
I'm much more into the “hurt” part than the comfort, but mileages vary widely, so others feel cheated if there's lot of hurt and no or very little comfort.
Yes, I think that's it. I wonder if …I kind of feel that comfort is harder to do right, but I may just be saying that because I judge comfort with critical faculties at 100%, and hurt at about 50%.
I tend to skim sex scenes anyway, and only really read them if they do something besides being a sex scene
Really, unless done well, a sex scene is just a long chunk of exposition.
Now I understand why you wanted the word "motherfucker" in the resolution-sex scene of the Epic Dissociative Thing -- to wake up the kids in the back row who were expecting Twoo Wuv and Schmoopy Sex, Thee End.
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I'm not sure why I am so difficult to satisfy on this point.
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You know, I think this is the biggest reason *why* the genre tends to lose me more often than not. Because, yeah. Almost no one makes the reconciliation count as much as the angst, so the story winds up feeling like it's "really" just angst and I am sekritly not so much with the angst-love.
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Romance novel: ....x....X..*heart*..x...x...x..*more heart*...x....*heartheartheart*...*cliffhangerdrama!!!!*...*sunset*
My point is that the sex occurs mostly in the middle and right about when it gets boring, the story generally shifts into plot and emotional development, ending on an upbeat. Mostly, the sex tapers off and becomes implicit rather than explicit. On a plot level, it has already served its function to stimulate emotional conflict.
So, I dunno. Ficcers shouldn't shun romance novel conventions quite so much because there's a (good) reason why certain cliches exist? *snorts* Maybe I should finish that fic I started where certain characters accept their love and hitch up in the first chapter, and the rest of the story happens with only implicit sex ( ... )
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I wonder if most of this sort of fic is just the first half of the conventional romance novel, with the final scene sort of artificially pasted on?
And most romance levels don't try to sustain the entire thing on merely the heroes love lives. They have some other Ebil Villain to conquer.
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Mainstream comics have a strong tendency to epitomize journeys to the point of denigrating love. Romance is something to avoid, to tack on arbitrarily, and it appears spastic, without rhyme or reason. Recall the classic fan who says (and I always imagine this said in a condescending, sneering tone of voice), "Oh, I read comics for the stories, not the 'ships." Er... *checks paragraph one ( ... )
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Yes, I think that's it. I wonder if …I kind of feel that comfort is harder to do right, but I may just be saying that because I judge comfort with critical faculties at 100%, and hurt at about 50%.
I tend to skim sex scenes anyway, and only really read them if they do something besides being a sex scene
Really, unless done well, a sex scene is just a long chunk of exposition.
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Thanks!
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