Forum: Author Hangout

stroke

"A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells begin to die in minutes. A stroke is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment is crucial. Early action can reduce brain damage and other complications."

A stroke story is about such an emergency.

I disagree, a stroke story is one which raises the blood pressure and triggers such an event.

"The Event" I was thinking of would be a Stroke.
Yes, it was a posting by RS I was replying to - off-topic virtually by definition - but I was staying on-topic within that context.

I like the foreplay leading up, I know guys don't need that.

We may not need it, that doesn't necessarily mean we object to it.

We may not need it, that doesn't necessarily mean we object to it.

Very true.

There are several Aussie's who engage in foreplay, or as they describe it, "brace yourself Sheila"....

And even a few rednecks, "hold my beer..."

I'll avoid those who consider foreplay as asking their family, "who's next?"

:)

The only other "rule" for stroke stories actually applies to all stories. Do not repeat the same sex scene over and over. Just don't.

And there are authors of Westerns (not necessarily on SOL) that repeat the same gun fight over and over.

Sex scenes aren't in any way a unique problem.

And there are authors of Westerns

Do those who arrived via the Pacific call them "Easterns" ??

:)

Sex scenes aren't in any way a unique problem.

Once more: gun porn, SM porn, motorcycle porn, and of course, plain old porn-porn with extra hot sauce poured over for those who've so desensitized themselves, it takes extra help to get over the finish line!

Once more: gun porn, SM porn, motorcycle porn, and of course, plain old porn-porn with extra hot sauce poured over for those who've so desensitized themselves, it takes extra help to get over the finish line

Once more: It absolutely doesn't have to be anything porn.

Every genre of fiction as certain types of scenes that recur frequently, searching a scene for clues in a detective/mystery story. It doesn't matter what genre and what type of scene, there are only so many was to write them and they will get cookie cutter repetitive if the author isn't careful.

Once again, my post got swallowed when I mistakenly hit the wrong button. But ...

As you insist, the -porn suffix has NO relations to pornography, but is the handiest way of signaling a significant story issue. It's used when the story in question has transformed a relatively minor plot detail into the main theme of the story, replacing the protagonist as the lead component of the story moving forward.

It's a common problem, especially among certain 'classes' of authors, most notably among Vets with PTSD, or even reformed gang members with similar recovery issues (where it often takes the form of violence-porn). Writing is a helpful way of dealing with those issues, but they tend to produce the same sorts of stories, which severely limit their exposure.

It's easy enough to spot, and generally, taking the person aside and walking them through the issue, pointing out how it limits their readership, is enough to get them out of the habit/crutch. They can still make their friends comfortable with the story by including it, but they eventually need to move on, relying less upon the crutch and learning to walk again using standard literary techniques.

I've seen amazing things result from relatively simple discussions about those issues, but until it's brought up, most never realize that it's a central limiting factor in their stories. Again, the -porn reference is a handy way of quickly encapsulating the issue (providing you immediately explain why you mean by it).

It's far from porn, but it's so closely related to porn, it's nearly identical. Luckily, it's a relatively easy habit to break, and for those who aren't willing to, it's easy enough to avoid (rather than poking one's own eyes out, which is the immediate alternative!).

As you insist, the -porn suffix has NO relations to pornography,

No, that's a complete and total misunderstanding of what I insisted.

It's not about -porn having nothing to do with pornography.

My objection is that X-porn for all possible values of X has absolutely nothing to do with the repetitive scene issue.

This is a potential problem in every genre of fiction and it is a potential problem for authors of all backgrounds.

It can be a problem in stories with no sex porn, no gun porn, no violence porn, no vehicle porn and no -porn of any other type you can think of.

My objection is that X-porn for all possible values of X has absolutely nothing to do with the repetitive scene issue.

Ah, now I understand. I was confused by the fact you responded to me, rather than the person who made that point. I wasn't responding to repeating scenes, like cliched gunfights in a western, I was referring to specific details taking attention away from the primary characters and the overall plot, diluting the story and sweeping aside the casual reader (more references to metaphors in another thread).

That's why terminology is so important in these discussion, as you're referring to cliched responses, rather than the -porn situation, where the entire story becomes a vehicle to carry the authors preoccupations, rather than the details enriching the story. It's putting the cart before the horse, or the joke before the pratfall!

s you're referring to cliched responses, rather than the -porn situation, where the entire story becomes a vehicle to carry the authors preoccupations, rather than the details enriching the story. It's putting the cart before the horse, or the joke before the pratfall!

And no, that's still not what I'm referring to. My point has absolutely nothing to do with the preoccupations of the author.

If you have a novel length detective mystery, you are necessarily going to have several scenes where the detective searches different locations for physical clues and several scenes where the detective questions potential witnesses.

There are two separate issues that overlap.

1. There is a finite number of ways such scenes can be written. If any author of any skill level is not careful, they can end up essentially writing the same scene over and over.

2. Reader perception: Again, there are only so many ways such scenes can be written. If a reader reads a lot of mystery stories those scenes can start to feel repetitive even if a particular author is not being repetitive.

Now set aside any consideration of any particular genre.

The two problems I outlined above can apply to every type of scene in every genre of fiction by any author of any skill level.

I don't know if you've every read any of my (fetish level, transgressive sex) stories, joyR, but I'd love to get your feedback about that aspect of them.

Name one and I'll read and send you feedback.

:)

I like to think that my stories build up to their climaxes. That's a goal I strive for, if not always deliver. But you'll see the tag 'slow' on most of them.

Technically (though you'll need to doublecheck it), 'slow' is NOT a purely sexual keyword, as it merely designates a story (sexual or otherwise) that takes time to develop (i.e. 'contains story and character development of some kind').

But for me, it's much easier getting excited about character you actually care (i.e. give a damn) about, than the typical stud/bimbette who meet in the shower and drop all their clothes at the first opportunity!

Nope, it specifically says, "there is story and plot development before any sex occurs."

Or, in the literary world, there's character development before the sexual developments ruins the story for the majority of readers.

As I stated, I belatedly realized it probably IS a sexual tag, but it's an issue that extends to other types of stories as well, those where the primary action takes time to develop, whether that primary action is sexual, emotional of identifying the murderer in a mystery.

In other words, it's more of a technique (and a squick for those searching for stroke stories), rather than an exclusively sexual hangup.

P.S. I still think of it that way, since most of my earlier stories all delayed the sex scenes until the characters got comfortable enough with each other TO have sex with each other.

Since I've long suffered from Type-1 Diabetes-related erection issues, I prefer the 'slow build' stories, the regular sex scenes in the "Much Sex" stories keep the interest level, although it typically takes quite a while to build up to anything.

I could suggest that you are the exception that proves the rule.

:)

Except that it isn't a 'rule', it is however a common trait amongst many men that foreplay isn't necessary when they 'just want to get off'.

I'm all in favour of that trait becoming a rarity, but until then, my observation is, sadly, correct.

And we all know that pleasure deferred is (in many/some? cases) pleasure intensified!

Again, sadly, not all men know that. I'd agree that it is perhaps becoming more prevalent, but even that isn't universal.

Again, sadly, not all men know that. I'd agree that it is perhaps becoming more prevalent, but even that isn't universal.

Then I'd daresay that they just haven't yet met the proper mistress! ;)

Then I'd daresay that they just haven't yet met the proper mistress! ;)

They need to read Benjamin Franklin's advice. Its one of two of his stories on this site.