Hmmm

[botias]

Jane Espensen recently posted a link to a list of writing no-nos by E.E. Knight. She discussed one in particular: scenes that open with the character waking up. Mr. Knight claims that he now uses books that open this way as sporting equipment. I've done it, you betcha and recently.

This no-no made the list, not because it doesn't work, but because it works so well that most everyone does it. I'll be forever vigilant now. Also, someone replying to st_salieri 's recent lament about the lack of originality in Spuffy porn pointed out another similar no-no. That fictional sex lives too often begin just so: 1st time him on top, 2nd time her on top, 3rd time in the shower. *nixes shower scene in ch. 6*

I can't help but wonder why it unfolds this way so often. Perhaps the first time the hero successfully convinces the heroine to let him demonstrate his skillz. That there is a second time means she's fond/secure/interested enough to do him, and the third time together they mount that first little step on the stairway to kink heaven. Oh, and it's lazy writing. I'm assuming most couples don't dive into the kink until they know one another a little better, but that's no excuse for not mixing things up a bit.

Comments

[botias.livejournal.com]

I did read some of the responses, including at least one indignant one. Granted a person could consider this literary bigotry. But, he's trying to help people improve their writing and stand out from the crowd in such a way that they might get published.

Wake-up scenes aren't the best way to do that clearly. Statistically, lofting the books that open that way is probably not a bad way of weeding out tired stories. I read romance, so tired stories? Not a problem for me.