Perhaps I'm not really a writer of erotic literature. Maybe I'm a writer or romance stories with an erotic injection. In erotica the hero doesn't get pregnant. In romance we see love bloom and a family completes the perfect picture.
When I was writing Beast I had no intentions of creating a baby...as a matter of fact I've been keeping a tally of my stories so that I don't fall into a trend of ending a story with a pregnancy. In my reality, getting pregnant would not be a happily ever after. In my romances getting pregnant was like...oh shit. I'm happy to have my children but I'm just saying...
So why do readers like to see the hero get pregnant? When I submitted the updates on TST many people were hoping Ashleigh would get pregnant because Chris wasn't wearing a condom, even though I explained that she was on birth control. I went with it and understand in this particular fairy tale it would be a great ending since Chris had always been alone. He would make a great father and I guess I am Chris' fairy godmother in that I can create a happily ever after that includes a family.
But what of other erotic stories? Do we really want to see our heroine become pregnant in the middle of all this hot sex? I have another story in which pregnancy factors in to it and now I'm like...crap, I've written too many pregnancy stories. LOL.
Well, when I write the next fairytale no one gets pregnant! Though that won't be likely since it will be a gay-male rendition of Goldilocks and the three bears...
Personally, I like the pregnancy theme in some erotic stories. I don't know maybe it gives me a sense of permanence between the characters.
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely a romance writer I think. And a great one at that your imagination is wild and you create such lush characters and situations. The stories definitely blossom and the erotic couplings a re nice bonus! I can't wait to read your goldilocks! So excited already!
ReplyDeleteRomance stories usually end with the happily ever after. That’s why most women become entrapped with heroine being pregnant. As little girls we are lured to believe that stories end with Love and Marriage Two Kids and a Carriage. They never mention that the woman is a successful doctor and the husband likes his independent woman that doesn’t want to have kids. Don’t get me wrong I love those endings where the lead is pregnant and they live happily ever after. Who wants an ending where the pregnancy is unwanted and the male leaves her ass high and dry for the next chick? Do people want to read about the reality of unprotected sex (that’s a good story Pep)? Do readers want reality popping up in their fairytales?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see someone get an STD from one of their not-so-good-for-them lovers. Hell, or maybe one hero to another.
ReplyDeletePregnancy and STDs are real life, just like your characters. I really liked the way you handled controversial issues like the potential for contracting an STD in "Crash," and being bisexual. I am not bisexual, have never had an STD...but it's just a flash into real life that isn't exactly like MY life.
For me, sometimes pregnancy signals entrapment. And sometimes STDs signal "Run, Forest, run!" LOL
SQALadee read my mind!
ReplyDeleteI like to read romance stories to escape reality, and I like the happily ever after that SQAladee mentioned.
ReplyDeleteI would be way to practical to do such things in real life (not to mention the fact that you have to have a boyfriend and such for the happily ever after), so I like to read about it happening, and then imaging everybody lives, like I said, happily ever after.
I think I may be a romantic in sceptics clothes In my world you mmay end up marrying your baby-daddy but your gonna get divorced... then the kid ends up in therapy the mom is drunk in bars picking up any guy that will have her and the dad has a much younger woman and a new family so he feels no need to to see his kid from when he was young and stupid. I think that is why when I read of the pregnancy especially that early in the relationship I was like "Great there is a fucked up kid in the making. I hope she keeps her figure and her bank account". I love the idea of romance and erotism but none of that goes hand in hand of an unplanned pregnancy to early in the relationship.
ReplyDeletenot in every story they need to get pregnant but it just feels better knowing that they will have a happy ever after
ReplyDeleteAs someone who works in healthcare, I find it hard not to be bothered with how lightly some people seem to take unprotected sex in fiction. I know what's out there. I see it every day in all packages. Pregnancy isn't the worst of what can happen to these people. I'd also like the STD idea, maybe seeing two people bond over something like that, as sick as it may sound. Sadly, there are people out there who make bad decisions or put trust in the wrong person and suffer consequences from it. And those people don't get happily ever afters. They end up alone on medication for life and are scorned by family and friends. Most people don't even realize that a woman with HIV can have children with a minimal risk of exposure to the baby as long as she takes proper measures. I think those people deserve just as much as a HEA as those who escape that burden in fiction. What's so hypocritical about the whole thing as that those people are looked down on for having an STD, yet more often than not, they aren't doing anything different than the majority of the general population, some uninformed, some not. They just happen to face the consequences for it. But then, I reel myself in and realize that fiction is supposed to be an escape. Especially erotica. And that's not what it's about.
ReplyDeleteI digress. In terms of pregnancy, it's something that I often tire of in ALL TYPES of fiction, not just erotica. I find it to be an overused theme in romance, and it seems like an easy way out. I much prefer stories or books where the romantic interests just decide to take things as they come and agree to try before a baby gets thrown in the mix. It's not necessarily how I want or need to see all stories end, and depending on the couple, it isn't necessarily what I envision as a happily ever after either. I would rather a story just be about the couple, not that third life that takes away from the romance for me anyway.
yeah...pregnancy BBOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ReplyDeletei hope you're not talking really hairy dudes that look as if their shadows are wearing sweaters. ugh.
Just for you I will make sure that all of the gay men in my story are smooth and sexy, Ben.
ReplyDeleteBlogger went down for a couple days and deleted several of the comments here. I'll repost them.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said: Personally, I like the pregnancy theme in some erotic stories. I don't know maybe it gives me a sense of permanence between the characters.
Kem said: You are definitely a romance writer I think. And a great one at that your imagination is wild and you create such lush characters and situations. The stories definitely blossom and the erotic couplings a re nice bonus! I can't wait to read your goldilocks! So excited already!
SQALadee said: Romance stories usually end with the happily ever after. That’s why most women become entrapped with heroine being pregnant. As little girls we are lured to believe that stories end with Love and Marriage Two Kids and a Carriage. They never mention that the woman is a successful doctor and the husband likes his independent woman that doesn’t want to have kids. Don’t get me wrong I love those endings where the lead is pregnant and they live happily ever after. Who wants an ending where the pregnancy is unwanted and the male leaves her ass high and dry for the next chick? Do people want to read about the reality of unprotected sex (that’s a good story Pep)? Do readers want reality popping up in their fairytales?
WishingIWasToryCauseLeeSoundsHot said: I'd like to see someone get an STD from one of their not-so-good-for-them lovers. Hell, or maybe one hero to another.
Pregnancy and STDs are real life, just like your characters. I really liked the way you handled controversial issues like the potential for contracting an STD in "Crash," and being bisexual. I am not bisexual, have never had an STD...but it's just a flash into real life that isn't exactly like MY life.
For me, sometimes pregnancy signals entrapment. And sometimes STDs signal "Run, Forest, run!" LOL
And: SQALadee read my mind!
...continuation of deleted comments:
ReplyDeleteEmsz said: I like to read romance stories to escape reality, and I like the happily ever after that SQAladee mentioned.
I would be way to practical to do such things in real life (not to mention the fact that you have to have a boyfriend and such for the happily ever after), so I like to read about it happening, and then imaging everybody lives, like I said, happily ever after.
Casey said: I think I may be a romantic in sceptics clothes In my world you mmay end up marrying your baby-daddy but your gonna get divorced... then the kid ends up in therapy the mom is drunk in bars picking up any guy that will have her and the dad has a much younger woman and a new family so he feels no need to to see his kid from when he was young and stupid. I think that is why when I read of the pregnancy especially that early in the relationship I was like "Great there is a fucked up kid in the making. I hope she keeps her figure and her bank account". I love the idea of romance and eroticsm but none of that goes hand in hand of an unplanned pregnancy to early in the relationship.
Anonymous said: not in every story they need to get pregnant but it just feels better knowing that they will have a happy ever after
Anonymous said: As someone who works in healthcare, I find it hard not to be bothered with how lightly some people seem to take unprotected sex in fiction. I know what's out there. I see it every day in all packages. Pregnancy isn't the worst of what can happen to these people. I'd also like the STD idea, maybe seeing two people bond over something like that, as sick as it may sound. Sadly, there are people out there who make bad decisions or put trust in the wrong person and suffer consequences from it. And those people don't get happily ever afters. They end up alone on medication for life and are scorned by family and friends. Most people don't even realize that a woman with HIV can have children with a minimal risk of exposure to the baby as long as she takes proper measures. I think those people deserve just as much as a HEA as those who escape that burden in fiction. What's so hypocritical about the whole thing as that those people are looked down on for having an STD, yet more often than not, they aren't doing anything different than the majority of the general population, some uninformed, some not. They just happen to face the consequences for it. But then, I reel myself in and realize that fiction is supposed to be an escape. Especially erotica. And that's not what it's about.
I digress. In terms of pregnancy, it's something that I often tire of in ALL TYPES of fiction, not just erotica. I find it to be an overused theme in romance, and it seems like an easy way out. I much prefer stories or books where the romantic interests just decide to take things as they come and agree to try before a baby gets thrown in the mix. It's not necessarily how I want or need to see all stories end, and depending on the couple, it isn't necessarily what I envision as a happily ever after either. I would rather a story just be about the couple, not that third life that takes away from the romance for me anyway.
Thanks for your comments and sorry blogger screwed up the thread
Nuts to pregnancy. Sometimes I'm really into the story and then the Heroin gets pregnant, and i'm like "party's over".
ReplyDeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE that you are going to write a homosexual romance. Not only because you are a very talented writer, but because I know that you will handle it in a compassionate way. I believe that any gay man will be able to read what you are going to write and not be offended.
Sometimes it fits though. You want to believe that their shit is gonna work out even though you know in real life that they'd be fucked.
ReplyDeleteI dont mind a pregnancy sometimes, but I've read some stories by other people where every woman gets pregnant and then gets married and lives happily ever after.
ReplyDeleteWe all know thats not reality and thats always why its fiction, but after a while it seems so predictable. Some people you read part one and you can say this person is going to get pregnant and this one too and sure enough they have one child and by the end is pregnant again.
Sometimes its wonderful to the plot but other times its just annoying
I think that it is ok if the heroine gets pregnant in a story, it is the normal progression in a relationship that the couple gets married and have kids.
ReplyDelete