Why does quality go down when sexual content goes up?

[Stephanie]

Thanks Emma!

[[deleted user]]

Thank you, Stephanie! I definitely agree that it's wonderful to have a publishing house that is so concerned about their reader's thoughts. I wish more of them were like that. Of course there are people with different preferences, but that is part of publishing and life. :)

[Summer]

I agree.

[Mila]

I have the same thoughts as Emma on this matter because to me thinking sexually in a descriptive way is almost the same as it if it was actually happening. I'd much rather read about characters, their thoughts and emotions than about how attractive they find one another. It just reaches more into my heart this way and i can't explain why.

[May]

Mila wrote: "I have the same thoughts as Emma on this matter because to me thinking sexually in a descriptive way is almost the same as it if it was actually happening. I'd much rather read about characters, th..."

Mila, I agree so totally with what you say. Do you think that the reason it is 'sweeter' when thoughts and situations focus on character and emotion rather than ... for lack of a better word, lust, is because once you go THERE (lust) it is near impossible to pull it back? For instance, if a hero thinks -- mmm mmm, look at that lush body, etc, etc, he can't really go backwards and say -- oh, she has such a kind smile. What do you think?

[Annalea]

So, here's a comment on the original post. (Please forgive me for not reading the entire thread. ;o)

I remember first seeing a pattern in school . . . the lower the grades a child earned, the more likely they were to tell dirty jokes. The smart kids sometimes would, but they had lots of other ways to entertain their minds. But the lower-grades kids, those who didn't get into reading or real learning, just couldn't laugh at the jokes that I found hilarious because they didn't involve body parts or strained sexual puns.

Now, port that into the world of authors, and it can infer some interesting things . . . the foremost of which would seem to be that it's easy to write an explicit book that will get readers. Physical attraction is the hook, lust the plot, and sex the resolution. Put together your "ideal" hunk, describe a gorgeous woman for him to target (for lack of a better word), and turn them loose. The Id has a heyday with that kind of thing.

If you're going to write a clean story, things get a bit more complicated. You have to figure out how to make your characters interesting through what they say, the thoughts and feelings they have, and the choices they make. Quips and funny bits have to come from the intellect, not the Id. To keep readers' attention, you've got to actually give them someone real, someone believable, to fall in love with, to cheer for, to cry with. And events through which to do all of those.

So there's my .05. Thoughts?

[Annalea]

D.D. wrote: "Soph wrote: "That is so true D. D! One of my friends (same age as me) read the trilogy and I was appalled really. And she said to me to read them as they are really good and romantic and I was like..."


Oh. My. Goodness. PERFECT!!! lol And soooo true. The books I love all have heroes that would still turn my head if they went through that transformation. It's all about what's on the inside.

Who was it that said if could get half an hour with her, even Queen Victoria would succumb to his charms? ;o) It's all about what's inside. (I think it was in one of the romances I read the last half of 2012 in my uber-marathon . . . but the quote is utterly lost. Darn it.)

[May]

Annalea wrote: "So, here's a comment on the original post. (Please forgive me for not reading the entire thread. ;o)

I remember first seeing a pattern in school . . . the lower the grades a child earned, the more..."

Annalea, I think you've hit it on the nose. Sex will always sell - it has from the beginning of time. It is an intrinsic part of who we are and is a beautiful thing. It was gods first commandment to Adam and Eve after all. But the breaking of that law causes such harm.

In today's society immorality is celebrated and flaunted. So, perhaps because it is such a serious and beautiful commandment, blessed from on high, the breaking of this commandment causes severe repercussions and maybe as exalted as you can be from following gods law, you go the other way from disobeying it. A relationship that warms your heart because it is so sweet and innocent, looses something right at its core when it becomes lustful... instead of making your heart flutter, it makes your bowls flutter - effective but no longer powerful enough to move the soul. It is now base. What do you think?

[Annaka]

I have been following this discussion for some time now and couldn't agree more. I love all the insight shared and how everyone could so perfectly put into words how I feel. It is true that sex sells but so sad about what it has become. The characters in books that focus on sex are so shallow and the quality of the writing is grossly lacking. I don't feel that adding explicit sex in books helps the plot/characters at all, unless it is focused on the sex, as most are. I much prefer to fall in love with the characters and not worry about having to skip sections that make reading uncomfortable. I have many friends and a few family members that disagree with me and my choices to not read books with sex in them, and have had many discussions about why I would rather not read it. (One of the main reasons is I am not married and chose not to have sex without that commitment, thus I would rather not have preconceived notions concerning something that I view as sacred.) I know this is hard for many to understand in today's world. I am very grateful that I have been able to read all these comments and I will be sharing many of them with my family and friends. Thank you All!! :)

[D.D. Chant]

Annaka wrote: "I have been following this discussion for some time now and couldn't agree more. I love all the insight shared and how everyone could so perfectly put into words how I feel. It is true that sex s..."

It's always nice to find someone who feels the same way!;-D Somehow I always end up defending my choice (not to read books with sex scenes in them) as though I'm weird somehow! Lol!

But even if it wasn't for all the other reasons, just the idea of 'watching' OTHER PEOPLE in that kind of a situation... well lets just say it makes me VERY uncomfortable!!!

[D.D. Chant]

Annalea wrote: "D.D. wrote: "Soph wrote: "That is so true D. D! One of my friends (same age as me) read the trilogy and I was appalled really. And she said to me to read them as they are really good and romantic a..."

I've often noticed that nice people become more attractive as you get to know them anyway!

[Sophie]

Definitely!!

[Annaka]

D.D. wrote: "Annaka wrote: "I have been following this discussion for some time now and couldn't agree more. I love all the insight shared and how everyone could so perfectly put into words how I feel. It is ..."
I know. It is very awkward and uncomfortable in books and movies.

[Annalea]

Annaka wrote: I know. It is very awkward and uncomfortable in books and movies.

Annaka (lovely name, btw!), your comment reminded me of a first date I went on when I was 16. (Never been kissed, read clean books, all that good stuff.) A friend from 8th grade reappeared one summer at a carnival, and he looked me up and we went to a movie . . . Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken. Can I say, the mostly-nude scene in that movie made me want to crawl under my seat????? I made a pretense of cleaning my glasses (several times . . . ) to get through it without seeing much. Thankfully, my date was a really nice guy, and didn't say a word. (Although he probably thought I was a seriously backwards little country girl. ;o)

[Danielle]

May, I totally agree with your response to Mila. I think writing clean fiction involves serious work figuring out how to express love AND attraction in a beautiful, pure way.

[Danielle]

Some people may not like it, but I think you hit the nail on the head. If we're going to be frank, writing lewd material comes easy and it sells. A book meant to open your mind and broaden horizons will makes us think and appreciate... these are the results of reading good fiction.


Annalea wrote: "So, here's a comment on the original post. (Please forgive me for not reading the entire thread. ;o)

I remember first seeing a pattern in school . . . the lower the grades a child earned, the more..."

Annalea wrote: "So, here's a comment on the original post. (Please forgive me for not reading the entire thread. ;o)

I remember first seeing a pattern in school . . . the lower the grades a child earned, the more..."

[Annalea]

Danielle wrote: "Some people may not like it, but I think you hit the nail on the head. If we're going to be frank, writing lewd material comes easy and it sells. A book meant to open your mind and broaden horizons..."

Bingo. Just like romance in real life . . . the best of it comes from thinking about others, self-control, and really honest work.