Fic Talk > General Discussion
New questions to ponder
mare:
Sadly, I haven't read anything.
RokofAges75:
I'm not sure how many people are still around to answer writing questions, but here's one for you romance people: When describing male anatomy, do you think it's better to be direct or vague with the terminology? Do you prefer to read the proper terms (i.e. penis, testicles), slang terms (dick, balls, package, etc.), or more subtle euphanisms (member, manhood, and so on)? I don't write (or read) this kind of stuff often, and I can never decide what sounds best - either way, it always seems too technical, too crude, or too cheesy. Any opinions on the matter?
Edit: Here's what I mean about being cheesy in the effort to avoid being crude: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/16/romance-novel-phrases_n_7545244.html Hilarious!
Edit #2: OMG, I can't believe in all my googling, I've never looked this up before. This blog on the subject is also fantastic; I'm laughing so hard at some of these! https://annomalley.wordpress.com/2012/08/01/writing-erotica1/
Edit #3: So, having conducted some research on the subject, the general consensus among the erotica writer crowd is that the word of choice is "cock," with "dick" as a close second - in case anyone else was wondering, LOL. Feel free to discuss!
KeepThisSecret:
Let me begin by saying that reading that Huffington Post article completely MADE my morning!! LOL
Anyways, I always struggle with this kind of terminology as well. I will agree with the general consensus that "cock" and "dick" are probably the best options. I do NOT want to be reading a hot scene and then stumble across the word "testicles"! Bahahahaha! The appropriate terminology would ruin the mood IMO.
As a writer, I actually try to avoid referencing male anatomy directly and just allude to it without being overly cheesey RE: "hardness", "felt him pressing against her", "sank down onto him", etc. Perhaps I'm in the minority here ... ???
FYI, maybe next time I write one of these scenes, I will use the phrase "lightning bolts of fulfillment" ... AMAZING!! :D
RokofAges75:
LMAO!! No, I agree with you, and the examples you gave are perfect. That's what I prefer too. I was obviously writing a scene last night where I felt like I needed to use a specific word, but I ended up finding a way to be vague without using one of those horrible metaphors. I was laughing so much at those websites last night!
mare:
Jeez even reading these posts made me cringe lol
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