sholio | Incredibly nosy TMI poll

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Incredibly nosy TMI poll

So ... I made a comment elsewhere that got me thinking about sex in fanfic, and then I started having one of those "... am I the only one?" sort of ponderings, and so I made an extremely nosy TMI poll about it. If you don't read explicit fanfic, this will probably not be at all interesting to you.

The thing is, written sex doesn't turn me on. At all, really -- there are extremely rare instances where that's not the case, but as a general rule, no. But I know from reading comments elsewhere that this is definitely not true of everybody. So I'm curious ... am I a total fandom outlier, or not?

I've got "detailed results" turned off, so the only person who can see who answered what is me (though the graphs are visible to everyone). If you'd like to answer anonymously in the comments instead, so that even *I* can't see who you are, that's perfectly fine! I swear I'm not asking out of prurient curiosity; it's not like I'm sitting around wondering "Hey, does so & so on my f'list wank off to internet porn?" Like I said above, I'm just kinda curious how the numbers would stack up. Are there just a couple people who are, like me, unmoved by porn? Or the majority? Inquiring minds are very curious! (I thought about doing this f'locked, but total anonymity wouldn't be an option that way, and I wanted to leave that option available to people who wanted it.) And obviously, if you are not comfortable answering this poll, please don't!

[Poll #1521589]

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While we're going with TMI. My taste in fanfic has evolved with my sexuality. At first I mostly liked mild h/c stories and didn't know enough to know that I was functionally turned on by them. I made some attempts a writing them but never posted. Then I started reading slash but didn't like NC17 parts and would skip them. Then I would write slash but not NC17 bits. Then I started reading and writing NC17 stuff. I still don't like PWPs and it takes a rare fic to turn me on, but when it does it can play a part in my private life.

For me the whole h/c thing is wired to sexuality, though at first I didn't admit it and deluded myself into thinking I was simply interested in the characters. But ultimately many of the h/c fics I liked the best weren't that well written, so I eventually admitted that some twisted part of me was just plain aroused by that and that it was in a way a safer fantasy life than physical descriptions of intimate acts. I was also a virgin when I started reading. The more I got in touch with my body and the more sex I had, the more turned on I became by the pornographic elements of fic and the more I've enjoyed them. Mostly I think I relate to the characters better with more sexual experience and find myself either writing my own sexual experiences into fic or borrowing elements I've read to try out in real life. I became much more interested in slash and now when I do read gen stories, I mostly scan them for the h/c elements or preslash elements that I find exciting.

Most explicit sex scenes in fanfic do nothing for me and I often skim them, however fanfic that hits my sexual kinks works as porn, but that does not have to be explicit or even sex. So while I do use some fanfic for porn it is not actually the explicit sex that gets me off. Generally my kinks are all power related, so it is really the relationship dynamic that matters, not at all how graphic or detailed the sex is. I've used gen stories for porn purposes and they worked fine.

There is some NC-17 sex that turns me on (e.g., Cesperanza's). But generally sex isn't that interesting to me, narratively or as porn.

I have one specific kink that is an occasional element of h/c stories, ranging from G to adult. I don't write it, and, again, I rarely read it. I do find it on-line, but not usually in fanfic. Sometimes I think I should establish another identity and write the kink like crazy, just to see if I'm the only one with it.

One more thing - I have one lonely NC-17 story out there, under a one-shot username. I can barely stand that it exists, and sometimes consider taking it down. OTOH, it got some nice comments from people I suspect have never read anything else I've ever written.

I don't write it,

Though it does sneak in, I should add.

Thank you for posting this poll! I've been feeling odd woman out, and not quite defensive, but weird! (I've taken to telling people that I really like sex, and my husband will back me up on this (hmm . . .), but I don't enjoy reading about it.) I have no problem with non-explicit descriptions of sex (

kristen_mara does this very well with Primeval.)

I do sometimes read NC-17. I read some a few times simply to see if I did react, because I was curious. . . . Now when I read it, it's almost always because I already know the author and I like her or his work, and I can often skip the sex scenes and miss nothing important to plot. When I comment, I don't comment on the sex itself but on other elements of the story.

I tend to avoid NC-17, but I have been very interested to find that while every NC-17 Stargate story I've read has been one I'd have given that rating, Primeval writers seem to be a lot quicker to give their stories an NC-17 or Adults Only rating, and some of theirs I would give an R—sex but really not explicit, or occasionally even just a mention that sex has occurred or that a couple has sex, but no actual sex in the story. Different fandoms seem to have different standards.

Oddly, though I'm heterosexual, it's het sex that I actively dislike reading more. I think there's some element of "Is that really how someone would describe what I do?" that isn't present when I read about gay sex.

There are very, very few people who can write porn I might find hot. As in, I can think of maybe three. Otherwise I just skim it, or don't read a fic at all when it says PWP.

I've gone through phases. When I got into fic I read nothing but gen for years, even avoiding PG romance of any kind. Then I branched out into ship and slash but still avoided the NC 17 stuff. Then branched out into that too, and when I first discovered slash I actually found it really damn hot. But I think it's just lost its novelty appeal, and now I'm back to skipping most sex scenes because they distract from the plot. I very rarely read PWP, when it has specific kinks I like. Het smut tends to leave me even colder than slash smut, but every once in a while I come across a writer who writes a really hot pr0n scene in an otherwise plotty fic (like startlet2367's Cordy/Angel fic, or one Kate/Angel story by girlpire, or that one Sam/Rodney PWP by eretria... but I can remember those so well because for me they're exceptions)./tmi

It is very hard to describe what I mean by what I am about to put but I shall try.

I find it very rare indeed for the depiction of sex in written fiction to be all that of an actual "turn on". I find that other things appeal to my predelictions but I don't actually get het up about the sex. I have seriously though about why, and my reasoning is this. When I read fiction (including professionally written mainstream fiction) whenever the scene turns to a sex scene, I find that the POV subtley shifts, you the reader become more of a 4th person passenger. The writer has a tendency to "Mary Sue" the scene (even if they don't mean to) and teh whole nature of that scene then becomes slanted to the personal bias of the writer and what they would do in that situation, not necesarily what the character might do. (This does not describe what I mean exactly but i really can't explain it any better) I have found that in many sex scenes the Writer will almost insinuate themselves into the place of one or more of the characters (as sex scenes are usually triggered by some degree of wish fulfillment anyway this is understandable) I pick up on this and immediately feel uncomfortable because I am not experiencing the scene as the myself-the character (i.e. I place myself into the shoes of the character) what I find is that I am experiencing the scene as the writer in the shoes of the character. So the feelings are not me-the characters feelings but me-the writer-the character, which makes you the reader sort of a 4th person vicarious voyeur.. which I find uncomfortable.

Which is why I prefer H/C over Slash. Well written H/C stays in the context and does not take you the reader out of the scene and the emotion of the situation. You the reader feel more engaged and a participant and less like the 4th person voyeur.

At least that's is what it is like for me. I can't speak for other readers

I've sometimes wondered about something similar, myself. For me, it's not the written medium that makes it not a "turn on". I seem to have some sort of mental line drawn between "fanfictional sex" and "original story sex", regardless of the medium.

I followed yaoi_daily religiously for a while, and I noticed that doujin with existing characters just did not have the same turn on factor for me. I could enjoy the art, and even admire how "hot" a particular scene was... but it was pretty rare that they took me into "I'll be in my bunk" territory. If I was specifically looking for titillation, the works with original characters always did a far, far better job.

I have less experience reading porny fanfic, but when I think about the ones that made a big impression, the depiction of the sex itself is pretty incidental (even in PWP's) to what the author is doing with the character dynamics. It's just a different headspace, I guess...

>>Does explicit sex in fanfic turn you on?<<

This depends entirely on how it's written. A explicit sex scene captures my attention if it's as well written as any other scene that would deserve the title "well written". The better an author commands and masters the art of writing, the handiwork of writing (which, of course, includes writing the given characters recognizable as themselves and not only because of the names and outward appearances), the more a sex scene works for me and might actually turn me on. There are things which I just don't like, no matter how good an author writes them, but basically it depends on the author's skills.

It's practically the same conditions that make me like a story regardless of the question whether it has sex in it or not. All the things that apply to a good scene/story generally also apply here. Which means, chances ar good that a sex scene turns me on if it's written by an author whose work I greatly enjoy and love anyway, no matter if there's sex involved or not.

Thing is, written sex only turns me on if I care for the characters, if it's about characters I like, which means, a sex scene or a PWP written by one of my favorite authors but revolving around a couple I don't care for or even original characters I don't know (yet) doesn't do much for me.

And the context has to be right. A wrong placed or superfluous sex scene can stick out like a sore thumb and usually does nothing for me. So, it's well written and well placed sex scenes revolving around characters I love who usually turn me on.

Which also means, the majority of sex scenes out there does nothing for me, but if the criterias are met - yes.

Porn in fanfic can and does turn me on, but most of it doesn't (ie: the vast majority of porn battle entries do nothing for me). It totally depends on how the porn is written (I find more realistic sex much hotter than fantasy sex) and how the characters are handled (specifically, are they treated respectfully?). But I also find certain not-specifically-sexual H/C tropes turn me on, which I admit sometimes makes me think I'm a freak of nature. And, while only a subset of porny fic turns me on, I do sometimes seek it out for that purpose. Also, I'm more likely to be turned on quicker/easier by porn with women involved, but I also find m/m slash porn is much more likely to contain whatever it is that hits my buttons, which is frustrating.

As for telling the author? Heck no. I'll comment about the fic sometimes and occasionally about the sex scene, but I find it really awkwardly inappropriate to tell the author "your story sent me to my bunk" and I hate when I've gotten comments of that nature. TMI!

Whether I find the sex hot depends a lot on the context of the story (the relationship and buildup needs to be right, I don't really read PWP) as well as the writing of the scene. Frequently I skim sex scenes. But, I definitely prefer R/NC-17 fic. There's a spectrum of hotness; even if the story doesn't actually turn me on, there's a warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with knowing the two characters you wanted to got together in an interesting and satisfying way.

I try to write sex scenes that I think could conceivably be considered hot, but I'm definitely not insulted if they leave people cold or if people skim them. I just assume that there are readers like me who appreciate that the sex is there even if they don't read every word. I've never actually speculated about whether there are people who have literally gotten off because of my stories, but if so, that is kind of awesome. The power of the written word!

Sex in fanfic absolutely turns me on but I'll be durned if I can describe the exact conditions under which it does so. LOL It depends on my mood and the quality of the writing and whether or not the scene pushes my narrative kink buttons or my sexy kink buttons. If there had been a radio button that just said Sometimes, I'd have chosen that one.

As a writer, I NEVER get turned on by what I'm writing. I'm subsumed in crafting the scene and that takes away from the sexy times. LOL

I would never say something like "I'll be in my bunk". I have described sex as hot, but I didn't realise that meant a physical reaction. I mean, when I say a person is hot, it doesn't mean I am turned on or want to have sex with them, just that they're attractive. Similarly, I will call a sex scene hot if it's well-written and...haha, I can't think of another word besides hot! XD Appealing? Has things that I particularly like? But I don't really differentiate between sex scenes and other things I like in a story.

I take 'spells' of two or three days at a time when reading explicit sex-fic is a major turn-on. I keep a folder of guaranteed-to-arouse 'pure smut' stories, and may spend two or three hours in the evening just reading and masturbating. (If I had a SO, he would reap the benefits of this reading, but I don't, so...)

Other times, I can read the same stories, and my reaction is, "Oh, okay I guess."

I'm several years past menopause, so I can't blame 'time of the month' for my reactions. I haven't noticed a pattern of when it happens (but then, I haven't looked very hard). Sometimes I've spent all day waiting to get home and finish my chores so I can indulge. Other times, I'm quietly reading an ordinary story - even gen - then get restless and open my 'guaranteed' folder.

I may leave a "that's so hot" comment, meaning that the story actually made me horny, but usually not - embarrassing to let the wild world of fandom know that.

Most of the time, I actually prefer gen, although I'm comfortable with slash. But sometimes, the neurons just spark.

For completeness' sake, het works the same for me - sometimes yes, sometimes no - but I've found so much less het than slash that I don't have much of a collection.

*facepalm* Sorry, forgot to close italics after 'same stories', and anonymous can't edit. But I still don't want anyone to know who's being so frank. *slinks away*

I think a lot of full on explicit sex scenes (both slash/het) have gotten to be so formula written that I don't find them stimulating in the least. Tab A into Slot B kinda stuff is just boring and I scroll past it honestly.

I enjoy fade to black scenes a lot, mainly because my mind is a sewer and I am quite capable of envisioning the pairing doing filthy things to each other.

I don't read fanfic and "get off", but it does put me in the mood and mindset for sex/masturbation.

Explicit sex in fanfic can definitely turn me on, if a) it's well-written, b) the character chemistry hits the spot for me, and c) I'm in a mood to be turned on at the time.

(If c), I have been known to return to fics I have bookmarked previously.)

Much fic sex doesn't hit the spot for me (and I'll start skim-reading if it feels like a sex scene is there just for the sake of having a sex scene there), but when it does, it really does.

If I comment saying a fic is hot, I do mean I found it sexy; I don't mean that I am necessarily heading bunkwards either then or later (because really, the author doesn't need -- or want -- to know that).

It really does depend on the story. And if it does get me hot, I also say as much in the comment. Why not? I suppose author should know their stuff worked for the readers and it wasn't ass - dick - yawn.

But the story has never gotten me off, yet, ahm. Some stories have, however, inspired a strong need to seek the attention of Mr.C588 immediatelly after reading them. (Wish I'd bookmarked them.) Does that count?

I like NC-17 or R, but again -- it depends on the writer. I don't seek NC-17 for the sake of it. On the other hand, it does not need to be that explicit to have arousing effect. Sometimes it's an innocent enough line that gives me all sorts of ideas.

Not every explicit sex scene turns me on. It must be slash, it should be about characters I know and like (!) and it must be well written in the sense that I can sense the sparks, the attraction between the two men.
If there is kink involved it should be a kink I like, otherwise it's more like an experiment in writing/reading. But there may be surprises. *g*
I think I seek out fanfics for that purpose because if there are a lot of new stories I'll always start with the NC-17 and R-rated stories and only if I still have time I'll read other ratings.
I nearly never read gen because for me an important element is missing in the stories if there isn't a homoerotic element.
And this predeliction for higher rated slash stories never changed - I sort of started reading fanfics for this reason and I still do after ... eight, nine years. *g*

Sex in fanfic turns me on, but ONLY for about one week per month, linked directly to my menstrual cycle. During that time I do actively seek it out. The rest of the time it does nothing for me, and I skim it to get to the emotional porn.

Explicit sex in fanfic turns me on if it's characters who I want to be having sex, and they're doing something that I find stimulating. If it's characters I love in a situation I find boring or unappealing (or even if I don't like their characterization), forget it; if it's characters I'm uninterested in, I'm probably skimming their parts to begin with!

Although every now and again, I'll read just about anything if it's filthy enough in the way I like, heh.

I don't get turned on by it too often. Mostly, it's a fun diversion. As you know, I do like to read slash. Just never been a fan of het stuff. I've read a few that didn't get on my nerves (seriously, why does everyone need to be married?) I don't what it is about the boy on boy action, but it's always been intriguing to me. I know that's not everyone's cuppa, and I'm okay with that. Not a fan of the PWPs either, or crack fic. I don't need graphic details; I've got a pretty good imagination. Also, there are some fics where it's just plain boinking for the sake of it, over and over and over. Not hot. And it gets boring after a while.

That being said, there is some hot sexy stuff out there. Xanthe, Keira Marcos, Wolfshark... my hat's off to those writers who bring it! Then there's the writers who balance out the sex with some old fashioned romance through friendship, and something more emotionally involved.

Gimme some well-written, slashy, angsty, h/c, and I'm all over it. *traipses off to find some*

Hmmm. This is surprisingly difficult to answer. Let me go for the TMI - or was that tl;dr? :D

Fanfic can turn me on like nothing else. (Even my fantasies are basically fanfic, and have been for as long as I can remember. Original stuff only works for me if it plays very strongly to certain archetypes; otherwise it leaves me utterly cold. I nearly always skip sex scenes in original work for that reason.) But it needs to be very specifically tailored to my preferences: characters and pairings I'm strongly attracted to, the chemistry and dynamic between them described exactly as I prefer them. IN addition to that it's not the description of sex that does it for me; and certainly the level of explicitness has no part in it - it's the dynamic. Hence me reading (some) gen as porn and (some) porn as character study. *g*

Edited 2010-02-05 18:58 (UTC)

I was going to comment and add all of these things, but you said it so very well that I'm just going to say, "What she said" and point up.

What she said. *points up*

(I would like to add, though: I find it pretty much impossible to write a sex scene that I don't find hot; I seem to need a confluence of character and situation chemistry and the right mood myownself to write sex in a fic. And I try very hard to avoid the Tab A, Slot B formula when writing. And now this comment is officially into the TMI category.)

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