Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Fluff or Angst?

Fluff or angst? That's the question on my mind today.

By fluff I don't mean poorly written, chick lit wannabe, decoration only stories. I mean sweet romance full of "aww moments". (I'm not saying all "chick lit" is bad.)

I have come to terms with being an angst writer. I can hear you groaning. I admit sometimes I go a little overboard and there have been times I've wanted to slit my characters' wrists for them. I like to hurt my boys. I like to make the reader cry.

Don't look at me like I'm heartless. I give them time to lick their wounds and I give the reader "aww moments", because I think those things are needed. I think the angst makes the "aww moments" more powerful.

Nearly every character I create has some kind of issue that will never be solved. There are plenty of things that will be solved in the story; however, we all have psychological damage that will haunt us for the rest of our lives and I think fictional characters should mimic that.

As an erotica writer, one particularly devilish thing I like to do is give a character a sexual hang-up. (I also give them fetishes, but that's for another post.) In "Full Circle" there is a character with heavy sexual hang-ups, but he's one of my UST (unresolved sexual tension) characters. "Full Circle" didn't lend itself to making him squirm and I'm not going to hammer something into a story simply because I want to see it there.

My favorite sexual hang-up to write is shame. I love characters whose backgrounds make them fight their natural needs. Then, I pair them with someone they can't resist. I use the sex to help work away from the shame. They'll never become full-blown exhibitionists, but they'll be damn sexy as they squirm.

Forbidden desires are particularly hot to me. Perhaps that's due to my own background. They way I see it is – as long as I write, I don't need a therapist. Snicker.

My question for those of you who write is: do you write fluff or angst and why? Does this match what you prefer to read?

For those of us who don't write, but contribute to the world of literature by being precious readers – which do you prefer to read and why?

Warning: Today's "Post of the Day" is rated M for mature. Reader discretion is advised.

The "Word of the Post" comes from the Grandiloquent Dictionary and should be of particular interest to kink writers *cough*Kay*cough*

vapulate - ( )
To beat with a whip

Oh, Mark, dear….

~~~

Mark twisted his wrists and the restraining leather creaked. The crack of the whip sliced his ears. Sting pierced his skin leaving a pulsing heat behind. The crowd gasped both in sympathy and condemnation. Already vapulated until his skin was broken and blood trickled down his sundered back, he knew his punishment wasn't over. He had a few more lashes to go.

He didn't wonder why he was tied to this post in town square. Seducing the lord's son came with a heavy price. The question foremost in Mark's mind was a personal one. Why was this turning him on?

The next lash unleashed something inside him. His mind went blank. A blinding whiteness claimed his vision. His seed spread between his body and his pants. He now had a new question: what was his punisher's name and could they do this in a more private setting?

9 comments:

KMFrontain said...

Oh, my. He's going to be interesting to follow, the character from the excerpt that is.

I agree with you. Angst makes the "aw" moments, or what I call the "win" moments, better. Even Jonathan Livingston Seagull was full of angst.

And what's a bird got to do with whipping some guy, you ask?

Hmm. I'll just ask myself that whilst smacking this here seagull around.

Nope. Doesn't do a thing for me. ;-)

I guess the only thing in common between that novella and your excerpt is the use of angst.

Tami P said...

Oh by all that is holy, that was HOT.... lol

Love it.

I write a mix of both fluff and agnst. I feel angst makes for the emotional payoff to be greater.

Just read Karen's response.. yes agreed 100%

Tami P said...

You know, Karen... just a quick secondary thought... 'slapping the seagull' can be fun. ;o

KMFrontain said...

If we want to be perfectly evil, we could slap a hamster as well.

Ok. I'll stop now. :grin:

Actually, I'm a bird lover.

No. I'm stopping. Really.

(Yes, but hamsters are cute.)

Tami P said...

Oh we won't even go there with hampsters, Karen. Remembering some very wicked things read on that subject. Shudders. Don't even THINK about it Cupie. LOL

LOL@bird lover. That's not nearly as bad as my saying I'm a horse lover. Depending on the circles that can draw some really awkwards glances.

What'd they say about Catherine the Great's lover? He fell on her because his reins were too tight.

Neighhhhhhhhh.

IM Cupnjava said...

"Don't even THINK about it Cupie."

*innocently blinking* Who me?

*hides document*

W-W-Whatever are you talking about?

Karen: The smacked seagull saved by his lover the hamster. Now THERE'S some angst with a "win" moment payoff.

Snicker.

I'm glad you liked the snipet.

Tami: XD Enjoyed Mark's public appearance, huh? Snicker. Good to know.

Do blend fluff and angst well. Your sense of humor carries in your writing nicely. I'm glad to have met you so early in my writing career.

Bernita said...

A good question.
Don't think my characters do the full frontal on awww and angst. They are rather reserved. Some touching moments, maybe. Will have to think about this.

Shesawriter said...

Oh, my goodness. I AM an angst writer. An incurable one. And I'm also unrepentant! LOL!

IM Cupnjava said...

Nice to meet you, Shesawriter!

*locks arms*

Angst writers need to stick together. There's nothing wrong with hurting sexy men, because the healing process is so DAMN sexy!