I had a request for a standalone thread where students could comment on the delivery of "Writing Better Femdom Fiction" class, so here it is.
Any comments NOT related to a specific class topic, so comments on the font size, or length of posts, or required assignments can go here.
Thanks!
PFD
Oz here.
ReplyDeleteThinking about the analogy of BDSM erotica to horror movies (which is a great way to look at it) has made me wonder what counts as a HEA (Happily Ever After) ending in a BDSM erotic novel?
I'm probably overthinking this, but a novel length work should have, I believe. some overarching structure. Narrative tension requires uncertainty--even the most predictable action movie at least gives the impression that the good guys might lose--even if we, as the audience, know that the heroes will snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at the last second.
So... in an erotic BDSM novel, what is the HEA ending? Is it for the submissive to continue to be enthralled by and abused at the whim of the dominant? I would think so, but if that's the case, how do we build tension? What are the other possible outcomes? Do we give the submissive a chance to escape which is cruelly stolen away? Do we hold out the hope that the dominant's feelings might change?
Again, I see the horror movie as a great model. In the penultimate scene we see the hero escaping the monster and getting free of the nightmare, and then, just before the closing credits, the monster reappears and all is lost.
Thoughts?
Ahhh Ozryck, you're well on your way to becoming my top student this go 'round! You've correctly predicted Lesson #8: "Always end with the possibility of more."
ReplyDeleteAt the end of every simple slasher movie, the killer's hand HAS to burst out of his grave one second before the credits roll. If the forgettable kids killed the slasher and then he STAYED dead, the audience would feel sad. Readers enjoy the world of your story, and they want to spend more time in it. Having the killer dead for good robs them of that chance. Bad storytelling.
So how does that translate to femdom fiction? If the husband's choice is let his wife use a strap-on with him or not, he can't have that same debate with her EVERY sequel. The answer is to foreshadow a different but related debate for them to have in the closing moments.
Let's say the first story is all about the husband's choice to let his wife use a strap-on on him or not, a war between his pride and his horniness for that fetish. He finally gives in, his face red and embarrassed as his wife takes him doggy style, as she teases him about how his cock is harder than it's been in years! What can you foreshadow in the closing moments of that story?
A. Wife mentions that her sister might also like a turn at his ass.
B. Wife mentions that she wants to make a video of their new lovemaking style for a website.
C. Wife mentions that she's signed them up for a "learning" vacation, where they and 5 other couples will be taught by expert instructors on the finer points of women-on-men strap-on sex in a group setting!
You don't have to actually write any of these sequels to make the original story work, just HINT at the sequels and foreshadow them in the closing moments of the first story to make that HEA unfold in the readers' minds.
For examples, I do this in Dude Ranch, and in Sex Powers University #1, where the closing pages should set up scenarios that set reader's minds spinning with possibilities.
It's not simple to find related but not copy-cat topics to keep your escalation going in sequels, so you don't actually have to write them. But if you are writing a series like I'm doing with SPU, make sure to follow tip #2 and leave room for escalation. The sub won't have to make the exact same choice, but he can grow and make a related but new one.
Good thoughts!