Bored by the pr0n

[wiseheart]

No, really! Those who read my stories know that I have no problems with slash *points at icon empathically*. I don't even have a problem with the occasional, well written explicit stuff, if it serves the plot in any way. I'm known to have written my fair share of smut, almost exclusively the slash version.

What does bother me, though, is the renewed tendency of stuffing every story with explicit stuff - pardon the pun. Especially does it bother me in otherwise wonderfully written stories where the constant smutty interludes distract the reader from the actual plot. The Sherlock fandom in particular drives me mad with this tendency. Granted, I don't ship Johnlock - for me, their deep friendship is much more interesting, and frankly, male friendship disturbing the marriage because hubby has more in common with his old friend than with his new wife is a phenomenon as old as marriage itself, without the need of the two guys doing the nasty. I knew women who tried to drive away the friends of their husbands out of jealousy and vice versa. Plenty of food for drama there.

But let's say that I accept Johnlock, which is fairly inevitable nowadays, due to the shitty job the Moftiss have done with Mary. Do I really have to dig myself through 20 or so paragraphs of fairly unimaginative description of which tab went into which slot and in what manner? Just to get to the parts that would actually move the plot forward? Frankly, I am not even interested in an imaginative description of two guys going for it when it delays the point of finding out what the actual story is about.

There are PWPs, which are an independent genre. One can choose to read them; there is nothing wrong with that. I like me some smut on occasion, too. But I would also like to be able to read a family drama or an adventure without all the bedroom gymnastics. There are some very good parentlock stories that I enjoy very much - until the plot gets dropped every other chapter to demonstrate us hoe Guy-on-Guy action works. I already know that, thanks. The mechanics really aren't that complicated. So, why can't we let them go to the bedroom and close the door without watching them through the keyhole. Every. Single. Time.

Folks, it is BORING. And a lot of these stories are otherwise brilliant and deserve better.

Comments

[shimere277.livejournal.com]

I had the same issue as a writer. I got bored with writing sex scenes because the mechanics are pretty standard. I'm more interested in the psychology of seduction, and these days, I'll often imply sex or not dwell on it in favor of moving the plot along. As a reader, I like it if it's a payoff emotionally. A lot of times, if it just feels like it's there for the sake of being there, I skim over it in favor of getting back to the story.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

The same is true to me, on both occasions. Sometimes I have to skim over half the chapter, and then look for the spot where the actual story continues; it is such a bother.