Who do you imagine, if you do that? http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092 Coffeedrinker Do you imagine particular people? Or is it more along specific physical qualities? What kind of physique do you incorporate into your erotica? I am asking because I've just read the n-th erotic story with descriptions which actually tend to turn me off rather than on: stereotypal heavily muscled, very tall, ribbed bodybuilder looks, broad shoulders, broad muscled back, arms like trunks, fiery dark eyes and hair (or the Californian sunnyboy variant), usually smooth-shaven and hairless on the chest, manly brow, nose and jaws with a full set of large white teeth... and also always described in detail. I like broad shoulders, yes, but while I find a height of around 6" or so enticing, above is unpractical, and below may also be really nice depending on body type. I have a penchant for slim, bony guys with very narrow hips and a certain way of moving, I like balanced looks rather than ultra-male ones and detest a mass of muscle. Ribbed bellies do nothing for me, I am a throat and line of jaw person instead, and I like both a bit and much hair. I like imperfections, a crooked tooth, maybe half a finger missing, something else not perfect. So you can imagine that in each case of a writer juicing her story up with descriptions of male beauty ideals which I find actual turn offs she loses me right at the starting gate. Sometimes - once they get the descriptions over with right at the start - these authors will never refer to it again, which enables me to fill my own ideas in. Others however keep pounding the descriptions (did I say I hate descriptions of ribbed bodies?) into one's mind without cease. What do you like? What do you prefer to read? And what do you write? Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:14:04 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_319805 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_319805 Soluna Oddly (?) I don't imagine the men, even if I describe them. I will be doing a bit of describing in this next one, as it is D/s and I want to give a whole image of dominance. I do have a definite image for the women, but the men, in my mind at least, are hazy. In most of my stories, they are incidental. :O Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:59:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_320625 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_320625 Coffeedrinker Well, you can turn this into typical female descriptions as well (which so far either were "babe" or "smart city girl"), and describe where yours drop in. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:14:30 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_320929 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_320929 Coffee and Gumption I write from an LGBT angle, but for the purposes of liking/reading/writing men: I like (for myself) people like Russel Crowe, Michael Clark Duncan, etc. I like broad shoulders, and muscular chests, but I don't like it when torsos dwindle into small abs, and small backsides. I pretty much want them to look like I've fed them well-- but it could be a barrel of muscle, ya never know-- ;) I prefer to read: Men of any type. Make him add something to the MC's life that pushes him/her/hir/ze/etc. into loving itself even more, and if the story is written well enough I will probably be more drawn to people his size in the future because they remind me of him. What I write: Looks tend to depend on the culture/period/plot. I've been conscious of editors calling for the hunky hunky male model types, but I'd like to do more to allude to the possibility of it, rather than say that's how the guy is. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:48:19 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_321583 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_321583 Coffeedrinker So would you say it's the publishers who ask for those stereotype? I haven't had that happen to me so far, but then I write pretty far out in the left field anyway. Why then is this done in just about any field of the genre? And just to throw this in, I absolutely ADORE the way Dick Francis usually describes his MMCs, I've a soft spot for jump-jockeys and the fact that they are more resilient and stronger than most hunkier men. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:05:52 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_321969 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_321969 Janeway Have to admit, because of all the fan fiction, they always bear a striking resemblance to Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay. I did listen toi an audiobook recently and the MMC had a moustache and every time it was mentioned that the hair on his moustache tickled her or whatever, I just closed my ears. I don't like moustaches. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:04:29 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_323411 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_323411 Coffee and Gumption [quote=Coffeedrinker] So would you say it's the publishers who ask for those stereotype? I haven't had that happen to me so far, but then I write pretty far out in the left field anyway. Why then is this done in just about any field of the genre?[/quote] I said: "...I've been conscious of editors calling for the hunky hunky male model types..." and that's true. Some do. Some of the ones who are open to new, un-agented, authors, [call for "hunky, hot"] and so I listen. That's as far as my statement was intended to go. I'm not commenting on any genre's publication industry as a whole. I am just aware that if I want to submit to some publishers, I should be aware that the male presence they desire leans toward a particular mold. Also-- they don't necessarily say "male model," but it feels like the cover art they use infers it, as most males depicted on their covers look like they were traced off of a men's health magazine. As an aside: Something I'm a little concerned about is whether cover artists will pay attention to the physical descriptions I use, including size, culture, etc. Something that brought this to mind the other day was Loose Id's "content" category on their website, it's called "Big and Beautiful," and yet NONE of the titles in their library (four pages of cover art) contain a cover that depicts anyone of size, at all. Of course I wouldn't allow it to affect what I'd write, but it sure makes you feel like writing slender little FMC's and hulking muscular male partners is one sure way to give your characters a fighting chance at matching the cover art. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:14:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_325166 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_325166 Coffeedrinker Oyeh. Don't start me on cover art, most of which is rather something to keep me from buying than doing so. As to what I said, I've read some five or six dozen books within the genre the past months, from British and American authors, and the ribbed, huge hunk seems to be a staple. Which makes you wonder who is streamlining what there. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:32:07 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_325688 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_325688 Voirey-Linger I don't imagine any one person or body type. All my characters look very different. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:39:35 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_325890 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_325890 SweaterGrrrl "Something I'm a little concerned about is whether cover artists will pay attention to the physical descriptions I use" The short answer is: no. The reason? The cover art is usually already done, and the publisher picks from the top of the pile. Seriously, it's true for most of the major paperback publishers. That's why the cover model could be bare-chested when he has a hairy chest on the page, or why the raven-haired beauty you read about has blonde hair on the cover. And the author (unless you are already a well-known best-seller) has no advance notice. Disheartening, huh? Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:43:40 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_325999 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_325999 toofrailathread For myself I like solid but slim guys. Slender waist, broad shoulders, black hair is a definite plus, so are glasses. I don't do meat-heads, I like nerdy guys, bright, and maybe just a little awkward. But I have been writing blond heroes who are actually... hunky by necessity. I've got an airship pirate, two cowboys and a gym teacher in the air right now. But I did work in an 1870's nerdy type, who is a little closer to what I'm actually into for one of my characters . Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:45:34 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_326050 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_326050 Coffeedrinker Nerdy I get, and glasses, yessss, can be quite nice ;-) But why "hunky by necessity"? Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:54:53 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_326290 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_326290 Coffee and Gumption LOL -- trying to write for that sounds daunting. "Her hair was a glimmering waterfall of lightly dark neutral..." Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:06:14 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_326594 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_326594 Coffee and Gumption The necessity of their occupation. Like if you write about a farm hand... he's probably not going to look like a little hipster. :) Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:12:22 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_326771 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_326771 toofrailathread bingo. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:23:58 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327079 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327079 Lunacy For women, those with a full figure. Fat, some might say. I have never imagined a rake-thin woman - they always have thighs, butt and a proper belly. I have written about thin women, but somehow they gain extra thirty pounds in my mind. For men... I really don't know! O_o It varies; some are bony, some are muscular, and then sometimes I have really plump men. Collar bones and hips are important for me; I seriously adore it if a man has feminine hips, and if a woman has a lot of butt, I adore it, too. I'm not too fond of muscle or an athletic body. The "imaginary" women are similar to my taste of women in general; I personally don't find skinniness attractive (much like some don't find plump women attractive). My taste of men has always been trickier, varying from girly glam rock boys to scary-looking, bearded viking-like black metal men. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:35:56 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327384 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327384 Janeway The men never look like they have been body-building. They have pretty hairless chests and nice butts. I have a hip fetish so I always think of their hips. Dark hair and dark eyes are my usual MCs. Women are usually slim but not overly thin. Regular sized breasts ( B to C cup) with no silicone. They always still have some neat pubic hair (No shaven looks for me). And everybody always has an innie belly button. I think that's cos I have one. I know that's a weird thing to say but I think I just forget that some people have outie ones. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:43:40 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327571 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327571 Coffeedrinker I just know none like that (and live in a village and with one person in the household who works on a farm as well), so that didn't really follow for me. ;-) But yes, it would be a good excuse for muscle. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:51:58 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327777 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327777 Coffeedrinker I love your taste in women! Absolutely! Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:53:11 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327807 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327807 Coffee and Gumption That's the point though, the occupation is not an excuse for muscle, it's the necessity. You inadvertently become stronger and more muscular because of the work involved, and the more specialized you are, the less likely your size would remain small, and the less believable a character would be, written to seem like his body doesn't match his years in the position, unless you want it so badly you make a point of his metabolic issues, or other justification :) Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:42:57 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_329145 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_329145 Coffee and Gumption Yes! I want my FMC to be fat and fantastic-- I am just not sure I can do it with regard to her work and the period. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:44:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_329188 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_329188 andresanthomas I like to find someone that is my character. Either something about their style or look or personal characteristics will speak to me. I can make them younger, older, blonder, darker, whatever, but it gives me a visual then I can describe them. For example, last year's Nano was Rodger (the rather hen pecked husband of Rachel Zoe) in a total about face. In my story, he's the pulled together dominant. The subby girl is Sara Rue. In another story, I've got Natalie Portman and Alyssa Milano and Ali Larter (although all of them lot younger than they are now). And I'm totally fixated on Rachel Bilson! She's exactly the girl in my current WIP. So much so that I have to watch her rather soap opera-ish show that airs every Monday night on the CW. I had her character written for several weeks when I saw a trailer with her in it and had to look her up. I also find clothing online and use it to describe what they're wearing to the ball. I'll find the house that they live in and move it from the mountains to the beach or the east to the west. Things like that can go a long way to helping you paint the visual picture for the reader. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:10:54 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_329848 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_329848 andresanthomas Oh, and to how much I describe them depends on the story. I've got some where there's been a lot of detail and some where there's next to no physical description. It just depends on what fits, but I still usually have someone in mind before the end of the writing process. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:14:02 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_329912 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_329912 Coffee and Gumption That sounds like a lot of fun. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:32:50 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_330324 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_330324 Coffeedrinker No silicone, normal breasts and pubic hair is important for me as well. I like a more natural look. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:36:21 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_330409 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_330409 Coffeedrinker I actually do the last parts as well. It does help with visualising! Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:40:54 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_330531 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_330531 lionofthenorth Agreed with many here. I definitely have people in mind for my characters, often I'll even keep pictures handy just to spur my imagination. But the amount of description varies from story to story. And I'm never detailed enough that the reader would be able to guess who the inspiration behind it is. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:37:50 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_335166 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_335166 Dragon Gate I'm right there with you. I prefer skinnier guys myself, and the standard hunk is just so common he doesn't do much for me and perfection makes them seem unreal, you know. Unless they have a mole or a weird scar or something, I have a hard time relating to them, you know? I think you'd like the characters I'm writing: three out of four are thin. I really think people should write what they like, and be able to read what they like. I'm sure there's a market for "slim, bony guys." I'd read it before Mr. Rippling Muscles hands down! Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:21:00 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_352472 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_352472 Coffeedrinker ;o) Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:42:56 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_353018 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_353018 Saker Pup Collar bones: Unf. Totally. I like scarecrow boys with fucked up hair, boys who look like girls, girls who can pass for boys, also very curvy girls (I'm complex or something and generally no help whatsoever in these sorts of discussions, other than to stand as someone who says "If you write it, someone, somewhere, will get off on it"). Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:19:36 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_363383 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_363383 calenlily My girls always have long hair, and a lot of them are thin and small-breasted. Apart from that, they're all over the place. The guys, on the other hand... If you look at the guys in my stories it becomes extremely clear that I have a type. Nearly all of them are tall, slim but solid (and I'll take a twig over a bodybuilder any day), clean-shaven, and have reasonably long, often wavy, dark hair. And that same set of characteristics is what I'm most attracted to in real life. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:26:02 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1102101 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1102101 Maydeleh What does she do, and when is she? Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:18:01 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1117674 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1117674 Maydeleh Hah--I'm all over the place. But then, I'm the one who can fantasize about any of the men on Criminal Minds, so, you know, I've got some range. (Only Penelope works for me among the girls.) Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:22:41 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1117688 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1117688 ashleynichols I hate watching heterosexual sex, and I dislike writing it as well. Yet there's a very strong sexual dynamic between a female character and her male partner in my current WIP. Most of their interactions focus on bondage/painplay/stuff vanilla folk would consider foreplay, rather than traditional sex. I enjoy reading M/M scenes and love writing them. Lord knows I've read enough Draco/Harry smut. I orient as lesbian though so some might find it weird that I never write lesbian characters. My attitude on that is: been there, done that, licked the envelope so why include it in my fiction. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:32:18 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1139046 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1139046 dancer_kirsten My males tend to be of the lanky kind. Not skinny, and they are fit with some muscles, but not the body building type. I have a total fascination for biceps though ... Also, they are never over-endowed, medium sized being the best I tend to give them. ;) As for the females, they have been slender so far, about a size 6 I'd say, but they are small breasted and definitely all natural. Bikini lines are trimmed, but not totally Brazilian. Actually, upon reading this, I realise that my characters tend to be pretty mediocre, really. How boring ... LOL Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:53:36 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1167459 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1167459 MrZiggles Female: Long hair. Physically fit. Breasts that are average-sized or larger. No implants. Brunettes and redheads more than blondes, but it's not a law. Male: Short hair, nice muscles in an athletic way, not a body builder way. And well-endowed. Ha. Both: i don't really care about height, as long as it's not freakish in either direction. I'm an average looking person, and reading erotica about me doesn't seem sexy at all. I much prefer to read about good looking people. Same goes for writing. Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:40:56 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1203659 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1203659 Einna Auruan What I like, prefer to read, and prefer to write is pretty much the same across the board. Men - I like older guy, 6'+ and refined. A guy who knows how to take control but not an abuser. In younger guys I kinda like the slimmer, geeky guys or average, slightly shy guys. The cocky hunks drive me mental. I like dark haired guys, or those with greying/grey hair, but I'm not fussy. Girls - I don't care so much about physical appearance or age, but when I fantasize about a girl it's about a sense of humour, wit, creativity and a playful passion. My own age I guess, and I still like dark hair, but whilst I want guys to be stronger than me, I want a girl I can be equal with. Just me. Mon, 07 May 2012 14:13:12 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1350320 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1350320 Harlow See, ideally, I like muscled men. Not body-builder dude with all sorts of muscles, but well muscled guys. Skinny boys turn me off COMPLETELY. Hipster-skinny guys make me want to vomit. I like for my FMC to feel like she's holding the guy and feel steady, not like she's going to break dude in two. So, for me, Men - Some hair on the chest, arms and legs, black hair, though brown works, somewhat muscular and built. Too muscular is gross and too skinny isn't something that I find to be too masculine. I want for him to be broader than my female character. Currently, My MMC favors Antonio Cupo. Women - around US Size 8-14, Wide hips, very round breasts, some pubic hair, though I don't freak out if she doesn't have any at all. I don't have any real preference with the woman, but she has to look healthy-ish unless otherwise specified. Mon, 07 May 2012 22:16:50 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1351836 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1351836 Argentum What do you like? I've actually never made a list, but it would be extensive. Never bothered since there is zero correlation between 'ideal physical characteristics' and the guys I end up being most attracted to. Plus those ideal physical characteristics contradict each other; I like slender young men with effeminate beautify, and I like large, powerful men who don't know the meaning of vulnerability. What do you prefer to read? I prefer to read good writing, which I firmly believe can make any body type attractive. This is because attraction between characters has less to do with the object's traits and more to do with the subject's individual tastes and desires. I mean this not just about physical traits, either... personally, I'm attracted to intelligence and quick humor and excellence in obscure fields, but I'm happy to read about a close-minded, too-serious average joe if another character is believably attracted to him. Good writing has, on occasion, made me appreciate excessive loyalty, women, dreaminess, and long hair, none of which I find particularly arousing in real life. Attraction is about the interactions and power dynamics between two (or more) people, not about the separate descriptions of all those involved. And what do you write? Not a lot, actually ... just getting into erotica. I have no idea if a pattern will emerge. Wed, 09 May 2012 14:59:48 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1356239 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1356239 Kenouni Renashin [quote=Maydeleh] Hah--I'm all over the place. But then, I'm the one who can fantasize about any of the men on Criminal Minds, so, you know, I've got some range. (Only Penelope works for me among the girls.) [/quote] Yes. This, but I do love JJ <3 Although recently, all the men in the world have been replaced by Tom Hiddleston. Or, if he really does have muscles, then Chris Hemsworth. (I'm not an Avengers fan, honest.) ~ Ken-Ren Sat, 12 May 2012 06:08:15 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1363102 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/erotic-fiction/threads/16092?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1363102