Argthtjtr

In his answer to my previous question, @Standback distinguishes two types of erotic storyline:

1. stories in which the stakes are romantic or sexual




2. stories in which the stakes are neither romantic nor sexual (e.g. an erotic thriller)

In an erotic novel, where the stakes are romantic or sexual – i.e. the story develops (to use @Standback's examples):

• from the first desire to consummation or


• from loveless sex to romantic love or


• from a lack of sexual experience to sexual empowerment

– what can cause conflict?

It seems to me that the development of a purely erotic plot, that is, a plot where the erotic storyline is not put into the context of a thriller, horror, romance (where a rival or differences in class stand between the lovers), or other non-sexual storyline, must lack all turning points and therefore all suspense.

Like the building of a house, unless you add an earthquake or financial crisis, a purely erotic storyline will unerringly build towards its climax. A purely sexual relationship will turn into love from time spent together alone, if love is at all possible. A person with no sexual experience will gain it if they have sex and nothing can keep that person from acquiring experience. Only the desire for consummation can fail because of one partner's shyness, and then the antagonist is that person's fear. In all other cases:

What causes conflict in a purely erotic storyline?

I'd like to repeat and emphasize that in the context of this question a "purely erotic story" is one where the protagonists aren't hindered from achieving their goals by external obstacles such as rivals or social segregation, as they commonly are in romance novels.

In a "purely erotic story", the obstacles and conflict are erotic or sexual.

(1) from the first desire to consummation or

(2) from loveless sex to romantic love or

(3) from a lack of sexual experience to sexual empowerment

– what can cause conflict?

I think what you need is an alternative to a plotted novel; these are "character-driven" novels, in which a character may not have an antagonist, exactly, except for the difficulties of her world and inability to get exactly what she wants. Over the course of the novel, she develops and becomes different. The reader continues reading, not just for the erotica, but to see what happens to her, usually because they like her and want her to succeed.

1) Going from first desire to consummation doesn't have to be straightforward. Particularly so for males, and particularly so for homosexuals. Even if she and the boy she desires are straight, he may be committed to somebody else (or to his religion). You can introduce problems in this phase. You can introduce problems after this stage; the consummation did not satisfy her, or her partner demanded acts she did not want to perform, or they got caught in the middle and the sex was interrupted.

2) Going from loveless sex to romantic love: Finding a partner that wants more than sex doesn't have to be easy. Or, a conflict from within, a promiscuous character may enjoy the lifestyle and not want to give it up, but also does not want to give up a particular partner.

3) From a lack of sexual experience to sexual empowerment: Another internal conflict. So the MC has a lot of sex with a lot of partners, she's learned to do everything, but she still doesn't FEEL sexually "empowered". She has said "yes" a dozen times and its pretty much always the same few things, oral sex, intercourse, maybe anal sex. After yet another episode of that she decides she doesn't feel "powerful" at all. Guys are as easy as buying groceries, and then the script hardly varies. She gets off, but she's getting bored with that, and boredom can be a source of conflict. She wants an escalation, something more challenging. And that is what the story is about, her finding the sex that rocks her world.

In a character-driven story, the story is about the character and how she feels and how she is changing. What she seeks is internal, not external like a treasure. She is her own antagonist -- By not being satisfied with what she has done, and not knowing what to do next, so she makes missteps and has close calls or disasters or whatever.

So you don't have to have a "bad guy" in the novel, per se, or if you have "bad guys" they can be temporary and not the lethal or life-changing kind of bad.

What you can have is a "character against the world" scenario, like Tom Hanks in Castaway, stranded on an island and trying to escape. She is on her own without help and trying to figure out how to get what she wants, sexually.

You can actually combine those three scenarios into one master.

Act I: From desire to consummation.

Act IIa: Reactive; gaining a lot of random sexual experiences.

Act IIb: Proactive; from randomicity to control and sexual empowerment.

Act 3: Now she knows what she wants: From loveless sex to romantic love; the conclusion.

Allow me to start with conflict. There are authoritative definitions of conflict out there, but let's keep it simple: conflict is an obstacle. Typically, a character has an objective and the obstacles that lie in the way represent the conflict.

Now that we have conflict defined, let's look at a purely erotic storyline.

If I may be so bold, I'll bring forward my own definition: a storyline where the aim is sex. Forget the finer, fuzzy feelings for now: purely erotic = sex. One may claim that romance makes sex more involved and, therefore, more satisfying. However, 'purely erotic' makes those fuzzy feelings become nothing more than a tool to make sex better, because sex is the one and only objective.

So what can cause conflict in a purely erotic storyline? Anything that keeps the characters (mainly the protagonist, but definitely not the only one) from enjoying fulfilling sexual experiences.

Personally, I feel both external and internal obstacles are valid, as well as mixed external and internal.

External: If the female character's goal is to get laid with whomever she fancies but is part of a society where women must be chaste, then she must concoct careful plans to fulfill her goal without being punished for it.

Internal: Let's say a character has been involved in an accident that left them invalid. Perhaps they feel sexually crippled and must learn to accept their limitations while not giving up on sexual bliss, whether there's love involved or not.

External & Internal: A young man's identity was defined by societal rules he fully embraced... until the moment he moved to a different place, with different societal rules, and realised his sexual needs lay outside the accepted in his previous society and within the taboo... which turns out is not a taboo in this different place. It is not simply a matter of society's external imposition, as that society exists elsewhere. The external imposition has become internal as the young man discovers foreign societal rules. The imposition is a part of who he is and he must first of all accept he does not conform to the old imposition, then discover his true sexual identity and finally embrace it.

I'd like to repeat and emphasize that in the context of this question a "purely erotic story" is one where the protagonists aren't hindered from achieving their goals by external obstacles such as rivals or social segregation, as they commonly are in romance novels.

The real problem is touched upon in this sentence: romance novels.

If I may be so bold, one is conditioned from birth to associate 'socially valid sex' and love. Love is one's great aim in life, and you will only find real meaningful sex in the embrace of true love.

Not to be a cynic, but forget all that.

Sex is sex, love is love. Mixing the two can be great, but it does not negate the fact that sex can exist for and by itself while being very gratifying.

If an erotic story ends up in 'the couple lived happily ever after', then it's very likely 'erotic romance' or 'romantic erotica' (my own terminology, here). If one wants to split hairs, there are differences, but it basically boils down to the same: lots of sex that ends up in socially accepted true love. Maybe even kinky sex being rescued and led to the good side. Very likely, the protagonist will realise that sex without love is not as gratifying, or that sex with the same partner becomes even better the moment true love is confessed to.

Don't get me wrong: I see absolutely no problem with mixing erotica and romance. However, it does annoy me that most erotica [I've come across] will inevitably end in happily ever after.

Let's go back to the purely erotic storyline.

It seems to me that the development of a purely erotic plot [...] must lack all turning points and therefore all suspense.

The protagonist wants mind-blowing sex. Whatever stands in their way is conflict. One could have a serial-killer hunted by the most recent Holmesian recreation as the background of such a story, but stopping that evil stock-character is not what is upping the tension. It's the fact that the guy's killing spree is stopping you from having the action you're dying for. Even if you end up with your head nearly chopped off, being rescued by the hottest detective on earth is still not the high point. In fact, the dramatic rescue isn't even close to being a climax because the true conflict isn't whether you'll die or live, but whether you'll get laid or not.

Now, I admit this might sound like the protagonist is a bit obsessed and needs a reality check. Perhaps. But one could come up with a character who enjoys their freedom and simply wants a friendship with benefits. Unfortunately, there are obstacles to connecting with the people who physically attract them. Perhaps they've had a bad experience and fear rejection.

Or maybe the character simply has a high sex drive and wants to find the perfect sexual match. No strings attached.

The point here isn't whether the conflict is external, internal or a mix of the two. The point is the aim of the protagonist / story: what really matters? Great sex.

The turning points for a purely erotic storyline are exactly the same as for any other. Eg.: The protagonist is unhappy with their current sex life. They make an attempt to fix the problem but they fail; double-edged frustration mounts. Then someone takes the first step and things look up... but it was a trap and now the protagonist is being blackmailed. In despair, they miraculously stumble upon someone who's willing to help. At the same time, there's sexual tension and... could this be it? Can the two of them not only save the protagonist's reputation in a puritan society but also find a common interest in acrobatic sex positions?

The tension comes from the exact same source as in every other story: will the protagonist succeed or fail in their search for a purely physical, orgasmical connection?

Competition

Our manly stud has a rival who is equally manly and studly, but downwardly mobile. Rather than being born in the manor, he was relegated to the stables. Wait, did they have the same father? If so they are true equals in one sense. (Or it is reversed and the rival is wealthy.)

Alternately, the innocent lamb is competing against a trampy vixen who knows her way around a man's… um, anatomy. Also can be reversed, but this is unlikely as the protagonist needs to return to innocence.

Holding back

One of the partners is unwilling to commit. Alternately they are unwilling to "release the beast" of true passion.

False pretenses

Someone has been lying. They are not what they seem, or their background would make them an unworthy or unacceptable mate. In a just world this would not be an issue, but (like the stable boy) fate was enacted long ago, and nothing can change that now.

Also, disapproving royal family does not want their bloodline to be compromised by a commoner.

Insincerity

One has been dishonest, but this time it was for calculated reasons. They were in it for financial gain, or deliberately seduced the partner to ruin them. Now feelings are different, but once the truth comes out can the other ever trust them again?

Incest

um… yeah. The heart does not always respect the laws of nature, or society.

Maybe she slept with his brother/father/son/mom that one time. It still crosses the taboo family barrier and the family holidays will be awkward.

In love with someone else

Sex (without love) is like an obsession or a drug. They know it's wrong, and they hate themselves. They even resent the other and try to avoid contact, but when they come together their bodies explode with fire and passion that their "nice" partners would never know.

Unlike a rival, the innocent-party is unaware of the relationship happening under their nose. They are a best friend or mentor, or a publicly respected figure who is morally superior to both of them.

I'd like to frame-challenge this notion of a "purely erotic story." What is that? As with a romance, your work as a writer is to delay your characters' mutual bliss, and you're welcome to use any narrative tools available to do so.

It's quite possible for there to be satisfying narratives where the obstacles are entirely internal and/or psychological. But this doesn't making them somehow "more pure" than any other kind of narrative.

As far as what you're talking about, the closest I've seen to this kind of a book is André Aciman's Enigma Variations, about a man whose erotic fixation is always on his next lover, and never on the one with whom he is currently with. But again, the fact that his challenges to happiness are purely psychological doesn't make this different in any essential way from any other book.