Well, I know we just had a talk similar to this the other night, and while I was telling that same story to two other people I used that same phrase again... "I write gay porn"

Thing is, I don't actually believe that. I think I said it for effect mostly. In fact, I'd be rather upset and hurt if anyone thought that what I write is porn. I've even argued this same point before. Just cause it contains sex, doesn't make it porn.

I'm gonna go with gay romance...

Romance sounds good enough, but there are some stories that don't fit snuggly into that genre. I had a friend once that used the phrase Gay Affirmitive Fiction. I kinda like the sound of that, however lofty in its goal.

This debate has gone on in other threads. I have no shame in saying I write smut or porn, fiction basically meant to arouse, though only one such story is here in eFiction, and only 5% of the actual stuff. Having gotten no feedback, I felt no incentive going through the annoying process of translating it all. My particular thing is that it deals with fetish activities, so the arousal won't be obvious for all, since non-sexual behaviors for some will be a great turn-on for others.

I've enjoyed reading others' smut fiction; the challenge is to create good characters and have them go at it without being boring or repetitive. The initial situation might be silly, but then you have to pull your characters through. The erotica VS. porn debate always leaves me puzzled. To me, you've got well written stories and the rest; then, the themes and topics discussed won't appeal to everybody. What I read from you is fiction with sex scenes, which does not equate the above quoted genres, since you have tons of fiction nowadays that has sex scenes in it, without being labeled erotica or porn.

Hmmmm... You sure do raise interesting points...

In my opinion, I use the "movie guideline". If the movie is primarily intended to be sexual, then it's porn. If however, the sex is just integral the the plot, then it isn't.

My own opinion is (and this is even more critical for text than for movies); It it's not unique or different, why bother?

I once saw a story on Nifty. It made me laugh, so I read a few chapter. I wasn't laughing at humor, I was laughing at the author. Out loud.

The author had written two or three sex scenes, and cut-and-pasted them throughout his story. Typos and all, over and over again.

In any case, I think one issue here is individual tastes; the author isn't going to please everyone. Some readers like a lot of sex, some don't. The same applies to movies; everyone has different tastes. In the final analysis, the one person the author has to please is themselves. THEY need to like the end product of their labors, so they need to do it as they see fit.

I have a much narrower view of what constitutes porn than that provided in the dictionary. Videos, mags, books are porn when the sole issue dealt with is sex. There are no cliffhangers in porn. The plot is about having sex or displaying sex. Character development is set around likes and dislikes of sex. There's no love or romance in porn. There's no intimacy in porn. When purchasers buy porn, they already know how the story/film will end. In porn, the climax is always a climax. No one buys Playboy or Playgirl for the "articles". They want pics of beautiful naked people. There's no mystery. They bought it solely for sexual gratification.

Pardon me for providing an example. Deep Throat was one of the first feature length porn films that actually had a plot and a script, too! What was that plot? The starlet could not seem to enjoy normal intercourse. Arrangements were made to bring in all sorts of male studs in an attempt to gratify her. None of that worked. She goes to a doctor. The doctor examines her and then informs her that her clitoris is in her throat. Guess what happens next? The ironic thing about that movie was that it had more dick than I've ever seen in a gay porn flick...and just one starlet.

Stories here at GA are not porn. Not even close.

We are sexual beings. It's one of the ways we express ourselves. It's the most intimate act between two people who care about each other.

I completely understand when authors are 'reluctant' to write sexual scenes into their stories. Why? I believe it's because of the intimacy they associate with sex. Maybe it's just good old performance anxiety. Nothing to be ashamed of there.

Conner

To be porn it has to lack creative intent. Which means that if you have some sort of plot or story line or development that over powers or off sets the sex scenes then it isn't pornography. It is just graphic as with anything else that has some sort of sex or graphic scenes. It is only Pornography when the sex is the centeral and finishing issue of the story.

Krista