I see on a lot of book blogging sites many female readers are enjoying M/M erotica. It is currently one of the fastest growing markets.
But why?
Do any of you readers out there enjoy M/M erotica? If yes why?
If you don't why?
Have you read any of it to give it a try?
I've read some. I have to say that the M/M stuff that's written by women is much more appealing to me as a woman that any M/M erotica written by a man. Something about the M/M stuff I've read by men squicks me out. Gay men have a totally different view on M/M action which is fine but for me as a woman I like a woman's point of view better. The writing is more sensual.
It's pretty much the same with straight fiction. Men and women write differently even when writing in the same genre. There are tells in the way words are phrased or the way something is described. Sometimes a simple detail will give it away.
I like reading books by women and 99% of the time I can tell when a book has been written by a man- and this is without ever looking at the author's name or any info about the writer.
What do you think? Can you tell if an author is male or female by the writing alone?
And if you have read M/M fiction do you see a big difference between male and female writers?
And since we're talking about M/M erotic and romantic fiction I'd like to introduce you to one of Fang-tastic Books sponsors for September and October- Dreamspinner Press.
Dreamspinner Press publishes only M/M fiction.
If you are a fan I would suggest checking them out- they have a pretty large selection.
Through September and October I will be showcasing some of their new releases that have a paranormal or fantasy slant to them.
I hope you enjoy. I think I'll be giving a few of the books a try and see what I'm missing.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
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10 comments:
Women liking m/m erotica is something that I do not get and that I've wondered about for a long time. I myself like my erotica f/m (and exclusive at that too).
That being said: I certainly do not mind if a character in a book is gay and romance is part of the plot (The last Herald mage trilogy is among my favourite re-reads) but m/m (or f/f for that matter) erotica just doesn't float my boat so to speak.
I like m/m erotica. I'm a gay man and a writer. But it makes me happy to see that gay romances and erotica are becoming more mainstream and women are reading. I know I read straight romances for years, since it was what was available.
I think it's wonderful that romances and erotica are now available in all flavors- something for everyone.
I just don't get why women enjoy m/m. I want to know the appeal. I want to understand it so perhaps I can write it better.
I have recently tried writing some m/m and find it difficult to write-simply because I don't have the anatomy or experience to put m/m together so I just imagine.
I have written a lot of f/f stuff so I can imagine what feels good and what parts go together even if I haven't experienced it myself- at least I know the anatomy.
My hand shoots up into the air, and Roxanne calls on me. "Yes, Witchy, you have something to say on the matter-please go on."
WW: I don't actively go out to buy M/M stories, but I've won some/reviewed some. In my case, I can relate to M/M romance stories, because #1 it's still romance (about characters falling in love) and #2 it's about the male physique and since I'm a F married to a M, I relate to the physical descriptions. I think any author, who has a great writing voice-can interest a reader-regardless of the type of book they've written. My preference is romantic suspense M/F stories, but great authors have moved me with other subgenres and other types of reads, be it historical M/F, erotica M/F/M, F/F, or any other combination. It's all in plot and writing. You can win me over...if you can write.
As for males writing M/M, my sister reviewed one written by a male that was terrible, yet I won a M/M written by a man...but he can write. So you see...it boils down to writing ability. (That's been my experience.)
This is a topic that generates lots and lots and lots of discussion online - for example, Jill Sorensen's guest post at ReadReactReview last month.
I have switched to reading m/m romance exclusively. My reasons are varied. I find men sexy. I became frustrated by the power imbalances in het romance and the preponderance of TSTL heroines. While I recognize that there are power imbalances in all relationships, whatever genders are involved, I perceive a relationship between two men as starting from a more equal place, in society's eyes. And I find that I can relate better to the guys in m/m romances than I generally can to the women in het romances.
If you don't find reading m/m romances to be sexy and enjoyable, I'd recommend not writing them...
I'm so glad you asked this questions. Mostly because I've found in the last few months in particular, I've been reading a lot of M/M Romance/Erotica. And I've even wondered about why so much of the genre is written by women. I guess for me, the reason I enjoy it the way I do is that I still get the romance and relationship building that I want and expect from a romance but there's more passion/pain/heart-wrenching emotion in a relationship that is still viewed by so much of the world as deviant. Most of what I've read has been written by women, but I've read a couple by men and while I enjoyed them, there was enough differences that I could tell that they were written by a man. Those written by women were more "romantic", but those written by men felt more authentic in the challenges and emotions.
It's not that I don't enjoy it on a whole, I have read some that I enjoyed (written by women). I guess I just don't get the attraction or appeal. As a hetero woman I like my men to be men- and to like women.
I love the male physique, the male form and love for men to be with women and find men with other men to be not as appealing- however I do agree with witchy woman if the writing is good- doesn't matter it's all about the love story.
Brokeback Mountain made me cry because I got it, I got the love, the loss, the pain. My husband wouldn't even watch it because it was "gay". I got the love story. If I could find a good m/m erotic story that portrayed that emotion along with the sex- then I could undertsand the appeal. So far I just haven't found that in a m/m erotica piece.
I do have to admit that the barely there connection of erotic interludes between Butch and V in BDB books- hot so freakin hot and then also in the BDB books the m/m storyline between Blay and Quinn...the last book about broke my heart with those two.
"I like my men to be men- and to like women."
Wow...I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. WTF does that mean?
I like reading M/M romances, because I like the male body and wow, there are two of them. Now, that's even better.
I have a gay vampire in my books, and one day he'll get his own love story and his own book. I now just have to talk to all my gay friends (luckily I live in San Francisco), and make sure I get it all right.
Tina Folsom
http://www.tinawritesromance.com
Oh that's so weird! I like MY men to be men-- and to love MEN! (Well, not MY man in particular... but the men I write about in general...)
For me, the attraction is a couple of things--one, like Chris mentioned, is the social equality. The other thing (and this is subtler and I'll probably make a hash out of explaining it) is that women very often dismiss male behavior as, "Oh, you know, boys will be boys!"
That "boys will be boys" behavior-- tussling physically instead of exchanging snotty barbs, being frank about physical facts like taking a leak or having gas, being fascinated by combat simulations like sports or computer games-- this is a whole other mysterious language that just BEGS to be decoded. This is a language put together by people who aren't allowed to discuss emotions at the risk of not being considered (you just said it yourself) men. Finding the heart of that language, having two people explain it to each other... that's just a lovely experience.
And, yes, hot male bodies are a plus--but they're not the only one.
And yes--I do love writing hetero sex, and menage (mostly m/m/f) as well. But it's all about deciphering the heart of the language that pumps in us all.
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