This is a spicy burrito (promotion)

BOMB 2021-09-04 20:56:42 UTC #1

Alright, this is a question for any authors or artists who create mature content. I personally never shy away from writing sex scenes, blood, gore, profanity, driking, or the like. That in mind, I'm always aware of two things, two different kind of people

There are some people who love that stuff. They know the world is a f***ed up place, so to leave out the mature stuff seems inauthentic to them. The mature stuff makes it more fun, more relatable, and adds depth. Mature content can make an otherwise childish story into something that speaks to the reality of the world.
There are some people who hate that stuff. They might understand that the world is a f***ed up place, but they believe literature should be better than reality even at the cost of realism if need be. Controlling or limiting mature content brings greater morality to the story. Limiting the 18+ stuff makes the story more professional because it shows you can tell a good story without shock value or sex.

I try to walk the careful line of inclusion without grandizing. For instance, I'll write in a sex scene, but rarely will I let it take up an entire chapter. Still I feel I probably lean more towards group 1 in terms of what I write, and what I read. Personally, I think of mature content such as sex and violence as layers. Stories are built on layers, and I never want to be too afraid to peel one back. (Plus I think I can write a relatively good implied sex scene, and a bad ass action scene. So there's no way I could avoid them completely.)

My question is, who do you think you worry about more, group 1 or group 2? Do you savor those gritty shameless moments in your work, or do you keep them to a minimum? Do you think you would have more readers if you included more adult content or less?

Which side of the line are you on, and is that where you want to be?

I'm going to promote 2 stories I feel highlight this specific topic.

And

Toastbuster 2021-09-04 21:29:45 UTC #2

I don’t really worry about it one way or the other. I make it clear from the start that my novel contains mature elements. If that’s not you’re kind of thing, don’t read it. I’m not going to go out of my way to make something as detailed/gross as I possibly can, but if a scene calls for something brutal to happen, I’m not beating around the bush. For me this is more for violence/gore, as that’s just a natural byproduct of the story I’m telling. It’s a violent world heavily centered around war and fighting, so naturally it’s gonna get intense. I have yet to incorporate any sex scenes in there, so I haven’t really thought much about that one. It’s really not a ‘sexy’ story, though there may be a few implied scenes in the future. I think it’d be more fun to let the reader use their imagination a bit in those instances though lol

LinQ 2021-09-05 03:56:10 UTC #4

Interesting question. I don't really include much mature content in my writing, not because I feel fantasy should be better than reality or anything like that, I just don't know how to approach sex scenes and things. I do have a bit of violence here and there with some gore. I put that in because I honestly believe it helps build the mental picture. If you cut an opponent they better bleed and if they don't it's unrealistic.

That said, I don't have any strong opinions about including or not including mature content. Like you said, I believe a story can be told effectively without shock value, sex, profanity, and the like. So I suppose that means I lean slightly towards group 2. Anyway, really interesting food for thought.

My Novel

esmesn 2021-09-05 04:12:48 UTC #5

my tragic backstory was comic being removed from webtoon for mature content. i've thought about this a lot in the writing process. i am also someone who..... only likes to write horror? I mean, everything i write has to have at least an element of horror in it. that's the most interesting kind of story, imo

i wanted to write a horror webcomic. not traditional horror, but a story that relies on mature content to shock the reader for the sake of the story. back when i was on webtoon, i had a long battle with myself over whether or not i wanted to make the story more tame, more censored. because i didn't wanna rely on shock value, or appeal to the people who are just here to look at mature content. but when the comic was taken down, that decision was made for me. i decided trying to censor this comic was counter-productive.

my mature content is going directly towards the story, the thematic elements, and the tone/immersion. and i think that's the main thing in the end. if it works with the story, and that's what the story is trying to achieve, then don't bother thinking about censorship. maybe it won't be everyone's thing, but in the end that's not our problem to worry about. i love writing/drawing shocking content! and i love writing good stories. no one should limit one for the sake of the other, because that's a false dichotomy.

(and i much prefer reading darker, more mature stuff too. although all levels of maturity can be great)

Lilmonstart 2021-09-05 04:39:37 UTC #6

Well my story is just beggining and it will of course include more serious topics as it progresses I mean adding f*cked up stuff doesn´t mean I´m crazy nor I support that kind of negative topics I feel like it can give it more realism although it´s mixed up with fantasy, using that kind of topics might be difficult because some people incredibly get influenced by fiction, and just aren´t suitable, we must warn them to get to the right and mature enough audience

So when I get to bring more mature themes to my comics´s story I´ll try to be not so graphic (maybe a little bit in here on tapas :D- cuz Webtoon is scary :/.

samvv000 2021-09-05 06:31:31 UTC #7

I think usually what I've seen with this sort of discussion is that the question ultimately comes down to how "necessary" some of the elements are. For example, a moment of intimacy can go a long way for character development, and taking the time to describe it can add a lot for imagery and emotional depth. Shock body horror can really emphasize the emotional pain the characters would probably feel, whereas only the implication would save the reader from the punch and make it harder to sympathize. On the other hand, there's works where you feel like the sex is just thrown in, the cruelty on display unnecessary even when put in a thematic context, etc.

Of course, the discussion becomes more difficult once the line of "necessity" starts to get blurry -- different people hold different standards, different people see different lines the story could've taken to achieve the same emotional result, different people just flat-out do not like seeing these themes in a story to begin with, etc.

My own personal view is that the author can do whatever they believe is right for the story, regardless of how "necessary" or not it might be in the long run. I think, in the long run, the fact that you're going to have people both praising and questioning the inclusion of some of the more risque elements is what makes discussion of people's works more interesting, personally. Conversely, if a reader is not comfortable with the inclusion of the elements -- it is what it is. People have a right to enjoy the stories they read, and if they don't enjoy a story, why should they brave through it?

anyway, something something, promotion, something something

joannekwan 2021-09-06 17:53:08 UTC #8

I don't really worry about the reception of my work when it comes to including or not including graphic sex scenes. I just want to stay true to my story and include what I feel is right for it. Which comes to the point that: Not all my work is explicit, and it really comes down to the type of character and story I'm working on and if a sex scene (and how spicy it would be) would be appropriate for my vision.

Like in Secunda, it's about a young woman forming intense bonds with a few people. And a lot of intensity comes from that physical intimacy. Plus it was a highly self-indulgent project, so of course I included a lot of juicy sex scenes.

Compared to Demon House which I had always seen as a PG/PG13 venture with little room for spice. It was always more about the platonic bonds the characters form.

samiluu 2021-09-06 18:28:09 UTC #9

This is one interesting topic. I think like this

I think that mature content is natural in humans' way of being and acting, so if there is not some +18 topic involved... idk, it feels kinda fake to me. I mean, of course something can be good without it, but I think mature content use to add more realism to stories and make people think a little bit more. Hey, but just if it is added in a natural and logical way - I mean I have nothing agains stories that include +18 content just because they enjoy it (i, for example, enjoy sex scenes and some sex related comics), but I mean, if I write a story about something that's not completely about sex or sexuality, I can include some punctual sex scenes, specially having a meaning in my story, but I probably wont do a complete chapter with a long sex scene. But I think avoiding this kind of topics pursposefully can make your story look superficial.
I think it all depends on how it is done and why

here's my comic Black Wings, it will have some +18 topics too

http://blackwingscomic.com

Stargazer31 2021-09-06 18:35:25 UTC #10

I think that gritty topics are fine when handled well, and when they're not just thrown in for shock value.

Tired_Spider 2021-09-06 21:03:45 UTC #11

I don't really care, I'm writing it so, yeah my rules. Okay I know that sounds like I'm being a little bit of a twat so let me explain.

I think that if mature content is the most reasonable thing to add, do it, if your story involves fighting or psychos and your work wants to tackle larger topics, there is no way something mature isn't happening like it just can't. Cause I remember back when I was planning out my work I felt that I wanted to add scenes that could be considered mature, so I tried writing out different versions of scenes, one with the mature content and one without. And maybe it's causes how I write or how I built the story it didn't feel right to just remove the mature content from scenes that would make sense to have them.

Plus nobody is forcing the reader to read your work, it is all subjective towards the viewer to what they want to read. I know everyone won't be interested or invested in my work, so just write however you feel like writing. Murder is the most appropriate response to a situation, do it, a character's decapitated, go for it. Sex scenes? Well, actually I have no idea about those so I'll keep my mouth shut for that.

So yeah, just write how you wanna write.

Akhilles 2021-09-06 22:04:05 UTC #12

I think violence and sex should make sense in the context of the story. If they do, they actually enrich the experience. It gives a sense of rawness that takes the story to another level.

I support both groups, since they are each entitled to their experience. The way I like at it is this way, both groups of people have faced challenges in their life. One group prefer to be realistic and accept that life is messed up. That would be Group 1. On the other hand, you have people who prefer to be optimistic and while they don't ignore the reality of the situation, they don't want to subject themselves to too much negativity. That would be Group 2. In the end, it's all about your perspective on life.

If they are forced, then it become pretentious. In my story, I would not necessarily call it violent or filled with sexuality. But it deals with mature topics such as life, death, and whether it is important for someone to be kind to others or not. So far, it's playing out like an action thriller, but that's because I want to set the scene.

ElitaRenata 2021-09-08 17:34:33 UTC #13

CWAM's target audience is 18+, so inevitably, the comic explores mature themes. Mature content can be really great to give "taboo" topics a safe space to be explored! Otherwise they tend to be ignored.
Here's our Webcomic btw! Its an Action fantasy comic!