Now a more intimate question...

[skuttrusk]

I always write smut in the second person, and when I fantasize it's usually as an observer/controller of the scene rather than as a participant, which seems to be unusual. Maybe it's because, while I'm turned on by the fantasy of rape I have no desire to identify with rapists. And I can't identify fully with the victim because I want to enjoy her suffering sadistically. There's probably a little more description of the victim's feelings, so that her suffering can be enjoyed.

Outside of porn I've written almost exclusively in the first person singular.

[Hazard]

Reading everyone's thoughts in this thread has made me want to have a go at 1st person. I think it would be a good challenge, especially first person present tense, and it might make the story more fun to write.

I've only ever written in 3rd before. Now I'm sat here wondering why, and I think it might be partially prejudice. Over the years, I noticed many rape stories were so bad you can't even get past the first paragraph, and they were most often 1st person. So I may've made a subconscious and unfair association with 1st person being the choice of the noob. Having said that, the appeal of 3rd person is to be able to jump from one perspective to another, which I think I prefer. I care equally about my perpetrator's thoughts and feelings as I do the victim's.

Having said that, I think over the years I've become much more empathetic and interested in the experience of the victim, especially psychologically in the moment. I have to say, I'm kinda leaning towards writing a first person story from the female victim's perspective. I think I could do it justice. But now I'm wondering if that would be weird AF for the reader. I feel like when you read "I felt him throbbing inside me", you might struggle more to suspend your disbelieve if you know a dude wrote it. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

[Lucius]

Having said that, I think over the years I've become much more empathetic and interested in the experience of the victim, especially psychologically in the moment. I have to say, I'm kinda leaning towards writing a first person story from the female victim's perspective. I think I could do it justice. But now I'm wondering if that would be weird AF for the reader. I feel like when you read "I felt him throbbing inside me", you might struggle more to suspend your disbelieve if you know a dude wrote it. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Alan Warner does women very well, in first person and with some sex too, sooo I guess it's not a problem as such. Best of luck with your efforts!

[Claire]

Having said that, I think over the years I've become much more empathetic and interested in the experience of the victim, especially psychologically in the moment. I have to say, I'm kinda leaning towards writing a first person story from the female victim's perspective. I think I could do it justice. But now I'm wondering if that would be weird AF for the reader. I feel like when you read "I felt him throbbing inside me", you might struggle more to suspend your disbelieve if you know a dude wrote it. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Honestly? To me that seems like such a silly thought. We write about things we're not ourselves all the time, serial rapists for example. But writing from the perspective of another gender in first person is suddenly weird? Go for it and don't think to much about it. I wrote a story in second person from a male perspective and that has been so much fun! I mean, come on, you write rape fantasy! Can writing a female character from first person really be more weird than that?

[Hazard]

Alan Warner does women very well, in first person and with some sex too, sooo I guess it's not a problem as such. Best of luck with your efforts!

That's interesting. I might give some of his stuff a read then out of curiosity. Do you have any recommendations?

[Lucius]

Alan Warner does women very well, in first person and with some sex too, sooo I guess it's not a problem as such. Best of luck with your efforts!

That's interesting. I might give some of his stuff a read then out of curiosity. Do you have any recommendations?

Warner was unfortunate enough to publish his novel The Sopranos in 1998; no wonder it's been reissued since as Our Ladies. It's great fun. Morvern Callar was the one that made him known, it's in first person. Much darker. Oh, and they're written in Scottish English.

[Hazard]

Honestly? To me that seems like such a silly thought. We write about things we're not ourselves all the time, serial rapists for example. But writing from the perspective of another gender in first person is suddenly weird? Go for it and don't think to much about it. I wrote a story in second person from a male perspective and that has been so much fun! I mean, come on, you write rape fantasy! Can writing a female character from first person really be more weird than that?

You make a good point Claire. I get you. And yeah, it's not weird in the scheme of things. I'm trying to understand why it might seem weird to me.

I'm thinking maybe it's because, when I consume media, entertainment, writing etc. I want to feel like the author is credible and knows more than me about that thing. If I suspect they're wrong or worse lying and trying to manipulate (think clickbait, emotionally manipulative news etc) then I'm out. So I think when I read a story, if the author tackles a subject I know about and I know he/she is incorrect, I start to check out. And so ... if I was to read a story from a guy who is trying to explain a woman's experiences from the first person, then I'm gonna be in a heightened state of bullshit detection. I just can't help it! But if a woman writes the story, I'm gonna take it as gospel.

Yeah, I think that's it. I think I'd feel somewhat hypocritical. I have a strong dislike for people pretending to know more than they actually do, and in some ways that's exactly what I'd be doing ... even if it's just a fantasy!

[Shocker]

Having said that, I think over the years I've become much more empathetic and interested in the experience of the victim, especially psychologically in the moment. I have to say, I'm kinda leaning towards writing a first person story from the female victim's perspective. I think I could do it justice. But now I'm wondering if that would be weird AF for the reader. I feel like when you read "I felt him throbbing inside me", you might struggle more to suspend your disbelieve if you know a dude wrote it. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Honestly? To me that seems like such a silly thought. We write about things we're not ourselves all the time, serial rapists for example. But writing from the perspective of another gender in first person is suddenly weird? Go for it and don't think to much about it. I wrote a story in second person from a male perspective and that has been so much fun! I mean, come on, you write rape fantasy! Can writing a female character from first person really be more weird than that?

Quite frankly it is weird for me. I can use various degrees if separation between what I am and what I write. I have no problems enjoying to read a female POV first person, but have tried several times writing from it, giving up disgusted by the feeble results.
Somebody with a more professional approach to writing might be able to do it, but it’s beyond me.