Thoughts on Lemons

What do you think of Lemons in general? How many good ones have you found compared to bad? (Of course, since Sturgeon's Law applies amply to these, I'm going to assume not very many...) What annoys you in a Lemon, and how do you address it (if you write them)?

Have you come across any particularly good lemons lately? What'd you like about them?

Now, to answer my own questions:

For the most part, I think they're amateur attempts at erotic material. I've seen a consistent ratio of (bad:good) about 9:1. Purple Prose, Ikea Erotica, Rouge Angles of Satin, and You Fail Sex Ed Forever annoy the hell out of me. I avoid those things by doing a bunch of spot checks and edits before I post anything.

I have come across a good one, but I'm going to ask the author first, before I share. This one was well-written and didn't read or feel like "porn".

It's been a while since I read any lemon. As long as they aren't My Immortal bad, I can stand it.

I don't think I've ever read a lemon.

Hmm, I can tolerate lemon scenes in a narrative as long as they serve a purpose other than fanservice. In the case of lemon fics, as long as it's well-written I can overlook the 'no plot' part XD

For the most part, I think they're amateur attempts at erotic material.

'For the most part'? This is their actual definition.

As for my own opinion, I consider a good, fitting sex scene to be one of the most difficult accomplishments for a writer. That doesn't mean that it should be dismissed outright, but that anyone who wants to try their hand at it should really know what they're doing.

edited 10th Mar '11 7:01:50 AM by Iaculus

I read some Ben 10 Lemons and some Kigo I don't mind them if the pair doesn't just jump in the sack they need to have real feelings for each other.

Lemons are far more difficult to write than a lot of people seem to give them credit for. Firstly, you need to write a plausible sex scene in an anatomical sense, and a lot of young writers do fail at this hurdle, though for obvious reasons, I'm assuming. Secondly, it must make sense in terms of the plot (having a random sex scene for no reason tends to just cause mood whiplash rather than any actual arousement). Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, it must be in character. If character A would not plausibly be doing that with character B without any sort of build up or explanation then it doesn't work.

I'm actually trying to write one myself for a kink meme. Although I'm not failing sex-ed, I'm finding it difficult to both make it plausibly in character as well as potentially arousing. I'm actually on a second draft because the first was more in character on both sides but was taking far too long for a single sex-scene.

Most original erotica I've read has had issues, too. It seems to be that many writers think that it doesn't have to be as well written as other kinds of scene because a description of sex should be enough. Which isn't the case.

A sex scene should have as much attention as a fight scene, a death scene, a conversation in a cafe, a description of a walk into town or any kind of scene, really.

Lemons are great for practice writing, but I'd never release mine to the general public. What they do is allow the writer to write more so with the senses, which can help a in more serious attempts at writing.

I started off my first major writing project with a Lemon Sasu/Naru, which actually helped me out later on with writing sasuke's character in a general fanfiction.

Porn is porn. If it's badly written, it's shit, if it's not, it works. Much like any other type of fanfic.

I find they do help you get to grips with a character, since they allow you to view them in an incredibly intimate setting.

Funnily enough, I've noticed that the more experience someone has at writing porny fanfic, the less likely they are to call them "lemons". It's very old-fashioned teeny terminology.

Lovey lemon beast lusty lemon in my book and Plot With Porn beats out Plot? What Plot?

I'm currently explaining how a particular character realised he had a particular fetish. It's fun.

Also, out of interest, the term 'lemon' comes from an old, old hentai doujinshi called Cream Lemon.

My favorite lemon is sadly no longer available, it was on Fan Fiction.net and it was a Rival Schools story about Zaki◊ (a delinquent girl) getting dominated by her classmate Yurika◊ (quiet sister of the Big Bad of the second game).

I'd printed it out before, but it's been taken down since then. I want to find it again, it was called "A Night in the Seiyun Courtyard".

I really avoid this sort of story as much as possible.