Language of Ravishment

[Lucius]

Is it a vagina, a pussy, a twat or a cunt? All four and more, more, more... But how do we choose words describing the persons, organs and processes we can't do without in our kind of writing? Let's discuss the relevant terms!

I've been fond of revisiting the mischievous lists of clichés presented in the 'Sex in the Romance' section of the Ferri Tales, well worth a read. Mostly to see how not to do it -- although an ESL writer is often sorely tempted to borrow an expression or two! @Corvid played very well with this style in Lolita Virginia Snow.

The nature of our fantasies inclines our writing to greater harshness. All in all, fewer pussies, more cunts. Which terms we like to the point of overuse? I know there's quite a lot of cock-heads in my stories, nether lips and rings too.

Which words and expressions do we really hate?

Ordinarily it annoys the absolute shit out of me when a girl calls their lover Daddy. It's asinine.

Yeah.

[Shocker]

I think the choice of words conveys a different feel to a story. A member at Rapecage used in his signature “a vagina by any other name is still a cunt”. It’s a pretty nice example on how to set an expectation, using a socially acceptable term, to follow it with the hammer blow of crudeness.

I don’t use cunt very often, primarily because in conversation with female readers, they found the term to turning turn off. I do use the term much more frequently in direct speech, always with the deliberate intent of the speaker to be hurtful.

No female character of mine will ever finger her cunt, touch her hole etc. they are more inclined to think of their body in terms of endearment, carefully caressing their engorged lips, stroking their pussy. Or if they are more medically inclined think labia and vagina.

For the rapist, those terms feel wrong. Here I try to use terms that emphasize desire, goals and satisfaction. Or simply dominance.

The right choice of expressions, is setting the mood for a scene.

[Claire]

For me it depends on what I want to describe. First it depends on the pov I'm writing from. When I'm writing from a victim's pov I will often shift to a more vulgar vocabulary as the abuse strips her of her humanity. You can see that approach most direcly in the sentence "What had once been her vagina was now his cunt." that I used twice in my stories.

In a similar fashon, I might switch the tone of a rapist from more clinical language to vulgar vocabulary if I want to depict the assault as a (perceived) loss of control. I think a blunt "cunt" can add a sense of urgency if you want to describe the rapist as losing to his desires.

If I want to remove emotion or describe detachment I stick to a more clinical language. In The Infinite Rape for example, the entire narration avoids the words cock, pussy, cunt, dick, cum. They are only used in direct speach from the rapists but are completely absent from the detached victim's thoughts.

In general I would say that there are no no-go terms for me. Whether a word works for me or feels jarring is context dependent. The only thing I try to avoid are terms that feel oudated for a character living in modern times but I don't mind them at all from our authors who like to set their stories in the past.

[AdmiralPiet]

I try several things:
1. Use the language appropriate to the setting
2. Appropriate to the POV
3. Try to be somewhat rough, without slipping into silly
4. I am not sure, but I think my characters choice of words is harsher than my narrator voice. because the all knowing narrator is rational and detached, the rapist is more deranged and involved.

I tend to use vagina and penis less, be direct with cunt, cock, dick, ass and hole, and not use flowery descriptions.

I find this much easier to do in english than in german.
Maybe it has to do with german being my native language, and therefore english is more exotic/less familiar.
So descriptions that would be very off-putting in german work there.

I really dislike the overly "poetic" terms some german authors use and one of my biggest concerns is not to slip into that cringe zone.
Also I try not to overuse a term or description. Mentioning a trait like a big cock, or full breasts several times is ok. But not almost every sentence.

[Shocker]

I find this much easier to do in english than in german.
Maybe it has to do with german being my native language, and therefore english is more exotic/less familiar.
So descriptions that would be very off-putting in german work there.

I know exactly how you feel, I can’t write smut in german either, it immediately sounds vulgar and off putting to me. Writing in my second language gives me an insulation from the act, yet allows me to concentrate on the story I want to tell.

[AdmiralPiet]

I know exactly how you feel, I can’t write smut in german either, it immediately sounds vulgar and off putting to me. Writing in my second language gives me an insulation from the act, yet allows me to concentrate on the story I want to tell.

It is not like I couldn't do it at all.
But german definitely feels different.