Like a spanko moth to a perv red-rosy flame, I was drawn to this one. Okay, now that I’ve lost three quarters of the readers as result of that atrocity of a simile, I’ll continue:)
First, thank you to Corinne Alexander for proposing this month’s discussion, and thanks to Spanking Romance Reviews for hosting.
Here’s the subject for this week’s discussion:
Once upon a time in spanking romance land spankings & punishments consisted of strictly spanking; hand or implement and bottom. In the last couple of years spanking romance authors have delved a little beyond just straight spanking. It seems that now more often than not a little or a lot of anal play & punishment are added to the scenes to increase the spice factor.
Corinne was very nice to us in presenting a few questions to go along with this month’s subject, which I’ll answer in detail below.
1. Does anal punishment/play in a spanking romance get you all hot and bothered or is it a definite scene skipper for you?
I’m a dyed-in-the-wool spanko, so to me, the idea of a spanko who didn’t like anal punishment/play would be akin to being a race car driver who didn’t like to go fast.
Does. Not. Compute.
Since I’m coming at this from the Dom’s viewpoint, I’ll simply say that when we say we enjoy punishing that disobedient sub’s bottom, we sure as hell don’t mean only those pale, round buttocks of hers. We spanko/Doms are obsessed with all parts/aspects of a woman’s ass, so yeah, she ain’t gettin’ off that easy. Why am I suddenly dropping g’s? I blame lack of caffeine, or the fact that I’m an idiot. You choose.
2. What elements do you like?
Why do I always want to blurt out “What’s not to like?” Sorry, okay, right — the question.
In spanking/BDSM fiction, the sub’s body/mind/thoughts are often the “landscape” where most of the story takes place.
(I would’ve said “wonderland” in place of landscape, but any word that evokes a John Mayer song, even tangentially = “Negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is FULL.”)
Where was I? Right, what do I like. So much depends on context, but in fiction I love the fact that anal play/punishment is a sort of verboten activity. I’m not sure why it is, but in the popular consciousness it’s often still something off the beaten (heh) path. Any time you have that element of the forbidden it’s usually going to amp up the heat level.
In the context of D/s — which is the natural concentration/orientation my fiction always seems to lead back to — touching and/or punishing the anus is just about the most private, invasive, intimate thing one can do to a sub. What more effective way to emphasize and confirm her status as subject to her Dom than to require her to surrender that most private part of her body to both his pleasure and discipline?
3. What elements are turn offs to you?
:::crickets:::: :::tumbleweeds:::
Okay, I can’t think of anything that turns me off about anal play/punishment, so here’s another picture, just because:
4. Do you personally add this element to your stories?
Definitely — and I’ve taken some fire in the past for doing so. In one of my stories, Maintenance Night, the hero uses anal sex as a “punishment” in that he’s using it to push his submissive wife’s boundaries — which she ultimately loves. Several people were upset or disturbed by that idea, and instead perceived it as borderline abusive. Of course, the hero wasn’t abusive — not in the least — but I could also see how someone, confronted with their boundaries (as a reader) being pushed in this way would be squicked. Different strokes for different folks, right?
I’ve learned to tread, um, carefully, on this particular ground, but it’s ground I intend to explore in most, if not all, of my books. To me, as both a reader and a writer, the spanking/punishment just is missing something, if anal play/punishment isn’t included along with all that ass smacking…
5. Feel free to add your thoughts as both a reader & a writer!
I am REALLY glad to see other authors exploring these themes. I think readers love it, and they are always looking for something new, an aspect of this crazy thing we do that they haven’t quite read about before. So, I hope — and trust — that this evolution will continue. Yes, I know that’s me being TOTALLY selfish. I’m at peace with it.
I would add one more thing before I sign off on this week’s discussion. If any of you would like to read an example of just blue giant star HOT anal play and punishment, get thee immediately over to the book listing for “Pets: Bach’s Story” by Darla Phelps. (I know we’re not supposed to do promo, so I won’t link to it here directly). This book has an extended sequence of anal play/punishment that I haven’t seen equaled anywhere. If you haven’t read that book, go now, and pick it up — you will not regret it.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll visit the other blogs participating in this week’s discussion. Until next time!
Oh, I’m with you, Trent. Anal punishment – YES PLEASE. How can you not find that erotic. Gimme the dilators and plugs LOL. OK ok… perhaps particularly rough anal sex as punishment may be a boundary for some, it’s all in the context and, as per usual, it’s horses for courses. But I’m in your camp. HOT ANAL. Oh yeah. ~dribble~
Christina, I’m right there with you. Brutally rough anal makes me worry for the heroine’s long term health (not to mention it’s just plain MEAN), but otherwise, bring on zee depravity:) As you say, context is everything…
Thanks for reading and commenting!
“Anal Punishment or Play in Books: Hot or Not?” – are those, like, rhetoric questions? =P
I know, right? That was my first reaction too. I was standing there, whistling, kicking rocks in this uncomfortable silence. I had nothing to say! Thank God for pictures…
Is it rhetoric or rhetorical question? Grammar police: please excuse the foreigner.
Mistik, your English is a helluva lot better than my Arabic, so you won’t be seeing any Grammar Police crap from me;) Thanks for reading and commenting!
Great post, as always.
It’s occurred to me before, certainly, but after reading all the posts in this Roundtable it’s more clear than ever: I just don’t approach the idea of anal-anything from a ‘spanko’ POV (I’ve never called myself a spanko, for example, and wouldn’t — and in fact I never hear the word IRL among BDSM people I hang with) or even as ‘punishment’. So it’s been *really* interesting to read the other participants’ takes on this! (Most know by now that I’m a real life sub, since the early 90s, with a heavy BDSM ‘focus’ — as opposed to spanking/impact-only, and I do believe that colors my take on *everything* for better or worse.) I do feel like an outsider among the erotic-fiction writing community, for that reason, a lot of the time, but I’m truly thankful that the fiction-writing “spanking community” sort of accepts me, and I’m the first to remind people that the kink tent is huge.
Well, I consider myself a D/s guy — with a ten mile wide CP penchant. So, I’ll own the spanko label (one of several labels, actually). I see myself as trying to bridge that gap between the D/s and spanko worlds. I’m inclusive like that:)
Kink tent is indeed huge — I couldn’t agree with you more!
Thanks for reading and commenting:)
Yeah all the ‘labels’ kinda suck, but that’s how things get discussed, pretty much wherever you go in this world, and none of us made *that* rule, I’m sure. Language. It just is. Press 1 for English. And I hope what I was trying to explain didn’t sound ‘non-inclusive’ — as that wasn’t what I intended. I was trying to point out some details/differences under the big ole canopy of the big ole tent.
I must say, I’m glad to NOT be at work today … reading about this particularly erotic topic. “Rogue, you okay? Looking a bit flushed there…” 😉
Hate that you caught flack over that scene. I personally loved it. Maintenance Night is one of my favorites!
Haha, OMG , I know right!!
Glad I could oblige, Rogue! Thank you for the kind words on Maintenance Night — very much appreciated:) I’m off to read the other entries…
Probably, in IMHO, one of the best pieces I’ve read of yours, Mr. Evans, Sir, and what a way to begin my day! It’s a cool, overcast morning (my favorite kind) and I’m changing into something much cooler than my current robe. 🙂
Thank you, Maggie!! Yes, the morning was great! Nice foggy, cool morning here — loved it. Much cooler? Interesting;)
I really enjoyed your thoughts on this RT discussion, Trent. Always a pleasure hearing it from the Dom’s POV.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Melody. I was surprised I was the only dude on this week’s discussion, but I at least did my part;)
I always LOVE your posts, Trent. This was no exception. I agree with you 100%!
You’re very kind, Corinne:) This was a great idea for a topic. Thank you for proposing it!!
what pictures 😀 I had to laugh at the boundary pushing in your “Maintenance Night”- yeah, different strokes. I’m not offended at the idea, but then I sit here 14 years into being collared by my Master, and well, it’s rare we find boundaries we haven’t already found and either agreed we didn’t wanna go over them or if they were good- ie, kids, dead things, non-human animals.
Trent, I love you. I loved you before the completely unexpected promotion of my book, and I’ll love you long after everyone but me has forgotten it. 🙂
I have to say, I also LOVED the endless puns and rambling nature of your blog post. I agree with you on so many levels. Maintenance Night has been one of my favorite go-to stories and particularly because of what upset some of your readers. I never would have mistaken what he did as abusive. In my mind, the way he pushed her boundaries was a loving act. But then, I really enjoy having that same boundary pushed with myself. So…. I guess, after having read all these wonderful posts today, with only a few exceptions, I’m in good company there. 🙂
I agree and I will definitely check out maren,s book!
I loved this!! Such a fun post and I am like others on here, Maintenance Night was one of my favorites and it is NOT abusive. It was power exchange and the husband pushing her into something she wanted. And I agree, Pets: Bach’s Story was amazing!! Best series ever!