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Hey guys,

I was thinking about the sequel for Three Square Meals, which I've discussed briefly here before.

I do like the idea of doing a fantasy story at some point, but when I finish John Blake's adventures, I'm thinking of a sequel set in the same universe with a fresh cast of characters. It'll take about me about 6 months time to wrap this one up I imagine, and I'll launch straight into the next one when it's finished.

I'd like the next story to be more mainstream, so I'm planning to cut down on the sex, and probably ramp up the combat. I just wondered what everyone's thoughts on the sex scenes are...

So here's a poll! :-)

(Please just select one answer, to give me a more accurate picture of poll participation! Thanks).

Tefler

Comments

Anonymous

I hope the saga doesn’t end until at least chapter 150. If John obtains his retirement/fatherhood goal, the sequel could be 25 years in the future, after he has sired 4 children with each Lioness and the kids are fully grown. He gets a strong telepathic warning from an unknown source: something unknown has been moving from galaxy to galaxy, killing any Progenitors and using beams of antimatter to obliterate all worlds Progenitors have ever visited. The force is currently moving through the Andromeda galaxy, and will then target the Milky Way. Time to saddle up and save everything he cares about.

Mark Adkins

"Sequel" ideas... I think my favorite idea would be a story of how the Progenitors split from a fairly peaceful, but powerful people to a warring 'There Can Be Only One' kind of people. Many mainstream stories have a spicing of sex in them, and you do those scenes very well. I'd keep it, but tone it back in length, frequency, and depth of descriptions.

Anonymous

Fifth option, less frequent just as graphic.

CJ Mora

I'm with Michael...one per chapter or two (or three) but just as graphic or more-so.

Anonymous

If you're wanting this story to reach a more mainstream audience - especially if you want to publish it outside online erotica story sites, I would say dial back the frequency some, and make the scenes themselves more vanilla. Not boring, but tentacles, cumflation, etc are a bit much. If you want it to be in the same vein as 3SM, though, go nuts, I like the amount & freakyness of the sex so far, and wouldn't be unhappy with even more. But I'm really here for the stories & characters though, and I know we'll get that from you no matter how much or little sex there is.

Anonymous

I will say though, I was really into the idea of a high-fantasy or sword & sorcery epic from the mind behind 3SM! Hopefully that's just postponed, and not abandoned.

Anonymous

Hi Tefler. Just wanted to add a comment to my vote. The details of the scenes are great, including the sex scenes. I do tend to skim over some of the sex scenes, though really enjoy the when only one or two girls are spending time with John or with each other. For more main stream, toning it down is great, but would it be worth having two streams, one with little and another with more detailed scenes? From time taken to write these and revenue generated, does it pay off for you to manage two streams of story, with one essentially having more detail than the other during the sex scenes?

TravelinTheRiver

I believe the sexual scenes should only be included if they contribute to the development of relationships of important characters to the story.

Anonymous

Six months! I read to Chapter 60 and decided I wanted to wait until it was complete. I much prefer reading a novel all the way through rather than waiting between chapters. I like the current sex content. I understand if you want to go mainstream and publish on Amazon. Several authors I've read have gone from the free sites to Amazon and done well.

Anonymous

Personally Tefler, I like the way the sex scenes are coming now. The story of John really kind of needed all of the sex simply to establish why his character is the way he is, as well as why the girls became who they've become. But now that everyone knows all of that, I like what you are doing. After my ex-wife gave me Outlander to read, as well as my mother... well, I wouldn't feel timid about putting sex into any story. What anyone buying film rights to your story would do with it is probably another story. But given certain things we've seen in the mainstream, I wouldn't know why not to include as much sex as appropriate to your story/characters.

Anonymous

I like the ratio so far. And with fantasy you get a lot more options sex wise and but I like the combat especially the gun play.

Anonymous

I like what you are doing now, and I will like what you do in the future, im a fan of your writing style and I will stay with you no matter what.

Anonymous

I like the current frequency, just want it to be more graphic

Anonymous

In my view, the main problem with 3SM, from a mainstream perspective, is not the sex, but the semen/belly/pregnancy fetish. The capable but sexually submissive female is well accepted by society (if not by some political ideologies), as is eroticising the natural desire to procreate. However, the idea of semen as a transformative substance and of a guy producing belly-filling litres of the stuff is a stretch too far, and even (unintentionally) comedic. Without this aspect, 3SM could be a mainstream TV or movie series, rather than being restricted (in visual media) to porn and anime. I say this, while still viewing the work as great literature.

Anonymous

Heck simply changing the mechanism from the semen directly to the intimacy and contact would make it significantly more approachable to many.

Anonymous

I'm going to be following you into whatever project you move into next and I have few doubts about being alone in that.

Anonymous

I agree with John above, and generally enjoy reading stories where such scenes are included. I personally have no problems with how graphic they are. Such scenes are something that I think is generally lacking in many great fiction stories, as they add more of the "human element", making characters more relatable as they have nearly the same needs as the rest of us. This is one of the reasons I love 3SM, as it doesn't shy away from any aspect of the universe. The cruelty, the brutality, the sexuality... all that would be in a real universe, so why not include it here as well?

Anonymous

Some sex is fine, but I basically skip over it. I am more interested in the story.

Evan

I almost don't want to vote, since personally, I don't care about the alien sex scenes one way or the other. They're fine, but my interest is in the story. If the story drives the sex scenes, that's fine. If the sex scenes drive the story, that's okay, too. If the sex scenes aren't part of the story, I don't want them, since they take away from the story. In 3SM, the sex is integral to the story, since it's the tool used to create John and to modify all of the girls, and it makes a lot of sense in terms of the entire Progenitor impact. It wouldn't be the story it is without it. On the other hand, if you're writing about some totally different cast of characters in a totally different scenario, then unless they run into John and his crew - please, let that happen at *some* point, just for a visit? ;-) - it will depend upon how you work it in as to whether or not it's integral to the story or just an add-on. By the way, if you think about it, technically, there're almost no humans involved in sex at all in 3SM, since by the time they're fully engaged, they're no longer technically human (at least, by some medical definitions). Others might call them enhanced humans, but that's beside the point. If John's not going to be involved in the next book, what would be the driving reason for such constant sexual play? If you have one, that's great. If not, what's the point?

Anonymous

I'm a fan of what Tefler said in his post. Space Combat is what I am interested in. Even in this story everything here is filler to get us to those conflicts. Good filler to be sure but that's what this story centers around at this point

Anonymous

I came for the sex, but stayed for the story. Honestly most of the time I just gloss over the sex scenes so I can get back to the story anymore.

Anonymous

Sex is fine when it makes sense in main stream works, your sex in this story was never stroke story sex it was just so weird it worked out as a sub plot.

Anonymous

Sex scenes are fine, but due to the background of 3SM, the feedings have become really repetitive. As others noted this was never a stroke story anyway, use sex when it's need but don't add it in when it's not.

Anonymous

Aside from the great sex scenes i feel there should be more of it in different types but I think i can definitely say that a sequel where john and his harem of sexy ladies get separated and then over the span of the entire sequel slowly gather them back together again then at the very end find out that the girls are all pregnant would be very great

Anonymous

I'm all for plenty of sex. The read can be quite entertaining. It's good fun when it either deepens a romance/love plot, a character plot/mechanic (how I see them in 3SM most the time) or even a conflict (a little bit of the unwilling start to a few of the current threads was fun), heck I can even enjoy a good "bad wrong sex" bit if it fits the story (also reading a space pirate/black-gray moral story with some pirate antics that are not nice at all) basically if it fits the story it's good, if not, meah. Only other thing that can make or break sex in a story is when it gets cookie cutter and is all the same and you could switch any name in any scean and still have it fit in. I know we all have our own kinks quirks and fetish, but some times you have to mix it up in a story for the sake of a character... so do they and variety is the spice of life...

Anonymous

Any update on eta of next chapter?

Anonymous

Ok it's bugging me now... how do you get the new lines? The moment I hit the return I post rather than get a new line... thus I end up with a million edits or a wall of txt...

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

The sex scenes in 3sm help to set the relationhips in the story and are a very good plot device for that purpose. Now in another story, depends. What is the plot of the story? If it is more action oriented then I would think they would serve a different purpose, say power projection? BTW: I think a short sequal on John's Marine days would be interesting, as well as Jade's past. John's needing less sex and Jade's needing to be a bit darker.

Anonymous

First run through ill read everything then when I go through it again ill sometimes skip the sex.

M.

I must say, I am primarily interested in the relationships, the politics, and the abilities the girls gain. I think that the sex is an important component but it doesn't have to be the primary reason for a chapter. It's hot, and that's fun, so keep it insofar as you're using it as a plot device.

Anonymous

I think as you keep this story line rolling, you will see the need to reduce the number of the same type of sex scenes. It will become just too repetitive.

Anonymous

I actually think that you are pretty good at detailing the sex scenes. If I were you I would not totally give up what you are so good at. I would read you even without the sex but honestly so much mainstream stuff treats sex like going to the bathroom : an unpleasant necessity. I sort of like when authors are not afraid to write as if they are enjoying sex and that sex is important - which it is. Sex should be a staple of literature not an indiscrete interlude done behind curtains in my view. Otherwise it all really revolves to writing clever children's stories - not literally but in many ways. There is a reason why game of thrones is so well received - sex and violence (and good story etc of course.). If I were you I would not be too quick to get in line with mainstream - you can be one of the leaders of your own type of literature. But whatever you do... you MUST be true to yourself and be 100 percent happy with what you do. Otherwise you will produce crap and hate your job. I promise you that.

Sid1712

Tefler, i think there is another alternative, maybe you can write the scenes the same way they are right now and make another version which simply removes the scenes and replaces them with something else ?

Anonymous

I think a sequel would be great, but I don't see how you are going to do it. A sequel with different characters and more combat makes no sense. The Invictus is probably the strongest ship in this verse, so you are going to downgrade the ship capabilities? there's another Blake and crew story just waiting out there 😂

Wookey

I like 3SM too much to encourage a sequel

Anonymous

Honestly if you wrote it I'll read it, But I like the current format :)

Jedi Khan

With regards to the poll, I'm of the opinion that if the sex scenes flow naturally with the story, make sense, and help move the story forward or develop the characters, then okay. If however the scenes are shoe-horned in and are there for the sake of having sex, then no. I'm more interested in a good story than sex scenes. To use another author from Lit as an example (not naming names), there's only a few chapters in the story so far, but the chapters are massive. In the most recent chapter, nearly half of it was sex, and almost entirely unnecessary. By that point in the story, it was already well established that the main character was a horny dog and he had a few willing women to roll around with. Instead of moving the story along, a few of the scenes just were there because of sex. Now this author has announced a new chapter is in the editing stages, but before he had begun editing, he had gone back into the chapter and added a few sex scenes. This says to me that if he had to go back and add the sex, then the sex isn't needed.

Jedi Khan

As for the sequel, I really only have one question: that six month estimate you give, is that how much time it'll take to finish what's left in 3SM or is that how long it'll take to do the sequel? If it's for 3SM, then what the hell?!? There's only 12 to 18 chapters (depending on number of chapters per month) left?!? If it's for the sequel, then what the hell?!? Why so short?!?

Jared

Same with me, when I first read a chapter I read it all but on my second read through (in preparation for a new chapter, to catch up on the story) I tend to skim over the sex scenes and only look for dialogue about the story in those parts.

Jared

I would prefer a Fantasy story next instead of a 3SM sequel. I think the most interesting aspect of the current story is the progenitors and their abilities/motivations. I can only assume by the end of 3SM that these subjects will be fully explored. So if there was a sequel would it involve another progenitor? we would already know where the characters ability's are heading which removes much of the mystery that makes 3SM so interesting and suspenseful to read. Not knowing what cool new trick John or Alyssa or the crew will pull out next. So if the character is just a normal Terran or similar I don't know how that story could be as fun to read as 3SM. But hey I'm not a writer! I think a brand new Fantasy series will allow Tefler to create a whole new world with new races and new abilities to discover as well as adding in the whole magic aspect. It may also allow him to go a bit more mainstream in regards to the sex scenes if that is the direction he is heading towards. I would love to hear anyone else's opinion! Maybe I'm wrong...

Anonymous

Make the sex more natural in the flow of the stories and not too over top, but do not remove sex from the tale. A good tale should stand even if you removed all the sex scenes. My sorry two cents worth.

Jedi Khan

Well, a fantasy story and a story set in the 3SM universe need not be mutually exclusive, do they? The galaxy is a big place, and we're only looking at a small section of it in this story. There could be a planet or region of space out there where what we consider to be fantasy (not sci-fi) is normal. It would be kinda interesting to see John and the girls drop into such a world with the Invictus and all their tech. Which do you think would win in a fight, laser beams or magic missiles? Another idea is that it could be the origin story of the Progenitors. That would give Tefler the chance to really flesh out the Progenitors, show a time when perhaps they weren't immortal pricks.

Anonymous

Tefler, I like the current mix, but more combat would get my vote. I leave it to you since you have the talent. I would be in the way.

Youkai-sama

With your talent, the sex not only flows organically, but I've noticed that it serves as a bit of character exposition as well. And, it also strikes a balance between pure satisfying stickiness and genuine intimacy that a lot of stuff simply lacks. Again, a nod to your talent. What you have here needs to set an example for the mainstream, not conform to its stifling limitations. Especially with literature, "mainstream", aka big bucks, doesn't have to mean smutless. Just be judicious with your publisher and advertise in the right place; I suggest the Cons.

Stijn Van Hove

I prefer the sex to be there at the current frequency. It could be a little less, sure. But it should stay its current quality/graphicness.

Terra_Lupis

The ratio of combat to story development to sex is actually spot on with 3SM. You have utilised conventional sex, more diverse sex (anal, lesbian action) and some fantasy sex (cumflation, tentacles) while also hinting at more specific fetish sex avenues without utilising them (Edraele & Irillith/ Incest). After the success of the Fifty Shades series, the style of story you have written would fit in well with the general adult sci-fi fiction while garnering attention for being just that bit racier than everything else.

Youkai-sama

Oh, btw. Since his NUT is the catalyst for their ascension you can't really get rid of the sex without breaking one of the pillars of the plot. "It's called '3 Square Meals', what are they eating? Oh! Really? W8, we don't get to see any of it!? Boooooooooo!" Can hear em now. (And I shall be their leader) 😬

Anonymous

I agree with most the comments here the way the sex flows with the amazing story you portray in every chapter it's never out of place. I voted to for the current ratio, I've read quite a lot of stories where sex is out of place and is forced where yours isn't and I love it as soon as I read the first chapter I was hooked and couldn't put my phone down chapter after chapter so you keep writing the way you do and you'll have me reading whatever you write

Anonymous

Please keep the ratio the same! The stories won't feel the same without it.

Patrick

I feel like the sex in the 3 Square meals is fine. It was a bit much in the beginning, but it ties into the story well. So about the same for the sequel would work as long as it fits in the story. If it doesn't fit the story and it is just sex scenes for the sake of having them, then yeah, probably less sex.

Anonymous

I have a couple of thoughts here. One of them is that, for the current story, the sex scenes (and their details) are integral to the story you're telling, and it would change it significantly if you'd taken them out. With that said, depending on how far afield you're going with the sequel, I think it might indeed be worth trying something different. If it's still John and his partners, the sex is important to their relationship and it seems important to their story to keep it. But, if you're doing something else in-world, I'd suggest trying something different, and writing a much less sex-focused story. Not necessarily because that's what I personally want, but because writing different kinds of things is good for skill-development. And what I personally want is Tefler having the best writing-skills he can, so I can read the best Tefler-stories that can exist! I'd say that a lot of 3 Square Meals is shaped by the inclusion of the graphic sex. The whole nature of John's powers, his relationship with the women and the fact that it's a middle-aged man surrounded by a group of women who adore him and want to follow his whims, the whole race of Malari women who swoon at the sight of him, the way that he never picks up any male crew members, and so on -- all of that is structured around making sexy erotica. Without the sex as the outside-the-story reason for all that, a lot of those sort of lose that reason for being there, and I don't think they'd fit well in other kinds of stories. In particular, a lot of that is what I'd call "wish fulfillment". And that's fine in an erotic story, because that's one of the things erotic stories often do. But if you take the explicit sex out of 3 Square Meals, the wish fulfillment is still in there, and it wouldn't really work (at least for me). I think that's part of why the recent parts with Irillith's sister feel like they're not fitting entirely well. You're giving John a problem he can't solve by having sex with it or shooting it, for kind of the first time in 70 chapters. And that's great! He should have some of those! But it's the first time, so it doesn't fit into the patterns of everything else in the story, and the transitions and connections to the rest of the story are kind of awkward. And that's why I'm thinking that I'd like to see you do something without the explicit sex, either for a story in the same world with different characters, or in a different world. Doing that would mean you'd need to do quite different things with shaping the core of the story. It's sort of like being type-cast; you've done this type of story quite well, but don't let yourself get stuck a place of just doing this! But trying to take _this_ story and adapt it to different places will kind of break it if you lose the sex-driven core.

Anonymous

I don't mind them being less often and being more of a sci-fi novel over sex, but you do good adult writing too Tefler. I love the scenes you paint for combat

Viktor Hauge

To me a new set of caracters matching John and his girls would be strange, am to found of Invictus and its crew, would rather follow them on a kind of Enterprise mission where they roam the unknown universe with all sort of challanges and alien encounters.

Anonymous

I probably would not have become a patron if the story would have been a mainstream story. Less frequency of sex scenes would be fine, but I don't like the idea of making them less graphic.

Anonymous (edited)

Comment edits

2022-11-19 07:30:20 うわあ!ユウカ僕の一押しなんで、先生の絵で見れるのとっても良いし、ストーリーの流れがユウカだとありそうなのがまたツボです!!最高すぎます!あと、先生!パイパン7枚目が文字無し差分になってらっしゃいます。
2017-03-29 06:37:57 The ratio you have developed to is not unreasonable for many of the mainstream stories I have read. In the early chapters it occasionally slowed the story down. (I know if was important to the plot and I support it here) but I prefer the more recent ratio.

The ratio you have developed to is not unreasonable for many of the mainstream stories I have read. In the early chapters it occasionally slowed the story down. (I know if was important to the plot and I support it here) but I prefer the more recent ratio.

13Lokiz

As much as I personally enjoy the sex scenes, and in particular the cumflation theme, I think that if you want to gather a more mainstream (possibly larger) audience, you'll have to drop the more graphic nature and frequency of the sex. That being said, like Niklas said just above me: if this didn't revolve around cumflation and a harem of beautiful brainy busty badass babes, I probably wouldn't have come to be a patron. I still would have enjoyed the hell out of it though.

Anonymous

My comment seems to have disappeared, so here we go again ;) I think it would be a mistake to write a sequel without involving John and his girls. If you want to do more battle scenes .... thats great... couldnt agree more. But the Invictus is currently possibly the strongest single vessel in this verse. God knows what it will become after the current upgrades. So if we are going with a whole new cast, then we're going to be looking at battle scenes where the protagonists are in a lesser vessel. That doesnt make much sense. Surely there are any number of circumstances where a full Progenitor John and his trusty crew of God knows how many hot women can save the galaxy yet again???

Anonymous

I read it a while ago but a bestselling author of erotica targeted at women once had this to say. Erotica is not just a story with some sex in it. Erotica is a story in some way driven forward by the sex. While I don't completely agree I do think this qualifies as erotica. Part of the plot is the romance but also the sex. I also like the other kind of story. We are all adults here so why cut away from the sex when it comes to that part of the story. But unless it is once a book or once a series then it has to be good. There are a lot of authors on Literotica that seem to only begrudgingly and the scenes are incredibly boring. It is like why even bother at that point. The story got to this point with the level of kink it has. So all the readers are on board with at least this level of kink, so why change it? A totally new project might be better off mainstream but who can say for sure.

SpamSpamBacon&Spam

I voted for the current ratio. I was tempted by the "more" option but while I do miss the more frequent sex scenes in earlier chapters (I've done a few re-reads, some skipping all the sex and just reading the action parts and some only reading the sex scenes and enjoyed both) but I know that too many of them could get repetitive and I'd hate to get bored of them so I'm happy with the current idea of skipping sex scenes unless there's something important happening (I imagine the story skips some days and unimportant things anyway for that reason - given Rachel probably joined the crew a month or two ago in the story, I'm sure John's fucked her ass more than the once that's been shown (at least I think I'm remembering that right)) As for moving on to a new story, I'm not sure. I think trying to remove the plentiful, weird and wonderful sex from this story wouldn't work (either by going back and editing or just removing it from upcoming chapters), but a story that wasn't ever like that would be a different matter. Personally I like having plenty of sex in my great stories (for me it's what makes 3sm stand out) but it's not like I wouldn't read a story without any, especially if it's as good or close to 3sm

Kanashimu

Gotta admit, I would not have started reading this story if it was not posted in an erotica website so I aprove of the sex scenes and I especially liked some of the ones in the start. And while I have begun to skim read some of the sex scenes in the later chapters, it is mostly because some of the sex scenes have become a bit stale, as they seem to have become a bit formulaic.

Kim Biel-Nielsen

I would go for a choice you did not provide: Just make the scenes less frequent, but don't change them

Patrick Briley

I thought you were planning to do more Setting Sail on a Black Sea after 3SM was finished. As for the sex in the story I feel like it's paced about right currently. I noticed that the scenes are less frequent then they were at the beginning, I also noticed that instead of writing a whole scene you will just refer to the "acrobatics of the previous night" and continue the story which is a good way to keep the sex as part of the story without making the sex too repetitive or the main focus. Overall I think you are doing a wonderful job and I am completely enthralled with your story and will be sad to see it end, but also excited to see what else you come up with.

Anonymous

There should be a 5 option less frequent but as graphic ;P But seriously a lot depends on main character, male/female, Progenitor or not etc. As for mainstream well in GOT (book not tv series) there is sex between 13 year old and adult so... P.S. More combat always welcome :)

Tefler

Really fascinating comments, thanks for leaving the feedback everyone! As you guys have noted, all the rampant sex serves a purpose in TSM, especially when the girls initially join the crew and go through the Change. It's so integrated into the story, that removing that and the cum inflation would be a mammoth endeavour, and it would probably be a lot easier and more fun to just write a new story! Part of the reason I'd move on to fresh characters when this is done, is that John and the girls will be focused on building a huge family! ;-) Juggling god knows how many kids would be a logistical nightmare, and I'd never be able to progress with the story. I don't want to get into prequel territory, because writing in the past is very confining, especially when you know who's going to live or die (eg a John backstory). I was thinking about a story set in the same universe, with cameos from existing characters, perhaps set ten or more years in the future. It wouldn't be focused on a Progenitor this time, and there'd still be sex, but I'd probably drop the cum inflation, and blowjobs-for-upgrades theme. :-) I also had a bunch of ideas for a fantasy story, so that's an option too. I guess I could write the first chapter for each, and see which is the most popular? I'm a fan of both genres, so either could be fun. In all likelihood, I might just change "Setting Sail on a Black Sea" into a relatively quick miniseries. I'd like to finish it off sometime, but I've had some different ideas I'd like to work on for the next long-running sci-fi series. Anyway, lots to think about, but still a long way off yet. I won't start anything until Three Square Meals is wrapped up, as trying to keep all those active story threads in my head would be a nightmare!

Anonymous

I'd actually agree with option #5 too (though I voted for #2 above) - #5 should actually be #2.5 in the above sequence too. That said, I think there's a much bigger issue to focus on than the frequency or explicitness of any sex scenes. In this story, the sex has multiple purposes in addition to the potential procreative one. 1) sex as "medical treatments" - or "gene therapy" if you will. 2) sex as part of a building of a psychic intimacy - intimacy well beyond the natural human emotional intimacy we find in relationships like marriage. Because of these differences, the sex is an integral and necessary part of the story. Because all the other "advancements" are centered around sexual intimacy as a focal point, there is a qualitative and positive aspect inherent to the whole of the changes brought about. This is what differentiates this as a sex story from the types of sordid trash that happens as tawdry, squishy, messy, fleshy mercantile transactions in big city dirty back alleyways. Another aspect of this is that the psychic and emotional bondings achieved are an entirely new qualitative level above that seen by previous progenitors and their thralls. It is the difference between hollowed-out enthralled whores looking for their next "high" of endorphins like drug-addled morons verses the satisfaction of two people whose marriage relationship has built them both into better, stronger, more capable and happier individuals _because_ of their strong relationship with one another. So, in whatever sequel you plan, whatever you intend to do with the sexual part of the story, this essential point cannot be lost - or cheaply substituted with something else. What I mean by that is that while for Tashana, rage allowed her to tap into her psychic powers, it happened at great cost to her sanity and her flesh, and the result is/will-be a far less powerful or beneficial thing to her and everyone else than what John, Alyssa, and the others have built together and through one another. Heck, John as already enabled Edraele to achieve more in concrete empirical terms then all her past scheemings and treachery were able to achieve - and in FAR less time and cost in blood than she thought possible. This is the essential picture that is the 3SM story, and it is what cannot be lost - no matter how you alter the projection of the story for more "mass market" purposes.

Anonymous

As for the current project I was annoyed at skipping away from the scene with Fey losing her virginity. Was kind of an important scene just to hear about. It was a popular character experiencing something new. I think that is telling of a wider issue. The sex scenes have always been a 7/10 for me. Where 5 is average from a competent writer. 7 is good enough to be worth it but it is not the next level. Where is the passion? I think one of the things done right about those scenes in this series is describing how turned on the people in the scenes are, and how into whatever kink is going on. But it could be done better. I have had my hands shake from reading something with a fetish I don't even have, because the author was that passionate about it and the level of excitement was contagious. I think it is key that they be passionately into whatever kink they are doing and that we know they are passionately into it. It is not like it has lost its charm for them the second time they do something. It is a basic biological need. Remember Diogenes of Sinope when scolded for masturbating in a public market said "I wish it were as easy to banish hunger by rubbing my belly."

Anonymous

Hmm, tough choice between 1 and 2. Honestly I don't skip the sex scenes and you know how to write them hot and keep changing things up, even if certain things remain the same. Good luck whatever you do but I think your audience seems to really like the sex in the series. Makes sense after the way that Chapter 1 went, and Chapter 2.. and 3... Fuck, getting a chubby just thinking about it.

Anonymous

Tef is hinting at not Progenitor character in sequel so...

Morningfrost

So like a lot of comments on here, my opinion is a bit more nuanced than any of the options given in the poll. Personally, I like the sex scenes and their overall frequency. I think if you wanted to reduce something, however, it could be the number of random blowjob scenes that don't serve any real purpose other than giving one of the girls a full tummy. So outside of that, for future stories...I'd be okay with reducing the amount of sex in the stories, but I can't say I would be happy with it, if that makes any sense. One thing that irks me about the majority of "mainstream" stories is that those stories avoid talking about sex like it's the plague. I think a lot of that here in the states is due to the puritanical movement we dealt with here a hundred-ish years ago. A lot of that brand of insanity still influences things done today, and it's not healthy for either an individual or society to act like sex is this dirty thing that we can't talk about. In the context of stories, sex is an integral part of pretty much every person's life, so why would we cut something like that out of the books that we read? I get why many mundane activities are left out of stories, like a person's morning ablutions, or describing every meal or snack that a character eats, but sex isn't typically seen as an everyday, mundane activity so I don't see the point in avoiding it or lessening it. I mean, I can see wanting to eliminate filler-sex, because a lot of erotic stories go overboard on the filler sex because they feel like they're supposed to, but if what you're writing naturally progresses into a sex scene than just go with it! So. Moving on from that a bit...in regards to your sequel, I don't know about a sequel that revolved around non-Progenitors. I mean, they're pretty much the main thing in this created universe. The rest of the species are interesting, but they're not even close to being as interesting as Progenitors. What I would suggest instead is creating a story revolving around one of John's offspring, set maybe 100 years in the future. That son could be finding out that he inherited a Progenitor nature like John's (I doubt that all of John's offspring would be Progenitors, same with other Progenitors, because then you'd have a LOT of Progenitors running around lol), and said son could be terrified of his nature and generate himself a one-way wormhole to some unexplored part of the universe. The story would then revolve around the son trying to make a life for himself in a completely unknown area, complete with species he's never heard of (who may or may not have heard of Progenitors), all while also trying to come to grips with his Progenitor nature. A separate idea would also include a Progenitor offspring, but one who leaves because he is planning on embracing the tyrannical Progenitor nature. Story progresses through various conquerings of new species, only for him to have a change of heart when his Matriarch is killed by a rival tyrant Progenitor. The rest of the story then revolves around his revenge against that Progenitor, as well as his efforts to set things right with the species he has already conquered. ~Morningfrost

Sid1712

Any update on Chapter 74 Tefler ? Also, how about the idea that you write the story so that it won't miss anything if you remove the all the sex but make another version with it added if its not too much work (though enough for it to not be gratuitous) so as to appeal to almost everyone

Anonymous

While I like Morningfrost idea of offspring. You have made Progenitor such a main driver in the story line to deviate from it disastrous. For example look at Star Wars you take the force out of the movies, yes you would still have a story to tell but not the idea of Good vs. Evil dramatics. John being a Progenitor is the dramatics that makes this story so great.

Anonymous

My thoughts are simple in this regard. The sex is fun to read but it should be a driving factor in the story so there is a reason for it to be there other than just to have sex. I think the Blowjob part unless specifically part of a characters story line for development it can be glossed over. Just my 2 cents.

Anonymous

It's not the sex scenes. Your writing is a little on the purple side and is way too detailed. Any professional editor would cut down ur paragraphs a lot n simplify them. So, if you can tighten up the writing for the next story. Then u can have short n sweet sex scenes between story without disrupting the pacing. add in some implied scenes like mainstream novels when u don't want to break the rhythm of the story and u got a pro book on ur hands. it'll take more prep work per chapter but smaller in word count if u do it like that.

Jim lynch

If I were you any sequel must contain the characters that your avid readers already love and want their lives to continue on paper ( screen ) there is plenty of universe for them to travel threw to be able to write a sequel maybe a warrior race that is terrifying all it's neighbours and needs a hero to help save them just a thought but in any way please keep our main characters I'd hate to lose any of them.

Anonymous

Just glad that you are already planning the next saga.

Anonymous

I think of you 'ween' us off of the sex scenes it would be ok as long as there is more action. Like getting that assassin and the Dragon and the other Progenitor. After all, he is building an army even though that wasn't his intention. :) Can't wait to see what takes place in the next few chapters.

CJ Mora

Something I want to add to my earlier comment is to agree that without the erotic elements, this story does not make any sense, nor would I have read it in the first place. I believe the sex is essential to the interactions between the women and John, necessary to explain the entire relationship dynamic. Also, changing to something less erotic, like mind control, changes the purity of John's role...is he an unwitting participant ir is he actively mind controlling others to build his harem. Would that make him evil? Don't vanilla it down, as someone suggested kissing and cuddles; the comparison to 50 Shades is a fair one--the books wouldn't have done so well if they used guilt trips instead of bondage. Having said that, the sex should only be used for one of two purposes: either to move the story along, or to provide an opportunity for a transition to change the tone of the storyline. Your writing is more erotic than it is "spank", and that's okay because the non-erotic portions really stand out (which is where you're sublime). Frankly, by about chapter 20, I was sick of reading about the blowjobs; except for the first one for a new girl, and then it was kinda amusing reading about her reactions to John's unique physical attributes. And, since it's been mentioned a few times, I think the cumflation could be toned-down to a pint...but it doesn't 'turn me off' as-is.

Anonymous

Now that could be a "fun" alternate viewpoint latter on down the track when Mr BigBad is a little more in the story.... his cumflation (gee my auto correct doesn't like that...) goes horribly wrong with making one of his forced thralls in a hurry and... *pop*

Anonymous

One thing I'd like to add, is a common problem I find with most sequels, is the absolute recycleing of themes and ideas that often authors use. It's fine for the first chapter maybe the second, but when it's nothing but the same theme, concepts, characters with different names. It makes the story line boring. Right now Tefler you have many of us dying for the next issue because of both how well written each chapter is, and also because of the mini cliff hangers you have interwoven. You've managed to weave (extremely well) 5-10 different character arcs, and (to my count) 7 plots, into one concrete series, and your still adding to this. Anyway that's my 2 cents on the subject, and I look forward to reading your future chapters

Wookey

With 14.5k words written of Ch 75, looks as though to the editors by Monday and on to our screens by Thursday. Go Tef go.

Grimlakin

I could see another in this universe like.. What if John actually DID accidentally knock up one of the ladies he was with. Or one could store some of his semen and use it to. Impregnate herself giving John a daughter out there in the universe. Yea it would be a progenitor kid.. But a progenitor daughter with a whole new set of challenges and character growth. May be too much of a pain to write though.

Grimlakin

Her short story could culminate with finding her father out there in the vast expanse and being pursued by other parties wanting to have a progenitor under their control before she matures.

Anonymous

Would there be a way of doing both, a normal plot with the sex scenes glossed over quickly and another with them in for those who want them.

Anonymous

I can't quite pick option 2, because I don't like the 'less graphic' bit. In all honesty, I'm of the mindset that if combat is described in graphic detail, sex deserves to be as well. That's basically what brought me to writing erotic fiction, which is a bit of a simplified explanation admittedly. As with everything else, the dosage matter, though. And the variety, as far as I'm concerned. I'll readily admit that there are sex scenes that I only read for the character interactions. I don't gloss over anything ever, but I would in those cases. It's about repetition, mostly. The nth blowjob scene isn't as exciting as the first few were, naturally. On the other hand, breaking in a new girl or other out of the ordinary situations are still as sexy as ever and I think they also are quite important. It's a story in which the sex is a deeply ingrained part of the whole story. It's not just for wanking. In all honesty, I highly doubt that anybody who's still a fan after almost 75 chapters is in just for the erotic thrill. It may be arousing at times, but the sex isn't just for creating boners/slickness. It's part of the whole experience and I like it for that. Imagine you'd do a story about a gladiator and you'd gloss over the combat scenes. Wouldn't that be weird? It's not necessary to describe EVERY combat in excruciating detail, of course. But if you leave it all out or just mention that it happened and who won, it’s probably a book I’d find rather strange. And what for, actually? To appeal to people who can’t stand a combat scene for the gore involved? Those people shouldn’t have picked a book about a gladiator, obviously. Personally, I simply refuse to treat sexuality any different than violence from a writer’s perspective. It’s just as natural and often much less unpleasant, because nobody dies. Now, I won’t say that a story needs sex to be worth anything. Some stories aren’t about anything sexual or intimate. It has to be part of the whole thing and add to the story, obviously. The frequency and what happens in between determine the nature of the story. For me, something that is almost exclusively focused on sex and strings sex scenes together is porn. And I don’t mean that deprecatory. It’s a personal definition and good written porn like that can be very entertaining. It just doesn’t carry a long story very well. This story here is different, though. Sex is an integral part of it. It has evolved - from my personal perspective. There aren’t as many sex scenes anymore. The focus is on those that are meaningful and I think that’s how it should be. I wouldn’t terribly mind if a few more would be glossed over by just being mentioned, but there’s a limit to that. Stuff happens during and around the sex, after all. It’s important for the character development as well as the motivations. Without it the deep bond between some of the characters would be less plausible. It would be told to the reader instead of being shown. Yep, I just used that and I think I did rightfully so. Anyway, a sequel to this wouldn’t be this story, but it would be the sequel to this. Naturally, it should be able to stand on its own, but if you come from TSM to the sequel and it isn’t at least a bit about sexuality and eroticism it would be rather disappointing, wouldn’t it? Not to mention the crippling blow it deals to writing about human interaction if sex is just omitted. And only to adhere to an arbitrary rule that quality literature isn’t allowed to be too explicit - which is fortunately currently changing. I may be mistaken. Maybe you got a story about an AI or an otherwise asexual character or one who has to come a long way to get anywhere near being able to enjoy sex. I can imagine that to be a great read. But I would be very surprised to see it being advertised as the sequel to TSM. Set in the same universe, sure. A sequel? Instant skepticism. Plus the impression that you might be trying to appeal to the mainstream at the cost of the readers of the first work. That’s happened before and I honestly didn’t like it. It makes me wanna say: Don’t be ashamed of being an erotic fiction writer, because there’s nothing wrong with that. Sex is action and action is graphic. People who can’t stand that have a problem themselves. It’s not the story’s fault. So, that’s my final speech of the defense - the defendant being eroticism in fiction. I’m not trying to convince you. If your mind is made up that’s how it is. But if you aren’t certain yet, I’m certainly hoping to sway your opinion, because I like the way you implement sex in your work and make it part of the premise even. Otherwise I wouldn’t be still here … ;-)

Anonymous

I like the *current* ratio of sex scenes. The first half of the novel had them too frequently, but it's matured like a fine, sexy wine.

Anonymous

All options seem good. A less sex version has quality to publish. I personally like it as it is. Though would love some more details/longer combat scenes.

Anonymous

Instead of a John Blake sequel what about giving him a break and continuing on with the "Black Sea' Story. Then, I am not sure how it would work but you could interweave the two stories together???