Squees 5 and 6

[louiselux]

Writer's korner: I've a sneaking suspicion that I've been writing run on sentences for years and not realising. I feel very little shame about this, but then I'm carefully avoiding all your gazes, okay?

Moving on, randomblade wanted  squee about:

Yay!
Tortured discretion and restraint. Otherwise known as the stiff upper lip

One of the most beautiful things for me in any sort of story is restraint. Before you go picturing handcuffs and ropes, I'd better clarify that I mean the sort of restraint that comes from taking it on the chin and not complaining, or a manly determination not to give in to the powerful desires that lurk below the surface of polite society or a man's own throbbing breast. In the best possible cases this determination will become desperate, massively strained yet maintained until the poor quivering sap can't hold back a moment longer.

I love it. I can't tell you how much I enjoy it when characters endure these sorts of artificial yet very real barriers between what they are allowed to have and what they truly want or need. It's torture!  But it's  a swooning, romantic torture of the very best kind because, and here's the good bit: at some point the stiff upper lip starts to tremble, nay, quiver, nay collapse!

I can't think of anything more satisfying, apart from watching them suffer in the first place. And here's the really good bit: the greater the self-denial and the external oppression, the more fulfilling the shattering break-down when it finally arrives, and the release of the passions so tightly bound up inside. Because, of course, this sort of thing is likely brought about by the appearance of a particular person: the one person it's worth letting your lip go soft for.

As an addendum, the manly handshakes squee lovelzelda wanted fits nicely on the end.


Manly Handshakes

Is there anything more exciting than a firm, manly handshake? I can see you nodding your heads and agreeing with me. There is nothing more satisfying than a well-timed, well placed clasping of hands. If it leads to it-preg than all the better, lovelyzelda, but I don't insist on it.

But, back to the handshake. Quite simply, it's a tease. Think of all the types of handshake you can have: the trying too hard squeeze, the soft, sensual massage, the firm, dry clasp that denotes extreme manliness and a background of derring do, the handshake that drags on for slightly to long and begins to look like you're holding hands.

The latter type tends to start to appear just about the time catalogued above, went the SUL start to become beaded with sweat from keeping homoerotic thoughts at bay and hanging onto another man's hand is the nearest they'll get to any sort of palm action any time soon (because self relief will give them warty fingers).

Quite simply the handshake is the only route of expression for some characters, such as certain gay Victorian soldiers, some angels and some demons. In all its forms, it's a sheer delight.

Comments

[cicer.livejournal.com]

Nothing. Except it-preg, because that's my favorite thing in the whole wide world.

Oh, you said not to answer. Whoops. *whistles innocently*