So how the hell do you even write a ecchi story???

[Froneezy]

If I'm gonna be here I gotta try it at least once. I'm open to learning to new things. I wanna contribute. I wanna write a damn ecchi story!

So how do you do it? What kind of writing style would you have to adapt if there even is one? Is it anything like writing an erotica novel? I used to skim through a lot of my momma's collection of Zane books when I was younger. Maybe I should use a Zane novel as a starting point.

(The fact that words could turn me on even as a kid back then still weirds me out)

[It’s still me]

I think there is no standard in writing an ecchi story but I think the main end goal is to have it turn into a manga or anime. However, the plot can be about anything. We have monster girls, high school girls, high school girls, high school girls, and alien girls in human high schools. As long as your story reaches the target demographic of 13-25, any plot will work.

Ecchi is subtle but over the top. It’s about turning on the audience without sex.

I always thought the U.S. isn’t suited for ecchi stories because we kinda accept sex. Well not really. Reference Aziz Ansari trending topic.

Hey, at least it got you to read. If more boys did that, there wouldn’t be so much hate in reading books as inexperienced when I was in school.

[MahluaandMilk]

Yeh, like Forlorn said, it's a lot to do with subtlety and humor. Ecchi is the boundary of teasing sexual innuendos into a story while having sex both being the primary objective and simultaneously not the point. I think the reason it's harder for an American audience to grasp, exactly, probably has more to do with the general discomfort we have with ambiguity. That's what makes ecchi hard for me to write, anyway. I try, and then it just (d)evolves into smut.

[rubixmaestro]

I seriously think this is one of the unfortunate (or fortunate depending on how honest you are about liking ecchi) cases where you have to dive into the ecchi world that the internet provides. Lemon fics, niche groups on DA or tumblr. That sort of thing. You don't need to participate per se, but you need to get comfortable seeing that there are freakier freaks out there than you, and that they are writing and attempting exactly what you're looking into without batting an eye and are through that breaking new ground.

Too muddy for you? Then wear a necktie and get the Kama Sutra. I'm serious. If you want to be academic about your ecchi then see how the masters deal with sex and stuff.

I plan on getting something similar to 50 shades (I really, really don't want to read the actual book) at a point to see what is considered a massively marketable 'ecchi' story.


All in all it comes to consuming the medium to be able to regurgitate the medium. So start researching, brah.

[MahluaandMilk]

Fifty Shades of Grey is just abuse wrapped up in a pretty little sappy bullsh8t package tbh. Not worth the read. I've seen better BDSM written by horny teenage yaoi fangirls.

But yes hello I am the freakier freak than you.

[rubixmaestro]

*Straightenes paper bag mask* Is your freakiness over 9000 though? I can throw some curve balls when it is to my liking

(Actually no it's okay I understood from what I heard from that lost after hours ecchisode that your freak is too damn hgh)

Glad to hear Shades is also a failure on the fetish front too haha.

[MahluaandMilk]

More to the topic, I don't necessarily think that research into sex itself is entirely going to help with ecchi. Most of the Kama Sutra consists of cultural (and possibly slightly outdated) expectations and suggestions for "proper" social courting of a partner. I have to say that some of the suggestions are actually helpful for marathon sexing, and I appreciate the focus on intimacy in that regard. It can be good for idea generation, of course, and some interesting art reference if you're into that. I might take from it eventually, if my friends don't ban me from looking at it again; There are actually some dubiously magical connotations for where to focus energy and whatnot, and my friends have collectively decided that I should never practice sex magic after what shall only be known as that incident.

Anyway, less about sex, more about sexual implications. Ecchi's primary focus is to gently arouse, to tease, and to allow the viewer to have more of a window than the MC in most cases (as far as I've observed). Most of this is typically achieved through humor and situational irony. It's exaggerated, and the line that makes it so hard to walk is that it's a constant balancing act of all these different forces, especially suspension of disbelief. Let's be real: there's a lot of bad ecchi that does not accomplish this well. Some of the more successful ones I've seen have a primary plot that has nothing to do with the perverse persuasion going on in the background.

I think, therefore, ecchi is more about the approach. It's hard to work with it if you have that mindset of hardcore versus softcore porn, because ecchi isn't really about the sex--sort of, but not really. Typically the series ends more or less with the MC hooking up with the chick that he was obviously going to get with from the beginning. That means that the story's actual content is all about the context and the buildup, and that's what makes it so attractive to some people. It's very similar to the mentality behind why fishnets and lingerie are considered sexually attractive. It allows for the playfulness in the sexual tension, and that starts on the path for the lightheartedness that makes ecchi what it is. I hope that makes sense.

((Also I totally added that quote to my signature because it's too perfect.))

[rubixmaestro]

Haha these are the sort of analyses I log into ecchiworld for. Couldn't have put it better myself.

And yeah I noticed haha. It fits quite well with the Marquis  quote haha.

[Froneezy]

So from reading all this, I can tell I won't be attempting to write an ecchi for a good while. Humor I can pull off. Turning a reader on with subtle sexual innuendos, constant teasing and buildup however, are skills I can't even pull off in real life...

(I wanted to laugh at that statement, but its so painfully true it hurts... )

Will be doing research on the subject though. I'm pretty sure I can find a decent story to study from. With you guys help of course.

[It’s still me]

You are thinking too hard. We make it sound like high art literature. Write a comedy that turns you on first, then worry about turning on the audience. If you like, chances are the public will like it. Unless you have Kinks that even Sub cultures would disavow.

[Froneezy]

Well to be fair, I am an over thinker, so I think too hard on a lot of things. Usually when I delve into something new for the first time everything just seems like a blur and complicated. I'm pretty sure, from what you've posted on the subject so far, writing a standard ecchi story is not that hard or complicated. Tricky, but not complicated.

But still, I'm taking my time with easing into writing an ecchi story. I wanna study the topic a little bit before attempt one myself.