The Go-To Guys on Recovery, Quantity & Word Choices

Last month, we talked about preparation, condoms and cleaning up after anal sex with regards to whether we think there's enough realism in M/M romances in those areas. We concluded that almost anything is possible since a lot of it comes down to personal preference anyway. Well, now we're back to talk a little more about realism and M/M romance. This time, we're going to look at recovery time, semen quantity, and two words that make us cringe.

Ready for Round 2?

One of the GTGs suggested we use stopwatches and measure the amount of time between orgasm and being able to start again (a.k.a the refractory period when regaining or maintaining an erection after orgasm is either impossible or too sensitive to use). We didn't listen to that suggestion for the sake of our egos, but we did give some thought to whether what we've read over the years has seemed realistic to our own experiences. The majority of M/M romances do, but some don't, though we're pretty sure it's obvious when this happens. Two guys in their mid-30s barely taking a breather in between orgasms? Nope, we don't think so. The younger the guy, the shorter the timeframe, and it's probably true there are those rare guys who don't need a moment at all, but the normal human male needs anywhere from 20 minutes to tomorrow night, depending on his age. However, two guys in their mid-30s who happen to be werewolves/aliens/etc.? Well that's special circumstances, so sure, they can do it no problem and we'll believe it's possible because they aren't the normal human male.

Buckets Of It

The amount of semen thrust out into the world upon ejaculation varies a lot and for a lot of reasons, but we're pretty confident geysers of cum all over the room every single time is definitely unrealistic. The average amount is closer to a teaspoon and probably less than a tablespoon. It does decrease with the number of ejaculations during a short time span and can increase with no ejaculations over a longer time span. Diet and other health-related issues can change the amount too (and the consistency!). Again, if the characters aren't even human, all this is moot and the author can paint the sheets with gallons of spooge if she wants to, but your everyday, average guy shouldn't be able to.

Ouch!

That's the main thing that comes to mind when we read the words "impale" or any version of the verb "to pound" in M/M romance sex scenes -- especially if the impaler about to pound is hung like a horse as so often happens in some stories. Even with an average cock, the very definition of "impale" is to "pierce or transfix with a sharp instrument" and that just doesn't say sexy to us. And then pounding the guy just sounds like beating him. Sure, there might be instances where things get a little rough, but we're going to look for the realism of the receiver having tenderness, if not outright pain, during or after the impaling and pounding. Horseback riding or bicycling around town will definitely not happen after that kind of activity, thanks! Ibuprofen, walking funny, and laying down instead of sitting make a lot more sense to us. These two words are just not our favorites when it comes to describing an act the majority of us like to see as love scenes.

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Who Are These Guys?

Four gay men in committed relationships. Well, not with each other since two of them are brothers. Anyway. Two of them are avid M/M Romance readers slowly working the other two into joining them, and all are invested in the realistic portrayal of gay men in fiction. Especially during the smexy bits.

Got a question for the Go-To Guys to answer on the blog? Send them an email at: TheSmexPosse @ gmail . com