New Competition Announcement: Le Noir Erotique

Noir most often conjures up images of films from long ago, portraying that dark, often hidden underbelly of society, where no one can be trusted and everyone talks wise. Even the heroes can be morally ambiguous in a genre that revels in cynicism and intricate plots.

We’re looking for sublimely erotic stories that fit into this genre, but don’t be afraid to mix it up and away from the ‘traditional’ hero/damsel in distress tropes, so long as the underlying elements remain.

Stories for this competition should be between 1,000 and 10,000 words long. To stir your creative juices, below are some quotes from famous Noir movies.

Closing date for this competition is Sunday December 4th and winners will be announced no later than Wednesday 21st Dec.

Full details here.

MOVIE: THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)

“We didn’t exactly believe your story, Miss O’Shaughnessy. We believed your two hundred dollars. I mean, you paid us more than if you’d been telling us the truth, and enough more to make it all right.”

MOVIE: DETOUR (1945)

“That’s life. Whichever way you turn, fate sticks out a foot to trip you.”

MOVIE: KISS OF DEATH (1947)

“I wouldn’t give you the skin off a grape.”

MOVIE: OUT OF THE PAST (1947)

“I sell gasoline. I make a small profit. With that I buy groceries. The grocer makes a profit. We call it earning a living. You may have heard of it.”

MOVIE: RAW DEAL (1948)

“What do you know about anything? You probably had your bread buttered on both sides since the day you were born.”

MOVIE: THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (1950)

“After all, crime is only…a left-handed form of human endeavor.”

MOVIE: DOA (1950)

“You’re just like other men, only more so.”

MOVIE: KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952)

"Look, you’re a nice girl, but in case you’re thinking of mothering me, forget it! I’m no stray dog you can pick up, and I like my neck without a collar!”

MOVIE: THE NARROW MARGIN (1952)

“Sister, I’ve known some pretty hard cases in my time; you make ‘em all look like putty.”

MOVIE: THE BIG HEAT (1953)

“Well, you’re about as romantic as a pair of handcuffs.”

MOVIE: THE BIG COMBO (1955)

“A woman doesn’t care how a guy makes a living, just how he makes love.”

MOVIE: KISS ME DEADLY (1955)

“Kiss me, Mike. I want you to kiss me. The liar’s kiss that says I love you and means something else.”

Okay, it’s on

Exciting! I've got a story I have been working on. Since this is Noir (a genre that often involves murder cases or other collateral violence), and our complex plots may not be sexual until later in the story, is violence still an absolute no-no for this Competition? Of course any violence would have to be absolutely NON-sexual, but would it be okay, for example, if a couple of disposable henchmen get killed early in my story? If not, I'll figure out another way to tell the tale.

Violence is fine so long as it's not too graphic and isn't non-con sexual violence.

Violence is absolutely fine in stories. As you say, it can't be directly linked to a sexual act. And just keep the graphic detail something below Tarantino levels. You'll be fine then.

Edit: Jen beat me to it

Great quotes (that I sell gasoline quote is priceless). Great theme.

I’m in. Don’t know if it’s any good, but so far it’s pretty kinky.

Thanks for the quick feedback, Jen and WBW. The violence will be not be splatter-level graphic.

Looking forward to this! It has been fun for me so far, especially incorporating Noir-style dialogue and internal-monologue lines. I've been checking out some Noir novels and movies to get a feel for the genre. I'd like to share with other contestants that I've found ANY novel by Raymond Chandler to make an excellent, maybe even definitive, intro to the style.

Here are a couple of my favorites so far, from The High Window. Describing an ancient elevator operator: "He looked as if he had been sitting there since the Civil War and had come out of that badly." After making a smart-alecky remark in a drugstore, protagonist Philip Marlowe says the druggist "looked up, surprised. The girls at the pinball machine looked at me, surprised. I went over and looked at myself in the mirror behind the counter. I looked surprised."

Quote by joe71
fter making a smart-alecky remark in a drugstore, protagonist Philip Marlowe says the druggist "looked up, surprised. The girls at the pinball machine looked at me, surprised. I went over and looked at myself in the mirror behind the counter. I looked surprised."

That's excellent.

Dashiel Hammett has got some serious game too.

What I try to do is write a story about a detective rather than a detective story. Keeping the reader fooled until the last, possible moment is a good trick and I usually try to play it, but I can't attach more than secondary importance to it. The puzzle isn't so interesting to me as the behavior of the detective attacking it.

Dashiell Hammett

Get it guys and gals! :worship:

I'm just gonna be a reader this comp and excited to see what y'all comp up with!!

Quote by KimmiBeGood
I'm just gonna be a reader this comp

Noooooo, say it ain't so ☹️

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

Noooooo, say it ain't so ☹️

Yup. I was an eager beaver and started writing early on and got too many characters involved, overshot max length by 7K, and then didn't wanna cut. Damn it!!! So, I published in three parts outside the comp. I doubt I have another in me. I'll enjoy being a reader too though and have a couple spooky ones for Halloween season I'm working on now.

Then I should jolly well go and read that. And why aren't I following you? I shall make amends there too.

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Yup. I was an eager beaver and started writing early on and got too many characters involved, overshot max length by 7K, and then didn't wanna cut. Damn it!!! So, I published in three parts outside the comp. I doubt I have another in me. I'll enjoy being a reader too though and have a couple spooky ones for Halloween season I'm working on now.

You wrote 17k words!? Dang. I will give it a read too.

Quote by Ensorceled

You wrote 17k words!? Dang. I will give it a read too.

Here's the first. 3 parts were published in all. I am happy with myself as I struggle with these long ones. :)

https://www.lushstories.com/stories/cheating/a-deadly-fuck

It's called "The Black Rabbit" now, tag shows original title in draft.

Damn. Y'all better bring your 'A' games. The first 2 outta the Noir gate, Krystal and MojaveJoe, nailed their entries. Damn. Really looking forward to reading every entry!

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Damn. Y'all better bring your 'A' games. The first 2 outta the Noir gate, Krystal and MojaveJoe, nailed their entries.

It's a fluke, I swear!

But, yes, read MojaveJoe's...it rocks!

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Damn. Y'all better bring your 'A' games. The first 2 outta the Noir gate, Krystal and MojaveJoe, nailed their entries. Damn. Really looking forward to reading every entry!

Wow. Both are excellent, really capturing the Noir feel. I admit that at first I was intimidated by the challenge of matching up to the quality of these stories, but now I’m feeling motivated to level up. Mine will be more of an action thriller set in the gritty bits of contemporary Seattle, rather than a classic procedural set in 1930s-40s LA. Still has detectives, though, and I still hope to imbue it with the cynical, snarky Noir essence. After all, how could today’s world not make one cynical?

You've got this, Joe!

Quote by joe71

Wow. Both are excellent, really capturing the Noir feel. I admit that at first I was intimidated by the challenge of matching up to the quality of these stories, but now I’m feeling motivated to level up. Mine will be more of an action thriller set in the gritty bits of contemporary Seattle, rather than a classic procedural set in 1930s-40s LA. Still has detectives, though, and I still hope to imbue it with the cynical, snarky Noir essence. After all, how could today’s world not make one cynical?

That's the Spirit! I look forward to reading yours. Comps are a great way to get noticed by new readers and other authors.

Quote by Ensorceled

You wrote 17k words!? Dang. I will give it a read too.

And it’s well worth reading, absolutely brilliant!

Quote by bobbie8uk

And it’s well worth reading, absolutely brilliant!

Aww, you made me smile like this 😀 ... thank you! I had big fun writing it!

Hmmm. The old GFF forum had a stories ideas section that I often posted on. I started one that I believe could fit in this competition. That forum was hacked and every single post on all threads were lost. Thus, I never finished it (not even close). I wonder if it would be okay to try and write it here. That was several years ago, so I would have to use my memory, since I don't have it in writing.

Quote by gffphann

The old GFF forum had a stories ideas section that I often posted on. I started one that I believe could fit in this competition. That forum was hacked and every single post on all threads were lost. Thus, I never finished it (not even close). That was several years ago, so I would have to use my memory, since I don't have it in writing.

"This is the saddest story I have ever heard...."

Quote by gffphann

Hmmm. The old GFF forum had a stories ideas section that I often posted on. I started one that I believe could fit in this competition. That forum was hacked and every single post on all threads were lost. Thus, I never finished it (not even close). I wonder if it would be okay to try and write it here. That was several years ago, so I would have to use my memory, since I don't have it in writing.

Ask a mod, but I would think you're okay if it wasn't a full story published somewhere. Seems like it was just an idea. As long as no one helped you write on your idea as collaborations aren't allowed in comps.

super excited for this one!

Me: I'm in the Top Two of the competition!

World: How many entries are there?

Me: Two!

World: ...

Me: ...

World: That’s awesome!

Me: I know, right?

Quote by Mojavejoe420

Me: I'm in the Top Two of the competition!

World: How many entries are there?

Me: Two!

World: ...

Me: ...

World: That’s awesome!

Me: I know, right?

Woohoo, MJ! :worship: Hey, not everyone can be in the Top Two (of two). Actually only two can be there.

See what happens when you take Kimmi's supportive advice. I think I said, "If you enter, don't fuck it up, Jim," and look what happened. Top Two (of two) baby!

Quote by Mojavejoe420

Me: I'm in the Top Two of the competition!

Actually, I found your story to be well-written, engaging, and your factual research is evident. I really enjoyed it, even if you did steal my idea! 😜
Seriously, everyone, if you haven't read Mojavejoe's story, you simply must!

Dumb question: what's a fast way to get to a list of the comp entries? Is there a comp button or something? I've never done this in Lush 2.0

Quote by Ensorceled

Dumb question: what's a fast way to get to a list of the comp entries? Is there a comp button or something? I've never done this in Lush 2.0

Click on this:

https://www.lushstories.com/competitions/le-noir-erotique