READERS' ROOM: WHAT IS SMUT? -

READERS’ ROOM: LET’S TALK

HOT, SWEET & SPICY

WHAT IS SMUT?

To have any kind of meaningful discussion about SMUT, we should probably begin with the definition.

Smut can refer to a plant disease, which amuses me greatly, but we’re not here to talk about gardening. The definition that is relevant to our discussion refers to sexually explicit material or, in a more general sense, to something vulgar and/or obscene.

The linguist in me likes to look at the etymology of words, as it often tells us something about the values and cultures they stem from. When we look into the history of the word smut, we find it in the 17th century meaning any type of soot, dirt or filth. Further back, we can see its roots in:

- - smitta (Old English: smear; blot; mark; stain; pollution),
  - besmītan (Old English: to besmut; defile; dirty; pollute; contaminate); and
  - smitten (Middle Low German: to stain).

Today, it is still used in Germany and Scandiland (DE: Schmutz, SE: smuts, DK: smuds, NO: smuss) meaning dirt or filth. In English, it can also mean soot, but I think most of us recognise it as a slang term for a piece of work that’s considered obscene or pornographic in its nature.

So, what do we mean by obscene or pornographic?

Well, this is where things begin to get a little thorny. I guess it’s fair to say that the general consensus, to the extent we can claim to have found one, is that it’s a piece of work where the characters are engaged in some kind of sexual activity. This applies to books, artwork, photography, magazines, films, language, performances, online settings etc.

All pornography is smut, but not all smut is pornographic. This is why we can find smut in books written for children, for example. Not porn, mind you. Smut.

Contrary to an opinion I’m loath to call popular, sex in itself is not dirty, obscene or vulgar. “It is a core part of the human experience, and as worthy of writing about as love,” our Quartermaster said when I asked for permission to write about smut in our smut-free newsletter. (CLICK HERE FOR THE SMUT-FILLED ADDENDUM) Indeed, sexuality often goes hand in hand with sweet romantic love and, as far as I’m aware, no one is suggesting that love is filthy. At least not love between a man and a woman. Unfortunately, some people still can’t wrap their heads around the very simple fact that love is love and so bloody precious it should be celebrated. (On that note: Happy Pride Month!)

Smut is a controversial topic. Some say that it’s harmful and should be banned, and in some places it is. Although As We Write is a (largely) smut-free platform, we consider smut to be an art form in its own right. And that is the definition we are using today.

Smut as an expression of the human experience.

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ABOUT LINNEA LUCIFER

Linnea Lucifer is the Captain of the imaginary, yet very real, pirate ship Resilience and her merry crew of indie authors. But that is not all – amateur liar, weaver of stories, peddler of merch, lifelong spoonie, ancient dragon lady and Maddox Rhinehart’s irreverent pet are a few more words often used to describe the bearer of many names.

The Captain, who was named after a delicate little flower that grows in mossy, Swedish pine forests, and a certain fiery fallen angel, spends most of her days daydreaming and writing fantasy, smut and painfully crappy poems. She takes great pleasure in everything that tickles the senses and adds a sprinkle of magic and spice to our world.

Linnea writes fantasy rooted in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore under the pen name Saga Linnea Söderberg. She writes sweet’n’spicy spoonie smut together with Leto Armitage under the joint pen name Linn Rhinehart. As Evalena Styf, she’s known as a knowsy roll model and prolific content creator. She’s also a retired writing coach, editor and graphic designer.