Reviews: Introduction

My aim has been a new blog every Tuesday which makes for four a month, simple right? What happens on that rare fifth Tuesday in a month? Well, since every author wishes for reviews…both happily and stressfully…I thought why not review our genre.

I admit this is a little scary for me. I’m used to reviewing every other genre, but never touched our genre. There is the sex element. What makes me comfortable and uncomfortable, keeping any and all judgement out of the review. Learning the different levels of our genre, the different appetites.

I don’t read our genre as much as I read other ones. I do; however, know what makes a strong story. What works and what doesn’t in the telling of a tale. Believable characters and what makes them cardboard.

More importantly, I respect the genre and the authors who write it.

Hope you take a chance on me.

The Erotic Genre: Be Kind To Yourself

Generally, a writer needs to be kind and forgiving to themselves. Nothing is perfect in the rough draft. Nothing is perfect in the first edit. Our words are never typed fast enough to keep up with our brains. What sounds good in our mind translates into some wildly abnormal-tongue that would require the character to be hanging by their feet from the ceiling in order to reach where we say they are licking.

Or they need seven hands instead of the four reality dictates they have. And try that position, your knees just do not bend that way – without breaking that is.

There are only so many names for sounds and body parts. Do-hickey and down there with his ding-a-ling won’t cut it in our genre. Unless you are going for the slap-slick comedy.

Sorry, no man looks good in a speedo…ever.

Maybe our genre is one where we need to be extra kind and patient with our writing. We’re dealing with scenes that are to stimulate and feel good, but it’s a fine line to tightrope walk when you’re mixing comedy, horror, paranormal, with grunts, groans, and moans.

We have heightened emotions filled with lust, anger, fear, love, and sometimes even hate and at the same moment we have to prove our characters are saying “YES” and not being forced or controlled into a sex act/situation.

Stepping outside of ourselves into a fictional character is an adventure in any genre; however, our genre is one where we’ll be asked – did you really do that? Have you… Really, are these stories about you? So that’s your fantasy. Hey, you know…

I’ve never been asked “are you a serial killer” when I’ve written something dark, but boy have I been kidded about writing erotic. 

We write erotic because we like writing sex, sexy, sensual, we’re tired of the wham bam boinking blandness that’s shoved at us. We write what we want to read. And in doing so we’ve set ourselves up for some pretty strange looks and questions.

The general public is more comfortable with blood and guts and less with their own nakedness. We’re just the lucky ones who allow them to peek at our naked imagination.

Character Take Over: Boris

Coming Winter 2016

Who are you?

Boris Carmichael Schitz…I know already it sounds like Shits. Yes, my buddies never let me forget it. Can we move on now? Yes, not our real last name, but trust me the real one is just as awkward for a guy growing up. Told Bonnie we should have used her maiden name.

My business is a mix of architectural design and personal security. Safe rooms and home vaults as well as business and business travel. My company will provide drivers, travel aids and security right down to family childcare help.

My family’s safety is everything.

What do you do in your spare time?

Look, I live in a household with four women of various ages, I do what they tell me to do. Seriously, between going over risk assessments, meetings with clients (and, yes, some think security means not sharing everything I need to know to do my job for them which is a whole other headache), staying on top of training and ahead of potential vulnerabilities, and more, cleaning the garage, trips to dance class, and playing chauffeur to a gaggle of girls is relaxation. Sports? Golf is a business drudgery as far as I’m concerned, but you’ll be surprised at how much can be covered over beers and darts. Let alone when training with the guys at the gym.

What?

Look, I leave that spare time talk to Bonnie. Any discussions I may have on that activity I keep private.

Where?

Business takes me throughout the area and sometimes the country. There have been world travels, too. Plus connections and working relationships with other trusted security companies.

That, again?  Wherever my gal is works for me.

When?

All right, I give in…

Hey, I’m a guy. Basically, whenever.

Why?

You’re kidding me right?

How?

How what? You just…crap, Bonnie answered this already, right?

Conclusion…ahhh…oh, about the book…it was fun at the time, fun remembering (maybe a little more fun), and fun reading, trying to read   LOL

General: How did Nano go?

Well, I typed more than I have ever done this year than previous years. I managed just over 30,000 and finished the first seasonal bundle of stories for December - March and started into April - August. Just needing to finish July and August for that bundle.

I’m happy with the volume I was able to produce, but must admit I didn’t turn off my internal editor. I found myself editing the lines during the typing process and making sure the storylines were making sense. Whether it was because I was working with my publisher to get these stories done or because I was writing under a different persona...maybe it was due to actually having a story idea or that they were short stories I was writing...I didn’t find my self-editing too distracting or argumentative.

I must admit writing one erotic story after another was starting to wear on me. I was getting a little tired of the genre and setting the flow of scene and story to match. I need to get back and finish, but life tossed in a surprise which tossed me out of the writing for a couple of days. I could have forced myself back in, but mentally I skipped out. The lack of reaching 50,000 was more mental-done-in than critical editor.

Will I attempt again next year? I don’t know. I enjoy the people in our region. I like the idea of the challenge, but I don’t think Nano is for me no matter the persona.

I have ideas for a set of short stories under my real name and because I’ve written as Theadora, I believe she’s shown me the method I need to use to get those written. In other words, by wearing a different persona, I’ve had my eyes open to lessons I thought I knew.

Who knows, depending on how the next eleven months go maybe I’ll attempt Nano under both my writing names. This year I’ve finally learned that I can prepare for Nano...semi-plotter now. I can reach the daily writing goals. Writing short stories eases the mental pressure. And my internal editor isn’t such an enemy after all.

Visiting Bonnie and Boris: Introducing Bonnie

The character Bonnie is an escape. She speaks what I hold back. Is confident where I’m not and daring where I wish I was…well, not in some areas. Her sexual freedom is complete fiction written for those who enjoy reading erotic/erotica.

I wanted my female lead to be someone in control, but not controlling as in overpowering. There’s little that will phase her or cause her to doubt herself or Boris. The insecurity and uncertainty which lives in us all was something I didn’t want in my erotic characters. They’re based on the general feel I’ve taken from watching documentaries on people who swing, share their wives/husbands. These stories are strong…I hope…in Bonnie’s sexual life which is separate from her day-to-day lives.

My plan for Bonnie is one where she will “play” with those she considers close and trustworthy friends. Beyond that she is not one to randomly have sex with someone simply because it will feel good. I’ve taken the stand with Bonnie and Boris that they’re sexually open, but have more personal rules than some who play a wider field. No, judgement is not being passed.

When creating characters a writer needs to know and set the boundaries, rules, beliefs for that character. It’s how we learn who we are writing and how they will interact with others in the story. How the story will make them behave, react. Even then they’ll take us in directions we don’t anticipate.

Bonnie’s a mother because I’m a mother. I know her feelings for her children because of my own. I wanted to share this aspect to my possible readers, let alone the fun of balancing being a sexual partner, being, with children and their surprises. I didn’t know how many children, daughters or sons, ages, this all came about as the stories were being written. So did the pets…both children and animals had no names, no descriptions for the first book and not much until writing the second.

For some strange reason Bonnie’s parents are deceased. I don’t know why, maybe I didn’t want to deal with writing about parents whose daughter is having wild sex?

I tried to find a name which didn’t match anyone I knew. One that didn’t belong to anyone I had an impression about. Well, it wasn’t until well after book one was written and near published that I realized I did know a person called, Bonnie. If you ever guess…or know who I am…my fictional Bonnie is completely that – fictional.

This is about it for introducing Bonnie. I’m sure there will be more to share as the stories develop and I get to know Bonnie. That’s the best part of creating a character, they grow and really do take on a life of their own.