Once, I was reading an advice bit from an erotica author (not professional). At the time, I had so much trouble figuring out the real issues I had with what she said.
She said she had written stories from different points of view: straight woman, gay woman, straight man, gay man. And that meant she had done it all.
Gender is a spectrum. So often people view it as a box to be checked. If not one, then the other. It's just like viewing everything in black and white- and there are therapists out there to help people deal with that difficulty.
The Kinsey Scale was one of the first to explore this idea, that there was not just a heterosexual and homosexual category, but that people might be better categorized by points on a line.
I laughed when one of my acquaintances talked about how he'd go bi for Antonio Banderas, but I love that he's comfortable enough with himself to say it. So many men don't seem to be. And yet most of the women I know have that one admission even if they're straight.
Which makes me think about our society. Why is that permissible for women and not for men? Why has it been more okay for women to have a list of other women that they find fascinating, but men refuse to admit any feelings of the sort for other men?
(Except, of course, that women are amazing, awesome creatures.)
Oh, and now I have a topic for more research: What does it say about a person (call him Guy) when he's attracted to a specific attribute? What does it mean when Guy decides it's okay to break gender norms (meaning what he normally finds attractive) for one other - like Antonio Banderas? And what does that choice say about Guy?
There are a lot more things in my head about that. Sex doesn't just happen in twos. Sex doesn't just happen between a man and a woman, or a man and a man, or a woman and a woman. Sex isn't always monogamous or exclusive. And gender doesn't have to be the only factor. Some people are not comfortable identifying with either - it goes so much deeper than just what genitals are attached to a body. Which makes that a topic for another post... soon.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Beginning September
Ever have those thoughts of doing something and not understanding what holds you back from completing it? September begins and it is a good time to start new goals, tackle projects on hold, and generally getting back into the routine.
For your reading pleasure: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2013/jan/200113-hatke-news-scotland-library-free-pole-dancing-lessons.htm
You have to love a library that will encourage readers in almost any way possible - so long as the books aren't damaged as tennis table bats.
For your reading pleasure: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2013/jan/200113-hatke-news-scotland-library-free-pole-dancing-lessons.htm
You have to love a library that will encourage readers in almost any way possible - so long as the books aren't damaged as tennis table bats.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Thinly Veiled Autobiography
A book brings expectations. When I open a book, it's about a story. When I write, it's the same thing. Each character has a personality and a challenge to overcome.
I know one of the clichéd pieces of writing advice is "write what you know," but that doesn't mean every story needs to be taken directly from the writer's life. There are pieces of truth and pieces of other things woven together to make great fiction. The pieces one person picks out as the truth become the piece that someone else believes can't be true.
From time to time I run into writers who seem to write thinly veiled autobiography. Fiction isn't as complicated as truth. We can't believe what really happened, but we have to believe in fiction. An author needs to tie up the loose ends at the end of the story. Books don't generally run through endless characters for one use - they'll trim them down to use one best friend for several purposes and one antagonist in many cases.
Why do I say seem? I heard a writer not long ago substitute his own name for his protagonist's. Another one talked about his protagonist as "a mix of himself and his best friend" but the protagonist's name was one letter from his own. I've also heard "but it really happened that way."
I wonder if that leads many readers to think that some part of this truth that writers need to express in story must be what really happened. They look at my stories and they look at me and they might wonder. All I can do is try not to let it get to me, and if they ask - tell them it isn't true. At least not what they're asking.
Fiction is fooling the audience into believing something is real that isn't. If I do that, I'm a successful writer. Can I fool you? I hope so.
I know one of the clichéd pieces of writing advice is "write what you know," but that doesn't mean every story needs to be taken directly from the writer's life. There are pieces of truth and pieces of other things woven together to make great fiction. The pieces one person picks out as the truth become the piece that someone else believes can't be true.
From time to time I run into writers who seem to write thinly veiled autobiography. Fiction isn't as complicated as truth. We can't believe what really happened, but we have to believe in fiction. An author needs to tie up the loose ends at the end of the story. Books don't generally run through endless characters for one use - they'll trim them down to use one best friend for several purposes and one antagonist in many cases.
Why do I say seem? I heard a writer not long ago substitute his own name for his protagonist's. Another one talked about his protagonist as "a mix of himself and his best friend" but the protagonist's name was one letter from his own. I've also heard "but it really happened that way."
I wonder if that leads many readers to think that some part of this truth that writers need to express in story must be what really happened. They look at my stories and they look at me and they might wonder. All I can do is try not to let it get to me, and if they ask - tell them it isn't true. At least not what they're asking.
Fiction is fooling the audience into believing something is real that isn't. If I do that, I'm a successful writer. Can I fool you? I hope so.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Pen Names
Have you looked much within the erotica genre? It is littered with pen names and supposed pen names. While that isn't bad, it might say something about our culture.
What I wonder, with the unmasking of pen names on such a frequent basis, is why we choose them. J. K. Rowling thought she was safe with a pen name - and she was for a few months. One leak into the right journalist's ear, and suddenly there is a hunt for proof through experts to check on the phrasing used in each of the books she's written lately - the last Harry Potter book, Casual Vacancy, and Cuckoo's Calling.
Seems like a lot of effort. Right, it's J. K. Rowling, one of the most well-known and wealthy authors in the world. So she's worth it, when maybe a small nobody who publishes a few erotica stories.
But if you make it big, like E. L. James, someone else will want to see right through you.
Does that make some authors strive for the midlist? Does it make some authors pause before trying to send work out? Does it make someone happy to rip off the mask? Happier than the authors who had their bliss removed?
Life as a writer isn't easy. We pursue the stories we have to tell. It is not something happy people do. Happy people go play with their kids and their spouses and go to parties and have fun. Writers stick themselves alone in dark corners and scribble into notebooks. [Those who have entered the digital age might be typing into a computer, phone, or other device.]
Life as a writer with a pen name doesn't get better. Can you imagine trying to tell the people closest to you that you write, you have a pen name, and you don't want everyone to know? Why wouldn't you want everyone to know? It might not be a good move in your career. It might not be something you're willing to share because it's too personal. It might be a reason that most people cannot understand or aren't willing to sit through an explanation.
Some writers have many names. They use them for branding and to direct readers to one set of novels or another. Sometimes they list their different versions of a name - whether they were found out from a secret or if the pen name wasn't a secret at all - on their bio pages. Some writers use pen names to get away from connotations with other real people, other real writers. Imagine if your name were King or Rowling or Roberts - and you wrote in a different genre from the famous writer? Some people will find enough of a reason there to change into a different version of their names.
Some, but not all. Next time you pick up a book and read through the author's page, are you going to wonder if that was the name the writer was born with? And, really, does it matter?
What I wonder, with the unmasking of pen names on such a frequent basis, is why we choose them. J. K. Rowling thought she was safe with a pen name - and she was for a few months. One leak into the right journalist's ear, and suddenly there is a hunt for proof through experts to check on the phrasing used in each of the books she's written lately - the last Harry Potter book, Casual Vacancy, and Cuckoo's Calling.
Seems like a lot of effort. Right, it's J. K. Rowling, one of the most well-known and wealthy authors in the world. So she's worth it, when maybe a small nobody who publishes a few erotica stories.
But if you make it big, like E. L. James, someone else will want to see right through you.
Does that make some authors strive for the midlist? Does it make some authors pause before trying to send work out? Does it make someone happy to rip off the mask? Happier than the authors who had their bliss removed?
Life as a writer isn't easy. We pursue the stories we have to tell. It is not something happy people do. Happy people go play with their kids and their spouses and go to parties and have fun. Writers stick themselves alone in dark corners and scribble into notebooks. [Those who have entered the digital age might be typing into a computer, phone, or other device.]
Life as a writer with a pen name doesn't get better. Can you imagine trying to tell the people closest to you that you write, you have a pen name, and you don't want everyone to know? Why wouldn't you want everyone to know? It might not be a good move in your career. It might not be something you're willing to share because it's too personal. It might be a reason that most people cannot understand or aren't willing to sit through an explanation.
Some writers have many names. They use them for branding and to direct readers to one set of novels or another. Sometimes they list their different versions of a name - whether they were found out from a secret or if the pen name wasn't a secret at all - on their bio pages. Some writers use pen names to get away from connotations with other real people, other real writers. Imagine if your name were King or Rowling or Roberts - and you wrote in a different genre from the famous writer? Some people will find enough of a reason there to change into a different version of their names.
Some, but not all. Next time you pick up a book and read through the author's page, are you going to wonder if that was the name the writer was born with? And, really, does it matter?
Friday, July 19, 2013
A Struggle Within
I've never had a lot of family, and my friends have filled those voids for me. Which is good, because it seems like the family members I can manage to coexist with are far away or passed away.
I know I've been quiet on the blog lately, and it is all a struggle within my mind. There are good days and bad days and days when I wish I wasn't me and days that I wouldn't be anyone else for anything.
My home has always been within fiction. The stories I want to share are always bubbling free. The problem is that the story I want to tell these days isn't fiction. That said, I abhor memoirs. And yet as I turn the pieces together, nothing else will fit. Some stories do not translate to fiction. I also refuse to go the route of saying, "Here, read this pile of fifteen stories to understand." And it would take an unknown number of stories, because fiction simply doesn't translate the same way nonfiction does. Coherence of story matters. (At least, to me.)
The other struggle with writing a memoir is that I don't remember everything. I see flashes here and flashes there and only creative nonfiction would fill in the gaps necessary to make it understandable.
Is it worth telling a story that gets more complicated the more you remember? It's bad enough a friend of mine looked at me this week and simply stated, "You're complicated." I'm pretty sure that isn't a compliment, but thanks, dude. Doesn't matter if I try to be an open book, if I try to be someone simple. It doesn't work for me.
Honesty may be the best policy, but less can also be more. Simple questions should have simple answers. I know it always frustrated my father when he would ask me questions that seemed like it would have a yes or no answer, and I'd come back with something like green. All I can say is, it made sense at the time. To me, and me alone.
This month, today, both are significant to me. I struggle with mental illness, and the first signs of it (at least, confirmed from someone outside myself) were about seventeen years ago this month. Diagnosis followed slowly, about seven years ago. It's forever, and yet it's yesterday. I know I've been irrational with a side of paranoia lately, and I'm hoping to move past that for a time. How much is always unclear.
Maybe the memoir idea will fade and I'll be able to concentrate on editing that story I've been meaning to finish.
I saw a quote today by Terri Main. "You are a writer. The 'normal' ship sailed without you long ago."
I know I've been quiet on the blog lately, and it is all a struggle within my mind. There are good days and bad days and days when I wish I wasn't me and days that I wouldn't be anyone else for anything.
My home has always been within fiction. The stories I want to share are always bubbling free. The problem is that the story I want to tell these days isn't fiction. That said, I abhor memoirs. And yet as I turn the pieces together, nothing else will fit. Some stories do not translate to fiction. I also refuse to go the route of saying, "Here, read this pile of fifteen stories to understand." And it would take an unknown number of stories, because fiction simply doesn't translate the same way nonfiction does. Coherence of story matters. (At least, to me.)
The other struggle with writing a memoir is that I don't remember everything. I see flashes here and flashes there and only creative nonfiction would fill in the gaps necessary to make it understandable.
Is it worth telling a story that gets more complicated the more you remember? It's bad enough a friend of mine looked at me this week and simply stated, "You're complicated." I'm pretty sure that isn't a compliment, but thanks, dude. Doesn't matter if I try to be an open book, if I try to be someone simple. It doesn't work for me.
Honesty may be the best policy, but less can also be more. Simple questions should have simple answers. I know it always frustrated my father when he would ask me questions that seemed like it would have a yes or no answer, and I'd come back with something like green. All I can say is, it made sense at the time. To me, and me alone.
This month, today, both are significant to me. I struggle with mental illness, and the first signs of it (at least, confirmed from someone outside myself) were about seventeen years ago this month. Diagnosis followed slowly, about seven years ago. It's forever, and yet it's yesterday. I know I've been irrational with a side of paranoia lately, and I'm hoping to move past that for a time. How much is always unclear.
Maybe the memoir idea will fade and I'll be able to concentrate on editing that story I've been meaning to finish.
I saw a quote today by Terri Main. "You are a writer. The 'normal' ship sailed without you long ago."
Friday, June 28, 2013
A Writer Issue
Do you ever look around at people you know and think writers might be a dime a dozen? Do you ever think that because you know someone published - one of those elusive author type of writers - that they must be at least a certain caliber of writer?
I know writers, published and not, that have all levels of skill. Self-published has become something of an opening for all writers to be read, to be shared, and to be reviewed. Traditional publishing (in this case anything that pays you and takes care of the details) might be called outdated by some, but it is also an obvious sign that someone has been trying to get published. It's hard, and it takes a great deal of work to find the market that fits your manuscript.
But whether indie or traditional, most writers start talking about their work at some point. We spread word of mouth through our families, friends, and acquaintances. We do book signings and author or book events and we hope that someone likes our work.
Somehow that gets a little more complicated as soon as what you write is erotica. It's not easy to even start with the entire "hi, I write erotica." Sure, I write. Though my best friend had to save her party when I announced for the first time that I got a story published - dark erotica. I know it was the last two words that made everyone silent.
It's just so hard to gauge a reaction like that. I know not everyone is a fan of anything that might be called dark erotica. I also know that even if a person doesn't like that particular story, they generally will say it is well-written.
So how do you go about sharing this with your nearest and dearest? "Hi, honey, today I decided to write a story about sex," might just get you more than you bargained for. At least, that's what some think happens. In some cases it leads to a sweeping generalization that you must be writing porn.
It's difficult to explain the differences between erotica and porn. Many times the words can be used interchangeably, but at least some try to draw a line and stay on one side. I'll admit I've written both, though I prefer the erotica side. Porn has become a word that implies sex for the sake of sex, so as writers we attempt to reclaim the erotica label to give the reader the understanding that there will be conflict, tension, and actual reasons to get into bed together spiced throughout the tale. I believe there is a place for both, and there's nothing wrong with writing either.
However, I do wish that a few less people would take the "I write erotica" admission as flirtation. I don't think the other genres (though perhaps some romance writers can understand it) have this problem. I'm admitting something, and it might mean you're special to me. It also might mean I have a different idea about sex and its role in our society than any person who would use that as a pickup line.
Wait. That might make a fun story. Erotica writer as a pickup line rather than as someone who actually writes it. I'm sure there are enough people with pen names who wouldn't take credit for their own work that it could actually fly.
I know writers, published and not, that have all levels of skill. Self-published has become something of an opening for all writers to be read, to be shared, and to be reviewed. Traditional publishing (in this case anything that pays you and takes care of the details) might be called outdated by some, but it is also an obvious sign that someone has been trying to get published. It's hard, and it takes a great deal of work to find the market that fits your manuscript.
But whether indie or traditional, most writers start talking about their work at some point. We spread word of mouth through our families, friends, and acquaintances. We do book signings and author or book events and we hope that someone likes our work.
Somehow that gets a little more complicated as soon as what you write is erotica. It's not easy to even start with the entire "hi, I write erotica." Sure, I write. Though my best friend had to save her party when I announced for the first time that I got a story published - dark erotica. I know it was the last two words that made everyone silent.
It's just so hard to gauge a reaction like that. I know not everyone is a fan of anything that might be called dark erotica. I also know that even if a person doesn't like that particular story, they generally will say it is well-written.
So how do you go about sharing this with your nearest and dearest? "Hi, honey, today I decided to write a story about sex," might just get you more than you bargained for. At least, that's what some think happens. In some cases it leads to a sweeping generalization that you must be writing porn.
It's difficult to explain the differences between erotica and porn. Many times the words can be used interchangeably, but at least some try to draw a line and stay on one side. I'll admit I've written both, though I prefer the erotica side. Porn has become a word that implies sex for the sake of sex, so as writers we attempt to reclaim the erotica label to give the reader the understanding that there will be conflict, tension, and actual reasons to get into bed together spiced throughout the tale. I believe there is a place for both, and there's nothing wrong with writing either.
However, I do wish that a few less people would take the "I write erotica" admission as flirtation. I don't think the other genres (though perhaps some romance writers can understand it) have this problem. I'm admitting something, and it might mean you're special to me. It also might mean I have a different idea about sex and its role in our society than any person who would use that as a pickup line.
Wait. That might make a fun story. Erotica writer as a pickup line rather than as someone who actually writes it. I'm sure there are enough people with pen names who wouldn't take credit for their own work that it could actually fly.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Thoughts about Friends
Make new friends, but keep the old
One is silver and the other is gold.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
So often these little sayings are bandied about to children. Do we grow up believing them? Why, then, is everyone so surprised when someone acts nice and treats another with respect and care?
As children approach adulthood, we hear other phrases:
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Blood runs thicker than water.
It is always the people closest, whether family or friends, who feel the fallout when someone vanishes from daily life, whether it is from a move to a new home or a death. While we are told as youngsters to cherish those close to us, we are also split apart from them as we get older.
It seems simpler in books. If you don't like the sister, write her out. The best friend has become too much of a frenemy, so you write her into a new romance to leave the protagonist bereft of even the competitive spirit of their relationship. The romantic interest becomes boring, and you pen in another hobby like skydiving.
Yet it leaves me wondering about the people left behind. If my character moves, she knows what she's leaving behind and she faces what comes next. If her friend moves, she thinks she'll keep in touch through Herculean efforts. In real life, each of them finds a new daily norm and settles into a routine with people who are local. Give the moved girl a marriage in a bit of time (with the traditional name change) and she'll be all but unfindable.
My brain is centered today on the concept of trying to find the way back home for a protagonist who left at a young age. She might be recognizable to some of the people who knew her well, but perhaps not. Her motivation isn't the most innocent, and she's going to encounter resistance before she finishes her plan.
Yet what would it take to make someone unrecognizable? How many years before the memory has faded from those closest to her? How much can a name change before they assume she is someone else? Think of people who moved away from your past, or the people you left if you were the one who moved: even with social media we can't always find the people who meant something to us.
I suppose what I'm wondering today is, what does it take to completely disappear?
One last thought: All is fair in love and war.
One is silver and the other is gold.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
So often these little sayings are bandied about to children. Do we grow up believing them? Why, then, is everyone so surprised when someone acts nice and treats another with respect and care?
As children approach adulthood, we hear other phrases:
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Blood runs thicker than water.
It is always the people closest, whether family or friends, who feel the fallout when someone vanishes from daily life, whether it is from a move to a new home or a death. While we are told as youngsters to cherish those close to us, we are also split apart from them as we get older.
It seems simpler in books. If you don't like the sister, write her out. The best friend has become too much of a frenemy, so you write her into a new romance to leave the protagonist bereft of even the competitive spirit of their relationship. The romantic interest becomes boring, and you pen in another hobby like skydiving.
Yet it leaves me wondering about the people left behind. If my character moves, she knows what she's leaving behind and she faces what comes next. If her friend moves, she thinks she'll keep in touch through Herculean efforts. In real life, each of them finds a new daily norm and settles into a routine with people who are local. Give the moved girl a marriage in a bit of time (with the traditional name change) and she'll be all but unfindable.
My brain is centered today on the concept of trying to find the way back home for a protagonist who left at a young age. She might be recognizable to some of the people who knew her well, but perhaps not. Her motivation isn't the most innocent, and she's going to encounter resistance before she finishes her plan.
Yet what would it take to make someone unrecognizable? How many years before the memory has faded from those closest to her? How much can a name change before they assume she is someone else? Think of people who moved away from your past, or the people you left if you were the one who moved: even with social media we can't always find the people who meant something to us.
I suppose what I'm wondering today is, what does it take to completely disappear?
One last thought: All is fair in love and war.
Friday, June 7, 2013
In Case of Editing-
Send help. Lots of help.
Somehow I just have trouble to figure out how to stay on it, to stay focused, to stay with the forward momentum.
I don't know why I can't figure out what it takes to keep me editing. Tomorrow is another day to try again.
Somehow I just have trouble to figure out how to stay on it, to stay focused, to stay with the forward momentum.
I don't know why I can't figure out what it takes to keep me editing. Tomorrow is another day to try again.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Edit!
My editor sent my story back, and the time has come to fix all the things she found. The beauty of editors is they pick out the weak spots. The hard part is picking out what is actually the perfect flaw among all the pieces that, when fixed, make it better.
Until next time...
Friday, May 24, 2013
Conflict of Interest
Erotica isn't an easy genre to get reviews. Self-published authors as a rule also have trouble trying to get someone to write about their books. I've been writing down my thoughts on a file, trying to get a better idea of what is out there. It's almost like a review. I have been thinking about changing those thoughts into actual reviews.
Except then a friend of mine explained why he thought it was a conflict of interest to post reviews of another author's books. Those words weigh in my mind as I try to figure out all the details. His point comes from his experience in cars. One company might be looking for your loyalty to be only to that company for as long as they can.
I don't know how many other authors write reviews. I ought to head over to a writing forum like GoodReads to see who is out there reviewing. But writing isn't quite like a lot of industries out there. I don't expect a customer to buy books from one author only. I don't even expect customers to buy in only one genre. A lot of brands look for that kind of loyalty - buy only BMW or Dyson or Energizer. Use only Pandora or State Farm for your service needs.
When I look over the books I own, several authors have been my favorites. Each of them has a different strength (and weakness). All of those books have held my attention, though some do keep me up to read later than others.
What are you looking for in a review? Would you follow what an author says in that genre? I assume an author in the genre keeps reading a lot of things to know what's out there and what is allowed within the rules of that genre. Where would that conflict of interest lie between getting reviews of other works out there and promoting your own work?
Except then a friend of mine explained why he thought it was a conflict of interest to post reviews of another author's books. Those words weigh in my mind as I try to figure out all the details. His point comes from his experience in cars. One company might be looking for your loyalty to be only to that company for as long as they can.
I don't know how many other authors write reviews. I ought to head over to a writing forum like GoodReads to see who is out there reviewing. But writing isn't quite like a lot of industries out there. I don't expect a customer to buy books from one author only. I don't even expect customers to buy in only one genre. A lot of brands look for that kind of loyalty - buy only BMW or Dyson or Energizer. Use only Pandora or State Farm for your service needs.
When I look over the books I own, several authors have been my favorites. Each of them has a different strength (and weakness). All of those books have held my attention, though some do keep me up to read later than others.
What are you looking for in a review? Would you follow what an author says in that genre? I assume an author in the genre keeps reading a lot of things to know what's out there and what is allowed within the rules of that genre. Where would that conflict of interest lie between getting reviews of other works out there and promoting your own work?
Friday, May 17, 2013
In Search of an Artist
It's not easy to go in search of someone to make pictures of your words. I can search for what I want, but somehow I just get an idea in my head and it doesn't always happen to be among the stock images.
I'm never sure if I can afford an artist, but I am on the lookout for places to see who is out there. Who wants to do erotic images (or at least, images for erotica ebook covers)? Those two do not have to be the same thing.
When I look at ebooks, there are a lot of covers that show skin or some barely-there outfit that will (hopefully) interest the reader. Sometimes the cover does not match with my read of the book. I don't find it easy to translate my words into something to match the front.
I suppose I'm lucky I have a good editor to work with already.
So this week is dedicated to finding the requirements for any place where I might publish an ebook, looking for the spots where the artists are congregating, and possibly looking at stock images to see if I can get ideas for the words I've already written.
Plus, I'm going to send the first one to the aforementioned editor and put the finishing touches on it so I'll be ready to go when I get that artist. Oh, the exciting life of a writer!
I'm never sure if I can afford an artist, but I am on the lookout for places to see who is out there. Who wants to do erotic images (or at least, images for erotica ebook covers)? Those two do not have to be the same thing.
When I look at ebooks, there are a lot of covers that show skin or some barely-there outfit that will (hopefully) interest the reader. Sometimes the cover does not match with my read of the book. I don't find it easy to translate my words into something to match the front.
I suppose I'm lucky I have a good editor to work with already.
So this week is dedicated to finding the requirements for any place where I might publish an ebook, looking for the spots where the artists are congregating, and possibly looking at stock images to see if I can get ideas for the words I've already written.
Plus, I'm going to send the first one to the aforementioned editor and put the finishing touches on it so I'll be ready to go when I get that artist. Oh, the exciting life of a writer!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Market Research
There are a lot of reasons to do market research. I've been delving deeply into it for a few weeks now as part of the end of my hiatus.
One of the coolest parts of market research is getting to read what else is out there. Sometimes it's not so cool, when you run into tidbits that make you think: what the hell?
I have found a couple authors I admire. I have found a couple authors I'd rather not read again. I have found a couple stories that don't seem to stand alone, where each piece is needed for the whole, but by itself it doesn't grab me enough to want to read more. I also found a few stories that make me want to read the entire series.
But my other reason for what I'm doing is seeing where my stories fit into the greater scheme of things. How I write versus how they write. How much I can get away with as far as word count and price and all the rest. I'm also thinking about reviewing several of the things I'm reading. Maybe those authors will have something to say about mine when I get it out there.
Yes, when I get it out there. I'm putting together a plan, and I happen to be tenacious once I get a plan in place.
Then I wonder about reviewing the other authors. I'm not one of those people who is able to just say 'oh, this is hawt!' like I've seen a few other reviews doing. It matters to me about the greater story that brought them to the erotic scenes. What are you looking for in a review of a book, say on Amazon or in a blog like this one? What do other authors see when someone new comes along and leaves a review, whether it is stellar or dismal?
I think what I would look for is either constructive criticism or something that would help a reader decide that, yes, this is the book for me. So it would include bits about characters, plot, and all the other pieces that create stories in every genre, not just erotic scenes.
One of the coolest parts of market research is getting to read what else is out there. Sometimes it's not so cool, when you run into tidbits that make you think: what the hell?
I have found a couple authors I admire. I have found a couple authors I'd rather not read again. I have found a couple stories that don't seem to stand alone, where each piece is needed for the whole, but by itself it doesn't grab me enough to want to read more. I also found a few stories that make me want to read the entire series.
But my other reason for what I'm doing is seeing where my stories fit into the greater scheme of things. How I write versus how they write. How much I can get away with as far as word count and price and all the rest. I'm also thinking about reviewing several of the things I'm reading. Maybe those authors will have something to say about mine when I get it out there.
Yes, when I get it out there. I'm putting together a plan, and I happen to be tenacious once I get a plan in place.
Then I wonder about reviewing the other authors. I'm not one of those people who is able to just say 'oh, this is hawt!' like I've seen a few other reviews doing. It matters to me about the greater story that brought them to the erotic scenes. What are you looking for in a review of a book, say on Amazon or in a blog like this one? What do other authors see when someone new comes along and leaves a review, whether it is stellar or dismal?
I think what I would look for is either constructive criticism or something that would help a reader decide that, yes, this is the book for me. So it would include bits about characters, plot, and all the other pieces that create stories in every genre, not just erotic scenes.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Get Out of My Fantasies!
No, not really. I write them to share them, but I find it odd when people assume that since I write erotica it must mean something specific.
What I often get is someone assumes that he or she is in that fantasy that I have. But that would mean that every single story I write is a fantasy of mine. And that I only fantasize about people I know. Or possibly that I have attempted every single thing I've written about...
Whoa. Just stop right there. I can't even continue on that line of thought any longer.
I write stories. They are fiction. The people held within them are also fiction. There is a disclaimer on many fiction books that proclaims all events and characters are made up. The beauty of making everything up is that there are no restrictions to where they can go. A piece of writing advice passed around so many is "Write what you know." While that is fine, there is also a point where you have to change things or be forever paralyzed by what someone else, a real person, would actually do. That doesn't work in fiction, because the rules require a fiction story to make sense, to have a point, to come to a conclusion and not simply fizzle into oblivion.
Sometimes, pieces of a person I know or something that really happened might spark an idea to create a character or to shape an event or to twist a plot. Those pieces are harder for me, because it takes me a long time when I rewrite them to make them fictional rather than representations of someone or something real.
I think I need to get that tattooed on my hand, so the next time someone says 'that's me' I can just flash them an explanation without getting that annoyed tone of voice when I explain, no, it isn't about you. Remember that for any writer you meet, whether she is writing science fiction or he's into literary prose or someone else mentions romance. It isn't about you, or anyone else in the writer's life.
Somewhere between sometimes and often, it isn't even about the writer. Those story bits are so close to us because we created them. Yet like children, they have to go and live lives of their own.
What I often get is someone assumes that he or she is in that fantasy that I have. But that would mean that every single story I write is a fantasy of mine. And that I only fantasize about people I know. Or possibly that I have attempted every single thing I've written about...
Whoa. Just stop right there. I can't even continue on that line of thought any longer.
I write stories. They are fiction. The people held within them are also fiction. There is a disclaimer on many fiction books that proclaims all events and characters are made up. The beauty of making everything up is that there are no restrictions to where they can go. A piece of writing advice passed around so many is "Write what you know." While that is fine, there is also a point where you have to change things or be forever paralyzed by what someone else, a real person, would actually do. That doesn't work in fiction, because the rules require a fiction story to make sense, to have a point, to come to a conclusion and not simply fizzle into oblivion.
Sometimes, pieces of a person I know or something that really happened might spark an idea to create a character or to shape an event or to twist a plot. Those pieces are harder for me, because it takes me a long time when I rewrite them to make them fictional rather than representations of someone or something real.
I think I need to get that tattooed on my hand, so the next time someone says 'that's me' I can just flash them an explanation without getting that annoyed tone of voice when I explain, no, it isn't about you. Remember that for any writer you meet, whether she is writing science fiction or he's into literary prose or someone else mentions romance. It isn't about you, or anyone else in the writer's life.
Somewhere between sometimes and often, it isn't even about the writer. Those story bits are so close to us because we created them. Yet like children, they have to go and live lives of their own.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Wardrobe Inequality
My mother sometimes expresses regret for my childhood - I never wanted to wear the frilly dresses and ruffles and all the other hallmarks of little girls. As soon as I could express myself well enough, I wore practical clothes like jeans and t-shirts.
One of the things I loved most about jeans was pockets. So many clothing items, and not just for little girls, lack that one detail. Sure, women wear purses. That has become an expectation for many reasons, and not simply a fashion choice. Women are often caretakers of others and need to carry more items than will fit in their pockets.
A purse should never be an excuse to get by without pockets in clothing. They only seem to be used for the same things because both carry essentials like a wallet, keys, cell phone. Did you ever see the college girls at the bar? They never carry purses or coats (despite the weather) because there is too great a possibility for them to be lost. They have a bit of money and ID and not much else.
Purses often become larger and larger as women age. They lug so much junk they can't live without until they try to weigh it on a scale and realize they're carrying a medium-sized dog instead of a wardrobe accessory. The straps cut into their shoulders from the weight and removing the purse creates a lopsided stride.
Sometimes I miss my backpack from college. I have a couple accessory backpacks that can take the place of a purse, but few of them have enough pockets to stay organized. It's hell searching for a pen at the bottom of a backpack that's masquerading as a purse. At least in my current purse (6x8", fully zipped shut weighs about 2 pounds) has a lot of dividers and a specific pocket for my phone.
I often refuse to buy outfits without pockets. Only one pair of slacks remains without, and they're my favorite despite that lack due to fabric and fit. Yoga (and other workout) outfits are notorious, and I only manage because my mat has a bag with a pocket. Otherwise I'm at a loss for where to put my keys. I replaced my old workout lock with a combination lock because I never knew where to put the key when I was swimming.
No matter how small the purse, however, you can always find a pen and notebook of some kind within where I'm scribbling notes about something or other. Of course, if I could find a way to put that in my pockets I might be tempted to try to go without the purse. But a woman's wallet seems unwieldy without a purse.
Just one more way the sexes will never be equal.
One of the things I loved most about jeans was pockets. So many clothing items, and not just for little girls, lack that one detail. Sure, women wear purses. That has become an expectation for many reasons, and not simply a fashion choice. Women are often caretakers of others and need to carry more items than will fit in their pockets.
A purse should never be an excuse to get by without pockets in clothing. They only seem to be used for the same things because both carry essentials like a wallet, keys, cell phone. Did you ever see the college girls at the bar? They never carry purses or coats (despite the weather) because there is too great a possibility for them to be lost. They have a bit of money and ID and not much else.
Purses often become larger and larger as women age. They lug so much junk they can't live without until they try to weigh it on a scale and realize they're carrying a medium-sized dog instead of a wardrobe accessory. The straps cut into their shoulders from the weight and removing the purse creates a lopsided stride.
Sometimes I miss my backpack from college. I have a couple accessory backpacks that can take the place of a purse, but few of them have enough pockets to stay organized. It's hell searching for a pen at the bottom of a backpack that's masquerading as a purse. At least in my current purse (6x8", fully zipped shut weighs about 2 pounds) has a lot of dividers and a specific pocket for my phone.
I often refuse to buy outfits without pockets. Only one pair of slacks remains without, and they're my favorite despite that lack due to fabric and fit. Yoga (and other workout) outfits are notorious, and I only manage because my mat has a bag with a pocket. Otherwise I'm at a loss for where to put my keys. I replaced my old workout lock with a combination lock because I never knew where to put the key when I was swimming.
No matter how small the purse, however, you can always find a pen and notebook of some kind within where I'm scribbling notes about something or other. Of course, if I could find a way to put that in my pockets I might be tempted to try to go without the purse. But a woman's wallet seems unwieldy without a purse.
Just one more way the sexes will never be equal.
Friday, April 19, 2013
End of a Hiatus
It's easy to get pulled in too many directions. Today I found myself saying yes when I should have been asking more questions. I find myself reminded of all those magazine articles with a topic about how to say no. Say no politely, say no assertively, say no even when you think you can do it all.
I can't do it all. Most days I don't want to.
I started to make a list of the things I accomplish on a daily basis. I get tired of it near the afternoon and skip it, but if I don't keep up the list I can't remember what I've finished.
Lists don't just include those little things (like taking vitamins) that slip through the cracks without a reminder. Today I looked up all the work in progress ideas I have in various stages. I have six published short stories that I call done. I have one novel completed that needs a rewrite and I haven't decided to push myself through mentally. I have another novel with a reworkable premise. There are also fifty short stories that I haven't finished or haven't edited or haven't yet published.
Fifty?
I can't believe I've allowed so much time to pass me by without doing something with those ideas. This week I had two more (ideas, not half-written slush pile stuff). Last night I outlined them to give myself direction to tackle them.
I'm at a loss over the fifty mark. Most of them are short- too short for me to think that I ought to put them for sale on their own. However, several of them are candidates to be lumped together into short story bundles.
If you need me, I'm looking into some market research. See you next week.
I can't do it all. Most days I don't want to.
I started to make a list of the things I accomplish on a daily basis. I get tired of it near the afternoon and skip it, but if I don't keep up the list I can't remember what I've finished.
Lists don't just include those little things (like taking vitamins) that slip through the cracks without a reminder. Today I looked up all the work in progress ideas I have in various stages. I have six published short stories that I call done. I have one novel completed that needs a rewrite and I haven't decided to push myself through mentally. I have another novel with a reworkable premise. There are also fifty short stories that I haven't finished or haven't edited or haven't yet published.
Fifty?
I can't believe I've allowed so much time to pass me by without doing something with those ideas. This week I had two more (ideas, not half-written slush pile stuff). Last night I outlined them to give myself direction to tackle them.
I'm at a loss over the fifty mark. Most of them are short- too short for me to think that I ought to put them for sale on their own. However, several of them are candidates to be lumped together into short story bundles.
If you need me, I'm looking into some market research. See you next week.
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