Sally Bend's Blog, page 49

Insecure Writer’s Support Group (June)

The first Wednesday of every month is officially  Insecure Writer’s Support Group  day. On this day we post about our thoughts, our doubts, and the fears we have conquered. We discuss our struggles and triumphs, and offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.

Every post opens with a question (a blogging prompt, if you will), and this month's is:

What's harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names?

Oh, book titles, by far! Character names tend to come naturally, and the first name that comes to mind when introducing a character is the name I stick with. The only instance I can think of where I spent a lot of time developing a name was with Futanari Moans, because I knew the name was the cornerstone to the whole erotic Indiana Jones/Lara Croft homage.

I rarely go back and rename a character after beginning a story. It is as if they are people wandering around my imagination, already existing with complete histories, identities, and backstories, just waiting to be written. They introduce themselves to me, and I run with it.

Titles, on the other hand, I struggle with right up until the moment I am ready to hit submit. I do not even bother giving my rough drafts or works-in-progress a title, because I know it simply will not stick. Any given story will likely go through a dozen titles before I settle on one I am happy with - or, at the very least, not unhappy with. Holly Daze, for instance, seems rather cute and obvious, but that took me the better part of a week and dozens of variations on holiday themes to settle on.

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Quick update on where I am and at what I have been doing - a lot of my time has been spent wearing my editor/proofreader panties lately, working with some wonderful authors to give their stories that final polish. I have been writing as well, and am just waiting on the final cover design to release my second Futanari Moans adventure, so watch for that very soon!

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What about you? What challenges you more - title or character names?© 2018 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Book Challenge: 10 Books in 10 Days

The wonderfully talented and amazing Reed James tagged me in the Book Challenge on Facebook last week, where the objective is to share 10 books, over 10 days, that have impacted your life. For those of you who have yet to friend me on Facebook, I thought I would share my picks here.What about you? What would your 10 books be? I would love to know.
Imajica: Quite possibly the finest novel ever written - beautiful prose, magnificent story, and such memorable characters. One of the few books I take the time to re-read once a year.

Kushiel's Dart: One of the most stunning works of epic fantasy I have ever read, as well as one of the most erotic works of submissive bisexuality I have ever enjoyed.
   The Bone Doll's Twin: The first mainstream epic fantasy novel I ever read that tackled gender themes in a way that spoke to my heart, and also a wonderful tale of a boy who grows up to be a heroine.
I'm Looking Through You: This was an early stealth read for me, and something of a litmus tests for friends who knew of my fascination with ghosts, but maybe not gender.
The Bachman Books: I probably could have done 10 King books alone, but the novelty of this still fascinates me, especially since King allowed Rage to fall out of print (a mistake, in my opinion).
Wizard's First Rule: With the concepts of a Confessor and the Mord-Sith, significant female domination entered my mainstream fantasy for the first time.
The Secret Self: This was my most coveted secret read, top-shelf erotic romance from the local Coles Books that I reread over and over and over again.
Raise the Titanic!: Not to date myself (LOL), but I read this a year or two before Ballard's discovery (long before Cameron's film), and it kindled my love of history and underwater exploration.
Rhapsody: I fell in love with Rhapsody from the start, a strong-willed fantasy heroine, who is completely unaware of her magical beauty, and the adventure is top-notch. 
Goddess (Memoir of a Transsexual): This was the first book I ever reviewed here, so if any book could be said to have changed my life, this is it.
© 2018 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Insecure Writer’s Support Group (May)

The first Wednesday of every month is officially  Insecure Writer’s Support Group  day. On this day we post about our thoughts, our doubts, and the fears we have conquered. We discuss our struggles and triumphs, and offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.

Every post opens with a question (a blogging prompt, if you will), and this month's is:

It’s spring! Does this season inspire you to write more than others, or not?

Inspire? Yes. Motivate? Not so much. :)

After what feels like an eternity of damp and dreary alternating with cold and windswept, I am just about climbing the walls. As soon as there is a hint of spring in the air, all I want to do is get outside and enjoy it. Whether it is a leisurely bike ride, a meandering hike, or just patio lunches with the girls, this is the season to get out of the house and away from the keyboard.

It is during those rides and hikes that I do my best daydreaming, often crafting entire scenes in my head, which I then frantically try to capture on a worn and tattered notepad while still fresh. And it is on those patios that I do my best people watching, paying close attention to clothing, mannerism, attitudes, and more. I will do some daydreaming there too, creating stories for them, and giving wider, broader, often kinkier purpose to their simple lunchtime rendezvous.

I already have two stories scribbled down in half-thought, fragments, and skeleton scenes from the past two weeks. One is a fun, sweet, playful story of feminization and age regression (which will probably get written first), while the other is a darker, more erotically intense tale of female-led corporation (which I have teased a bit in my weekend captions). The only problem is finding the time to sit down and write . . . which is what rainy days and evening thunderstorms are for.


What about you? Are you seasonally inspired?© 2018 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

My Smutpunk Takeover is LIVE!

In case you missed my post earlier this week, I am delighted to be taking part in a massive Smutpunk Free Book Mega Giveaway Event 2018  all April long
As part of the fun, we've set up a Smutpunk Instafreebie Event on Facebook, with a different author taking over each day . . . and today is my day!
Yes, my Smutpunk Instafreebie takeover is live . . . all day long . . . so please pop in when you get a chance, and let's have some fun!

We look forward to seeing you there!
© 2018 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Insecure Writer’s Support Group (Apr)

The first Wednesday of every month is officially  Insecure Writer’s Support Group  day. On this day we post about our thoughts, our doubts, and the fears we have conquered. We discuss our struggles and triumphs, and offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.

Every post opens with a question (a blogging prompt, if you will), and this month's is:

When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing?

That is a tough question, especially since I am such a procrastinator in the first place. When I get down, or just hit the wall in terms of stress, I come up with an endless list of excuses as to why it is okay not to write. I spend way too much time justifying my time away from the keyboard, and that just makes me feel worse.

One way to kick myself in the ass and climb out of it is to brainstorm something new. I will dig out my well-worn leather-bound journal, my pretty purple pen, and just start writing down ideas. Most of them are nonsense, and few of them ever become a story, but the exercise distracts me from my troubles, and pen-and-paper seems to free me from the expectations and pressures I associate with the keyboard.

The other way is to go looking for submission calls. Yes, sometimes that idle browsing is just another avenue for procrastination, but it can also expose me to a new idea or concept that gets me excited about writing again. As an added bonus, those submission calls usually have a deadline attached, which is a much-needed natural counter for my own lack of self-discipline.

Last month was one of those cases where that idle browsing was exactly what I needed. There were two anthologies that caught my eye, and I already have my submission written, edited, beta-read, and polished for the first (a fun tentacle story starring my Futanari Moans heroine), and I literally just wrapped up first draft for the second (a BDSM-themed take on asexuality), so I will be looking for beta readers soon.

What about you? How do you escape that pit of literary despair?© 2018 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

My name is Sally. I am Genderfluid. I am Trans. (#TransDayOfVisibility #TDoV #TDoV2018)

My name is Sally. 
I am Genderfluid. 
I am Trans.

Three tiny little statements, just ten words, but there is so much weight behind them - and they feel so much lighter when they are shared.

Most of you either know me through my book reviews or my fiction but, generally, I do not talk a lot about myself here. I tend to be rather private. I am shy, I am introverted, and I have some social anxieties that can be pretty extreme on occasion. For me, books for make a nice, safe barrier. They can be a fence, a window, or a door, depending on who is on the other side.

Today, however, is the day we unlatch the fence gates, open the windows, and unlock the doors. 
Today is all about visibility.
Why is visibility important? If you read through the #TransDayOfVisibility topics on Facebook or Twitter, you will find all sorts of facts and statistics. They are important but, for me, visibility comes down to one thing - not feeling alone.

I grew up feeling very alone with my gender issues. I had no idea what I was feeling or why, and had no exposure to the kind of positive role models that are out there today. I grew up in a vacuum, and the few times I tried to start a discussion, it did not end well. In fact, it was one of those conversations that transformed my insecurities into a spiral of self-disgust and shame, locking me deep in the closet, and leaving me sad, angry, and alone for a very long time.

What changed? I found a woman who understands me, accepts me, and supports me. My wife is the most amazing woman in the world, and I would not be here today were it not for her. She has given me the courage to be happy, and has encouraged me to reach out, make friends in the community, and take comfort in the fact that I am not alone.

Visibility works both ways, and it can be incredibly empowering. I have a wealth of trans friends online and in real life, all of whom I love dearly. Those friendships have made my life better, contributing to my health and my happiness, but it is the occasions where I have been able to make a friend's life better than I treasure the most. In being visible, we make it easier to create a sense of community, easier to find one another, and easier to share life's joys and pleasures.

My name is Sally. 
I am Genderfluid. 
I am Trans.
   



© 2018 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Beta Readers Needed (Please)!

Hi, all.

I have a new Futanari Moans short story (you don't need to have read the first one to follow along) that I've written for an upcoming Tentacle anthology.

I could really use some extra eyes on it, so if you're willing to beta read a rough draft, please let me know ASAP. It's only 5k words, so it won't be a huge time investment, and you'll have my eternal gratitude.

Hugs,
Sally

Insecure Writer’s Support Group (Mar)

The first Wednesday of every month is officially  Insecure Writer’s Support Group  day. On this day we post about our thoughts, our doubts, and the fears we have conquered. We discuss our struggles and triumphs, and offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.

Every post opens with a question (a blogging prompt, if you will), and this month's is:

How do you celebrate when you achieve a writing goal/finish a story?

The End. There is such a euphoric rush in writing those two simple words. Unless you are a writer, especially one who has seen a long-gestating project come to fruition, you cannot appreciate how orgasmic that feeling is. It is not about being done, it is about being accomplished.

How I usually celebrate is by giving myself a day off (sometimes two) to enjoy some fun, brainless, self-indulgent hobbies. It could be something physical, like a long hike or bike ride, or it can be something more relaxing, like laying on the couch (no laptop or phone within reach), and binging through those shows on the DVR that my spouse refuses to watch with me.

I polished off three first drafts over the past month, and Happy, The Orville, and The Librarians were my rewards. :)

What about you? How do you celebrate?© 2018 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved

Smashwords Read An Ebook Week

Fancy a deal? It’s Smashwords Read An Ebook Week and all my titles there are half-off all week!

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...

Insecure Writer’s Support Group (Jan)

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. On this day we post about our thoughts, our doubts, and the fears we have conquered. We discuss our struggles and triumphs, and offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.

Every post opens with a question (a blogging prompt, if you will), and this month's is:

What steps have you taken to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?

If the last year has taught me one thing, it's that I thrive on a schedule. Part of it is that I have way too many freelancing responsibilities to juggle, and part of it is simple procrastination, but I definitely work best when I am under the pressure of those looming deadlines.

October last year was my busiest ever for writing and publishing, and it was all because Halloween was looming there as a big, bold, unavoidable deadline. I got my entry done for the Miss-Taken Identities anthology, which was a double-deadline since I was editing the whole thing as well; I finally got the twin Alpha Surrender/Alpha Transformation stories done, after sitting on the first draft for the better part of the year; and I even had time to polish off Gender Swapped by the Haunted Brothel, another story that had been lingering as a rough draft for even longer than the twins.

November . . . well, I had plans, but no schedule in place, so I accomplished pretty much what I expected, and that was nothing.

December carried with it another natural deadline, though, with Christmas, and that was what drove me to write a brand new story in Holly Daze, which I happen to think is some of the best writing I did all year. I plotted it, roughed it out, and polished it in the space of about two weeks, and that includes obsessing over the cover and blurb.

Going hand-in-hand with scheduling, I find accountability keeps me on track too. While I do not have a schedule in place yet for this year, it is something I am working on and plan to share. Simply posting progress updates on stories to social media has done wonders for keeping me on point, so hopefully sharing a schedule will do the same.© 2018 Bending the Bookshelf All Rights Reserved