R.A. Dunn's Blog
August 14, 2013
10 Things I Want to Tell Aspiring Writers, But Don't
You're officially a writer the moment you start writing. But are you a good writer? Only time will tell. I shouldn't be one to judge, but I do. And when you ask me what I think, there are things I want to say, but I just don't. This is what I can't always get out, but what every writer needs to hear.
1. You suck. But there is hope...sometimes.
And I mean it. You asked for my opinion, and I am going to give it. Honestly, but gently. No matter what you say about liking it rough, no one ever expects to be told to give up and go home. But many writers should do just that. I can't tell you how often I get asked to read something, only to cringe inwardly as I try to come up with polite, encouraging things to say. But before I tell them to take a walk and an accounting class instead, I stop myself and ask myself a few things:
Did they finish something? If you can finish a novel, or even a short story, no matter how bad it is, then I am proud of you. For real. Go you. This puts you ahead of many others, including some really creative, amazing, talented folks. You deserve some credit. Maybe now that you have pounded out a piece of junk, you can make some time (or some space in your head) for an improved work. Maybe you will learn something from the experience, and be inspired. I hope. How much do they know about writing as a craft? Think of writing not as an art, but a skill to be built upon continuously. If you see that your finished masterpiece is not flawless, but a sinking miasma of dreams, tortured words, and exhausted prose, then there is hope for you yet. If you have the ability to listen to what other writers say, there is hope.Do they love to write? I am never ever going to tell someone to stop doing something they enjoy, even if they suck at it. But remember that writing is like masturbation: almost everyone does it, but few of us are Jenna Jamison.
As a writer, if you are asked to read someone else's work and feel that you can't refuse, here's a simple tip: everyone can benefit from constructive feedback. Even one pointer can help. And if the person has creativity, all other skills can be taught. Lack creativity or originality? See #3. You're SOL.
2. Don't quit your day job. For real. Unless you need to.
Writers design their lives around their writing. But they also need to pay the bills, live in a somewhat safe structure, and feed their families.
I live a full life. I work two to three jobs part time and lack health insurance. I also have a super flexible schedule. I get to work, albeit tangentially, in my field. All of this is designed around allowing me to spend as much time feeling creative and writing. And it doesn't always work.
The lesson here is that success should not determine how much time you devote to your work. How much you love your work in comparison to everything else is what really matters.
3. Don't go to school to be a writer.
Write to be a writer. Go to school or a workshop or a conference to get ideas, to learn to teach other writers, to make connections. These are things you can be taught, but no class, no matter how great, how famous, how dedicated and well-informed the teacher, can teach you to have talent. If you don't bring that to the table, forget it. Give up now. Go home.
Take everything you learn in a class with a grain of salt. It isn't everything there is to know, and not everything you learn is going to be true or work for you. Other writers give suggestions, not a sage truths. Sometimes they lie. Sometimes shit only works for them. Sometimes its awesome and honest and helps millions. Don't expect to be given a recipe for success by paying tuition. You can be successful without ever stepping foot in a classroom.
4. Except for that part about grammar. You need to know that stuff.
Knowing that there are editors out there does not excuse your lack of a basic education. And even those who edit professionally need a good editor for their own writing.
This is probably a good reason to go to school and study English, or at least study something. For example, in one workshop class, a kind writer friend told me I use too many commas. If we had not been in a workshop class together, perhaps I never would have learned. Was it grammatically correct? Technically. Did it sound good on the page? Probably not.
Grammar was not designed to punish you or bind you up creatively. Its there to keep your readers from screaming in agony. Relying on someone else to do this step for you is a bad idea, especially as a new writer. You are judged as much on presentation as you are on your content. We have to know and understand the rules before we scream FREEDOM!
5. Writers are idolzed for a REASON. Even if it's an imaginary reason.
Being a real writer sucks. Even being Steven King or J.K. Rowling sucks. Sure, they're successful. But you can bet there are moments where they struggled over a phrase, a sentence, or a single word.
Yet these are the writers we idolize. They are talented, they pump out a book a year, they have publishers and agents who call them back, and they make BANK.
I wish I could be like them too, but only as how I imagine them to be, perfect little balls of creative fever. Their day-to-day is similar to what I contend with, so I might as well just stick to what I know. Susannah Breslin wrote this article not to be discouraging, but to afford some realism to an often-idolized profession. It's like what I'm doing here. Not to scare you or anything, but writers only look good on the page.
6. Traditional publishing is NOT the only way to be a REAL writer.
I am a real writer. Look! See! I am writing stuff and I am breathing. That makes me a real, living writer. So what if I have self-published? Guess what? I learned a ton of things that no one could teach me until I went out and did it, with my untraditional self. Now I have interested publishers, connections, even a small audience. The practice of spitting out query after query will earn you less attention. You can do that your whole life and be none the better for it.
Maybe traditional is what floats your boat, but I am going to be flat out honest here: unless you are one in a million (which you aren't), it's not going to sustain you. It's not going to give you the reassurance to keep going through that 10,000th rejection letter. What good is your work if no one ever reads it? People are going to look at you and wonder why you aren't out there, selling yourself on the internet, on Twitter, and with your blog. Being a traditionalist gets you nowhere, and it's certainly no way to earn money. So even if you want to stay mostly traditional with your publishing approach, you will have to consider at least one other option.
And writing a blog is a better choice than shelving your work and picking up a shift at McDonalds.
7. This technique/process/method is what ______ uses and they are the best writer I know. Therefore, I will use the process and I will be just as good.
Or you will just keep sucking.
This one was a hard one for me. For my troubles, I wound up with a degree in Creative Writing. It took me years to recognize that what works for me is not going to work for pretty much anyone else. My process sucks. Sometime, I will tell you about it. It sounds like nails on chalk boards and feels like your hands after a messy peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It probably smells like absinth, obsurd, sexy, and depressing all at once. But don't ask what it looks like. Like any good process, it's invisible.
So by all means explore ways of researching, sketching a draft, and outlining your project. Ask other writers in the hopes that you can eventually write more, better and faster. Improve your process. Change it. Fuck it up. But don't become it. And don't become someone else's either.
This is one area in which there is no right or wrong. Go for broke and experiment the fuck out of it.
8. I finished my book. Can I stop now?
Are you a writer or a hack?
Take a year off. Take ten. But if you stop after just one, you were never a writer in the first place. Most likely, you were possessed.
Anyone who tells me that their magnum opus is their autobiography earns my instant disdain. Your magnum opus is ALWAYS your next book.
9. Writing lit fic doesn't make you better than me.
It makes you better at writing lit fic. Your craft at your genre is what makes you better than me. Bet I can write better smut. Do I know a thing about writing romance? Nope. So I am not going to compare your work to mine, ever. Just like I cannot duplicate your process, I can never really be better than you.
10. Writers are a community of hippy fucks. It's why I can't tell you any of this to your face.
One thing I love about being a writer is that we never have to compete for the affections of our readers. I can love Clive Barker and Catheryn Valente and neither of them loses out because of it. I buy both their books, I follow them both on Twitter. For this reason, writers are a supportive group by nature. We're always promoting ourselves and each other. Most of us read more than we write. We talk about writing to everyone, even non-writing friends. We're welcoming to even the newest, greenest hopeful.
It's why we foster so many shitty writers.
Like you.
Like me.
Its why I don't give up writing, even though some days (most days) I hate my work. I hate every dumb thing I have ever written. I am in a constant spiral of self-loathing and obsession with what I can produce.
Having a supportive community is invaluable. It's why I don't tell aspiring writers all these dangerous truths. It's why I posted them here.
1. You suck. But there is hope...sometimes.
And I mean it. You asked for my opinion, and I am going to give it. Honestly, but gently. No matter what you say about liking it rough, no one ever expects to be told to give up and go home. But many writers should do just that. I can't tell you how often I get asked to read something, only to cringe inwardly as I try to come up with polite, encouraging things to say. But before I tell them to take a walk and an accounting class instead, I stop myself and ask myself a few things:
Did they finish something? If you can finish a novel, or even a short story, no matter how bad it is, then I am proud of you. For real. Go you. This puts you ahead of many others, including some really creative, amazing, talented folks. You deserve some credit. Maybe now that you have pounded out a piece of junk, you can make some time (or some space in your head) for an improved work. Maybe you will learn something from the experience, and be inspired. I hope. How much do they know about writing as a craft? Think of writing not as an art, but a skill to be built upon continuously. If you see that your finished masterpiece is not flawless, but a sinking miasma of dreams, tortured words, and exhausted prose, then there is hope for you yet. If you have the ability to listen to what other writers say, there is hope.Do they love to write? I am never ever going to tell someone to stop doing something they enjoy, even if they suck at it. But remember that writing is like masturbation: almost everyone does it, but few of us are Jenna Jamison.
As a writer, if you are asked to read someone else's work and feel that you can't refuse, here's a simple tip: everyone can benefit from constructive feedback. Even one pointer can help. And if the person has creativity, all other skills can be taught. Lack creativity or originality? See #3. You're SOL.
2. Don't quit your day job. For real. Unless you need to.
Writers design their lives around their writing. But they also need to pay the bills, live in a somewhat safe structure, and feed their families.
I live a full life. I work two to three jobs part time and lack health insurance. I also have a super flexible schedule. I get to work, albeit tangentially, in my field. All of this is designed around allowing me to spend as much time feeling creative and writing. And it doesn't always work.
The lesson here is that success should not determine how much time you devote to your work. How much you love your work in comparison to everything else is what really matters.
3. Don't go to school to be a writer.
Write to be a writer. Go to school or a workshop or a conference to get ideas, to learn to teach other writers, to make connections. These are things you can be taught, but no class, no matter how great, how famous, how dedicated and well-informed the teacher, can teach you to have talent. If you don't bring that to the table, forget it. Give up now. Go home.
Take everything you learn in a class with a grain of salt. It isn't everything there is to know, and not everything you learn is going to be true or work for you. Other writers give suggestions, not a sage truths. Sometimes they lie. Sometimes shit only works for them. Sometimes its awesome and honest and helps millions. Don't expect to be given a recipe for success by paying tuition. You can be successful without ever stepping foot in a classroom.
4. Except for that part about grammar. You need to know that stuff.
Knowing that there are editors out there does not excuse your lack of a basic education. And even those who edit professionally need a good editor for their own writing.
This is probably a good reason to go to school and study English, or at least study something. For example, in one workshop class, a kind writer friend told me I use too many commas. If we had not been in a workshop class together, perhaps I never would have learned. Was it grammatically correct? Technically. Did it sound good on the page? Probably not.
Grammar was not designed to punish you or bind you up creatively. Its there to keep your readers from screaming in agony. Relying on someone else to do this step for you is a bad idea, especially as a new writer. You are judged as much on presentation as you are on your content. We have to know and understand the rules before we scream FREEDOM!
5. Writers are idolzed for a REASON. Even if it's an imaginary reason.
Being a real writer sucks. Even being Steven King or J.K. Rowling sucks. Sure, they're successful. But you can bet there are moments where they struggled over a phrase, a sentence, or a single word.
Yet these are the writers we idolize. They are talented, they pump out a book a year, they have publishers and agents who call them back, and they make BANK.
I wish I could be like them too, but only as how I imagine them to be, perfect little balls of creative fever. Their day-to-day is similar to what I contend with, so I might as well just stick to what I know. Susannah Breslin wrote this article not to be discouraging, but to afford some realism to an often-idolized profession. It's like what I'm doing here. Not to scare you or anything, but writers only look good on the page.
6. Traditional publishing is NOT the only way to be a REAL writer.
I am a real writer. Look! See! I am writing stuff and I am breathing. That makes me a real, living writer. So what if I have self-published? Guess what? I learned a ton of things that no one could teach me until I went out and did it, with my untraditional self. Now I have interested publishers, connections, even a small audience. The practice of spitting out query after query will earn you less attention. You can do that your whole life and be none the better for it.
Maybe traditional is what floats your boat, but I am going to be flat out honest here: unless you are one in a million (which you aren't), it's not going to sustain you. It's not going to give you the reassurance to keep going through that 10,000th rejection letter. What good is your work if no one ever reads it? People are going to look at you and wonder why you aren't out there, selling yourself on the internet, on Twitter, and with your blog. Being a traditionalist gets you nowhere, and it's certainly no way to earn money. So even if you want to stay mostly traditional with your publishing approach, you will have to consider at least one other option.
And writing a blog is a better choice than shelving your work and picking up a shift at McDonalds.
7. This technique/process/method is what ______ uses and they are the best writer I know. Therefore, I will use the process and I will be just as good.
Or you will just keep sucking.
This one was a hard one for me. For my troubles, I wound up with a degree in Creative Writing. It took me years to recognize that what works for me is not going to work for pretty much anyone else. My process sucks. Sometime, I will tell you about it. It sounds like nails on chalk boards and feels like your hands after a messy peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It probably smells like absinth, obsurd, sexy, and depressing all at once. But don't ask what it looks like. Like any good process, it's invisible.
So by all means explore ways of researching, sketching a draft, and outlining your project. Ask other writers in the hopes that you can eventually write more, better and faster. Improve your process. Change it. Fuck it up. But don't become it. And don't become someone else's either.
This is one area in which there is no right or wrong. Go for broke and experiment the fuck out of it.
8. I finished my book. Can I stop now?
Are you a writer or a hack?
Take a year off. Take ten. But if you stop after just one, you were never a writer in the first place. Most likely, you were possessed.
Anyone who tells me that their magnum opus is their autobiography earns my instant disdain. Your magnum opus is ALWAYS your next book.
9. Writing lit fic doesn't make you better than me.
It makes you better at writing lit fic. Your craft at your genre is what makes you better than me. Bet I can write better smut. Do I know a thing about writing romance? Nope. So I am not going to compare your work to mine, ever. Just like I cannot duplicate your process, I can never really be better than you.
10. Writers are a community of hippy fucks. It's why I can't tell you any of this to your face.
One thing I love about being a writer is that we never have to compete for the affections of our readers. I can love Clive Barker and Catheryn Valente and neither of them loses out because of it. I buy both their books, I follow them both on Twitter. For this reason, writers are a supportive group by nature. We're always promoting ourselves and each other. Most of us read more than we write. We talk about writing to everyone, even non-writing friends. We're welcoming to even the newest, greenest hopeful.
It's why we foster so many shitty writers.
Like you.
Like me.
Its why I don't give up writing, even though some days (most days) I hate my work. I hate every dumb thing I have ever written. I am in a constant spiral of self-loathing and obsession with what I can produce.
Having a supportive community is invaluable. It's why I don't tell aspiring writers all these dangerous truths. It's why I posted them here.
June 19, 2013
Anti-Procrastination Post
Look at me! I can write!
Or at least I spend a lot of time thinking about writing. It's what writers do when we are all caught up in moments of "writer's block," which is a nice way to say we're procrastinating. Which is another nice way of saying we're lazy.
I spend a lot of time shoving shit aside to make room for, well, other shit. I don't know exactly how some crap gets prioritized over something else, especially in situations where the risk-reward is equal. Of course, there is the instantaneous satisfaction of other activities, and the cold, hard fact that writing is a lonely practice by its very nature.
There are a surplus of articles out there that reiterate what you already know yourself: turn off the social media, schedule writing as an important part of your day, and set achievable goals to satisfy your need for reward. But what do we do when all else fails, and we can't afford to hire someone to go into coaching us as a professional career? What do we do when we can't risk relationships by talking about our work to everyone we know, every spare second of the day, just to keep the spark alive?
If we don't plan, we procrastinate. Sometimes the medium that we use to inspire ourselves becomes it's own trap. However, others find success in technological assistants, and who am I to question another's process? If you're so inclined, you may want to consider these resources:
Write or Die has both online and desktop/iPad/mobile applications. The online app is great for writer's groups who use the sprint method to encourage meeting attendees to stay on track.
Task oriented programs (like the one described here) are great for writers with more than a single project, or when we're combating the various stages of completion. It's hard to keep track of queries, submission dates, editing work, and still produce something new. This program, and others like it, are usually free, and you can set them up to poke and prod you with reminders that tell you what a jerk you are for stalling.
iPad users have found a little gem with the Novel in 30 application. Not only does it help you track progress and allow you to share your advances with the few folks who care, it also provides a clear environment and some basic motivators to keep you going during each session.
So with all these options, how do I motivate myself? Well honestly, none of the above. Call me old fashioned, but instead, I read. If I don't have time for a book, I read a chapter. Or a short story. Or writing tips like these that remind me of what I should be doing....even when I am on the internet. Moreover, I allow myself all the time in the world to daydream: on the way to work, while working, while getting ready for bed. In my head, I am always writing. The challenge comes when I need to sit down and start constructing a scene. Somedays, I have enough to do that I feel anxious because I can't spend the time I'd like on reworking a dialogue or getting into the grit of a specific sequence of events.
Above all, no matter what, just recall the golden rule: when in doubt, a writer writes. Sometimes its a novel. Other times its about writing. Once in awhile its even dissecting the finer points of procrastination.
Or at least I spend a lot of time thinking about writing. It's what writers do when we are all caught up in moments of "writer's block," which is a nice way to say we're procrastinating. Which is another nice way of saying we're lazy.
I spend a lot of time shoving shit aside to make room for, well, other shit. I don't know exactly how some crap gets prioritized over something else, especially in situations where the risk-reward is equal. Of course, there is the instantaneous satisfaction of other activities, and the cold, hard fact that writing is a lonely practice by its very nature.
There are a surplus of articles out there that reiterate what you already know yourself: turn off the social media, schedule writing as an important part of your day, and set achievable goals to satisfy your need for reward. But what do we do when all else fails, and we can't afford to hire someone to go into coaching us as a professional career? What do we do when we can't risk relationships by talking about our work to everyone we know, every spare second of the day, just to keep the spark alive?
If we don't plan, we procrastinate. Sometimes the medium that we use to inspire ourselves becomes it's own trap. However, others find success in technological assistants, and who am I to question another's process? If you're so inclined, you may want to consider these resources:
Write or Die has both online and desktop/iPad/mobile applications. The online app is great for writer's groups who use the sprint method to encourage meeting attendees to stay on track.
Task oriented programs (like the one described here) are great for writers with more than a single project, or when we're combating the various stages of completion. It's hard to keep track of queries, submission dates, editing work, and still produce something new. This program, and others like it, are usually free, and you can set them up to poke and prod you with reminders that tell you what a jerk you are for stalling.
iPad users have found a little gem with the Novel in 30 application. Not only does it help you track progress and allow you to share your advances with the few folks who care, it also provides a clear environment and some basic motivators to keep you going during each session.
So with all these options, how do I motivate myself? Well honestly, none of the above. Call me old fashioned, but instead, I read. If I don't have time for a book, I read a chapter. Or a short story. Or writing tips like these that remind me of what I should be doing....even when I am on the internet. Moreover, I allow myself all the time in the world to daydream: on the way to work, while working, while getting ready for bed. In my head, I am always writing. The challenge comes when I need to sit down and start constructing a scene. Somedays, I have enough to do that I feel anxious because I can't spend the time I'd like on reworking a dialogue or getting into the grit of a specific sequence of events.
Above all, no matter what, just recall the golden rule: when in doubt, a writer writes. Sometimes its a novel. Other times its about writing. Once in awhile its even dissecting the finer points of procrastination.
August 31, 2012
The manic vocal stylings of...
Occasionally I read a book, and though my friends have greatly varied tastes, I cannot help but tell everyone I know about it. As a writer, it still surprises me when I read something that has the potential to change my life, not in a psycho-spiritual way, but in a way which effects my creative output. Writerly folk have a way of dismissing anything that impacts the style of your writing as an example of how you are not strong in your craft, but much of writing characters and stories is, to me, finding a unique voice to tell it through. I feel it makes me more versatile to be able to change tones and voices as easily as changing a setting or story. To me, knowing the character of the work is key to discovering the voice you should be using.
The book in question is called What We Do Is Secret. Go look it up if you're curious; no summary here. However, I will say that the writer uses a very curious style of prose that is so musical, so repetitive, and so natural, that I could not put it down, even though I had to fight through a few places to understand really what was happening. And the best part was that, after finishing it, I felt this sense of freedom in my own work that I had never experienced before. I felt better equipped to write an already prose-heavy piece that I had been playing at for months. This book reassured me that it was okay to let my unconventional character speak with his own voice, and not with mine.
For fun, my writer's group tried this test: everyone was asked to write a short page of fiction, not using any of their known works or characters. In the piece, you attempt to disguise your voice and style (and chosen genre), and write something that was still palatable, yet completely distinct from any work you have ever shown the group. At the next gathering, we all read each other's pieces, not knowing whose was whose. Of the 7 of us, my work was the hardest to guess.
I take it as a major compliment that I can write pieces that are completely unique from each other in voice and style, while I do know other writers who feel differently. Some find it hard to read and work on a manuscript at the same time, for fear that some of the other writer's nuances will muddy their own private waters. The attitude is that your voice should be yours and yours alone, and you should work on perfecting what is distinctly you about your work. I don't disagree in principle, but what if your writing could be you but better? I imagine that if I wasn't constantly looking for ways to sharpen and improve, and not just change my voice, then I would be a hack at best.
And sometimes I am a hack. Sometimes, a voice I assume for a character or story just doesn't work, and I file it away for future treatments. Where voice, style, and character overlap, things get all sticky and difficult. Originally I started writing this post about character, specifically the (not-so)new obsession with the "unlikeable" protagonist. But voice is the go-between that can put an unlikable or unthinkable character in a place where they become accessible to the reader. As a writer, it is my job to be able to speak with authority from more than a single place...otherwise, my Cyberpunk grunge girl is going to sound way too much like my 15th century prince. Neither will be convincing. Overall style is a factor too, of course, but that is a whole other avenue. Trying to separate voice from style is rather pointless, in my opinion, but if you want to think of style as the more mechanical expression of voice, go ahead. In this case, I am speaking about both the writer's voice, and the character's, as it emerges from the work.
So here is my final advice: go and read some books. Read and write at the same time. Remember, real writers borrow from each other all the time, and someone just made a killing stealing from Stephanie Meyer. By all means, I am not suggesting you become a parrot. Rather, use your skills as a writer to spot what makes other writers successful; learn what draws you into their worlds. Voice and style are constantly evolving. It pays to always expand your repertoire. And when you pick up Twilight and think it's well-written enough to influence your voice or personal style, remember some chick already did that. Then go read some King, or Clive Barker, or at the very least some Laurel K. Hamilton...thousands have copied them, and I don't hear anyone complaining about that.
The book in question is called What We Do Is Secret. Go look it up if you're curious; no summary here. However, I will say that the writer uses a very curious style of prose that is so musical, so repetitive, and so natural, that I could not put it down, even though I had to fight through a few places to understand really what was happening. And the best part was that, after finishing it, I felt this sense of freedom in my own work that I had never experienced before. I felt better equipped to write an already prose-heavy piece that I had been playing at for months. This book reassured me that it was okay to let my unconventional character speak with his own voice, and not with mine.
For fun, my writer's group tried this test: everyone was asked to write a short page of fiction, not using any of their known works or characters. In the piece, you attempt to disguise your voice and style (and chosen genre), and write something that was still palatable, yet completely distinct from any work you have ever shown the group. At the next gathering, we all read each other's pieces, not knowing whose was whose. Of the 7 of us, my work was the hardest to guess.
I take it as a major compliment that I can write pieces that are completely unique from each other in voice and style, while I do know other writers who feel differently. Some find it hard to read and work on a manuscript at the same time, for fear that some of the other writer's nuances will muddy their own private waters. The attitude is that your voice should be yours and yours alone, and you should work on perfecting what is distinctly you about your work. I don't disagree in principle, but what if your writing could be you but better? I imagine that if I wasn't constantly looking for ways to sharpen and improve, and not just change my voice, then I would be a hack at best.
And sometimes I am a hack. Sometimes, a voice I assume for a character or story just doesn't work, and I file it away for future treatments. Where voice, style, and character overlap, things get all sticky and difficult. Originally I started writing this post about character, specifically the (not-so)new obsession with the "unlikeable" protagonist. But voice is the go-between that can put an unlikable or unthinkable character in a place where they become accessible to the reader. As a writer, it is my job to be able to speak with authority from more than a single place...otherwise, my Cyberpunk grunge girl is going to sound way too much like my 15th century prince. Neither will be convincing. Overall style is a factor too, of course, but that is a whole other avenue. Trying to separate voice from style is rather pointless, in my opinion, but if you want to think of style as the more mechanical expression of voice, go ahead. In this case, I am speaking about both the writer's voice, and the character's, as it emerges from the work.
So here is my final advice: go and read some books. Read and write at the same time. Remember, real writers borrow from each other all the time, and someone just made a killing stealing from Stephanie Meyer. By all means, I am not suggesting you become a parrot. Rather, use your skills as a writer to spot what makes other writers successful; learn what draws you into their worlds. Voice and style are constantly evolving. It pays to always expand your repertoire. And when you pick up Twilight and think it's well-written enough to influence your voice or personal style, remember some chick already did that. Then go read some King, or Clive Barker, or at the very least some Laurel K. Hamilton...thousands have copied them, and I don't hear anyone complaining about that.
August 13, 2012
Went Fishing
Went fishing (not really). Will return with almost blogging later this week! Prepare to be amazed, or at least relatively amused.
July 16, 2012
It's Not Porn; In French, It's Art
This is what I have been doing lately, when I have not been alternately getting psyched about my trip to Yosemite and San Fran and being worried about the BEARS: watching French art films aka PORN for girls. I could give you a whole lot of semi-professional reasons to excuse my obsession, but in reality, I watch because I like it.
Recently a meme was circulated on the internet showing a few girls standing around reading copies of 50 Shades of Gray, with a byline beneath the photo proclaiming that they were not in fact into porn. Why the shame, gals? What's wrong with calling it like you see it? Smut is smut, they say. I, too, like so many millions of others (a hefty number of which are NOT men) watch porn. I also read it. And write it, if you are not into the semantic differences between your types of smut.
So I'll tell you what's wrong, or at least I will tell you why I think women prefer French art flicks to the randy raunch without accents, subtitles, and PLOT:
1) Girls multitask, and many of us have active social calendars. While some of us might relish the idea of a 3AM date with the laptop by a single light bulb in the basement, the reality is that we need our smut to be portable, available in more easily digestible and socially acceptable formats. On the bus, on the train, on the beach, that 45 year old mother of three is probably reading something nasty on that pink-covered Nook. Try watching porn on a plane and you'll get my point.
2)With the increased use of eReaders, and the large number of trashy erotica novels as easily downloadable as two girls one cup, there remains the subtle implication that women prefer to read their porn, rather than watch it. Frankly, the situation is that women prefer to use their imaginations, where as men get so into their physical apparatus that they require blatant and simple stimulation. Okay, maybe this is only partly true, and I am sure many male readers will shout at me for this, but just remember: if you are reading this blog, you are not the average male porn watcher. Browsing the vids at sites like xhamster.com will give you an idea of the type of guy I am referring to. Some of us require characterization, plot, and emotional attachments to be turned on...in both our real life, and in our imagination.
3) When it comes down to it, there is a stigma attached to porn reflecting, not altogether erroneously, that it is a media subject dominated and designed for and by men only. There have been numerous articles and studies done on porn made for females or mixed audiences, and the differences in content, tone, and general atmosphere. It's interesting to note that a predominant number of smut writers are also women. Is this way, the meme I mentioned is not entirely off-base. That erotica is attracting more attention these days is, I think, a testament to women's power in the marketplace. If you like it with an accent, with interesting characters, or as part of an overarching story, call it what you will, it's still porn.
I write smut. I love saying that. I also watch it. So while I risk life and limb to rocks, lightening, and BEARS, consider my top three current trash-erotica-foreign-porn flicks for your viewing enjoyment. It doesn't have to be 3AM in your basement, but if you have kids, you may want them to spend the night at grandma's while you indulge:
Farinelli - French film about an Italian castrato. Apparently there is a lot more to having a built-in safety valve on this organ. The best scene in this flick is the psedo-incestuous scene at the end, where Farinelli's brother, Ricardo, impregnates his wife as Farinelli watches. Sad and sexy, all at once.
Porn Theater (in French: The Two-Headed Pussy)- French flick of porn-like vignettes featuring mostly gay or trans relationships, in the backdrop of a hetero porn theater (I know, right?). A few flashes of penis, and a healthy dose of simulated sex. This film features some of the most adorable trannies on the other side of the Atlantic, and the sweetest Best Buddy Bi Threesome implied at the end of the film.
And my classic favorite, Delta of Venus, directed by Zalman King of the Red Shoe Diaries fame. Given, he's an American, but the film is set in France and has a distinctly European feel. If you have not read the book, do that first. Then watch this.
Recently a meme was circulated on the internet showing a few girls standing around reading copies of 50 Shades of Gray, with a byline beneath the photo proclaiming that they were not in fact into porn. Why the shame, gals? What's wrong with calling it like you see it? Smut is smut, they say. I, too, like so many millions of others (a hefty number of which are NOT men) watch porn. I also read it. And write it, if you are not into the semantic differences between your types of smut.
So I'll tell you what's wrong, or at least I will tell you why I think women prefer French art flicks to the randy raunch without accents, subtitles, and PLOT:
1) Girls multitask, and many of us have active social calendars. While some of us might relish the idea of a 3AM date with the laptop by a single light bulb in the basement, the reality is that we need our smut to be portable, available in more easily digestible and socially acceptable formats. On the bus, on the train, on the beach, that 45 year old mother of three is probably reading something nasty on that pink-covered Nook. Try watching porn on a plane and you'll get my point.
2)With the increased use of eReaders, and the large number of trashy erotica novels as easily downloadable as two girls one cup, there remains the subtle implication that women prefer to read their porn, rather than watch it. Frankly, the situation is that women prefer to use their imaginations, where as men get so into their physical apparatus that they require blatant and simple stimulation. Okay, maybe this is only partly true, and I am sure many male readers will shout at me for this, but just remember: if you are reading this blog, you are not the average male porn watcher. Browsing the vids at sites like xhamster.com will give you an idea of the type of guy I am referring to. Some of us require characterization, plot, and emotional attachments to be turned on...in both our real life, and in our imagination.
3) When it comes down to it, there is a stigma attached to porn reflecting, not altogether erroneously, that it is a media subject dominated and designed for and by men only. There have been numerous articles and studies done on porn made for females or mixed audiences, and the differences in content, tone, and general atmosphere. It's interesting to note that a predominant number of smut writers are also women. Is this way, the meme I mentioned is not entirely off-base. That erotica is attracting more attention these days is, I think, a testament to women's power in the marketplace. If you like it with an accent, with interesting characters, or as part of an overarching story, call it what you will, it's still porn.
I write smut. I love saying that. I also watch it. So while I risk life and limb to rocks, lightening, and BEARS, consider my top three current trash-erotica-foreign-porn flicks for your viewing enjoyment. It doesn't have to be 3AM in your basement, but if you have kids, you may want them to spend the night at grandma's while you indulge:
Farinelli - French film about an Italian castrato. Apparently there is a lot more to having a built-in safety valve on this organ. The best scene in this flick is the psedo-incestuous scene at the end, where Farinelli's brother, Ricardo, impregnates his wife as Farinelli watches. Sad and sexy, all at once.
Porn Theater (in French: The Two-Headed Pussy)- French flick of porn-like vignettes featuring mostly gay or trans relationships, in the backdrop of a hetero porn theater (I know, right?). A few flashes of penis, and a healthy dose of simulated sex. This film features some of the most adorable trannies on the other side of the Atlantic, and the sweetest Best Buddy Bi Threesome implied at the end of the film.
And my classic favorite, Delta of Venus, directed by Zalman King of the Red Shoe Diaries fame. Given, he's an American, but the film is set in France and has a distinctly European feel. If you have not read the book, do that first. Then watch this.
June 15, 2012
Sex Scenes: the Good, the Bad, the Dirty - Part 3: Nuts and Bolts (yep, went there)
The beginner puffs and huffs. The master sets your house on fire.
So I have not been blogging much, as you can tell. If you can imagine, I have been busy following the Luka Magnotta case, wondering how cannibalism got to be sexy...but I digress (too soon? have you read my novel?). The reality of it is that editing can be time-consuming and draining, especially when it's not your own work. I've been helping a friend work on a self-help book designed for young women. I'm sure you'll be hearing more next month, when I spend time blogging about editing as opposed to writing smut.
To complete my 101 on writing trash, I'm going to share my top 5 basic rules to crafting a good smut scene. So whether you're in it for a page, a chapter, or whole book, these are guidelines I have embraced in my own smut. Coming on the heels of the last two entries, these are pretty straightforward. So enjoy!
1. If you like apples, then go with cherries.
Seriously. This is of critical importance to writing erotica, or a well-planned sex scene of any kind. Don't write about what you know. In particular, write about sex that you don't have every night, simply for the fact that you have to think about it. Force yourself to engage all the senses. When you are asked to describe something you enjoy, you are less likely to think about all the possible avenues of pleasure that others might find in the act. You have to distance yourself a bit.
Do a test run. Go to a website like Literotica. Read a few stories. Bet you can guess who was getting off to their own smut. Sometimes they even leave out words...you know, like they were pausing for breath or something. This, in general, is the biggest issue with poorly written trash. See also 50 Shades of Gray.
2. Hot sex is spicy, with a dash of reality.
Not every woman has 5 orgasms her first time (she's lucky to get one ANY time) and not every man is 8" and as big around as your wrist. There is an element of fantasy to erotica, but too much fantasy and the resulting scene is plain unrealistic. A bit of levity and humanity brings the reader closer to the action and to the characters. It draws them in. Unless your goal is to write pure porn, the characters must remain front and center, and the size of their genitalia and their resulting scorecard should be insignificant, perhaps passing details at best
3. Remember the 5 senses.
With good sex, all 5 senses are engaged in the activity. Your character should be able to touch and see, but they should also smell, taste, and hear their lover. Not only is it more enticing, but the reader will find themselves more present in the fantasy if they can really get into what is going on with the character. Think of the sex scene as an opportunity for characterization. Someone who is passive may reveal a more dominant side in bed, or vice versa. Exploring all senses forces you to really think about what is going in the bedroom, as well as elsewhere, and whether the characters are fully developed enough to engage the reader on the whole. Remember that people read erotica because they want to be in the story. Put them there.
4. Penis vs. Cock vs. Dick vs. Prick vs. Doodle
Word choice is a critical component of crafting a readable story. When it comes to erotica, there is a whole "purple" vocabulary that you get used to. To determine which words excite and which words flop with an audience, I use a simple 1-3 scale. Words that rank at 1 are Academic. Think penis, vagina, sex. Sometimes these words come in handy, but more often then not what you are looking for is rates more of a 2. 2 are the workhorse words, the ones you find most commonly in modern smut, the words you are more likely to encounter in everyday non-polite conversation (and this is essentially what erotica is, folks). Words like cock, clit, fuck, cum/coming and prick all wind up in this category. The final third grouping is for euphemisms. Love tunnel, bajingo, hoohah, dingle, peter. All these carry a certain humor that has its place in only a small fraction of erotica.
If you can't seem to gauge where a sex word ranks on the scale, ask your friends. If you say the word and they laugh, it's a 3. If you can say the word to your doctor without a strange look, it's a 1. If you get a raised eyebrow, noooow you're talking!
Until you develop your style to encompass this vocab, each time you consider using a word, think about the tone of the work, the characters involved, and the audience. Though most of the time the words you use will come from category 2, having these factors solidly in mind will help you to best determine what language to use, and when it's okay to throw in a word from one of the other two groups. Trust me, some characters love the word dingle. They just don't use it when crawling into bed with the hot guy next door.
5. Sex itself can be a tease.
So you think there isn't much more you can tease your reader with. Your characters have already done the act, and you've given them about as much cock as you deem necessary. The teasing part is over- or is it? The sixth sense is thought. If you spend some time getting into your character's brain between sexual escapades (and maybe a bit during them as well), you will have the set up for a marvelous second, third, or fourth act. The mind is the greatest organ for foreplay. Let your character explore the ramifications of their willingness to get it on with the boss, the neighbor, or the mysterious stranger. Can it ever be as great? Will it? Why did they do this in the first place? How much of the experience was in their head in the first place? Is it worth it? How much better can it get? Then refuse to provide the answers - at least until the next encounter.
Well, there you have it. My own top five. I am planning to post some helpful links in the future, as well as my own little collection of the hottest lines in literature (hint: not all of the hot stuff appears in erotica), but next month this blog will focus on editing and the barest bones of the writing craft. I promise to make it as interesting as it is useful, as I hope this series has been. So, until next time...cheers!
So I have not been blogging much, as you can tell. If you can imagine, I have been busy following the Luka Magnotta case, wondering how cannibalism got to be sexy...but I digress (too soon? have you read my novel?). The reality of it is that editing can be time-consuming and draining, especially when it's not your own work. I've been helping a friend work on a self-help book designed for young women. I'm sure you'll be hearing more next month, when I spend time blogging about editing as opposed to writing smut.
To complete my 101 on writing trash, I'm going to share my top 5 basic rules to crafting a good smut scene. So whether you're in it for a page, a chapter, or whole book, these are guidelines I have embraced in my own smut. Coming on the heels of the last two entries, these are pretty straightforward. So enjoy!
1. If you like apples, then go with cherries.
Seriously. This is of critical importance to writing erotica, or a well-planned sex scene of any kind. Don't write about what you know. In particular, write about sex that you don't have every night, simply for the fact that you have to think about it. Force yourself to engage all the senses. When you are asked to describe something you enjoy, you are less likely to think about all the possible avenues of pleasure that others might find in the act. You have to distance yourself a bit.
Do a test run. Go to a website like Literotica. Read a few stories. Bet you can guess who was getting off to their own smut. Sometimes they even leave out words...you know, like they were pausing for breath or something. This, in general, is the biggest issue with poorly written trash. See also 50 Shades of Gray.
2. Hot sex is spicy, with a dash of reality.
Not every woman has 5 orgasms her first time (she's lucky to get one ANY time) and not every man is 8" and as big around as your wrist. There is an element of fantasy to erotica, but too much fantasy and the resulting scene is plain unrealistic. A bit of levity and humanity brings the reader closer to the action and to the characters. It draws them in. Unless your goal is to write pure porn, the characters must remain front and center, and the size of their genitalia and their resulting scorecard should be insignificant, perhaps passing details at best
3. Remember the 5 senses.
With good sex, all 5 senses are engaged in the activity. Your character should be able to touch and see, but they should also smell, taste, and hear their lover. Not only is it more enticing, but the reader will find themselves more present in the fantasy if they can really get into what is going on with the character. Think of the sex scene as an opportunity for characterization. Someone who is passive may reveal a more dominant side in bed, or vice versa. Exploring all senses forces you to really think about what is going in the bedroom, as well as elsewhere, and whether the characters are fully developed enough to engage the reader on the whole. Remember that people read erotica because they want to be in the story. Put them there.
4. Penis vs. Cock vs. Dick vs. Prick vs. Doodle
Word choice is a critical component of crafting a readable story. When it comes to erotica, there is a whole "purple" vocabulary that you get used to. To determine which words excite and which words flop with an audience, I use a simple 1-3 scale. Words that rank at 1 are Academic. Think penis, vagina, sex. Sometimes these words come in handy, but more often then not what you are looking for is rates more of a 2. 2 are the workhorse words, the ones you find most commonly in modern smut, the words you are more likely to encounter in everyday non-polite conversation (and this is essentially what erotica is, folks). Words like cock, clit, fuck, cum/coming and prick all wind up in this category. The final third grouping is for euphemisms. Love tunnel, bajingo, hoohah, dingle, peter. All these carry a certain humor that has its place in only a small fraction of erotica.
If you can't seem to gauge where a sex word ranks on the scale, ask your friends. If you say the word and they laugh, it's a 3. If you can say the word to your doctor without a strange look, it's a 1. If you get a raised eyebrow, noooow you're talking!
Until you develop your style to encompass this vocab, each time you consider using a word, think about the tone of the work, the characters involved, and the audience. Though most of the time the words you use will come from category 2, having these factors solidly in mind will help you to best determine what language to use, and when it's okay to throw in a word from one of the other two groups. Trust me, some characters love the word dingle. They just don't use it when crawling into bed with the hot guy next door.
5. Sex itself can be a tease.
So you think there isn't much more you can tease your reader with. Your characters have already done the act, and you've given them about as much cock as you deem necessary. The teasing part is over- or is it? The sixth sense is thought. If you spend some time getting into your character's brain between sexual escapades (and maybe a bit during them as well), you will have the set up for a marvelous second, third, or fourth act. The mind is the greatest organ for foreplay. Let your character explore the ramifications of their willingness to get it on with the boss, the neighbor, or the mysterious stranger. Can it ever be as great? Will it? Why did they do this in the first place? How much of the experience was in their head in the first place? Is it worth it? How much better can it get? Then refuse to provide the answers - at least until the next encounter.
Well, there you have it. My own top five. I am planning to post some helpful links in the future, as well as my own little collection of the hottest lines in literature (hint: not all of the hot stuff appears in erotica), but next month this blog will focus on editing and the barest bones of the writing craft. I promise to make it as interesting as it is useful, as I hope this series has been. So, until next time...cheers!
May 15, 2012
Sex Scenes: the Good, the Bad, the Dirty - Part 2
So now you're at the point where you've decided, well, either sex is going happen in the book, or not. But how much sex? And where, when, and with who? And lastly, what kind?
The first question really depends on the genre and type of book you're writing. Sometimes your character will just up and demand sexy tymes with another. It happens. If it's not going to kill the story, let it. If your story isn't meant to have lots of it, then use the "fade to black" technique; have your characters show interest, maybe flirt, and the next thing you know, one of them is showering and the other's making breakfast. Of course, a good writer can break rules (or a bad one...see 50 Shades of Gray), but in general, in terms of sex content, a book falls into one of four basic categories, regardless of genre:
Mainstream: You acknowledge that sometimes sex happens, and sometimes it happens to your characters. However, it is not the main goal of the story, and it is by no means a driving force or regular on-screen occurrence. When it does happen, the characters slip between the sheets, get it on, then go about their normal day, as does the reader.
Romance: Character relationships drive the story. Sex is the reward, both to the reader and the characters. It's a logical conclusion. If graphic scenes appear, they are designed to give attention to the relationship; they may be descriptive, but typically capitalize on the emotional feelings behind the act rather than the physical.
Erotica: The story is about sex. It remains the driving goal behind much of what the characters want to accomplish. Sex occurs on-screen most of the time, with more attention given to the mechanics, but characters themselves remain well-developed.
Porn: Debbie does Dallas on the page, and you don't give a shit who Debbie is while she does it. As long as she goes from one sex act to another, you get what you paid for.
Once you've determined that sex is going to happen, and you've decided how much you are able or willing to commit to the page, there are still the 4 "W"s to consider. When I speak of the where and when of a sex scene, I am not talking about the physical location or timing in the story. We all know people will fuck almost any place they can fit their bodies. What I'm talking about is where in the book is an appropriate place to put a sex scene. There's no formula to this, but there are a couple of places where I find the placement of a scene problematic. I have summed them up here:
Bond Sex: This is the sex your characters have immediately following, or even in the middle of, a perilous situation. Sometimes it can work, sometimes it's hot. Other times you are wondering where the bad guys are while the protagonist is getting his rocks off. This type of sex scene straddles the line between Duran-Duran-mad-sex-guns-and-passion, and just plain stupid. Consider your genre and pacing and use sparingly.
Hate Sex: Two characters who have spent plenty of time dissing each other suddenly wind up doing the nasty. Maybe it's hot, but consider how realistic it is. Also, if your reader has taken one character's side in a dispute, it may be hard for them to grasp why the two characters suddenly decide making up in bed is a good plan.
Stranger/Plot Hole Sex: We're not talking about one-night stands or the mysterious and attractive love interest. We're talking about how well the reader knows the character(s). Stranger sex occurs when no time has been devoted to developing either one or both characters, yet you expect the reader to show interest when you put them in bed together. Unless there are plot reasons, don't rush them into the sack.
Invisible Sex: This is the sex that happens when the characters have nothing else to do. If your characters are having sex because they are waiting for something to do, maybe you should consider writing porn.
Ultimately, it will be your ability as a smut writer which should dictate how much sex the readers sees, and how much remains between the sheets.
Some of these categories also address the who of the sex scene business, but to me, there is only one hard and fast rule concerning who is involved: unless you are writing porn, the reader should know a bit about the persons getting it on. Sex is the perfect medium to inspire emotion, and whether that emotion is desire or revulsion or something else, the point is that the reader needs to have a sort of connection in order to process the act.
So we've covered how much sex fits a book, and 3 of the 4 "W"s, when, where, and who. In Part 3 of this series, I will discuss the last "W" - what happens in a sex scene. So maybe you already know: sex happens. This post will examine more closely the dirty bits of a good sex scene...otherwise known as the good bits. Stay tuned!
The first question really depends on the genre and type of book you're writing. Sometimes your character will just up and demand sexy tymes with another. It happens. If it's not going to kill the story, let it. If your story isn't meant to have lots of it, then use the "fade to black" technique; have your characters show interest, maybe flirt, and the next thing you know, one of them is showering and the other's making breakfast. Of course, a good writer can break rules (or a bad one...see 50 Shades of Gray), but in general, in terms of sex content, a book falls into one of four basic categories, regardless of genre:
Mainstream: You acknowledge that sometimes sex happens, and sometimes it happens to your characters. However, it is not the main goal of the story, and it is by no means a driving force or regular on-screen occurrence. When it does happen, the characters slip between the sheets, get it on, then go about their normal day, as does the reader.
Romance: Character relationships drive the story. Sex is the reward, both to the reader and the characters. It's a logical conclusion. If graphic scenes appear, they are designed to give attention to the relationship; they may be descriptive, but typically capitalize on the emotional feelings behind the act rather than the physical.
Erotica: The story is about sex. It remains the driving goal behind much of what the characters want to accomplish. Sex occurs on-screen most of the time, with more attention given to the mechanics, but characters themselves remain well-developed.
Porn: Debbie does Dallas on the page, and you don't give a shit who Debbie is while she does it. As long as she goes from one sex act to another, you get what you paid for.
Once you've determined that sex is going to happen, and you've decided how much you are able or willing to commit to the page, there are still the 4 "W"s to consider. When I speak of the where and when of a sex scene, I am not talking about the physical location or timing in the story. We all know people will fuck almost any place they can fit their bodies. What I'm talking about is where in the book is an appropriate place to put a sex scene. There's no formula to this, but there are a couple of places where I find the placement of a scene problematic. I have summed them up here:
Bond Sex: This is the sex your characters have immediately following, or even in the middle of, a perilous situation. Sometimes it can work, sometimes it's hot. Other times you are wondering where the bad guys are while the protagonist is getting his rocks off. This type of sex scene straddles the line between Duran-Duran-mad-sex-guns-and-passion, and just plain stupid. Consider your genre and pacing and use sparingly.
Hate Sex: Two characters who have spent plenty of time dissing each other suddenly wind up doing the nasty. Maybe it's hot, but consider how realistic it is. Also, if your reader has taken one character's side in a dispute, it may be hard for them to grasp why the two characters suddenly decide making up in bed is a good plan.
Stranger/Plot Hole Sex: We're not talking about one-night stands or the mysterious and attractive love interest. We're talking about how well the reader knows the character(s). Stranger sex occurs when no time has been devoted to developing either one or both characters, yet you expect the reader to show interest when you put them in bed together. Unless there are plot reasons, don't rush them into the sack.
Invisible Sex: This is the sex that happens when the characters have nothing else to do. If your characters are having sex because they are waiting for something to do, maybe you should consider writing porn.
Ultimately, it will be your ability as a smut writer which should dictate how much sex the readers sees, and how much remains between the sheets.
Some of these categories also address the who of the sex scene business, but to me, there is only one hard and fast rule concerning who is involved: unless you are writing porn, the reader should know a bit about the persons getting it on. Sex is the perfect medium to inspire emotion, and whether that emotion is desire or revulsion or something else, the point is that the reader needs to have a sort of connection in order to process the act.
So we've covered how much sex fits a book, and 3 of the 4 "W"s, when, where, and who. In Part 3 of this series, I will discuss the last "W" - what happens in a sex scene. So maybe you already know: sex happens. This post will examine more closely the dirty bits of a good sex scene...otherwise known as the good bits. Stay tuned!
May 1, 2012
Sex Scenes: the Good, the Bad, the Dirty - Part 1
Is there such a thing as bad sex? In the flesh, many desperate folks might argue that there isn't. However, as hard up for some sexy time as you may be, nothing, and I mean nothing, makes a bad sex scene worth reading. Sure, it can be fun to laugh over a poorly written bang session, but in terms of intriguing or arousing, the two primary goals of smut writers, a bad sex scene is one that turns the reader off to the character, the story, and potentially your writing in general.
Now there's bad sex and there's a badly written sex scene. I want to distinguish between the two. Many good writers cannot write smut. It's not something we're all required to excel at. It's simply a tool in the arsenal for those of us who can. And some smut writers can't tell a story. The grinding and pounding reads flawlessly, but when it comes to constructing a plot, it's a crap express train to fail town. Rather than talking about writing and how to do it, I want to talk about "bad sex" ie. sex that, if we were to be given the option of experiencing it ourselves, we would quickly walk the other direction. I am talking about the kinds of sex scenes that appear as fetishes on the internet's most secret of hidden Craigslist ads.
When writing Messiah of Monsters, I ultimately decided to leave out two sex scenes. The first is an event that impacts protagonist profoundly, but by putting the story in first person, I had to be realistic as to what someone in Sam's situation would be willing to disclose to an audience. What happened to Sam wasn't good, or appealing, or sexually arousing. I didn't want to lose readers by introducing my character's first sexual experience as something that was horrific and traumatic, with no redeeming features. I decided to avoid including an all-out rape scene.
Rape scenes are an alienating gambit, particularly in erotica. No matter what other categories the book may fall under, if you include a scene where someone is raped, then do not pass go, do not try to point out all the other happy, consensual sex scenes. You have just placed yourself into the "non-consent" or "reluctance" genre. It's your fault, you know. Your job is to entice, and you just gave them sex and they expected to be turned on by it. Now, unless your reader can wrap their brains around the fact that, 100 pages later, the character is fucking and having a great time of it (either in spite of or because of their experience), you've lost them. Maybe years have passed for the character, and they've worked through it however they do, but your reader has only had a few hours to digest the action. Rape is brutal, beyond taboo, so unless your reader buys into the the whole fetish and enjoys rape fantasy on some level, they're gone.
Rape scenes in non-erotic novels usually have less impact on how you view the characters sexually, because the book is not geared toward making you find the characters sexually appealing. And though I did decide to leave out the details of Sam's scene, I did decide to keep the final scene as-is. Yes, there are definate elements of non-consent in the final chapter, but who's to say what part of the act is what leads Danny to want out? My guess is that he drew the line at blood, specifically his own blood. And that's the horror of it. I was writing erotic horror, after all.
There is one other scene that I elected to leave out, and this is one I've come to regret leaving behind. At the very least, it would have been unique. But it also would have placed the squick factor over the top before the novel's end. I'm not sure I would say it that it would have eclipsed it, but on what scale do you compare necrophilia to cannibalism? Can you think of a single book you've read where a woman has sex with a mummy-like body? Me neither, and I'm sorry I wasn't the first.
Marlaena's strange and symbiotic relationship with Tiomir is equal parts sensual and disturbing. As disgusting as it sounds, there is a certain beauty to a love that trancends death and the physical body. Think of all the vampire erotica out there, and you'll see my point. I think I managed to convey the extent of their interaction while remaining in Sam's headspace for the scene. He was an outsider, and so the reader was kept outside as well, forced to make a choice between acknowleging the implications or ignoring the obvious. Confession: I'm looking forward to writing the second book as a collection of interwoven stories, where each character's own tale is allowed a climax (see what I did there?) that remains true to the sensuality of the individual. With enough characters, there are inevitably going to be some boundaries that get pushed.
In both cases, I made a choice not to include these scenes, but I really had to think about it. There are only two kinds of sex scene scream *avoid at all costs* to me. Bet you can guess what they are. And while I imagine I will never need to write a scene involving bestiality (I had to try to spell this word a dozen times, that shows how rarely I have even seen the word in print), I am approaching a project that definitely involves underage participants. Fortunately, it's not erotica, and I can avoid alienating and infuriating the general population by some clever fade-to-black moments, though I will also not be shy in reflecting on how these very real, very human experiences, impact the characters. It's history after all, and sexuality is a dominant part of our growing up, however fast we do it. Our culture and the time we live in gives us the luxury of an extended adolescence. But imagine: Romeo was 15, Juliet was 13, they wanted to get married, and the people of Shakespeare's day didn't think this was odd.
It's all about perspective, which is the point I am driving at: sex scenes are particularly critical in determining the perspective you impart on the reader. Because it's sex, it's LGBT-oriented, and it's horror, Messiah is a book that appeals to a limited audience, and this fact is what led me to choose self-publishing. The sex scenes I left out prevented me from stripping away another large portion of my audience. My treatment of the story as a first-person recollection, and the ability to expound or experiment in-depth in a later volume, keep me from feeling like I was dishonest with my readers. I don't think Sam's rape scene will ever see the light of day; it's unnecessary, brutal, and not at all sexy. Marlaena and Tiomir's will probably get some attention, though. Maybe this is because I rejoice in getting under my reader's skin, or maybe it's because it's a challenge to make such a naturally repulsive thing alluring.
Part of a good sex scene is finding out what pushes someone's buttons, and going there without hesitation. If you hesitate your reader will, too. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, then read some of Brande's philosophy from the novel. He's pretty much got it down; it's part of what makes him both sexy and dangerous. To continue this discussion, later this week I will post my basic 5-step guide to writing a successful sex scene. I'm sure you can't wait...
Now there's bad sex and there's a badly written sex scene. I want to distinguish between the two. Many good writers cannot write smut. It's not something we're all required to excel at. It's simply a tool in the arsenal for those of us who can. And some smut writers can't tell a story. The grinding and pounding reads flawlessly, but when it comes to constructing a plot, it's a crap express train to fail town. Rather than talking about writing and how to do it, I want to talk about "bad sex" ie. sex that, if we were to be given the option of experiencing it ourselves, we would quickly walk the other direction. I am talking about the kinds of sex scenes that appear as fetishes on the internet's most secret of hidden Craigslist ads.
When writing Messiah of Monsters, I ultimately decided to leave out two sex scenes. The first is an event that impacts protagonist profoundly, but by putting the story in first person, I had to be realistic as to what someone in Sam's situation would be willing to disclose to an audience. What happened to Sam wasn't good, or appealing, or sexually arousing. I didn't want to lose readers by introducing my character's first sexual experience as something that was horrific and traumatic, with no redeeming features. I decided to avoid including an all-out rape scene.
Rape scenes are an alienating gambit, particularly in erotica. No matter what other categories the book may fall under, if you include a scene where someone is raped, then do not pass go, do not try to point out all the other happy, consensual sex scenes. You have just placed yourself into the "non-consent" or "reluctance" genre. It's your fault, you know. Your job is to entice, and you just gave them sex and they expected to be turned on by it. Now, unless your reader can wrap their brains around the fact that, 100 pages later, the character is fucking and having a great time of it (either in spite of or because of their experience), you've lost them. Maybe years have passed for the character, and they've worked through it however they do, but your reader has only had a few hours to digest the action. Rape is brutal, beyond taboo, so unless your reader buys into the the whole fetish and enjoys rape fantasy on some level, they're gone.
Rape scenes in non-erotic novels usually have less impact on how you view the characters sexually, because the book is not geared toward making you find the characters sexually appealing. And though I did decide to leave out the details of Sam's scene, I did decide to keep the final scene as-is. Yes, there are definate elements of non-consent in the final chapter, but who's to say what part of the act is what leads Danny to want out? My guess is that he drew the line at blood, specifically his own blood. And that's the horror of it. I was writing erotic horror, after all.
There is one other scene that I elected to leave out, and this is one I've come to regret leaving behind. At the very least, it would have been unique. But it also would have placed the squick factor over the top before the novel's end. I'm not sure I would say it that it would have eclipsed it, but on what scale do you compare necrophilia to cannibalism? Can you think of a single book you've read where a woman has sex with a mummy-like body? Me neither, and I'm sorry I wasn't the first.
Marlaena's strange and symbiotic relationship with Tiomir is equal parts sensual and disturbing. As disgusting as it sounds, there is a certain beauty to a love that trancends death and the physical body. Think of all the vampire erotica out there, and you'll see my point. I think I managed to convey the extent of their interaction while remaining in Sam's headspace for the scene. He was an outsider, and so the reader was kept outside as well, forced to make a choice between acknowleging the implications or ignoring the obvious. Confession: I'm looking forward to writing the second book as a collection of interwoven stories, where each character's own tale is allowed a climax (see what I did there?) that remains true to the sensuality of the individual. With enough characters, there are inevitably going to be some boundaries that get pushed.
In both cases, I made a choice not to include these scenes, but I really had to think about it. There are only two kinds of sex scene scream *avoid at all costs* to me. Bet you can guess what they are. And while I imagine I will never need to write a scene involving bestiality (I had to try to spell this word a dozen times, that shows how rarely I have even seen the word in print), I am approaching a project that definitely involves underage participants. Fortunately, it's not erotica, and I can avoid alienating and infuriating the general population by some clever fade-to-black moments, though I will also not be shy in reflecting on how these very real, very human experiences, impact the characters. It's history after all, and sexuality is a dominant part of our growing up, however fast we do it. Our culture and the time we live in gives us the luxury of an extended adolescence. But imagine: Romeo was 15, Juliet was 13, they wanted to get married, and the people of Shakespeare's day didn't think this was odd.
It's all about perspective, which is the point I am driving at: sex scenes are particularly critical in determining the perspective you impart on the reader. Because it's sex, it's LGBT-oriented, and it's horror, Messiah is a book that appeals to a limited audience, and this fact is what led me to choose self-publishing. The sex scenes I left out prevented me from stripping away another large portion of my audience. My treatment of the story as a first-person recollection, and the ability to expound or experiment in-depth in a later volume, keep me from feeling like I was dishonest with my readers. I don't think Sam's rape scene will ever see the light of day; it's unnecessary, brutal, and not at all sexy. Marlaena and Tiomir's will probably get some attention, though. Maybe this is because I rejoice in getting under my reader's skin, or maybe it's because it's a challenge to make such a naturally repulsive thing alluring.
Part of a good sex scene is finding out what pushes someone's buttons, and going there without hesitation. If you hesitate your reader will, too. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, then read some of Brande's philosophy from the novel. He's pretty much got it down; it's part of what makes him both sexy and dangerous. To continue this discussion, later this week I will post my basic 5-step guide to writing a successful sex scene. I'm sure you can't wait...
April 18, 2012
Submissions (the truly sexy kind) for Spring and Summer 2012
These places recently put out a call for submissions. I wanted to kind of round them up from my resources and let you all know about them, and keep myself reminded as well. If you're a writer and you're looking to get your book out there, these are your people. I am in no way endorsing them, just sharing the information. If you know of others, feel free to post into the comments section. Here you go:
EROTICA MARKETS - short and long fiction
Mischief Bookseries
http://www.mischiefbooks.com/pages/contact/
Mischief is a new series of ebook erotica and erotic romance fiction exploring romantic and explicit sexual fantasies for the purpose of pleasure. Each month Mischief will publish original ebooks featuring contemporary stories by the very best authors worldwide. We publish an extensive list of original erotica and erotic romance in themed short story anthologies, petite novels of 40K minimum word length, novels and single author collections of 80K minimum word length. We are looking for fiction that really is a cut above tired, formulaic, hurriedly written and mass produced erotica in a saturated genre. Founded by Harper Collins, UK.
eXtasy Books
http://www.extasybooks.com/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=9
Fromt the site: "eXtasy Books is looking for new voices to add to their already busy stable! Like all publishers, we are always on the hunt for the next best-selling author. This could be you! Of course we realize that not every author can be a best-seller, and we don't promise mega sales, but we do promise to give writers with fantastic stories the chance to be read. We look for stories from mildly sensual to super hot. As long as your novel /novella has an intriguing storyline, and not just a string of sex scenes laced together by a thin plot, we will evaluate it for publication. We look at all genres. Novels/novellas can be from 16k and up. eXtasy Books pay standard royalty rate, 40% of listed price. 40% at third party sellers, except Fictionwise, it's 50%. Our contract is for ebook rights for 3 years from day of publication."
He Looks Like Trouble: Bad Boy Erotica
Editor: Shane Allison, Cleis Press in late 2012
Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication
Deadline: July 1, 2012 (earlier submissions encouraged and preferred)
"Bikers, tatted up punks, dirty cops and crime bosses. Do you love a bad boy as much as I do, men who live their lives everyday on the wild side? The type of boys you dream of riding up on their hogs, or in a muscle car to carry you away from the mundane? Shane Allison is in search of the best bad boy based erotica around, focusing on a range of techniques, implements, characters and scenarios, from new blood to seasoned scribes. The bad boy theme should be a central focus of the erotic element of the story but the plot does not have to hinge on it. Original, unique, creative characters, settings, scenarios and forms are encouraged. As befitting the title, I’m looking for the best, hottest, most creative erotica for this collection.
Original stories strongly preferred, but reprints of work will be considered but will be given lower priority than original work. All characters must be over 18; no incest or bestiality. Let your imagination run wild.
How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to helooksliketroubleantho@gmail.com.
If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by August 2012. Be sure to include contact and bio information on the FIRST page of your story."
Big Man on Campus: Gay Erotic FictionShane Allison, Cleis Press
Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication
Deadline: June 1, 2012 (earlier submissions encouraged and preferred)
Hot on the heels of the Gaybie award-winning College Boys, Shane Allison goes back to school with Big Man on Campus in search of the best college based erotica around, focusing on a range of techniques, implements, characters and scenarios, from new blood to seasoned scribes. The collegiate theme should be a central focus of the erotic element of the story but the plot does not have to hinge on students, frat boys or professors. Think of late night study sessions in the library, a horny professor fantasizing of that beefy jock that sits teasing him from the back of the class, randy foreign exchange students and of course an anthology of this theme would not be complete without a college jock being thrown in. Original, unique, creative characters, settings, scenarios and forms are encouraged. As befitting the title, I’m looking for the best, hottest, most creative erotica for this collection. Original stories strongly preferred, but reprints of work will be considered but will be given lower priority than original work. All characters must be over 18; no incest or bestiality. Please see College Boys: Gay Erotic Stories and Frat Boys: Gay Eroitc Stories to get an idea of the kinds of stories I dig.
SEE ABOVE ENTRY FOR DIRECTIONS AND GUIDELINES, then send to collegeboysantho@gmail.com.
NON EROTICA
ARTFUL DODGE
http://www3.wooster.edu/artfuldodge/
An Ohio-based literary magazine that publishes work with a strong sense of place and cultural landscape. Besides new American fiction, poetry and narrative essay, we're also interested in contemporary literature in translation -- from all over the globe. Pays $5/page.
BIG BAD ANTHOLOGY
http://johnhartness.com/big-bad-anthology/
Send me your best short story (6,000 words max, if it has to be longer contact me first) that features a bad guy or evil character as the protagonist. It can be fantasy, urban fantasy, superhero, horror, whatever. Just send me your best bad guy story. I'm taking twenty. Email submissions tojohnhartness@gmail.com
as a .doc or .txt attachment. Include a brief author's bio, please. Paying $50 for one year's exclusive electronic and print rights plus two contributor's copies. After that we retain rights to publish electronically in the anthology only, and in print in this anthology only, but you can take it and sell it somewhere
else, or sell it yourself as a standalone. Deadline July 31, 2012.
ALCHEMY PRESS ANTHOLOGY
http://alchemypress.blogspot.com/p/pulp-heroes.html
The Alchemy Press is seeking submissions for THE ALCHEMY PRESS BOOK OF PULP HEROES, edited by Mike Chinn. Sports stories, spy stories, aircraft & zeppelin stories, sea & pirate stories,
Westerns, medieval romance, horror, science fiction and fantasy, movies and car racing; there's no limit. Successful contributors will receive a copy of the book and a £10 advance against royalties on publication. We are after original fiction, but reprints will be considered if they are exceptional. Contributions must be in the range of 2,000-6,000 words firm, with full contact details on the front page. Deadline May 30, 2012.
EROTICA MARKETS - short and long fiction
Mischief Bookseries
http://www.mischiefbooks.com/pages/contact/
Mischief is a new series of ebook erotica and erotic romance fiction exploring romantic and explicit sexual fantasies for the purpose of pleasure. Each month Mischief will publish original ebooks featuring contemporary stories by the very best authors worldwide. We publish an extensive list of original erotica and erotic romance in themed short story anthologies, petite novels of 40K minimum word length, novels and single author collections of 80K minimum word length. We are looking for fiction that really is a cut above tired, formulaic, hurriedly written and mass produced erotica in a saturated genre. Founded by Harper Collins, UK.
eXtasy Books
http://www.extasybooks.com/index.php?route=information/information&information_id=9
Fromt the site: "eXtasy Books is looking for new voices to add to their already busy stable! Like all publishers, we are always on the hunt for the next best-selling author. This could be you! Of course we realize that not every author can be a best-seller, and we don't promise mega sales, but we do promise to give writers with fantastic stories the chance to be read. We look for stories from mildly sensual to super hot. As long as your novel /novella has an intriguing storyline, and not just a string of sex scenes laced together by a thin plot, we will evaluate it for publication. We look at all genres. Novels/novellas can be from 16k and up. eXtasy Books pay standard royalty rate, 40% of listed price. 40% at third party sellers, except Fictionwise, it's 50%. Our contract is for ebook rights for 3 years from day of publication."
He Looks Like Trouble: Bad Boy Erotica
Editor: Shane Allison, Cleis Press in late 2012
Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication
Deadline: July 1, 2012 (earlier submissions encouraged and preferred)
"Bikers, tatted up punks, dirty cops and crime bosses. Do you love a bad boy as much as I do, men who live their lives everyday on the wild side? The type of boys you dream of riding up on their hogs, or in a muscle car to carry you away from the mundane? Shane Allison is in search of the best bad boy based erotica around, focusing on a range of techniques, implements, characters and scenarios, from new blood to seasoned scribes. The bad boy theme should be a central focus of the erotic element of the story but the plot does not have to hinge on it. Original, unique, creative characters, settings, scenarios and forms are encouraged. As befitting the title, I’m looking for the best, hottest, most creative erotica for this collection.
Original stories strongly preferred, but reprints of work will be considered but will be given lower priority than original work. All characters must be over 18; no incest or bestiality. Let your imagination run wild.
How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to helooksliketroubleantho@gmail.com.
If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by August 2012. Be sure to include contact and bio information on the FIRST page of your story."
Big Man on Campus: Gay Erotic FictionShane Allison, Cleis Press
Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication
Deadline: June 1, 2012 (earlier submissions encouraged and preferred)
Hot on the heels of the Gaybie award-winning College Boys, Shane Allison goes back to school with Big Man on Campus in search of the best college based erotica around, focusing on a range of techniques, implements, characters and scenarios, from new blood to seasoned scribes. The collegiate theme should be a central focus of the erotic element of the story but the plot does not have to hinge on students, frat boys or professors. Think of late night study sessions in the library, a horny professor fantasizing of that beefy jock that sits teasing him from the back of the class, randy foreign exchange students and of course an anthology of this theme would not be complete without a college jock being thrown in. Original, unique, creative characters, settings, scenarios and forms are encouraged. As befitting the title, I’m looking for the best, hottest, most creative erotica for this collection. Original stories strongly preferred, but reprints of work will be considered but will be given lower priority than original work. All characters must be over 18; no incest or bestiality. Please see College Boys: Gay Erotic Stories and Frat Boys: Gay Eroitc Stories to get an idea of the kinds of stories I dig.
SEE ABOVE ENTRY FOR DIRECTIONS AND GUIDELINES, then send to collegeboysantho@gmail.com.
NON EROTICA
ARTFUL DODGE
http://www3.wooster.edu/artfuldodge/
An Ohio-based literary magazine that publishes work with a strong sense of place and cultural landscape. Besides new American fiction, poetry and narrative essay, we're also interested in contemporary literature in translation -- from all over the globe. Pays $5/page.
BIG BAD ANTHOLOGY
http://johnhartness.com/big-bad-anthology/
Send me your best short story (6,000 words max, if it has to be longer contact me first) that features a bad guy or evil character as the protagonist. It can be fantasy, urban fantasy, superhero, horror, whatever. Just send me your best bad guy story. I'm taking twenty. Email submissions tojohnhartness@gmail.com
as a .doc or .txt attachment. Include a brief author's bio, please. Paying $50 for one year's exclusive electronic and print rights plus two contributor's copies. After that we retain rights to publish electronically in the anthology only, and in print in this anthology only, but you can take it and sell it somewhere
else, or sell it yourself as a standalone. Deadline July 31, 2012.
ALCHEMY PRESS ANTHOLOGY
http://alchemypress.blogspot.com/p/pulp-heroes.html
The Alchemy Press is seeking submissions for THE ALCHEMY PRESS BOOK OF PULP HEROES, edited by Mike Chinn. Sports stories, spy stories, aircraft & zeppelin stories, sea & pirate stories,
Westerns, medieval romance, horror, science fiction and fantasy, movies and car racing; there's no limit. Successful contributors will receive a copy of the book and a £10 advance against royalties on publication. We are after original fiction, but reprints will be considered if they are exceptional. Contributions must be in the range of 2,000-6,000 words firm, with full contact details on the front page. Deadline May 30, 2012.
April 16, 2012
Are You Being Too Nice?
When I am starting a new story, I ask myself: who is the most likable character in this book? Then I kill him.
Okay, not always. But we all know that some of the most interesting stories come from writers who are downright nasty to their readers. They don't give a shit what you want. Take George R. R. Martin for example. Plot spoiler: everybody dies. Of course, this makes it all the more rewarding when he does do something nice, and say whacks one of the bad guys on the john with his pants down. That's kind of the point, I think. In life, we all know shit goes our way maybe half the time, but some things are largely dependent on effort, while others are 9/10ths luck. As writers, we need to strike a similar balance. If we give too little, then the reader gets mad. If we give too much, the reader gets bored. What I like is to strike a nice tension between expectation and delivery, or pleasure and pain, if you will.
Know your audience. Know your genre. But don't be afraid to change it up. Writers should never be too nice to the reader, or they risk loosing the sense of anticipation that comes from diving into a new story, and meeting new characters, and experiencing their individual failures and successes. By being too nice, writers risk not having much of a story to actually tell.
Five ways a writer can be "too nice" to their readers
1. Yummy! A plot cookie! On a plate! On the table!
If you have ever roleplayed (showing my geek roots here), then you know the type: the storyteller who describes a whole room, but pays very very close attention to one giant tomb constructed of human flesh, amid piles of other books similarly constructed of human flesh. By drawing the players', or in this case the readers', attention to the ONE THING THAT DOES NOT BELONG you can be sure that they get it when the book becomes the center of attention. Problem is, this handholding technique might be fine for a kid's book, but for the majority of the reading public, such obvious plotting backfires. They don't get the fuzzy feeling of treasure hunting among your words, of being a little Sherlock and constructing the clues for themselves. A good writer matches a protagonist's conclusions and timing with that of the readers. That way, the reader doesn't think the main character is stupid, nor do they think you stuck a DRINK ME sign on the side of the bottle.
2. It's not you, it's me
Maybe your character is too likable. Maybe because he's such a swell guy, you really want him to succeed. But there's not much story to be had in a charmed life. Many amateur writers are way too nice to their characters. I don't know why this is. I've also seen it's opposite, usually in the form of the teen male writer who graphically depicts every stabbing, beheading, and bleeding gunshot wound. In either case, the issue is that the writer has put too much of themselves into the character's success. It may not be a case of the Mary Sues, but being too attached to the imaginary can prevent you from telling the real story. remember that your reader may want your character to win, but winning is not where the tension is.
3. Death becomes her
Some characters seem to walk on stage wearing a red coat. We don't let the reader get to know them because we are bound and determined for them to just play their part and get the fuck out. We do this because we are afraid of hurting our reader's feelings, of letting them expect more out of us as storytellers. But shouldn't they expect more? Remember that every character has a life beyond the story you are telling. You don't want to share the whole thing, but breathing life into each face that makes an appearance, whether they are destined for greatness or to be dismembered in auto accident five minutes into the story, this is what makes a story feel complete.
4. But the genre told me to
In any genre, expectations abound. Devoted readers ask, and it is your job to deliver. You're about as predictable as a pregnant woman eating pickles and ice cream. You've got your genre down to a mathematical science. Whatever the greats have done, you do as well. It worked for them, right? Actually, you just slid down the slope of uniqueness into a pile of poo that is your prescribed and generous conclusion. It's what they wanted, right? And you want them to like you. Cuz that's how you make sales, right?
5. And they all lived happily ever after...
My roommate writes romance. In her genre, it's damn well expected that every character come away with their heart's desire, as well as their true love, the house, the car, and a fine slice of pie. Sometimes there are weddings. And babies. All the shit that makes the romance reader's heart go all flippy with emotion. Because that's the point. But say you're not writing romance. This is the opposite of #4, in a way. Regardless of genre, you are delivering a neat little package that makes the world all sacchrine sweet for all your darling characters when most genres don't work like that. Real life doesn't work like that.
Writers thrive on their readers' expectations and distrust. Readers want surprises, but not so much that they have no clue where shit is coming from. It comes down to finding a balance between want and do-not-want, or getting your reader to cry and jump gleefully along with the protagonist. You can't do that if you aren't moved. Moving the reader to experience the story and not just move their eyes along the page is the fundamental goal of every writer, no matter the genre.
Okay, not always. But we all know that some of the most interesting stories come from writers who are downright nasty to their readers. They don't give a shit what you want. Take George R. R. Martin for example. Plot spoiler: everybody dies. Of course, this makes it all the more rewarding when he does do something nice, and say whacks one of the bad guys on the john with his pants down. That's kind of the point, I think. In life, we all know shit goes our way maybe half the time, but some things are largely dependent on effort, while others are 9/10ths luck. As writers, we need to strike a similar balance. If we give too little, then the reader gets mad. If we give too much, the reader gets bored. What I like is to strike a nice tension between expectation and delivery, or pleasure and pain, if you will.
Know your audience. Know your genre. But don't be afraid to change it up. Writers should never be too nice to the reader, or they risk loosing the sense of anticipation that comes from diving into a new story, and meeting new characters, and experiencing their individual failures and successes. By being too nice, writers risk not having much of a story to actually tell.
Five ways a writer can be "too nice" to their readers
1. Yummy! A plot cookie! On a plate! On the table!
If you have ever roleplayed (showing my geek roots here), then you know the type: the storyteller who describes a whole room, but pays very very close attention to one giant tomb constructed of human flesh, amid piles of other books similarly constructed of human flesh. By drawing the players', or in this case the readers', attention to the ONE THING THAT DOES NOT BELONG you can be sure that they get it when the book becomes the center of attention. Problem is, this handholding technique might be fine for a kid's book, but for the majority of the reading public, such obvious plotting backfires. They don't get the fuzzy feeling of treasure hunting among your words, of being a little Sherlock and constructing the clues for themselves. A good writer matches a protagonist's conclusions and timing with that of the readers. That way, the reader doesn't think the main character is stupid, nor do they think you stuck a DRINK ME sign on the side of the bottle.
2. It's not you, it's me
Maybe your character is too likable. Maybe because he's such a swell guy, you really want him to succeed. But there's not much story to be had in a charmed life. Many amateur writers are way too nice to their characters. I don't know why this is. I've also seen it's opposite, usually in the form of the teen male writer who graphically depicts every stabbing, beheading, and bleeding gunshot wound. In either case, the issue is that the writer has put too much of themselves into the character's success. It may not be a case of the Mary Sues, but being too attached to the imaginary can prevent you from telling the real story. remember that your reader may want your character to win, but winning is not where the tension is.
3. Death becomes her
Some characters seem to walk on stage wearing a red coat. We don't let the reader get to know them because we are bound and determined for them to just play their part and get the fuck out. We do this because we are afraid of hurting our reader's feelings, of letting them expect more out of us as storytellers. But shouldn't they expect more? Remember that every character has a life beyond the story you are telling. You don't want to share the whole thing, but breathing life into each face that makes an appearance, whether they are destined for greatness or to be dismembered in auto accident five minutes into the story, this is what makes a story feel complete.
4. But the genre told me to
In any genre, expectations abound. Devoted readers ask, and it is your job to deliver. You're about as predictable as a pregnant woman eating pickles and ice cream. You've got your genre down to a mathematical science. Whatever the greats have done, you do as well. It worked for them, right? Actually, you just slid down the slope of uniqueness into a pile of poo that is your prescribed and generous conclusion. It's what they wanted, right? And you want them to like you. Cuz that's how you make sales, right?
5. And they all lived happily ever after...
My roommate writes romance. In her genre, it's damn well expected that every character come away with their heart's desire, as well as their true love, the house, the car, and a fine slice of pie. Sometimes there are weddings. And babies. All the shit that makes the romance reader's heart go all flippy with emotion. Because that's the point. But say you're not writing romance. This is the opposite of #4, in a way. Regardless of genre, you are delivering a neat little package that makes the world all sacchrine sweet for all your darling characters when most genres don't work like that. Real life doesn't work like that.
Writers thrive on their readers' expectations and distrust. Readers want surprises, but not so much that they have no clue where shit is coming from. It comes down to finding a balance between want and do-not-want, or getting your reader to cry and jump gleefully along with the protagonist. You can't do that if you aren't moved. Moving the reader to experience the story and not just move their eyes along the page is the fundamental goal of every writer, no matter the genre.
