The Leap from Poetry to Erotica: Interview with E.R. King
E.R. King is best known for her emotional poetry. I had the chance to work with her on the erotica anthology Secrets. She wrote a very sexy story for that collection. It includes bdsm, complete with bondage and impact play.
To read that story and the other sexy stories in the anthology check out the links below!
The book launches tomorrow!
And without further fanfare, my interview with poet E.R. King
Hello E.R. King, thanks for taking the time to talk with me. Can you introduce yourself to my readers and tell us a little about your work?
Hello! My name is Emily Rose King. I am best known for my short poetry, quotes and prose, but I am slowly expanding and challenging myself and seeing where that is taking me.
When did you start writing poetry? What do you love about the genre?
For as long as I can remember I have written little quotes about my experiences in a particular moment instead of journaling. It’s probably my theatre background, but I love the idea of sharing what someone is deeply feeling or thinking but are too afraid or angry to share the words out loud. I’m a sucker for a good monologue or first person narration which we don’t see much of in modern entertainment.
Who are some of your favorite poets?
R.H. Sin, Peppernell and Wilder are some of my modern favourites, as for classic poetry I’m a fan of Poe, Robert Frost and Christina Rossetti.
I’ve read some of your poetry collection Broken and Wild. Many of the poems seem to deal with break-up and betrayal. What draws you to feature this theme so prominently? Are there any other themes you like to explore via poetry?
“Broken hearts are the easiest thing to write about. And the hardest thing to experience.” – Broken, E.R. King
I think it’s because it’s something everyone can relate to; A breakup doesn’t have to be the end of a romantic relationship, it can be a dissolving friendship, cutting ties with family members or the ending of a phase in our lives. We’ve all been there. Finding a connection with my readers through my words is amazing. I’ve written things from a specific personal experience and have someone tell me they relate to it in a completely different way. I like that my writing is fluid like that.
My goal for my next collection is to focus less on heartbreak and maybe divulge into more sensual themes of writing. Something I do, which may be odd, is I subconsciously put myself into the roles of characters in movies and tv shows as I watch them and I wonder what they’d actually like to say in the situations they find themselves in. Going back to that idea of unspoken feelings, I am constantly making notes and jotting ideas as I watch that I could write about later.
How do you know when a poem is finished?
My writing process is messy. It always starts as a thought, a sentence or two, then I work it out, expanding and making it something that can briefly tell a story and still have an impact. I go through a lot of ideas and some of them get scrapped but in the end I love what I am left with.
It looks like your poetry book was published fairly recently. What was the self-publishing experience like for you?
Nerve-racking! I haven’t done anything like that before, I was so nervous to share my words with the world and almost bailed out more than a few times.
I heavily relied on this amazing community of writers that I have surrounded myself with to pick up tips of the trade and brainstorm ideas off of. I really enjoyed the hands-on approach and satisfaction it gave me to put so much work into the work I already had done. I loved the finished product though and would do it all over again.
You have a story coming out in a soon-to-be-released anthology. What can you tell us about that?
I am so excited for readers to get their hands on this erotic anthology – I was asked (I say asked, but to be honest I was truly coerced) into joining this project and now that it’s almost here I can’t believe it myself. Seven authors collabed with their own erotic stories and unique styles of writing to create something truly amazing.
I went out of my comfort zone and wrote a short story instead of my usual poetry and even decided to up the ante by writing from a gender perspective that is different from my own. I figured if I was going to go all in I may as well take the plunge! I hope my readers and any new ones love what I’ve done.
Do you plan to write more erotica or romance in the future?
After my participation in the anthology I will definitely consider it! I had a complete blast coming up with my story but it took a lot out of me in terms of keeping up with the momentum. I’m used to writing a few sentences that will make a reader pause and reflect and now I have to focus on keeping the pace over a few pages. It’s a challenge but definitely one I am up for.
Any plans in the works for future poetry books?
Absolutely! I have two potential collections in progress, one of which I am hoping to release in 2022.
What is your favorite platform to use to connect with readers and other writers?
I mainly use Instagram and Facebook to connect with my readers, but am looking into other forms of social media to stay more up to date.
www.facebook.com/erkingpoetry
www.instgram.com/erkingpoetry
Lastly, do you have any hobbies or interests aside from writing?
I read a lot, which I think is a character trait of any author. I spend a lot of time outdoors and let nature inspire me. I love learning new things and have an addiction to podcasts that explain the history of objects or themes. Since I tend to involuntarily put myself into character mindset/ situations, anytime I can get into more fiction I embrace it almost as a way to “escape” from my author way of thinking.
Connect with E.R. King to keep up with all of her projects,
And for a chance to win a copy of E.R. King’s poetry book Broken and Wild, be sure to attend the launch part for Secrets.
Join the discord by checking out the socials of our fearless leader Emily Hurricane.
