5. Are you ever going to do some proper writing?

Now this one IS offensive. I personally don’t see why erotica is looked down upon by people. Even if they do not approve of the subject matter, which is their prerogative, it doesn’t give them the right to dismiss the genre as not being ‘real’ writing.

I, for one, am not a huge fan of science fiction. But that doesn’t mean I think it’s a ‘crap’ genre, or somehow beneath others. It just means that it’s not to my personal taste.

Erotica writers don’t “have it easy.” We face the same challenges that those specialising in other genres do. There are various reasons why writers choose to produce work in certain genres, and some even writer across a variety of genres. It certainly isn’t because we’re less talented writers! Far from it, in fact. Many of my favourite books are erotic ones, and I read them because I genuinely want to, not just because it’s my “thing.”

My personal reason for writing erotica is that I’ve found it much easier to get my work in front of an appreciative audience. For me, writing is most enjoyable when you know people are reading and liking your work. And it would appear that they’re liking my smutty stories. Therefore, I’m going to carry on writing them, regardless of whether narrow-minded people think they’re “proper” or not.

So there you have it. Five impossibly annoying questions, complete with answers. I’d love to hear what you think of them, whether you’re a reader, writer, or both – regardless of genre!

4. Do you get turned on writing your stories?

Writing, contrary to the beliefs of certain people, is a job. A fun and exciting one, but nevertheless, a job. Which means it’s something that a person takes seriously and does to the best of their ability.

Now, if someone was writing a crime novel, do you suppose they cringe or shed a tear every time someone dies? Of course not. They’re too busy ensuring that they’re maintaining the pace, keeping the characters and situations interesting and constructing something people WANT to read. Then they’ve got to go through and correct typos, grammar, tweak dialogue and remove or change unnecessary or weak words.

It’s no different for an erotic writer. We want to get our characters from A to B using the most high-impact words we can. So engrossed are we in checking for inconsistencies, repetitions and dull descriptions that we don’t have chance to become ‘involved’ in the text the same way we would if we were simply reading something. It’s a constant amending and polishing process until the story is complete. And in my opinion, by then, the writer is so familiar with it that they can’t possibly derive any enjoyment from it. After all, they know exactly what’s going to happen, and why, where and when. Talk about a spoiler!

3. Are your characters real people?

This is always a fun one to answer. Not least because some people are always going to think you’re writing about them. And as much as I advocate fantasies, I can’t agree with this one. Many people aren’t interesting enough to write about, myself included. Maybe you’ll take bits and pieces from various people – their personality quirks, their looks, job, or whatever, but it’s unlikely that a person will be literally taken as they are and written into a story or book. This goes for vanilla writing as well as erotica.

Of course there will be exceptions to the rule. Perhaps the supermarket delivery guy is a sex god. But unless you have in fact slept with him, how do you know how he kisses, what he looks like naked or if he’s any good in the sack? There’s always going to be an element of fiction. After all, why write about a one-night stand who was totally hot, but had a tiny dick and no idea what to do with it? Not going to happen. You’d make him into a stud with an impressive cock, wouldn’t you?
So in short, no. None of my characters are real. They may bear similarities to real people, but since everyone has their good and bad points, it’s the fun part of fiction to embellish and delete as appropriate. Hence the term fiction.

2. Are your stories based on experience?

I guess this is a varied version of question 1, but altogether more insulting. Luckily I’m not easily offended and therefore the question merely makes me laugh and/or roll my eyes. You see, I’ve written a lot of stories. Nowhere near as many as my writer buddies Portia Da Costa, Janine Ashbless and Saskia Walker, but still – a fair few.
Now, realistically speaking, how would I possibly have the time to do all these things I write about? If I had in fact done the deed on an army base; tackled not one, but two hunky builders at once and had a sex change in order to have sex with my female teacher, do you think I’d have the time to write about it all? No, I didn’t think so.

So, in answer to the question, no they’re not. It may be that I like a man in uniform and so develop a story around a character I created, but that’s as far as it goes. It’s all fantasy, whether it be my fantasies or those of other people. As long as people are enjoying reading my stories, who cares where the ideas come from?

1. Where do you get your ideas from?

I often wonder if this is just a polite version of ‘So, have you really shagged on an army base then?’ But let’s imagine it’s not. This question is actually quite difficult to answer. Personally, I get my ideas from a multitude of places; conversations with friends, an attractive film star, books… the list is endless. It often only takes the tiniest idea for me to turn it into a story. For example, in Fantasy Assignment, a short story published in Xcite Books’ Seriously Sexy3, the main character has sex with an army guy in a truck on his base. That idea stemmed from me liking men in uniform, and also knowing that it’s a common female fantasy. All I need is a little seed of an idea, and a story will grow.

5 Questions NOT To Ask An Erotic Writer

Having written erotica for six years now, I’ve come across a variety of reactions to this piece of information. Some are only a little surprised and fascinated to know more. Others find it amusing at first, then move on. Still more giggle like schoolchildren, adopt an expression of wide-eyed wonder and secretly think I must be some kind of sex-obsessed tart. Along the way, many people have asked questions. I’ve also talked to lots of other erotic writers who have been subjected to similar lines of questioning. So I’ve decided to sum them up to serve as a warning to non-writers and to give fellow writers a good laugh. Enjoy.

In the next few posts I'll be answering the following questions:

1. Where do you get your ideas from?
2. Are your stories based on experience?
3. Are your characters real people?
4. Do you get turned on writing your stories?
5. Are you ever going to do some proper writing?

Product Review: Nad's for Women Hair Removal Strips

Hair removal is the bane of my life. If I could afford it, I would have electrolysis on my legs, eyebrows and bikini line. However, I can't and so I'm left trying to find the best solution. And I do believe this is it.

If, like me, you haven't got the time to keep going to salons and you don't particularly like the idea of a stranger fiddling near your bits, then Nad's is the answer. They do an entire range of hair removal products, for men as well as women, and here are my thoughts on a couple of them (I have samples of more, so write ups of those to follow).

Nad's For Women Hair Removal Strips come in two types - ones for your body and ones for your face (which are also suitable for your bikini line and more delicate areas, dependent on how brave you are!). They're made from natural ingredients so are unlikely to give you any rashes, and used properly they'll remove hair from the root, leaving your skin completely smooth. This means your hairs will be slower to grow back and they'll also be thinner and less coarse.

The strips are coated with wax, and the idea is you rub a strip between your hands to warm up the wax, peel the strips apart and apply to the relevant part of your body (read the instructions thoroughly on how to do it properly), smooth down firmly, then rip the strip off. It's not too painful if you're used to it, and it's probably best to start on your calves then work to the slightly more painful bits - mine tend to be knees and ankles! Then when it's no longer effective (i.e. not removing any more hairs) use the other strip. I found a much quicker and more effective way than rubbing the strips between your hands - blast them with your hairdryer, you'll get the job done much quicker.

The usage is the same on both sizes of strips, and I found the smaller ones OK to use on the more 'delicate' parts of the body, it just depends how brave you're feeling! The pack also contains wipes which remove all of the excess wax, meaning you won't stick to anything! Always a bonus! ;)

Overall, I'd recommend both of these products. They're quick, easy, not too messy and do the job. They're not expensive either. I've also just discovered that as well as being available in your typical health and beauty stores, you can get them from Amazon:

Body strips: Order from Amazon.co.uk
Facial strips: Order from Amazon.co.uk