Okay Folks, I’m done with all the posts for my Voice:The Magic Behind The Words workshop, and today is the final day Q&A. If you have any questions about this workshop, about me, my stories, my process, or my opinions then feel free to ask.
As promised, I’m also announcing the prize winners from this weeks giveaways.
If you see your name below, please email me using the CONTACT button on my website by the end of the weekend to claim your prize.
Don’t forget, if you haven’t read it yet, MEANDROS is a free download. Just CLICK HERE for the PDF.
Lisa T, you’ve won a copy of a copy of Blood Secrets and Dark Lies by Vivi Anna.
Kaige, you’ve won a free download of Delilah Devlin’s newest release from EC. Sin’s Gift.
Laurie Kap, you’ve won a copy of WICKED and a copy of SEXY DEVIL from me.
And as a final part of my LEFT BEHIND AND LOVING IT workshop, I’ve got some bonus goodies for three more people. If you want an envelope of promo swag, and a couple of free books. (from various authors) please use the CONTACT button on the website and send me your snail mail address. The First Three people to email me and ask for the LB&LI goody Pack will get them.
Sasha –
Your voice is amazing and I owe my CP big for sending me the blog you did on erotic book publishing because this has been awesome.
My question is in the erotic market (since I’m not published yet) is sex expected in the first chapter
I’ve introduced my characters with set up, but sex doesn’t start until Chap 2. Is this OK or do I need to catch them right off the bat?
I’m sure I have more ??? but let’s start with this. π
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for the compliment. I’m just going to step up on my soapbox for a moment to answer your questions.
*Steps up on box and gets serious*
That misconception is one of my biggest pet peeves. What makes a book erotica or even erotic romance is not how quick you get to the sex. Nor is it how many sex scenes there are in the story, or how kinky they are. In fact, that is one of the exact things I’ve been trying to tell you to ignore. Write YOUR story, YOUR way. Don’t listen to what anyone tells you is a “rule” because the only rule for an author should be “write the best story you can and be true to your characters”. The rest are just people’s opinions and generalities.
There are plenty of mainstream romances out there that are not classified as erotica or erotic romance where the sex is equally as hot or kinky as in an erotic fiction book. What separates them? The tone of the story, the way the sex is so integral to the story, and the character.
If your characters aren’t having sex until page 100, that’s fine. (Although I do hope there is tension. ) My advice …stay true to them, and don’t worry about what others say you need to do.
I was about to say.“ΒYou said you’re reading WICKED, they don’t have sex in Wicked until page 35 or something”…but then I remembered the prologue. Some people might consider that a sex scene, but to me iti isn’t. The prologue was to set up who Karl was, and show that he’s basically living every man’s dream, yet feeling unsatisfied.
In TROUBLE, the first sex scene is on page 21, which is actually Chapter 4. In BOUND the sex happens in the first scene, first chapter. Sexy Devil, there’s a heated prologue similar to WICKED’s but the sex again doesn’t happen until page 30. The second story in Sexy Devil is DEVIL’s JEWEL, and the sex doesn’t happen in that one for a long time. In fact, it’s even been mentioned in a review or two that there was only 2 or 3 sex scenes in the whole story…but I still think of it as erotic because of the tension. (And my editor did NOT tell me to add more sex, so he must’ve thought so too.)
I could go on and list where the sex starts in many of my books. However, it really doesn’t matter where the sex starts in MY stories. You need to put it where it’s right for YOUR story.
*stepping off soapbox*
I hope that helps. As you can see, I tend to be passionate in my own opinions as well. :blush:
Thanks for such a great workshop, Sasha. I don’t have any questions, just a lot to think about and an urge to go practice, practice, practice! I sent you an email too.
Hi Kaige. Thanks for coming out and taking part. I’m glad to hear this workshop has given you lots to think about. Good Luck!
For those of you interested speciificallyi n erotica and erotic romance, you can check out this article on my EXTRAS page.
What’s the difference between Erotica and Erotic Romance?
I wrote it a couple of years ago, and it’s not really about the market, but it might help clarify a thing or two for you about erotic fiction.
I like that about you (soapbox and all) and I actually need a kick in the a$$ once in a while. Okay a lot…
You are so right (which you already knew) π it was a comment to me about the ms I’m working on now (well re-working on). There is tension, so that I’m not worried about. I believe it’s because my novella starts off with a bang and they were expecting the same thing out of this book. Since as I said yesterday this ms started in my head as erotic and by too much re-reading and EFF editing the story got lost and I walked away from it. Looking at it again I know exactly where to go (and the characters are very happy about that since now they are chatterboxes it seems). So I am keeping true to them – once again
:inlove:
I have already read your article (which was a huge help) I think I need to pass it on to those that are working with me since they believe the genre is sex for sex sake and nothing else – which is fine it’s just not what I prefer to write.
Yes – Wicked is what I am reading currently – and I didn’t see the prologue as a sex scene, but exactly as you wrote it – a set up.
OKay – note to self stop thinking (and listening) and start writing!!!
Thanks :jump:
Laurie
Thanks so much for these workshops Sasha, they’ve been really helpful and thought-provoking. I hope you’ll do more in the future. π
congrats winners
Great workshop, Sasha!
All of these workshops are at JUST the right time for me… I got into a discussion of what books stay with me as a reader versus what I love to write, and thought how those are different, and don’t I just wish I could write the books that stay with me! But… the writer in me doesn’t have stories like that. She has the ones that grab me and beg to be written. I started to doubt myself – I may try to write the other kind of book (completely different genre and style!) just because why the heck not? but I’m not setting myself up for failure by saying “if the books I’m writing aren’t the type of books that stick with me, why am I writing them?” because that’s nonsense. I read the kinds of books I like because I enjoy them and they resonate with me in a DIFFERENT way, perhaps not as meaningful, but just as compelling. I needed a reminder to trust myself.
Jess, It sounds like you’ve gotten the right message. If you write the one you want to write, and the magic is there, it’ll be one that stays with people. Different books, types and styles, stay with different people for different reasons.