Comments on: Work It, Own It

By: Tiffany Reisz

Tiffany Reisz — Fri, 06 May 2011 02:04:27 +0000

I AM an erotica writer. And a professional one at that. Meaning, people pay me for my smut. Probably much more than they should.

Anywho, yes you’re absolutely correct, Jen. Every sentence in erotica must count. Most books of wall-to-wall smut turn me off. I have to have plot, character, development, tension, suspense to care about the book and to enjoy the sex. Sex scenes are like car chase scenes. They’re only interesting if you know what the situation is and who’s involved. Otherwise you’re just watching NASCAR. yawn

Poor thing. I never read the graphic bits of my work at my writers’ group. Not out of shame. I’m just a tease. 😉

Tiffany Reisz!

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 06 May 2011 01:46:44 +0000

In reply to Amber. Hi Amber! Thank you so much! I'm so glad we bumped into each other on #myWANA. Looking forward to hanging out and getting to know you.

By: Amber

Amber — Fri, 06 May 2011 01:38:20 +0000

Found you through #myWANA and so glad I did! Looking forward to more of your posts. (And I thoroughly enjoyed your photo captions)

By: Christina Fifield-Winn

Christina Fifield-Winn — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 02:31:43 +0000

Excellent story…have been part of a few awkward moments in a writers group as well. What a great observation and lesson for all involved in this craft. As a matter of fact, I’d better get right back to editing…

By: Jen Kirchner

Jen Kirchner — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:14:50 +0000

Thanks for the comment love, everyone! I really appreciate the positive feedback — as well as finding out about the “dodo”!

By: Selene Coulter

Selene Coulter — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:43:31 +0000

Hilarious!

And kudos to the lady for at least making an attempt. I’ve written about 10 pieces of erotica and must say I would know before I came to any group that reading out loud isn’t an option (for me).

I could be the world’s greatest writer in 30 years, with the steamiest, tightest (oo-er, missus) most plot driven erotica ever, and I am fairly certain I wouldn’t be able to read a word without becoming a tomato.

Still, great message there. I love some bits of my stories. It is usually the ones my betas say I need to cut.

By: isabelle gregson

isabelle gregson — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:53:01 +0000

Really enjoyed that! First of all “dodo” is French for sleep… hence the image google spat out. Hope that clears up the confusion. Second, you’re absolutely right about self-indulgence. There is no room for it in art (including acting) – as an audience we can spot it from a mile away and it makes us turn off. Genius comes from transcending self-indulgence and taking things to the next level. But it’s so very hard to do. The good news is, I think your writer has learned a good lesson that will stand her in good stead.

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:42:38 +0000

Thanks, Mark! It was pretty funny to sit through.

Reading your stuff out loud is a really weird thing. When I first started doing it, I was nervous about it, too. I read way too fast, trying to get it over with as soon as humanly possible.

Now, what looks fine on paper suddenly WON’T be if I have to think about reading it out loud. I work twice as hard on those, am twice as critical, but produce work that’s twice as good. Weird. Fear of bad comments is a good motivator, I guess!

By: Mark Lidstone

Mark Lidstone — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:48:36 +0000

This post made me laugh out loud. I could just imagine the tension in the room. Wonderful. I still struggle with reading my work out loud. I’m always worried that I won’t read it right and that tense, scary scene won’t have the same impact that it would if you read it to yourself. Something I really want to improve on.

By: Sara

Sara — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:43:41 +0000

Hahaha, that’s a wonderful story! I’m the kind of nutjob who would happily read erotica at a church writing group. 😉 I once read some pretty gratuitous horror at a workshop filled with primarily science fiction/fantasy authors, and it went over in a similar fashion. I think I shocked everyone.

You’re right about avoiding indulgences, however tempting it may be. I try to keep my perforated intestines (or throbbing members?) where they belong.

Sara
http://smreine.com/