Writing blue (DOG EAR)
Writing blue (DOG EAR)
t all started years back with this dynamic woman I used to share weekly lunches with. I was moaning about an inability to place work (as opposed to my successful current self, who is unable to place work). She looked across the table and asked, quite frankly, “Have you thought about erotica?”
The deal was, she knew a friend who made scratch doing just that. Oh, you won’t get rich (it kept Steve King alive in his early years), but you can make some money at it – if you are a real writer. After all, writing erotica/porn/smut is no less a challenge than writing resumes, office puff pieces, radio spots and obituaries (all of which I have done). The trick is to look at what’s out there, figure out the pacing and rules, and write.
Why should any writer consider this? Well, I’m going through a dry spell – haven’t floated Indigo recently and I am still waiting for a local bookshop to carry Early ReTyrement. Then, out of the blue, a publishing firm I have sold two colelctions of erotica to mentioned a big summer issue, and invited me (and a number of other less-reputable writers) to participate. The money wasn’t great, less than $100, but why not?
And so I crafted something up, posted it over, and got it accepted.
It isn’t the money – it’s the joy that I sold something again, something I put together and crafted and honed and delivered, all on time and target. They’re happy and I’m happy. I get to be a writer again.
So here’s the deal – while I’m going through final editing on this, I’m going to run a couple of Dog Ear pieces about writing erotica – nothing wet and heaving and lacy, but simply some considerations on doing it well in this new information age we live in. And for you Quaker writers who are frowning at me – you really might want to follow this since it’s going to deal with writing suggestions you can use in your own less-edgy works.
Yeah, sneer at me all you want, but I’ve got money in my pocket. 