So I ran across a great post by Sarah Jensen on the blog: If You Give a Girl a Pen. (This is a wonderful blog for writers, girls and guys, if you're not following it I believe there's a link somewhere here.) Anyway, this post was about what a writer does in regards to their mother knowing that they write sex scenes. (Mothers and Writing http://bt.io/BIZl )
As a reader and writer of Supernatural Smut, I have run across this scenario all too often. Besides my late mother, my grandparents, aunts n' uncles, and even my father know about that I write stuff with dirty scenes in them. Now, recently, my son's former first grade teacher knows because I needed her to test read my latest project.
If that is not awkward enough, many of my friends and drinking buddies are blue-collar manly men since I used to be a mechanic.
What do you do?
For the writers: Well, at first when asked what I write, I waffled. I'd say it was "Paranormal Fiction," leaving out all connotations of romance. Not a bad idea at first, but you'll have to come clean some day. After awhile I stopped and wondered why I was behaving as if what I was doing was some sordid secret. Writing romance is my passion and my dream is to make it my livelihood. If that dream is to come true, everyone the Romance writer knows, even the former high-school enemies and the boss you hated, may pick up your book, but isn't it all worth it to see your book on the shelf? Just remember, it was worth it to (insert fave smut author).
For the readers: There are times and places when carrying around a book with half-naked people on the cover is embarrassing. In high-school I was able to conceal the books inside a text-book, especially since I wasn't 'sposed to be reading in class, anyway. Later on, when I was working in the autoshop, I only brought Stephen King (which I love) and other non-girlie books to be seen in the presence of my fellow grease-monkeys. I suppose I could have gone on that way forever, but damn it! There were too many times when I was in the middle of a good book and wanted to continue it on my lunch break. And really, what were they gonna do, make fun of me? I had plenty of ammo to flip them shit with. Also, if they can have their naked lady pics taped to their tool boxes, I can have my pics of kitties...and my smut alongside my wrenches.
Life is too short to be worried about what people think, and the most successful people in the world never give a shit. (Which is why I wonder why people still get hung up on these things)
So, you know what? I still sleep with my baby blanket! Yeah, I said it!
And if anyone gives you shit for reading or writing romance of any kind, you can always rely on statistics: ROMANCE IS THE TOP-SELLING GENRE OF NOVELS!
Now, for all the readers and writers of dirty deeds and half-naked people, what do you think of the veil of shame that hovers over the romance genre, how have you dealt with it? How did you hide it and when did you get sick of skulking and give the world the finger?
Your blog made me laugh. My first published piece won honorable mention for a vampire erotica contest. I was really excited and, of course, shared it with my mom, who is a children's author. A little weird, but okay. Her co-author was in town and has trouble reading, so my mom confessed that she had to read the story aloud to her. Now THAT'S awkward! Co-author's comment? "You're husband's a lucky guy!"
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