You Did What? By Lucy Felthouse
You Did What?! By Lucy Felthouse
I love being a writer, and most of the paraphernalia that goes with it. OK, readings are pretty nerve-wracking, but it’s all part of the process and I must learn to embrace them! But one of the most annoying and yet amusing things about being a writer — especially an erotic writer — is people’s misconceptions.
This doesn’t apply to everyone, of course. Most people are cool with what I do; they accept it and move on. But some people don’t get it. They think that because I’ve written stories about…
- Doing the horizontal tango on an army base
- Having sex in a university classroom
- Having a threesome with a husband and wife
- Getting sand in naughty places on the beach
…that I must have done all those things. I’ve also written stories about giving head to a vampire, werewolves in human form having sex and a succubus and an incubus getting it on. Do these people think this stuff is true, too? Of course not!
It totally irks me that people think erotica and erotic romance writers are these promiscuous, sex mad people. We’re not. OK, some may be, but that’s their choice. And even if they are, why does it matter? As long as nobody’s getting hurt, I wholeheartedly believe in each to their own!
However, it’s totally unfair to make preconceptions about writers based on what happens to flow from our imaginations and onto the page. Generally speaking, people like to read what we’ve written (sex sells, baby!) and that’s why erotic writers exist. If nobody was buying it, we’d have to think of something else to write about, or do. So honestly, who cares what, where, when, why and how we get our ideas? Let’s just hope they keep coming and make the already strong erotica and romance markets continue to grow! Who’s with me!?
During Lucy’s first year studying Creative Writing at the University of Derby, she was dared to write an erotic story. It went down a storm and she’s never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance and Xcite Books. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. She’s also on Facebook and Twitter.
Posted on April 15, 2011, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. 21 Comments.
Mahalia Levey 
You are such a delight. I think I have a succubus in me too. I mean how else do I write situations that no normal human could endure 🙂 Or I’m superwman. I think I’d rather have a sexy succ in me! Great blog and thank you for coming to my site!
Thank you so much for having me, Mahalia! I enjoyed my little rant, and hope others will too 🙂
LOL, Lucy! Sorry that you have to deal with such misperceptions! For some reason, people seem to assume that romance writers must have personal experience with what they write, but don’t ask mystery/thriller writers where they stashed the bodies… *sigh* Keep on writing!! I, for one, will keep on reading!
Oh don’t worry, I will definitely keep writing! 🙂
The upside of this is when someone you’ve not seen for a while finds out you’re an erotica writer and the look on their face is delightful! I get that rather alot, apparently I don’t look smutty. :p
It is a little irksome that folks assume all I write about I’ve done. Some of it, like yours, would be completely impossible. Might be fun trying it though. 😉
Heh. Well I’ll find out next week, believe it or not I am going to meet one of my high school teachers! Wonder how she’ll react when I break the news?! 😉
LOL! I would to Victoria. My biggest pet peeve is the mael persuasion. Hell Chyeah…you write porn. Uh *slugs* No I don’t write porn. Grrrrrr.
Hi Hales & Lucy,
Lucy up until the first of the year I was one of those dumb readers who actually thought authors who write Erotic did this from experience. Sorry for the misconception. It wasn’t till I got to know great writers like Hales, Jennifer, Sarah, Tina, Rie, Robin, Drea, and Fiona, Avril, Michael. Hales I feel like I’m missing someone.
That showed me the way. I did forget someone Renee Vincent.
Anyway, your right the general concensus from people is if you write erotic, your erotic. But because of the chats and blogs. I’m the one educating people now. You keep writing those wonderful works of art. I will keep reading and buying.
Nice blog post.
Teresa K.
tcwgrlup41(at)yahoo.com
Hey T!
Yeah, some people might have dipped into more sexual experiances than others but I find the majority just write unless they’re totally private and are entitled of course to not outing themseleves 🙂
Yay! We appreciate you buying!
Thanks Teresa – glad you’re on the right track now 😉 All is forgiven.
Gottta love those “so where do you get your ideas” questions. What can we say, we have vivid imaginations!
Of course we have, otherwise we’d struggle to write much, wouldn’t we?! 🙂
Loved your post, Lucy! This is definitely one of my pet peeves. As far as I know, no one thinks Thomas Harris is a cannibal just because he wrote Silence of the Lambs. But let there be sex, and wow, we must have ‘done’ all our research personally. Grrr!
Still, the fab news is our great imaginations. It truly IS amazing what we can do in our naughty little minds:)
K D
I LOVE that example… I might use that next time someone asks me. That’ll get a reaction, all right 🙂
I am so with you on this- just because I write this stuff, doesn’t mean I do this stuff!! Although, saying you don’t can sometimes be a double edged sword. The look of disappointment on a reader’s face when I told them that i didn’t even own a whip was so heart felt, that for a second I feltlike saying ‘Hey, I’m joking- i’m always cracking the whip’- I didn’t though- I just kept pushing my trolley around Tesco!!
As I’ve said hundreds of times- murder writers don’t shoot people- so why should a BSDM writer tie folk up and torture them?
Great post Lucy- as always xx
Perhaps we should play the mystery card in future when people ask. Maybe just grin knowingly, or say ‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’
That’ll give em something to talk about. And why on earth were you talking smut in Tesco?!
I asked Toni Blake once what it was like to be a published erotica writer. She said, “First, people will think you do everything you write about.” I replied, “I do so that’s fine.”
I’d rather people think I was a kinky freak having crazy sex all the time than thinking I was a boring old celibate. Best advice I ever reading about writing sex? “People will think it’s based on your life–so make it good.”
Thanks, Lucy! Hugs!
Tiffany Reisz
Heh, fab way of looking at it, Ms Reisz! To be honest, people can think what they want… I know the truth and that’s all that matters! 🙂
LOL Ladies some great comments thanks for coming!
I’m totally with you, Lucy! Some people seem to think that reading my stories is equivalent to taking a peek into my bedroom! LOL Nevermind that my husband isn’t a bank robber, or a vampire, or a cowboy, a prince or any of the many characters I’ve written…they are convinced that the accounts are deeply personal!
Glad to hear I’m not alone 🙂