I'm a big fan of character-driven fiction. So much so, that I almost never write a plot-driven story. Normally, I create two characters and let them have their way with a very basic story idea rather than starting with a plot outline and moving my characters through...
Finishing large projects can be a problem—especially if you are used to working in the short story or essay format. Writing a novel or a collection of short pieces may seem like a daunting task when you have grown accustom to the faster pace of short stories and...
The very words—writer's block—send a chill down the spines of many authors and conjure up a nightmare of an impotency of creative juices, a loss of artistic prowess, and a vision of looming literary death. Writer's block is commonly used to refer to a period of time...
As a writer, what are you selling? The obvious answer would be "my writing". However, the obvious answer is wrong. As a writer, you are selling fantasy. The stories you sell and the image you present to the public are all part of that fantasy. No matter how...
Dear Amie, Does allowing your work to be published for free result in wide spread exploitation or does it offer positive exposure? Should I always receive payment for my work? Is giving work away for free a good, bad, or ugly idea and why? Confused in Chicago Dear...
Dear Amie, Is erotica a serious pursuit, or is it a testing ground or a place to hone skills and a springboard to other more lucrative genres? Wondering in Montana Dear Wondering, The answer to your question is both yes and no. Let me explain. Literary erotica is a...
Dear Kind Reader, I implore you to humor me while you make your way through this humble edition of "Two Girls Kissing." Recent events have compelled me to take pen to paper (or fingertips to keys as it were) and share with you items of the greatest and utmost...
There are two distinct sets of legal issues that erotica writers need to be familiar with when they are publishing their work. The first set, "Can I Write That?", deals with issues of content and the second set, "Should I Sign That?", deals with contract issues. For...
What is Point Of View? Point of view (POV) is the vantage point or perspective from which the narrative events and, in some instances, the feelings and motives of the character(s) are passed from the author via the narrator (most commonly, either an unnamed narrator...
With spring's arrival, I want to turn your attention to the upcoming two national LGBTQ writing conferences and a retreat that will soon be taking place. Before I provide you with a brief break down of each conference, I want to stress how incredibly important...