me and my big ... pen
Sep. 4th, 2009 11:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
crazyjaneSo, erm, I kinda outed myself as a slash writer in class last week.
We were having a discussion about writing romance and erotica, and watched an old episode of 'The First Tuesday Book Club'. In that show, there was a general agreement that erotica had become far more conservative in recent years. Try getting Lolita published these days, and see how far it gets you, for example.
Now, I do agree with this to an extent, but I piped up in the discussion afterwards with a few caveats. Firstly, you still find the taboo-breaking, boundary-pushing stuff on the shelves at the bookshop - but it's usually in the Crime, Science Fiction or Fantasy area (and I include that cringingly awful genre, 'Supernatural Romance' here, argh). Secondly, the world of self-publishing - especially fanfic - pays no attention whatsoever to the conservative leanings of the big houses or any perceived market aversion to such literature.
That, of course, led to 'FanFic 101 - a nOOb's Guide'. Slash, Wincest, non-con, the lot. And that led to me explaining that I knew about this stuff because I both write and read it.
At which point the teacher gave me a sunny smile and told me that it would be just peachy if I could bring in an example of my writing in that genre for next week's class. Specifically, I should bring in some taboo-breaking stuff, like that 'incest fiction' I mentioned. The whole class can then have a look at it.
Oh. My. God.
So here I am ... an hour until class, several pages of Wincest in my bag beside me, getting ready to die of embarrassment. I may well leave the room while they read it. (It's different when it's online - no one can see me blushing.)
Still ... once more unto the breach, as they say ... or perhaps not. My time in17catherine's Shakespeare group has left me acutely sensitive to double entendre and innuendo.
Argh.
We were having a discussion about writing romance and erotica, and watched an old episode of 'The First Tuesday Book Club'. In that show, there was a general agreement that erotica had become far more conservative in recent years. Try getting Lolita published these days, and see how far it gets you, for example.
Now, I do agree with this to an extent, but I piped up in the discussion afterwards with a few caveats. Firstly, you still find the taboo-breaking, boundary-pushing stuff on the shelves at the bookshop - but it's usually in the Crime, Science Fiction or Fantasy area (and I include that cringingly awful genre, 'Supernatural Romance' here, argh). Secondly, the world of self-publishing - especially fanfic - pays no attention whatsoever to the conservative leanings of the big houses or any perceived market aversion to such literature.
That, of course, led to 'FanFic 101 - a nOOb's Guide'. Slash, Wincest, non-con, the lot. And that led to me explaining that I knew about this stuff because I both write and read it.
At which point the teacher gave me a sunny smile and told me that it would be just peachy if I could bring in an example of my writing in that genre for next week's class. Specifically, I should bring in some taboo-breaking stuff, like that 'incest fiction' I mentioned. The whole class can then have a look at it.
Oh. My. God.
So here I am ... an hour until class, several pages of Wincest in my bag beside me, getting ready to die of embarrassment. I may well leave the room while they read it. (It's different when it's online - no one can see me blushing.)
Still ... once more unto the breach, as they say ... or perhaps not. My time in
17catherine's Shakespeare group has left me acutely sensitive to double entendre and innuendo.Argh.
