Has this ever happened to you?

Well now, it looks like I've hit a first - my mind went blank while working on an erotic scene! lol I just stuttered and came to a stop.

I took a break, then got back into the story, only to find that I couldn't continue.

Has this happened to you? As erotic romance writers, the *erotic* scene is one of your most important parts of the story.

Man, it's one thing to have writer's block, but erotica block??

After giving it some thought, I realized that there is a limit to the different ways the hero and heroine could intimately engage themselves in. I admit that I"m a straight-up one man, one woman author, but as I see the increase in menage, kink, tasteful taboo, BDSM, unusual toys, etc., I wonder if I'm missing something.

Do I branch out in order to snare more readers? Or do I stick with what I know?

I admit that the thought of putting together a menage or understanding the needs of a submissive are a bit daunting, but I'm an adventurous gal, so I may give these other erotic situations a look-see. In the meantime, I now have an almost complete WIP crying out to me to finish the 3 hetero-sexual erotica scenes that somehow dried up. LOL

Once I get this WIP done, I'm gonna do some exploring - does anyone have any favourite books that encompass the more curious aspects of erotic romance that they can recommend?  ;)

On a personal note, this will be my last blog post for the next little while. I have medical issues to get through, so decided ot take a break until I can get these resolved. It's not serious, thank God, but still annoying. Maybe I'll get my WIP done! :)
Char

Magical Powers...

On Friday at the office, I was bored. There was work to be done, but it was the kind that didn't engage all of the senses, if you get my drift.

And because of the boredom, my mind started to drift to other things; writing, what I wanted to do for myself, and why I hadn't won last week's lotto prize. I know what I need to do, but the planets are either out of alignment or my karma's all shot to hell.

Wouldn't it be cool to live in a world where people could use magic? I love magic and what it encompasses.

If I could have 3 magic powers, what would they be?

1. The ability to transport myself anywhere - if I wanted to get away for the weekend, or do some background studying for a book, I could just zap myself there; no passport, airplanes or customs!

2. Invisibility - to go anywhere and not be seen; this could be seen as a dangerous trait though; spying, or stealing, but I wouldn't use the power for that. So the question is; what would I use it for???

3.  Being friends with animals - I LOVE animals; they are the beauty that makes our world so fascinating. I would love to know what they were thinking (although I can pretty much guess), and what we, as humans, could do to make life less difficult for them.

Magical powers isn't quite the same as wishing for something; a wish can be made and after it's been fulfilled, that's the end of it. Unless of course, you owned a magic wand.

I found that I had to think on this a little more than I realized; magic comes with its pros and cons.

So, what 3 magic powers would YOU want?

Earth Day Re-Discovery

A few days before Earth Day, I had thought about what I would celebrate. I've tried to do the usual; take transit, walk where I can, using less water - that kind of thing.

This time, I made the effort of using as little electricity as possible. And that meant....no computer for the day.

I thought this would be a no brainer. I use the computer at work everyday so hey, for one day, I'll take a break. ACK!!

I had to keep myself busy, or my fingers would be typing www.facebook.com real quick. So I did a lot of reading (which was great; I'm almost caught up on my TBR pile!), cleaned my apartment (and threw out/recycled a lot of stuff), and took a nap (which was heavenly!)

But I had also wanted to get some writing done. So out came the pen and lined paper - and you know what? I miss writing long-hand. I used to do this a long time ago, and I still have some old stories kicking about, with scratch marks and little notes in the margins.

I'm going to continue doing this; once a week for a start. Just sit down with pen and paper and slowly build a story in one of my school notebooks. Maybe I need a break from the computer; this should help.

Char

Motivation (or lack thereof, in my case)

This is the definition I found in my Webster dictionary – “that which incites to action, or moves the will; to impel; to induce.”

If I’m not mistaken, I’m sure there has been at least one blog on how to motivate an author to write. And the answers would vary; take a break, read another genre, write short stories.

But what if the lack of motivation is a physiological problem? That would be me.

I hope I’m not grossing out anyone, but I’m in the initial stages of menopause. And while this is another transitional phase in a woman’s life, I’m finding it to be a pain in the ass.

Why? Well, let’s see. One of the physical aspects such as no more menstrual cycles (yay!) is helpful – my cycles were fairly regular, so I knew when to expect them. But other aspects such as the weight gain, forgetfulness, body changes, insomnia and hot flashes / night sweats? I can do without those.

The one trait that hit me very hard this past winter was depression. Everyone has their ups and downs, including yours truly – but when you feel as if you’re at the bottom of a well and can’t get out, that is NOT good. And I felt like that for three months. It was scary and it was aggravating.

And the mood swings? Oh ho, let’s not go there! I made my younger female colleague at work very nervous. She knew what was going on, but didn’t know how to handle it. Poor thing; she got many profuse apologies.

But what I’m getting at is, as an author, my writing hit rock bottom. Yup, you couldn’t get me to look at the computer unless I had to (and I had to at work). When I got home, all I wanted to do was sleep and eat and be left alone.

A dear friend had very gently suggested medication (and she wouldn't suggest it unless she felt that she had to). At one time, it was enough to raise my ire. But now I’m starting to seriously consider it. You see, my friend has told me that I’ve changed, and not for the better. The revelation hurt, but I had to really analyze myself to finally understand that yeah, I’m different. I’m not the outgoing, talkative, energetic, motivated gal I used to be – I’m the absolute opposite. I sure hope that changes when my hormones settle down.

But in the meantime it means – ta da! – zero writing. Thank heavens I’m not on deadline, or I’d really piss off my editor. And oh yeah, the best part? This could go on for another TWO years!!

Thankfully, the weather here in Toronto, Canada has improved immensely; more sun and warmer temperatures, which has improved my mood. But seriously, other than taking pills, how the hell can I ‘motivate’ myself to continue writing during this so-called ‘transition’? I’m exercising a bit more; I haven’t seen any results yet, but I’m going to keep at it. Another friend suggested concentrating on short stories – I’ll give that some consideration, too.

Anyone “been there, done that, got the t-shirt?” Any other suggestions would be gratefully received.

P.S. My posting is on a Wednesday, and I’ll be at my EDJ, so please don’t think I’m ignoring you; it just means I haven’t had a chance to look at the blog!

Why do we Read?

Hey everyone! I'm Charlene Lokey w/a Charlene Roberts and I'm a new member author here at SSND.

A little bit about myself - I live in Toronto, Canada. My mom's retired and lives with me, I'm currently single (and enjoying it!) And trying my best to find another job in my current admin field, or just tossing it all in and doing something completely different. Freelance writing and editing is looking better and better.

Tell me, what compels us to read?

I know that I like a fantastic story. But why read it, when I could probably find its equivalent in a movie, documentary or TV series? It's hard to explain, but I love the feel of a book in my hands. I like knowing that I can open it at any time. And there's something more complex, more layered in a book. Granted, there are shows out there that do have elements and layers of sophistication, but a book is different.

Why? I don't know.

Not the answer I even suspected! Maybe it's knowing how much work the author put into their story. Or how a story can drag me in and not let go until I read that last word. Or how the story's description is so vivid I want to live there.

I also read because I like to spend a few hours away from the the real world--curled up on the couch, a cup of tea or hot chocolate at hand, my cat at my feet and all electronics turned off. Reading allows us the opportunity to "get away from it all"--a chance to recharge and renew ourselves in comfortable silence.

What do I read, you ask? Besides romance, I love fantasy and sci-fi myself--alternate worlds, different civilizations, the perfection of elves! I'm currently reading Cast in Silence by Michelle Sagara from her Chronicles in Elantra series. The description of her alternate world is so detailed, I'm surprised we don't have anything like that now! I'm on book 4 and I think there are 8 books so far in the series which I will get to at some point.

Horror stories are good too, but I tend to frighten myself to the point where I can't get to sleep! :( If a horror book can do that, then it was a darn good read!

As romance authors, what other genres do you enjoy reading? Also, has it broadened your view with regards to your writing?

I look forward to talking to all of you about writing and reading!