publish an erotic story

The story is edited (after many delays), and I plan to send it off by Friday while I’m taking care of some other errands. Then, it’s time to get started on my next short story! I already have one in mind. ;)

Well, I’m finishing up the editing process, and then sending it to my “extra eyes.” I’m starting to get that odd feeling again where I’m afraid of what will happen once this is out of my hands. I’ll try not to think about it so much.

Woo-hoo! Finished the story finally. I started editing the beginning a bit last night, and I will work more on editing it over the week. Hopefully, by monday, I will have this out the door and on the way to its new home. :) Then, I can get started on something else.

I did a little calculating about how long the story will be roughly. The editor wants 14-16 pages written in manuscript style (10 point Courier New, double spaced).

I wrote 5 pages last night-well, nearly 5 pages. On 4 pages (not counting the 5th yet since it’s not filled yet), I’ve written roughly 1,200 words. Doing a little basic math, I get a rough idea of how long my story will be-around 4,800 words give or take.

That doesn’t seem intimidating at all. 14-16 pages seemed a little mind-boggling at first, but when I actually broke it all down, that’s not so bad. If I push myself a little harder, I could be done with that by tomorrow night.

The only reason it’s not done is because I’m starting to get nervous. When I get nervous, my mind goes numb. It’s a self-induced writer’s block. All these little “what ifs?” are eating at the edges of my brain, things that make me want to stay in my safe little corner.

I sent what I’ve written so far to my friend Steph to get a little feedback on it. She’ll be honest with me about it. I will continue to push myself toward this goal, though. I won’t let fear stop me.

Going to bed in just a few minutes. Did a couple of quick character sketches to get a “feel” (no pun intended ;D) of my characters.

I managed to bang out a couple of paragraphs, and I’m sure more will come once I’ve rested a bit.

Emailed my best friend and writing buddy, Stephanie, about the story—pleading for her extra set of eyes to aid me in this journey.

Tomorrow, I think I’ll make a day of it.

I’m away from home right now (which is why I haven’t been commenting or updating my goals as much). I’m at my grandmother’s house taking some needed time off. The good thing about coming home is that it gives me a chance to act like I’m 17 again. :) My aunt is keeping the baby for a few days, so I’ve found myself with more time than I know what to do with.

Today, I finished up Edo Van Belkom’s Writing Erotica. It came with the book I read by Susie Bright a couple of weeks back. I found myself more intrigued by his “insider secrets” of the business. He has very good tips that are good for writers no matter what their genre—replete with examples.

After I finished reading his book, I actually completed a rough outline. That’s a great achievement for me. I’m horrible at writing outlines and have only ever finished a few for stories that I’ve written. I’m sort of a scatterbrained writer who finds more organization in notes and things I’ve written on scraps of paper rather than an organized process.

Later (after So You Think You Can Dance), I’m going to polish it up even more since the inspiration is there. :)

Looked into various publishers and decided on a publication which caters to the “working-class woman,” read the requirements for a submitting a short story, and went out and bought two of their latest issues (they publish a magazine for more erotic writing and one for more romantic, “less steamy” romance). After reading some of the stories, I definitely think I can write something acceptable for them. Now comes the hard part—writing it. :)

Personally, I don’t care what anyone says about erotica. I know some people question the “literary merit” of erotica, but I enjoy reading it. Sexuality is part of who we are as humans. So, why shouldn’t I write erotica? And why shouldn’t I be proud to write it?