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Tell us a little about your erotic writing
The most important thing about my writing is
that it is a blend of things I've really done with my imagination.
Although my novels are fictional, I try to work real events into
them, and describe real feelings, both physical and mental. In
the same way, my characters are made up, but often based on friends.
I then blend everything into what I sincerely hope are workable
stories. The first thing any writer needs is a compulsion to write,
which I certainly have. Imagination is also crucial, and the ability
to write from the heart. Technical skill is less important, and
can be learnt, but is still essential if you want anything published.
When writing erotica, I think it is also very important not to
hold back. After all, if you are going to "leave it to the imagination",
why bother at all?
How did you start writing erotica?
I've written erotica since I learned how to masturbate.
In fact, the two are very closely linked for me. Rather than just
let a fantasy run through my head, I used to write it down, then
read it back to myself, which made it so much stronger. From there
I went on to putting the stories on a computer screen in large
type, to scroll slowly down, so that I had both hands free! My
first publications were all very dry scientific papers, but after
getting involved with the London fetish scene I started to write
for Fetish Times, when the lovely Nicky Wolf was editor. People
seemed to appreciate my style, and eventually the editor of Nexus
books asked me to try a novel. I did, and that led to Penny in
Harness.
Who are your influences?
Most of my literary influences are not erotic,
but are old fashioned. I was brought up on Edith Nesbit, P G Wodehouse,
Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, George Orwell and Mervyn Peake, mainly
because my elder brother liked them and passed them on. My mother
prefers nineteenth century writers, and is always pressing me
to read the Brontes and Jane Austin, with limited success. For
myself, I can enjoy almost anything which some thought has gone
into, but almost every writer I admire was dead before I was born,
which I'm sure says something about me. For erotic writing and
sex-related writing, I always liked anything which involves girls
getting their bottoms smacked, no matter how badly written. On
the other hand, I hate sex-and-shopping books with endless perfect
men bonking endless perfect women in dull and predictable ways.
Among commentators, it is impossible not to admire people like
Susie Bright and Pat Califia, but it's a mistake to regard them
as oracles. For general influences, the strongest is undoubtedly
the English countryside, which I adore. Most of my growing up
was done in the Thames Valley, which for me is the quintessential
England, while every inch of land from East Anglia to Cornwall
seems precious to me. Other elements of my background and education
include zoology, wine, food, general decadence and of course lots
and lots of spanking.
Is there any contemporary erotica you rate highly?
There's always good and there's always bad. I
think most porn, top shelf magazines and so on, is absolutely
dreadful. I don't want to see endless shots of silicone-breasted
blondes with their pussies held open. How about some subtlety,
eh boys? In fact, most contemporary porn is so bad that the only
erotic effect it has on been is to boost my sense of embarrassment.
Fortunately I'm into humiliation. With the internet, pornographic
pictures have become more widely available than ever before. Sadly,
not one in thousand appeals to me. I like artwork more than photos
anyway, cartoons especially. I think Paula Meadows is brilliant,
with her lovely spanking pictures, every one just crammed with
atmosphere. You can feel the girls' emotions, so raw; shame, misery,
embarrassment, anger, shock, pain, all the nicest things about
getting a spanking. She understands about exposure too, with the
unfortunate girls' pussies and bottom holes almost always on show,
which I think is really important. Milo Manara is good too [check
out my favourite comics page],
and there are plenty of other great pervy artists around, including
our own Jose Maqueros, of course. With written erotica, I'm afraid
I'm hard to please. Most of what's around is too coy, or lacks
imagination, or is just too straight for my tastes. Among contemporary
writers, Lucy Golden appeals,
while Lucy Bailey shares so many of my fantasies. Jean Aveline
is skilled, but too joyless for me. Aishling
Morgan is great, but then I'm biased. Among classics, I don't
like "The Story of 'O'", which is a pretty basic dungeon fantasy
with no ending, while I find that old fashioned writing styles
are a turn-off. In terms of setting, I strongly prefer contemporary
England. I like France, the rest of Europe, Africa too, not the
US or Japan. To be honest, if I fancy a nice orgasm over a dirty
book, I tend to read one of my own. That sounds dreadfully arrogant!
Time for a spanking, I think.
What makes for good erotica?
That's a very difficult question, as everyone's
tastes differ. For erotic writing to work for me, it needs to
be uninhibited, and down to earth. Descriptions should be exact,
without resorting to euphemism or metaphor. I also find sex scenes
much stronger when they are in context, rather than being a simple
description of people having sex. I feel that the characters need
to be established first, and then it matters what happens to her.
I like dirty goings-on in real situations, with real characters.
My female characters have periods, my male ones can't always get
an erection to order, not everyone exists in a permanently aroused
mood, and not everyone who meets has sex together. Have said all
that, I never allow too much realism to get in the way of the
story.
Have you really done all the things you describe?
No. It just wouldn't be possible! I have done
most of it though. Anything to do with straightforward sex, pony-girls,
corporal punishment, exhibitionism or panty-wetting I'm describing
by putting real experience into a different context. There are
some things I'm just not into but enjoy describing, like piercing
and tattoos. When I want to describe those, I ring a few friends
to get a consensus of opinion, but more often than not I find
that everyone's experience is very individual. Sexually, each
person is different, which it is important to remember. Other
things are better in fantasy than reality, like anal sex with
a string of partners. I don't do anything that risks infection,
especially with HIV. I also take a bit of licence when it comes
to describing heavy scenes, although I try to keep at least some
grip on reality. I know I couldn't handle being buggered by three
men in a row and then strung up my wrists for a whipping, but
it's nice to fantasise about it. In fantasy anything goes, in
reality I stick to safe sex. Anyone who doesn't is a dangerous
idiot.
What is the filthiest thing you've ever done?
Another tough one. When the terrifying "Miss Marchmont"
asked me the same question I decided on an occasion
when a girlfriend unexpectedly gave me an enema while I was masturbating
in the bath for her. On the other hand, I didn't get much say
in what happened, so I'm not sure it counts. I'm not a swinger,
so I've never sucked off ten men in a row or anything like that.
It's always kinky. When I was seventeen, and a virgin, a boyfriend
pinned me down and tossed off in my face, which was such a shock,
and certainly filthy, but again, not my own choice. I've been
spanked in public, which is an incredible hit, but not really
filthy. Actually, for sheer, inexcusable filth, doing my toilet
in my panties and then masturbating through them has to take the
prize. Just thinking about it makes me blush.
Do you have a message for your fans?
Yes. Be naughty but be safe. Be wild but be sane.
Be rough but be consensual.
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