Thursday 27 December 2012

New Look Primula

Apart from making me apopleptic every time I hear its name, the 'novel' that has taken the world by storm this 2012 has been a kick up the arse for us erotica writers. For years we've written far stronger, far better, far sexier stuff, for less and less money, only to be trumped all the way to the bank by a total upstart. What galls is not only the awful language and lack of proper editing of 50 Shades, but the supposedly sexual content, which fails dismally to deliver anything really erotic, merely serving up unreal conversations and experiences, then neatly swerving the explicit or strong by mentioning it rather than showing it. Thereby breaking the main rule of story telling which is show, not tell.
  However, it has changed the face of erotica and maybe it's not a bad thing. I was urged back in the Black Lace days to get into stronger scenarios for their Nexus imprint, and felt v uncomfortable with some of the more twisted ones. Not to mention the fact that endless BDSM scenes meant little or no story or characterisation to link them. Not that we ever pretended it was literature as such, or even a real exploration of relationships. One by one the magazines and imprints started to close down.
   What 50 Shades has done is make editors sit up and take notice, and wonder how they can cash in. So we are now being asked to emulate it with intense relationships, sexual language toned right down, aspiring locations, Alpha Males, feisty but inexperienced heroines.. in fact, Mills and Boon have tried to jump on the band wagon, but let's face it - we know how to do it far better than them.
   So I have nearly finished my new look Primula Bond novel, which has allowed me to let rip with language and setting. I won't tell you the name until it's formally accepted. Fingers and toes crossed, everyone!