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The P***S Mightier than the Sword, or How to Approach Sex in Your Writing

It’s no surprise to say that sex sells, in movies, in media, and in books. Despite all the author/publisher rights’ debates recently, Harlequin Romances are still selling; people want to read about others having sex. Erotica, by definition, excites, plain and simple. But how do you handle it in your books? It’s all well and good to want to tantalize your readers or explore a more racy side to your writing, but what about when your friends, and God-forbid, parents and children read the sex scenes in your book? Should you edit them out based on that personal audience, or should those bodices keep ripping? (Excuse me while I choke on my coffee) As an author, you have several options:           1.       Use a Pseudonym           2.      Be Discreet           3.       Refuse to Care Pseudonyms J.K. Rowling, Nora Roberts, Stephen King, the Bronte Sisters, Michael Seeley. All of these authors have used pseudonyms. Some noms de plume have become far mor
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Doing the Work: 2020

Hello, all.      It's been quite some time since I've written, but 2020 for me has been about getting back to my writing, sitting down, and doing the work.      During law school, I commissioned into the Navy and after graduation and initial training, I was stationed in Japan from 2017-2019. This experience was incredible, and I got to travel widely, was deployed, and mostly worked on honing my professional craft as a lawyer and officer. Although I continued to write as I found time, it was largely personal journals on my experience underway, etc.      We've now moved to Oak Harbor, WA, and I've buckled down to be more productive about my writing. I n the last year, I edited and finalized a book about Alcibiades of Athens and the ancient Greek Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. I'm currently shopping this for traditional publication.      Next, I finished planning Uprising , the conclusion to the Ruritanian historical fiction trilogy. I'm n
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Beating the Thriller

We all know that thrillers and modern romances are the biggest sellers. They dominate the markets, and it seems to be what all our friends are reading. But what if you're not into the newest spy-chase novel and the modern romance isn't your thing? For me, the draw of historical fiction has always been stronger than the idea of writing-for-profit in a genre that will probably sell better. But, that leaves historical fiction writers at a disadvantage. Or does it? What can we as authors of historical fiction do to balance the market for us? Write for the Public First off, you must try to use what's currently popular. What do you see in movies/other popular books/popular culture? For me, a military historian, a prime example of this is works on Rome and ancient Greece. The ancient world is hot right now. It's sexy. Films like Gladiator, 300, Alexander, Centurion, The Eagle , and many more capitalize on that. They may not be exactly factual (but neither, strictl
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