How To Tell a True Porn Story

One of the lessons I’m going to give you in my writing talk tomorrow is a simple and important one: sit your ass in the chair and write. Ironically, I missed my own personal deadline for writing and posting this blog, so perhaps this is an important lesson in why I’m not perfect. Tomorrow’s event has been on our calendar for a few months, so you can’t really accuse us of giving you short notice, but even I’ll admit that this is a very last minute reminder.

Tomorrow at the LGBT Center of St. Louis I’ll be hosting a coffee talk (along with Kendra Holliday and David Wraith) called “How to Tell a True Porn Story.” If you’re interested in writing about sex in any form—whether you want to write erotica, essays, dirty letters or you’re just looking for better tips on how to blog about sex or keep up that sex diary—this is the discussion for you!

To tell you a little about myself—insert joke about “tooting one’s own horn” here—my erotic fiction has been published in anthologies from Cleis Press, Bold Strokes Books, and Ravenous Romance, including Best Gay Erotica 2011. My first published work was the gay erotic science fiction comic Crash Course, from Class Comics, which proves that I’m capable of writing down-and-dirty smut with the best of you, even though a recent Amazon.com review accused my work of having a “literary attitude.”

(The “I Shouldn’t Have to Say It” Disclaimer: Even though we’re hosting this at the LGBT Center, and I’m primarily known as a gay erotic writer, this talk isn’t geared toward any specific sexuality! We want writers of every stripe and spot to attend!)

I’ve long argued that, in a sociopolitical climate where sexual discussion is frowned upon and even scientists have a hard time finding funding for sexual research, it has been the responsibility of writers and other artists to explore, discuss, and dissect our relationship with sexuality. For everyone outside of the stereotypical heternormative sexual culture (that’s just about everyone, right?) there’s an additional component:

“I absolutely believe that writing and publishing erotica, especially for minorities, is a political act. We must write our own stories, our own truths, otherwise our detractors and enemies will do it for us.” – Tristan Taormino

On top of those lofty goals, writing about sex is just a hell of a lot of fun. Making your intended readers (even if you’re just writing for yourself) squirm and knowing that you’re capable of arousing others with just words is practically the very definition of powerful. So join us to discuss the ins and outs of putting your thoughts down on paper (or digital media of your choice.)

Since I can hardly give an entire “How to Write!” lecture in a couple of hours, I’m mainly interested in letting the discussion flow naturally depending on your needs!

This is also a great chance to start prepping your story for Show Me, SEX+STL’s upcoming anthology about sex in St. Louis! We’re looking for your dirty stories, fact or fiction, to showcase St. Louis’s erotic side.

Join us Sunday, January 15th, at the LGBT Center of St. Louis at 3:00!


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