Who do you talk about your work with?

[Erozetta]

My husband, online friends, and a friend from high school. We talk about my writing, and they've all read at least one of my stories. My husband and a few online friends edit and critique my stories pretty regularly. Sometimes they even praise them.

 

[StrentWriter]

Only talk to a few on here about my work. I am lucky that they are patient with me and kind when critiquing. I have a long way to go to meet their standards, IMO. But I am trying!

 

[crookedletter]

Most people that know me know I write, though only my spouse knows I write and publish erotica. I may have made stray mentions to others here and there that I've dabbled, but that's about it.

 

[NaughteeDragon]

Yeah, that tracks. I have similar issues with loving fans of Fifty Shades and similar works.

I should note that there is no parent child incest in my stories since you bring it up. That’s not a kink I have- my mother is a difficult person to deal with to the degree I’m surprised multiple men have been in relationships with her. Also, growing up, parents were my authority figures and adversaries. This makes it difficult to connect with them on a level necessary for sexual attraction.

My mother and I had a volatile relationship as well. My daughter and I have a very difficult relationship and rarely even speak. Since my stories are built on thematic ideas or character interactions, my personal relationships never enter into the consideration of what those would be like.

I also don’t base characters on people I know. Characters are built around an idea or trait. I sometimes find stock images or have AI create a character image so that I can firmly implant that character in my mind and let them grow.

 

[onehitwanda]

Girl-in-the-mirror, and to some unlucky people here.

 

[WittyUserName]

I've been writing pretty much all my life, but I'm still new at writing erotica. I'd love to talk with more people about what I do, but it's not exactly something you can chat with your co-workers about, and you'd have to be pretty sure you know how a friend would take it. My SO is very happy that I enjoy it, and that my stories are doing well...but it's not their cup of tea.

So who do you discuss it with? Do you talk to people in broad strokes (hehe) about "writing," and leave out that it's spicy writing? Or do you just keep it to yourself?

Like some others, no one in my life knows about this hobby of mine. There is someone I wish I could tell, which is another reason I regret caving to reader pressure and including incest. I'm afraid the choice would not be well-received by the loved one.
A couple of people have reached out via feedback on my stories. There are 2-3 I correspond with regularly.

 

[AchtungNight]

I also don’t base characters on people I know. Characters are built around an idea or trait. I sometimes find stock images or have AI create a character image so that I can firmly implant that character in my mind and let them grow.

I have done this also. Example from my first erotic story Fear, Lust, and Vanity- each of the three leads is built around a word in the title. They have traits of the other words also, to a lesser degree, but Rachel is primarily fear, Scarlett lust, and Keira vanity.

 

[old_prof]

My wife has beta read some stories here. She's an avid reader, but she doesn't really like my writing. She will talk plot and characters with me, but not writing. She's responsible for me going from ending #6 on my Valentine's day story to ending #7 (as of this morning).

I've used a handful of people here to give me feedback on stories, only one of whom has beta read multiple stories. She's the only one I have writing discussions with, other than publicly on AH.

 

[TheExperimentalist]

I discuss many aspects of it with my spouse, who is very supportive of my writing here, but there are some things I know they don't want to hear about. (Not things I'm keeping secret, just kinks I know squick them out.) They're also the only person in the world who knows me as me and also knows my user name here.

I have a few other close friends who know I write erotica, but I don't go very in-depth with them about specifics. That may change some time in the near future, I don't know for sure.

Almost everyone else around me thinks I'm super chaste, probably bordering on prude. I'm constantly afraid of judgement. It's something I've been working on.