The Good Parts

So here’s one of the things that’s been driving me nuts about erotic fiction lately. It seems no matter which submission guideline I read, every publisher is looking for a full story, one that can stand on it’s own but erotic in theme. It must contain ‘the good parts’ because after all, its interest is held within the eroticism it displays but it must also be so well written that when these good parts are eliminated, one is still left with a solid story base.

I have problems with this. Serious problems. Perhaps this is so because I tend to think out of the box and many erotica publishers are very focused on what defines a story and have difficulty viewing that perhaps if written well, the good parts can stand on their own two feet.

When I begin an erotic fiction story, I always begin with the good parts. It sets my tone for what I want to do next. Yes, I suppose I do this backwards compared to most writers. I’ve never been standard in anything. Each writer is different. I have a friend who absolutely must have an outline to work with. She builds her characters, plot, climax and resolution before even sitting down to create the story. I’ve tried. It seems sensible and it also would present the most logical way of writing. But, this reminds me of what is necessary to write a research paper and no matter how many times I try it does not work.

My personal writing style includes a cup of coffee, erotic music and my keyboard. The music I listen to sets the tone of my mood and then, bombs away! If all goes right, I tap into some inner plug within my unconscious. Suddenly, my fingers move and words fly. Images form and I become entranced. All writers know this; it’s universal. What isn’t though is that I create my stories on a whim with absolutely no guidance from preparatory work.

By starting with the good parts I define what kind of a story it will become. As the writer I am not only the creator but also the spectator. I never know how a story will progress or end when I write it. Sometimes this is the exciting aspect to my writing. Day by day I have the chance to see what my mind creates without any previous knowledge of its intent. This, of course, is also a curse. Sometimes I back my characters into a corner and I sit back, re-read and have nowhere to go. Without a plan, if the mood or stream of consciousness is lost the story gets put aside to be finished later. That folder by the way is getting a bit too large I must admit. My writing is completely a mood thing and that’s probably why I don’t finish the quantity of fiction I’m capable of.

In regards to the good parts though, what’s wrong with just that? If written well, what’s wrong with the presentation of only that which everyone is really interested in anyway? I’m one of those super fast readers and I tend to skim through sections that get into the boring and monotonous details that paint the picture that is so important for any story writing. I want to get to the gist of things and have something my teeth can sink into.

There is a book actually called “The Good Parts”, edited by J. H. Blair that is an anthology of “the best erotic writing in modern fiction” and I love it. I find that these excerpts are more erotic than many full erotic stories I’ve read. Maybe this is so because the authors presented are top notch: Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, Oscar Hijuelos, Jane Smiley to name a few. But must it always be the gold medal winners who are able to produce the best? Certainly there is talent in the pool, writers who possess individualistic qualities that can captivate any reader…if only published and given a chance.

And, what is it about the publishing world these days? I’ve stayed clear of it lately. Maybe my work isn’t good enough and that’s a fair presumption. However, I don’t write to produce; I write to create. And if an audience happens to become enticed by the poetry and visions of the good parts I craft, then so be it. However, sometimes I wonder if in the over commercialized world of writing (or anything else), we may have limited ourselves to things that sell rather than things that provoke. But, what do we want to provoke if that is the intent?

How about new perceptions? Perhaps we can tap into new talent without the strict requirements publishers make. Is it that the majority of what they get is garbage? I’ve been told yes and when we think about the limitations of good authorship published, I suppose it is fair to agree. However, one of the things I’ve noticed throughout my writing and photography career is that publishers have become stuck on the word “sell”. How do I argue the philosophy that money makes the world go round? I can’t. But what I can express is that if one always gives a consumer what they want, will they ever want anything extraordinary? Will they ever know what else they could desire if it is not presented to them? Will they ever think outside of their own box if a new box isn’t available for purchase?

There will always be those who think differently. They’re called crazy. I’ve been one of those. However, funny thing is when those ideas work, they’re called genius. I’m working on that one.

In the meantime, I plan to post my 2007 version of my website, www.vontauber.com on Valentine’s Day. It is, after all the day of love, romance, and if the night goes well, sex. I’ve archived all my past work, which is still available for reading, except the fiction. I’ve pulled the fiction mat from my door because I’m crazy and plan to explore the varieties of fictional diversity that is possible. I’ll feature a story when I finish one. You may like the good parts; you may not. But in my world, my personal website world that is, I’m the publisher and I can break my own rules.

Perhaps if more writers took the steps to break concrete rules, we could create that which we didn’t know was within us and then conformity would be placed on the other foot.

Namaste,
Tatiana von Tauber
www.vontauber.com