Learning My Limits

Posted 10-24-18

I am currently writing Traitor’s Moon and ran into an unexpected issue.

Two sets of characters were recently mated; one gay and one straight. Now, I couldn’t ignore the straight couple completely, so yeah they got some sexy time together. As I dove into the steamy details, I felt very uncomfortable and ended up deleting the passage from the manuscript.

I still managed to give them their boudoir moments, but I simply couldn’t go much beyond pleasant generalities! It’s not a matter of being shy or ignorant – I was, after all, in a presumably straight relationship for twenty years!

Writing intimate situations for gay couples is easy, and yes, I get a kick out it ( I mean, if I do, my readers probably will too). This was the first time I attempted to write a straight sex scene with any depth, so the whole “I don’t think I can do this” feeling really took me by surprise.

In the end, it’s probably for the best. My fans aren’t looking for hetero sex in my romances, and since I don’t feel comfortable writing about it, I think we’re on the same page. This is another example of characters teaching me something about myself, and I’m OK with that. At least I know my limitations!


Posted

in

,

by

Comments

2 responses to “Learning My Limits”

  1. H.R.R. Gorman Avatar

    This was a really interesting read and contains such a marketing conundrum! I think it’s totally fine to ignore the sexy-time of the straight couple if it’s not your target audience; let them add to the story in other ways.

    Also, I wish you luck in the job search!

    1. Alexander Elliott Avatar
      Alexander Elliott

      Thanks for the good wishes!

      As a writer I simply can’t be all things to all people – not that I was trying, but it was an interesting experience and very unexpected. I think my readers will be pleased with the end result!

I'd love to hear from you!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Powered by WordPress.com.

%d bloggers like this: