The eighth in my series on writers’ experiences of writing gay, shifter or BDSM stories is
from Leandra Vane talking about her experiences of writing gay BDSM.
My
muse was feeling generous one day and she dropped a character right into my
lap. Nate Fuller: part time bartender, part time novelist – long hair, torn
jeans, ink lines from tattoos running down his forearms.
I
was in love.
But
I soon found out Nate was also kinky as fuck – of course my muse would throw
that in. Nate is a submissive, likes impact play and bondage, and he needed me
to invent someone to tie him up… fast.
My
mind began to conjure up another character – brown eyes, a well-fitted suit, a
shy but certain smile. James is a librarian with a secret – and that secret
includes his affinity for wanting to tie people up.
I
was surprised and a little aggravated at my muse. A M/M pairing? In all my
short stories and longer length erotic romance works up until this point, I had
never written a strictly M/M pairing. I had done F/F, M/F and a few M/F/M or
F/F/M stories. As a reader, I really enjoy reading M/M pairings so I’ve always
wanted to write one. But I always worried about being able to write the minds,
bodies, and sexualities of the two male characters in the pairing. I was used
to having a female POV to fall back on, filling in observations from my own
femme life.
I
hesitated to the point I almost didn’t begin the story. But my muse simply
would not let that be. I started drabbling and what I thought would be a short
story grew into a novel length BDSM romance entitled “Booked”.
As
the story and characters developed, I found there were a lot of topics I wanted
to explore as a writer that kept the integrity and authenticity of my
characters intact. One particular topic was invisible disability.
I
am a disabled writer and including the experience of disability in my stories
is important to me.
I
was born with a birth defect that caused nerve damage. About ten years ago, I
met a man who had the same kind of nerve damage as me. Of course, we talked
about sex. I found it interesting that we both experienced our sexualities in
similar ways. For example, we both lack sensation in erogenous zones, so other
places on our bodies we can feel have become sensitive to erotic touch.
We
both also have orgasms and the way he described feeling his orgasm is very
similar to what I feel in my body during orgasm.
I
honestly don’t know if other people experience orgasm and sexuality the way we
do. I haven’t had the opportunity to talk with other people with our disability
about sex. But I thought it was really interesting that two people who grew up
in two different countries with different sexual desires shared such a similar
experience when it came to The Big O. I kept this in mind when I started
writing my first M/M story.
In
“Booked,” Nate has a similar type of nerve damage as I do. Though he can move
his body, some fine motor skills are impaired and he can’t feel over half of
his body. The way he has dealt with his body and his sexuality in the past
plays into the theme of secrecy in the book. Since I have both visible and invisible
aspects to my disability, having a character that could hide his disability
gave me a lot to work with regarding secrecy, trust, and communication.
I
have always wanted to capture in erotic fiction what sex and kink feels like in
a body with nerve damage. This book and these characters have helped me do
that.
Because,
like Nate, I am kinky as fuck. Playing with pain and sensation in BDSM has been
central to enjoying my sexuality, unlocking pleasure in my body, and helping me
discover things about my body I would not learn in other ways.
I
hope that my story brings representation to a lot of identities – fetishists,
disability in kink, and bisexuality, among other things. I drew on my
experiences as a sexually fluid bisexual, a fetishist, and a person with nerve
damage to bring my characters to life. But I let them do the rest.
Nate
and James took hold of their own story, and in many ways I was just along for
the ride. But I’m thrilled with where it has brought me. I hope readers feel
the same way and find they connect to the characters in a way that is unique
and meaningful.
“Booked”
is due for release late May 2017. Below is the book’s summary:
Nate Fuller looks like a
typical artist: Part-time novelist, part-time bartender, and dedicated volunteer
at the public library. But beneath the surface, Nate keeps many secrets. Nerve
damage has left him without feeling in most of his body. He has a thing for
being tied up. And the interlibrary loan librarian Charlotte is his BDSM Domme.
Between his body and his
kinks, Nate has always had a difficult time with romance. But when he meets the
new assistant library director James Albright, things in that department
quickly heat up. Unfortunately, James has never been exposed to BDSM beyond the
erotica section and Nate has always been more comfortable lying about his body
and his sexuality. But James has a secret of his own and clues begin to appear
behind the detective crime novels he reads every night.
Armed with handcuffs and
a thrill for the chase, Nate sets out to uncover their dream power dynamic –
and true love.
My
Social Media:
Many
thanks for taking part in this series, Leandra. If you wanted to read the
others in the series:
Jennifer
Denys click here
Peyton
Clarke click here
This
series is to inspire people to write for my Balls & Chains series – a gay
shifter series set in a BDSM club. If you are interested full details can found
on Luminosity’s website. The first book in the
series ‘To Claim a Mate’ came out on
12 May.
Have I got some sexy werewoofs to introduce you to.... *hits all the follows*
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