Nobilis Reed is an accomplished author, producing a multitude of short fiction, several novels, countless podcasts, as well as a substantial volume of audio and editing work with other writers and publishers. Widely known for his erotic fiction, he brings a wealth of insight and experience to the table which he shares generously and with style. Pull up a chair and join us in exploring a unique perspective on writing and storytelling.
(and remember to check out Nobilis’s Workshop Episode)
PROMO: View from Valhalla (http://www.viewfromvalhalla.com/)
Showcase Episode: 20 Minutes with Nobilis Reed
[caution: mature language and adult themes – NOT workplace or child safe – listener discretion is advised]
Podcast: Download (Duration: 29:18 — 26.8MB)
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Episode Breakdown
01:20 – Nobilis’s Fabulousity
- 03:50 – Definition of “Erotica”
- 04:25 – Semantic Inconsistency
04:55 – Why label something “erotic”?
- 05:05 – We Americans are much more willing to portray the end of a life than the beginning
- 05:20 – I’m an author in a market that exists
- 06:25 – It is as difficult to write a good sex scene as it is to write a good chase scene
06:35 – What are the challenges of writing a good sex scene?
- 06:40 – Full sensory experience
- 07:05 – Emotional experience
07:30 – How do you approach that process?
- 07:50 – Know what you’re talking about
- 08:05 – Understand the anatomy
- 08:30 – Take yoga
- 08:57 – Be aware of your own body
- 11:05 – Analogies to violence
11:45 – What’s your process?
- 11:50 – Make sure the first draft is crap, no sensory details
- 12:40 – Flesh out with second draft
13:15 – PROMO: View From Valhalla
14:05 – How does a writer keep an erotic story respectable
- 15:15 – Ideally, I want you to feel enriched AND dirty
- 17:10 – Even well regarded anthologies, the stories are a sex scene (a vignette)
- 17:30 – Not a lot of time to lay down the foundational framework
17:50 – Does erotic fiction incorporate Antagonists?
- 18:05 – In other genres, there’s an oppositional relationship
- 18:35 – In erotic fiction, antagonists represent an obstacle of some kind
- 20:05 – Erotica stories tend to be much more personal
- 20:15 – The Velderet by Cecilia Tan
- 21:35 – The focus is different from other genres (everything happens during sex)
- 22:20 – Sex becomes elevated like gun play is elevated in an action movie
23:35 – Is erotica getting closer literary fiction with a genre background?
- 23:50 – No, because literary fiction is damned boring
- 24:20 – You CAN have sweeping dramas
- 24:40 – Jacqueline Carey “Kushiel’s Avatar”
A little error in your liner notes:
He actually said this about literary fiction. 😉
This was interesting. I’m not familiar with erotica at all, and in my own writing I tend not to approach it at all. Or even address huggin’ and kissin’ (because apparently when I write I’m 8 years old and all that stuff becomes “icky.”) But the idea of the stories and conflicts playing out within the context of sex is fascinating. And the comparison to the gun fights/chase scenes/violence scenes in other books makes a lot of sense to me.
Whew! Thanks for the catch, Chris. Fixed that little typo (that’s what I get for posting this stuff at midnight).
I feel the same way and it’s actually kind of compelling to examine characters from this very intimate perspective. Whether you write erotica or not, crafting an authentic character calls upon the writer to encompass a breadth and depth of the character’s experience… and that includes sex and intimacy.
Whether they’re sexually active or not, it’s human nature (hell, LIFE nature) to crave that intimacy on some level. Dedicating some thought to that aspect of the character can open a whole new level of personality and interaction.