Adventures in Writing: My Word for 2018

Everyone always talks about their resolutions for the new year, but I just choose a new word. Something to remind me what I need to work on for the year regarding my writing. Last year, I chose two words. Proficient and Consistent. I think I did well with both thanks to my biggest supporters (Dr. J., Oleander Plume, and Kayla Lords to mention a few).

With the weekly prompts for Masturbation Monday, I felt really good. It was a weekly goal to get that story, or part of a serial, up every single Monday. Sometimes, I hit the publish button shortly before the deadline. Other times, I was much more prepared. One time, I actually forgot to add the link to the page. But, participating in Masturbation Monday gained me readers far and wide. If you’re looking for a way to boost your numbers, participating in a weekly word prompt that offers a linkup is definitely a great way to go. (If you want stats, at the end of 2016 I had just under 12,000 page views. At the end of 2017, I’m just shy of 29,000 page views.)

Most authors keep details throughout the year when it come to the writing they do, such as how many words they wrote for each story or even their blog posts. I don’t do that, so I can’t tell you how many words I wrote last year. I would rather be writing to be honest than filling out a spreadsheet with numbers of how much I wrote. I know this is a great way to keep motivated as you can see the progress you’re making, but I feel it’s one more thing I would have to do. I even debated on starting to do just that this year, but changed my mind.

Every time I turned around last year, I felt like a ping pong ball. Let’s go in this direction. Let’s try this idea. Ooh, new idea, let’s do that instead! And my OneDrive is littered with story ideas that are barely touched and unfinished. I have a story idea that I worked out with the sweet Nicci Haydon that I want to work on. I have Possession that’s an ongoing serial and I need to write weekly episodes for Radish. So, instead of hopping into every new idea my muse throws at me when she throws it at me like last year – which helped me be consistent, I’m going to take a step back. (I’ll still keep my idea sheet because you never know which idea might be a lightning strike when I need one.)

For 2018, I’ll be working on the idea I outlined with Nicci and Possession for Radish. In between, I’m going to work on stories that I can submit for anthologies or submission calls. Making it into the Big Book of Submission Volume 2 and getting excellent reviews for my story has boosted my confidence. My story (Chased by the Wolf) didn’t even have sex in it, yet Chrissi Sepe says that is one of the reasons why she loves it so much. I’m an erotica author, yet I prefer it when my stories have a more romantic element entwined. Why are these people together? What are they looking for?

My word for the year will be Focus. I want to take Possession and the other project deep. I want every character that has a major part to play to feel so real that you laugh with them, your heart races with theirs, and you clench your jaw when you want to moan out loud for them. While I’ll continue to participate in Masturbation Monday, my involvement will be cut back. When I started writing for the prompt, it was to help my writing get to where it is now. It was to help me find other like-minded authors. I adore Kayla Lords and John Brownstone and the work they do for the kinky community. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their generosity.

There’s still a lot of free stories in the Masturbation Monday, Wicked Wednesday, Friday Flash, and Sizzling Nibbles that you can check out. If you want to read all of Possession, it’s only available on Radish. There’s also some other fun reads on the Radish app you won’t find here, such as Rough Riders and Zach and Roman Take a Vacation (from Fucked by the Fire in Public Affairs) under the Naked and Wanking serial.

Writing isn’t easy. It’s a difficult endeavor and when you have the writing bug, it’s even more difficult. Please remember that paying for writing means that the authors you love can keep doing what they’re doing, even when it’s only part-time like me. When you pay for my stories that money helps keep this site running, it helps me buy cover photos, pay for a monthly subscription to Photoshop and more. So be nice to writers. Don’t demand their writing for free. Leave reviews on their stories. Let them know what you loved and didn’t love so much about their story. Every little bit helps. Have a wonderful 2018. I hope you’ll hang out with me and have a fun ride!