To Authors... do you write in secret?

Except for my editor and another close friend, I've never revealed to the world that I write erotica. This is because I work for a religious organization, and have realized over the years that they aren't broad-minded enough to accommodate a worker of my tastes. In short, I'd probably lose my job.

Why don't I quit? Because in every other respect, these are admirable people doing good work. And it's a steady job that pays reasonably well.

Maybe when I retire, I'll reconsider, even though it might mean losing a few friends.

I've written only one piece of erotica under my own name, but it wasn't published, AFAIK. It was an assignment for a creative writing class I took in college. Years later, it was reshaped to the story I published on this site as "Endymion."

https://www.literotica.com/s/endymion

If my old professor remembered the story and my name, I'm busted, but I think my secret is safe. He didn't think much of the story, IIRC.
 
Most people that know me, know I write, I don't really care to hide it, even the incest. I'm pretty sure one or two of my friends knows I'd fuck one of my sisters if I could...or they might think it was said purely in jest.. Either way it seems nobody cares enough to want to read what's here or wherever. They've seen me write over their house. I've got one or two things on Fetlife that Indidn't think was good enough for here, funny thing is somebody thought it was real. I do wanna get published one day, my erotica and regular stuff. I've tried to get some of my friends to read my stuff.
 
I'm not good at keeping secrets. Pretty much anyone that knows me for a while will eventually learn that I write erotica. It's just a matter of time before it comes up in conversation because I don't know when to shut up about my life.
 
I haven't told my wife I write erotica and have no intention to, it isn't that I feel she would object to the fact that it is erotica, but it may be that the subject matter I tend to focus on is something that would make her uncomfortable, so I would rather not take that risk.

Also, I keep quiet because she herself is a writer but is very insecure about her ability. I don't believe I am a better writer than her - quite the contrary, she is the superior writer - but I am the more productive one! If I told her I had written several stories and almost completed the first draft of a novel (which is where I am currently at) it may make her feel discouraged about her slow progress on her own work, and I wouldn't want to be the cause of that.

So for the time being I think it's better she go on believing she's the only writer in the family!
 
I have nothing to hide. My lady love knows and has recently taken it upon herself to beta read my attempts to get back into the groove. Poor woman :)

My job coach also knows. When she saw my readership numbers, she advised I should try and go commercial, even if only to supplement my welfare. Too bad I suck at self-promotion and, more importantly, graphics. Typing isn't so bad when you're visually impaired, but futzing with pictures? I'm happy to have a reliable volunteer editor, but finding a volunteer graphics designer has eluded me.

And I'm not gonna blow 50 to 100 bucks on commissions when I have no clue if I can even make back a tenth of the investment.
 
My SO has always known about my writing here on Lit. We have a lot of fun with it, and a second look from another person is so helpful. Traveling around this summer, we somehow ended up with an on and off verbal story line about a guy named Guy who was a well known rouge in the back country mining camps...his "attributes" were such that many a hard working man came home one cold night after a hard day to find his woman gone...and no sign of Guy anywhere ;)
 
My wife saw some of my writing some time ago. I don't let her know that I continue to write, mainly because she'd worry about my son finding the stories on the computer, even though he never uses the one I do. The second reason I don't let her know is that I hadn't started writing incest fiction at the time.

If I were single again and started dating, any new SO would know that I write, and she'd know that it includes both incest and LGBT stories.
 
I wrote my stories before my wife was in the picture. I quit writing when we met. I have never told her or anyone else about my writing, but every once in a while, 10 yrs later, I still get positive feedback on my stories and people wishing I would finish them, so I've started writing again in secret. I would love to share it with my wife, just afraid how she would take it. She might be ok, but might not, and I don't know if I want to take the risk.
 
My wife is my inspiration, reviewer, editor, and test audience. I have been writing stories for her (and mostly about her) since we were first dating and just recently started publishing them here. Lately when she sees me with my laptop she just asks which story I’m working on. So, yeah, she knows.
 
I don't write in secret. I don't like keeping things hidden; it makes me feel dishonest. So my significant others (yes, plural) know. My kids, who are both adults, know, though I think the younger one wishes they didn't. My parents and in-laws know. And I talk about it on Facebook, where I've found most of my beta readers for my just-completed novel. (Though it was a bit awkward when one of the people who replied to my request for readers was my 8th-grade boyfriend...)

This is a new pen name for me, but under a different name, about 9-10 years ago I posted a ton of stories on here, and then had a number of novels and novellas published by various publishers. Back then, my kids were still relatively young, so while I didn't hide, I didn't talk as much about what I wrote as I do now.
 
I haven't posted any stories yet, but have a series of two or three that are nearly ready to post.

I was initially embarassed to show my wife these stories, but I just did so a couple of days ago. The reason I was embarassed is that I wrote the stories over the course of a few months with no audience in mind except for myself, catering only to my own narrow idea of what would be a turn-on. The result was a story more likely to appeal to men than women -- a story where a male protagonist gets more sexual attention than he knows what to do with. I think it's good for what it is, but ultimately -- well, it is what it is. Accordingly, my wife didn't find it offensive but also didn't seem especially taken by the erotic content. She also called it "sexist but not misogynistic." I don't think that was meant as a big moral indictment so much as a statement that my story is like a lot of porn in that respect.

Now that I am getting a sense for the audience here in the forums, I am finding myself a bit embarassed to post the stories, again for the same reason. It is great that there are a lot of people here of both genders, and it is great that many stories here are pretty intelligent and dive pretty deep into the psychology of relationships. If I'd had this audience in mind, I might have done things differently, including maybe rethinking the premise of my story. On the other hand, I can't deny that I think the premise is pretty hot, so I might as well keep going as long as it makes sense.

As far as anyone else in real life outside my wife -- no way I would ever tell. It's actually a bit unfortunate that I don't feel I can post links from here to my blog, or from by blog to here, but that's how it is.
 
Now that I am getting a sense for the audience here in the forums, I am finding myself a bit embarassed to post the stories, again for the same reason. It is great that there are a lot of people here of both genders, and it is great that many stories here are pretty intelligent and dive pretty deep into the psychology of relationships. If I'd had this audience in mind, I might have done things differently, including maybe rethinking the premise of my story. On the other hand, I can't deny that I think the premise is pretty hot, so I might as well keep going as long as it makes sense.

Don't confuse the noisy few who frequent the forums with the vast majority of readers who have no clue these forums even exist.

We're not your typical reader base. We just make noise here.
 
Greetings. So I have read stories off here for years and am writing my very first one. I used to write as a kid (not like this) and since starting have been having a blast with it. I feel focused on the story aspect of it then just the sex, moreso than I thought I would. That being said, I have a fiancee I love tremendously and havent told her I started doing this. Makes me feel like I'm hiding something.

So to all those other authors, do you guys or girls write in secret? Or do your significant others know? If so how did you tell them, and were they receptive to it? I know that my girl does read Literotica as well because we talked about it, I am just worried that maybe she will think something in my story is weird or off.

I really don't like hiding it, just nervous to tell her.

Not only do I write in secret, there's no way I want anyone who knows me personally to know of my erotic writing. It would fundamentally change what I write about. I am free to write about specific incidents regarding my past, and use people from my life in a way that I would not be able to otherwise. Anonymity gives me freedom.
 
Absolutey, I keep this part of my writing a secret. My mainstream stuff is not as erotic and smutty. So I prefer to come here and let loose.
 
.... Now that I am getting a sense for the audience here in the forums, I am finding myself a bit embarassed to post the stories, again for the same reason. It is great that there are a lot of people here of both genders, and it is great that many stories here are pretty intelligent and dive pretty deep into the psychology of relationships. If I'd had this audience in mind, I might have done things differently, including maybe rethinking the premise of my story. On the other hand, I can't deny that I think the premise is pretty hot, so I might as well keep going as long as it makes sense..

Don't ever think of us as the audience for your stories. This forum is a tiny minority of the people who write on Literotica who are in turn a vey small % of overall Literotica users. Speaking for myself I spend all my spare time writing and I don't have that much time to read other people's stories.

So don't worry about it. Do what we all do and write what you enjoy.
 
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Happily married with children so very definitely in secret and for much the same reasons as most others: the likely reaction to the content - particularly to some of my more unusual kinks and fantasies!

There are times, I must admit, when I'm proud of something I've written and there a little part of me that would like to tell people, "Hey, I'm an author and people like what I write!" but then I calm down and put my sensible hat on :)
 
I don't embarrass easily, so it doesn't bother me if people know I write Erotica.

Obviously, I'm not going to tell EVERYONE because it would be unprofessional in a workplace or to talk about it with my kids' teachers at school. lol However, my parents and brother know. Several of my close friends know and read my stories. A lot of my other family members know I write, but they don't know what - either because they never ask or because I know them well enough to know that the topic would be uncomfortable for THEM.

Before I posted on Lit, I told my husband that I was thinking about it and asked what he thought. He said, "Go for it." He is the first person I read my stories to before posting them.

Do I write under a pen name? Sure do. Again... professionalism.

As far as the rest of the family... I have my own laptop. It is password protected. No one uses it except me and my husband. My kids don't need a computer for school yet, but when they do, they will not be using my laptop. I use it for writing as well as for my part-time business, so I can't afford losing files to sticky fingers. I obviously won't be sharing my stories with my kids. lol They know I write stories. I just tell them they are adult stories, and that is good enough.
 
The intro to the stories in my Neil And Deb series:

Deb and I write our stories together. Her memory is better than mine, and I put the words 'on paper'. This narrative has elements of our real life experiences, liberally spiced with fantasy. You might be able to guess which is which.

However - no one else knows, and on one else will know.
 
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My wife knows, but she thinks it stupid and silly, and as such wants nothing to do with it.

I made the mistake of giving her my first story, and asking her to read it. She did, and then was incensed because she couldn't understand that while I used some aspects of our lives in the story and characters, they are not us. It was all "Is this how you see me??" and so on. She just couldn't separate out local color from the character she thought was 'her'.

So yeah, we just don't talk about it and I write and put it up and leave it at that. Her family are very right wing religious and we'd be excommunicated for even talking about it. Although, honestly, I don't think I'd mind that much...

Some friends know, but most don't. I'm not ashamed, it's just not something I share that much.
 
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