Have you told anyone that you write erotica?

[EvelynEden]

Another curiosity...

Have you shared with anyone in your life that you write erotica, or even that you write on Lit?

Due to the nature of some of my stories I haven't shared with anyone which site I publish on but I have mentioned to my friend that writing smut is a passing hobby of mine. I was curious to know whether this was anyone else's- 'dirty' little secret? And if so, what reactions to the news did you get?

 

[IamGnuHere]

Shared with...

I only shared the information with a coworker, who has since retired. Other than one person it's my secret.

 

[Maeven_quinn]

My partner knows. Four or five other close friends know, including a reviewer. Sometimes, I wish I could be more open about it, but I’m shy.

 

[oggbashan]

Yes. My former creative writing tutor.

She knew I had been a published author of non-fiction but I wanted to learn how to write fiction. She accepted that but was slightly annoyed when she and I entered a local writing competition two years running. I won two third prizes and she was unplaced each time.

Unlike most of her students I knew how to write a story and had no difficulty with the homework. She suspected that I had been writing fiction for some time so I told her, and only her, about my stories on Literotica, then about 100 posted. She looked at a few and was impressed with my ratings and response. She posted a few herself under another user name. oggbashan was constantly producing stories that were higher rated so she stopped and is now a published children's author. Her children's books were and are good but she found trying to write erotica not to her taste. With my agreement, she shared some of my less erotic stories with other students as printed hard copies with all reference to oggashan erased.

Although we are still friends, I stopped attending her courses over a decade ago because she was constantly starting with a set of new writers who didn't progress to a proposed but still-born advanced class. At the last set of classes I was more of an assistant tutor than a student.

 

[KeithD]

No, other than my coauthor and publisher.

 

[stellataylor]

Yes. My partner and all my friends know. Some friends have asked to read it, and I don’t mind letting them.

I’m bad at keeping things like this a secret. I have set a lot of goals for my erotica-writing, including getting a book finished this year, so I feel like it’d be hard to hide something I spend so much time on.

 

[Blind_Justice]

Yup, I have. My lady love knows what I write and even has quite a hand in shaping how my stories turn out. A select handful of friends know as well. I think there's nothing questionable in the things I write, so I have no reason to hide it. My love for Sci-Fi and Fantasy is well known and sex, although a major part of my stories, is rarely the sole focus. My biggest obstacle is my habit of writing in English while living in Germany, which limits my appeal to the natives .

The most unusual person to tell was my job coach. Finding a meaningful job for a blind person is not exactly child's play (unless you end up in a sheltered workshop or call center, but I'm way overqualified for either option). So when one of her semi-annual progress investigations came around, I flat-out asked if she had any idea how to monetize my pastime. We got to talking, I gave her links to my portfolio and ended up nabbing a counseling session with a published author to explore what I can and can't do. Sadly, she has left the agency some two years ago and her replacement isn't quite satisfied with the speed of my progress. No idea what she's expecting - that I pull a multi-million selling hit out of thin air? The same time last year I earned nothing, now I have at least fifteen paying Patrons. *shrug* Maybe I should do an Oscar Wilde and develop a serious drinking habit to go along with my writing.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Two people I know in real life, and one real person I met through Lit, who I've not met in person. If that makes sense.

 

[Bramblethorn]

My partner, several family members, and a bunch of friends.

 

[Heartsongs]

One friend, no one else.

 

[Haulover]

Hell, no!

That would be social and professional suicide, AFAIC

My wife contributes to my stories, but that's all.

 

[gordo12]

Wife only, friends have asked and I've refused. They know I write, just not what. I prefer they don't know what squirrels are loose in the attic.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Hell, no!

That would be social and professional suicide, AFAIC

My wife contributes to my stories, but that's all.

Only one person, another Lit author, knows who I am. One other work colleague has seen a bawdy sea shanty I wrote.

Considering the stories I started with, my wife is the last person I would tell. If I started with a different premise, it would be different. Having a story where it could be inferred that I want to have sex with our niece... That would be suicide.

 

[Carnevil9]

My friends all know that I write (and occasionally publish) horror and science fiction under my real name. But nobody knows about this particular endeavor, and I plan to keep it that way.

 

[YDB95]

My wife was the one who introduced me to Lit in the first place. A few of my other friends know as well.
Amusingly, the first time I entered a Lit contest (Winter Holidays 2011), I announced as much on a sex-discussion group I was a member of on Facebook. My friends there wanted to know which one was mine, so I posted a link to the contest page and said if anyone guessed which one was mine, I would acknowledge it.
Three people guessed correctly within the first couple of hours, and no one guessed it was any other story. I had no idea I had such a distinctive writing style!

 

[GuessImJamie]

Our lovers, who are in - and in some cases assisted us in remembering details of stories we wrote. (Not that we didn't remember, but interestingly each of us remembered the same event just a slight bit differently.)

Mom and dad... we are so tall because we sit on the shoulders of kinky giants...

A couple of our interested adult children, two of whom are far more successful writing here than we are. We'll not name them... Nobody hates on them.

 

[litfan10]

My kids (both adults) know. My best friend knows. Some colleagues of mine at the college know I write erotica but not who I am.

I met my very significant other here, so yeah, she knows and has read most if not all my stuff.

 

[Javahead]

My kids (both adults) know. My best friend knows. Some colleagues of mine at the college know I write erotica but not who I am.

I met my very significant other here, so yeah, she knows and has read most if not all my stuff.

M’lady knows, and occasionally gives me ideas, but doesn’t usually read what I write. A couple of longtime friends know about my older work and online name, but don’t - as far as I know - read Literotica.

Our kids? If they asked I’d tell them but it never came up when they were living at home, and it would feel odd to bring it up now.

 

[litfan10]

M’lady knows, and occasionally gives me ideas, but doesn’t usually read what I write. A couple of longtime friends know about my older work and online name, but don’t - as far as I know - read Literotica.

Our kids? If they asked I’d tell them but it never came up when they were living at home, and it would feel odd to bring it up now.

I have a very twisted sense of humor (too much Bugs Bunny and Monty Python when I was growing up I guess.) I got a kick out of their reactions.

couldn't imagine not sharing this with my love.

 

[bushyTrail]

Another curiosity...

Have you shared with anyone in your life that you write erotica, or even that you write on Lit?

Due to the nature of some of my stories I haven't shared with anyone which site I publish on but I have mentioned to my friend that writing smut is a passing hobby of mine. I was curious to know whether this was anyone else's- 'dirty' little secret? And if so, what reactions to the news did you get?

Ahahah, nope! I'm very shy...

 

[GuessImJamie]

My friends all know that I write (and occasionally publish) horror and science fiction under my real name. But nobody knows about this particular endeavor, and I plan to keep it that way.

Sincerely,

Captain "Capy" T.L.Wrekards
1750 Vine St
Los Angeles, CA
90028

Oops!

 

[OneAuthor]

I met my very significant other here, so yeah, she knows and has read most if not all my stuff.

Maybe I should have already known this, but then again I often forget what I went to the next room for... never mind things I read on the internet days/weeks/months ago.

Anywho, I think it's awesome that you met your significant other here. It speaks to the kind of community this can be, when folks are open to making actual connections with others.

As far as anyone knowing I write erotica, my wife knows. That's it.

 

[DDBustyBrit]

Only a couple of very close friends, no family as I know the reaction.

But I’m moving away from short stories here and working on a book that I will self publish on Amazon. It’s not that I’m ashamed in anyway about my writing, I’m just not sure most who know me IRL could handle knowing just how sexual I am!

If I become the next 50 shades, then I guess the cat will be out of the bag

 

[SamScribble]

I have been writing for about 60 years now - fiction, non-fiction, newspaper and magazine columns, plays - and, for about the past forty years, snippets of smut. I've never made any secret of it. My younger sister used to refer to me as: 'My brother the pornographer.' Although I try to write erotica rather than porn. I find porn rather boring.

 

[MeredithEighty8]

Yes, but only one person.