BadForm
Bad attitude in any Form
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2001
- Posts
- 4,550
I sat at the table with Helen, my agent. For once, she wasn't smiling, but rather looked concerned. We were discussing my latest novel, "Make It Real". My last three had sold well, although the numbers had been reduced lately. I figured this is what concerned her.
"What's wrong?" I asked, figuring it was better to get things into the open.
"Sex..."
I was used to Helen being blunt, but this even surprised me.
"Or to put it another way... there isn't any!"
I didn't quite know what to say. Was she talking about her private life? I knew she had been divorced for a year, but figured she had made other arrangements or been too busy. Either way, it hardly seemed my business. She saw my perplexity and shook her head before thrusting three envelopes at me.
"Look!" she said. "Read these... they're fan mail, after a fashion. And they're just like more and more we're getting in the office about you."
I opened the first letter and saw Helen had highlighted a particular part:
K Somerset writes an amazingly empowering story for women. They way Wendy overcomes the protestations of the men in her office to become the leader of the board could be a fictitious role model for so many. However, why does she not write about sex? Doesn't she realize that women too like to read a good love scene? Especially when it is the woman in control, as Wendy would be.
"They think I'm a woman?" I said, raising my eyebrows.
Actually, it wasn't such a surprising assumption. I'd always published under K Somerset, I always wrote about female protagonists and I had never made a major public appearance. Helen just shook her head at me and indicated that I needed to read the next.
In City Speed, Diane could be such a great character. She grew up on the streets and she comes to lead the gang. But where is the sex? I mean, can you really imagine Diane doing anything but controlling men through any means. Hell, I would...
And the next...
I dunno whether to be pleased or pissed. I mean, Wyvern's such a great book, and the way the princess takes on the sorceror is fantastic. But come on, she looks like some kinda frigid bitch or something. Its about time us girls got to read about women controlling the sex too. I'm sick of the guys getting all the good action. Please tell Somerset to start writing about how we women like to be in control sometimes too...
"Sex," she said again. "Books with sex sell three times as much as books without, and you're writing some great female characters, Ken. But if you don't start putting some female dominance in there, some hot sex with the woman in control, I'm afraid your fans are just going to go to other women writers."
I looked at her in suprise for a second. It wasn't something I had considered, althoug I realized she was right. Finally I explained the problem.
"I've never been with a dominant woman," I said. "I wouldn't know how to write it."
She looked at me thoughtfully as she tapped her finger. Finally she smiled and said. "You need training..."
OOC: Any female domme wanna write Helen and train Ken?
"What's wrong?" I asked, figuring it was better to get things into the open.
"Sex..."
I was used to Helen being blunt, but this even surprised me.
"Or to put it another way... there isn't any!"
I didn't quite know what to say. Was she talking about her private life? I knew she had been divorced for a year, but figured she had made other arrangements or been too busy. Either way, it hardly seemed my business. She saw my perplexity and shook her head before thrusting three envelopes at me.
"Look!" she said. "Read these... they're fan mail, after a fashion. And they're just like more and more we're getting in the office about you."
I opened the first letter and saw Helen had highlighted a particular part:
K Somerset writes an amazingly empowering story for women. They way Wendy overcomes the protestations of the men in her office to become the leader of the board could be a fictitious role model for so many. However, why does she not write about sex? Doesn't she realize that women too like to read a good love scene? Especially when it is the woman in control, as Wendy would be.
"They think I'm a woman?" I said, raising my eyebrows.
Actually, it wasn't such a surprising assumption. I'd always published under K Somerset, I always wrote about female protagonists and I had never made a major public appearance. Helen just shook her head at me and indicated that I needed to read the next.
In City Speed, Diane could be such a great character. She grew up on the streets and she comes to lead the gang. But where is the sex? I mean, can you really imagine Diane doing anything but controlling men through any means. Hell, I would...
And the next...
I dunno whether to be pleased or pissed. I mean, Wyvern's such a great book, and the way the princess takes on the sorceror is fantastic. But come on, she looks like some kinda frigid bitch or something. Its about time us girls got to read about women controlling the sex too. I'm sick of the guys getting all the good action. Please tell Somerset to start writing about how we women like to be in control sometimes too...
"Sex," she said again. "Books with sex sell three times as much as books without, and you're writing some great female characters, Ken. But if you don't start putting some female dominance in there, some hot sex with the woman in control, I'm afraid your fans are just going to go to other women writers."
I looked at her in suprise for a second. It wasn't something I had considered, althoug I realized she was right. Finally I explained the problem.
"I've never been with a dominant woman," I said. "I wouldn't know how to write it."
She looked at me thoughtfully as she tapped her finger. Finally she smiled and said. "You need training..."
OOC: Any female domme wanna write Helen and train Ken?