As this is my introductory blog post for eXcessica, I figured it might be prudent to start with why I began writing erotica at all.

A few years ago, I was looking for an adult chat room online, just something to pass the time. I found a few before clicking on one that was associated with a site called Literotica. I didn’t care for the chat room too much, but the site itself intrigued me, especially when I saw the wealth of posted stories.

Having been a writer since my teenage years, I’ve dabbled a little here and there in writing down some of my erotic fantasies. I never thought any of them would ever be read, of course. I wrote them mainly for my own titilation. But now, suddenly, I had discovered a place where such writing was accepted and encouraged. And the best part was that anyone could submit to the site.

So I created the name of slyc_willie for the site and began posting stories. Admittedly, they really weren’t more than tales of pure sexual fantasy and deviation at first. I thrilled at writing them, because I felt a sense of taboo-breaking. My writing had always been mainstream, and while I had only had a few short stories published, I longed to write something more risque that would be accepted. I guess I had always been something of a pervert.

The response, both on the Literotica forum, and through comments left on my stories and sent to me via email, was unexpectedly, and overwhelmingly, positive. Over the following couple of years, some of my stories were recognized as contest winners. I received touching responses from readers telling me how my stories had affected them, and not just sexually.

For the most part, all of my writing now is erotic. When Selena asked for authors to join her in eXcessica, I was hesitant at first. But eXcessica offers a chance at publication in a market which shies away from stories that involved highly detailed sexual acts. And that is what I write, for the most part. I write what I like to read, and what I like to read is detail.

My first novel for eXcessica, Pretty Baby, is due to be released soon. It is the story of Alyssa Green, told from her point of view, as she realizes a long-held fantasy of becoming a prostitute. The novel was originally released on Literotica as a six-part series, but the story, available through eXcessica is markedly different. It is cleaner, more concise, and while holding to the original descriptive detail, contains a bit more of a story.

There will be more coming from me in the future, that much I can promise. Some of it will be quite dark, but then, what do you expect from someone named Gabriel Daemon?

-Gabriel Daemon

So, you read or write erotica… But do you admit it? If your friends or family walked into the room and caught you with an erotica novel, would you tell them what you were reading, or would you subtly set it aside and pretend that it’s just another romance novel? If you write erotica, do you announce every time you’re published so that everyone knows and applauds, or do you smile secretly to yourself and remain silent?

Obviously I’m not one to talk. “secretme” on literotica.com and “Leighann Phoenix” here. If it isn’t obvious those are pen names, then I don’t know what would be. So the question really is: Is it necessary?

If you look at the recent advent and boom in the erotic lit market, then it’s pretty clear that a major portion of the population is reading the stuff, whether they’re in the closet about it or not. The point of contention, at least in American society, is that there may be something deviant about reading or writing about sex in any way that isn’t educational or for some ultimate purpose other than pleasure. It’s like sex is the best kept secret in town. We all do it, think about it, plan for it, but don’t like to admit it.

So do you think that your favorite authors would be thought less of, if they admitted to writing the stuff? Is the market becoming more acceptable as the internet makes the medium more accessible, and people are indulging?

On a related tangent: When you Google for erotic literature you will find numberless forums, discussion boards, and articles devoted to the topic of whether erotica is porn or literature. The discussion usually ends up tilting toward the subtle differences in style that would designate which category a particular story or author may fit into. Ultimately, however, I believe the issue is more intrinsic than that.

I once argued with someone that our society has it’s priorities in a seriously warped place. I had said that I would be happier to walk in on my kid watching porn, than I would be if I walked in on him/her watching a slasher flick. The person I was speaking with adopted an aghast expression and wanted to know how I could possibly justify that point of view. My answer was simple. If I do my job and raise my child with values and care, chances are that one day my child will have a family of his/her own. The only way to do that is by having sex. So one way or another my child is going to experience sex. At the very same time, if I do my job right, my child should never have to run for his/her life from a serial killer or witness a person being dismembered. The person I was talking to was surprised that I had a logical argument at all. I don’t think people really think about the topic. They let the popular media tell them what’s okay to watch/read and what isn’t.

So that brings me back to the original thought. Do you think that erotica writers and readers should hide it, while all other genre writers advertise? When you Google for information on pen names and choosing them you will find any number of sites making suggestions as to why a writer may need/choose to hide their identity. One of my favorites said: “Also, you need a separate pen name for any subject with a “taint” to it (such as erotica) if you want people to take your literary fiction or nonfiction seriously. Even Anne Rice uses a separate pen name for her erotica, though her more usual vampire novels always sit close to the border between horror and erotica.” So here’s a perfect example, horror good/erotica bad.

I suppose the debate will continue on the threads for as long as sex is a taboo. No telling how long that will be the case. I’m sure some of the argument stems from the population of writers, making a decent living off of erotica, who can’t claim the publication accomplishment without fear of condemnation by friends and family. I, for one, will continue to hide behind my pseudonym, only telling that select group of people I know who will smile with amusement, check out my writing, and say, “wow, uh, you wrote that?” But, like most people who write something they’re proud of, I’d love to get credit for it. Some day, when I’m too old to care what people think, and I can’t get fired for it, I swear I’m gonna put a banner in my front yard! “EROTIC fiction written here!”

Leighann Phoenix