R.B. O'BRIEN, STEAMY ROMANCE AUTHOR and SENSUAL POET
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Experience Informs Our Writing But It Doesn't Define Us...

9/13/2018

2 Comments

 
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I often wonder about my writing. Where it came from. Why. I particularly wonder about why I feel compelled to write erotica and erotic romance with BDSM. Why it has dark themes. Sometimes dub-con. Why alpha males? Why damaged males? Why happy endings? What is it that turns me on about such themes? Have you thought about this if you write? How about what you read? Have you ever been judged because of it? And if so, do you hide it? Behind kindles? Or behind pseudonyms? Do you ask yourself why you’re drawn to what you’re drawn to when it comes to the erotic? Or romance? Is there a formative experience you can pinpoint it to? More importantly, have you been able to answer it?

I think I can understand it for myself…somewhat. My formative years. The boyfriends I had and the age. The poet with tough family life whose middle name was "Angst," who was sent away, later joined the military, and went AWOL. Perhaps, because I wanted to help him, “save” him from his past disappointments and couldn’t. Perhaps I like to see those happy endings in my romance books that may reflect what I wish I could have done. Keep the juicy angst but be able to fix it all in the end. I don’t know. I’m still thinking about that. I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t much care about the whys anymore. It just “is.”

A few have criticized my choices in my “fiction" as a result. Recently, a “friend” who claims not be judgmental in any form (let me clear my throat), stormed “off the set” because of some of the contents on my books, unfriending, saying nasty things about MY  'character' because of the “characters” in my “fictional” books. Did I say “fiction”? Good thing she’s not judgmental, huh? And I see it happen to a lot of authors. It's not just me. 

There’s so many varying forms and levels of sexuality from heterosexual to bisexual to pansexual to homosexual and everything in between. I’m heterosexual. And yes, this may sound silly, but sometimes, I almost feel like THAT is a bad thing to be writing about these days. I certainly felt that way with my previous publisher. I couldn’t care less which way you wave your flag. Love. Lust. Fuck. Kiss. Sleep with whomever you want. But how come traditional roles of love and relationships, conflict and resolution, falling in love and marriage is somehow bad, uninteresting, not important anymore? Says who? It’s what I, personally, enjoy reading in this genre. And it’s what I enjoy writing. I won’t apologize for it. Just as someone who wants to write about transgender relationships or gay sex or bisexual untraditional tropes. Go for it. 

What's more, and maybe this is the rub, this genre, this trope, this story, is STILL quite popular among many romance readers, readers in general, that even in our changing world of more and more acceptance of non-traditional roles, the majority still like the trope of boy meets girl, they fall in love, and live happily ever after but not until there is a helluva lot of angst and conflict first. So what? Live and let live. I wish the judging would stop. On both sides of this coin. What difference does it make if it’s well-written and makes a reader feel? Find your audience. And keep producing what both you and they are looking for. It’s really that simple.

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Add a few more ingredients to this madness, and it might make a little more sense where her anger comes from. Take someone who is insecure, sexually confused (which can do a number on anyone’s self-esteem), a not-so-pleasant introduction to sex (not cool by anyone’s standards), and then consider the effects of dealing with all that mentally. Therein comes the trigger "effect." And then, the lashing out occurs. And bam. Some of us land right in the firing line, because partially, it gets her goat that people are not only reading it but really liking that which she detests. In this light, it becomes a little more understandable, but in a rational mind, we can see how flawed that is. 

I write more than alpha male erotic romance. If you don’t know that by now, I question why you’re even reading this. There are pieces of me in my characters. Some more than others. But I am not my characters and my characters are not me. I think the best thing we can do is write if we’re writers; read if we’re readers; and make no apologies for what we want to read and write. If people continue to read my work, I’ll keep writing them. When they stop, I’ll probably stop publishing too. But I’ll never stop writing. And I will not apologize to anyone who can’t differentiate between fiction and the author of said fiction. Experience Informs Our Writing But It Doesn't Define Us. 
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2 Comments
Rachel de Vine link
9/15/2018 10:14:23 am

One of the joys of becoming older (and there are quite a few, contrary to what some people think!) is caring less and less about what people think of you, and what you do. When I was young I would shrivel with embarrassment about whether people disapproved of me and what I was doing. Now I really don't care! (Well, to be honest, I still care a little, but I'm working hard at not giving a fuck! Not quite there yet.) There is a meme that says, "What people think of you is none of your business", and that is true. Like you I had a close, lifelong friend show her disapproval at what I wrote, and many other friends know, but don't talk about it. So be it. That's their choice. But I don't let it affect my self-esteem, or the pride I get in writing books that people actually want to read! (Still can't quite believe that!) We spend so much of our lives fitting into pre-formed stereotypes (perfect friend, perfect daughter etc) and it is such a relief to step outside that description and say, "This me. Take it or leave it. I really don't care." Very liberating.
As for whether people believe that we live the lives about which we write, I like to be ambivalent about that. Let them believe what they want. I have several personas, which overlap at times, so no one will ever know me in my entirety. And that's just how I like it.
Interesting and thought-provoking piece as always. xo

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Joseph p Barrett
9/18/2018 06:56:06 am

R.B. in many ways we write a little of ourselves in our writings, as am old man! I look in the mirror and see why I hide behind blue eyes afraid to show family and friends the passionate romantic man that hid his BDSM for near a lifetime.
I have always felt like an odd man out with most women, I want to love and be loved by only one. I want true passion, romance mixed with kink. I write short unfinished stories and wonder if others would say what’s wrong with this dirty old man?
R.B. you have beauty, intelligence, strength and a very sexy woman within you!
You will require an equally rare man to find you!

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    I LOVE to write and read. I particularly enjoy reading erotic romance that has tons of emotion in it. I hope you will ask me questions and share your favorite authors and novels. I welcome all feedback.

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