Many writers have goals on how many words to write a day - sometimes they're huge and sometimes they're small.  I read one professional full time writer say that she always strives for 8,000 words, and then she stops herself so she doesn't get sick of writing.  Her thoughts were if she could always do 8,000 then it would be steady and she'd always have something fun to write about the next day if she stopped in an exciting scene. 

There are many different tips on getting your output up, but the truth about this here author (me) is my goals change and fluctuates based on what is happening in my life.  For instance, this month is Christmas, I have a LOT to finish in time for Christmas, dollhouses, clothes, quilts, not to mention preschool for my daughter and babysitting off and on.  Frankly getting stories out-while still a major goal-has been reduced to only a few thousand words per day.  

My goal of hitting 50 books this year is being pushed back to 40 - and I'm well on my way to that (book 37 and 38 are at the editor now!)  The key for me is to set goals I can accomplish, and that means if I have one that is becoming too lofty to reduce it into smaller portions.  I will still hit 50 books - but I have given myself until March to hit it, allowing me the opportunity to be with my daughter and enjoy the festivities, and to produce quality.  

So keep ACTIVE goals, goals that work around you and help you feel accomplished.  Work continually and do do do!

Being a professional writer can cause a massive headache of words.  Many writers have word goals or page goals in order to meet their novel or output goal.  Since most writers work from home those goals can sometimes be put aside in favor of laundry, taking children to the park, Facebook, dinner, and that show you've been waiting for on TV.  If your family relies on you for certain things words can be "justifiably" put on the wayside to put your family first.

I find that my output has greatly suffered since my daughter stopped taking naps, there is always more to do with a three year old on the loose.  Finding ways to stay focused while she is entertained come in spots of maybe an hour, but typically closer to 30 minutes, or the time it takes for her to watch a cartoon.  I find that I need to set up certain points in order to help me stay focused.

Here's what I do - let me know what you do to stay focused for your chance to win a $5 Gift Card to Amazon!  (Please be sure to put in your email so I can get it to you!)

1.) Set aside or fulfill your distractions.  I start my day by getting my 3 year old breakfast and a show.  While she eats I get my blog out (If I'm doing one that day.)  This ensures that she's happy and distraction free for at least a half hour, while also being happy and cared for.  Laundry is also another easy one to do throughout the day, set it and forget it for an hour.      

2.) "Go to work."  An environment change helps me remember I am at work, despite the fact that I'm still sitting in my living room.  My favorite is to turn on some music.  Something mood setting and not overpowering.  But if you aren't a music writer, try a candle, or water fountain.  Not only does will this help me remember I'm writing, but it also is an indication to my family.  They hear my music and know I'm not ignoring them, I'm working.

3.) Come up with a plan.  What piece will you work on?  What scenes are you hoping to get through? Are you introducing a new character - whats his name and stats?  If you are having difficulties staying focused during your writing period, write these out beforehand in a quick outline so you know where you are going.

4.) Open your document.  I know this is ridiculously silly, obvious, and simple, but you have to have your work available to work on it.  My biggest problem is I sit down at my computer and the first things I open are Facebook and Farmville.  Not conducive to getting words on the page.  If you are starting a new piece get it set up and organized the way you like, save it before hand so you can just hit ctrl+s on occasion without breaking your flow. 

5.) Set up "break times" typically a work day out of the home goes for 2 hours, has a 15 minute break, goes for 2 hours, has a lunch break, goes for 2 hours, 15 minute break, 2 hours and done.  Obviously the point of working at home is the flexibility, but giving yourself a gentle schedule will help you put off getting your coffee until your "coffee break"

6.) If your pen or keyboard is still not functioning take some time to look for inspiration or free write, but set a goal time of when you'll try writing for work again, I usually go about 15-20 minutes for these inspirational moments.

With the latest 50 Shades' announcement: Kelly Marcel has been assigned to adapt the books for film I thought I would discuss the idea of Expanding Your Business.  

The idea that you have to spend money to make money has been around since business was created, and while writing and indie publishing erotica has cut a good portion of our costs down, there are still certain things that will tap our account.  I've already discussed my desire to keep close to the black.  I didn't want to go into debt with this business until I could ensure that I would bring in enough to break even soon enough.  Frankly I am a risk averse person and we were not in a place we could risk funds like that. 

Its been almost a year and while I'm not touring Europe on my paycheck I have completely reimbursed my initial start up fees for my lap top, editor, covers, fonts, the few pieces of advertising I have set up.  I am currently looking into hiring a web-assistant.  Someone to check through my links and ensure they're active and correct, to give me feedback, and to help me with some extra advertising here and there around the web.  But again the risk averse person within me is saying "this is stuff you do!"  But it takes away from my writing, reducing my output and creativity with more analytic type work.  

With each business decision there are pros and cons, and a level of risk, taking time to think them through before diving in and possibly wasting a bunch of money.  When I'm faced with a decision I set up a goal, a cancellation deadline, and a baseline.  

For example - another avenue I'm looking into is web ads on a popular website.  The pros are that it is relatively cheap, has no cancellation fees if it doesn't work, the trial period could be as long or as short as I like.  The cons are that while it would advertise to my web presence and help me expand my blog and my site I don't know if it will directly influence sales, plus all my advertising thus far has been free, and stepping into the world of paid advertising means that I will have more money I need to make to stay in the black.  I have decided that I will set up a 2 month trial, with the goal of reaching 500 "new" views on my pages.

In the end my decisions are based on my overall goals for my business.  Views may not instantly translate to sales, but without views people won't know about my works.  

You may or may not have heard of Röyskopp before, they are a Norwegian "two headed monster" that works with electronica.  I love a lot of their works, this one, Eple, Poor Leno, and Flashlights and Explosions are personal favorites.  

Its amazing when a person hits a "moment."  

That moment where everything melts away and there is a complete connection between you and _____.  I've had it when I first saw my husband, in several of my books, when I first held my daughter, but it doesn't always have to be something huge.  The other night my husband and I had a big argument.  We were both in a very negative place, and it ruined all sorts of positive energy that we had been having.  But then it shifted.  We said a few things, apologies mostly, and suddenly there was this huge connection again.  The moment was filled with each other.  Everything else melted away.  

A really good book will have these moments, links that draw your memories back to it again and again.  Perhaps its a first kiss, perhaps its a shotgun, perhaps its a tear pull.  Sometimes life changing sometimes just mood changing, sometimes remembered forever and sometimes fleeting, sometimes expected (like a wedding date or delivery date) sometimes unexpected and a truly random explosion of divinity.

How do we fill our books with these moments?  Feel our books.  Feel them, we have to separate ourselves as writers from our personal lives and become our characters, we have to love with them, lose with them, hate with them, cry with them.  If we fill our hearts with the emotions we want to portray they come out on the page, they soak it and some of that power will rub off on our reader.  

I hope you have a marvelous three day weekend.  :) See you in September!

                                 Kisses,
                                     Lesa

If you loved The Binding: An Erotic Fantasy you will love the novella follow-up, Bound To Him: An Erotic Fantasy, on sale at Amazon and coming soon to Barnes and Noble.

Often with erotica plot and character development is slimmed down in favor of hot, hot sex.  I have been guilty of that with my Sweet Release Quickies, simple "stroke" stories, full of explicit sex and little else.  (That and their shortness is why I have put them at $0.99)  I read a blog once that stated Erotica should be 70% sex.  Seventy percent! Wow, that's very little time for the story.

Putting together a story dependent on the plot and characters and only enhanced by sex causes the questions of "what category do I put it in?"  "Is it still erotica?"  "Is it erotic enough?"  The sex is still very explicit, deeper than your standard "romance novel," but will classifying it as "erotica" upset readers out simply to stroke? 

I wish I had answers, I guess we'll see how this one turns out, a plot heavy, character driven piece with erotic elements, I've classified it as Erotic Romance.  

For your chance to win it and The Binding: An Erotic Fantasy, be sure to drop by Heartthrob Haven!

Successful writing comes with so many aspects a prospective author doesn't think about.  So often when we are preparing to sell our work the thought is "publish, publish, publish" not "audience, audience, audience" but I think most any published or indie author would agree that the audience is the most important part.  

The audience is what drives our success, finding them, and bringing them to your book is only a small piece of the puzzle.  

Coming up with a marketing strategy that works is something I am still learning, and something all writers, yes even successful ones, will always be learning, fifteen years ago there was no such thing as Tweeting about a book... there was no Facebook, Tumblr, Youtube, Pinterest....  There are so many ways you can advertise now, whether working with a publisher or alone, but the advertising is only enough to capture an audience's eye!

I read a blog on OneHandedWriters a little while back about respecting our readers.  Its soooooo necessary!  To enrapture we must put forth quality work, respect our readers as intelligent beings who deserve our time, full attention, and efforts.  They want to feed their desires and we should fill them with delectable goodies!  Enrapture!

I heard an awesome statement the other day on a talk show (I'm paraphrasing), “Erotic books aren't about teaching new things they're about reminding you to fantasize.”

True an erotic author must write accurate sex, it doesn't make sense to stick 4 dicks into one pussy at exactly the same moment for example, but developing realistic fantasy could almost make that believable.

The fantasy may be one of the reasons that erotic literature is supposed to be mostly for the female.  Many women that I know wouldn't dream of watching raunchy porn and the idea of seeing blemish marks from the lash makes them wig out, but they enjoy reading about it, visualizing it within their mind's eye.  I knew a woman who was in love with Jack Sparrow - not Johnny Depp mind you.  Jack Sparrow, the character, the fantasy, and idea of him.  

Erotica encourages these fantasies to be played out, nourished, fed, visualized.  Whether a piece is intensely detailed or flashes of quick story, the better it is is directly related to the connection between the reader and the fantasy.  

So play with your fantasy, allow yourself time to dream in bed, in the shower, on your lunch break, notice what your body reacts to.  Notice what parts you spend the most time on, is it a fantastically detailed cock?  Is it the thrusts in and out and in and out?  Is it the moans escaping her soft pink lips?  Is it the scent of sweat and sex?  Is it the taste of salt from the work out you just finished?  Develop the moments that most enchant you.  

I apologize for my lack of fresh and exciting posts lately, I am certain that you are on the edge of your seat waiting for me to post about sexy sex positions and fiery hot music and offer a few tips of the trade.  I had a little "mix up" with my personal life this week, but things are feeling back on track, and I should be gearing up to bring you hot stories soon! :) 

Last week before the whole fiasco I had planned to chat on Writer's Groups - and I think that's a good plan still.  If you are a "hobby writer" looking to publish (either self or with the Big 6) then one of the first steps I absolutely recommend is joining a Writer's Group.   

Writer's Groups don't get a lot of credit, and many of the hobby writers I know say they wouldn't dream of sharing their work until its published, my question is why?

As soon as you write something it is protected under copyright laws, it is your own.  Why wouldn't you share your work with an audience and see what they think?  See if it has potential? See if it has flare?  To hell with the grammar.  To hell with the plot change in the third chapter that isn't smooth yet.  To hell with your fears!

The first "Writer's Group" I joined was a fiction writing class in college in 2002.  (Wow that makes me feel old!) I was intimidated, there were 12 other students and the professor who were going to be reading, grading, and critiquing my pieces.  I was almost in tears the first story I turned in.  

It helped me me grow in ways that I can't begin to explain.  For one it got rid of the fear.  When you are reading through other author's work you begin to see mistakes - in your own AND in theirs.  You begin to develop a thick skin when you hear "jeez this was so not my style and totally sucked."  And if you're going to make it in this business you have to have a thick skin.  Whether its against publishers saying "No thank you" or reviews saying "this filth is too short" or what-have-you.

I am currently in a Writer's Group that consists of 3 members, including myself, and while its wonderful and I value their opinion, I wish it had more people in it.  We have one member that is continually away, whether with school, work, home life, whatever, and that means that its me and one other author - we have grown, we're good friends, our writing is better, but our opinions are no longer "new" and as helpful as they once were. I'm thinking of joining another this summer.  

Writing is a craft, it takes practice, it takes time, and it takes dedication.  Whether you are writing as a hobby or as a career putting effort into it is one of the keys to making it work.  

I've posted a Justin and Michael before, but I didn't know that Justin Robinett did duets with others.

I'm really huge on these guys, and its really wonderful to listen to them branching out, and Jocelyn Bartum has a set of pipes that are amazing. 

I have noticed during my writing that the "mood" of my music plays pretty directly to the way I write.  I am not 100% a "plan, diagram, write to formula" writer.  I have a general idea of what I want to see, but the characters often surprise me and grow during a piece, and the music I'm listening to during the writing helps inspire romance, rough, orgasm, power, submission... I have started working my playlist into "mood categories" I have some for the slower ballads and romance, and some for the hard core stuff, and I highly recommend you try it.  

Here's a fun writing exercise: 
Pick a topic and write 200 words on it in silence.
Take the same topic and turn on a pumping fast-paced song, write 200 words.
Take the same topic and turn on a mood ballad, write 200 words.  

How different are they?  What characteristics do you notice became easier? harder? How quickly did you write your 200 words in each stage, was it noticeably different?  

I find it absolutely amazing what I get to call research. :) The other day I spent a few hours pouring over Dreamstime looking for a photo for Isaac for an upcoming interview with him to promote The Binding: An Erotic Fantasy.  He needed to be tall, strong, sleek, dark haired, and handsome.  A few days later I was pooling around looking at pretty pussy, searching out one with heart-shaped lips to ensure that my vision was accurate.

Research is something any writer and artist does (or at least needs to do) and that is doesn't eliminate erotic authors.  It may be something like reference photos, or porn to discover the "know how" of DP, or something as boring as whether its lay, lie, or laid.

I have just started reading a book entitled The Black Witch, its a horror novel, and a bit outside my norm, but already I can tell the author knows a lot about ships.  Whether its was countless hours of researching the differences between stem and stern or what they called old sailors, Michael Rivers is on top of it.  I don't know a great deal about ships, so I certainly am not verifying everything he says as true and accurate, but it reads smoothly and he sure could fool me if its not!

The point is that whether or not you are experienced with sex you need to read like you are! If you're not a man discuss with a man how it feels to ejaculate.  If you're not a female find out what that moment of pleasure is like for one!  If you don't have a husband, wife, or good friend you feel comfortable talking about that amazing moment with then join a forum, there are hundreds of thousands out there, and many of them enjoy talking about sex!  You don't necessarily need to experience double penetration to feel the pleasure of something in your pussy and ass at the same time.  

Erotica and sex in writing is perhaps one of the most true parts of fiction out on the market today.  Not because somewhere at some point a professor banged a cheerleader, but because the act itself is a moment of pure feeling.  It has the opportunity to connect a reader to your character in ways that many other pieces won't ever share.  If you don't believe me step into the mind of Phedre in Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey.  I was not into pain AT ALL before I "met" Phedre, and when it came to bondage I didn't mind an occassional blind fold, but the idea of having my body completely submitting to another's will...nope. Until I read Kushiel's Dart and saw through her eyes.  The world Phedre lived in was so real, so vivid, the sensations she experienced and Ms. Carey wrote about so deliciously connecting that BDSM has moved up my pleasure list. 

And it would have been lacking without the research.