Why I Write Erotica

     People often ask me if Fifty Shades of Grey is the reason for erotica’s recent success. Not to knock E.L. James’ success, but she isn’t responsible for erotica’s current prosperity. To be fair, she’s made it more mainstream, but I think there’s often been a desire to read ‘smut’.

     E-books were the game-changer. Readers can now read their favorite dirty stories while on the subway or at their kid’s soccer game. They needn’t fret over snotty looks from store clerks, not when they can download their titles quickly and discreetly.

     But why should anyone feel embarrassed about reading erotica? The problem, as I see it, is that we still live in a somewhat sexually-repressed society. We might read (or write) certain types of stories privately, but we loathe to admit that people have sexual desires and fantasies. We don’t like to acknowledge that the guy (or gal) we see in restaurants, the workplace or other places is hotter than hell and that we’d like to jump their bones.

     Not that erotica is all about just screwing people. In fact, you’d be amazed at how little writing quality erotica has to do with the sexual act itself. Erotica is often about self-realization, sexual awakening and growth within a relationship. Not that it can’t be a little simpler and naughtier, but so much potential exists.

     Erotica, for me, is about beauty. This blog, for example, is dedicated to appreciating the beauty of gorgeous men. All my life I’ve seen drop dead beautiful men everywhere, but their beauty isn’t always what it seems. Personality and how they generally carry themselves factors into the overall package. Naturally, I’ve dreamt about what it would be like to find myself in their bedroom . . . or any other place where an encounter could happen.

     Some gay erotica can be dirty and vulgar, but I don’t subscribe to that. I prefer to think that comparing my work to the low-brow stuff is like comparing Playboy to Hustler. Erotica can have class and taste, particularly when attempting to appreciate the male or female form, and to artistically present sexual realizations or awakenings.

     In my case, I write erotica to do justice to the male form. I create characters and situations that reflect desires and fantasies common to my readers. Erotica never needs to be taken into the gutter. It can be intelligent, classy, tasteful and above all shameless. That is something that we all can be proud of.