Free Erotic Serial – First Part Goes Out!

I’m so excited.  Chapter one is officially out in less than 5 minutes!  Soon it will be speeding towards inboxes ready to entice!  If you’ve subscribed to the newsletter, you’re about to get the first of many free chapters.

It’s been years since I’ve written something like this, where I limited myself in work count (500 to 999 each chapter) and output (once a week only).  I’m happy to be back to doing this, only now it’s with an original work – so the pressure’s on!!

I want to be able to converse with people about what I am writing so if you feel like taking part, come here!  If there are any questions, concerns, comments (etc) about the first part, this is the place to post!!  Each week with each new chapter, I’ll post a new entry in which to leave your feelings or discuss what happened.

I hope you love what you read!

5 Ways I Inspire Myself to Write Despite the Lack of Time

I’ve been struggling with time management lately.  I’ve got a lot on my plate with the day job.  A small business takes a lot of work.  Since it costs less tokeep a customer then to find new ones, you have to keep adding new products.  The majority of my products are handmade, so this means a decent chunk of my time is spent in the research/development/design/creation stages.  This means I’m using a TON of my creative juices on a daily basis already.

The addition of yet another shop (which I still haven’t opened yet) and large orders (thank goodness, they pay the freaking bills) have been stressing me out a little more than usual and I’ve got finances to catch up on.

On top of that I’ve got the writing and when you’re stressed sometimes if feels like you cannot find a way into the inspiration.  But I am of the mindset that waiting for ‘motivation’ is for people made of weaker stuff!  I create the motivation I need.

• Music.  I use either music from my husband’s external hard drive, Pandora (the free version) or I create YouTube playlists.  This seems an obvious one, sure.  Yet when I’m talking to friends (in real life or on an instant messaging service) having issues, I’ll ask about what they’re listening to when they’re writing.  Often they either have nothing on or they’ve got the local radio radio station.  Sometimes this isn’t bad – I love, on occasion, to have the windows open and the sounds of my neighborhood accompanying my writer.  But sometimes you really need to focus on the feeling, the scene.  Depending on the type of book/story/screenplay/scene you’re writing, the music will change.   When you’re REALLY having trouble writing, stop and think about what you were listening to when you were in the flow.  Just hearing the same music might just trigger your left brain/right brain responses (creative side takes over, critical mind zones out).
• Flickr.  Sometimes you’ll need  a visual inspiration for a scene.  A sunset in Florida?  A crowded intersection?  A hipster coffee house?  Maybe you have a character you just can’t get a bead on.  Flickr is an incredible host to millions of photographs that can inspire, uplift and help get those words flowing.
• Write right through it!  If you’re blocked because you don’t know how to get a character from A to B without writing boring scenes here’s a suggestion: WRITE THROUGH IT!  You can either write the next scene – the one you think is boring – until you reach a reason to have the scene (REMEMBER: It’s easier to cut then it is to add; you won’t KEEP the crappy stuff, but it might help you to get to the good bits) or you can write a summary of what the character does to get to the next part.  Either way, one of the best ways to get through a “block” is to keep writing.
• Take a 15 minute meditation from your day.  Meditation doesn’t mean you have to sit on a pillow with sage burning and a statue of the Buddha in front of you while monks chant in the background.  It also doesn’t mean “EMPTYING” the mind.  It means calming your mind, stilling the waters, breathing slowly and mindfully.  Sometimes we’re so stressed out with everything around us (work, bills, people, hassles, obligations, etc) that its hard for us to actually be productive once we have a moment to ourselves.  Our brains will need to freak out, to unleash the turmoil of what has jumbled up inside before we can put it to good use.  Two ways to calm the mind that I frequently use are: 1. sitting with calming meditation music and let your mind wander through the “junk mail” of your mind or 2. sit with a notebook and just write about the crap – this is particularly helpful if you’ve had a very stressful day.  And, by the way, the more often you do this, the better it is for your mind, blood pressure and stress levels.  And with either meditation: use a timer!  With a  timer you know works (test it first) set for 15 minutes your brain is free to dump it’s chaos without worrying about checking the clock every few minutes.  And by the way: think you don’t have time for this?  Imagine you only have 30 minutes to write, but you’re so stressed and fried that you can’t think.  Isn’t a productive 15 minute writing session after 15 minutes of meditation better than 30 minutes of staring at a blank page and adding to your stress level?
• Last but in no way least is: Read!  Some people like to read titles in similar genres that they’re writing, not to ‘steal’ or ‘copy’ anything but to get into that mindset.  Others (like me) prefer to read non-fiction, most of the time subjects that have to do with what I’m writing.  For instance, if I am writing about an archeologist, I’ll read about amazing archeological finds, what they learn in school, or interviews with archeologists (I’m a sucker for National Geographic, by the way!).  You never know what – in reading – might spark the inner muse to greatness!

I hope this small list helps someone out there!

Nymph

Erotica Writer INTERVIEW: Amanda Charvi

Bio: Amanda has been writing erotica since she was a teenager. She works full-time as an attorney in New York but her passion is providing erotica content of the highest quality. Amanda is working towards being the leader in stream of consciousness erotica.

Nymph Du Pave: What lead to your choice to write?

Amanda Chavri: I have to write. Ever since I was kid I always had stories going on in my head. My imagination is always running wild and I think I have to give credit to Disneyworld. After visiting 45 times I still want to go back and feel like a kid. I feel I need to write. The stories come to me and I need to get them down on paper and share them with the world. One of the first stories I began to write was an erotic story. It’s just in me. I have lots of ideas for non-erotica stories but right now I have to write what I am really passionate about and I am passionate about erotica.

NDP: What are your current projects? 

AC: Currently I am working on finishing Asian Girl Gone Bad (AGGB) which is part of my Girls Gone Bad Series. Indian Girl Gone Bad was the first novel length work I finished and I have been dying to get on with the series. However, the allure of writing short stories has been too powerful. Instead of putting in the time to build AGGB I have put my energy into developing short stories that turn me on.

NDP: Do you see writing as a career, either current or future?

AC: I see it as a career. I want to keep improving my work and expanding what I am doing. I have no schedule. I have no set goal. I just know that I want to put my art out there for the world to see. I think realistically it won’t be a career until a few years down the line. I need to keep improving my craft and getting titles up to support a fulltime writing career.

NDP: Do you have a message or theme you want to get across?

AC: I don’t have any set message in my stories. I do like to inspire people. I like to help people perhaps see that they can do things. We are all artists. We have forgotten how to dream, build, think, and create art. We did all the time as children but eventually school beat it out of us and started to make us good little soldiers in the classroom.

In my current erotica work there is no real message or theme. I simply want the reader to get off. I want the reader to be shocked and titillated reading the words on the page. I want them to think about things they may not have thought about before. I want the dialogue to hit the person in the face and make them think to themselves, “That is fucked up.” I love the word play between my characters. I love humiliation and degradation when it comes to sex.

NDP: Is that something that is in all of your work, or just a particular line/series/piece?

AC: I try and make all my work shocking. I want it to be different. I want readers to think it’s all fresh and new which it is. I want to keep evolving.

NDP: Where would you like to be 5 years from now?

AC: Five years from now I would like to be writing for a living and doing attorney work as a hobbie. I’d like to have many titles up across multiple genres. I would like to be writing out of Miami, Florida. I love Miami. I love New York too but I love the colors and life of Miami.

NDP: What books have most influenced your life most?

AC: Romeo and Juliet is a fucking dessert to me. The words just drive me insane in how spectacular they are. I want to put words together like that. That’s a top book for me.

Fight Club had a great influence on me.

1776 is the best book I have ever read. I even bought a special edition copy that comes with maps and letters that were featured in the book.

Benjamin Franklin is another book I adore.

Count of Monte Cristo was an adventure.

Harry Potter for was a big influence. [J. K. Rowling] creates a world you want to live in.

But to actually answer the question I think Fight Club has influenced me a lot and was the biggest influence. Why does anything have to be a certain way? Let the chips fall as they may. Chuck really influenced my thinking in general.

The Four Hour Work Week really changed my life. Three weeks after reading that book I quit a terrible job I was in. From there it has been an amazing ride! I got a better job and then started to self pub since my stress was dramatically lower.

NDP: What was the best advice you have ever heard, read or been giving regarding writing?

AC: Just write. I would credit Konrath with that. I read his blog in a weird order. I started with the new stuff, went to the old, then to the middle, then to the beginning and finally I read through comments! I was all over the place. But the best thing he said was just write. I couldn’t find a quote exactly but I’m sure it’s there. I don’t want to write X and then promote X. I want to write X tell the world and then write Y. There will never be a Z.

I like to take some advice I learned in undergrad and apply it to writing and the writing business. A fellow student once told me how she doesn’t listen to other students’s questions. She said it confused her more than she already was or would confuse her when she wasn’t. I never forgot that. How I apply that to writing is that I simply just write. Today people hate adverbs. Tomorrow they will love them. Today people don’t like straight quotes, tomorrow it will be curly. I am positive most people don’t know anything including myself. Do what works for you. Do what you love. Don’t stay on discussion boards too long. They all become bitter boards.

NDP: What book are you reading now?

AC: I am currently reading for the second time, Lynchpin by Seth Godin. I’m starting a new job soon and I want to remember things I picked up the first time I read it.

NDP: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

AC: Jason Jaxx has grasped my interest because of his tenacity and energy. Sometimes you’re having a bad day and you see Jason throwing out a positive tweet and it instantly picks you up. That’s important. It’s important to stay positive and remember life can always be worse. We have good [times] sometimes and we forget that.

NDP: What is the hardest part of writing for you?

AC: The hardest part is sitting down and getting to work. I love what I do. When I am at work all I want to do is get home and write. When I get home all I want to do is sleep! The hardest part is sitting down and writing and the next hardest part is rereading what I have already written. It’s hard to pick up your own mistakes. It’s hard to go through and make sure you aren’t missing something. It is all worth it but to me those are the hard parts.

NDP:Do you ever experience writer’s block?

AC: I do not but that’s not a fair answer. I sometimes sit down and force myself to write. But I also don’t sit down to write until something is laid out in my head. I’ve done that my whole life. When I had to write a paper or email I think it out first. I outline in my head. And since I am not sitting down until it is all mapped out (more or less) I don’t experience writer’s block. If I had to sit down everyday and write than I am sure I would get blocked. However, I do believe as I’ve heard others say that engineers and firemen etc, never get engineering block. Everything is always easier said than done.

NDP: How do you find inspiration?

AC: For my erotica I find inspiration simply in what turns me on. If I find myself going to the same video to finally finish my marathon of porn watching then I know that’s what I want to write about. For nonerotica the ideas I have just jump into my head. I get inspiration on vacation a lot. I have no idea why. Maybe it’s because your work mind is shut off, I am not sure. But several of my ideas have come to me while I was on vacation and while watching other work. Sometimes I see something I feel I can improve and create my own world for my characters to play in.

NDP: How do you keep the love of writing alive?

AC: I always have to write a funny Facebook comment or something on Twitter. My invitations to parties are known for being really long and full of unimportant information that hooks the reader. I keep my love of writing alive by not writing as if it’s a job. I don’t write because it’s Tuesday etc. I don’t put goals up for myself. That works for me. I learned a bit about that from the Zen Habits blog. Goals work for some people and they don’t for others. I love this. I need to do what works for me. What works for me is not writing every single day. And I don’t take myself too seriously. I am not looking to polish sentences into nothing. Aside from obvious mistakes and proofreading, noone can tell me something should be changed.

NDP: Have you learned anything from writing? What was it?

AC: I’ve learned I am an artist. I have learned there is a hurricane inside me that needs to get out. When I look at important events in my life it usually had to do with something I wrote. I’ve always been a writer. I’ve always expressed myself best through writing but it wasn’t until I uploaded on Amazon that I realized I am an indeed an artist. Sure, I’ve written a title called Occupy My Ass, but it’s art. It’s my art.

NDP: What do you feel are your strong points? What about things you’re working to improve?

AC: My strong points are that I get inside my characters heads. You feel what the person is feeling. My best quality in the outside world is building relationships. I think I build relationships between my characters and the reader.

I want to improve my output of longer works. I am sure I can work on technique as well but right now I need to get out more longer works for my fans.

NDP: Do you write an outline before every book/story you write?

AC: I do not outline but I have been writing short stories mostly. I think outlining is important and it depends on the individual. I do not outline but I think in the future I will.

NDP: What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily/weekly writing goal?

AC: I work as an attorney so my day changes constantly. I usually write at home with ear plugs and ear muffs on. I look ridiculous. Sometimes I write in the library but mostly at home. I do not set a goal. I just try to write when it comes to me and when it feels its been a while since I got a work up on Amazon. I don’t like to put additional stress on myself with goals but to each their own.

NDP: Do you have any advice for other writers?

AC: I give this advice for almost everything. Fuck everyone. No one can tell you you can’t do something. NIKE- Just Do It. Let the market tell you you are wrong. Some people think Twilight sucks but that didn’t stop it from selling. Same with Dan Brown and Rowling. Fuck everyone. Most people only know from their own experience and there is nothing wrong with that. Take the good leave the rest and just do it. Write. Remember that part in Jerry Maguire when he gets the Mission Statement photocopied and the clerk says, “That’s how you become great man, you hang your balls out there.” Sometimes you gotta show the world your vagina (or balls) and let the world decide.

Amazon Author Central Page: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3AAmanda+Charvi&keywords=Amanda+Charvi&ie=UTF8&qid=1334157454&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B006WGUECU

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AmandaCharvi

I want to thank Amanda for taking the time for this interview!  I hope you enjoyed reading it.

If you are an author and would like to be interviewed please contact me at ndpave@gmail.com or send me a direct message on Twitter (@nymphdupave).  Thanks.

Lust in the Rain – FREE until 11:59 PST

Finally got around to getting out one of my stories for free.  Took so damn long because I’m killer scatterbrained.  Too much going on and too little organization.

So go and check it out here.  And if you feel like it, gimme a little review love, huh?  Honesty is better than anything, it helps me grow 🙂

Oh, don’t mind the mess. My brain just exploded. That’s all.

Like a monkey on the sun, it was too hot to live.

Only, I’m talking about my brain, not Becky-The-Fanfic-Writer’s love for Sam Winchester.  Ahhh.  Good show.

Sooo busy.  Lots of orders from the day job, JUST finished my taxes and got them to my accountant, I have four 2000 word tutorial/articles with screenshots due between tomorrow and Sunday morning (at the latest) AND I still want to get my writing in.  Not to mention I have a new shop I need to open, a spring/summer line of products still to go up AND new stories to develop.  How in the world am I supposed to find all the time I need?

The orders from the day job take soooo much damn time.  I haven’t cleaned my studio/office in weeks and it’s a wreck.  I’m beginning to think that my husband is right: I put impossible deadlines on myself and need to create real office hours for the jewelry.  But I can’t neglect a customer’s request at 1am if I am still up.  I guess I could turn off the wifi to the laptop, but I’m not sure exactly how well I would handle that.  I’d keep thinking every fifteen minutes that a new order came in…  *Sigh*

I’m pretty much going to spend the entire day tomorrow writing these four articles.  Really, really decent pay, holy crap.  The deadline I WANT to meet on them is tomorrow night, but it might take me until early Sunday to get all four of them out.

I need to list all the steps in each project individually and then try and cross at least one off a day.  Like the new line, the new shop, new products and stories.  I’ve got stories that are done and need editing, stories that need finishing, stories I’ve gotten only a little ways in and story ideas dangling left and right.

Life was really simpler when I worked a pay-by-the-hour day job (would love to find one locally) and then wrote in my off hours/down time.  What the hell was I DOING with all my time?!?  Hindsight’s always 20/20, huh?

Lastly, I have two books to finish and review, a great interview with Amanda Charvi to get formatted and post for Tuesday AND finances for LAST month to finish so I never, EVER get stuck doing taxes at the last minute again.

Excuse me while I crawl into a hot bath with a 40 and fall sleep to my dog growling at the nothing in the corner that haunts my dreams.  *Sigh*

Busy Day, Not Leaving out the SEX!

I had a busy day today with taxes, bills, finances, customer service, orders and family.  Yesterday was nice, my brother came to visit, but that left more work for me to get done today and tomorrow.  Tons of sales from the day job really made my day today and now I am sitting at the computer ready to get my minimum word count before finishing up the orders.

I’ve gone over the plot for the next few story’s in the ‘Corrine’s Adventure’ series.  The ending of ‘Master’s Return‘ gave me an unexpected surprise.  Usually I keep my characters reigned in, but Manuel told Corrine she was taking a three day weekend immediately.  So now I’ve had to rearrange my stories (even deleted one after the plot of ‘Master’s Return‘ switched around on me!!) and while I’m not entirely sure what the heck she’s going to be doing for the entire three days, it’s promising to be and intense love-fest, lol.

I’m also intrigued with a few other stories I’ve got fluttering around here.  I also am losing a little weight (hard work pays off!!) and have been looking at some lingerie and – as personal as that might be – it’s given me an incredibly fun idea for a trilogy of novellas, about 15k a piece, with three different women, all friends and all with different tastes in lovers and sexual encounters.

Looking forward to fleshing that series out, but for now I’m going to work a little on a PWP that’s just for stress relief and fun!

Good night all!

Nothing Like a Productive Day to Keep Spirits High!

Alrighty!  Usually rough days (like yesterday) are followed by productive days – I think I rebound well.

Right now I am working on non-fiction, paying articles so that takes my writing time for the next couple of days.  I still might sneak some fiction in this weekend.  I also got a handful of sales with the day job last night, so yay!  More work, but $ to pay the bills, baby!

Master’s Return (the sequel to my highest selling short story Master) is now up and ready to be read!!  It’s far raunchier than the first and was more fun for me to write.

So, that being said, it’s time for me to cook some dinner and bunker down for a while, at least until the completion of these articles.

Quick Post: Master’s Return in Amazon Review Stage

Thank goodness.  I’ve got to say that, while I don’t have many days that ruffle my feathers, this day has been SHIT.  Stressful, frustrating and not enough hours to do what I have to do.

My list of things to be grateful for:

1. My husband is a sweetheart that makes me feel better, so thank all that is good in this world for him.

2. My cover artist is 3 hours behind me and SUPER FAST at responding with solutions to my issues.

3. My newest short story, Master’s Return, is now in the Pending Review on Amazon.

4. I’ve got two more authors lined up for interviews!!

So GOOD NIGHT world.  I hope to wake up to a fresh pot of coffee, a few sales with the day job, a newly published short story to promote and a fresh, clean page for my next story within the series of “Corrine’s Adventures.”

Erotica Writer INTERVIEW: Liia Ann White

Bio: http://www.liiaannwhite.com/bio/

 

Nymph Du Pave: What inspired you to write?

Liia Ann: I’ve been writing on and off since I was about 12. I have nightmares and strange dreams every night, whic
h give me all sorts of different ideas to write, it just seems to come naturally to me.

NDP: What are your current projects?

LA: I’m currently concentrating on my Young Adult Urban Fantasy story, which I’ve been doing for quite some time. Then every now and then I pick up the sequel to my debut UF novel, Elora’s Match.

 

NDP: Do you see writing as a career?

LA: Definitely. Not only that, it’s my dream career and I’m determined to make it work.

 

NDP: Do you have a message or theme you want to get across?  Is that something that is in all of your work, or just a particular line?

LA: I like to write what I know, so I make sure at least one of my main characters are Australian. I also get across a message of tolerance and love for animals. A lot of my characters are vegan as well, though not in a preachy ‘don’t eat animal product’ way, just in a ‘this is my personal choice’ way, if that makes sense.

 

NDP: What is the hardest part of writing?

LA: Writer’s block! Wait, no – overcoming writer’s block LoL I have a terrible time coming to terms with the fact that there’s not much I can do about it but sick back and wait for my Muse to return. And when she does, she’s always out gunsablazing!

 

NDP: What do you feel are your strong points?  What about things you’re working to improve?

LA: I’ve always been a great speller, does that count? Since I was a little kid.

A definite strong point for me is ‘special’ scenes, you know the ones where people in love participate in that act. Sex LOL Yeah, I have a lot of fun writing those and the majority of them write themselves, just flowing from my fingertips. I’ve had a lot of readers compliment me on the way I write them so well they can feel the emotions my characters feel – that always makes my day.

I’m currently working on not being quite so ‘wordy’. Something that could be written in 500 words, I have a tendency to use 1000 words for. So, that’s something I’m always working to improve.

 

NDP: How do you find inspiration?

LA: My dreams and nightmares keep me inspired. I have that many ideas written down, I’ll be writing for decades to get them all done. If I could, I’d write horror, I have some doozy ideas for horror stories!

 

NDP:  How do you keep the love of writing alive?

LA: By remembering that it’s not the most important thing in the world. If I put too much pressure on myself to write I tend to either write absolute crap, or just sit there staring at a blank screen for hours. I remind myself that I’m doing this because I love it. Not because I feel I have to.

 

NDP: Do you have any advice for other writers?

LA: Never be afraid to ask for help. Listen to helpful advice more experience writers give you. If possible, find a mentor or critique partner with experience. And don’t write something you don’t love – chances are if you don’t love it, readers won’t either.

 

NDP: Do you write an outline before every book/story you write?

LA: I tend to write a basic plot out, but the characters usually have a way of changing bits and pieces as I write. Damn characters have minds of their own!

 

NDP: Where would you like to be 5 years from now?

LA: 5 years from now? I’d like to be a hugely successful best selling author. The kind where everything I touch turns to gold 😉

In all seriousness though, I want to be successful in my own right, have a few series’ that I’m working on currently finished and in the midst of publishing and just continuing to write what I love and getting it published.

 

NDP: What books have most influenced your life most?

LA: Hmmmm… Quite a few have made me think ‘Wow. That’s the kind of writer I want to be.’ But R L Stine’s books Goodnight Kiss 1 and 2 started my true love affair with reading and writing paranormal. I just love the way you can play around with paranormal characters, even create a new species as I did and it’s always fun to read about.

 

NDP: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

LA: Rebecca Royce ( @RebeccaRoyce ), my critique partner. Without her, I would have gone a mad(-der) a long time ago. She corrects my errors, points out plot holes and is constantly telling me what works and what doesn’t, reassuring me when I have moments of doubt.

She’s the best critique partner I could ever have hoped for and such a valued friend. I kinda love that woman to pieces.

 

NDP: What book are you reading now?

LA: I’m currently reading both Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. I’ve been waiting to read these both for a while, so I’m forcing myself to have some downtime each day and read a bit of either. I usually read 1-3 books at a time. Like my writing, it depends what mood I’m in as to what I read.

 

Contact info for Liia: http://www.liiaannwhite.com/contact/

 

I want to thank Liia for taking the time for this interview!

I hope you enjoyed this interview.  If you are an author and would like to be interviewed please contact me at ndpave@gmail.com or send me a direct message on Twitter (@nymphdupave).  Thanks!