Draft #1 of Novel Finished

On November 30 at approximately 2 AM, coinciding with the last day of NanoWrimo 2013, I have finished draft #1 of my novel! It's a very crappy first draft though, and the biggest thing that needs to be polished, in my opinion, is the strength of the supporting characters, but draft #1 is finished, nonetheless! In class, everyone was asked to provide images that could be potential covers for our stories. I created a moodboard to create a sensibility of my story, as opposed to a definite book cover.

 

I've been sharing snippets with my creative writing class. Oh wait, that reminds me, did I ever share a summary of my novel? Let's see...looking at my past blog posts, I have not! *smacks head*

Anyhow, the main idea of my story is that it is a BDSM steampunk Little Red Riding Hood-inspired new adult novel. Below is the summary:

SUMMARY DRAFT

Scarlett vows to save her virginity for marriage. Haunted by the sexually-transmitted disease V.A.I.N., which killed both of her parents, Scarlett studies at Sylva University with the hopes of researching for a cure. While she is determined to stay innocent throughout her academic career, one wolfishly handsome professor, Jude Tanner, sees her virginity as a prize to be won. As much as Scarlett denies his advances, he knows that she is not as innocent as she seems. When Jude catches Scarlett violating a university policy, he sees this as an opportunity to toy with her and put her virginity and future at stake. He makes a deal with her: she can choose to stay a virgin until marriage, or be expelled from Syla University and become his slave.

Of course Scarlett chooses the former, but the deal is not so simple. Scarlett becomes Jude’s housemate, and during their time together, he takes her to a sadomasochistic amusement park, and tempts her and slowly breaks down her innocence. Will Scarlett be able to honor her parents’ deaths by remaining a virgin and finding a cure to VAIN? Or will she succumb to her primitive desires and become Professor Tanner’s slave?

I was sharing excerpts in my creative writing class, and I was overwhelmingly giddy to see how engaged my classmates were with my characters. At the final class of the semester this past Tuesday, everyone was demanding to know what happens in the end, and asked, "Do Scarlett and Jude finally have sex in the end???????"

I told them what happened, to relieve them of a whole semester's worth of literary sexual teasing (they deserved knowing the ending!). But if you're reading this, and you want to know, that's for you to find out! ;)

I'm typing up chapter 3 of draft #2 right now!

Freque Magazine, Vol 3, Part 2

I am honored to be published in Volume 3, Part 2 of Freque Magazine's special dark-themed issue! Volume 2 is dedicated to the creative and conceptual aspect of their dark concept. I wrote my poem, Wake Initiation, for my 10th grade writing class, and it's lovely that, 4 years later, it found a home in this beautiful independent magazine. I don't think I've written poetry since high school.

 

You may purchase Freque Magazine's issues here.

You may read the poem below.

 

Wake Initiation

Evanescent wisps of kisses falling from my fingertips

Like raindrops plummeting upon blushing petals

So forlorn in the forest of fog

Where I cannot sleep

As they prey upon my starlit nights

My whispers of memories

Impending to drop like a fragile thread

And you can never be near me

But when the rivers of dawn illuminate the world

I can only see your face in a mere breath’s width

Before the smiles fade

2 Writings in Propulsion Magazine

Just got the tearsheet for my short story, "Cyanamide Resonance," and for my poem "Blood of Apples." They were published in Issue #2 of Propulsion Magazine in July.

I wrote "Cyanamide Resonance" back in September 2012, while I was studying for organic chemistry and listening to Deathstar's "Cyanide" on repeat. It's gotten a lot rejections, but I'm happy to say it found a home in Propulsion Magazine.

As for "Blood of Apples," it was written way back in high school when I was in 10th grade. Glad to see it made it into a publication 4 years later.

They also featured "Cyanamide Resonance" on their blog! http://propulsionmagazine.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/34/

Slave Auction at Master's Den

I have already added a slave auction in my novel blueprint, towards the second half of it, but just last night, I experienced it in real life, even if it was consensual and in a safe environment.

I attended Master's Den, an event for male dominants and female submissives, at the Citadel in San Francisco last night. My friend invited me to go last month, and yesterday, as she and I were getting ready, she asked me, "So, what do you hope to get out of the evening?"

I suppose even Batman sees the appeal of an auction? LOL

I guess my answer was somewhat of a strange one. I wasn't planning on meeting cute guys, nor was I sure if I was even expecting an overall positive experience. I was indeed looking forward to being sold at the slave auction, and told her, "I'm mainly going to get real-life experience for my novel."

"Ooooh!" My friend already knows I'm writing, but she was intrigued by my answer. "Academic literary research!"

My 2 cards, worn as my bracelet for the entire evening. The images of the queens are so pretty!

Once there, all the women wore cards either as necklaces or bracelets. The Master's Den website lists what the 4 different cards mean, but I'll repeat them here:

• The Queen of Clubs indicate you have a S/M or Bondage service to offer.
• The Queen of Diamonds indicates you have a non-sexual service to offer.
• The Queen of Hearts indicates you have a Sexual Service to offer.
• The Queen of Spades indicates you are offering services for S/M, Bondage, Nonsexual and Sexual Service.

There were 2 auctions, and 10 girls' names were randomly drawn to be sold for each auction. I was so surprised when my name was drawn for the second auction at 10:00! I actually gave a squeal of delight! There were so many girls who looked forward to being auctioned off, so my friends and I didn't think any of us were going to be randomly chosen until my name was announced.

Being auctioned off was a surreal experience. It was my first time at the Citadel, and at Master's Den, AND being auctioned! I was told that was very brave of me. It was so heated and competitive! The prices went up and was being duked out between at least two doms in the crowd, and the winning bid was $11,500. Damn. 

The Citadel in San Francisco's Yelp is full of positive reviews. There was such an interesting atmosphere. It felt so surreal to actually be in a place where you witness girls in formal dresses, corsets, and/or lingerie being willingly collared, leashed, and led around by dominant men in suits. And being surrounded by countless play sessions, hearing the sharp, snapping impacts of leather implements against skin, and screams and moans of girls competing with the dancey/industrial music reverberating throughout the rooms.

I wonder how I'll be able to execute the slave auction scene once I reach that chapter (I always write in chronological order).

Magic of Suspension

REPOST: Originally posted on my modelling blog, but with some tailoring done for my author blog.

In my BDSM-themed Little Red Riding Hood novel, I'm definitely going to incorporate some bondage and suspension! Real-life experience like this is valuable, it would be a total waste if I didn't do so.

But wait! Before you freak out, I do hope you'll allow me to enlighten you on Japanese bondage.

In my "other life" as a non-erotic model, I've noticed that I kind of get raised eyebrows when I express my newfound love for shibari/kinbaku and suspension. The type of questions and comments I have received lately range from the pleasantly curious to the astonished (for lack of a snarkier word) conservatives. Examples below:

"Please explain more about shibari!"

"Does it hurt?"

"I don't see what's so great about bondage."

"That's freaky s***. I'd only let you tie me up if you blow me."

"Why do you like being tied up and suspended? I don't see the appeal."

My simple answer to the last question: It's the closest feeling to levitating.

Photo by Ota Kinbaku

Since shibari/kinbaku (I kind of use those two terms interchangeably, but this Wikipedia article has a glossary that's more enlightening than my articulation abilities) is very popular in erotic photography, I used to shy away from bondage until I came across some beautiful photos that really captured the beauty of the non-sexual aspects of the practice. I fell in love with shibari for the creative aesthetics and the art of ties and knots and rope patterns and how the human body is supported. Here are some beautiful inspirations to me:

Photo by Sphinx Carnival

Photo by Garth Knight

This pose! I absolutely love this balletic pose!

Credits unknown

Everyone's body handles suspension differently due to the fact that everyone has different weight-to-balance ratio, and different tolerance levels. When done right, I think rope looks so beautiful, and even (dare I say?) empowering (I know, that sounds like a contradiction. How the hell can someone look empowered when they're tied up?).

I really fell in love with the art of it, and the fact that the practice really emphasizes communication and trust between the rigger (the person who ties up others) and the bottom (the person being tied up). I've been lucky to have worked with riggers (they include Ota Kinbaku, Dan of Two Knotty Boys, and the husband-wife-team of The Trousseau) who know what they're doing and are super-communicative with me by checking in on me every minute or so while they're tying me up (a simple "How are you doing?" or "How does this feel?" is sufficient). I guess thanks to that trust and level of professionalism, I get to have lots of fun pretending I'm levitating, heheheee.

Photo by Ota Kinbaku

I was having dinner with a good friend of mine. He asked me if it hurt to be suspended. I only told him it does if it's done improperly, and that there are certain techniques that riggers have to be aware of when rigging someone, such as the fact that one cannot be tied around the joints, and that there are certain ways of tying that allows the bottom to still have a normal functioning blood circulation. I liked the response my friend gave me. He remarked, "Wow! There's really an art to this! One that requires a lot of trust!"

Very keen insight on his part, I must say. Being tied up and suspended is not an action any sensible person should entrust to just any rigger. And every good rigger should feel the same! I've been told that riggers have to be wary of people who have never been tied up, but are curious about it. Especially since once the prospect of being tied up becomes reality, the newbie might become anxious and freak out. That's when the rigger knows that the plan for being tied up should be aborted, for the sake of everyone's physical and mental safety. Not to mention I've heard of horror stories of incompetent riggers that resulted in severe injuries, paralysis, and even deaths of the bottoms. *shudders*

Yet, regardless of its connotation with erotic photography, the art of bondage and suspension is a magical sensation that I really enjoy. I hope this post was at least somewhat enlightening, and that this will pique your interest in my novel when it's ready. I just finished chapter 2 last night!

I'm a Goodreads Author!

My oh my, I just received an email that I'm now listed on Goodreads as an official author! With my very own author page!

I feel kind of further validated as a writer...my "author photo" is taken by Tamara Locke

 

Since I was a contributor of Thrones of Desire, I qualified for an author page, and after emailing the Goodreads moderators, TA-DAAA!!!!! Despite the unfruitful queries of my last novel, this boosts my spirit.

I've also been receiving feedback on the draft summary of my new novel, which I will now state, is a New Adult fantasy BDSM-themed Little Red Riding Hood-inspired story. I spent the last day taking notes on the symbolisms within the story, derived from the original tale, and am now organizing the plot. I'm happy to say I'm receiving a handful of positive comments, though of course there are always going to be naysayers sprinkled into the bunch. Perhaps I shall dedicate another blog post to the feedback.

New Blog Layout

I've been absent from this blog for quite a while, due to that terrible miscarriage of the intended agent representation of my middle-grade fantasy novel. I've been suffering writer's block for the past several months. I never knew it could feel so terrible. Never before in my life had I ever sat before a computer screen or a notebook for hours, and be at loss for producing anything.

But I'm back! Just last week, an idea for a New Adult novel came to me with full force. I'm astounded--after spending months floundering in frustration, I've spent a whole week feeling elated and writing notes to plan out this new novel. I've been fleshing out characters, their motivations, drawing on BDSM and fetishes and my experience of being tied up and suspended (yes, you read that right! Wow, a lot has happened since I last updated this blog) and am now in the middle of building the story world and incorporating steampunk elements.

This is hopefully my 4th novel I will be able to complete an entire draft of. For now, here is one image that alludes to what my novel is about.

Do you like my blog layout too? It's been dramatically altered to reflect the sensibilities of this new novel too. :)