Reading Roundup – Third Quarter 2021
Hey, I drafted this, and then through a series of unfortunate things, managed to lose the entire thing, so here we are. Technology. (Yes, I had a backup....
My Own Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo Report
So, while there’s still a few days to finish if you yourself are playing along, I thought I would share my progress. The post about the suggestions I had...
And the Book Version is Here!
Yeah, for those of you who dislike learning via email, and/or who want to have all the info in one place, the newsletter info has been compiled into book...
LTAFS: Question Box
In the class I teach, we do what we call a question box. Everyone has to write something down and pass it forward, and then the instructors review, research...
LTAFS: Sex scenes and Character Growth
An analogy I use a lot is this. If you go to the movies by yourself, it can be a wonderful and exciting experience. You get to choose the time, the place,...
LTAFS: Sex and Power Dynamics
I know we touched on power dynamics a little in the consent topic, but let’s talk in a little more detail. In almost any configuration of a relationship you...
LTAFS: Sex and Mood-Altering Substances
Because we are talking about drugs and alcohol today, and how they affect a character’s ability to consent, we are going to brush up against some discussion...
LTAFS: Ableism and Sex
Before we dive in, I’m going to note that ableism is an area I am still working on myself. As we are discussing some ableist myths, this may be a tough read...
LTAFS: Sex and Money
So let’s talk about something that often goes ignored in some fiction. Money. Sure, it comes up when a character needs money to save the community center, it...
First Quarter 2021 Reading Roundup
Some things I read and enjoyed in the first quarter. Bookshop links included. This is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey - Jess starts to notice her life is...
LTAFS: To Be or Not to Be a Parent
One of the things the middle school version of the sex ed class I teach does is presents the students with a variety of prospective parents and asks them to...
LTAFS: Contraception What?
I am going to talk about modern contraception primarily. I do know that there are historical authors who are having their characters use things like sponges,...
LTAFS: Contraception Why?
Now, to a certain extent, if you are still reading, I assume you have or are planning to include contraception in your fiction. But let’s talk a little about...
LTAFS: Let's Talk Outercourse
One of the things a lot of novels don’t spend a lot of time on is outercourse. Outercourse is a broad term that includes a wide range of sexual behavior that...
LTAFS: Infections, Disease, and Pregnancy are not Morality
There is a tendency in our culture to put a lot of parameters around acceptable behavior. Sexual behavior is especially prone to this. As an author the...
LTAFS: Dating – There’s an App for That
A couple of caveats before we get into this. I am in my forties. I like to think I keep up to date with such things, but I am generally doing so as a...
LTAFS: Prior History
Authors spend a lot of time - whether before, during, or after the first draft (Hi my pantser friends!) - building a character’s backstory. Other than...
LTAFS: Consent, Boundaries, and Other forms of Communication – Part 2
While we are primarily going to discuss what positive and enthusiastic consent looks like today, I am aware this can be a difficult topic for some who might...
LTAFS: Consent, Boundaries, and Other forms of Communication – Part 1
While we are primarily going to discuss what positive and enthusiastic consent looks like today, I am aware this can be a difficult topic for some who might...
LTAFS: Attraction is a Spectrum
There are lots of reasons people find each other attractive, and it can often be a process or it can be immediate. In social psychology, they often talk...