Reese Cantwell's Blog

I think just about anyone who writes books has situations that they feel are off limits and these are mostly personal. There are some, especially in erotica, that are not allowed by the publishers: incest, bestiality, rape, extreme violence, characters below eighteen having sex, for example, and some retailers that restrict the titles they carry even further, limiting books that they think contain too much sex.

But, for me, there are some situations that I don't use: drunkenness, forceful sex, demeaning sex, drugs, are examples. And you will rarely see prostitution, violence or guns involved in my books. I also stay away from gay men's stories mostly because I have such a limited understanding of that part of our world. If I tried, it wouldn't be very good and I won't do that.

We all have topics we're uncomfortable with and I try to avoid those mostly because I work very hard to create realism in my writing. To me, eroticism comes through best when you believe in the people and the situation they're in, when you relate to them and they can come alive in your mind.

It may sound odd but I read very little erotica. I write a lot, seven days a week, and have a very active and naughty mind often thinking of interesting situations people might find themselves in that could lead to sex.

I also do read some true accounts people have experienced but usually just to use as a possible jumping off point. There is a time when I come up with more ideas than others and it's when I'm, for one reason or another, especially horny. That seems to keep my mind more focused on sex and that's when I'm most creative about new ideas for future books.

Also, I try to mix people up, moms with sons, dads with daughters, neighbors, workplace friends, in-laws, sometimes total strangers and imagine sexual situations that are edgy and fun.

I've been asked on occasion how I go about writing my books. I do have a system and it may be somewhat different from other authors.

First off, I write full time. It's what I do. Second, I write more than one book at a time, usually four, each in a different stage of development. Why? I've written over 200 books and it's not unusual for any writer to bog down on a book, to hit a spot where you need to step back and regroup your thoughts and enthusiasm for the plot and its characters.

That's when I'll shift to one of the other books I'm working on. I cycle from one to the next finding that I'm less likely to hit a snag, especially one where I'm seriously blocked from continuing. This works for me and I've only had about three books that I've put away unfinished though that doesn't mean I won't ever bring one or more back to work on.

Next time I'll discuss where I get my ideas.