A new commission piece has been posted! It’s called Getting to See Karly. Be sure to click on the link and read the story before reading this blog, because as always…

HEAVY SPOILERS BELOW!!

This piece is a little different than all of the other commissions I’ve done. It’s a lot shorter than most of them, it’s a little bit more get-to-the-sex than most of them, and it has a bit more of a porn-y plotline than my usual pretending-to-be-literature style (with the exception of First Impressions). But the real thing that sets it apart is that it’s essentially a rewrite of a story that exists.

Around… way too long ago (whoops), this commissioner came to me with a challenge. They knew me from my days on the original blue website I used to post to, and wanted to commission someone to rewrite a story that appeared to have been removed from the website. Trouble is, no one remembered the story. The story came from an author that clearly had some sort of thing for high school stories involving playfully misogynistic themes – cocky boys owning submissive girls, girls openly behaving slutty at school with no remorse, High school trope-y environments like Halloween parties and track meets becoming sexual, etc. The commissioner could only describe this author and pray that someone had some memory of them.

I happened to remember those stories. I couldn’t remember them perfectly, nor the exact names of the stories nor the author, but once they started describing them, I wrote back that I believed I knew what they were talking about and tried to summarize one of their stories. The commissioner seemed elated, then asked me to do a rewrite of “that one story” where a band boy videotaped his girlfriend. I was reasonably confident I remembered the story, so I accepted.

If the plot points seem a little too silly for my usual style, that’s why. With one notable exception, I tried to be as faithful to the story as possible. This means, credit where it’s due, that if you liked certain beats, such as Karly’s mantra about her collar or the popcorn bowl touch, they didn’t come from me. If you thought they were problematic, that’s fair.

To be honest, some aspects did bother me. The story, as I recalled it, was kind of filled with this self-evident tone about its misogynistic themes, as if women should serve men like that, even outside of sexual situations. It made the playful intent a little harder to parse. It was very uncritical of the playful choosing-to-be-submissive role the women played in these situations. Given this, my one true creative choice was the ending. I added a section where it was made clear that all of this was done with Karly’s consent and comfort in mind.

Largely, I like sex stories where all parties fully enjoy the feelings. I know that seems laughable given my track record of tear-jerking moments and making everything way too dramatic and consequence-heavy, but it’s true. I enjoy sex where you’re not taking something from someone to enjoy the sex, you’re sharing it with them. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take on this story, and was only confident I’d do it when I thought of the ending part where they talk about the safe word and Travis shows genuine care.

I know some people get off to the power fantasy and that section at the end might take the wind out of their sails, but I feel it’s the right move to make this story more enjoyable on a whole. I don’t enjoy the idea of pleasing myself to a story that’s ultimately about a manipulative relationship (yes, I know, this is coming from the person who’s writing Consequences, but that’s different). To some people, sex can be just sex, especially in stories, but I’m not someone who believes in that. All sex comes from communication and connection, and I can’t not include that. I wouldn’t be able to write a story that’s basically just an inner monologue of someone using a sex toy. That’s not in my wheelhouse. I view sex as a result of relationships (not necessarily romantic ones) and I want to reflect that in my writing.

There’s times where the lower-hanging fruit is more direct, for those that enjoy that. Even the name is very porn story-ish, as opposed to an attempt at a hybrid like I normally do. Some people want these stories to drop the pretense and lead into the sex. Plus, it can be fun to immerse yourself in a sex scene without having to worry about the drama that comes after. A lot of people likely read sex stories to get away from the real world, and that’s valid. I try to balance that, in this situation, with not denying the real world… existing in stories. Readers of my work already clearly want people to talk like human beings with their own thoughts and goals and not cheesy porn robots. So, why not make it clear at the end that Karly is enjoying herself, and Travis is treating her like an equal after some much-enjoyed sex, instead of an object? If you have fantasies of submitting to a misogynistic situation, seeing them also enact a fantasy should be hot. It shouldn’t ruin the story to have it be their choice. If someone got annoyed that it couldn’t just be a manipulative guy expecting women to serve him… I don’t know. I’d ask them why that has to be the only option in a story like this, lest it annoy them.

I’ve mentioned many times that I think the erotica writer has an obligation to be respectful and self-aware. After all, these stories have an impact on the world and how our readers see people. Sometimes very impressionable people. As much as they shouldn’t, it’s an inevitability that minors will read these stories. I’m not endorsing that fact; I’m just saying it’s a reality that it happens. Perhaps these minors never had relationships before and are looking to these stories as advice. I know I did when I was younger. Writers have a responsibility to not lead them down the wrong path.

At any rate, I’ll get off my soapbox. It was a lot of fun penning a less serious more porn-y story again, and I hope it was enjoyed. It’s really fun to write and explore these new dynamics of ownership and free use. Who knows, maybe I’ll shift to other new dynamics in the coming few stories. Who can say?

Lastly, at the time of writing this, I am still sadly unemployed. I am applying to other jobs, but am taking my free time (not spent applying and interviewing in a very competitive area) to write. I do this to show I’m serious and committed to this work, and want to keep all of it available for free. I try not to beg too often, but if you appreciate my work, supporting me on my Patreon really is the biggest help you can give. Even the lowest tier, one dollar a month, does make a big difference when the amount I earn in a month still comes in at the low three-digit range.

Thank you as always for reading, especially these blogs. I hope you enjoy them, and of course, if you have any thoughts, including disagreeing ones, I always enjoy reading your comments and hearing your feedback. I’ll talk to you all next week.