{"id":1783,"date":"2015-06-15T20:41:09","date_gmt":"2015-06-16T04:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sacollins.com\/blog\/?p=1783"},"modified":"2015-06-16T05:00:34","modified_gmt":"2015-06-16T13:00:34","slug":"words-and-errata-ep-004-the-vocal-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sacollins.com\/blog-wp\/?p=1783","title":{"rendered":"Words and Errata Ep 004 – The Vocal Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Words and Errata –
\nThe Vocal Edition (Episode 004)<\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

So here’s the thing – I am writing quite a bit in my stories (and yeah, that’s plural because I am hitting up four of them simultaneously). So those are moving along. I am hopefully on target for an August release of Angels of Mercy Volume 2 – Marco<\/a><\/strong>. The weres of Sparrows Hollow should be out shortly thereafter and I am jumping for joy on The Cove Chronicles<\/a><\/strong> getting some much needed love and attention. So that one has been updated a bit too.<\/p>\n

Now, I just have to sort out the time so I can POST the damned updates to the site.<\/p>\n

Which brings me to the whole\u00a0 \u2013 it’s tough to be an author in this day and age. I mean, it’s great and all that we can control our own destiny (if you’re so inclined to take it on as I have). But at the same time there’s so much you have to pour into it to make it worth your while monetarily speaking. And there’s the rub for me because I am gonna write what I want to write. I am not looking for what’s selling – I frankly don’t care what’s HOT right now. I am more about the craft of writing and perfecting my art in writing. I will write the stories that interest me and that I would want to read. That’s not to say that others might find them interesting and think what I am doing is cool… and that would be fab.<\/p>\n

But it’s not the focus. Not by a bloody long shot.<\/p>\n

So I just posted another audio blog of Words and Errata on Soundcloud. They’re sort of our way (the hosts of the 3 M\/Musketeers podcast show<\/a><\/strong>) to put down our after thoughts and takeaways from the shows we’ve done with these guest authors. I did go off\u00a0 bit when I bring up a current issue that I saw happened to another author in the genre. Seems she was taken to task over a books she wrote about a couple in an open relationship. They had a threesome – (BIG GASP! The HORROR!).<\/p>\n

Fucking get over yourselves, readers. Jesus, this shit happens. How do I know this? Because I was in an open relationship for a number of years. It is a part of gay men’s lives. While we may be striving for marriage equality, the opponents do\u00a0have one element right – procreation is NOT the focus of our relationships. Sex for us is strictly PLEASURE. We write our own rules – which I guess is why so many on the opposition are cranky – ’cause we say that from the get-go. No mincing words there. We’re outliers that want a place at the table – get used to our shit.<\/p>\n

So, yeah, kids aren’t the focus. But they could be.<\/p>\n

Which, in a very real way can only be a good thing, BECAUSE, then it means that when we do have kids, it is with some very serious thought behind it all. We make a very conscious and concerted effort to have them in our lives. BUT they are not the focus for many of us.<\/p>\n

Let’s get one thing straight (our straight women allies) if you want to read\/write about us – get to know us first. And I mean that in the real sense of it – not the “oh, my gay friends are so funny and cool.” I mean really get to know our shit and what makes us tick. I can tell ya, it ain’t nothing like them books out there. And as a reader, I’d much rather hear about those other guys than the hyped up romance stuff that’s out there. I feel really strongly about this. Romance reads by and large are fantasy – I get that. And they are largely forgettable. Yet I contend that quite a bit of realism injected into them would only enhance these stories and make them far more powerful than they currently are.<\/p>\n

I read reviews where they go on and on about how powerful the storytelling was – I read the damned thing with great hope that I’ll be wowed by this only to be completely disappointed time and again. It’s pathetic, is what it is.<\/p>\n

SO, howzabout this? Rather than pushing your myopic view on what kind of relationships GAY MEN have, let the author tell you the story THEY want to write and tell? Threesomes, moresomes and FUCKING ORGIES and still be in a REAL romantic relationship that isn’t beholden to some fucked up Judeo-Christian ethic that isn’t applicable to our gang (unless we want it to be – choice, it’s a beautiful thing). Who knows? You just might learn a fucking thing or two (if the author has done their homework) about who we are as GAY MEN (not some rose colored straight women glammed up bullshit that is nowhere NEAR what we are).<\/p>\n

From the romance reads out there, those readers can’t be truly interested in actual gay men. Hell, for the most part from what thin plots are out there, they don’t seem to be interested in who MEN are at all… just some idolized 2 dimensional caricature of what might be passed off as a man only because he’s got a cock n’ balls and wants to put his cock n’ balls next to some other guys cock n’ balls. Propped up beefcake, much? Sistah, that’s only the beginning. We’re a helluva lot more than that.<\/p>\n

And no, lap dances by male strippers at a convention\/conference isn’t gonna get ya there neither (yeah, I saw that posted somewhere at a “Gay Writers Conference” and went – how the FUCK<\/em> is this gay? Women with male strippers – what the bloody fuck? Shouldn’t it at least have been MALE\u00a0authors up there with the MALE strippers thus underscoring the whole – oh I dunno, GAY thing?).<\/p>\n

Men in these works are often written superficially and paper thin. Not even close to how we move through life.<\/p>\n

As I tell my girls often enough (daughter and GRAND-daughter in my house), I may be gay, but I KNOW my sex.<\/p>\n

So yeah, it’s a bit of a rant on that audio blog posting. I would apologize for it – nah, who am I kidding, I won’t.<\/p>\n

As Gore Vidal said – style means saying what you want and not giving a damn.<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

That’s my motto and I’m sticking to it.<\/p>\n