Who do you write for?

[kim_dare]

General introductory bit:

I’m Kim Dare and as Jan said in her introduction, I write BDSM - mostly M/M, with some M/F and the occasional bit of ménage thrown in for good luck. I also dabble in the paranormal - my obsession of the moment is shifters (wolves, lions and avians so far). When it comes right down to brass tacks - I’ll write a bit of

Comments

[helenkacan]

::waves hi from across the pond::

It's still early here in N.A., so it was a surprise to see your post pop up on a Saturday morning.

Thank you for the intro to your work. I have to agree that I loathe the "written by women, for women" phrase, because it trivializes both women and writing (and makes it sound as if we're such delicate flowers that our sensibilities will be offended). After all, if there's something serious to be said, it will be written by a man ... for men, right? And even sexually explicit m/m romances are judged to be only a step above the old harlequin-style books, which were popped out with depressing regularity and a convenient formula.

So ... you add the paranormal and love and a happy ending to kink. I think I love it already. Because there's another thing that much of vanilla society still has a problem with: that kink is bad and evidence of mental instability/weakness. If it cannot be punished, then it should be discouraged. Besides, how can there be love when there's a power imbalance? And, no

[kim_dare]

Hi Helen *Waves hi back*

Thanks for commenting :)

Yep, for me, the "by women for women" label on MM romance does tend to hark back toward somewhat unpleasant ideas about both women and gay men. I'm pretty sure the people who say it don't mean what it sounds like to me though.

I agree that kinky happy endings tend to be in short supply a lot of the time - in fiction and in the real world. And a lot of the time it seems that, even when they do come along, kinky characters can only be allowed to find happiness by either giving up kink and relising it's actually evil, or by becoming a carbon copy of some 'ideal' dom or sub - by losing all their individuality.

Glad someone else sees it the same way :)

And BTW - thanks for the head up on the lj cut. Should be sorted now :)

Take care,

Kim Dare.

[helenkacan]

::giggles::
I kept staring at your post and refreshing and seeing the correct application of the lj-cut and was wondering if LJ was just too sleepy to ::coughs:: submit to you! But I'm glad it finally did.

And, ah, about the ::coughs again:: perceived realistic endings where either a character A) gives up kink or B) loses all individuality, well, isn't that just the old morality jumping out and yelling "Boo"? Because, once again, kink is bad and, if you do it, these are the only two outcomes. Gah!

::waves bye::
Helenka

[kim_dare]

It was a bit of a stubborn little sod about the cut, lol. I always seem to have that effect on computers.

Yep, here's to lots more individally kinky happy endings :)

Kim Dare.

[carolyn_l_topol]

Thank you so much for this wonderful and informative post. I really like reading how your characters drive the story. I try hard to do the same with my characters. Their desires, passions, interests, and motivations move the stories along.

Did you read a great deal of BDSM fiction before you began writing it?

Before I begin writing a story, it's usually "living" in my brain and unfolding to a point where I feel that I can envision a complete piece to share. How do your stories evolve?

I appreciate your viewpoint on happy endings. I couldn't agree more!

[kim_dare]

Hi Carolyn - Thanks for having me on the blog

[slavetopassion]

I love your kinky characters, Kim. And I adore you! Thank you for all your wonderful books.

~smooches~
Jase

[kim_dare]

Thanks Jase. I adore you too :D

*hugs*

Kim.

[velvetwhip]

I like your philosophy. Like you, I think the "written by women for women" label is chafing. I see it as marginalizing, confining some books to a little pink room where they won't take up space where the "real" books belong. I am glad you don't subscribe to that label.

Gabrielle

[kim_dare]

Hi Gabrielle,

Labels really are tricky things. In some ways I think I've got better at dealing with them, and realising some labels can mean very different things to different people, than I was when I was first published, but you're right - there are a couple that still chaffe :)

Thanks for dropping by,

Kim Dare.

[jan_irving]

Kim, I'm a little late, but I so enjoyed your talk. For me, finding out why another person creates is always fascinating, like being invited into their writing room.

I think that's really the best way to go, to be so in touch with your people that you lose yourself. Actually, it made me smile a little since in my first book, Janitor, my guys played daddy kink. It is not something I'm really into personally, but I don't defend them or really explain that to readers when they ask me. Some people aren't into that kind of thing, which is fine. But when I said to them, uh, this is not exactly a politically correct kind of deal, they told me to piss off. So I just let them do their thing. More than that, I let them celebrate it.

I think the best stories come from leaving behind concerns that you can't control anyway.