Ever wondered how to write an eye-catching blurb for your latest erotic novel? Or why some readers end up not finishing your book? What are some simple things you can do to develop more professional writing habits? What are the secrets an aspiring writer should know when it comes to dealing with editors and publishers? What are the essential elements of erotic storytelling? Do creative and sexual energies flow from the same place? Does an erotic story necessarily have to have sex in it-or will sexy atmosphere suffice? What are the best books to read for creative inspiration? What are the best erotic novels, short stories, and anthologies of the last decade? ‘Fearless Fiction’ brings together some of the best articles, essays, and reviews from Terrance Aldon Shaw’s Erotica for the Big Brain blog, which ran for seven years between 2012 and 2019. Pieces cover a wide range of topics: Part 1 comprises essays on big ideas, overcoming our reluctance to write about sexual themes, our mundane hangups where the trangressive is concerned, battling the forces of censorship and repression while exploring the sometimes-subtle distinctions between erotica and pornography. Part 2 features a selection of personal essays drawing connections to broader philosophical, literary, and social concerns: Topics range from a remebrance of ‘Playboy’ founder Hugh Hefner and his legacy, to writing disability in erotica, the search for authenticity in the portrayal of ’the other,’ rooting out racism and cultural appropriation in our fiction, struggles with depression, and the resolve to become a better man. Part 3 explores the nuts and bolts of writing, creative technique, editing, publishing, beta-reading, blurb-writing, and reviewing. Part 4 comprises book reviews, including The Fearless Fiction Awards-all the titles from Erotica for the Big Brain’s annual Best-of lists between 2012 and 2019. Part 5 includes a few odds and ends, film reviews, a recipe for homemade bread, and a selection of the author’s aphorisms. For ease of reference, the book includes a detailed index with some 400 discrete entries featuring every creative, author, editor, film director, poet, composer, musician, and philosopher named in the books 107,000-word text. ‘Fearless Fiction’ is designed to enlighten, entertain, and inspire thoughtful writers and adventuresome readers wherever they may be!
