Tuesday, March 13, 2018

My dream...and what comes after

When I first came back from hiatus (not long ago), I told you I'd had an incredibly hot dream about vampires, and that I'd give you the breakdown in another post. This is that post, and besides the vampire dream, it's going to include my ideas about where to go from here - and how you can help me decide.

First, the dream.  I was part of a vampire's banquet. I and several other people had been enthralled by a vampire who had undressed us almost completely. I was wearing nothing but an under-the-breast corset made of white rubber with artistic cut-outs. She'd programmed us so that the longer we kept our eyes rolled up, the more aroused we'd become, which meant we were all just wallowing in blind lust and seeing nothing around us. We lay on chaise lounges while our Mistress' guests - other vampires - came in. Some of us had been given special food or drinks beforehand to flavor our blood, and all of us were really just living bottles at a vampire wine-tasting: meant to be tasted and enjoyed, but not killed. We'd serve to this Mistress forever. First we'd be human slaves; and then, before we lost our looks, she'd turn us into vampire slaves. We'd never have free will, and we'd never be more to her than party favors.

Now, I can't remember whether I ever told you about a story idea based on a steamy-but-incomplete lesbian vampire poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. If his name sounds familiar, that's because he's the guy who started writing his most famous poem, "Kubla Khan," in the midst of an opium bender and then got distracted by an unexpected visitor. By the time he got back to his writing desk, he'd lost both his buzz and his inspiration. So that poem went unfinished too. Anyway, I think my first post-hiatus story is going to be an eroticized takeoff of Coleridge's vampire poem; and the climactic scene will be based on the dream I just described to you. I think I might use the image at the top of this post to make the ebook cover, but I'd like some opinions about that. Is it hot enough for an X-rated story?

That's my first question for you; I'll get to the others in a second. I hope lots of you will add comments to this post. Remember that my blog is set up to allow 100% anonymous commenting, and I don't censor anything except spam and troll posts.

Now, my next question is where to go from the vampire story (Which I think I'm going to call "Damsels in Distress"). I'm torn over several choices:
  • There's "Transfixed," which is still waiting out there half-finished on Amazon. I hate to leave the people who've read Part 1 hanging, and I do have an outline that will get me through Part 2, but I think this is going to be a "heavy lifting" project. That's one of the reasons I wanted to start with something short and new first, to get my mojo working again.
  • Another option for my second project is "The Power of Positive Slavery," which I've teased here before and which is sitting half-written on my laptop. But again, with this one, I feel like it's going to be heavy lifting...and at least I haven't published anything on it yet, so I don't have to worry about anyone fretting over cliffhangers.
  • Another choice would be to start in a new direction after "Damsels in Distress," writing Lovecraft mythos stories under a different pen name (which you'll be able to discover if you read my future posts carefully). I have three stories in mind so far. They'll be horror with a bit of humor and/or some eros - but no actual erotica. Under the US movie rating system, they'd be classified as PG-13 or R. I've planned out one of these stories (working title: "Dummy") very thoroughly already, and it's practically screaming at me to start writing it now. Actually, I wish I could write it alongside "Damsels in Distress," but I'm not good at juggling two projects at once; and I figure I'd better start with a sure success rather than something experimental.
  • Besides "Dummy," these are the two other Lovecraft stories I have in mind. One is based on "The Mound," but told from the point of view of the pervy humans who served as the villains in the original story. This story would definitely involve some eros (and suggestions of orgies). The other story is actually based on the "King in Yellow" series (written by Robert Chambers) which were written before Lovecraft started his career and greatly influenced his mythology. If you want a taste of how freaky the King in Yellow stories areyou can read The Yellow Sign here. Actually, all Robert Chambers' writings are in the public domain now, but "The Yellow Sign" is the best one to start with. Then, if you like that, check out "The Repairer of Reputations" next.
Now here's my last question. I'd like to know whether fans of my EMC erotica would be interested in reading non-EMC Lovecraft mythos stories by me, so I'm setting up a simple poll in the sidebar up top. Please take a moment to tick a box - and again, please add some comments below.

Thanks!

12 comments:

Kara said...

I am so pleased you are back! I've admired and enjoyed your work for years and you're an inspiration for the stories I write with my partner. Thank you!

Half Shim said...

Well, you know my opinion already. I'm totally ready for more Transfixed. :D

I can't say I'm usually a fan of horror unless it happens to involve certain squicky things. That can totally be hit or miss, though. I'd have to see a synopsis first.

Some of that will depend on how cagy you decide to be about your new nom de plume.

On the other hand, I'm just a fair weather fan, so feel free to ignore me. :)

blnkstr said...

Go with whatever is screaming at you first. Your anecdote about Coleridge being interupted during "Kubla Khan" seems to indicate that approach! Thanks for your work!

thrall said...

Thanks, folks! I'm going to keep this post (and the poll in the sidebar) up for a while to help me make the best decision. blnkstr definitely has a point about certain stories "screaming at" me. ;-) But at the same time, I really do want to play fair by my fans. I feel an obligation to you all.

K said...

Welcome back!

Always nice to hear that you have more story ideas on the horizon.

Traveller28 said...

Have you checked out Lovecraft's "The Whisperer in the Darkness" - there some freaky mind control stuff going on there in the last act.

thrall said...

Thanks, K!

And Traveller28, "The Whisperer in Darkness" is exactly the Lovecraft story I plan to base *my* story on. I love the general plot of it, but it bugs the hell out of me how Wilmarth suddenly comes down with a near-terminal case of The Stupids halfway through. I want to explore that idea.

Traveller28 said...

If you get the opportunity, this is a pretty groovy take on the story (it takes a few liberties here and there) but it captures the sense of "body horror" that Lovecraft nailed.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1498878/?ref_=nv_sr_2

thrall said...

Thanks, Traveller28. I'm only just now discovering *how many* of Lovecraft's stories have been filmed by indie studios. I didn't know anyone had done "The Whisperer in Darkness."

Traveller28 said...

Cheers my dear! I hope you enjoy it - the whole production is on youtube, I think?

thrall said...

Traveller28, I'm not sure. I saw it listed on the IMDB. I haven't tried to find all the Lovecraft stuff on YouTube because there's too damn much of it!

Traveller28 said...

Darn, I think it is no longer there....I snagged mine via *ahem* other means back in the day as there are few options to purchase this at present.