Geeks, Fire and Erotica: WTF is Anna Sky?

Anna Sky is chief editor and social media manager for Sexy Little Pages and Resonance Press as well as being an occasional author! In her capacity as erotica writer, she’s been published by multiple presses and one of her own anthologies has even been quoted in a PhD thesis for short-story form! Apart from that she’s (in no particular order) a geek, red wine drinker, poi hurler, Firefly fan and has a very dirty laugh! Find her books on Amazon and iTunes. Visit her website.

Popcorn.dating Asks Who The Fuck is:

Anna Sky

 What got you into writing erotic fiction, Anna?

I'd dabbled in writing bits of erotica for years but never did anything with it. The explosion of Fifty Shades coincided with meeting my now-husband and with his encouragement, I took it more seriously. I started off writing heteronormative fiction, as that's what I know. Over time have tried to change that; it's more fun and more representative. Specifically, I write more about different physical abilities and first-person fiction, where the gender of the main character is unknown.

How important are sex-positive, diverse body, and LGBTQ characters to you? Does this play a role in why you write erotica?

I love diversity in erotica. The "rich white man who rescues the poor slender white girl" trope has been done to death and only represents a tiny fraction of the spectrum of humanity out there. Sure, there's definitely room for escapist billionaire fantasy but I like reading and writing about different genders and sexualities. Representation is important in all writing genres and if a piece of writing challenges a reader, that can be a vehicle for change. Reading body-positive erotica has been fantastic for me in terms of accepting myself. As someone with CFS, I can find it an isolating condition. Reading about other people with similar issues, even if fiction, can help break that isolation and I have friends who have found their sexuality through reading fiction. It truly is powerful stuff!

What made you choose to write erotic fiction?

I think it chose me! I love reading sci-fi and fantasy but I struggle to build convincing worlds so found something 'closer to home' to write. I know that people look down on erotica but it's like any other writing... if you can elicit an emotional response from even one reader, you've created change. Also, when I first started sending off my work in response to anthology calls, I looked at what events are out there to support erotica writers, both on- and offline. Some of my best friends are ones that I've never met in person... we've become a support network, not just for writing but for every day life. And I also have awesome friends who I have met through the erotica at various different events over the last couple of years. It is a close-knit community and every event is a social one, as well as the various workshops that might be running. I think because we write about sex and intimacy, it's a common thread that pulls us closer together.

Do you find that writing about sex can open doors to sex-positive education?

It's certainly made a difference to me. I'm more vocal about issues and definitely more informed on issues such as consent, sexuality and the intersection of sex-positivity and feminism, for example. Also coming back to my point on representation, there's a lot of people out there who cannot be themselves; identifying with similar people and situations is incredibly empowering.

Do you have a favorite story you've written? Why is it your favorite?

I think I'm like a lot of authors; I don't like my writing. I constantly compare myself with other writers and tell myself I'm not as good so go through phases where I don't write at all. I think one of my favorite pieces is 'Inside Out' in Silence is Golden. There's a lot of me in that... I took some of the challenges I have with my CFS for every day sex and amplified it into a BDSM scene. It turned out to be a very personal piece, far different from when I started writing it.

Do you have any new publications coming out?

There's Goodbye Moderation: Lust coming out in a few weeks with 'Goddess', a piece by me in. But I mainly publish and edit rather than write at the moment. My current favorite to write is shorter pieces, 'flash fiction'... give me a word prompt and a sub-500 word limit and I'm there!

If you could give any advice to new writers in the genre, or even your readers, what would that be?

• Don't be scared to take risks with your subject matter.
• Write every day and ignore your inner critic (I am trying on this one, honest!).
• Write what makes you happy.
• They're all cliches, but it's true. If you get bored as a writer, your readers will be bored too and writing is something that gets better with practice, so keep doing it.

A great place to get started writing is right here on Popcorn.dating! We love to hear from you and want to feature your writing on the magazine! Send a message to [email protected] with a submission or any questions you have!

Sienna Saint-Cyr writes erotica and blogs about kink, poly, body image, and most things relating. Follow her on her website or on Twitter @siennasaintcyr.