Anne Shade is an incurable romantic with a passion for writing stories about women who love women. Queer Author of Sapphic Fiction mixed with lots of Black girl magic. Whether its contemporary, erotica, historical, intrigue, or fantasy, Anne’s stories cross many genres with one common factor…BIPOC representation in all her main characters.
We are very proud to announce that Anne Shade will be a guest on our panel of authors at our Residence 11 Desire Summit East in Jersey City, NJ, April 13-14th.
What inspires you to write?
What inspires me to write is the passion for sharing engaging, realistic fictional stories of love that reflect women like me. To share stories that show that it’s possible for a queer woman of color to have their own happily ever after, no matter what their sexual orientation or identity are.
What elements make a book compelling?
The first element is obviously the story. Before any reader gets to know the characters, they need to be drawn in by the story itself. The blurb/synopsis/summary is the reader’s introduction to a book and needs to be compelling enough to pique their interest. Once they’re drawn in by the story then the characters are the next element to keeping and holding a reader’s interest. Compelling stories need equally compelling characters that will help carry the story an author is trying to tell.
How do you approach sex in a story?
Unless it’s an erotic story, sex is usually a catalyst to move the characters’ romance to the next phase. I approach it slowly and with care so as not to overwhelm the story I’m trying to tell. I compare it to starting a meal with something light and refreshing then adding more spice and flavor with each dish that follows until your taste buds and senses are overwhelmed with pleasure from the meal leaving you pleasantly full and satisfied.
What advice would you give to others looking to write erotica?
I would advise them to take the time to figure out what they want their story to say. Erotica isn’t just about the sex. Even characters in erotica need to be compelling enough to keep the reader interested in the story outside of the sex. In my opinion, books solely focused on sex scene after sex scene with no real story to carry it is porn, but books telling a story that include sexy and sensual elements that help move the story along is erotica. I would also advise choosing your words and descriptions carefully. Flowery prose doesn’t work well with erotic stories but on the other hand, vulgarity can turn a reader off. You have to find a fine line between the two. Lastly, make sure that the scenes are realistic. Don’t put your characters into any positions or moves that would take a professional contortionist to do…unless your character is a professional contortionist then, by all means, twist them into a pretzel to your heart’s content.