Every once in a while an erotic story will get stuck in my head, and for me, I’m finding that this is true but not so much for just one story, but the stories of one writer: Logan Zachery. I first came across his wonderful story telling whilst reading The Big Book Of Orgasms and his story entitled: ‘Remote Control’. Since reading that story I swear I have not been able to look at a remote control without a wicked smile spreading across my face, and some even wickeder images entering my head.
I was then treated to another of his stories in the anthology, Nasty Boys, Rough Trade Erotica, called, ‘Call-Boy Killer’ which had a similar effect on me. The characters in that story as wonderful, the plot twists enthralling and the sex is great, which makes for some great erotic reading in my mind at least.
I decided to ask Logan, if he would be good enough to allow me to interview him, and I’m so glad to say he said yes. The following is the result of that interview:
1: Why did you choose to write in the erotic genre in particular?
I have written mystery, horror, and children’s stories, but I enjoy writing erotica. I love the challenge to come up with fun characters and storylines unique and different and have fun with a sexy scene added to the story. Why close the bedroom door? A fellow romance/erotica writer said she likes to kick the bedroom door wide open. I like to see what I can come up with, and it is scary what has come out of my minds and some of the characters that have come and spoken to me. I love the creative aspect of writing and solving the creating fun new characters and stories.
2: When you’re writing, which comes first in your process: The story or the title?
I fly by the seat of my pants when I write. I see what my characters see behind the door when they open it. I am a horrible outliner, so all my stories grow organically. My characters help tell me what they want to do and should do. When I try to control them and send them in the wrong direction, they use a writer’s block and prevent me from guiding them in the wrong direction. When I listen to them or ask them, “what do you want to do or what should you do?” They usually tell me.
I sometimes come up with a clever title (Taking It For The Team, In Good Hands, Bite First, Ask Questions Later, Spank You Sir, May I Have Another, and Front Door, Back Door) and that guides the story and sometimes the story has to be finished to find the right title. Being open to makes the process go easier than trying to force it to happen. If I’m having fun, it is easy.
3: Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?
I work full time in a hand therapy clinic, so I write in the evenings and on weekends. I have deadlines and a bunch of calls for short stories, and then I come across calls for something that sounds fun, but I have to find the story and characters before I can write the story. A friend tried to collect his stories for an anthology, and he found it was the same story over and over with new names and settings. He was angry at me for having each one of my stories being different, and I struggle hard to make each one unique and true to the characters. The other side is when I’ve had a hard day at work, it is very difficult to be creative and full of energy to write, when I’d rather read, watch TV, or play with my new puppy when she demands attention.
Once I have the story idea and characters, the writing is like magic. The characters take over, and it is like I’m conjuring the story from somewhere else. (Insert Twilight Zone music here)
4: If you had one piece of advice for erotic writers what would it be and why? Write the story you want to read. Make it unique and write it from your voice and your viewpoint with passion and love. Love the characters and the story, love the voice you use, and love the subject matter. By telling your story from your heart, at least you’ll be true to yourself and your characters, telling someone else’s story will ring untrue.
Also, just write the story. Let it flow and have fun with it. Repeat words, be wrong and make the body positions impossible, but finish the story and then edit, edit, edit. Don’t stop yourself from writing something you don’t want your mother to read. That is what pen names are for. Turn off the editor in your mind and finish the story and see where the muse takes you. Sometimes the tone will change, but be true for the story and characters. I have written a few dark stories, a few funny stories, and a few sad ones, but they work because of the subject matter and the characters are true to themselves.
5: If you could have dinner with one author, who would it be and why?
When I met PD James, I swooned. Aaron Travis (Steven Saylor) is an author that I love and was so tongued tied when I met him. Sue Grafton is a classy lady. But I would love to have dinner with Agatha Christie as long as she didn’t cook with her knowledge of poisons.
I’m old, so I would love to meet Rosemary Rogers and Jennifer Wilde. I read their romances in High School and would love to tell them how much they shaped what I write and read.
Now my list for authors I would love to have dessert with …hmmm. E-mail and ask….
6: If you had to sum yourself up in one word, what would it be and why? Hopeful. I am hopeful that someday someone will read my work and see how special it is. I hope that my stories find a good home and a good heart. I have a love of books and when I was growing up and alone, books where my best friends. I hope my stories and my books find the right people to make their day, to touch them in a certain way, and be there when they need it. I hope I can tap into fun emotions that can take people away from their problems and concerns and bring them to a good place and make them feel good, better, loved. And there is always hope of Hollywood making me an offer for a movie deal. I want action figures, T-shirts, lunch boxes …
And I hope all of this craziness makes sense.
A little more about Logan Zachary
Logan Zachary lives in a haunted house in Minneapolis, MN. It was built by the man that invented Old Dutch potato chips. Last week, he found out that his book, “Calendar Boys” was one of ISO book club’s Top 100 best seller of the year. He also have four short stories in four of the anthologies in the Top 100. Jerry Wheeler’s Tricks of the Trade, Neil Plakcy’s Sexy Sailor, Shawn Allison’s Nasty Boys and Big Man on Campus. He has published over 100 gay erotica stories and his new mystery is “Big Bad Wolf” with Bold Strokes.
The new book is called Big Bad Wolf. Paavo Wolfe owns We’re Wolfe’s Books, the place to go for Lake Superior’s horror book and movie aficionados. His best friend, Stacey, own Lotions and Potions next door. When a wolf attacks two of Stacey’s employees, against all reason, they begin to suspect that one of the victims is turning into a werewolf. As they struggle to find the truth, they dodge a nosy news reporter, an ex-partner detective assigned to the case, a drug selling boyfriend, and too many friends trying to help solve the crime before things become really hairy. Can Paavo solve the mystery before he runs into the Big Bad Wolf? The action takes place the week of Halloween and during a horror film festival and a zombie prom.
He is currently finishing up the sequel to Big Bad Wolf. It’s called GingerDead Man, where a baker from Icing on the Lake is thrown in his own oven and Paavo and Stacey find his body. This book takes place over Thanksgiving week, and they have to deal with Joe’s family, Paavo’s landlord, and the homeless dinner as an arsonist is setting Duluth ablaze. The heat is turned up in more ways than one in Paavo and Joe’s relationship from the steam room at the bath house to the various fires that are set around the town, putting everyone in jeopardy. Billy Goat Snuffed is the third book planned in this series.
You can find Logan Zachary on the web: www.loganzacharydicklit.com and I for one hope that you do, because his writing is so worth your time reading -)
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