Editor Michelle McCann (Beyond Words / Simon & Schuster) and author Amber Keyser worked together on Amber's upcoming non-fiction YA, THE V-WORD, an anthology of essays about first-time sexual experience.Amber reads from Judy Blume's FOREVER to a packed room.
The discussions turns to: Where are kids learning about sex? How? Is it accurate?
Kids today have a access to a great deal of info about sex (including porn) without receiving good information.
Michelle turns to the crowd, to those attempting to write sex scenes: How do you get past writing those parts that make you uncomfortable?
It's mentioned that there is a discomfort when you begin to think about your own kids and writing something for them and their friends, which brings up discomfort in the writing process.
Where's the line between erotica and other books? The line is wavy.
Amber shares an essay from THE V-WORD.
What's acceptable? What can we do? What can't we do?
It's editor to editor specific right now. If there's going to be sex in a book, it needs to be there for reason. It needs to move the story forward. It can't be shoehorned into the story.
As the author you can choose how to handle sex in your story. You can fade to black with not much is shown. Or can you can take the Judy Blume in FOREVER approach and say it all.
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