See you tonight in Baltimore for my erotica writing class!

I will do a proper recap of my fun visit to Charlottesville, partly with Festival of the Book events, partly with exploring the city and, most importantly, with making new writer friends. But I have an 8 a.m. train to catch and I'm not sure if it'll offer wifi so wanted to remind you that tonight I'm teaching my erotica writing workshop at the wonderful sex toy store Sugar in Baltimore from 6:30-8 p.m. You can register at the store, by calling them at 410-467-2632 or online at Brown Paper Tickets. It's $25 and includes a handout listing resources, with numerous publishers currently looking for submissions.

Here's two snapshots from this weekend: me with the wonderful romance novelist Kieran Kramer, who I met a few years ago in Brooklyn, and the cute animals greeting me outside a toy store. A gigantic thank you to Madeline Iva, whose group blog Lady Smut you should bookmark, for inviting me to be part of the festival.

2 Portland, Oregon events: free reading September 10th and erotica writing workshp September 18th

I hope those in Portland, Oregon can make one or both of these events, and if you know anyone in Portland who likes and wants to write hot, sexy erotica, please let them know. She Bop is asking people to RSVP on Facebook for their free reading, and the September 18th erotica writing workshop is capped at 30 people, so if you'd like to attend, early registration is a good idea. I'll also be incorporating attendee questions into the workshop, so if you're attending and have a specific question about writing and publishing erotica, email rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com with "Portland" in the subject line and your question and I will do my best to answer it during the workshop!

September 10, 7:30 p.m.
FREE reading from Hungry for More and The Big Book of Submission
Come listen to erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel reading from her latest anthologies, Hungry for More: Romantic Fantasies for Women and The Big Book of Submission: 69 Kinky Tales. Joining her will be local contributors Tiffany Reisz, Stella Harris and Emily Bingham. Also joining them will be Laurel Isaac and Marievie.
RSVP here.
She Bop, 909 N. Beech Street, Portland, Oregon



September 18, 6-8 p.m.
Erotica 101 Writing workshop

Professional erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor of over 50 anthologies such as The Big Book of Orgasms, Flying High and Best Bondage Erotica 2014, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing, from getting started, finding your voice, and incorporating your surroundings, pop culture, and personal experiences into your stories to crafting a range of characters and settings and submitting your work. The workshop is tailored to help get you published and highlight timely calls for submissions.

In this supportive, welcoming workshop environment, you'll learn how to write vividly about everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies, and make them fit for particular publications in the thriving erotica market. This workshop will address the recent boom in erotica inspired by Fifty Shades of Grey, provide examples of well written erotica, and will include multiple writing exercises. You'll be given a handout listing major markets and further reading suggestions.

No previous writing experience required. Please bring laptop or pen and paper. $25/person (plus $1.87 service fee)
Register at Brown Paper Tickets (limited to 30 people)
Q Center, 4115 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland, Oregon

Teaching Erotica 101 at CatalystCon in September in Long Beach, California

I don't know too much about my upcoming schedule, which will largely depend on whether I land a full-time job or keep on freelancing full-time (I'm looking for editorial jobs in NYC, if you know of anything), but the weekend of September 14-16 I will be attending and speaking at CatalystCon in Long Beach, California. I'm teaching my Erotica 101 workshop, and very much looking forward to it. See the full lists of speakers and sessions.

Erotica 101
Rachel Kramer Bussel
Professional erotica author and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel, editor of over 40 anthologies, will take you through the ins and outs of modern erotic writing, from getting started, finding your voice, writing against type, erotic love and lust letters, to submitting your work keeping up with the thriving erotica market. You’ll learn how to incorporate everyday scenarios as well as outlandish fantasies into your writing, and make them fit for particular magazines and anthologies. Whether you’re writing to that special someone, penning longtime fantasies, or want to earn cash for your dirty words, this workshop, taught by the editor of over a dozen erotic anthologies, is for you. Paper and writing implements will be provided.

Boob casting, January 28th, Erotica workshops Febraury and March at SHAG

We will have details and signup information about my January 28th boob casting (yes, my boobs are being cast, live, in public, and we will auction off the casting, plus there's a Peep Show party after and YES, there will be cupcakes, 7:30-10) and my erotic writing workshops (afternoons of February 6, 13, 27 and March 6) at Shag very, very soon, like next week. I promise. I encourage you to shop at Shag in the meantime, or just go and browse all the art, jewelry, cards, bondage coasters, hankies (as in hanky code), lingerie, sex toys and much more. The dressing room is divine!

For now, some more of my photos by Anya Garrett - I'm still sorting through all the ones she shot and deciding on the right sexy one of me featuring Njoy's Eleven to feature in the postcard. Yes, there will be postcards and I'd be happy to mail you one once we get it all sorted out! I'm up to my eyeballs in writing and planning and personal organizing/decluttering and, you, know, life, but this is one of the things I'm most excited about in 2010. I haven't taught erotica in New York in a long time and have never done an ongoing workshop, so I'm truly looking forward to that as well as getting my breasts slathered in Vaseline and covered in plaster (or whatever the material is used to make casts).