UPDATE: The winner is…bn100!
*~*~*
Let me tell you a little secret…
Plot bunnies—affectionately named because of how fast the little suckers multiply—are persistent bitey jerks that burrow into a writer’s brain and attempt to take over their mind at the expense of jobs, dentist appointments, and laundry—which is fine, because who needs laundry. *wink*
These evil plot bunnies wake me from a dead sleep to scribble illegibly in a little notebook I keep on my nightstand, leaving me to interpret my drowsy jotting in the morning like I’m staring at Rorschach inkblots. Hey, Stephenie Meyer dreamed up sparkly Edward Cullen one night, inspiring the bestselling Twilight Saga, so it’s not totally off-base to get a good one once in a while.
To be fair, it’s not just paid writing that works this way, since I’ve had the same experience with fan fiction ideas; fic that demands it be written right now. Have a sandwich for dinner, family—I’ve got writing to do!
Once a plot bunny has its fangs in you, it’s all over until you give in to its demands like it’s a bank robber with all the leverage.
Plot Bunny: “Hey. Hey. Hey. You know that thing you’re working on right now?”
Author: *guzzles coffee* “You mean the novel I’m finishing because I’m on deadline?”
PB: “Throw that in the trash. I got something for ya. You’re gonna love it.”
A: *groans* “Not again.”
PB: *cracks knuckles* “So, there’s these two hot guys, only one bed in the whole hotel, and wouldn’t you know it, there’s a blizzard…”
This was my experience last year when I got my weekly email with freebies from a stock photo site. I opened it and scanned the selection—probably the usual “woman laughing while eating a salad”.
But one picture caught my eye: two women side-by-side in a yoga studio, doing a stretch that looked like cobra or upward dog. Nothing out of the ordinary, but something about it…
Hmm…I’d never written a story set in a yoga studio. Maybe they’re friends?
Wait. Friends or not, they’re totally gonna get with each other if they haven’t already, if you know what I mean.
*CHOMP*
The plot bunny grinned, it’s teeth glistening with the fresh idea. I had no choice—I needed to write this now now now now now!
The opening line hit me hard: The first time it happened was between my legs in downward dog.
Oh yeah, I wanted to see where this was going. So, I sat my butt in the chair and feverishly typed while overloading on caffeine and ignoring my eye twitch. Words flowed like a vinyasa, and when it was finished, I knew it would be perfect for an anthology submission.
My evil plot bunny…um…story, Third Time’s the Charm, is in Cleis Press’s Big Book of Orgasms Volume 2: 69 Sexy Stories, available on February 8, 2022.
To celebrate the Big Book of Orgasms Volume 2 release, I’m giving away an ebook of another anthology I was lucky to be a part of last year, Passionate Ink’s Falling Hard: Erotic Romance Anthology. If you haven’t read it, grab it now, since it’s only available for a limited time. All proceeds go to ProLiteracy, too! My story in Falling Hard is Hard Cider Crush, a gay second chance romance full of all the autumn charm of New England and more heat than July in Florida.
Enter below to win an Amazon ebook copy of Falling Hard—U.S. only, 18+. Giveaway will last from February 9th—11th and a random entrant will be drawn on February 12th to win and receive a copy. (Delilah Devlin isn’t associated with this giveaway.)
Question: Tell me about the best book you’ve read recently in one sentence. Or tell me where you’d love to see a romance set!
About the Author
Ryley Banks writes award-winning bestselling sexy romance between the covers, mostly of the LGBTQ+ variety. She’s a connoisseur of tea and gin and loves language, especially creative profanity. When she’s not begging her characters to behave or reading fan fiction, you can find Ryley at: https://ryleybanks.com/ and everywhere at: https://linktr.ee/ryleybanks
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