Novel ideas

Few people - certainly few porn stars - have had as much impact on my efforts to get free as Shelley Lubben, who wrote this powerful piece on what really goes on in the porn business.

When I first read that piece, I was shamed into quitting (again) and promised myself I wouldn't go back. But after a while I forgot what Shelley said, and went back. Every so often I would remember it, and feel I had let Shelley down, and all the potential Shelley's I was helping to keep employed in porn.

But what does all this have to do with the novel? Well, not much, except I was wondering whether to have our hero confronted by the truth of the porn world from the other side. Of course I only have vicarious experience of this side of things, so it wouldn't be 'writing about what you know', as such, but it may be powerful. It may be necessary. It may be a really bad idea. But it's an idea that's floating around the creative ether at the moment.

One thing I definitely want to tackle, because I do have experience of and I do believe it's a major problem, is the modern open-minded wife.

The open-minded wife says 'I don't care where he gets his appetite, as long as he comes home for dinner.'

Which is all well and good until he stops wanting dinner. Until his life becomes one long succession of unhealthy, unfulfilling snacks. And it happens so gradually that the open-minded wife may not realise anything has happened, until it's too late. (The metaphor dies at this point, sorry!)

I think the modern open-minded wife needs to be in my target audience along with her husband.