REMEMBERING "WORDS MADE FLESH"

First off apologies again for the lack of recent updates. 

While I'm well through the second draft of my new novel The Sex Cabaret, this seems like a good time to say a few words about my first published novel Words Made Flesh. The book was originally published back in November 2000 by the now defunct Virgin imprint Idol but is making a return this year courtesy of Random House and their classic imprint. The ebook is available now and a new paperback is due in November/December

Best-selling novelist Glenn Holden has an appreciation for the rougher side of sex. But when a handsome stranger breaks into his house claiming to be a character from one of Glenn's own thrillers, the author is suddenly thrust into a surreal sexual adventure that goes further than the concoctions of his own dirty mind - a bizarre world full of mysterious men and even wilder sex.

Back cover blurb.


I started developing the book in 1999 as a direct proposal for the Idol range. At the time I had been writing erotic stories for magazines like In Touch, Indulge and Freshmen. When Virgin announced their new Imprint for gay erotic fiction, I jumped on the opportunity to write for them. I put my success in securing a contract down to a combination of good luck and naive self confidence. Words Made Flesh (originally titled Vivid) was commissioned on the strength of a synopsis and the first 15,000 words. When I signed a contract I had only written the first three chapters. I realise now how incredibly lucky I was to secure a deal like that as an "unknown" author. I had something of a name from the magazines and a handful of short story anthologies, but I hadn't written or published anything of significance. Anyone who has tried to find a mainstream publisher for their work in the last few years will know how rare and unlikely those deals are now. Ah, the good old days. Unless you're JK Rowling or Stephen King, it just doesn't happen.

Idol's commissioning editor Kathleen Bryson gave me three months to deliver a completed manuscript. I put my head down and finished the first draft in a blur of activity, writing every spare moment I had. The book was already well plotted from the synopsis so the story was never a problem. I wrote it exactly as planned; producing as many as 5000 words per day. Despite my limited experience, I knew that my first drafts were pretty ugly; so I structured the work to have as much revision time as possible between finishing the first draft and the deadline. Three months to write, redraft and edit a 78000 word novel!

As a result of the deadline, the final version of Words Made Flesh is very rough and unpolished. Looking back I'm not even sure how I managed it. I can't work in that manner these days. To put it in context: I've been working on my new novel for seven months so far and it's still several months away from being finished I guess I was fuelled by youth (I was 26 at the time), excitement and a "can do" attitude. Before Random House stepped in to republish, I had plans to release the ebook myself, giving it a thorough rewrite and including it in one bumper package with the original version as bonus material. But Random House have republished the 2000 version as it stands.

My feelings are divided on Words Made Flesh. Personally I find it too rough and unpolished. When I knew it was coming back I tried to read it again but gave up after a few pages. I guess that's just the writer in me; we never stop wanting to revise and rewrite our work. A bumper ebook containing both a 2012 and 2000 draft would have been a nice compromise but it's out there now as it is. Maybe that's a good thing. It is what it is - a product of it's time - like an embarrassing photograph of the fashions we used to wear. I've got new books and stories to write so maybe I should just let Words Made Flesh be. Get over it, Thom.

For better or worse - it's out there.

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FIRST DRAFT COMPLETE

It’s been a big day today with the first draft of my new erotic novel complete.  There’s been so much work involved in the last few months, so much more than I ever anticipated in getting to the end of the book.  I’ve been through this process before with two published novels so it shouldn’t have been such a surprise but it was.  The amount of time needed to just sit down and write.  When you have another job and commitments, it seems like some days the world is conspiring against you to prevent you from writing.  But there’s no easy way around it – just need to put your bum in the chair and get the work done.

The fact that it was such an effect to make the time for the book, makes finishing it so satisfying. 
So now what?  What will I do with my time now I no longer have that self imposed daily word count to hit?  The answer is simple, more writing.  The novel needs to be put aside for a short time now so I can gain some distance from it, before I start the process of rewriting and editing.  I’ve always found the mistakes and errors show up more obviously when some time has passed.  I’m putting the novel in my desk drawer for about three to four weeks while I get on with other stuff.  It’s a good opportunity to write a couple of short stories and maybe start making notes towards the next book – I already have great ideas for three more novels so it’s a case of shifting through my note book and deciding what has most potential.

I’ve already chosen the artwork for the new book but it’s too early to begin posting that just yet.  I’m currently aiming for an autumn publication of the e-book – probably November, but that’s not fixed.  It all depends on how well the second draft goes.

In the meantime my very first novel WORDS MADE FLESH is about to be reissued in e-book format by Random House.  A paperback version is due via print on demand later this year.  Check out this link for more information on that project.

WORDS MADE FLESH

 Big news too from my good friend Kevin Killian.  Kevin’s new novel SPREAD EAGLE has just been published in paperback and e-book format.  I’ve only just received a copy so I’m looking forward to some quiet time this weekend with my feet up and Kevin’s new book.  I’ll post a review on here very soon as I can’t wait to get stuck in.

SPREAD EAGLE By Kevin Killian

BEYOND HALF WAY

First up - sorry for the lack of updates recently. I'm deep into writing my new novel, pushing to get ahead with my deadline. It's a very exciting time. I'm currently 46,000 words into the first draft, I'm over the half way stage and on track to finish by the end of May. It's going very well, with no major problems so far.  Writing a novel is hard work; staying focused and getting the words onto the page are a priority. There is no secret to doing it other than discipline.   The novel is my main focus right now with every spare moment spent working on the book.  I don't want to jinx the writing process by going on about too much yet, but when the first draft is complete I'll be posting the title and story details right here.

I do have a couple of short stories that I need to do one final proof read of before posting them here on the blog for download. I'm going to try and fit that in this week and post the first story on here in the next couple of weeks.

There has also been an exciting development regarding my first novel Words Made Flesh, originally published way back in 2000 by Idol Books. Idol ceased publishing in the mid 2000's and the book has been out of print since then.  The good news is that the novel is about to be republished by Random House as an ebook and as part of their print on demand range. There is currently a tentative publication date on September 2012. I'll be posting more information about the book nearer the time.  Also in the pipeline for 2013 is a 10^th anniversary edition of my novel The Chain.  I have a lot of surprises  and additional material planned for that book.  The publication might still be a year away but the work starts now.

Bedtime Stories and Body Language are continuing to do well on ebook. The response I've received regarding the books has been great and I'm thrilled to hear how readers are enjoying them. Bedtime Stories is currently available on Amazon for the bargain price of 84p.

BODY LANGUAGE INTERVIEW

Tell us about Body Language

Body Language is my new collection of short stories published exclusively as an e-book.  There are eleven stories in the book which where written over a period of about seven years.  I began putting together the collection last summer when I realised that I had a wealth of material in my files that for one reason or another had not been published before.  Some were written for magazines or anthologies that didn’t happen; others were written for my own pleasure with no real target market in mind.  So I chose my favourites from the archives and put them together in two loosely themed collections: Bedtime Stories and Body Language.

I write the kind of erotica that I want to read.  The literary porn market has changed incredibly over the last ten years; the traditional publishers have disappeared while on-line niche markets have blossomed.  As a reader I have never been wholly satisfied with the trends in porn that have followed.  There is a lot of gay porn now written by female writers where the emphasis is placed heavily on romance rather than sex.  That’s great for some people but erotica romance is really not for me.  Please don’t think I’m having a go at female writers.  Some of the best gay porn I’ve ever read is by a female writer called Dale Chase.  Her recent collection If The Spirit Moves You is absolutely amazing.

In my stories men are men and they fuck like men.  They have big appetites and big libidos.  I also like them to be fully developed characters with physical and emotional flaws and imperfections.  The kind of porn I like to read (and watch for that matter) features real men having hot, passionate sex, and that’s what you get in Body Language.

When and why did you first start writing erotica?


I must have been around 14 when I used to write stories in my note books at school. While they weren’t strictly erotica, there was always a strong sexual content. I had my first erotic story published in 1994, in a magazine called Overload. The story was called Love Hurts. I had been reading a lot of short stories in magazines and thought I could do better. Of course I couldn’t, that first story was terrible, but it was a beginning. From there I began to take it more seriously as a genre and to improve.

I can’t really explain why I write erotica or what drew me to it as a genre. I have tried to leave it behind and concentrate on other kinds of writing, but I always come back to porn. I think it’s just instinctive. I don’t even question it anymore.


Do you have any other jobs as well as writing?
I do have a day job in the Criminal Justice System. This maybe answers the previous question. The day job is very intense and stressful, dealing with difficult people and situations, so my writing is probably a way of escaping all that, into a more ideal fantasy world.
How do you enjoy reading erotica? Are you a paperback, ebook or audio book lover?
I like paperbacks and e-books. Like a lot of people I’m new to e-books and e-readers. I wasn’t sure I would really take to the format but I absolutely love my Kindle. I actually read more on the device than I ever did before. It’s so easy to use, to buy new titles, to get hold of books that have long since gone out of print. It’s brilliant.
What do you feel has been your greatest achievement to date?
I’ve had two traditional novels published and two e-book collections of my short fiction. For any writer, getting your work into print is a wonderful achievement. To have people read it and tell you how much they enjoy it makes the lonely hours worthwhile.
What would you like to have achieved in 5 years time? What are you doing to help you achieve it?
I hope to still be writing and doing what I love. I aim to publish more erotica as well as fiction in other genres, particularly horror. In order to achieve this I’ve set myself some very strict deadlines and goals for this year. Books don’t write themselves, it’s all about sitting your arse on that chair and doing the work. I’ve set myself a daily writing target, of 3 pages every night and 14 pages over the weekend.

I’m writing an erotic novel right now and have set myself a deadline of 1^st May to complete the first draft. Then I’ll have a couple of months to rewrite and revise, before deciding how best to proceed with the finished book. I haven’t quiet decided whether to search for a traditional publisher, or whether to go it alone with a self published e-book. Both have their pros and cons, so right now I’m concentrating on writing the book and will worry about that later. Either way I intend to have the book finished and delivered by the end of August.
September is holiday time, after all that work I’ll need it, and then from 1^st October I’ll start work on my next book – a horror novel, with a target to complete the first draft in 5 months.
I need planning and goals to achieve the things I want.

If you could have a fantasy dream date who would it be with and what would you do together?
That’s a really hard question. Most of my fantasies make it into my stories in one way or another. I don’t really dream about celebrities, I’m more interested in the guys I see on the street, or at the gym, or the supermarket.

My dream date is pretty boring, it would involve a good meal, probably Italian, lots of good wine, good conversation, plenty of laughs and great sex.



What keeps you awake at night?
This sounds a bit depressing but it’s the decline of society and morality. The people I work with in my day job cause a lot of despair. As the third and fourth generation of families who have never worked and live on state benefits, their attitudes are completely entrenched. State hands outs are their right and if they can’t afford something they want, then it’s perfectly acceptable, in their opinion, to steal it. If they are challenged about their behaviour or attitudes they retaliate with anger, verbal abuse and violence. Last year my office was burned down because someone didn’t like being challenged over their behaviour (they had been making threatening phone calls to staff). It’s a scary world out there.
In what television show would you most like to be a cast member? Why?

It would have to be something exciting and fantastical. Something like Torchwood. I would love to be a character in a James Bond movie; that would be my ideal. Or a in an old Hammer Horror film, one of the 70s classics like Vampire Circus or Lust for a Vampire.

Who is your favourite celebrity? Why?

I’ve been a fan of Kylie Minogue since she first appeared in 1987. Initially I was a fan of her music but over time I’ve come to admire her strength and attitude. Her willingness to break away and experiment in the 1990s, her return to pop success in the 2000s and her triumph over illness. I’ve been inspired many times throughout my own career by her music, videos, concerts and imagery. I find her more recent output less interesting that what she has done before, but I am still a massive fan.

BODY LANGUAGE - NEW E-BOOK AVAILABLE NOW

The second collection of erotic fiction from the author of Bedtime Stories, Words Made Flesh and The Chain.

In “The New Puppy” two older tops get to know Dave’s insatiable new boyfriend Chad. Married business man Tony meets Lucas at the exclusive Regent Hotel for a night of executive relief in “The Night Porter”. Two strangers find warmth together one cold October night in “The Boy at The Farm”.

Leather men, wandering husbands, eternally youthful vampire twinks and romantic lovers are among the men vividly conjured up in the eleven stories that comprise Thom Wolf’s Body Language.

Avaialble now from:

http://www.amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.com

BODY LANGUAGE - ONE WEEK TO GO

It’s been a busy couple of weeks with two main priorities:

- the publication of Body Language
- writing my new novel.

The manuscript for Body Language is all set to go. The final step in formatting the book was to transfer the digital edition onto my Kindle to check that everything looked the way it should and that there had been no formatting errors in the transition from Word document to e-book.

The results look fantastic and I’m very happy with the finished e-book. The ten stories that form the main body of the book vary in style and tone taking in themes of adultery, submission, vampirism, afternoon liaisons and long term affairs. It’s a pacy, sexually charged collection and I can’t wait for people to start reading it.

The book will go live on Amazon on Friday 27^th January. Next week, to coincide with the books release, I’ll be posting a brand new story right here on this blog. Killing Time is not included in the book and will be available to download as an exclusive PDF e-book.

Work on my new novel is underway. Despite all the other distractions I’ve had since New Year I’ve been very strict about hitting my daily target of a minimum of three pages per day throughout the week, six to nine pages on Friday. While that might not seem like a lot to some other writers, it’s a steady progression for me and after just two weeks forty pages have been completed. Not bad going. With a bit of stamina and determination I’m aiming to finish the first draft around April or May.

NEW YEAR, NEW BOOKS, NEW POST

Firstly – very happy new year to one and all. I hope this year brings everyone the cheer and success they are searching for.

As you can see from the flier above, my new book Body Language is almost set for release, with the handsome young cover boy from Bedtime Stories making a return appearance. I’ll be posting further details about the new collection over the coming days. The book is in the very final stages of formatting and due for a release on all digital formats on Friday 27^th January. Writing a novel requires a far greater degree of discipline and planning. I know there are still a lot of writers who like to the find their novel in the writing process, not really knowing where it is going or how it will end when they begin. I’m not one of them. Before I start writing a lengthy peace like a novel, I need to have a detailed synopsis (around five or six pages) written in advance, together with a full character list and notes for all of the major characters. I like to think of it as setting out on a journey with a map. I might change my route along the way, but I know in advance where I am going and roughly how I am going to get there. If I need to do any research then it becomes apparent at this stage and I factor it into my pre-work.

I’m rather old fashioned in the way I write these days. I like to do my first draft in long hand in a hardback note book, sitting at the kitchen table with some music playing. I’ll write for about an hour, or however long it takes to until I’ve written three pages then take a short break, before sitting back down to write another three pages. Once I’ve written my daily target of six pages, I start to type up my hand written draft, revising the text as I go. A lot of writers would argue that it’s quicker to type the first draft directly into a word processing programme but for me, the writing is in the pen and paper draft; that’s when I get time to think and really get into the scene.

We all have our own routines and methods of getting the work done.

Thom X