The Romance of Erotic Submission – an Interview with Claire Thompson
April 25th, 2007 by misterseo
Here’s a short interview with Claire Thompson. You can read Claire’s books of manlove and romantic submission at Ellora’s Cave.
What prompted you to consider writing an erotic romance that featured BDSM?
I had always had submissive, masochistic sexual leanings, but I married very young, without the courage to express my sensual needs to my partner. My sex life was aided by a rich but very secret fantasy life. During my twenties I harbored the misguided notion that my natural sensual impulses were “sick” and “twisted” and thus I kept my dirty little secret to myself. Then the Internet got rolling and I got onto it, and discovered there weren’t just a few, but millions of people just like me, who derived deep sexual pleasure from erotic submission and erotic “suffering”. It was extraordinarily freeing to learn that, not only was I not alone, I wasn’t a sick puppy, but simply hardwired in a different way from my “vanilla” sisters. It was during this time that I began to write about my fantasies, to create stories that connected with my heretofore hidden sensual nature.
What type of research did you do to be able to confidently write BDSM themed erotic romances?
Nothing like being “out there in the field”! My initial “research” if you can call it that, was just through reading. But once I began actually exploring a D/s lifestyle with a loving partner, the research was very much “hands on”. I’ve been actively involved in D/s for the past ten years. But BDSM is an underlying theme, not the be-all and end-all of my novels (nor do I exclusively write BDSM tales). I strive to create real stories with characters I care about. If the people one creates are real, with issues that matter and emotions that ring true, the story will resonate with the reader. That is always my goal.
What aspects of BDSM do you like to explore the most through your erotic romances (submission, bondage, or pain giving or receiving)?
Lately my focus is on working through fear—the fear of honestly exploring one’s true nature and fear of falling in love with the risk of loss. A common theme in that regard is coming to terms with one’s submissive nature and then finding the courage to honestly experience it with a loving dominant guide. In my male/male erotic romances I add the overlay of dealing with homosexuality—how it affects and informs the relationship, especially for someone just coming to grips with it. I want each story to be sexy, hot and fun as well, letting the reader, even a reader who may have no direct experience in or inclination toward BDSM, get a glimpse into the delicious intensity of the experience.
Do you have a favorite erotic romance author/book that writes using BDSM themes?
Strange to admit, but I read very little of the genre. Writers whose style I admire include Anne Perry, who creates a lush, dark world of Victorian Era London as a backdrop to her murder mysteries, and Margaret Atwood, whose sometimes dark vision of the near-future is chilling but compelling. You mention Story of O, and interestingly that book both captivated and horrified me as a teenager—with its cold portrayal of a submissive lifestyle, utterly bereft of romance or love. The story was moving, but in a sad, lonely way. For me, the romance of erotic submission is the key. Without love we lose our humanity.