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A while ago I was privileged to attend a live, in-world, interview with Diane Hunter (SL name Diana Allandale) at the SL Literary Events Centre. To a large audience, this well published author entertained us with a reading from her latest novel, “Submission Revealed” a book involving the sometimes taboo subject of BDSM.During the interview with Secundo Dharma , Diana was forthright in her answers, much to the amusement of the audience (who were IM’ing at a rate of knots), and proved to be quite open in her views of the BDSM subject.
Following a Q&A session (quite entertaining to hear the views of the crowd) and much applause, I was able to interview this charming and witty lady.
BD: What kick-started your writing?
Diana: I’d been writing on scraps of paper and at odd moments for most of my adult life. Shortly after the birth of my children, my husband said I didn’t really need to work through the summer (I’m a full-time teacher from Sept. to June) and that maybe it was time I put up or shut up.
I kissed him and then took the entire summer to write several hundred pages of a fantasy novel (that is still in my cupboard if anyone’s interested). But I cut my teeth on it, making mistakes and then learning from them to go onto write better works. And of course, selling your first book is a great incentive to keep writing!
BD: Your books have the dark theme of BDSM running through them. What made you decide to use it as a subject matter?
Diana: It was a dare, actually. I’d had a long-standing interest in the Lifestyle, but all the fiction pieces I found on the web were mostly porn (focused on the sexual aspects and nothing else). I complained to a friend who turned it around and said, “Well, then…write one of your own.” I did…and Secret Submission was born!
BD: Who are the books mainly aimed at, men or women?
Diana: In my mind, my audience is a generic reader…one who picks up the books looking first for a good story and second, for a bit of titillation. The gender doesn’t matter to me. That said, the majority of my readers are women, but I have an increasing number of men who have discovered that the written word can be very powerful indeed!
BD: Some people would think that this sort of subject is best not ‘out in the open’. How would you answer them?
Diana: Bondage fantasies have been around for…as long as people have been having fantasies. The very taboo nature of the activity is what gives it its fascination. Is there a concern that bringing it mainstream will strip that fascination? Sure. If it isn’t taboo anymore, no one will be interested. But I suspect that’s not what you’re asking.
I agree with Stephen Hopkins in the musical 1776: “in all my years I never heard, seen nor smelled an issue what was so dangerous it couldn’t be talked about” (Stone and Edwards, Act I; scene 3). Bring it out in the open, talk about it…discuss it…dissect it. We are afraid of the unknown. So make it known!
BD: What gave you the idea of making your work available on SL?
Diana: I heard an article on NPR about SL. The host was talking to representatives of several companies that were beginning to create in-world presences. I figured if Toyota and IBM could do it…so could I!
BD: What was the idea behind combining your novels and using the themes/objects in SL?
Diana: Actually, the idea for the serial, As the SL World Turns, was born in a conversation with Ravishal Bentham, owner of KONA radio. He and I were talking one day about the fact that I didn’t really have anything to “sell.” All my books are available in RL only…and the excerpts in SL are free. Somehow we got to talking about the fact that SL is a land of a thousand stories…that evolved into talking about a serial, and…it was off and running!
BD: What sort of response have you had from SL Residents?
Diana: LOL…decidedly mixed. Most people love the fact that I’ve made my work so available. My shops are designed to be comfortable places to sit and read or chat and I can often be found in my home shop in Mystic.
When it comes to readings, the response has been a little more varied. For two months, I hosted live readings of excerpts from my books at my shop and in other locations around Second Life. Let’s face it, some passages can get pretty explicit. I found that not all the members of my audience wanted to hear the hot stuff, while others clamoured for more…and hotter. Finding that balance has proven elusive.
Lately, however, I have offered a series of writing workshops on Book Island. These are geared for both beginning writers and those who have more experience, and those are going great guns. I started with four topics, added two more and have been asked for three others on top of those. Then in August, the entire set will start again for those who missed a workshop or two the first time around.
BD: During the recent SL Live interview, which I loved, some audience members were quite vocal in support of what you are doing whilst a few were against. What is your response to those against your work?
Diana: To each his or her own. Let’s face it, no writer can please everyone. William Shakespeare is my favourite writer, but I’m pretty darn sure there are people who don’t care for his work either.
BD: Are you going to do more live interviews and do you enjoy the SL ‘set-up‘?
Diana: LOL…I’ll talk to anyone who wants to talk to me! So yes, I’ll do more live interviews if anyone wishes to sponsor one.
I love the SL set-up…it’s a wonderful way to interact with readers and get immediate feedback on your work. There are so many possibilities!
BD: Has anyone contacted you saying that your books have helped them in their own lives or even the opposite?
Diana: I have several couples who have written me to say ‘thank you’ for my books. In fact, one couple told me they would read a chapter aloud to each other as foreplay…and didn’t always make it through the chapter!
I also have had several people (women mostly here) write to me to say they enjoyed my books because it made them feel not so alone in their fantasies. Each of them thought they were alone in their desires. Because I deal with BDSM in a straight-forward, non-judgmental, romantic way…they found they could relate to the characters.
BD: Would you consider your work as Erotica or Pornography?
Diana: Erotica. Porn is sex for sex’s sake. Erotica must have a plot and meaningful characters who go on some sort of emotional journey. The sex must further the plot…it cannot exist as an ‘extra.’
That said, most of my books are in the ‘romantica’ genre (a term coined and trademarked by Ellora’s Cave Publishing)…in addition to the erotica definition, the stories must also adhere to the rules of the romance genre, namely…they have to have a happily ever after ending. (smiles)
BD: BDSM has, at times, been seen as a violent & often demeaning practise against mainly woman. How do you respond to that?
Diana: There is a thin line…a VERY thin line between BDSM and abuse. The key word is ‘consensual’. In fact, “safe, sane and consensual” are the keywords of the Lifestyle for many people. A sub must come to a D/s relationship from a place of strength…he/she must know who he/she is and be confident in that before even thinking about submitting to someone else’s will.
Notice my pronoun use…you mention BDSM is mostly about women as the submissive…but that’s a media misconception. Submissive women get the most press. I’ve met more submissive men in my travels than I have women, to be honest. Would be interesting for someone to do a study and determine if the numbers are closer to 50-50 (which would be my hypothesis).
But a further word on abuse. If ANYONE is doing something against your will…THAT IS ABUSE! Pack your bags and head for the nearest shelter…go to a friend’s house…do what you must, but GET OUT. If you haven’t given permission, then you are being abused by a bully and you need to leave NOW.
Does that take courage? You bet it does! But I have faith in you. You can leave…and I don’t care if you’re a man or a woman…abusers come in both genders. Take pride in who you are, and get away from your abuser.
BD: Would there be things that you would not write about in your work.?
Diana: Nothing involving kids, animals or waste products. Yuck!
BD: Without being too personal, do you draw on real life experiences for your novels?
Diana:
BD: I know that your parents are extremely proud of you as a writer, even if they do not read the books, being encased in glass. How do you feel about that?
Diana: Are you kidding? I’m pleased as punch! I LOVE the fact that they think enough of me to be proud, even if they don’t like the subject matter! Talk about open-minded! They teach me to accept people for who they are…and that it’s okay if you don’t agree with absolutely everything that person says…or is!
BD: What influence do you think SL is going to have, if any, on your career as a writer?
Diana: LOL…well, if I don’t behave myself and gear up the will-power…it’ll have a detrimental effect! I’ll spend all my time in-world playing and not at my laptop slaving away and creating new stories!
BD: ‘Rosie’s Story’, the note card novel, has started off in a light-hearted way. Is there going to be a darker side to poor Rosie? (without giving too much away)
Diana: I’m afraid I write by the seat of my pants. That means, I have no idea where her story is going to go…only that as I learn, so will Rosie.
BD: Lastly, can you tell me anything about your future plans for both SL & RL ?
Diana: In SL I plan to get back to work on the serial (I took a too-long hiatus while editing a novel for RL). I also will continue the writing workshops at Book Island and will probably give a reading or two…for mature audiences only!
In RL, I’m just finishing a new novella that is still in search of a title. It will probably come out the Exotica line of Ellora’s Cave, as it isn’t so much a romance as it is an internal exploration of BDSM on the part of the hero and heroine. But that will be for my publisher to decide.
BD: Well thank you for your time and I look forward to finding out what happens to Rosie & also to any further in-world events you attend.
Diana: Thanks for the questions…hope I answered enough (and not too much!).
Footnote: The content of Diana’s books and at the locations listed are of an adult nature.
Passionate Books can be located at Mystic ( 223, 124, 23 )
Diana’s website address is http://www.dianahunter.net/
From the pen of Baron DeSanis
(many aopologies for forgetting to add your name baron. Dana)
