Workshops 2014

Workshops

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Courtesy Captured Erotica

BDSM WRITERS CON 2014 is the first conference of its kind dedicated to everyone interested in writing about or exploring the world of Dominance and submission. Below is an outline of the various workshops and Live Demos which will be presented. Though there are several workshops geared specifically toward writers denoted in blue; these workshops provide valuable information to non-authors as well. Plus they provide you with secrets about how your favorite authors think.

All workshops in pink are taught by BDSM Lifestyle Experts.   We also have Live Demos on various BDSM activities and play scenes. Every workshops is open to all participants–whether you are a reader or author. We are constantly updating this page thus be sure to check back often.Join our Newsletter, to be provided with updates, author/presenter information, special giveaways, and more.

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BDSM — From Basics to Advanced: What everyone should know!
(This workshop is a two part series) Whether you’ve just picked up the whip or have been exploring or writing about Dominance and submission for years, join us as we touch briefly on the basics of Dominance and submission and work our way up to the erotic heart of the power exchange. Discover the various aspects of creating realistic protocols and rituals for your characters (and your relationships) to ensure your scenes are erotic and endearing. Uncover the truths about the hidden fundamental nuances behind every protocol, ritual, and rule. BDSM is not merely physical, it’s about capturing the reader’s or your partner’s imagination, unearthing the emotional connections to enhance your connection and their motivation, and establishing a trust that lasts through every deliciously wicked and intense interaction.  Part II:  In the second half of the workshop we also address more advanced issues such as how to train a slave; what Dominants need to know; humiliation play and how it’s different for men and women; the dangers and eroticism of Edge Play; and how to increase a scene with something as simple as a toothpick. Plus we’ll review the BDSM Checklist created specifically for writers and everyone interested in D/s and learn the secrets it reveals about the person completing it; and how you can use it to create your scenes, characters–even your own persona!
Presenter:  Dr. Charley Ferrer

Putting the Reality and Romance in Your BDSM Story – Without Having to Don Leather
(Two part workshop) In this two-part workshop with five veterans of the erotic romance genre, authors will learn how to make their BDSM romances powerful, emotional and authentic – even if they’re too shy to enter a club or join a BDSM group (or don’t have access to one)! Part One: If you want to write kink into your sexy books, you don’t need personal experiences as a prerequisite, but you will have to do thorough research. Your readers deserve an accurately written book about the BDSM lifestyle. Without having to experience kink directly, how and where are the best places to research this fascinating and popular genre? Part Two: It’s important that the BDSM elements in your writing be authentic, but if you are writing erotic romance, it’s also important to integrate those elements our romance readers anticipate and love. The Dom hero is such a close cousin to our traditional “alpha” hero, but the mechanics can sometimes sweep you away and the romance gets lost. Conversely, how do you keep the traditional romance elements when your heroine is the Dominant? Or a lot of the action takes place inside a BDSM club, overflowing with whips, chains and restraint systems? Or doesn’t? Kathy Kulig, Cris Anson, Desiree Holt, Joey W. Hill and Samatha Cayto will talk about a variety of ways to integrate romance and reality into a BDSM relationship story to make it a fully satisfying experience for the BDSM romance reader. Readers are welcome to attend – all questions and comments welcomed!
Presenters: Kathy Kulig, Cris Anson, Desiree Holt, Joey W. Hill and Samantha Cayto

Writing Polyamory: What is it & What it Isn’t
As women’s fantasies are expanding, the market has become ripe for multiple-partner romances. But adding more characters to the bed can sometimes feel like a game of Twister. In this workshop, we’ll explore the different types of multi-partner relationships, how to portray them accurately, and how to weave in the dynamics of a D/s lifestyle.
Presenter: Leia Shaw and Sorcha Black

Courtesy Captured Erotica

BDSM The Naked Truth–The Psychology of Dominance & submission
Love, respect & connection–the psychology and basics of Dominance and submission. Why does one person yearn to surrender and another thrill at controlling their lover? Is Dominance and submission something to treasure or are individuals who participate in it pathological? Join America’s BDSM Expert as she discusses the truths about Dominance and submission and dispels many of the misconceptions surrounding BDSM. Whether you’ve been writing D/s novels for years, are just starting your research, or have a close connection with the Whip, you’ll want to learn the basics as you’ve never heard them spoken of before. Doctor Charley talks about the psychological, emotional, and spiritual connections individuals make this this amazing and uniquely erotic lifestyle.
Presenter: Dr. Charley Ferrer

Writing Dominant Heroines and ALPHA Submissive Heroes
Romance readers don’t want Dominant female/submissive male BDSM romances, right? Not true. As the erotic romance readership has evolved, they’ve found themselves willing to try something different from the traditional alpha, totally-in-control male. But they still want their hero to have appealing alpha qualities, a take-charge man when it comes to the rest of the world, yet willing to submit to the right woman. And even when the woman is holding the reins, readers still want her to experience that swept-off-her-feet, capture-her-heart feeling. So how do you write a Dominant female/submissive male BDSM romance in a way that’s realistic and pleasurable? It can be done! Come learn how from Joey W. Hill and Samantha Cayto, both of whom have navigated these waters successfully – and had a lot of fun doing it!
Presenters: Joey W. Hill and Dr. Charley Ferrer

Violet Wand – I Do What With Electricity in the Bedroom?  (LIVE DEMO)
The Violet Wand is a toy that can be used in the bedroom and elsewhere. This toy, tool, has been around for over a hundred years. This workshop will teach participants about the history of the Violet Wand and what it was used for. Participants will discover how the Violet Wand can transition into our sex life and BDSM play. You will learn the different types of Violet Wands and why you might want one or the other.  You’ll discover various attachments and other add-ons that spice up your play. Discover the sensuous side side of the Violet Wand as well as the painful side, and much, much more! Discover how to use yourself as a conduit for sensual electricity and much more. This is a hands-on LIVE Demo. Audience participation is encouraged. Traveling Fool will be your guide and help you have some hands on fun. Come learn, experience, and be a convert to the Magic of the Wand!
Presenters:  Traveling Fool & Maryann

From the Books to the Bedroom: Bringing Fantasy to Life
Do you yearn to experience a BDSM scene from a favorite book but wonder how on earth to bring the fantasy to life without ruining it? Have you discovered that mind-reading Doms and “perfect” subs are in short supply outside of books? Or do you know your partner so well it’s hard to imagine them playing another role at all? Been there, doing that, and happy to over-share! If erotic fiction sparks a desire for hands-on practice, bring an open mind and a sense of humor while we discuss how to safely, sanely, and consensually add kink to an established relationship, explore common BDSM myths, misconceptions, and clichés, and talk about how to build realistic expectations for our fantasies.
Presenters: Desiree Holt, Leia Shaw, and Miranda Baker

Spanking & Discipline  (Live Demo)
Cassandra Park discuss one of the more ubiquitous types of play in the BDSM world: spanking. It’s a type of play that’s practically mainstream—television shows like Weeds and The Big Bang Theory have featured spanking scenes, and in the 2002 movie Secretary the title character is spanked by her boss. Many couples who would never admit to being kinky have spanked each other during sex. But as widespread as this type of play is, there’s no one way of doing it, and there’s no one type of “spanko.” Sometimes it’s foreplay before sex; sometimes it’s discipline with no sex at all. Cassandra will talk about the reasons people like to spank or be spank, common fantasies shared by spankos, and implements typically used in spanking and discipline play.
Presenter: Cassandra Park

Be Careful or You’ll End Up in My Novel
Using D/s experiences to write the next book Write what you know, right? BDSM is rich ground for mining intense emotion, sensual imagery, and unexpected plot twists, and being kinky adds a whole new level! For the open-minded kinkster, “Your kink is not my kink, but your kink is okay,” and for a kinky writer, erotic adventures offer endless inspiration for fiction. For example, after her first visit to a dungeon courtesy of the inaugural BDSM for Writers Workshop, Cris Anson began exploring the lifestyle in earnest. She thoroughly enjoys her research and it shows in her writing. Rose C. Carole wrote a story based on a correspondence and subsequent meeting with a Dom she met on Fetlife, the kinky Facebook, and Miranda Baker recently discovered character motivation while safewording. Join them to discuss how they tap into real life experience to write sexy and compelling fiction.
Presenters: Cris Anson and Miranda Baker

H.O.T.  –  Hands Only Torture   (Live Demo)
If one were to read any of the BDSM based novels or watch BDSM themed movies one would think that you’d have to have a fat bank account to consider playing in that world.  But you don’t!  Sir Guy and his girl, karida are going to show you how there are plenty of things, from spanking to sensory stimulation, from the sensuous to the sadistic, that can be done with the hands alone that can bring about a mutually satisfying experience.  This class is hands on and encourages audience participation!
Presenters: Sir Guy and karida

BDSM for Supernatural Creatures (Dominant wolves and their submissive mates)
Writing paranormal can present its challenges, but writing credible BDSM within a supernatural world is much more difficult than it seems. In this workshop, we’ll discuss world building, characterization, and tips for developing believable BDSM scenes within the crafted paranormal community that often consists of wolves, vampires, lions, ghosts, dragons, and other interesting characters. We’ll discuss creative pointers for story development that will not only save steps later, but will also help with marketing and advertising a mystical world with realistic BDSM scenes. Writers will discover why it’Handcuffss so important for BDSM elements to be incorporated within the paranormal community based on the rules of the author’s imagined society and what readers would find believable within the scope of the story. Pitfalls to avoid will also be discussed. Writers will leave the course with a good grasp of how to create loving and romantic relationships for their characters even when their superhuman identities would suggest a much darker, or even sinister, makeup. Tips for redeeming flawed characters will also be given so a natural progression can be shown throughout a paranormal manuscript, regardless of length. The end result will lead authors to produce a more marketable story where the passion sizzles off the pages. A paranormal world designed for strong Doms and willing submissives will easily be achieved with many tips for success offered. This workshop has a heavy paranormal focus, but writers and readers of all genres are welcome.
Presenter: Destiny Blaine and Shannon West

Outside of the Box: Non-traditional Power Exchange Relationships (Live Demo)
Many people are familiar with Dominance and submission or Master/slave when it comes to consensual power exchange relationships, but is it really that simple?  Do all power exchange relationships fit nicely into those two little boxes?  Sir Guy and his girl karida, who hold the International Power Exchange 2013 title, discuss the different types of power exchange relationships, and why some may be attractive to those who find themselves not fitting into the boxes that “traditional” relationships offer.
Presenters: Sir Guy and karida

 

Contracts and Collars: Are Dom/sub contracts always black and white, or are there shades of grey?
We will explore how a long-term D/s contract evolves over time and the significance of being “collared.” In some BDSM fiction, the potential submissive is presented with a contract that the Dominant expects to be signed, no questions asked; but in a relationship built on communication, honesty, and trust, a Dom unwilling to negotiate on any point on which the sub is uncomfortable should send up a red flag. We will review actual contracts and see how both parties adapted them over time. In addition, we will discuss the change in the dynamic from a contractual Dom/sub to a collared Master/slave relationship.
Presenter:  Scarlet Hawthorne

How to write and sell BDSM in an ever changing market
The workshop is designed to help give writers a competitive edge in writing BDSM. We’ll discuss the value found in branding one’s self, writing in multiple genres, the importance of research, and marketing in a tasteful manner so an author’s work will appeal to readers. We’ll also discuss establishing trust within your readership and why choosing a publisher for your BDSM manuscript is so important. The workshop will give some helpful tips on how writers can stay true to their voice, how to be different and still appeal to an already established BDSM readership, and where to promote your BDSM romance books. This session is ideal for new BDSM writers as well as seasoned writers who are new to writing BDSM.
Presenters:  Destiny Blaine and Shannon West

Bad Guys/Good Stories: the psychology of writing great villains
Your story is only as good as your villain! For a well-balanced plot, the villain and hero/heroine should be relatively evenly matched. If not, your protagonist will have little at risk; and thus the reader won’t be invested in the journey. In this workshop, we’ll: explore the different type of villains, including serial killers, discuss ways to understand and conceptualize the criminal mind, develop some easy tools to increase the believability and effectiveness of your villain. Make your Hero/Heroine work for their victory with a great villain. I’ll show you how!
Presenter:  Dr. Matthew Scrivens

Writing Erotica: I have to say what? Write what? Are you kidding me?
You’re fascinated by erotica. Want to write it. Want to write about it. But you don’t now if you can use those words. Those phrases. Picture in your mind people doing those things. To write erotica that people will enjoy reading—that you would enjoy reading, you have to feel comfortable in your own skin while writing it. Just as you want your readers drawn into the fantasy of being the heroine, that fantasy should be one you aspire to, also. You don’t want to flinch while you’re writing it but instead feel as if you are actually in the scene. Writing about hot sex of all kinds can be very comfortable and entertaining once you discover how to create your comfort zone with the words. And discover that you’re writing erotic, not smut. There’s a big difference. Learn how to be comfortable using graphic words and descriptions. How and when they should be used. How to let your overactive imagination loose creating scenes and situations without going so far you offend your readers or yourself. How to get yourself in the mood to create those graphic scenes. Tap into your inner core. It’s all about the pleasure, you know. Pleasure you give, pleasure you receive. It’s well worth the journey. All it takes is common sense and some practical guidelines. So bring your curiosity and your notepads and we’ll let it all hang out.
Presenter: Desiree Holt

Domestic Discipline and Head of Household: Has Domestic Discipline gotten a “bum rap” in the media?
Even after the outcries of abuse and “Spanking for Jesus” in the media, Domestic Discipline novels are more popular than ever. The DD community distances itself from both BDSM and the religious fundamentalists who use biblical passages to support the husband as Head of Household with the authority to discipline his wife. Join me as I show you how Domestic Discipline can be a vital part of a loving Dom/sub relationship and why even feminists gravitate to this lifestyle. We will also look at the controversy surrounding “boot camp.”
Presenter:  Scarlet Hawthorne

 

Live BDSM Demonstrations

All live demonstrations will be conducted by BDSM Lifestyle Practitioners who have several years experience in those techniques.These individuals are not performers. They are men and women who embrace the Dominance and submission lifestyle. Due to safety issues some workshops will be conducted at the BDSM Club.

 


Comments

Workshops 2014 — 16 Comments

  1. Thanks for the compliment. I’ve been working with my webmaster to make the site beautiful. We don’t get paid for any articles and the authors provide wonderful information about themselves and their work.

  2. Hi Dion, I write the Truth about BDSM and place it into perspective for those that don’t understand it or see it as naughty. Look forwarding to meeting everyone August 21-24, 2014 in NYC. Hope you’re there.

  3. Hi Wil, Thanks for the compliment. There’s so much about BDSM that individuals don’t understand. I’m hoping BDSM Writers Con provides that education not only to authors but readers and the general public as well. Look forward to seeing you in New York City August 2014.

  4. Hi Oren, thanks for stopping by. We have over 40-hours worth of valuable and interesting workshops on BDSM planned for the conference and a few more are being tweaked before being revealed. I look forward to you joining us in NYC August 2014

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