Questions From An Aspiring Author

Ben emails:

Luke,

I’m a youngish author trying to break into writing. During my early twenties, I would read your blog on the adult industry from time to time. Based on your recent posts, it seems you’ve become more conservative. Something similar happened to me; a few years ago, I was a twenty-something liberal-libertarian democrat (if that makes sense).

Like you I was influenced by reading the paleocons (Peter Brimlow, Paul Gottfried, Sam Francis). Not that they convinced me, but their writing forced me to reconsider my deeply entrenched beliefs. The final straw for me was the Trayvon Martin case, or rather the behavior of my fellow Democrats.

One major area where you and I differ is religion, I did not become religious. My Dad is Jewish, (according to Halaca), and my mother was raised as a congregationalist. The congregational church was the only church I regularly attended, as my dad was a typical intermarried secular Jew. With that said, I spent a considerable amount of time around Jews, both practicing and non-practicing.

Although this seems like a very different background, you and I have both spent time in two unique worlds: the anglo-protestant world and the American Jewish world. Because of this experience I came to realize how unique and special America, and the anglo-sphere really is.

Anyway, I’d like to ask you a few questions about writing:

1) How do you make money at it?

2) How does one continue to improve ones writing?

And now some questions about porn.

1) Psychologist Gary Wilson (your Brain on Porn), has made a fairly persuasive case that porn addiction is real, do you agree?

2) Gary Wilson also argues that because porn is such a powerful surrogate it suppresses the desire to have sex in RL, (I have found this to be true). Since stopping watching porn I’ve found myself engaging in more high risk sexual behaviors. How does one cope with a high, (or normal), sex drive after years of porn suppressed libido?

You may, understandably, think these questions come out of no where, but I’ve felt a kinship with you since reading your old blog back in my early twenties. Perhaps this feeling of kinship is delusional, but I succumbed to it anyway.

Ben, I’m a bad one to ask. I’ve never earned more than $50,000 in a year. You could write a blog and if it is on topics of general interest, you could make a penny a visitor on average from advertising programs such as Adsense. If you want to freelance, there are books on how to sell your work.

2) How does one continue to improve ones writing?

Take writing classes. Audit some writing classes in your community and take the ones you love. Make friends with other writers. Join writing groups. Keep a daily journal, do the “Morning Pages” assignment in Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way, and then read back looking for material. Write out your manifesto of what you believe in most strongly.

1) Psychologist Gary Wilson (your Brain on Porn), has made a fairly persuasive case that porn addiction is real, do you agree?

Yes.

2) How does one cope with a high, (or normal), sex drive after years of porn suppressed libido?

Get yourself to a 12-step program for sex addiction. Get into therapy. If you need it cheap, Google “cheap therapy” in your area and get a center where interns are getting in their hours. Read TheFix.com. Read Amy Dresner. Read about developing secure attachment.

About Luke Ford

I've written five books (see Amazon.com). My work has been covered in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and on 60 Minutes. I teach Alexander Technique in Beverly Hills (Alexander90210.com).
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