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  1.     Your DA profile says, “I’ve been a writer all my life.” How did you get your start as a writer?

Well first let me say, this is really cool of you to do, and I’m a big fan of these interviews – it’s literally an honor to be asked to do one!
As far as my career as a writer goes, I don’t necessarily know exactly when it started, but essays, creative writing, and general projects outside of the usual “read this and answer this question” assignments were always my favorite things to do, even as far back as Elementary school. One of my lasting memories from Middle school is of a History teacher back in 6th grade saying I wrote too much. That sounds awful of him to say in hindsight, but I liked a more elaborate approach to writing rather than the straightforwardness of essay questions and whatnot. He was concerned that I was wasting time elaborating on a topic that I had already answered, when most writing assignments in class were timed. Ultimately, rather than trim down my writing, I just learned to write faster! How’s that for counter-culture? I was in a constant battle with this dichotomy (usually prevailing through stubbornness and just general quality) before I just said, “Y’know what? Enough of this stuff, let’s start writing on my own.” It was tough at first without a designated direction, and my first few attempts were clumsy, but there were days on end, in High School and College, where I would just bike as far away from humanity as possible, find a quiet spot in a field, or near a lake, with just a pad and a pen, and write what came to mind. To me that was the biggest step – I have dozens of journals from those days, all of them filled with my thoughts and half-finished story concepts, most of them SFW. I should probably look through a couple of the old ones, and see what I did! I’m getting nostalgic just thinking about it.
   2.     Describe what new readers will find if they check out your gallery of stories for the first time.
Well, hopefully a wide variety of different bondage concepts! My favorite part of writing scenarios and detailing bondage is creating meaning behind it. It’s one thing to just have someone tied up in a harness, an armbinder, a gag and a blindfold and call it a day. I prefer plot with an actual narrative or some kind of emotional cue to make the capture more intense. After all, as a writer, we don’t get the same kind of visual splendor that most artists have; instead of that visceral, objective reaction, we writers get to address the psychological, telling the story of how the captive got to this point, willingly or not. So for me, it’s less to do with how she’s bound (although that is a BIG part of it), and more why they’re bound. So if you enjoy a story that will take you on a journey, and deliver some tight, restrictive, and sensual bondage, then you’ve come to the right place!
I’ve also tried a couple of different narrative concepts, from a first person conversation, to poetry and prose, so really, I like to think there’s something for everyone!
   3.     How and when did your affinity for writing bondage stories in particular develop?
Well, I like to think it came out of necessity. You can only hold in erotic thoughts so long before they need some kind of outlet, whether it’s physical or emotional. For the longest time, I had no idea what bondage felt like, but I could imagine the hell out of it! I had a very specific aesthetic that I really enjoyed, (Jim Weathers/BondageCafe, Jay Edwards, and FM Concepts inspired) and I wasn’t getting quite the experience that I wanted out of stories on DA – not that there aren’t some VERY good writers on this site. But inevitably, my own desires came to the forefront, and one night, a couple of years ago, I just started powering away at a story I had had in mind for quite some time. I think I finished the entirety of Impel Down: Nami's Capture (Chapter 1) in two days, just under 30 hours, mostly because of how fast it came to me, and it felt ridiculously good to create something that both satisfied my creative tendencies and my kinkier ones! You can also tell it was finished with haste, since there are a couple of repeated words and sentence structures - it was definitely an uninhibited exercise in catharsis!
Now, 90% of the reason why I wrote “Nami’s Capture” in the first place was because One Piece is my favorite narrative of all time, barring Lord of the Rings, and I had seen a lack, or I guess a deficiency in, One Piece artwork/stories on DA – out of that necessity to interact with those characters in a bondage landscape, the “Impel Down” series was born, which is now up to Chapter 5 and was initially the genesis of my passion for bondage writing, at least on DA. I eventually branched out into other settings and series.
   4.     Do you write stories from a detailed script and/or outline, or is it more of a stream of consciousness approach? Can you describe the creative process?
Total stream of consciousness. I spend most of my work on the road, driving from city to city, so my mind tends to take adventures and pick out new concepts it wants to work with. I guess you could say I have a very vague outline in my head with some specific plot (and bondage) points I want to hit, but it’s usually a very fluid process.
I’ll give you a quick example. When I wrote The Consequences of Losing a Street Fight , I had two things that I really wanted to work with – a fight scene between Cammy and C. Viper, and then a capture scene with Cammy and Juri. I mean that was it as far as an outline goes. The first paragraphs are usually the hardest, since I like to find different ways of grabbing the readers’ attention, but after I decided to set the scene and go for a more measured introduction, my thought process then shifted to, “What would these characters say, and how would they interact?” That usually starts a research day or two to amalgamate references to their history, like catchphrases and super moves from their moveset – I’d played Street Fighter a lot growing up, so I had a basic understanding already, but I wanted it to feel more authentic, like it was pulled from the world of the game. So, after finding actual quotes that I liked, I blended them into some type of fight dialogue, and I kind of just imagined how they would fight, choreographing it mentally, and wrote from there. The fight scene in that narrative is one of my favorite sequences in any of the stories I’ve ever written, and I was super pleased to read the final product. Once that segment was near completion, I began thinking of a way to introduce Juri, beginning the whole process anew. And I won’t spoil the ending here, but I didn’t even think of the eventual ending for that story until I was nearly done with the Juri segment.
So long story short, I take it scene by scene and try to flesh out as much as I can before moving on and trying to mesh both necessary plot and character development with the bondage that everyone wants to see. Because again, bondage is better if it means something!

   5.     What are your strategies for dealing with artists’/writers’ block?
Put it all down. Just go away and do something else. The main issue with writing from a stream of consciousness is that there are good months and bad months. I’m currently in the middle of a 3 month-long writer’s block, where I have a story I’m working on, but can’t find the time or the mentality to sit down and finish it. I have plenty of motivation, and I absolutely adore this story, but one of the main issues I have with writer’s block is actually knowing how the story is going to end. It becomes this race against time to get it all down while I have the freedom to do so. And it becomes even more frustrating when you know how something is ending, but it isn’t on the freaking paper yet. So the best thing you can do is take your mind off of it and watch a movie, go for a run, get invested in your job for a bit, or hang out with other people and just tackle it slowly. Allow it to come to you, since the more you try to force a story, the more you end up unhappy with the result. Of course, I’m also speaking from the perspective that this kind of writing isn’t my actual job, so I’m able to escape it when I need to.
Key example – I wrote Impel Down: Kalifa's Judgement (Ch. 4) and Impel Down: The Incarceration of Two Women (Ch. 5) over a period of 6 months, eventually posting in September, despite knowing exactly how the story was going to unfold all the way back in December of the previous year. Writer’s block at its finest. But instead of just beating my head against the wall, I let it germinate in the back of my brain, until one day in late August, I felt comfortable with starting it, and I powered through both stories rather quickly.
So, the best thing you can do for yourself, in my opinion, is to wait it out, and divert your attention to other interests. Maybe even another project! It will come eventually.
   6.     Do you read bondage fiction by others (either on DA or elsewhere)? If so, who are your favorite writers and what is it about their stories that make them your favorites?
Honestly, the amount of bondage material I ingest on a daily basis is frightening beyond belief. Having said that, I absolutely LOVE, L-O-V-E, ’s work – she has a beautiful latex aesthetic that I really enjoy, and her in media res style really lends itself to bondage writing. It’s also really helpful reading something from the perspective of a dominatrix, which I admittedly don’t have as much experience with, despite the fact that I live with one! Similarly, I really enjoy – she does short vignettes as well that are very precisely written and cut to the meat of the matter (often times, literally!). Other artists I read include , , , , and , who’s just starting to take off on his own, and has a super cute style! And outside of DA, I read plenty of material on latexstories, utopiastories, and Jeb’s Adventure Bound (which admittedly, I kind of grew up on ).
All in all, it comes down to aesthetic for me – if the writer happens to write things from a more sensual perspective, and they use the kind of bondage tools/materials that I appreciate, then I’ll gravitate towards them. Often times, it doesn’t matter whether it’s consensual or non-con, as long as the aesthetic is there. But the one major turn off I have is descriptions – I don’t take well to hearing the term slut, or the c-word, or even bitch, used in a derogatory manner outside of a simple exclamation. It’s a weird dichotomy to have, but I’ve always felt that there’s no reason to debase and undermine the captive in question, despite the fact that they’re objectively in the captor’s control. I’m probably in the minority on this, but bondage to me is more about the experience of euphoric helplessness, not sophomoric worthlessness, and those qualities are important to me in the stories I both absorb and create.
   7.     When, where, and how often do you do your writing?
As often as I can.
I work a full time job, I now live with my girlfriend Laura (who takes up plenty of my time in other ways ), and I attend streams with DA friends literally every other day. So in that middle ground, where Laura’s busy, I have time off, or no one is streaming, I’ll usually find a quiet corner and power away at whatever I’m working on. Sometimes it comes in spurts, and I’ll be sitting on the couch working for an hour on grammatical changes or additions from the thesaurus, or I’ll be at the park, huddled underneath a tree making sure no one can read what I’m writing over my shoulder! Wherever is best conducive to my writing that day.

courtesy of D4Phnaie -- d4phnaie.deviantart.com/

   8.     How easy (or difficult) is it for you to come up with a storyline to write?
To come up with a storyline? I don’t view it as difficult per se. Since you’ve already heard about my process, the biggest limit to what I can write is my affinity for certain characters. I like working with pre-existing universes, but it also severely hampers my ability to just power out a story. The reason why One Piece works so well is because I literally know almost everything about that narrative, and its characters, by heart – so when people ask, “Hey can you write a Naruto character, or maybe Attack on Titan, or Totally Spies,” although I know and like each one of these series (in moderation), I enjoy creating narratives that feel like they can be taken out of the stories themselves with in-character dialogue. So the research ends up being more time-consuming the bondage narrative itself.
Really, what I’m saying is, I have a visual artist’s mind with the capacity for writing instead – I know about the character’s bondage and the end scenario far longer than I do the narrative that leads to that point, but somehow, the narrative isn’t the hard part – the interactions are.
   9.     How have you seen your writing evolve since posting your first story online?
The first couple of stories I posted actually weren’t too far removed from my college graduation, so you’ll likely notice that several of those stories are less elaborate in terms of their writing style. I still like them, but I’ve definitely grown into my writer’s shoes, away from the academic essay genre. And I like this new direction, at least for creative writing.
10. Which of your many stories are you most proud of and why?
Hmmm… That’s actually a tough question. I like (and dislike) all of them for a variety of reasons. I tend to enjoy scenes from stories more than the narratives themselves, but there are two cases where I think the overall execution was better than I had intended.
#1)Bound to Choose -  this is, without a doubt, the most well received story I’ve posted. Personally, this one means a lot just in terms of its concept – a girl who’s frustrated by what she can’t experience does something out-of-character, and gets the opportunity to live out a fantasy. Writing that was the very definition of catharsis, and readers have definitely connected with that.
#2) Points of View – one of the shortest stories I’ve written, is also one of my favorites. I talked a lot with Laura about the mentality she has during our sessions: what’s going through her mind, how it feels, that sort of thing. It certainly helps to elaborate on those ideas when you’ve got a confidant like that, but the structure of the story is actually chiasmus. The dominant’s point of view is presented first, then reflected by the sub’s, meaning the structure of the narrative is a physical manifestation of the relationship between the two. I think it’s the most meaningful story I’ve ever written, but now I’m patting myself on the back too much
   11. Have you received any complaints about the content of any stories you’ve written? And, if so, how did you deal with them?
The main complaint I get is that I need to post more frequently. To that I say, “Fine, but expect a downturn in quality.” I’ve always held firm in the belief that quality is better than quantity, and people will better appreciate a real effort to make a product the best it can be.
   12. You occasionally stream while you write. How does that work? Has it worked well for you?
Well, as of now, I haven’t been streaming in awhile! Not that I don’t want to, I just don’t have the time. Initially, it turned into glorified hangout sessions where friends and readers can just watch the writing process at work, but I’m considering a few alterations to the formula after I finish my next piece. Basically, when my next story comes out, I’ll live broadcast a reading of it, where people can comment on issues they have with regards to grammar/diction/word-usage, and generally help with the process. It’s one of the things that I think helps artists improve their pictures when they stream – including audience interaction to help generate really interesting ideas and concepts. So while I won’t change the structure of the narrative or the bonds themselves just by suggestion, what I’ll likely do instead is incorporate someone else’s point of view.
The vast majority of A Luring was written on stream, and , the artist, was very involved in the discussion of the story’s progression and the sensations the character felt. It was nice having that kind of dialogue, and sprinkling in my own surprises for her to see as the writing progressed. Most of all, the reason I like to stream is that I prefer the writing process to be malleable, and I’m trying to investigate ways to make the entire experience more interactive! And I’ll be doing that more… after this next story is finished! Oh, and anyone is welcome to attend!
   13. How difficult was it for you to “bare your soul” in your Late Night Musings Journal last October? What prompted you to post such a journal?
'Bare your soul' is a bit dramatic, but first, before I answer, let me say this.
I have a love-hate relationship with sleep.
When I’m asleep, I’m essentially dead to the world – I’ve slept through tornadoes, earthquakes, trains passing by, you name it. But my mind tends to function best between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., and unfortunately, that means during that time frame, thoughts are ricocheting inside my consciousness non-stop. So was it difficult? I don’t particularly think so.
What prompted it is a whole ‘nother matter. This was written before I met Laura later that month, and I had no true outlet for my bondage needs. I say “true” because, again, I’d never actually experienced it before. So my main interaction with bondage growing up was DeviantArt, and getting a chance to both interact with and repay those artists for what they had given me in my formative years, perhaps unintentionally, was a pretty big deal. Commissioning them was a way to give back, but it’s also a pretty pricey one, and that night I was kind of in this “QUESTION EVERYTHING” mode. How much money had I spent on commissions? Why was I doing it? What do I get out of it? Who are you really writing for and about? The journal just kind of sprang organically from those questions – it was nice to put it out there and see what people said, although I’m not sure whether or not a solution is plausible in a scenario like that. If anyone else wants to comment on it, feel free!
   14. What changes, if any, would you like to see made to DeviantArt?
There are two things that I think most writers would agree with:
#1) Story summaries - Let me say that I’m a fan of surprising people with plot and character development on initial read-throughs, but I also understand that not everyone has time to sit down and read a story. It’s tough, as you undoubtedly know! And as stories get longer, it’s harder to grab people’s attention with plot that some people legitimately don’t care about. I’m perfectly aware that some people use the find-function to sort through the words, find the part with the armbinder and the gagging sequence, and move on with their lives. I’ve also had people comment on my stories WITHOUT READING THE STORY ITSELF, asking whether or not certain elements were in the story. I wish there was an easier way to convey to people what is involved in a story, without the use of standard tags, so that people know, and can locate, stories that fit their tastes. DA already allows for a reader to scroll through the first part of a story on a preview basis – why not change that to a shorthand account of the story in question, so potential readers can see what they’re getting?
#2) I know this is contradictory to the first point, but Space - I hate that there’s a character limit on DA – my current story is already on page 18, and I know it will likely end up in the high 20s, which means it will become a two-parter. Asking people to look at two different halves of the same whole not only cuts into the likelihood of favorite-ing stories, but people also become less-likely to read strictly because it feels like too much of a time commitment.

courtesy of D4Phnaie -- d4phnaie.deviantart.com/

   15. I discovered your stories after seeing “A Luring” which was based on ‘s Pokemon Go: A New Lure Model artwork. Do you often write stories based on art created by others? And, as a follow up, have artists offered to create images based on your stories?
D4ph is legitimately a wonderful person and I spend a lot of time on her stream because of what she means to me both in terms of personal connection and aesthetic influence. Seriously, she’s like the sister/best friend I never had, and just talking with her, sharing opinions, and watching her work is an absolutely pleasure. Laura and I join to watch her work as often as we can.
I had commissioned her a couple of times prior because we both view the bondage aesthetic and the sensations a sub should experience in very similar ways, and I wanted to give something back. So I wrote that story with, and for, her enjoyment. I’m just happy she liked it so much! I’ve written 3 stories based on her work, including A Luring , On Cloud Nine , my first stab at erotic poetry, which was based off of my second commission, and Impel Down Vignette: Pre-TS Nico Robin , which is based off of my first, and favorite, commission. Both are short in nature, but I think what makes my ability to write with her work so entertaining is the level of intricate detail she includes – it meshes really well with my style, and getting a chance to emphasize those little details makes the process so much more enjoyable.
The only other artist I’ve written for is , who is, quite frankly, one of the most influential artists that I’ve seen on DA. I gravitated towards his style a long time ago, and I’ve interacted with him on streams from time to time! He could not be nicer or more welcoming, and I wanted to give thanks by writing something for him - thus GLaDOS Experiment #73532376-69 was born!
As far as other people offering to create images for my stories, the one that’s gotten the most traction is “Bound to Choose.” I’ve had multiple people send me their interpretations of those characters, and getting a chance to see fictional people come to life through someone else’s eyes is really nice! Otherwise, I’ve won a pair of contests, and artwork has come from both of them, specifically One Piece: In Need of a Little Restraint .

courtesy of D4Phnaie -- d4phnaie.deviantart.com/

16. What advice do you have for writers of bondage fiction?
Write what you want to experience – it not only lends gravitas to what you write, it also makes it more enjoyable. Half of the reason I’m writing is to generate ideas and concepts out there that a lot of people don’t think about in this genre. Most of my work is done from the female perspective, since that’s what I know and appreciate, and I feel that, at times, that perspective is undervalued. But there are so many more areas to cover, and there’s always a niche in this community for someone who likes writing and enjoys how it makes them feel.
Also, spell-check. Spell-check everything. And reread your work! Even if you don’t catch every detail that should’ve been fixed, readers will appreciate the extra mile, and the end product will be better for it.
   17. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?
Right now, I’m beyond lucky to live with the love of my life. We’re together until work separates us, and we’ll face that issue when it arises, but when I’m not writing or working, I spend my time with Laura. Whether that’s by her side, in her arms, or whatever, she is my reason right now, and I cherish every day I have with her.
Our favorite activities include watching classic films, biking around town, shopping for new outfits, and testing new bondage positions!
   18. What else would you like people to know about you and your work?
There’s one thing that bothers me about my subject matter, a dichotomy when it comes to bondage that’s different than almost any other type of eroticism – it is inherently deviant to the average person because of its restriction, and it invites a lot of negativity with regards to the feminine form, the sub in particular.
Honestly, I hate that mentality, and I hate the stigma it brings. To me, bondage is pure beauty and freedom in the best sense. I can lose myself in, and ultimately be enhanced by, someone else. It’s symbiotic, it’s poetry, it’s affection, it’s a dance, it’s a duet… it’s all of that and so much more. There is an unspoken, and yet plainly visible, artistry to it that is just hard to describe succinctly.
My stories might not always show that, and they might cross over into the more obscene styles out there, and I am soberly aware that not everyone looks at bondage the same way I do. But I don’t view it that way. I write for myself, and the people and experiences that I love, for catharsis, and entertainment, and satisfaction. That alone makes it worth it, and I hope that people can connect with, and enjoy, what I’ve written.

Sweating a little... — Description
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  1.     Your DA profile says, “I’ve been a writer all my life.” How did you get your start as a writer?

Well first let me say, this is really cool of you to do, and I’m a big fan of these interviews – it’s literally an honor to be asked to do one!
As far as my career as a writer goes, I don’t necessarily know exactly when it started, but essays, creative writing, and general projects outside of the usual “read this and answer this question” assignments were always my favorite things to do, even as far back as Elementary school. One of my lasting memories from Middle school is of a History teacher back in 6th grade saying I wrote too much. That sounds awful of him to say in hindsight, but I liked a more elaborate approach to writing rather than the straightforwardness of essay questions and whatnot. He was concerned that I was wasting time elaborating on a topic that I had already answered, when most writing assignments in class were timed. Ultimately, rather than trim down my writing, I just learned to write faster! How’s that for counter-culture? I was in a constant battle with this dichotomy (usually prevailing through stubbornness and just general quality) before I just said, “Y’know what? Enough of this stuff, let’s start writing on my own.” It was tough at first without a designated direction, and my first few attempts were clumsy, but there were days on end, in High School and College, where I would just bike as far away from humanity as possible, find a quiet spot in a field, or near a lake, with just a pad and a pen, and write what came to mind. To me that was the biggest step – I have dozens of journals from those days, all of them filled with my thoughts and half-finished story concepts, most of them SFW. I should probably look through a couple of the old ones, and see what I did! I’m getting nostalgic just thinking about it.
   2.     Describe what new readers will find if they check out your gallery of stories for the first time.
Well, hopefully a wide variety of different bondage concepts! My favorite part of writing scenarios and detailing bondage is creating meaning behind it. It’s one thing to just have someone tied up in a harness, an armbinder, a gag and a blindfold and call it a day. I prefer plot with an actual narrative or some kind of emotional cue to make the capture more intense. After all, as a writer, we don’t get the same kind of visual splendor that most artists have; instead of that visceral, objective reaction, we writers get to address the psychological, telling the story of how the captive got to this point, willingly or not. So for me, it’s less to do with how she’s bound (although that is a BIG part of it), and more why they’re bound. So if you enjoy a story that will take you on a journey, and deliver some tight, restrictive, and sensual bondage, then you’ve come to the right place!
I’ve also tried a couple of different narrative concepts, from a first person conversation, to poetry and prose, so really, I like to think there’s something for everyone!
   3.     How and when did your affinity for writing bondage stories in particular develop?
Well, I like to think it came out of necessity. You can only hold in erotic thoughts so long before they need some kind of outlet, whether it’s physical or emotional. For the longest time, I had no idea what bondage felt like, but I could imagine the hell out of it! I had a very specific aesthetic that I really enjoyed, (Jim Weathers/BondageCafe, Jay Edwards, and FM Concepts inspired) and I wasn’t getting quite the experience that I wanted out of stories on DA – not that there aren’t some VERY good writers on this site. But inevitably, my own desires came to the forefront, and one night, a couple of years ago, I just started powering away at a story I had had in mind for quite some time. I think I finished the entirety of Impel Down: Nami's Capture (Chapter 1) in two days, just under 30 hours, mostly because of how fast it came to me, and it felt ridiculously good to create something that both satisfied my creative tendencies and my kinkier ones! You can also tell it was finished with haste, since there are a couple of repeated words and sentence structures - it was definitely an uninhibited exercise in catharsis!
Now, 90% of the reason why I wrote “Nami’s Capture” in the first place was because One Piece is my favorite narrative of all time, barring Lord of the Rings, and I had seen a lack, or I guess a deficiency in, One Piece artwork/stories on DA – out of that necessity to interact with those characters in a bondage landscape, the “Impel Down” series was born, which is now up to Chapter 5 and was initially the genesis of my passion for bondage writing, at least on DA. I eventually branched out into other settings and series.
   4.     Do you write stories from a detailed script and/or outline, or is it more of a stream of consciousness approach? Can you describe the creative process?
Total stream of consciousness. I spend most of my work on the road, driving from city to city, so my mind tends to take adventures and pick out new concepts it wants to work with. I guess you could say I have a very vague outline in my head with some specific plot (and bondage) points I want to hit, but it’s usually a very fluid process.
I’ll give you a quick example. When I wrote The Consequences of Losing a Street Fight , I had two things that I really wanted to work with – a fight scene between Cammy and C. Viper, and then a capture scene with Cammy and Juri. I mean that was it as far as an outline goes. The first paragraphs are usually the hardest, since I like to find different ways of grabbing the readers’ attention, but after I decided to set the scene and go for a more measured introduction, my thought process then shifted to, “What would these characters say, and how would they interact?” That usually starts a research day or two to amalgamate references to their history, like catchphrases and super moves from their moveset – I’d played Street Fighter a lot growing up, so I had a basic understanding already, but I wanted it to feel more authentic, like it was pulled from the world of the game. So, after finding actual quotes that I liked, I blended them into some type of fight dialogue, and I kind of just imagined how they would fight, choreographing it mentally, and wrote from there. The fight scene in that narrative is one of my favorite sequences in any of the stories I’ve ever written, and I was super pleased to read the final product. Once that segment was near completion, I began thinking of a way to introduce Juri, beginning the whole process anew. And I won’t spoil the ending here, but I didn’t even think of the eventual ending for that story until I was nearly done with the Juri segment.
So long story short, I take it scene by scene and try to flesh out as much as I can before moving on and trying to mesh both necessary plot and character development with the bondage that everyone wants to see. Because again, bondage is better if it means something!

   5.     What are your strategies for dealing with artists’/writers’ block?
Put it all down. Just go away and do something else. The main issue with writing from a stream of consciousness is that there are good months and bad months. I’m currently in the middle of a 3 month-long writer’s block, where I have a story I’m working on, but can’t find the time or the mentality to sit down and finish it. I have plenty of motivation, and I absolutely adore this story, but one of the main issues I have with writer’s block is actually knowing how the story is going to end. It becomes this race against time to get it all down while I have the freedom to do so. And it becomes even more frustrating when you know how something is ending, but it isn’t on the freaking paper yet. So the best thing you can do is take your mind off of it and watch a movie, go for a run, get invested in your job for a bit, or hang out with other people and just tackle it slowly. Allow it to come to you, since the more you try to force a story, the more you end up unhappy with the result. Of course, I’m also speaking from the perspective that this kind of writing isn’t my actual job, so I’m able to escape it when I need to.
Key example – I wrote Impel Down: Kalifa's Judgement (Ch. 4) and Impel Down: The Incarceration of Two Women (Ch. 5) over a period of 6 months, eventually posting in September, despite knowing exactly how the story was going to unfold all the way back in December of the previous year. Writer’s block at its finest. But instead of just beating my head against the wall, I let it germinate in the back of my brain, until one day in late August, I felt comfortable with starting it, and I powered through both stories rather quickly.
So, the best thing you can do for yourself, in my opinion, is to wait it out, and divert your attention to other interests. Maybe even another project! It will come eventually.
   6.     Do you read bondage fiction by others (either on DA or elsewhere)? If so, who are your favorite writers and what is it about their stories that make them your favorites?
Honestly, the amount of bondage material I ingest on a daily basis is frightening beyond belief. Having said that, I absolutely LOVE, L-O-V-E, ’s work – she has a beautiful latex aesthetic that I really enjoy, and her in media res style really lends itself to bondage writing. It’s also really helpful reading something from the perspective of a dominatrix, which I admittedly don’t have as much experience with, despite the fact that I live with one! Similarly, I really enjoy – she does short vignettes as well that are very precisely written and cut to the meat of the matter (often times, literally!). Other artists I read include , , , , and , who’s just starting to take off on his own, and has a super cute style! And outside of DA, I read plenty of material on latexstories, utopiastories, and Jeb’s Adventure Bound (which admittedly, I kind of grew up on ).
All in all, it comes down to aesthetic for me – if the writer happens to write things from a more sensual perspective, and they use the kind of bondage tools/materials that I appreciate, then I’ll gravitate towards them. Often times, it doesn’t matter whether it’s consensual or non-con, as long as the aesthetic is there. But the one major turn off I have is descriptions – I don’t take well to hearing the term slut, or the c-word, or even bitch, used in a derogatory manner outside of a simple exclamation. It’s a weird dichotomy to have, but I’ve always felt that there’s no reason to debase and undermine the captive in question, despite the fact that they’re objectively in the captor’s control. I’m probably in the minority on this, but bondage to me is more about the experience of euphoric helplessness, not sophomoric worthlessness, and those qualities are important to me in the stories I both absorb and create.
   7.     When, where, and how often do you do your writing?
As often as I can.
I work a full time job, I now live with my girlfriend Laura (who takes up plenty of my time in other ways ), and I attend streams with DA friends literally every other day. So in that middle ground, where Laura’s busy, I have time off, or no one is streaming, I’ll usually find a quiet corner and power away at whatever I’m working on. Sometimes it comes in spurts, and I’ll be sitting on the couch working for an hour on grammatical changes or additions from the thesaurus, or I’ll be at the park, huddled underneath a tree making sure no one can read what I’m writing over my shoulder! Wherever is best conducive to my writing that day.

courtesy of D4Phnaie -- d4phnaie.deviantart.com/

   8.     How easy (or difficult) is it for you to come up with a storyline to write?
To come up with a storyline? I don’t view it as difficult per se. Since you’ve already heard about my process, the biggest limit to what I can write is my affinity for certain characters. I like working with pre-existing universes, but it also severely hampers my ability to just power out a story. The reason why One Piece works so well is because I literally know almost everything about that narrative, and its characters, by heart – so when people ask, “Hey can you write a Naruto character, or maybe Attack on Titan, or Totally Spies,” although I know and like each one of these series (in moderation), I enjoy creating narratives that feel like they can be taken out of the stories themselves with in-character dialogue. So the research ends up being more time-consuming the bondage narrative itself.
Really, what I’m saying is, I have a visual artist’s mind with the capacity for writing instead – I know about the character’s bondage and the end scenario far longer than I do the narrative that leads to that point, but somehow, the narrative isn’t the hard part – the interactions are.
   9.     How have you seen your writing evolve since posting your first story online?
The first couple of stories I posted actually weren’t too far removed from my college graduation, so you’ll likely notice that several of those stories are less elaborate in terms of their writing style. I still like them, but I’ve definitely grown into my writer’s shoes, away from the academic essay genre. And I like this new direction, at least for creative writing.
10. Which of your many stories are you most proud of and why?
Hmmm… That’s actually a tough question. I like (and dislike) all of them for a variety of reasons. I tend to enjoy scenes from stories more than the narratives themselves, but there are two cases where I think the overall execution was better than I had intended.
#1)Bound to Choose -  this is, without a doubt, the most well received story I’ve posted. Personally, this one means a lot just in terms of its concept – a girl who’s frustrated by what she can’t experience does something out-of-character, and gets the opportunity to live out a fantasy. Writing that was the very definition of catharsis, and readers have definitely connected with that.
#2) Points of View – one of the shortest stories I’ve written, is also one of my favorites. I talked a lot with Laura about the mentality she has during our sessions: what’s going through her mind, how it feels, that sort of thing. It certainly helps to elaborate on those ideas when you’ve got a confidant like that, but the structure of the story is actually chiasmus. The dominant’s point of view is presented first, then reflected by the sub’s, meaning the structure of the narrative is a physical manifestation of the relationship between the two. I think it’s the most meaningful story I’ve ever written, but now I’m patting myself on the back too much
   11. Have you received any complaints about the content of any stories you’ve written? And, if so, how did you deal with them?
The main complaint I get is that I need to post more frequently. To that I say, “Fine, but expect a downturn in quality.” I’ve always held firm in the belief that quality is better than quantity, and people will better appreciate a real effort to make a product the best it can be.
   12. You occasionally stream while you write. How does that work? Has it worked well for you?
Well, as of now, I haven’t been streaming in awhile! Not that I don’t want to, I just don’t have the time. Initially, it turned into glorified hangout sessions where friends and readers can just watch the writing process at work, but I’m considering a few alterations to the formula after I finish my next piece. Basically, when my next story comes out, I’ll live broadcast a reading of it, where people can comment on issues they have with regards to grammar/diction/word-usage, and generally help with the process. It’s one of the things that I think helps artists improve their pictures when they stream – including audience interaction to help generate really interesting ideas and concepts. So while I won’t change the structure of the narrative or the bonds themselves just by suggestion, what I’ll likely do instead is incorporate someone else’s point of view.
The vast majority of A Luring was written on stream, and , the artist, was very involved in the discussion of the story’s progression and the sensations the character felt. It was nice having that kind of dialogue, and sprinkling in my own surprises for her to see as the writing progressed. Most of all, the reason I like to stream is that I prefer the writing process to be malleable, and I’m trying to investigate ways to make the entire experience more interactive! And I’ll be doing that more… after this next story is finished! Oh, and anyone is welcome to attend!
   13. How difficult was it for you to “bare your soul” in your Late Night Musings Journal last October? What prompted you to post such a journal?
'Bare your soul' is a bit dramatic, but first, before I answer, let me say this.
I have a love-hate relationship with sleep.
When I’m asleep, I’m essentially dead to the world – I’ve slept through tornadoes, earthquakes, trains passing by, you name it. But my mind tends to function best between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., and unfortunately, that means during that time frame, thoughts are ricocheting inside my consciousness non-stop. So was it difficult? I don’t particularly think so.
What prompted it is a whole ‘nother matter. This was written before I met Laura later that month, and I had no true outlet for my bondage needs. I say “true” because, again, I’d never actually experienced it before. So my main interaction with bondage growing up was DeviantArt, and getting a chance to both interact with and repay those artists for what they had given me in my formative years, perhaps unintentionally, was a pretty big deal. Commissioning them was a way to give back, but it’s also a pretty pricey one, and that night I was kind of in this “QUESTION EVERYTHING” mode. How much money had I spent on commissions? Why was I doing it? What do I get out of it? Who are you really writing for and about? The journal just kind of sprang organically from those questions – it was nice to put it out there and see what people said, although I’m not sure whether or not a solution is plausible in a scenario like that. If anyone else wants to comment on it, feel free!
   14. What changes, if any, would you like to see made to DeviantArt?
There are two things that I think most writers would agree with:
#1) Story summaries - Let me say that I’m a fan of surprising people with plot and character development on initial read-throughs, but I also understand that not everyone has time to sit down and read a story. It’s tough, as you undoubtedly know! And as stories get longer, it’s harder to grab people’s attention with plot that some people legitimately don’t care about. I’m perfectly aware that some people use the find-function to sort through the words, find the part with the armbinder and the gagging sequence, and move on with their lives. I’ve also had people comment on my stories WITHOUT READING THE STORY ITSELF, asking whether or not certain elements were in the story. I wish there was an easier way to convey to people what is involved in a story, without the use of standard tags, so that people know, and can locate, stories that fit their tastes. DA already allows for a reader to scroll through the first part of a story on a preview basis – why not change that to a shorthand account of the story in question, so potential readers can see what they’re getting?
#2) I know this is contradictory to the first point, but Space - I hate that there’s a character limit on DA – my current story is already on page 18, and I know it will likely end up in the high 20s, which means it will become a two-parter. Asking people to look at two different halves of the same whole not only cuts into the likelihood of favorite-ing stories, but people also become less-likely to read strictly because it feels like too much of a time commitment.

courtesy of D4Phnaie -- d4phnaie.deviantart.com/

   15. I discovered your stories after seeing “A Luring” which was based on ‘s Pokemon Go: A New Lure Model artwork. Do you often write stories based on art created by others? And, as a follow up, have artists offered to create images based on your stories?
D4ph is legitimately a wonderful person and I spend a lot of time on her stream because of what she means to me both in terms of personal connection and aesthetic influence. Seriously, she’s like the sister/best friend I never had, and just talking with her, sharing opinions, and watching her work is an absolutely pleasure. Laura and I join to watch her work as often as we can.
I had commissioned her a couple of times prior because we both view the bondage aesthetic and the sensations a sub should experience in very similar ways, and I wanted to give something back. So I wrote that story with, and for, her enjoyment. I’m just happy she liked it so much! I’ve written 3 stories based on her work, including A Luring , On Cloud Nine , my first stab at erotic poetry, which was based off of my second commission, and Impel Down Vignette: Pre-TS Nico Robin , which is based off of my first, and favorite, commission. Both are short in nature, but I think what makes my ability to write with her work so entertaining is the level of intricate detail she includes – it meshes really well with my style, and getting a chance to emphasize those little details makes the process so much more enjoyable.
The only other artist I’ve written for is , who is, quite frankly, one of the most influential artists that I’ve seen on DA. I gravitated towards his style a long time ago, and I’ve interacted with him on streams from time to time! He could not be nicer or more welcoming, and I wanted to give thanks by writing something for him - thus GLaDOS Experiment #73532376-69 was born!
As far as other people offering to create images for my stories, the one that’s gotten the most traction is “Bound to Choose.” I’ve had multiple people send me their interpretations of those characters, and getting a chance to see fictional people come to life through someone else’s eyes is really nice! Otherwise, I’ve won a pair of contests, and artwork has come from both of them, specifically One Piece: In Need of a Little Restraint .

courtesy of D4Phnaie -- d4phnaie.deviantart.com/

16. What advice do you have for writers of bondage fiction?
Write what you want to experience – it not only lends gravitas to what you write, it also makes it more enjoyable. Half of the reason I’m writing is to generate ideas and concepts out there that a lot of people don’t think about in this genre. Most of my work is done from the female perspective, since that’s what I know and appreciate, and I feel that, at times, that perspective is undervalued. But there are so many more areas to cover, and there’s always a niche in this community for someone who likes writing and enjoys how it makes them feel.
Also, spell-check. Spell-check everything. And reread your work! Even if you don’t catch every detail that should’ve been fixed, readers will appreciate the extra mile, and the end product will be better for it.
   17. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?
Right now, I’m beyond lucky to live with the love of my life. We’re together until work separates us, and we’ll face that issue when it arises, but when I’m not writing or working, I spend my time with Laura. Whether that’s by her side, in her arms, or whatever, she is my reason right now, and I cherish every day I have with her.
Our favorite activities include watching classic films, biking around town, shopping for new outfits, and testing new bondage positions!
   18. What else would you like people to know about you and your work?
There’s one thing that bothers me about my subject matter, a dichotomy when it comes to bondage that’s different than almost any other type of eroticism – it is inherently deviant to the average person because of its restriction, and it invites a lot of negativity with regards to the feminine form, the sub in particular.
Honestly, I hate that mentality, and I hate the stigma it brings. To me, bondage is pure beauty and freedom in the best sense. I can lose myself in, and ultimately be enhanced by, someone else. It’s symbiotic, it’s poetry, it’s affection, it’s a dance, it’s a duet… it’s all of that and so much more. There is an unspoken, and yet plainly visible, artistry to it that is just hard to describe succinctly.
My stories might not always show that, and they might cross over into the more obscene styles out there, and I am soberly aware that not everyone looks at bondage the same way I do. But I don’t view it that way. I write for myself, and the people and experiences that I love, for catharsis, and entertainment, and satisfaction. That alone makes it worth it, and I hope that people can connect with, and enjoy, what I’ve written.