Dominic N. Ashen is an author and avid reader, with a heavy focus on gay, BDSM-themed erotica. After spending his youth in search of books with characters who were more like himself – queer ones, specifically – he decided to start creating some of his own. His stories star queer protagonists, most often gay and bisexual men, and feature heavy themes of dominance, submission, and all sorts of kinks. Dominic loves the fantasy, sci-fi, and horror genres, with a penchant for writing longer stories where he is able to weave in the sex and kink right alongside the plot.
What is your writing routine or schedule like? Walk us through a typical writing episode.
I try to write a little every day. Since I have to work during the day, and I tend to write longer books, that means blocking out a few hours a night. I try to outline new chapters on Sunday, and then work on the rough draft Monday through Thursday. I spend Friday turning that rough draft into a first draft, and then usually do some editing on the weekends. I try to finish one chapter a week!
Have you considered/do you write under a pen name? Why or why not?
I do write under a pen name. Given the genre I work in, I think the reason why is fairly obvious. Who I am as “Dominic” isn’t all that different from my normal self, but I still have to maintain a day job and the public persona that comes with it. I really love doing this, and maybe one day when I’m able to support myself off my writing alone I’ll be able to be a little more open.
“Who I am as ‘Dominic’ isn’t all that different from my normal self, but I still have to maintain a day job and the public persona that comes with it.”
What are your feelings on happy endings? As a reader? As a writer?
That’s actually one of the reasons I started writing. When I was younger, almost every book I read that featured a gay protagonist seemed to not have a happy ending. A lot of times they would be really dark. I enjoy a good tragedy as much as anyone else, but the world is already bleak enough as it is. I like to leave the stories I read feeling good, and as a writer, I want my own stories to leave people feeling good.
As a reader, do you have a pet peeve? Certain words, too much description, “alabaster skin,” or too many arms and legs in a fight/sex scene?
This isn’t necessarily a pet peeve, but I often notice a lack of accuracy when it comes to male-on-male sex scenes. I think we have porn to thank for most of that. For example, there number of writers who don’t seem to know what a prostate orgasm actually is or how they work. That, to me, is a little telling. Though maybe complaining about that is telling on myself?
“When I was younger, almost every book I read that featured a gay protagonist seemed to not have a happy ending… I want my own stories to leave people feeling good.”
What’s your favorite Podcast? Why is it awesome? Drop a link.
Only one? Alright let’s see… Urgent Care, by Joel Kim Booster and Mitra Jouhari. It’s an advice podcast hosted by two friends who are entirely unqualified to give advice. It’s very chaotic and over the top, and somehow just the right thing to soothe some of the stressful moments in life when you need a good laugh.
How much research do you do for your writing? Is it for character, world, or plot? What are you researching now?
Too much, and almost all of it for world-building stuff. I know I spend way too much time worrying about whether or not stuff feels authentic. I have so many spreadsheets filled with made up animals, plants, entire fictional countries. Character and plot stuff is a little more fun – I just get a little stoned, put on some good music, and work through the problems in
What’s your editing process? Describe it for us.
After I finish a piece of writing, I let it sit for three or four weeks before coming back to do any editing. In the time since – especially if it’s a book chapter – I may have made some new choices or come to new conclusions on where I am taking the story. Sometimes I’ll get ideas for things to foreshadow or that would benefit from an early mention. As I read through it again, I can make the appropriate changes, adding new sections or taking out old ones that no longer work.
“I spend way too much time worrying about whether or not stuff feels authentic. I have so many spreadsheets filled with made up animals, plants, entire fictional countries.”
What advice would you give to new writers?
Don’t stress out so much about your first draft. Just focus on getting what you want to say onto the page – you can always come back later and fix it. Sometimes the thing you need to work through some writer’s block will only come to you if you keep moving forward.
Did you always want to be a writer? What has your journey to becoming an author been like?
I had always been making up stories in my head, but putting them to paper didn’t start until my teen years. I’ve been writing online on and off for years, but I didn’t know where to start as far as getting published went. A friend of mine had just published his first book, and sent me 4 Horsemen’s link! Having a place to submit my story and then finding out someone actually liked it was surreal, and after that everything just started moving so fast! I’m still not entirely sure it feels “real” yet.
“Don’t stress out so much about your first draft. Just focus on getting what you want to say onto the page – you can always come back later and fix it.”
How did you choose the genre you write? Was it by choice or encouragement from friends? Was it fate aligning in the stars?
Choice but also accident? I knew I wanted to write fantasy/sci-fi stories, and I knew I also wanted to write erotica, but I never really considered mixing the genres. It wasn’t until I had been kicking around the idea for a story in my head for a few years that I finally had some inkling that I could combine the two. I still have those other stories I want to write, but right now this fantasy adventure/kinky gay erotica series is just so much fun!
