Hi, I’m Kim Fielding, and today I’m going to share with you my coming out story.
As a straight woman who is, ahem, old enough to remember leaded gasoline and rotary dial telephones, I never thought that coming out was going to be an issue for me. I am married to a (male) accountant who was my high school sweetheart and I carpool children home from school four afternoons a week. I live the most boring, ordinary, middle-class life imaginable.
And then I started writing gay romance.
Well, that’s not exactly true. First I started reading slash fanfiction (Buffy, and anything with Spike, in case you were wondering) and then I started writing it. Nobody in my real life knew this until about six months in, when my husband finally noticed I was spending an inordinate amount of time at my laptop. He took a look at exactly what I was writing, raised his eyebrows, and went back to watching football. That was my first outing and it was less dramatic than I’d imagined.
Not too much later I mentioned my fanfic writing to a couple of close friends. They weren’t familiar with the world of fanfic at all and were mildly surprised, but then I got a couple of “You go, girl!”-type comments from them and that was that.
Soon after that I wrote my first original novel, a dark fantasy involving a wizard and a slave—both male. I self-published the book, which is called Stasis. My family read it and liked it. My friends read it and liked it. My co-workers read it and liked it—except for the one guy who came to my office and said, “I hear you’ve written a very good novel. With that… homosexual stuff in it.” You’ll have to imagine the hoarse whisper he used for the h-word. Aside from him, most people just seemed pleasantly surprised that I’d written a novel at all, and amazed that I did it in thirty days (it was my first NaNoWriMo attempt).
Stasis was followed by two more novels to complete a trilogy, first Flux and then Equipoise. Still with that homosexual stuff. Very PG-rated, though, so much so that I had my older daughter do the final proofreads for me (she’s a spelling bee champ with a sharp eye). So then I was out to her too. She was a little embarrassed, but she’s a teenager and everything I do is embarrassing as far as she’s concerned. She likes to refer to the trilogy as my “gay seamen” books, and yes, she’s old enough to intend the homonym.
And now I’ve branched out a little. I’ve published a short story called “Act One,” which is included in the Dreamspinner Press Men of Steel anthology. Another of my short stories (“Violet’s Present”) will be out in June. And I have a new novel, Good Bones, which was just published by Dreamspinner. It’s about a shy hipster architect who also happens to be a werewolf. And gay. And although Good Bones has plenty of plot—as do the shorts—there are several scenes that are way too explicit for my daughter. Scenes that make me blush when I imagine my mom reading them. Scenes that would probably cause an aneurysm for that one guy at the office.
I often write in public: cafes, airplanes, waiting rooms—anywhere I can manage a few minutes or more of typing. And more than one over-the-shoulder browser has expressed surprise upon discovering exactly what I was writing. Some run away and some lean in more closely. None of them have ever fainted dead away or condemned me to Hades on the spot.
But here I am, finally out to everyone.
What have I learned? That my family and friends are pretty damn cool. My husband says he’s proud of me and happily caresses my royalty checks (he is an accountant, after all). I get to openly call myself an author, which is something I’ve always dreamed of. Even my teenager gets a kick out of looking me up on Amazon.
I look forward to a world where everyone’s coming out story ends so happily.
I’m giving away one copy of Good Bones. Comment here with your email and tomorrow I’ll choose a winner at random.
Kim Fielding’s blog: http://kfieldingwrites.blogspot.com/
Kim Fielding on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/KFieldingWrites
The trilogy with the “homosexual stuff”: http://www.amazon.com/Kim-Fielding/e/B006FN2T78/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Kim Fielding’s Dreamspinner publications: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_603
Heidi Cullinan
Evaine
Marie Sexton
Shawny
Good for you!
tracykitn AT yahoo.com
Congratulations on your coming out! I still don’t think my husband realizes that I mostly read m/m romance. I hint around and make comments, but I don’t think he gets it. That’s fine. I guess I will remain in the closet for now.
Congrats on your new release! I read the blurb and it sounds really good.
lkbherring64(at)gmail(dot)com
You’ve inspired me to send a couple of things to the Kristen Archives.
Hah. I came out to my son and his girlfriend the other evening. He just clarified– you write yaoi? Which is the manga term– and then ignored it.
Go Kim! I got into reading m/m romance via fanfiction, and I also remember dial telephones and leaded gas. (In fact, I was in middle school when Kennedy was assasinated, if that tells you how ancient I am!) I have read the blurb for Good Bones and it is already on my to-read list. Glad you have supportive friends and family. You have an extended family of m/m readers and writers too!
Congratulations on a successful ‘coming out’!
I read the blurb on your new release and it looks interesting…especially since I have young architects in the family!
That’s a lovely story. I’m glad they were so supportive of your writing.
Congratulations!
My bestfriend knows I read mostly MM stuff now but other than that, just the friends I’ve made at Goodreads and likely at GRL know so far! I think it’s a hang up from being single and being judged for that with the “enlightened” opinion that if I was still single at 30 (which was a while ago) I must be gay, for that reason I’m hesitant to share what I read with people!!! I love it, love the characters and stories better than most Het stuff! Thanks for sharing your “coming out” story and I’ll be looking for your stuff now!
Yay! Congratulations on your successful outing and for writing what you enjoy! I remember telling a few in my family exactly what “all” I do write. Talk about some raised eyebrows…I live in the deep south, and let’s just say I hear that many are praying for me.
You know I love your writing! And Good Bones was awesome. A must-read!
Great to hear your story. Add me in for comp,
Hi Kim,
I loved Stasis (I read it when it was still free online) and Flux is waiting to-be-read on my Kindle. Your coming-out story strengthens my faith in people. I’m still in the closet with my reading habits (exclusively m/m fiction for some time) and I can’t see myself telling anybody in the nearest future. So, go girl and branch out more!
You forgot to mention that a good portion of your friends come from the dog world and frequently raise eyebrows by discussing sexual and other bodily function activities in public places. It would take more than a bit of “homosexual stuff” to put us off.
I’m getting a little bit bolder in coming out,when my daughter comes to visit, she picks up one of the many books on my bed.I’ll say that’s m/m.She doesn’t open it or read the blurb so I guess I’m still in the closet especially since most books are on my kindle.Great interview,Thank you.
Congratulations! It sounds like you have a wonderful family and great friends. Stasis is on my upcoming read list – purchased but didn’t get to it yet. Now that I’ve “met” you, I’ll move it to the top of the list.
Like Diana A the fact I’m still single at – well, let’s say, past 40 – makes people think I must be gay. I figured telling everyone I write m/m would only add to that idea they have, so it was no surprise that they didn’t think anything of it. EVERYONE pretty much knows about me and most of the responses have been more along the line of “it’s so neat to work with a published writer” than with “You write what?”. And my mother proofreads for me (I stopped blushing after the first too stories, although I still write NC-17 stuff with gusto).
I too ended up here through fanfiction (RPS LOTR if you must know).
Isn’t it great to be “out”?
Liberating?
Free?
I’ve followed you from fanfiction to your novels – wouldn’t have done that if I didn’t like your writing. I’m always excited to hear that you’ve published something else.
Most of my friends know what I read – and write as fanfiction – and don’t mind. Actually, most of them read and/or write fanfiction with m/m content themselves. My family is another matter, wouldn’t want to explain to my parents who are in their 60s. Don’t have a partner right now and my son is still too young. We’ll see what he thinks of my reading and writing habits when he’s older
selana1505@gmx.de
Congratulations!! That’s a great coming out story!! I have a few friends that know I love M/M. Everyone just says I read smut. Nobody has to like it but me.
Charnel@ guilty pleasures book reviews.com
That was a great coming out story. When I came out to my family, I hadd mixed comments.
sothernbell366@yahoo.com
I loved your “coming out” story
I am “out” to my two closest friends. One of which shares my preference for m/m romance. I recently outed myself to my husband when he asked what I was reading.. He doesn’t get why I like it but he loves that it turns me on. So it ends up being a win for both of us and he is more than okay with that. Ha!
Ha, I’d definitely be one of those who’d lean in more closely!
Your family and friends seem to be pretty cool, indeed, and I bet even ‘that one guy at the office’ is secretly thrilled.
Please count me in for ‘Good Bones’, it sounds great.
Oy, I don’t like over-the-shoulder peekers while I’m reading or at the computer, I can’t imagine I’d like them much if I were writing. lol But good luck with your writing, both public and private!
Awesome Kim…..I love that your family and friends are so supportive. Just for the record, I would be one of those leaning closer wondering what happens next. LOL
Forgot my email addy-sorry
rainedelight @ yahoo dot com
I’ve been trying to swing my book budget to buy good bones. After reading this interview, I’ll have to try a little harder to make it work!
I’ve told a few people that I read a lot of m/m books. I’ve hinted to my sister before what I read but she’s one of those that doesn’t like any kind of erotic books. I tell people all of the time if they could see what was on my Kindle they would be shocked. I love reading m/m books and I read more of them than I do m/f books anymore.
sstrode at scrtc dot com
Great post. I’m an in the closet reader. So I created a fake name with a really like in same ways better than my own. I’m sure someone could easily match the two of us up and I figure if someone wants to go to that much trouble I don’t care I’ll just have to come out to them too. And I’m old enough for a rotary phone (on a party line). I was 22 and the mom of a 1 year when I started driving and unleaded was out but there were a few stations you could still get leaded.
Gotcha beat on the phone, I remember the wooden crank phone that hung on the wall. I also remember gas at 25 cents a gallon, except during a gas war when it would get down to a dime. No one in my real life know what I read but I guess they’ll find out when I kick the bucket and they see what is in my nook.
Hi Kim,
I enjoyed reading your “coming out” story. I too remember gasoline for 25 cents per gallon; staying out and playing until the street lights came on and then it was time to go in; party-line phone numbers. Just a handful of very close friends and Hubs know that I read m/m and erotic/erotica romance, everyone else just thinks it’s the mainstream romance genres. I read both print and digital books; however, if a cover is much-too-much risque, I will use a book cover for the print books.
cindersmaria AT gmail DOT com
Your coming out story is awesome!
My husband thinks what I read is porn, so now I keep it all to myself.
I would love a copy of the book!
What a cool coming out story! I wish I would run into you on one of the many, many airplane trips I go on for work LOL. Don’t count me in for the Good Bones giveaway as I already purchased and read it (now if only Stasis was up, I’ve been trying to purchase a copy of that for a while, but it needs to come out at one of the standard places I buy and I’m guessing if it was self-published that’s not going to happen). I got Good Bones because of the GRL challenge, and it was one of the books that made me so very happy to participate in the challenge. Loved the book, it was really excellent, well written, fabulous read, interesting story, just all around great!
Good for you! Only my hubby knows about my m/m reading habit. He’s always saying, ” You read those books every day. When are you going to start writing your own?” Maybe some day….
That is seriously awesome! It makes me happy that everyone openly accepted what you like/write.
thank you for the contest!!
>3> I’m still scared to do so… but one day I shall just let it all out and not care even if they do look at me weird or say rude things because I like reading and writing fanfics about it.
Judi
arella3173_loveless(at)yahoo(dot)com
My husband is worried about my ‘obsession’ with gay men he says…he laughs as he says it but its not really a ‘this is funny’ laugh…he definitely doesn’t get it. Good Bones is on my wishlist so please count me in on the contest. Thanks
chellebe at comcast dot net
Glad you have such a great, supportive family. That always helps. =)
I’d be interested in winning Good Bones, too. Sounds intriguing.
adara adaraohare com
Great coming out story
Congrats on becoming a published author!
smaccall AT comcast.net
Read it and loved it! No need to sign me up unless you have another story you would like to part with.
Hello Kim, Marie & Heidi,
Kim, I’m so happy for you that your Dream came true with the Love & Support of your Family, to openly call yourself an Author. That was such a Wonderful Story, thank you for sharing such a personal part of yourself with Us.
I would very much appreciate the opportunity to be considered in your very generous giveaway of a copy of “Good Bones”. . Thank You!
Take care Ladies,
PaParanormalFan (Renee’ S.)
paranormalromancefan at yahoo dot com
Good for you! I am still not officially “out” with everyone but I’m getting there! Looking forward to picking up your book.
Hey, it’s still sometimes my first instinct to deny that I READ gay romance. And I’m not even straight! AND I go to a college that practically shoves LGBT-alphabet soup in everyone’s faces all the time. I usually don’t deny it, though. I’m actually more furtive about the romance part than the gay stuff. I don’t mind people knowing I read stuff with gay characters, but the moment I start reading fluffy stuff, I feel like I should be reading something deep and meaningful that goes with the English major label. But I am out with it, despite my instinct to say “No really! I read Dostoevsky and Vonnegut and Tolkien! I totally read deep stuff!”
I do adore my fluffy happy ends.