JiMC is a pseudonym (or "pen name") that I use when I write stories that should be published anonymously. I wanted a name that was simple (and "Jim" only has three letters), and I wanted something that was more or less unique. I chose the terminal "C" to make it a short name and an initial. After I started writing MC stories, I got the "cute" idea to turn the spelling into "JiMC."
That being said, my name in real life is most definitely not Jim, James, or any variation thereof.
The reason that I use a pseudonym is that I do not want people that know me in real life to infer anything from the stories that I write. Some people might think that since my MC stories are usually male dominant, I must be some sort of misogynist. I don't believe that for a minute. And neither does my wife and two daughters.
So, the reason is to protect my privacy, as well as the privacy of my family. I think that's a fair reason.
I'm just a guy that wants to get by. As I mentioned, I have a wife and two daughters. I'm in my mid forties. My occupation doesn't have anything to do with publishing or literature.
I've edited newsletters for some organizations in the past (and also contributed stories to the newsletters), and have been told that I have a talent for writing. I don't write for a living—I don't think my ability is good enough to demand large advances, and I prefer to keep my writing as something I do because I like it, not something that I become obligated to do.
I value my privacy, as well as that of my family. I maintain a web based email account for all correspondence related to my works as JiMC, and other email acccounts for my real life persona as a father, worker, volunteer for various causes, and everything else.
Somewhere in the United States of America. Sorry, I don't want to give out too much personal information about my real life in conjunction with my writings.
No I didn't. I have travelled around considerably. I have lived in a few different places in my life. Moreover, I have spent time in many cities, states, and countries and have been on nearly every continent on this planet.
I do extensive research on particular locations set in my stories in order to get the atmosphere correct. That's how I know about Chicago and its suburbs, as well as Makena in Hawaii (Dream State) and the other places I mention in my stories.
It's just a habit. If *I* am JiMC, then it would be natural for a story that I wrote to have a main character with the same name. It keeps me from having to come up with at least one character's name. As an inside joke, Jim's last name usually starts with "C."
But your question isn't actually accurate. My "Helen Stories," of which Second Base is an example, all have a female lead character (whose name is always "Helen"). And another exception is Hysterical Paralysis.
First and foremost, I enjoy writing.
Next, I write stories that appeal to me in some way for some
reason. There isn't really any "typical" story of mine, except
to say that its usually told from a male perspective, and sometimes
contains non-consensual sex (e.g., Mind Control). There are exceptions,
of course. For instance, Second Base and They take place back then because it was such an interesting era. I
grew up in the 1960s in the psychodelic rock era, and I fondly remember
the "summer of love." Sexual attitudes and mores had changed
considerably (at least outwardly so). The 1970s and the early 1980s
followed on that wave, until the reality of AIDS was enough to make
people reconsider at least their outward attitudes in the middle of the
1980s. On a note related to AIDS, it is true that drug use was popularized
during that time, but I don't feel that drugs have any place in my
stories. My characters aren't angels by any stretch of the imagination,
so if one of my characters decides to light up a joint, he or she may
do so, but the fact won't be recorded anywhere in the story. As I mentioned above, I started writing fiction in high school. I
wrote parodies of notable works (Shakespeare's MacBeth, for example),
and contributed a lot of humorous writing in various periodicals
published at my college. I read Penthouse and Penthouse Forum in
high school and college, and was always intrigued by the letters that
recounted sexual adventures, and didn't care whether or not the letters
were "real." (Of course, I was also intrigued by the many pictures of
models in various poses as well!) I also read National
Lampoon, which would occasionally have a very nicely written
story with sexual overtones which were a step above those Forum
articles. I discovered alt.sex.stories in the late 1980's, and was amazed at
the number of people that wrote those stories and uploaded them to
USENET for free. A good many of those stories were quite good. I was an
avid reader of various stories, and came to realize where my tastes in
such matter were. I never seriously considered writing in that genre until the
mid-1990's. I had written a story with a brief sexual interlude and was
told by somebody that he thought that I had written that particular
scene pretty well and that I should write more things like that. I
didn't have the heart to tell him that I had learned how to write such
scenes by reading sexual stories on USENET, but buoyed by my friend's
suggestion, I started thinking about writing such stories. The first story I ever published on USENET was a short story called
Rental Property
(or
Rental Agreement, I never decided which title I
preferred). Somebody had suggested the basic plot to me, and asked if I
could make it into a story. It was a romantic story, and it was devoted
to "visual" sexuality rather than actual sexual acts. I received a
number of positive responses to it, and the rest, as they say, is
history. I've written a Spot Light
about that story that gives more background on that particular
story. First, I try to get all the important information about a story as
close to the top of a spotlight so people that just want the basic
facts about the story (name, length, story codes, summary) can get them
easily. I then write the rest of the spotlight, mostly as a "stream of
consciousness" of facts about the "back story" (the story about writing
the story) that avoids giving away too much of the plot. I've seen
other writers do this, and I am personally fascinated by what goes on
in the minds of people when they write stories that I really like
reading. If there are other people out there like me, then they might
appreciate my meanderings also. If not, well, the important stuff is at
the top... nobody is making you read the entire thing. I tried participating, but it was never a forum that I felt a need
to be a part of. There seems to be a number of regulars there, and I'm
not the kind of person that likes to force his way into the center of
attention just to get heard. I still post my spotlights to a.s.s.d, and monitor the group
for any replies or comments on the stories that I've published,
preferring to use email instead of making discussions
public. No. And I probably won't. With the exception of erotica, I feel that
if a story is good enough, then I probably wouldn't mind publishing it
under my real name. (And I have done so.) Yes. Send me corrections. I really appreciate it—if only to
make me a better writer! Whether or not I'll correct a story depends on
the situation: Most of the time, they come out of nowhere. I'll be doing something,
and suddenly, and idea for a story will hit me. Sometimes, I'll
remember a dream that I had. I used to carry around a tiny memo book in
which I wrote these wonderful ideas, but I now use an iPAQ Pocket PC,
which fits into a "holster" that I wear, and is convenient for jotting
down notes, and occasionally reading one of my works (or somebody
else's) that I've converted into Microsoft Reader format. People are welcome to sent me story ideas, but it is doubtful that I
will use them. I have too many irons on the fire right now, and I would
be doing a disservice to anybody who would expect some sort of
immediate turnaround ("I sent you my idea for an eighty chapter story
last week! Where is it?"). The sequel to that story, entitled Lucky Stiff is
about three quarters written, and is being actively published (since
mid-August 2004) on StoriesOnline.
That's where I post my in-progress stories. I only post completed
stories to this web site, and (only if the story is one of my longer
ones) to the the Erotic
Mind Control Story Archive, aka EMCSA.
I am the sort of person that gets inspired to write when I receive
email from people telling me how much they like my stories. I feel that
I owe it to my readers to continue to write. Unfortunately, that can
result in my feeling obligated to write stories, and when that happens,
the fun starts to go away. In late 2001, a tragedy befell a very close friend of mine, and I
found myself unable to write for about six months. But after that
"vacation," I found that I was able to write with a renewed vigor. A
year later, I decided once again to take a hiatus from writing, this
time for three months. Once again, I found myself really recharged and
raring to go. I have decided that this is now an annual thing for me. I go on
Sabbatical sometime in September through the end of the year. During
that time, I no longer actively write stories. That doesn't mean that I don't proof-read stuff I've already
written, because I do. And I make corrections. And I write things like
this FAQ and the web site at
asstr-mirror.org. But I do
not write stories. That usually takes the most amount
of my time, and I instead spend time with my family and friends. I also
perform volunteer work during this time (as well as during the rest of
the year). I find that this makes my writing better, and my real life better...
a great combination! Let's see. My main computer that hooks to the internet is a Linux
system. That's sort of my base system. I also have two systems that run
Windows, and three other systems at my house that run Linux. I also
have a Macintosh iBook (useful for travelling), and an old Digital
Hi-Note Laptop (75 Mhz!) that runs either Windows 95 or 98 and has no
batteries. When I'm home, I use the main Linux system. When I'm travelling, I
usually use the iBook. And for proof-reading, I almost always use my Compaq iPAQ Pocket
PC. No, thank you. That would make me a "professional writer," and I'd
have to consider taxes, etc. However, you could send donations to
asstr-mirror.org who are
hosting my web site and who actively solicit financial support. I would be happy if you might be able to come up with a "title
graphic" for one of my stories. I'm not that talented an artist myself,
and the best I've been able to do is the
title graphic for Lucky
Tickets
. There is no mailing list. I don't keep the email addresses of people
that send comments to me. It's a matter of privacy. I had considered setting up a list in the past. But there were some
questions. Should I announce when I submit a new chapter, or only when
I have a completed story? And there was the privacy issue which became
more paramount: I just don't really think it is a good idea to have a
list containing the names or email addresses of people that have read
my works. That would be a terrible invasion of privacy, and smacks of
an Orwellian "Big Brother" attitude. I do not use AIM or any of the other messaging
programs. I don't mind getting email from readers, and if you wish to get
personal in that email, fine. You may want to remember that I try to
keep my JiMC persona separate from my real-life persona, and it is very
doubtful that I'd reveal too many personal things about myself to you.
I'm sorry, but that's just the way I am.
