Interview with Yaoi Author/Artist Alex A. Akira
written by Sandra Scholes
Today, Alex has taken time out of his busy schedule to give our enthusiastic yaoi readers an insight into his writing and his art. He has both a distinctive style of writing and with his art it is even more distinct. Early on, Alex has had a wide range of talents with the arts, theatre and product design, with both yoga and martial arts which have been the influences he has garnered to create the sensual and racy box set of his Dragon and Crow series.
JapanReviewer: What are the most important parts of what you include in your writing?
Alex: Three things spring to mind, all from what, I, as a reader like or my personal aesthetic.
I am a person who feels deeply and am in awe of the nature’s beauty. So I tend to use exalted and experiential poetic analogies to express emotion in my writing, especially great emotions like, awe, exuberance and rapture. For example rather than “His tongue lapped at his lover’s taint, loving the musk of his manly scent…” I might write, “The scent of damp birch and moss clouded his senses and his tongue slid forward eager to sample the promised ambrosia…”
I also feel a story should build, getting increasingly better as you read it. That sounds fundamental, but it takes much practice and editing to capture that basic principal. I, myself, have much work to do to increase my command of that basic skill that has becomes more challenging in this modern e-book world. Now, the sample excerpt has become just as important as a books blurb. A writer must capture the reader’s attention immediately, but still leave room for the pinnacle of excitement in later chapters.
And last, I think bringing some originality to a story is important. So many story ideas are repeats, which isn’t a bad thing, but a writer should make sure that “their voice” is heard in the story. I feel that even if a storyline has been written a thousand times, it is a writer’s duty to develop a fresh approach… to surprise the reader.
JapanReviewer: What in your opinion is the secret to being a successful yaoi writer?
Alex: You know I don’t think I have a definitive answer to that, because success is different things to different people. I can tell you what works when I read yaoi and what strive to capture in my writing. Beautiful bishounen, that have both strength and vulnerability. Tension and angst within the characters and between romantic pairings that is expressive and lets the reader feel the emotion of the moments. Exquisite, unusual and stimulating sex scenes. And simple complex plots; a story that appears fairly straightforward, but by its end is revealed to be more than the sum of its parts.
JapanReviewer: Your cover art is amazing - I've never seen so many pecs, and they are all so handsome. How did the general look of your covers come about?
Alex: Thank you. I am a traditionally trained artist … watercolors, oils and pen and ink were my original mediums, but in the past four years have taught myself digital art. When I got into reading yaoi manga, well I really wanted to be a manga artist. But, honestly I can’t draw a cartoon to save my life, lol. The covers are the result of me trying to emulate Youka Nitta and other great manga artist’s works. While learning how to paint digitally I slowly came to find my own style, which I am still developing. And yes, I tend to be partial to male nipples and partially clothed or smartly dressed bishounen.
JapanReviewer: For you, what is the most important aspect of creating your characters?
Alex: I like all of my characters, hero and villain to have specific reasoning behind how they approach the challenges they face in my storylines. I try to reveal a character’s growth throughout my stories by showing how they learn to strengthen their weaknesses and see and accept their strengths. I tend to love characters with street smarts, that are naive in other ways or who have tremendous genius and unwittingly trap themselves. I also love sentimental but vicious villains; villains who’ve had challenging pasts and simply rebelled in the wrong direction, and have a kind of sane madness.
JapanReviewer: What was your first yaoi story before you got famous. Everyone has one when they are starting out, and it would be interesting to find out yours?
Alex: Famous? You flatter me, I am hardly that. My first yaoi story was a practically a fanfic and was dismal. I tried to cram in ideas from my favorite yaoi manga and animé and create something new. I didn’t grasp the nuances or complexities of manga stories at that time. I wrote it weekly as an online serial on aarinfantasy… honestly I can’t even remember its name. I do remember it ended with the main pair dying a la Ai No Kusabi. : )
JapanReviewer: When did you discover that you would become a published writer?
Alex: When I finished Dragon & Crow and a friend told me I should publish it, I figured out how to self publish and did so.
JapanReviewer: Was there a character who excelled all your expectations?
Alex: I’d have to say Philip. He first appears in Dragon & Crow as an agent who works in the Eye Candy division of the vigilante espionage agency, The Tanaka Group. He ‘s a thief and a dancer and one of the agents recruited to use his sexual charms to lull criminals into giving up their secrets. From a bit part, he grew to be a supporting character and due to fan response is a lead character in Dojo Boys: The Italian Connection, the 2-Volume of which will be released in September 2015.
JapanReviewer: Who is your favourite character in the Dojo Boys series?
Alex: Yoshiro Tanaka, the vigilante crime fighter.
JapanReviewer: Since Yaoi Press decided to take their yaoi to the next level, the text stage rather than the full graphic novel, how do you think this has influenced your work?
Alex: I think it is a smart move on their part and think it will only help [especially Western] readers discover yaoi and understand how its stories differ from those of the male/male romance fiction genre. I’m still surprised when reviewers read my books and compare my stories to those of the contemporary male/male romance genre.
To me, yaoi is a sexual fantasy, which can draw upon the fantastical. I find contemporary male/male romance to combine a degree of realism and sexual fantasy. For example, one might not necessarily find the use of condoms in a yaoi romance, whereas, condoms appear to be an important aspect in contemporary male/male romance. I’ve actually written a series of posts for the Dragon & Crow blog hop, on the history of the bishounen and male/male romanticized sex in Japan in the hopes that more readers will grasp the history that led to the yaoi genre.
JapanReviewer: What advice would you give to someone wanting to be a yaoi writer?
Alex: Read and study as many as the yaoi manga and anime as you can. Study the layouts and drawings and try to grasp the hidden language and symbols within the manga most especially. Also study the history of male/male sex in Japan and learn the differences between shudo and homosexuality. And for the love of God never use the phrase “balls deep.” : )
JapanReviewer: Tell me, do you attend yaoi conventions to showcase your work, and lastly, are cons the best place for networking?
Alex: Honestly, to say I don’t do well in a crowd would be an understatement. As an artist I have attended art shows that are like conventions and while I did make contacts and increased my sales, I am not sure I want to enter that arena again. It’s a little early in this game for me, but right now … if my stories find their way into a yaoi convention, I believe it will be with a representative.
Alex A. Akira is the author of the yaoi romance series Dojo Boys, racy tales of young, male martial artists navigating some unorthodox and adventurous paths to find love. The prequel of the e-book series, The First Misunderstanding and the first two-volume box set of Dragon and Crow are available at Amazon:
AMAZON D & C BOXSET: http://www.amazon.com/DOJO-
WEBSITE: http://www.alexaakira.org
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/AlexAAkira
Alex, you are a thinker and a doer, in addition to being an accomplished writer/designer/artist/reviewer. I deeply admire your talents. I agree that cookie-cutter plots and characters are all too often admired rather than being drummed from the virtual bookshelves! Hopefully, your writing will become the in-demand excellence we all strive for.
ReplyDeleteOh ... and I too am enamored of male nipples. One of the reasons I enjoy your beautiful subjects. ;) And the clothing, let me not forget the clothing—the way it drapes and sheathes and gives glimpses of wonders underneath.
Your fangirl, Erin
Thank you Erin... I am wearing my forever grin of happy @ your kind and inspiring words. : )
ReplyDeletePS, Your intervierw was complex and multi-faceted, so I'm sorry if my comments seem shallow. You deserve better!
ReplyDeleteAnd lest I forget to say it, I wish you huge success in all your exploits. For exploits they are. ;)
Yoku Ganbattane! Great job!
ReplyDeleteI have been following your blogs on the history of Samurai love, and have had the privilege of reading both Dojo Boys and the Italian Connection. I adore all three. I cannot praise these stories too much. They offer complex mysteries that draw in the reader with nail-biting tension and fast-paced action. The most delightful parts are the development of the emotional connections between characters and the deeply arousing erotica. The characters are dynamic and complex, definitely not emotionally flawless, and you are not afraid to show this. However, their physical beauty does not prevent me from accepting the authenticity of each character.
Also ... Bravo for enlightening readers on the male-love history of Japan and the Samurai that became the foundation for contemporary yaoi. Through efforts of authors like you, readers can discover the pleasure of yaoi and the genre can be accorded the same respect that other romance genres, including All-Male Romance, have. Arigato goziamasu, Alex
Thank you BD, Your kind words mean much to me... your own novel Eternal Samurai is so inspiring and created vivid images in my mind that I long to capture in digital art. Thank you for your support and wonderful words.
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