Interview: Pamela deMenthe, Wardrobe Theatre

Erotic auteur character comedy, as the doyenne of erotic fiction Pamela DeMenthe (aka comic Jenny May Morgan) presents her seminal scorcher, Sticky Digits.

“Pamela invites you to an interactive masterclass in salacious storytelling and a reading which she promises will make you weep from every orifice. Plus, personalised erotic fiction to take home.

“Fifty Shades of Grey meets Alan Partridge.” Exeunt

“Does for the sexy novel what Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace did for horror.” The WeeReview

Ahead of her appearance as part of Chuckle Busters’ excellent comedy programme at the Wardrobe Theatre, we meet Pamela and her, er, steadily growing erotic fiction empire.

How did you find your way into writing erotic fiction? 
Well, really, erotic fiction found its way into me. I worked for British Gas for 12 years in the telesales communications department. Which, as I’m sure you are aware, is a hotbed of erotic fiction material. Although I never wrote anything down it was all fermenting under the surface.
After I was made redundant 18 months ago, I realised I’d been given an opportunity to try something new. So I enrolled on a two-week erotic fiction writers’ retreat in Andalusia and this really released something deep in me. Following the course the creative juices just flowed out.

The two-week writers’ retreat sounds intense. What did it consist of? 
Yes, it was intense. My writing mentor Raul was very hands-on. A lot of massage and deep tissue work. We didn’t really do any writing as such, but I definitely learned a lot. When I returned I just sat down and the words gushed out of me. I wrote my first book Castration in the Library: Shhhhh in about 45 minutes.

And what was the next step?
The next step was to get published, which turned out to be a little tricky. After 2,666 rejections I realised the logical way forward was to set up my own publishing company, DeMenthe Publishing. I invested all my savings into a printing press and run it from the spare bedroom at home. Of course if a big publishing company came along offered me a £12 million book deal, I’d seriously consider it, but actually running your own publishing company gives you the freedom to publish whatever you want. No one telling you ‘no, this isn’t good enough’, ‘you spelt that wrong’ or ‘this is awful’. It’s Brilliant!

Which of your novels are you proudest of, and why? 
That’s difficult because all 28 mean so much. I guess Filling me Softly at the Esso Garage is a special one. It’s a little sentimental for me, as it’s the story of how my mum and dad met.
But really, Sticky Digits, my latest release, I regard as my… seminal piece. Mainly because it’s the first novel where I’ve included a great deal of product placement. Sponsorship in erotic fiction is a bit of an untapped market. Nothing has been signed yet, but I’m hoping that a very well-known supermarket chain will be investing heavily. Mentioning no names, but let’s just say “every little helps” (wink wink).

What makes for good erotic fiction, in your view?
Girth. Ultimately a thicker book means a cleverer, more successful writer. If it can’t hold a door open, it just doesn’t count.

“I knew it was time to take the leap and embark on the career I’d always dreamed of. A path which would allow me to help people and change lives.” Have you seen evidence that your books are doing just that?
Oh, definitely! When I was hosting my show Pamela DeMenthe presents Sticky Digits in Edinburgh, I could tell from the way that audience members avoided me in the bar afterwards, that clearly Sticky Digits had struck quite a chord.

Pamela deMenthe Presents: Sticky Digits Wardrobe Theatre, Oct 7. For more info and to book tickets, visit thewardrobetheatre.com/livetheatre/pamela-dementhe-presents-sticky-digits