All good celebrations have a kick-ass cake and every piece of fan fiction has an original work to base itself on. As you all know, my drug of choice is Fifty Shades of Grey. There is every likelihood that it will be the only fan fiction I ever write. But not everyone who lowers themselves to read this blog has ever, or will ever, read FSOG.
So, to get this party started, tell me, have you actually read the book? Really? If you only skimmed the first few pages and gave up, you can admit it. I don’t mind admitting to the world that I’ve read the books but I know that I have colleagues who will strip me of my post-structuralist feminist badge and membership if they knew just how much I loved them. Maybe you didn’t read them but you have indulged in one of the many blogs that have parodied or ‘reviewed’ the books. They’re great, aren’t they? They are so thorough that you might believe that you have read the books. There are some really great ones out there but if you’ve never read one I recommend Fifty Shades of Dave (see blog roll).
Have you read ALL of the books? Yes, there are three! Stop laughing! It’s true! They’re a continuous story – you know, one follows the other. No, really! I’m serious! And they’re quite thick books with lots of words. After a few false starts, I read them all in three days. I didn’t eat, I didn’t shower, I barely slept. There is still a bum dent in the couch. SuperGeek was overseas and my kids were not allowed to speak to me until I finished. I think they may have chewed their own arms off in desperation. There may have been pizza’s delivered. I don’t know. Now that I write fan fiction, things are not much better, I haven’t seen them in months.
Have you read the books multiple times? Go on, you can tell me. Okay, I’ll go first. I’ve read them four times. Yep, count ’em Jim. And you know what? There are people out there who have read them more than that. Yes! I may, in fact, not hold the record. I kid you not! Since we’re confessing, I also read all the Twilight books four times and Little Women 10 times. I don’t know why. Okay, I do. I’m obsessive when it comes to falling in love with stories and characters. Now, I’m thinking of reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood multiple times just to take the taste out of my mouth. There are 12 books and counting in that series so I might be a while.
Did you try to read FSOG and fail? Or have you never had any desire to pick it up? It’s okay. As I said, I myself had three or four false starts. The ebooks sat for months on my iPad, taunting me. I’d spent all that money and I couldn’t get past the first couple of chapters. That whole interview scene did nothing for me. Let’s face it, it is dreadful writing but (IMHO) good storytelling. Finally, it was a radio show that encouraged me to push on and read the whole book. The words ‘spontaneous orgasms’ might have been used. It was enough to tempt me. I have no regrets. I might have had spontaneous orgasms – I’ll never tell.
So please. Tell me your story. Even your stories of resistance and repulsion interest me. You don’t have to agree with those of us who love it (yes, there are more just like me out there). And you lot who love it, you don’t have to defend your love to the world. No judgements, just love and acceptance and sharing the juicy bits. Now, this is a party for goodness sake!
Grab a drink and mingle!
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Sasha Cameron - Writer 
I have read all 3 books – over 10 times I don;t know the exact number are 10 I just stopped counting. I l also read the blog from Christian’s POV and re read each chapter as I read the new blog chapter. I say I was obsessed is little understated. It is not just the sex scenes it is the bad, damaged boy and love fixes him. we all believe in happy ever after, and love conquering all and if the guy happens to be described as model worthy looking DOM who always makes his Ana come first all the better
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I love your obsession Kath. Yes, the broken boy that needs saving coupled with pure sex-god alpha male certainly makes for a gripping read. Thanks for sharing. Sx
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Hey, my FSOG-history is similar to yours…
It started with a Christmasgift 2011, a kindle!
There was a recommendation: the “Wicca Series (Sweep)” by Cate Tiernan. After these 12 books I read the “Black Dagger”-Series by J.R. Ward and was addicted, I read it 3 times and thought there was no better one. Then I found “Immortals After Dark” by Kresley Cole (great, but not as good) and “Midnight Breed” by Lara Adrian (good, but BD was still top).At July 4th 2012 I bought FSOG, the german edition, but read first the “Scanguards Vampire Series” by Tina Folsom. You see where I’m coming from: “Twilight” 😉
The summerholidays followed and I read “my” FSOG-book, you know what’s coming…. I was addicted !!! The german editions of book 2 and 3 wasen’t published jet, so I bought the oriiginal Trilogie, because I couldn’t wait to read the sequels… First, it was difficult for me to read english books, but thanks to kindle and the dictionary it soon went better 😉
And so my predicament started…
I turned the last page and re-started at the beginning. I discoverd that the german translation was bad and stuck to the original. During these holidays in France (2 weeks), I read it 3 times and you can imagine how much time I spend with my family… 😉
Back at home I couldn’t stop re-reading it and after a while I found several FanFictions: First “Meander” by Monique Laine (I re-read it regularly), than you (I’m impationed for an update of “Making Mia”) and than fanfiction.net, where I found a lot of great writers…
So, I’m hooked on FSOG and barely can bring myself to read other books, even “Crossfire” I couldn’t finish without re-reading FSOG…
I know it’s really pitiful, but that’s the way it is…. and I hope you awesome writers out there will continue to foster my obsession :-)))
Whole-hearted greatings from Germany.
Laters
Corinna
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Wow, that is quite a journey, Corinna. I might have to ask you to translate my stories into German! It seems that my German audience is growing. Thanks for sharing. Sx
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Hey Sasha, thanks for your amazing offer!!! I’m not a writer or rather I never tried it. I don’t know if I’m able to put it in a proper form – translating to understand is one thing, but translating and transport the vibes and moods is something else entirely… 😉 But I could give it a try (you really have intrigued me) and if it works I can get back to you. Is this OK for you?
Corinna x
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That would be really wonderful. I still have a few chapters of my Spanish translation to post and adding in a new one would be so amazing. Let me know how it goes. sashajcameron@gmail.com
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Hey Sasha, look at your privat email-account. You’ll find a surprize 😉
C. x
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Squeeee!!! So excited! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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Yes, I have read the series several times. I also have read the Twilight series several times. Including 600+ twilight FanFiction stories. This also happens to include the original 50 Shades of Grey fanfiction titled Master of the Universe. I love both of the series, and have significantly enjoyed most of the fanfiction stories I have read.
I started reading FSOG fanfiction when there were only 13 fanfiction stories posted on the site. I have my teenaged daughter to thank for all of this. After watching the first Twilight movie with her, I decided I would give the books a try. I have never looked back. Interestingly enough, she does not read any fanfiction at all. And she has certainly not read FSOG, even though she is 21 now. She thinks they will be too racy for her young mind. I have sent her links to safe stories such as Lost in Your World\Healing Faith, but she hasn’t nibbled on any of them. I believe she is more content staying in the worlds of Jane Austen and Stephanie Meyer!
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Hi Lizzy, great to hear from you again. Yes, I can’t imagine my daughter ever reading these stories and at 16 that suits me just fine. So you were an early fan fic adopter. I love it! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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Dear Sasha, Forgive me FSOG Fanfic…for I have sinned. I have not read the books! There are a myriad of reasons why I have not, but not one of the reasons is because I didn’t want to. I would still like to read them! came across all kinds of different people reading snippets and or chapters from the book… on YouTube. It was like hearing the story in mosaic,. I really wished that I could have read them myself, as I became totally caught up in the Cinderella story… that I am the opposite of a billionaire and did not have the $11 per book that the used bookstore wanted… Next I went on a Google search and found Monique Lain… I was enthralled and became addicted!!! I had no idea what fanfiction was, nor that there were so many talented people doing it! I loved Monique’s unique story, I DO love her writing style, and I found I could not put down my android phone until I had devoured every last morsel of her story! I became an FSOG FANFIC VAMPIRE!!! A member of the undead who could not sleep if there was another chapter that’s one of my favorite writers had written…You are one of my Five Star restaurants, as is Monique, Ani Surnois, Evyn Rae Ward, nuwriter, Bronze Goddess, newgirl3366… Christian’s POV… And I was thrilled when you sent out an email listing your favorite!!! I think I have just about to read them all now. Those of you who are my treasured favorites… are golden goblet who freely share the nectar of your minds as the busy synapses of your imaginations pour it forth…It is like living in Venice during the Renaissance…kinda/sorta?… where the artists gather to paint write sing poet (yes…poet is now a verb AND a noun, says I…why not?) and this Venetian style FSOG feast is a living breathing International phenomenon! I am fully immersed in the FSOG Fanfic heavy duty washing machine… and I’m not getting out! 😀 The world is sad and scary and real…and while one can not completely escape the true tragedies of life…this adult fairytale is balm to the wounds…a numbing agent against the news…a naughty and fantastic ride… EL James and FSOG is the catalist! And I will read her books someday… The money will manifest and I will find all of your books… my new favorite writers… all compelled to write, many for the first time…by a story told one Grey and rainy day…in a Seattle sprinkled with fairy dust that compels the untamed thoroughbreds to run thier own race…on their own course…in thier own time…and carry this story on…ice cream and spankings, ballgowns and love fixes everything. What more do we need? I don’t know…but… :::heavy sigh:::: I can’t wait for you wo.derful writers to spell it out…one delicious encompassing chapter at a time… ❤ X Maxime
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Maxime, you amaze me. All this dedication and you haven’t read the originals. I’m not surprised though, there are many FSOG writers who have never read Twilight. I hope you get to them soon. I think you will like them. Sx
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Yes I have read all three books over and over again, I am a real Christian and Ana fan. I just started reading the books and could not seem to put them down, I felt I was in a loop as soon as book 3 was finished I was back onto book 1. I have lost count of the times I have read the books, must be over a dozen times.
Then I discovered Fanfiction stories and now I am hooked on them as well. I loved the storyline in FSOG, although I can pick faults with some of the repeated phrases used in the book, what the heck I still loved it. I am not a writer to I cannot complain about someone else’s work, I loved the books. I think that there are two camps for these books, you either love them or you hate them. One of my friends hated the books, but I have another friend who has just started reading the books and she loves every bit of it.
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Sheila, thank you for sharing. Yes, there are things about her writing that annoy most people but in the end it is the story and the emotional tensions and connections that kept us all engaged. That makes her ok in my book. Sx
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I first heard about the books in the summer of 2012 but I hadn’t been interested. I gradually became more and more curious about them, until finally one day I was in the public library and two 70-something women were talking excitedly about the books and how much they had learned from them! My sister was reading the books as well and had her Kindle out on the kitchen counter top so she could read while she cooked. I will never forget her stirring and reading at the same time! That gave me a chuckle, so I purchased the first book on Amazon. I started reading it at 1030 one night and didn’t put it down until 1am! I immediately ordered the next two and plowed through them as well.
I am really grateful for the emotional lift I got from the books. I’d been laid off from my job, moved cross country, and was very stressed. They provided with a much needed escape. They kind of became my lifeline. I’ve read the entire series 6 or 7 times, plus follow several of the Fan Fiction blogs. I loved the books, but I think some of the FF writers have brought the characters to life even more vividly than Ms. James did. I’ve had a wonderful time engrossing myself in this world and I don’t plan to leave it any time soon.
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Hi Shanon, what a wonderful way to put it, the emotional lift. Yes, that is exactly how I felt. And I love that the age range of the fandom is so incredibly broad. Sx
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Hands up, I’m addicted! Not actually read the trilogy in around a year – not since I discovered FF. Prior to that it was attached to me constantly for I don’t know how long. I must have read the books back to back at least twenty times, I would average twice a week and for a while became really put out if we had any kind of engagement that prevented me from reading more. I would carry the trilogy in my handbag and read whenever I could.
After a couple of months my sister-in-law read the first in the Crossfire series and then loaned it to me. From there on in I mixed it up with a little Gideon Cross for good measure though I always come back to my Fifty, I think it’s the kink!
I have put in my order for a kindle for xmas as pages are falling out now (specifically the fingering in the elevator, the lipstick and subsequent shower scene and the punishment fuck on honeymoon… take from that what you will lol)
I must say I got turned on by the trilogy, not just the sex but the whole idea of fixing this broken man who had so much going for him but just couldn’t see it. Christians vulnerability made him all the more desirable. My husband complained about how much time I spent reading to begin with but soon figured out that he would be woken for a quickie at three in the morning a lot more often when I’d been reading before bed. He firmly believes my being constantly horny from reading them is what led to our son who arrived this May!
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Shelly, that is great. an FSOG baby! Congratulations to you and hubby! Yes, SuperGeek has reaped the benefits of the FSOG wave. Luckily we only do it for fun and exercise nowadays. Makes it even more enjoyable. Oh, and annoying the kids with how into each other their middle aged parents are. 😉 thanks for sharing Sx
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I actually got fired and my roommate had just finished reading the first book. She knew I was having a bad day so she said hey why don’t you read this, it isn’t a book that takes brain power and you can get lost in some good old fashioned smut. And about 4 days later I had read all three books and she was right I had gotten lost in the world of Ana and Christian. I have since read them a second time and I am sure will read them all again before the movie comes out. I have also become addicted to some of the fan fiction blogs especially Sascha’s due to the books. 😉
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Ooopps I misspelled Sasha’s name above! Sorry! 🙂
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I love your addictions Miss V. Almost as much as I love your name!! Thanks for sharing. Sx
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Yes, I’ve read all 3 books. Multiple times even. It all started for me with a few whispers doing the rounds of the media here in the UK shortly before the paperbacks were published last April. All I heard was the title and it intrigued me. I visited a couple of bookshops and they had no idea what I was talking about. How that was to change! A week or so later the first book was released and I bought it from a supermarket. I was instantly hooked and was desperate for the 2nd and 3rd books to be released a week later. I barely slept for several months. If I wasn’t actually reading the books I was lying awake thinking of Christian and Ana.
My friends are split 50/50 on having read them. Those who have smile indulgently at my obsession. Those who haven’t look at me at as if I’ve lost my mind. Which I have to agree I have in a way. I’m in a happy place with it though. One less than kind colleague told me I should get a life.
So I have the paperbacks (well-thumbed and cherished), the hardbacks (pristine and consulted on special occasions), audiobooks and the Jennifer Trouton print. I listen to the audiobooks for just an hour or so each week and read a page or so of the paperbacks every day. I’m like an addict who must have her fix. It led me to discover the incredible world of fanfiction. I read very little else now, tv programmes now just don’t hold my attention. I read Tess of the D’urbervilles purely because of E L James.
I’ve tried to convince myself it’s not real but I’ve given in now. Parts are real and I’m cashing in a chunk of savings to visit Seattle next Summer for the Soiree.
I want to sit smirking up the corner of the old folks home years from now with wonderful memories.
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Oh, Sue, our obsession knows no bounds. And this is a good thing, I say. I, too, have my kindle books, paperbacks, audio, soundtrack and charm key chain. I’ve been a mask collector from way back so I figure FSOG was waiting to find me. My deepest wish is to own an Audi – that one will never happen.
Did you hear that the filming and subsequent release dates have been pushed back? Check the calendar on this blog – we are now set for Valentines Day, 2015. Hopefully, it will be a better film because of it. We can only hope. See you in Seattle! 😉 Sx
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Hi, Sasha, I read all 3 books while waiting for my husband to get out of surgery. Didn’t think a thing about what the genre was, or what people would think. I have re-read all the books at least a dozen times. I like the story.
For me, the challenge was to read the Twilight Books! My boss LOVES them, but I couldn’t get past the vampire/werewolf thing. Finally, I bought the first book and read it on the way to a conference (with same boss). Once I got there, I begged her to lend me her Kindle so I could read another one and another one.
I am addicted. But these books are my friends as I go through chemotherapy.
My family thinks I am crazy since I was a lit major in college. But the stories are fun and easy to read. The movies are fun, too.
And they did lead me to fanfiction, your website, and others that I know you read as well.
More Mia and Ethan, please and thank you!
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Linda, it is stories like yours that remind me why we need these stories so much. I am so very glad that you have these comforts through the difficult times in your life. I will make an extra special effort to get a Mia update soon – You are an inspiration and a motivation so I will do my very best. Take care. Sxxxx
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We fully support obsessive reading and addiction to fictional characters! This is Rebecca from ContentsRHot.com…I personally ignore everyone in my house when reading a really hot book, like FSOG or the Black Dagger books (love them!!). I’ve read the FSOG trilogy at least 4 times! 🙂
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Hi Rebecca, thanks for dropping by. I do love our shared obsession. FSOG is special but those Black Dagger boys – now, they just leave me breathless. It’s a shame JR Ward doesn’t allow fan fiction. I’d be all over that one. 😉 Sasha xx
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Hell, yes! I have read all three books. I indulge so much that I can’t tell you how many times I have indulged. I think I know “Darker” by heart… I think…
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Don’t you love it when you can quote your faves by heart? You know, I’m kinda looking forward to when I can do that with PDS – hint, hint. How are those edits going? 😉 Sx
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They are moving along ow, Beloved. I was having withdrawal symptoms just like you guys even though I was writing Miles’ backstory, so it was utterly necessary for me to start Book II. Now if I can just get my family to leave me to my editing, I can get Book I, Volume I done and ready to roll! 😉 ❤
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Still going… a little slow because of real life, but I won’t quit!!!
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I had read all three books at least three times when my oldest daughter borrowed them. I have never seen my FSOG again! Its more than a year now. Whenever I need to revisit something I stop by the local bookstore to reread FSOG. My local library branch still has FSOG on a waiting list so not much help there. I have read many fanfiction before FSOG, but I have never encountered a comunity like the fans of FSOG. I am not one for AU approaches. I love ff backstories and ff tales filling in the lives of the secondary characters. The ff trailers are incredible. I visit the most beautiful blog sites often such as yours Sasha and Walk in the Clouds and Jane’s. Special thanks to Lisa Ashmore for Jane’s site. I loved the inclusion of music in FSOG and that the best of ff has continued to inclusion music in their writing. My favorites FSOG blogs are yours Sasha and Jane Harvey-Berrick’s. Thnks so much. Please keep writing.
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PS.
I introduced FSOG to the women in my workplace. An unique experience. Unfortunately, I am also one of only two people at work of the dozens that have read all or part of FSOG that actually paid the stories as opposed to shared their copy or hacked it on the web.
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