Don’t Scare the Newbies!

In case you hadn't heard them yapping about it already, kirizal wrote a book. Actually, two books. 274k words in about six weeks, and as they settle into a well earned break from writing, W/we thought W/we should tell you all about it! On this episode, kirizal and S talk about the writing process, what goes into indie publishing, what kirizal loves about the pitch black genre, and how an outline for some dark, smutty fiction morphed into the most personal writing they have ever done delving into trauma, body image, faith, and redemption.Content Note: Discussion of violence, torture, sexual violence, fantasies involving sexual assault, childhood trauma, kink shaming, body image and weight loss. If you're concerned about spoilers, W/we kept them light - expect discussion of the worldbuilding and character backstories, and a little general discussion of overall character arcs, but not much more detail than you'd get from the blurb and trigger warnings in the book.Follow kirizal’s blog and find all their socials (and book!) at www.kirizal.comSupport U/us on Patreon at patreon.com/dontscarethenewbiesAnd to keep track of the events kirizal will be selling books at, follow:BofTD 14th Nov: https://instagram.com/theboftd?psln=aWMyZXExdml3M2RnBBB 12th Dec: https://instagram.com/birminghambizarre?rpxt=MWIzMTRmcG92NWt6eg%3D%3D

Mx requested something that wasn't arty and pretentious for O/our next episode, and kirizal delivered. This week, W/we're talking about 365 Days. Is a movie with only one scene of light bondage really a kinky movie? In this movie, most of the kink is non-diagetic so W/we're talking female gaze, book boyfriends, and lots of delicious tropes. Plus - why does sadness, angst, and tragedy often pop up in the darker end of romance, and why are toxic relationships on the page and on screen so relentlessly hot? Expect some feral grunting, and somehow Mx picks up a contact high from kirizal's painkillers. Content Note: Discussion of sexual assault and kidnappingFollow kirizal’s blog and find all their socials (and book!) at www.kirizal.comSupport U/us on Patreon at patreon.com/dontscarethenewbies

After your first long, hard, two week wait for new DSTN!, W/we’re talking orgasm control and denial! kirizal and S chat about what orgasm control does for O/our dynamic, why it’s fun (and awful), and some important safety talk. Plus - O/our previous masturbation habits, and a morbid lil diversion to talk about death (cheery!)Content Note: Discussion of death and bereavementFollow kirizal’s blog and find all their socials (and book!) at www.kirizal.comSupport U/us on Patreon at patreon.com/dontscarethenewbies

In an extra lengthy, rambly special, kirizal and S reflect on one year of hosting an award winning podcast. From how Don't Scare the Newbies! started and S's anxious dog reaction to the early analytics, to O/our favourite episodes and some lowlights (audio issues, UGH!). W/we chat about how much W/we appreciate O/our lovely audience, and then dive into a Q&A with questions you sent in!This episode also includes a little announcement about the future of DSTN! - but don't worry, W/we're not stopping any time soon!Content Note: Discussion of consensual non-consent play and non-consensual fantasy scenariosFollow kirizal’s blog and find all their socials at www.kirizal.comSupport U/us on Patreon at patreon.com/dontscarethenewbies

This week, kirizal and S finally get around to talking about one of O/our most essential kinks - impact play! W/we chat about why S finds hitting people with stuff fun, how different types of impact feel to kirizal, and lots of all important safety stuff. Plus - sadists hitting themselves in the penis, how a toy became known as the kirizal breaker, and the five levels of kinky kit shopping.Thank you everyone who's stuck with U/us through some up and down audio the last few weeks - this one should be louder, but the cost for that was a few crackly moments (sorry!). The good news is that after testing all of O/our equipment multiple times W/we finally figured out that it was kirizal's laptop causing the problems, and have switched to Mx's for all recordings after this one! Will it happen again? Oh, no doubt - but for now expect cleaner audio :)Content Note: Some mentions of CNC play and bloodFollow kirizal’s blog and find all their socials at www.kirizal.comSupport U/us on Patreon at patreon.com/dontscarethenewbies

Usually if kirizal asks S why They like something, the answer is “power and control”, so this week W/we dive into that favourite “conceptual kink”. What is control, and how is it distinct from power? W/we chat about what consensual control brings to O/our relationship, and the process of negotiating and developing rules and discipline and how this becomes conditioning over time. Plus - why kirizal is so difficult to punish, emotional sadomasochism and behaviour modification, risk (of course!), and developing a dynamic centred around control.Content Note: Discussion of coercive control, abusive relationships, and heavy psychological playFollow kirizal’s blog and find all their socials at www.kirizal.comSupport U/us on Patreon at patreon.com/dontscarethenewbies

This week, kirizal and S go back to the beginning and talking about swiping right (or is it left? W/we get confused) on each other on Tinder back in 2021 and then again on OkCupid in 2023. But, this isn't just about O/our success story - this week W/we're talking dating apps and hookup culture, from kirizal's explanation for why Grindr is like Uber Eats, to romanticising the era when online groomers "were more polite", W/we talk about online dating through the ages. But also - meeting people in meat space, how kirizal ended up drunk and sexting during the Great North Run, what makes a great dating app profile (take that tea towel OFF), and some all important safety information. And it wouldn't be a long, rambling DSTN! episode if kirizal didn't go off about feminism at some point.Content Note: Discussion of CNC play involving simulated sexual assault, brief mention of online grooming, discussions of sexual predators and violence in context of online dating risks, and discussion of misogynyFollow kirizal’s blog and find all their socials at www.kirizal.comSupport U/us on Patreon at patreon.com/dontscarethenewbies

In which the good Christian woman, Chastity, is horribly tortured by the cruel and unreasonable witch finder Jeffiniah. Well, maybe she's a good Christian woman. Maybe she's a witch.Yes, it's finally time for O/our second interrogation episode. Last month, kirizal and S did another interrogation scene, and this was a big one. With a booing crowd, multiple locations, costumes, roleplay, and whole new strategies from both sides. There was drama, betrayal, blasphemy in two religions and a confession in two languages. This was a scene no one wanted to miss, and now thanks to the magic (*gasp* WITCHCRAFT) of podcasting, no one has to, as W/we take you through the planning, negotiation, strategy, last minute nerves, a blow by blow of the scene, and aftercare. Plus, is kirizal now possessed by Chastity into writing smut?Content Note: Discussion of torture - both in scene, and real-world historic and modern torture techniques - religious play, waterboarding, piss, mention of blood, and branding.O/our friends at Insert Here also covered this scene among other adventures in Episode 20: Burn The Witch https://insertherekink.comFollow kirizal’s blog and find all their socials at www.kirizal.comSupport U/us on Patreon at patreon.com/dontscarethenewbies

This week, Sunshine and Honeypot introduce kirizal and S to the world of S.L.U.T - the international sexpionage organisation dedicated to saving the world from boring sex. Sunshine and Honeypot have a unique dynamic built around roleplay, mindblowingly in-depth world building, and weekly puzzles that fuel both intimacy and creativity. In this episode we chat about roleplay - from overcoming (or embracing) the cringe to finding ideas and inspiration - and gamification of kink in their weekly missions and their planning of scenes. Content Note: Brief mentions of blood, and consensual non-consent play Follow O/our guests on Fetlife @Sunshine_STL and @Agent_HoneypotFollow kirizal’s blog and find all their socials and O/our merch at www.kirizal.comSupport U/us on Patreon at patreon.com/dontscarethenewbies

Dark romance and pitch black romance author Ellie Sanders joins kirizal and S this week to talk about these often stigmatised genres, her writing, and lots more! Ellie tells U/us about navigating social media reactions, censorship in the self-publishing world, and her experience of her first book ban. We dive into what it is that writers and readers get out of these books, and the crossover with the world of kink where people search for a path to explore dark ideas in a controlled environment, and whether dark romance and related genres represent kink well - or even if they need to? Plus, Ellie teases her upcoming book Decimation, the final book in The Brethren Lords series, and shares some insights into her impressive writing process, and kirizal reveals which of The Brethren Lords S most reminds them of.Content Note: Discussion of traumatic past experiences - not detailed, consensual non-consent play, and fictional depictions of torture, sexual violence, and abuse. Mentions of death threats and sexual harrassment on social media.Check out Ellie’s website here: https://www.hotsteamywriter.comSigned books and merch at: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/EllieSandersBookNookFollow Ellie on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elliesandersauthor…and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elliesandersauthor—Follow kirizal’s blog and find all their socials and O/our merch at www.kirizal.comSupport U/us on Patreon at patreon.com/dontscarethenewbies