Fifty Shades of Grey: Your Way!

What Do I Need To Do?

10 years ago, the erotic adventures of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey unlocked the imaginations of couples all over the world. Now, it’s time to use that imagination.

We want to know what Fifty Shades of Grey eroticism inspires in you, and for you to show us through the creative medium of your choice. Can’t draw or paint? What about doing photography, video, or sculpture instead? Or if visual arts aren’t your thing, show us your sexy side through poetry, music, or storytelling.

You have full control (wink). Let your creativity flow, and show us what eroticism means to you!

As well as all entrants being rewarded with an exclusive 15% Lovehoney discount, the winners will receive a deluxe Fifty Shades of Grey prize bundle worth $1300, the chance for their work to be seen by author E. L. James, and VIP access to an exclusive Fifty Shades of Grey event at the end of the year.

How Do I Win?

The million dollar question. With so many options available to you for what to create, it may be a little overwhelming to work out where to start! To give you a hand, we sat down with our expert judging panel, to find out what they’re looking for, and what advice they have for you.

What will you be looking for in the competition entries?

To tap into the creativity and energy of lovers who have enjoyed the Trilogy and to discover where their imaginations and desires will take them. Over the years I’ve seen some extraordinary fan art and heard some amazing songs… I can’t wait to see what entrants come up with.

I’m sure we’ll find creators who will not just celebrate Fifty Shades, but show us their own fresh and exciting takes on love, romance and sexual discovery. ‘The next E L James’ won’t be like me – they’ll be themselves, with their own distinctive voice.

Do you have any advice for the entrants?

Be bold – shock yourself. As long as it’s safe, sane and consensual, don’t be afraid to voice the fantasies that give you the deepest thrill. And have fun! If you love what you do, chances are we will love it too!

What will you be looking for in the competition entries?

I am looking for fun, unique, bold and creative pieces. Use your imagination to re-envision what Fifty Shades could look like today. How would you make it different? What could we learn about the world of BDSM that was missed ten years ago?

Do you have any advice for the entrants?

The only rule that matters for this competition is to not hold back. Be creative, base the art from your own experience and be as bold as you want – or completely distance yourself and create from a fantasy. There is no universal advice for everyone. Maybe only one – be true to yourself and don`t create things which do not speak to you.

What will you be looking for in the competition entries?

Now if you're drawing or taking a photo, I'd say be creative in your approach. What I'm looking for is something that I've never seen done. Or I'm looking for an image/piece of work that speaks to something greater, perhaps a lesson about sex, or have it reveal something about how society views sex. Perhaps it speaks to the history of the sex-positive movement or some other aspect of history interwoven with sex. Sex for sex's sake is awesome, but it can definitely be enhanced by having a deeper meaning!

Do you have any advice for the entrants?

Don't forget the foreplay! As someone who writes and consumes all forms of erotica voraciously, from stories to videos to artwork, I can say the hottest part of any erotic story is the build-up—the anticipation. (Dr. Frank-N-Furter had it right in The Rocky Horror Picture Show!) So if you're writing a story, tease the reader, talking about all the things leading up to sex and surrounding sex. There’s where the passion and yearning are! Then and only then, can you start talking about the sex itself.

What will you be looking for in the competition entries?

I’d like to be surprised and delighted with entries that are creatively original and capture the spirit of the books and eroticism overall, rather than just being an extension of the core Fifty Shades of Grey story. Fan fiction and fan art can be great (and let’s not forget that E L James started out writing Twilight fan fiction!), but there’s loads of scope to do more than that.

This doesn’t mean I’m after something complex - for me, entries can be as involved as multi-scene short film or as simple as a one-panel meme. I’d just like to go ‘wow!’ when I see or read the entry.

Do you have any advice for the entrants?

I really think it comes down to communicating what Fifty Shades of Grey and eroticsm mean to you, and illustrating that via a medium you’re at ease with. Words and visual artwork in its many forms are the obvious ways to go, but if you’ve got a good singing voice, for example, why not write a song and send us a video of you performing it? Nothing’s off the table here.

And as per my answer to the previous question, try not to be too derivative.

Fifty Shades of Grey: Your Way entries are open from the 1st of June to the 24th July 2021. For more information on the competition and our incredible judges, click here.