I posted this in Purplekow's Has self abuse changed your sexuality? thread (coincidentally, a year ago today):
I learned about masturbation in my early teens from, of all places, a Stephen King novel.
There's a scene in "Cujo" where he describes a guy masturbating. I decided to give it a try, and lo and behold, I quite enjoyed it. The way King described it, the guy shot a huge load when he came. I didn't want to make a big mess all over my bed, so for the longest time, I would always stop myself before I came. Then one time I was taking a bath, and started going at it. I realized that no matter how big a mess I made, I could use the water to clean it up. So I decided to go for it, each stroke bringing me closer to my very first orgasm, which I was sure would fill the tub. I've never felt so overjoyed and so disappointed at the same time.
But on the bright side, I discovered a wonderful new hobby, one that I enjoy to this day.
Rob