A question or two, for authors. :)

ms.read

Literotica Guru
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Sep 7, 2004
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So, you finally got the "cajones" to publish something here on lit. It's something deeply private to share with complete strangers. That is, if you care anything at all for your writing.

What do you get out of it? Out of the sharing and the feedback on your stories? does it motivate you to possibly publish somewhere where you make $$$, and possibly get famous? (fifty shades of grey?) how would you feel being recognized in real life, for something so private, and having your sexuality scrutinized(by people you know: friends, family, acquaintences) because of the type of subject matter/ explicit themes you write about. Whether you practice those themes in real life or not is moot.:eek:
 
I get to suck people back into my old D&D world and play my characters again. The biggest part of my stories as Dark are based upon the world I created and the characters I rolled up and played in the 80s.

Then, I get to see it all come full circle as people incorporate my characters, magic, and special items back into their own tabletop games.

http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/rise-of-the-fallen-god/wikis/satchel-hasty-departure

Darkniciad’s Satchel of Hasty Departure
Simailar in appearance to a Handy Haversack this magic item does more than just store items to be retrieved later. Command words link possessions to the bag, the items shrinking and packing themselves in the magical satchel within moments. One could pack their whole shop and most of their home in instants with it.



Specifications
Carrying capacity: 2,200 lbs.
Load capacity: 2,000 cubic ft.
Maximum interior dimensions of satchel: 20’x10’x10’
Exterior dimensions: 1’x2’x1’
Weightof satchel: maximum 10lbs. regardless of contents
Price: 15,000 gp.


The satchel may be fully packed or unpacked when the proper command word is given. It can also be partially packed and unpacked with a different command word. The user can as a minor action put their hand inside the pack and pull out what they wish by merely thinking about what content they desire.


Darkniciad created this versatile and useful magic item, freely distributing the details of the process among wizards at conclaves over the last few decades or so. Only the long and exhaustive process necessary to create them has kept the magical creation from being more commonplace in the world nowadays.

Much of my other writing is the same, except I'm creating all new characters and role-playing them in different worlds that parallel the real world. It's the same situation, though. I'm trying to draw people into the world I've created and have them walk through it with me.

The rest is seeing what I can do with different categories, testing theories about different readerships, and trying to put what I've learned into practice to achieve certain expected results, like my two incest stories last Christmas, which were written exclusively to break 2k votes and 100k views in the first 24 hours by hitting all the right buttons with the readership.

That success still tickles me, even though the stories are among the few I've never and probably never will read again myself.
 
Thank you Dark, for your thoughts :)

I am quite selfish, I guess, because I write the stories, for me. To get to share them with others is quite fascinating. I found out quickly that I am not the best writer here... but have the pluck enough to keep on at it.

To be known to be a well versed writer here is quite something. But to be recognized as a smut writer, by someone you know well, and respect, and have it backfire, would be devastating.
 
For me it's more about overcoming certain kinds of shame. I never wanted to be a horndog or a player, and it took me a lot of time and patience to be sexual with my girlfriend in my own way.

Now I've ended up writing about my sexual awakening in the form of erotic stories, I feel embarrassed because my experiences are so vanilla compared to everything else out there. Most of my stories don't even include intercourse! And yet, to answer your question, I'd feel mortified if anyone in real life knew.

I still can't make sense of it myself... I write about very private/intimate stuff, only to then publish it for everyone to see! This hobby is full of contradictions.
 
I started to write here at the urging of my wife who found the site before me.

I used to mess around and write dirty stories for her and she convinced me that my stuff was just as good as a lot of what's here.

I also had been writing a series of incest novels for fun and this was one of the few places you can post incest so that was what really pushed me to try it.

I started out just for fun and got a kick out of hearing what people thought of my work.

then like with most things I try my hand at I kept trying to take things up a notch and last year started publishing on smashwords and Amazon.

But as much fun as it is to make money and have people buy your stuff, there is no real feedback on those sites, reviews are few and far between there.

So I still put some things up on here and enjoy getting to interract with the readers.

As for my identity being public? For me it wouldn't be an issue, but my wife's career could possibly take a hit if it was found out her husband penned erotica, especially my incest work.
 
For me it's more about overcoming certain kinds of shame. I never wanted to be a horndog or a player, and it took me a lot of time and patience to be sexual with my girlfriend in my own way.

Now I've ended up writing about my sexual awakening in the form of erotic stories, I feel embarrassed because my experiences are so vanilla compared to everything else out there. Most of my stories don't even include intercourse! And yet, to answer your question, I'd feel mortified if anyone in real life knew.

I still can't make sense of it myself... I write about very private/intimate stuff, only to then publish it for everyone to see! This hobby is full of contradictions.

Yes, this! exactly. You write about things that turn you on. Otherwise, you wouldn't do it, right? and then you publish it. and people read it, and hopefully, it turns them on too. First there's the "Normal" sex. Which is pretty hot in itself. then there's kink.

Oh MY goodness. Gossip queen says to gossip passers on "Did you know that so-and-so writes about big bulging bananas in the bathtub?"

Gossip queen leans in and whispers to her followers. "Do you think so and so really uses big bulging bananas in the bathtub?" all eyes appear to fall onto author's shoulders, who is mildly drinking tea at the next booth over.

*shameface*
______
But then there are writers out there, that may or may not get turned on by what they are writing about. they use certain things as plot devices. Missionary style only works so many times in a story. Does one get bored writing those stories?
 
I guess for me the site is a place to practice the trade. I get to have my stories read by thousands, I get people to tell me what I'm doing wrong. I get to work on making myself a better writer and I can do it all for free. Plus I get to have fun doing it.

It's a win win.

I'm a good storyteller. Ten years of tabletop roleplaying (every game under the sun) often as the DM got me to where I can work dialog easily between characters. I have a lot of trouble with typing and spelling I have to double and triple check everything. So I keep the brain firing on all cylinders while I learn the writing trade better.

I also feel like its a bit of therapy for me. I'm not a depressed when I write and post. I have something to look forward to, even if it's an ass-hat comment from an Anon.

So I'll read books on writing and gather up as much knowledge of the trade as I can till I feel that what I do is good enough to try and publish. Maybe with time and luck I can come to make some money but that's not the highest goal on my list.

I want to be a better writer. The site is helping me to become that.

M.S.Tarot
 
For the attention, mainly.

Also, I love to write, and this gives me a great opportunity and incentive to practice.
 
I started writing late. I was around 45 and bored on a long job in the middle of nowhere with not much to do. It was also one of the first jobs where i had a computer for my person use. I had always wanted to write, going back to early high school. I even tried my hand at it a time or two on an old manual typewriter. Several bottles of whiteout later, I gave up.

Writing started as a memory of something that had happened to me twenty years earlier. Two hundred and eighty seven pages later, I had a novel that had no relation to the original memory.

Am I embarrassed over what I write. Not in the least. As for people finding out, who cares. I don't bring it up unless i want to shock someone but I don't hide it either. I was once asked to speak at the local book club when the president found out I wrote stories to post on the internet. She withdrew the invitation when she found out what kind of stories and where I posted them.

As for what I've gotten out of it, how about a three book deal with a mainstream publishing house from a short story I wrote in the non erotic category. How about my own little erotic publishing company? How about the satisfaction that people seem to like my chicken scratching. Any and all of the above.

In the end, the only one who knows if my stories are true is me. Well, there are a few of my characters that are based on real people so they know also. Does it matter? Not much.

I've always wrote it and let the cards fall where they may.
 
Feedback only matters to clueless scribblers with no idea of what good writing is and isnt. If you REALLY know...other opinions are useless to you. Its like fucking, you oughta be the best judge of how good it was.

Editors and publishers are equally clueless, they buy what already sells, or what the Queen takes a fancy to; virtually every editor in the history of the world rejected a bestseller.

For me the payoff is getting the outcome I want. Like, I once saved a guys life by pissing him off so bad he put aside his plan to shoot himself, and decided to come after me. And when your words are THAT effective, its a lot.
 
I'm a good storyteller. Ten years of tabletop roleplaying (every game under the sun) often as the DM got me to where I can work dialog easily between characters. I have a lot of trouble with typing and spelling I have to double and triple check everything. So I keep the brain firing on all cylinders while I learn the writing trade better.

You might enjoy these tales from the tabletop:

http://www.darkniciad.com/forums/topic/16-tales-from-the-tabletop/

Some of the funnier moments from my gaming days.
 
I was pushed into writing smut because while writing a mainstream mystery novel I got into a steamy scene and, being tired of always having to skip over the hot parts just kept on writing unfettered sex. I had to take the scene out of that novel, but I made it into a short story. I started posting short stories to the Net because I wanted someplace where they were archieved other than in my computer or files.

I expanded to a second Website because the first one went down for a while and I was afraid the archieving idea wasn't going to work. I expanded to posting them to Literotica by invitation of someone already here. Now they are all being published, so that's the archieve, and I'm posting here now more by habit--having stopped posting to the other Websites I was posting to. I only post here a fraction of what I'm publishing, though, and will probably stop here too when I hit 600 stories.

I wasn't all that concerned about votes and ratings (but I was interested in the views) when posting here. I write for a niche audience and, as can be gauged by the requests posted to the forum for stories readers can't find, the Lit. mainstream isn't who I'm writing for (beyond just writing for myself).
 
Why stop at 600?:D


I was pushed into writing smut because while writing a mainstream mystery novel I got into a steamy scene and, being tired of always having to skip over the hot parts just kept on writing unfettered sex. I had to take the scene out of that novel, but I made it into a short story. I started posting short stories to the Net because I wanted someplace where they were archieved other than in my computer or files.

I expanded to a second Website because the first one went down for a while and I was afraid the archieving idea wasn't going to work. I expanded to posting them to Literotica by invitation of someone already here. Now they are all being published, so that's the archieve, and I'm posting here now more by habit--having stopped posting to the other Websites I was posting to. I only post here a fraction of what I'm publishing, though, and will probably stop here too when I hit 600 stories.

I wasn't all that concerned about votes and ratings (but I was interested in the views) when posting here. I write for a niche audience and, as can be gauged by the requests posted to the forum for stories readers can't find, the Lit. mainstream isn't who I'm writing for (beyond just writing for myself).
 
Dark, your stories are wonderful. I just found a great new stash of reading material!

Thanks :)

Do you mean the tabletop memories I linked? My favorites are "Work!" and the cursed orb of butt-hair knotting *laugh*

If you mean my Lit stories, which one did you read? Can't help but be curious :eek:
 
You might enjoy these tales from the tabletop:

http://www.darkniciad.com/forums/topic/16-tales-from-the-tabletop/

Some of the funnier moments from my gaming days.

I can see a certain tongue in cheek style of play there.Love it. Sounds like you had a lot of fun.

The most memorable for me would be when I was with a group that used two items to defeat a Balor. Somewhere we had acquired two cursed items. A cloak of permanent shrinking and a helm of opposite alignment. The thief and fighter working together(While the rest of us were getting our asses kicked) attacked him by wrapping him in the cloak(thief back stab) and when he was shrinking down stuck the helm on his head. The damn thing failed two magic saves in row! So for a while we had a 1 foot tall chaotic good Balor as a member of our party.

I had the luck and pleasure to get to game with a man who worked for Tsr. He was on the design team when they were first coming up with the Dragonlance. He worked to make the Gully Dwarves the race they became. One of the most creative gamers I ever saw. He would come up with shit as a Dm that would have you jumping through hoops all night.

This story is based on two of my Npcs from when I ran Cyberpunk.

http://www.literotica.com/s/here-kitty-kitty-6

Looking back I miss those nights more with every passing year.
 
Why stop at 600?:D

Because there's no particular reason to give them away for free anymore. And because I have almost as many banked as are needed to make the number. Perhaps by that time, I will want only to be doing longer works.
 
Thanks :)

Do you mean the tabletop memories I linked? My favorites are "Work!" and the cursed orb of butt-hair knotting *laugh*

If you mean my Lit stories, which one did you read? Can't help but be curious :eek:

I meant lit stories. I started re-reading the Danica series, because I remembered it from way back... I remember reading chapter 20... it was a hoot:)

I put a link for the tabletop stuff in my favorites bar. Other responsibilities are calling. :(
 
I can see a certain tongue in cheek style of play there.Love it. Sounds like you had a lot of fun.

Always. My players were very ( sometimes frustratingly ) creative. I had to be quick on my feet.

One of these days, I really need to sit down, think about it, and remember "Nah, I'm a freak." in more detail so I can write it down. That one involved two different groups adventuring in the same general location that I managed to tie together at the end of the whole thing with that line from an NPC halfling with his arm torn off and the sound of a stone door sliding open.

I had the luck and pleasure to get to game with a man who worked for Tsr. He was on the design team when they were first coming up with the Dragonlance. He worked to make the Gully Dwarves the race they became. One of the most creative gamers I ever saw. He would come up with shit as a Dm that would have you jumping through hoops all night.

It was all neighborhood with us. We had to drive 45 minutes to even buy miniatures or dice, let alone run into other gamers.

I meant lit stories. I started re-reading the Danica series, because I remembered it from way back... I remember reading chapter 20... it was a hoot:)

It may be a little better than you remember, because I re-edited the whole thing before I posted the first chapter of SOTM. It's still far from perfect, but better than the original ( which is actually an edit from the original raw drafts )

That's the story I was writing for my wife that she convinced me to start posting :) Now, if I could just get my muse to cooperate to finish SOTM :(

If you haven't read Merchant Princess, check that one out. Everything comes together in that one so nicely.
 
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What do you get out of it? Out of the sharing and the feedback on your stories? does it motivate you to possibly publish somewhere where you make $$$, and possibly get famous? (fifty shades of grey?) how would you feel being recognized in real life, for something so private, and having your sexuality scrutinized(by people you know: friends, family, acquaintences) because of the type of subject matter/ explicit themes you write about. Whether you practice those themes in real life or not is moot.:eek:

Bit of this, bit of that. I need a creative outlet, and my lovers enjoy what I write. One of them lives a very long way away and we don't see one another for years at a time, so stories are a way to maintain that connection.

I do like the thought of other people reading my stories and getting something out of them. There's something magical about being able to stir feelings in people I've never even met, and I had a story already written, so I posted it here to see how it'd do. The feedback was encouraging (even the anons!) so I kept going; when I finish my current series, I'll have something roughly novel-shaped, so I plan to try out a publisher or two and see if I get any bites. I doubt I'll get a chance to quit my day job, but pocket money is always welcome.
 
I was damn near 60 and retired. I started reading stories and after awhile everything seemed the same. One day I said to myself, "Self, you can make up stories as good as some of these you are reading."

So I decided to try. My first story got rejected twice and ended up being my third story, I think. Then I was advised to get an editor, which I was smart enough to do. Only a few people know I write stories. I'll do it till I no longer have fun.

It's a good feeling to write something and know people are reading it and some even liking it. I'll always be an amature but I am having fun and a good way to pass the time.
DG:)
 
Posting stories on Lit. started as an outlet for my exhibitionist/voyeur tendencies. I previously wrote on another site that featured "true" erotic stories, but the poor quality of the writing on that other site and the miniscule number of readers drove me to Lit. I had been an infrequent visitor to Lit., due to the fact that there was no section for "true" stories, and most of the fiction I read was too implausible. The first few stories after my migration were true accounts of my own adventures, and I intended to continue writing in that fashion until I had exhausted my personal narrative.

One day while reading stories I happened across a purely fictional piece that was so superior to anything I had written--or could conceivably write--that I was forced to re-evaluate my approach to writing. I saw the inherent limitations of my own approach, and the possibilities that were opened by evolving my style. My initial attempts to write fiction proved that I could do it, but I needed practice before I could produce anything close to the story that inspired my transformation. Since I unleashed my imagination, I now have a backlog of fictional pieces waiting to be written, with time being the limiting factor.
 
For the attention, mainly.

Also, I love to write, and this gives me a great opportunity and incentive to practice.

Ditto, I love getting comments, votes and scores do not matter so much, but are nice to have if they are good and comments are absent.
I just like the challenge of writing something that I find erotic, then sharing it and have the joy of other people saying they enjoyed it or thought it well written. Gives me a thrill which cannot be described.
 
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