How Have Your Stories Changed Over Time?

I've only been writing and publishing stories here for a year, so there hasn't been enough time for me to answer this question.

I'm curious, for authors who have been writing here longer, what changes, if any, have you seen in your stories?

Have your subject matter/erotic category interests changed?

Has your writing style changed?

Any other changes you've noticed? Good or bad.

Yes.

I've found writing erotica is like when you watch porn over the years. When you start you'll say this is what I like, this is what I'll write, that? Oh that is squicky, won't touch that.

Then you keep writing and say...you know I could write that? Why not write that? Just like in video porn where you start off with one preferred 'kink' but over time start watching different videos and moving from one kink to the next.

So you become depraved by degrees

As for style, I think that's remained the same, I'd say my grammar is better(but still needs work) and the other thing is I started with everything first person, but the last couple years everything has been in third.

Also after writing pure erotica and feeling like I had some success with it I grew confident enough to write more mainstream material. I've been writing erotic horror so still putting some hot smut into it, but also actual horror and story lines that are the true meat of the books. The sex is an added thrill.

I learn things, with each book that I write. Of course, what I learn ,goes into the next books that I write.

The main thing is not head-hopping within scenes. I'm using what the current POV character sees and hears to convey that now, and it feels much smoother when I read it back later.

My grammar and flow are cleaner. I've expanded my range in both topics and story length.

Beyond that, not much has changed.

My stories have generally become longer, being freed here from needing the economy of words that's pressed in most mainstream short story writing.

lovecraft68 said:

So you become depraved by degrees

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Well said! My experience as well.

I think my younger self would be surprised -- perhaps aghast -- at some of the stuff I enjoy reading and writing now.

My stories have changed from 3rd person to 1st and have far more dialogue.

But my last posting was a completion of a 2004 chaptered story so I had to revert to the writing style I had in 2004. That was harder than actually writing the story line.

Other than that? My stories have got longer. I haven't written 50-word stories for Lit for some time.

I've become more willing to be myself and hush the voice that says "nobody else wants to hear about that idea".

Main changes over three years?

A broad shift from first person to third accompanied by more complex narratives and characters; a willingness to experiment in content; a consolidation of my trademark style (languid and endless); extensions to my inter-connected worlds that I might soon need a road-map.

My writing has greatly improved, but my sexual thoughts have grown darker, and darker, and darker.

I only share the nice ones. :3

My stories have become better. Better character development, better story arcs, better grammar. Less shopping list writing, fewer unnecessary words. When I occasionally go back to read older stuff, I still like the kinks, but am disappointed with the story telling in many places.

tomlitilia said:

My stories have become better. Better character development, better story arcs, better grammar. Less shopping list writing, fewer unnecessary words. When I occasionally go back to read older stuff, I still like the kinks, but am disappointed with the story telling in many places.

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What do you think did the trick? Was it just practice, or reviewing your old stories and finding things you wanted to improve? Did you learn anything by reading other stories?

I haven't read your older stories, but the newer ones I've read have a nice, unforced quality. The erotic situations arise in a way that seems plausible (to me at least) from the characters and circumstances you put them in. You take your time. It doesn't feel like you're foisting a phony, kinky situation on the reader and forcing him to go along for the ride. What She Deserves and your Dinner Party story were very good in this way.

I find that I have lots of ideas for crazy, erotic situations that I am eager to get down on paper, and characters come second. It's something I'm working on changing to make my stories better, but progress is slow.

SimonDoom said:

[w]hat changes, if any, have you seen in your stories?

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* I'm much a better technical writer, with a much better grasp on grammar and sentence structure. My first story is very poorly written
* My sex scenes are much longer than from my initial stories (though I hate writing most sex scenes)
* I feel like I have a support system now, with a good group of beta-readers. It's my job to get the initial concept done and then to incorporate the suggestions of others to fully flush out the story

SimonDoom said:

Have your subject matter/erotic category interests changed?

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Not much change. Brother-sister stories are my sweet spot and I rarely move from it. I've started a Fantasy story and a couple of Romances, but it's hard to get motivated to finish those when my support system isn't interested in those categories.

SimonDoom said:

Has your writing style changed?

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* I think my stories now have a lot more flirting, taunting and teasing
* My last story and the story I'm working on now have long descriptions of the sister while she's scantily dressed. I don't know if that'll be a trend

SimonDoom said:

Any other changes you've noticed? Good or bad.

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* I'm not afraid to publish stories that I know I won't do well. When I first started writing, I wanted each story to do better than the last and I've come to accept that that won't happen - sometimes I only have a good idea for the next story after having had a great idea for the prior story
* I'm not afraid to write about topics I consider controversial. I've written about young single motherhood, guilt from a conservative religious upbringing, the damage from bad sex, positive consent, domestic abuse and free speech on college campuses. Presented well, I think bringing in those topics add a lot of depth to the characters

SimonDoom said:

What do you think did the trick? Was it just practice, or reviewing your old stories and finding things you wanted to improve? Did you learn anything by reading other stories?

I haven't read your older stories, but the newer ones I've read have a nice, unforced quality. The erotic situations arise in a way that seems plausible (to me at least) from the characters and circumstances you put them in. You take your time. It doesn't feel like you're foisting a phony, kinky situation on the reader and forcing him to go along for the ride. What She Deserves and your Dinner Party story were very good in this way.

I find that I have lots of ideas for crazy, erotic situations that I am eager to get down on paper, and characters come second. It's something I'm working on changing to make my stories better, but progress is slow.

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Thank you Simon for these kind words! I do spend a lot of time on coming up with plausible trajectories, so glad to hear it's appreciated. I think of it like puzzles, and solving them is probably my favorite part of writing erotica.

Yes, practice is probably the biggest factor. I've also had some good editors on some of my stories who pointed out poor patterns. I try to not just accept edits, but actually learn from them. English isn't my first language, so it's easy to stuff up on things sometimes unless I watch it.

Reading has probably helped, but probably more for identifying what I don't want to do. Both in terms of writing style and plot.

My stories have come to feature older women, since I'm one myself and have always wanted to read stories about them. At first, I wrote about younger women because I figured that that was what people wanted to read about, and I wanted people to read my stories. Now I don't care as much, since I've found that people will either read or not read my stories, based on the past stuff I've written, no matter how old the characters are.

As I have said before, my main reason for writing erotica is to give people the stories that I like to read, in hopes that it may inspire them to write similar stories for my own reading enjoyment. I am not in the least altruistic about this.

Have my stories changed over time? Well … yes.

I think that I probably wrote my first short story when I about six. I remember that, at my junior school, ‘a story’ had to have at least six sentences. But, preferably, not more than ten. Oh, that a few other writers had gone to my school. It’s never too soon to learn the art of writing it short.

My early stories were mainly about farm animals and tractors. Laurel doesn’t allow stories about farm animals. I’m not sure what her policy is on tractors. But you can't be too careful.