A few questions from a new author

[isabelpage]

Hello all!

Although it's apparently been over four years since I meant to try my hand at writing erotica, judging from the account creation date, I'm now finally getting started. And yes, I've read through the various FAQs and new writer tips, which were helpful. However, I could still use some help figuring out a few things about my first story ideas.

Right now I'm planning on starting out with a multipart story, basically following the main character through a series of experiences as she learns about/explores sex. However, it's not really intended to necessarily be something that everyone reads all of; it won't be plot-heavy enough to be an issue if, say, chapter 4 is about lesbian sex and a reader would rather skip to chapter 5 for anal (or whatever they end up being). Each "chapter" (I'd rather call the individual bits stories, but then what do I call the whole?) will hopefully be able to stand more or less alone, without cliffhangers or the like. I figured this would be a nice starting point because it's flexible enough that I'll be able to explore a variety of topics while I get my toes wet, but I also won't have to necessarily commit to a long project if/when it stops being interesting to me or when life next explodes. It does leave me with a few dilemmas, though.

1. How should I handle the naming? I have an overall series title picked out that seems not to have been used on Lit yet. I'm leaning towards something like "Series Title: Chapter Title." But what about the first entry: should it just be "Series Title?" "Series Title: The Beginning" or something else equally obvious for new readers to find once there are multiple entries (or can I trust people to just get it from the publication dates)?

2. Should the chapters be numbered? On the one hand, it's a nice obvious reading order. On the other hand, it feels like having Series Title, Chapter Title, and a number all in the title is clunky and overdoing it. I'd rather not give up the chapter titles. And since the order shouldn't matter too much, and anyone looking at my author profile can see them all listed with the publication dates (you know, once they exist...), the numbers feel a bit superfluous? I guess I'm assuming that readers will either have started with the first one and kept reading as they come out, or they'll start at whatever the most recent chapter posted is, see that it's a series (I'll include a note to that effect, I think, at the beginning of subsequent chapters), and then if interested go to the author profile. But I have no idea how accurate that assumption is.

3. Categories: wtf? Sorry, that's not a very specific question. Here's my concern. On the one hand, while I'm sure at least some of the chapters would be generic Erotic Couplings material, a lot of them will be more specifically targeted: her first time, her first experience with another woman, her first threesome, etc. Is it a problem for a series to be spread out over multiple categories, or would it be best to keep the entire series together in Erotic Couplings? I can see arguments and advantages for both. I'm especially concerned about what to do with the first chapter. Yes, there's generic two-person cishet sex; however, the main character is only watching from a hiding place, so it seems like it would best fit in Exhibitionism/Voyeur. On the other hand, it's done primarily with the intent of educating the main character, not specifically for the "voyeur experience" or whatever you call it, so I don't know if it really fits in that category. I'm also concerned about limiting the readership by putting the first chapter in a category that gets (I would imagine) significantly less traffic/fewer readers than Erotic Couplings does, or about raising expectations by people who expect the whole series to be E/V stuff because that's how the first chapter is categorized.

I realize I'm probably overthinking the hell out of all of this. I usually do, and even more so when jumping into a new area. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[ElectricBlue]

Story titling - the site joins up sequenced stories automatically, using an alpha-numeric sort. So you need to pay close attention to your sequencing, and chapter numbering or part numbering is essential if you want to keep it all in a given reading order. OR, you keep the reading order clear by using something like this:

Title - Annie
Title - Benny
Title - Charlie

From what you are saying, though, I'd be inclined to keep your stories separate, or only loosely joined up. If they're stand-alone plot-wise, closure wise, treat them as separate stories. That also solves the category issue.

Check out my story page for examples - I do both (sequenced stories and stand-alone stories), and you can see how they present, once you get a number running over time.

You will also see some double-ups, where the auto-collation algorithm glitches. I tried to get it fixed but gave up, when I didn't get a response from the site editor.

Categories - the general philosophy, is not to category jump within a story sequence. The dedicated category readers are very tribal, and there's a phenomenon we call "category squik," where readers will down-vote stories if they find something they don't like in the "wrong" category.

Readers can be like small children sometimes, and you can either pander to them (which some authors do) or say, what the fuck? Grow up, you're on an adult website, act like an adult. That's up to you, how you manage that.

Also, there's no such thing as a dumb question, and ignore the moans you will get from certain individuals when you ask the same question for the millionth time. Which you will do, and which they will do. You'll figure it out, like the rest of us all did.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Welcome!

While many have posted about category choices, the general gold-standard answer is to be found at Love Your Readers.

 

[8letters]

Greetings! Welcome to the AH. Hopefully you are about to embark on a long and enjoyable career of writing erotica.

How to put this nicely. Hmmm. First off, write what you want. You aren't getting paid for your writing. Getting a lot of views and nice comments is very enjoyable, but you're primary enjoyment has to be from transforming your idea into an actual story.

That being said, what you are proposing sounds like a recipe for not getting a lot of views and comments. First chapters average a third less views than stand alone stories, and the number of views ensuing chapters get drops rapidly. To me, constantly changing categories is really going to reduce your response. I'm an I/T reader. That's what I find interesting. If your chapter 7 was posted to I/T, I wouldn't read it because I don't want to read the first 6 non-I/T chapters to know what's going on. Now there are some readers who will read random chapters that appear in the hub they favor, but you should be striving for more readers than that.

In terms of audience, I'd tier the categories as follows:
S Tier - I/T, Illustrated (if you have good illustrations, which is way beyond most writers)
A Tier - LW (lots of comments, but low rating and lots of negative comments)
B Tier - Mature, Noncon (I don't know much about Noncon, but there is definitely a Noncon audience out there)
C Tier - Anal, First Time, Group Sex, Lesbian Sex (LS has less views than the others, but higher average rating and more comments)
D Tier - Erotic Couplings, E&V, Gay Male, Interracial, T&C

My advice is to write something very different: a stand-alone story of at least 15K words that has a conflict that drives the narrative forward, and have the sex then flow naturally from that narrative. The final sex scene can resolve the conflict, or it can be a celebration of the conflict being resolved. Anal, First Time, Group Sex and Lesbian Sex are all better choices than Erotic Couplings.

 

[SimonDoom]

First, read Love Your Readers, as TP recommends. It is an excellent summary of how authors should think about categories.

Second, I suggest you rethink your proposal to start with a series. Instead, start by writing a standalone story of under 10,000 words. Just to get your feet wet. Bite off something you can chew easily.

The usual format for publishing and titling stories in a series is this:

Story Title Ch. 01
Story Title Ch. 02

If it's not a clear linear narrative of which you expect every reader to read every chapter, then consider NOT publishing numbered chapters but simply publishing different stories under different titles in the same basic story universe.

 

[gunhilltrain]

First, read Love Your Readers, as TP recommends. It is an excellent summary of how authors should think about categories.

Second, I suggest you rethink your proposal to start with a series. Instead, start by writing a standalone story of under 10,000 words. Just to get your feet wet. Bite off something you can chew easily.

The usual format for publishing and titling stories in a series is this:

Story Title Ch. 01
Story Title Ch. 02

If it's not a clear linear narrative of which you expect every reader to read every chapter, then consider NOT publishing numbered chapters but simply publishing different stories under different titles in the same basic story universe.

He's probably right, a series can be a challenge unless it's all worked out ahead of time - and I'm a bit too disorganized to do that. You may eventually think of a sequel to a stand-alone story, so just create a new title but link it back to the previous one (tell the readers what you're doing). The HTML for links is easy to do and we can tell you about it when you need to do it. Sometimes sequels will turn into a de facto series, which is fine if it happens.

The categories on here haven't been changed or added to in years, if ever. There is another site with twice as many categories, but not this one!

I don't think I've ever gone much beyond 8,000 words for a single story or chapter; often it's quite a bit less than that. The length is ultimately up to you.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Right now I'm planning on starting out with a multipart story, basically following the main character through a series of experiences as she learns about/explores sex. However, it's not really intended to necessarily be something that everyone reads all of; it won't be plot-heavy enough to be an issue if, say, chapter 4 is about lesbian sex and a reader would rather skip to chapter 5 for anal (or whatever they end up being). Each "chapter" (I'd rather call the individual bits stories, but then what do I call the whole?) will hopefully be able to stand more or less alone, without cliffhangers or the like. I figured this would be a nice starting point because it's flexible enough that I'll be able to explore a variety of topics while I get my toes wet, but I also won't have to necessarily commit to a long project if/when it stops being interesting to me or when life next explodes. It does leave me with a few dilemmas, though.

1. How should I handle the naming? I have an overall series title picked out that seems not to have been used on Lit yet. I'm leaning towards something like "Series Title: Chapter Title." But what about the first entry: should it just be "Series Title?" "Series Title: The Beginning" or something else equally obvious for new readers to find once there are multiple entries (or can I trust people to just get it from the publication dates)?

2. Should the chapters be numbered? On the one hand, it's a nice obvious reading order. On the other hand, it feels like having Series Title, Chapter Title, and a number all in the title is clunky and overdoing it. I'd rather not give up the chapter titles. And since the order shouldn't matter too much, and anyone looking at my author profile can see them all listed with the publication dates (you know, once they exist...), the numbers feel a bit superfluous? I guess I'm assuming that readers will either have started with the first one and kept reading as they come out, or they'll start at whatever the most recent chapter posted is, see that it's a series (I'll include a note to that effect, I think, at the beginning of subsequent chapters), and then if interested go to the author profile. But I have no idea how accurate that assumption is.

I would skip numbering and go with the "Series Title: Chapter Title" format.

As others have said, many readers won't venture outside their preferred categories, and many prefer to read from the start. Numbering generally implies "you should read in this order". If you have a "Series Title: Ch. 04" in Lesbian and "Series Title: Ch. 05" in Anal, somebody who likes anal stories but not lesbian may get the impression they need to read through the one to get to the other and decide not to bother. Series Title: Chapter Title makes it easy for fans to see that the stories are related, without the implication that they need to be read as a single work.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I would skip numbering and go with the "Series Title: Chapter Title" format.

As others have said, many readers won't venture outside their preferred categories, and many prefer to read from the start. Numbering generally implies "you should read in this order". If you have a "Series Title: Ch. 04" in Lesbian and "Series Title: Ch. 05" in Anal, somebody who likes anal stories but not lesbian may get the impression they need to read through the one to get to the other and decide not to bother. Series Title: Chapter Title makes it easy for fans to see that the stories are related, without the implication that they need to be read as a single work.

The only problem with that is if the chapters build on what went before. I suspect they’d be listed alphabetically, not chronologically.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

Hello all!

Although it's apparently been over four years since I meant to try my hand at writing erotica, judging from the account creation date, I'm now finally getting started. And yes, I've read through the various FAQs and new writer tips, which were helpful. However, I could still use some help figuring out a few things about my first story ideas.

Right now I'm planning on starting out with a multipart story, basically following the main character through a series of experiences as she learns about/explores sex. However, it's not really intended to necessarily be something that everyone reads all of; it won't be plot-heavy enough to be an issue if, say, chapter 4 is about lesbian sex and a reader would rather skip to chapter 5 for anal (or whatever they end up being). Each "chapter" (I'd rather call the individual bits stories, but then what do I call the whole?) will hopefully be able to stand more or less alone, without cliffhangers or the like. I figured this would be a nice starting point because it's flexible enough that I'll be able to explore a variety of topics while I get my toes wet, but I also won't have to necessarily commit to a long project if/when it stops being interesting to me or when life next explodes. It does leave me with a few dilemmas, though.

1. How should I handle the naming? I have an overall series title picked out that seems not to have been used on Lit yet. I'm leaning towards something like "Series Title: Chapter Title." But what about the first entry: should it just be "Series Title?" "Series Title: The Beginning" or something else equally obvious for new readers to find once there are multiple entries (or can I trust people to just get it from the publication dates)?

2. Should the chapters be numbered? On the one hand, it's a nice obvious reading order. On the other hand, it feels like having Series Title, Chapter Title, and a number all in the title is clunky and overdoing it. I'd rather not give up the chapter titles. And since the order shouldn't matter too much, and anyone looking at my author profile can see them all listed with the publication dates (you know, once they exist...), the numbers feel a bit superfluous? I guess I'm assuming that readers will either have started with the first one and kept reading as they come out, or they'll start at whatever the most recent chapter posted is, see that it's a series (I'll include a note to that effect, I think, at the beginning of subsequent chapters), and then if interested go to the author profile. But I have no idea how accurate that assumption is.

3. Categories: wtf? Sorry, that's not a very specific question. Here's my concern. On the one hand, while I'm sure at least some of the chapters would be generic Erotic Couplings material, a lot of them will be more specifically targeted: her first time, her first experience with another woman, her first threesome, etc. Is it a problem for a series to be spread out over multiple categories, or would it be best to keep the entire series together in Erotic Couplings? I can see arguments and advantages for both. I'm especially concerned about what to do with the first chapter. Yes, there's generic two-person cishet sex; however, the main character is only watching from a hiding place, so it seems like it would best fit in Exhibitionism/Voyeur. On the other hand, it's done primarily with the intent of educating the main character, not specifically for the "voyeur experience" or whatever you call it, so I don't know if it really fits in that category. I'm also concerned about limiting the readership by putting the first chapter in a category that gets (I would imagine) significantly less traffic/fewer readers than Erotic Couplings does, or about raising expectations by people who expect the whole series to be E/V stuff because that's how the first chapter is categorized.

I realize I'm probably overthinking the hell out of all of this. I usually do, and even more so when jumping into a new area. Thanks in advance for your help!

Welcome! I’m pretty new here as well. If my experience is anything to go by, you’ve come to the right place. There are some talented and knowledgeable writers hanging around here.

I faced a similar challenge to the one you’re describing— I’m working on a group of standalone pieces that share the same narrator, and cross categories. In the end I decided to title them separately without including numbers or a series title. I mention the other stories in my intro to each story, and talk about the series in my profile on my author page. That way, the info is there for people who want to follow along, but each story is contained within its own category. Probably not a perfect solution but it’s working for me so far.

 

[Mal_Bey]

Hello! Welcome to the club! Another option is not to try linking them. When I used to be an editor here at Lit, I used to recommend new authors think more Danielle Steele ( learn to release more, even if the stories are semi cookie cutter) than GRR Martin ( creating the monlithic epic that you may never get around to finishing). Once you have a feel for your abilities, the audiences, and the experiences of publishing, you can then craft an achievable, enjoyable epic that suits your strengths. I know this is not likely what you want to hear, but when you get into the writing doldrums, where the words are actively hiding from you, and you become convinced the next bit of exposition is going to make you puke, achievable becomes important.

 

[Bramblethorn]

The only problem with that is if the chapters build on what went before. I suspect they’d be listed alphabetically, not chronologically.

OP mentioned that they don't need to be read in sequence, so I don't think that's likely to be a huge problem. Readers who really want chronology can check the posting dates though it'd be nice if there was a way to sort by them.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

True

 

[ElectricBlue]

The only problem with that is if the chapters build on what went before. I suspect they’d be listed alphabetically, not chronologically.

Correct. It's an alphanumeric sort, nothing to do with the publication dates. It all works on the title sequence, with the alphabetical and numerical progression.

 

[gunhilltrain]

OP mentioned that they don't need to be read in sequence, so I don't think that's likely to be a huge problem. Readers who really want chronology can check the posting dates though it'd be nice if there was a way to sort by them.

That's interesting, most series have some kind of timeline running through them even if there are flashbacks sometimes. He did say that the main character learns about different sexual experiences but most people go through some kind of chronological sequence with that. In any case, if it's at all important, I wouldn't depend on the readers to check posting dates.

Probably he didn't intend it, but it reminds me of William Burroughs, who would cut his novels into segments and put them back in a different order.

P.S.: Based on the name, the author is a "she," not a "he," but the gender is not specified in the author bio.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

Probably he didn't intend it, but it reminds me of William Burroughs, who would cut his novels into segments and put them back in a different order.

I guess having Burroughs as a prominent early influence is why it’s not weird to me at all that I’m writing a bunch of vignettes covering several decades completely out of order. So yeah, maybe nobody should listen to me if they’re trying to achieve something conventional…

 

[tenyari]

Right now I'm planning on starting out with a multipart story, basically following the main character through a series of experiences as she learns about/explores sex. However, it's not really intended to necessarily be something that everyone reads all of; it won't be plot-heavy enough to be an issue if, say, chapter 4 is about lesbian sex and a reader would rather skip to chapter 5 for anal (or whatever they end up being). Each "chapter" (I'd rather call the individual bits stories, but then what do I call the whole?) will hopefully be able to stand more or less alone, without cliffhangers or the like.

This is the same plan as my current project.

I have one story that is chronologically first, and the rest of them are 'moments in the life of X'.

I'm going to put them all out as separate stories, but with a name that connects them, and a tag that will be a 'custom tag' for my 'story universe'. I will put a 'Volume Y' into either the title or subtitle. The story that takes place first will actually be pushed out third.

So more or less:

Volume 1: How a certain relationship began
Volume 2: How a certain silly tradition the couple has started
Volume 3: How the main character got here. This one is 'out of order' on purpose because it's less erotic than everything else.
Volume 4: A short story many years later about their grandchild
Volume 5: That grandkid going off to college in another country.
Volume 6-N: Etc... Skipping between the life of the main character and the life of her grand-daughter as the whim strikes, if I get this far.
- Despite the Volumes, there will be no need to read them in order or even read them all.

Mine is plot heavy at the moment though. And the pieces are all likely to be rather long save for Volume 4, which was written for a '2,000 word' story event on an 'ENF' website, and is getting pulled into this when I post it all. To address this, in each story I retell a small bit of the premise. Why is the situation like this, what does that character look like, etc. Keeping it short and using different ways of doing it so continuous readers don't get annoyed by it.

I'd only use 'chapters' if I expected the reader to read everything in order.

Another inwork project I was working on right before switching to my current one, is very much a serial, and I've written 6 chapters, with a plan to publish if I can ever reach 10. If you read chapter 5 without first reading 1 through 5 it will make zero sense. So that one is all in chapters, and the 'Volumes' I plan for it will be like 'seasons / series' in a TV show. But even then, you'd want to read it in order.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I guess having Burroughs as a prominent early influence is why it’s not weird to me at all that I’m writing a bunch of vignettes covering several decades completely out of order. So yeah, maybe nobody should listen to me if they’re trying to achieve something conventional…

I think Burroughs originally had them in chronological order but I'd have to check. His first three books were linear, but I've only read Junkie. A pretty good start but it has a lackluster ending. Then his "cut-up" period (not my term) went through the mid-1960s.

A very quotable guy but his full works - I'm not a fan yet.

 

[gunhilltrain]

This is the same plan as my current project.

I have one story that is chronologically first, and the rest of them are 'moments in the life of X'.

I'm going to put them all out as separate stories, but with a name that connects them, and a tag that will be a 'custom tag' for my 'story universe'. I will put a 'Volume Y' into either the title or subtitle. The story that takes place first will actually be pushed out third.

So more or less:

Volume 1: How a certain relationship began
Volume 2: How a certain silly tradition the couple has started
Volume 3: How the main character got here. This one is 'out of order' on purpose because it's less erotic than everything else.
Volume 4: A short story many years later about their grandchild
Volume 5: That grandkid going off to college in another country.
Volume 6-N: Etc... Skipping between the life of the main character and the life of her grand-daughter as the whim strikes, if I get this far.
- Despite the Volumes, there will be no need to read them in order or even read them all.

That sounds pretty ambitious but maybe you've already done something like that on another site. Updike took thirty years and four books to do something similar. When he tried something else like that and condensed it into one volume (In the Beauty of the Lilies) he wasn't so successful.

 

[LdyHoneybee]

Having done “chapters” in my first story, i don’t think I would do it again unless I should be so lucky as to become an established writer with lots of “fans” like many of the people who post here. Some people will avoid your chapters because they will think they have to read the stories in order to understand them, those same folks who won’t read book two before book one. You are probably okay with chapters 1 & 2, but by the time you get to chapter 15 in the “new” listing, a lot of people will be skipping except if you have gathered a core of loyal followers. I did chapters because the database kept urging me to publish, so I thought that is what the “rules” were, to get something up asap. They are very short. It sounds like your idea would work without chapters. You might consider titling with the character’s name or something each time, like “Susan Does Doggie,” “Susan Goes Groupie,“ etc. Good luck!

 

[gunhilltrain]

Having done “chapters” in my first story, i don’t think I would do it again unless I should be so lucky as to become an established writer with lots of “fans” like many of the people who post here. Some people will avoid your chapters because they will think they have to read the stories in order to understand them, those same folks who won’t read book two before book one. You are probably okay with chapters 1 & 2, but by the time you get to chapter 15 in the “new” listing, a lot of people will be skipping except if you have gathered a core of loyal followers. I did chapters because the database kept urging me to publish, so I thought that is what the “rules” were, to get something up asap. They are very short. It sounds like your idea would work without chapters. You might consider titling with the character’s name or something each time, like “Susan Does Doggie,” “Susan Goes Groupie,“ etc. Good luck!

It's supposed to be about someone learning about lesbian sex, so it sounds like there could be some kind of natural progression. If the main character is already experienced, then she might try new things in an arbitrary manner - when the opportunity arises, I mean. I don't know, there are different ways to handle it.

"Goes Groupie," - you mean with a celebrity? That sounds more advanced, although I haven't read much about female celebrities with female fans. The closest thing I know is quite old, and it is implied in Patti Smith's version of "Gloria."

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

Welcome, Isabelpage. My question for you is this: Does what your main character learns, while having a variety of sex adventures, change her at all? If she really enjoys Experience A, will she seek that out again? If Experience B is a disappointment, will she shy away from anything related to it? Will the people she encounters in these experience rise or fall in her estimation? How will all of this affect her as she pursues other experiences?

What I'm getting at here is, if you present these episodes without a chronological order, and there's never a need in one episode to refer to other episodes, the character starts each episode as the same person every time. If I were reading this, I'd conclude that she hasn't learned, and certainly hasn't changed. Conversely, if she has changed, you as the author will have to say which experience led to that, and the reader will have to track down the story in which that change took place.

I'm sure that you want your character to be interesting and fully developed as a person. This is just a suggestion for you to consider.

 

[tenyari]

That sounds pretty ambitious but maybe you've already done something like that on another site. Updike took thirty years and four books to do something similar. When he tried something else like that and condensed it into one volume (In the Beauty of the Lilies) he wasn't so successful.

Of the part you quoted, I've already written all but 1 and a half of the pieces. As soon as stories 1-4 are done, it gets posted. I'm only holing off so I can do a consistency edit. Those first few stories establish my "setting canon". Story 5 will come later. Stories 6-N are just 'I hope to write more in this setting'.

 

[tenyari]

I guess having Burroughs as a prominent early influence is why it’s not weird to me at all that I’m writing a bunch of vignettes covering several decades completely out of order.

It's pretty common in older US TV shows also. They were filmed as unrelated stories so that they could be shown in any order in syndication by local TV stations.

 

[gunhilltrain]

It's pretty common in older US TV shows also. They were filmed as unrelated stories so that they could be shown in any order in syndication by local TV stations.

That's why it just didn't matter much what happened week-to-week on Green Acres or Petticoat Junction. (That's how old I am.) Sci-fi anthologies like The Twllight Zone and The Outer Limits were different in that each episode had a different premise, setting, and cast.

 

[Dearelliot]

I wonder if my story about a young man and his older sister qualify as I/T if she is his Sexual Domme, but he isn't allowed to penetrate her.

and now I wonder if maybe I should have posted this on a separate thread...sorry if so.