Crafting a general fiction story

[Nicefella]

I’m hoping to get back into writing fiction story content (with built-in erotic themes). Often I have what I believe to be a good beginning and conclusion to a story, and I will spend significant time crafting the theme of the story (based on that opening/end) - only to find that it is much harder to write the middle parts of a compelling fiction story. Winging it almost always ends in failure for me. I’m just not that talented.

So, my question: assuming you know the substance of your product, how do you craft your story from start to finish? What work and process do you use? Do you Outline the story with chapters and themes in writing each chapter? Do you write the middle part first?

I do not wish to draw the ire of the well-heeled crowd here so I will add that I am not trolling, lol, and truly would like to finish a story without getting stuck in the same places again.

Thanks in advance.

 

[alohadave]

I outline. I think through each scene I want or need to have to drive the story forward and plan out the result of each scene.

I basically ask myself, 'what next' and keep repeating that until I get to an end.

When writing, I can focus on each scene so I'm not trying to 'write the middle' in one big block. Each scene is like a short story or vignette that ties together with the others.

 

[onehitwanda]

I think there's a plurality of answers to this, because writing is an intensely subjective process - like any Art. While you and I might share the same tools and speak the same language, I could be Henry Moore and you could be Donatello. We could discuss our work objectively, even maybe find common themes... but in the end you'd be carving monumental naturalistic forms out of marble and I'd be making obscure abstract figures out of basalt.

What I do know is this - it's very, very unlikely that you can write a successful work of fiction that is not backed by a compelling story and characters that are realistic within the world they are placed. You need a plot - even if the plot is that there is no plot and nothing happens! You probably need a main character - who is that character, and why should I spend time reading about them? How does she grow, change, learn, mature or die? What does she want? Is she happy? Why not? What would make her happy? Where is she going? Who is she? Who is she going to be?

I write notes. I change their colour, use a different brackground, scatter them at vague milestones in my text where they are relevant. Then I write the bits between the milestones.

My plan is often as simple as "girl 1 and girl 2 notice one another at a sporting event; later one spills a drink over the other, shenanigans ensue"

subsequent notes will be: "why did girl 1 notice girl 2? what's girl 1's name? What's girl 2's name? What's special about her? WHAT SHENANIGANS"

et cetera

it's... hard to describe I guess. But it's like embroidery - at first it seems to be a complete mess, but you eventually look at it and go "hey, there's an honest-to-God tapestry here"

Maybe the milestones will work for you, maybe not. But they might give you things to aim for while your mind works out alternative, better things to have your characters experience.

But first and foremost, your characters must be real enough to be interesting.

I am not going to waste my time on Alex, the picture-perfect 1.75m tall C-cup blonde supermodel / nuclear physicist.

I am, however, probably going to at least read a bit about Alex, the average-height. actually quite pretty blonde with the ponytail she can never quite get centered in its old pink hairband that her sister gave her when she was eleven. She often daydreams of being a model but would never put herself out there like that, so it will forever remain a dream. She's studying physics because she's a massive fucking NERD and is quite honestly done, just fucking done, with all the idiot boys who call her a dumb blonde at every opportunity...

 

[AlinaX]

On the few occasions that I've written long works, I've had a basic idea of structure and will have a whimsical beginning and one or more critical plot points along the way. To some extent thereafter it's a case of developing the characters and the world so that the plot falls naturally into place between the critical points.

 

[HordHolm]

I’m hoping to get back into writing fiction story content (with built-in erotic themes). Often I have what I believe to be a good beginning and conclusion to a story, and I will spend significant time crafting the theme of the story (based on that opening/end) - only to find that it is much harder to write the middle parts of a compelling fiction story. Winging it almost always ends in failure for me. I’m just not that talented.

So, my question: assuming you know the substance of your product, how do you craft your story from start to finish? What work and process do you use? Do you Outline the story with chapters and themes in writing each chapter? Do you write the middle part first?

I do not wish to draw the ire of the well-heeled crowd here so I will add that I am not trolling, lol, and truly would like to finish a story without getting stuck in the same places again.

Thanks in advance.

You might consider plotting your story in 'acts', and seeing if you can build in the necessary conflict/resolution at the end of each act. This style of plotting is a little formulaic, and is generally more of a stage/film method of story construction, but if we think of stories as possessing 'grammar' this set up can help authors and readers as they have grown up learning this story grammar, and to an extent, expecting it.

 

[IWillEndYou]

This should give you some quick-fix pointers.

Picking up on something you said:

Winging it almost always ends in failure for me. I’m just not that talented.

Winging it has nothing to do with talent. Plotting and pantsing are just different systems, and aren't the only things that determine what "kind" of writer you are. You'll probably get a wide range of advice, so you could check this out.

Once you get an idea of which writing system you most align with, you'll know which of the tips you'll get will be helpful to you in the long run.

 

[NotWise]

I write a synopsis of what I have, which could be a beginning and an end, or it might include specific scenes or sections of dialog. Then I brainstorm to fill in the gaps. That includes making notes on the characters, sketching a timeline, and coming up with ways those characters can get from point A to point B in the timeline. If the gaps don't fill in pretty quickly, then I don't have a story.

That's where a lot of the creative work lies in my creative writing, but writing dialog is the most time-consuming task. That's how my characters justify themselves and tell their story. My synopsis sometimes includes section of dialog that I incorporate into the story without much change. Narrative and description don't usually take much time.

When I actually write the story, I write from the beginning of the synopsis and delete those parts of the synopsis that I've completed. The written story consumes the synopsis. Deleting the last bit of the synopsis is a big milestone.

I've responded as if your question is actually about plot rather than theme. "Theme" usually refers to an idea that your story promotes: true love is forever, anal sex can be good for both partners, the sub always runs the show, etc. Plot is the sequence of events in the story.

If you're having trouble filling in that middle, is it possible that the story you've conceived is naturally a short story, and you're trying to write it longer?

 

[Nicefella]

I've responded as if your question is actually about plot rather than theme. "Theme" usually refers to an idea that you're story promotes: true love is forever, anal sex can be good for both partners, the sub always runs the show, etc. Plot is the sequence of events in the story.

No you were in point. I needed assistance with the plot not theme. This was very helpful - thank you!

 

[Emilymcplugger]

I’m hoping to get back into writing fiction story content (with built-in erotic themes). Often I have what I believe to be a good beginning and conclusion to a story, and I will spend significant time crafting the theme of the story (based on that opening/end) - only to find that it is much harder to write the middle parts of a compelling fiction story. Winging it almost always ends in failure for me. I’m just not that talented.

So, my question: assuming you know the substance of your product, how do you craft your story from start to finish? What work and process do you use? Do you Outline the story with chapters and themes in writing each chapter? Do you write the middle part first?

I do not wish to draw the ire of the well-heeled crowd here so I will add that I am not trolling, lol, and truly would like to finish a story without getting stuck in the same places again.

Thanks in advance.

I’m what is referred to here as a pantser in that I fly by the seat of my pants…ish.

I tend to have an instinct on chapters, characters, story beats and such that I don’t need to write endless lists, but there’s no right or wrong way.

I think the trick is let your characters make it interesting. Sure, you’re trying to write a story but once these people exist in your brain they’ll tell you where they want to go.

I remember reading a story about Alan Moore writing WATCHMEN and in the second part as he was writing Rorsharch he thought “this guy’s got a death wish”. Didn’t start out that way. Only when getting it down did that occur.

 

[KeithD]

I almost always write the first draft from beginning to end, not in separate sections. I have an idea how it ends but I don't insist on holding to that. Only when I have a complete original draft might I start tailoring it in review. I don't review it to death. I don't force it in a channel while drafting. I let it go where it will, and it almost always turns out to be better than I originally conceived it. Others seem to prune in review; I tend to add. I almost never abandon a story once having started to draft it. Nearly all of them are published.

 

[AlinaX]

I hate pruning. Rewriting or discarding completely, okay, but not pruning.

 

[SimonDoom]

I almost always write the first draft from beginning to end, not in separate sections. I have an idea how it ends but I don't insist on holding to that. Only when I have a complete original draft might I start tailoring it in review. I don't review it to death. I don't force it in a channel while drafting. I let it go where it will, and it almost always turns out to be better than I originally conceived it. Others seem to prune in review; I tend to add. I almost never abandon a story once having started to draft it. Nearly all of them are published.

I'm curious: have you always written this way? Did you use outlines early on?

I haven't written enough to be sure this is true but I find I'm using outlines a bit less than I did before, and it's not because I'm becoming a "pantser" rather than a "plotter" but that with experience I can figure out the structure of the story I want without writing it all down.

 

[KeithD]

I'm curious: have you always written this way? Did you use outlines early on?

I haven't written enough to be sure this is true but I find I'm using outlines a bit less than I did before, and it's not because I'm becoming a "pantser" rather than a "plotter" but that with experience I can figure out the structure of the story I want without writing it all down.

I started writing government analysis, with very strict requirements of what went where. I think that organized my brain for fiction writing. I don't outline for shorter-than-novel pieces. I make notes of names, places, organizations, key elements before I start to write so that I'm not too bogged down with research during drafting (but I do research during writing, using two computers side by side). For novels, I have the first several chapters loosely outlined before I start writing, but then it just all unfolds from there as it naturally will do.

Basically I'm thinking "This is a story. Tell the story in the clearest, most-logical way possible," and then I just go ahead and do it.

 

[Nicefella]

I started writing government analysis, with very strict requirements of what went where. I think that organized my brain for fiction writing. I don't outline for shorter-than-novel pieces. I make notes of names, places, organizations, key elements before I start to write so that I'm not too bogged down with research during drafting (but I do research during writing, using two computers side by side). For novels, I have the first several chapters loosely outlined before I start writing, but then it just all unfolds from there as it naturally will do.

Basically I'm thinking "This is a story. Tell the story in the clearest, most-logical way possible," and then I just go ahead and do it.

This leads me to ask another question about research. As a fiction writer sometimes you have to write about areas that you are completely unfamiliar with. For example, a few years ago I attempted to write a fiction piece, where a doctor working at a private hospital, suddenly stumbled upon corruption, bribery, and Medicare fraud, and found himself without a job and, facing licensure revocation, when he complained about it to his boss.

This was not a legal fiction piece but more about the doctors emotional experience as he fought the system to get his license back. I found myself struggling with, sounding legitimate as I weaved the plot of the doctor story. I realized that there was a significant amount of knowledge that I had to acquire in order to sound, educated enough to put a legitimate story together.

How do you authors research a particular topic? Do you just Google it? Do you use a particular resource that has been created for authors over the years? Or do you rely upon anecdotal information that you receive from persons you know in the particular trade?

 

[KeithD]

How do you authors research a particular topic? Do you just Google it? Do you use a particular resource that has been created for authors over the years? Or do you rely upon anecdotal information that you receive from persons you know in the particular trade?

I tend to stay within theme channels that I know--which are quite broad. I'll research particular points on the Internet and just not go into any more detail in the story than is needed. This is fiction, so there is some leeway on what is plausible--usually more leeway than individual readers think there is (I'm usually called on "that couldn't happen" on the elements of the story that indeed did happen). In my second career, in publishing, much of my time has been spent in vetting the content of the works of others, for publishers.

Some of my intelligence community time was spent in high-level, high-stakes propaganda analysis of foreign leader speeches and government statements (what changed from the last iteration? What aren't they saying? What's the difference in the version they're running domestically and internationally?), and I came in with the Internet, so I pretty easily can discern what sources are good for what information on the Internet--saving time and effort in my own writing. And, again, here, erotica provides more leeway in providing background than nonfiction does.

 

[HordHolm]

This leads me to ask another question about research. As a fiction writer sometimes you have to write about areas that you are completely unfamiliar with. For example, a few years ago I attempted to write a fiction piece, where a doctor working at a private hospital, suddenly stumbled upon corruption, bribery, and Medicare fraud, and found himself without a job and, facing licensure revocation, when he complained about it to his boss.

This was not a legal fiction piece but more about the doctors emotional experience as he fought the system to get his license back. I found myself struggling with, sounding legitimate as I weaved the plot of the doctor story. I realized that there was a significant amount of knowledge that I had to acquire in order to sound, educated enough to put a legitimate story together.

How do you authors research a particular topic? Do you just Google it? Do you use a particular resource that has been created for authors over the years? Or do you rely upon anecdotal information that you receive from persons you know in the particular trade?

Not so long ago I found myself in the position of having a main character spending time fussing around his passion, a formal garden. I know the square root of nothing about gardens, particularly formal ones, so I Googled some articles about the Chelsea Flower Show, picked some gardens I liked, read the reviews. Once I'd got the flower/plant names I double checked on Google to ensure I wasn't humiliating myself and was able to get the picture in my head. It was about two/three hours of research for a couple of not too detailed paragraphs.

 

[Euphony]

How do you authors research a particular topic? Do you just Google it? Do you use a particular resource that has been created for authors over the years? Or do you rely upon anecdotal information that you receive from persons you know in the particular trade?

Topic drives the research. I try to hold to narrative/character necessary information and no more. (I lean over explainatory so I doubt I'll ever write too thin.)

Google is a start. Informational quality is all over the place so I rely on it mostly as a curiosity sparker.

If you are writing a common experience, just not to you (say home baking) you need to be accurate if you detail.

If it's less everyday, like your doctor's navigating licensing issues, you don't have to be accurate down to the minutia. (you risk turning off readers if you aren't balanced)

Lean on our shared commonalities. Stress, fear, helplessness, hate of beauracracy, etc., these are more universal and a jumping on empathy point for the reader.

As far as sources, everything can be a helpful source just verify, especially if you assert it is an "everybody" experience (example: women's sexual responses are written far more universal than they are)

Sources are pro/con

Google: ease & accessibility, veracity?

Sci research: peer reviewed, dry & more effort required to make fiction applicable w/o turning off readers

Self help: can be hybrid of research & readability, what are their motives & what is being sold at what compromise?

Friends: "it can happen," embellishments & faulty memories. Also the more outlier experiences will be labeled fiction no matter how real b/c no reader commonality and fiction being a doubting scrutinizing space.

Some really overdo it with the research or rely on it giving an autheticism the author fears they can't. Most who worry about it are the least in need of worrying

Research is best as a motivational tool and testing any big assertions you want to write.

Be careful not to go full professor on readers. They will certainly let you know and often vote accordingly.

 

[ronde]

I start writing by deciding upon the ending I want to reach, what kind of characters I need to get there, and a rough idea of how they're going to manage that. The first part of my story is character and scenario introduction. The middle, aka the plot, is putting those characters into situations and letting them work their way out. Sometimes the characters change the ending on me, but usually they behave themselves and act like I wanted them to act.

As far as researching things about which I'm not confident with my personal knowledge, I use several avenues. The internet is a good source, but requires some caution as some of what is written as fact is in reality just the opinion of the author. I don't take the first article as gospel. I look at several sources. I also love actual books, and have quite an extensive library that ranges from classical literature to history to technical subjects that I often use. It just depends upon what I'm looking for.

 

[SamScribble]

In some ways, I am the ultimate pantser. I start at the beginning and keep on going until I get to the end. What gets me from one word to the next, one sentence to the next, one paragraph to the next, is my curiosity. I want to know what happens next.

I use this technique to write short stories, to write novels, and, for many years now, I have used it to write what these days is generally known as creative non-fiction. It is rare indeed if I know at the start how a piece will end.

If you are a writer who has an end in mind when you set out, I think that you might find my approach very unhelpful. But then it sounds as if you might already know that.

Good luck.

 

[Dearelliot]

Same as SamScribble

As far as short stories go, I choose the time the situation and the problem then I step into their lives. Since I know my characters very well, they guide me, in what they will say, what they want, and how they will react, and no real ending, no "They lived happily ever after" or case closed! In the future, I might decide to pick up where they left off and take them on a new adventure.
My problem is my characters keep coming up with new issues, and I have difficulty keeping my stories under 10,000 words. otherwise, I would be writing a book that no one cares to read.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Readers are attracted by the premise. They stay for the characters.

 

[KeithD]

Readers are attracted by the premise. They stay for the characters.

With all things, different readers are looking for different story elements. I think most of mine stay for the plotline. I know that's what I emphasize.

 

[Nicefella]

I try not to make my storyline or plot technically cumbersome. This is very helpful.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I am, however, probably going to at least read a bit about Alex, the average-height. actually quite pretty blonde with the ponytail she can never quite get centered in its old pink hairband that her sister gave her when she was eleven. She often daydreams of being a model but would never put herself out there like that, so it will forever remain a dream. She's studying physics because she's a massive fucking NERD and is quite honestly done, just fucking done, with all the idiot boys who call her a dumb blonde at every opportunity...

This, on its own, is superb. When can my Alex character meet your Alex character, because I reckon they'd get along!

 

[onehitwanda]

This, on its own, is superb. When can my Alex character meet your Alex character, because I reckon they'd get along!

I might need to write Alex now. Fuck. It's not like I don't already have enough half-finished stories.