What I Wrote and Why: the support thread

[StillStunned]

WHAT I WROTE AND WHY
the challenge​

Your eyes aren't fooling you. This summer you too can tell the tale of your story, your very own What I Wrote and Why!

Follow in the footsteps of such illustrious names as @joy_of_cooking, @AchtungNight, @MelissaBaby and yours truly. Share your reasons for writing, tell us why you chose a specific topic, style or imagery, explain what it means to you personally. Stun your readers as you reveal the hidden messages locked inside your words. Bask in the adulation of your peers as they recognise the talent that's hiding in plain sight. Astonish yourself as you analyse your story and realise that you're more profound than you ever knew.

In short, let us in on your process.

By making this a challenge, we'll hopefully generate more interest from non-regulars in the AH, and get bums on seats from the readers.

When: this summer, from 16 July to 31 August. That's right, we're giving you homework for during the hols.
Stories will be posted as they're published, to generate interest from readers and writers alike.
The event is open to everyone, so feel free to join in. The more the merrier. Together, we have vast store of skill and experience. Let's bring it out into the open and share it.

How to take part in this challenge:
- Write a WIWAW about some aspect of writing a story - new or old - or a recurring element in several stories.
- Make sure it meets the usual requirements, standards and guidelines for publication on Lit.
- Link to the story or stories your WIWAW is about.
- Submit it for publication in Reviews & Essays.
- Include the note "WIWAW 2024".

Good luck! And of course, if you want to write a WIWAW now, you don't have to wait until the official challenge. There are plenty of examples, both as threads here in the Authors' Hangout and as published stories.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Perfect. I started mine about twenty minutes ago.

 

[EmilyMiller]

That's right people, your eyes aren't fooling you. This summer you too can tell the tale of your story, your very own What I Wrote and Why!

Follow in the footsteps of such illustrious names as @joy_of_cooking, @AchtungNight, @MelissaBaby and yours truly. Share your reasons for writing, tell us why you chose a specific topic, style or imagery, explain what it means to you personally. Stun your readers as you reveal the hidden messages locked inside your words. Bask in the adulation of your peers as they recognise the talent that's hiding in plain sight. Astonish yourself as you analyse your story and realise that you're more profound than you ever knew.

In short, let us in on your process.

By making this a challenge, we'll hopefully generate more interest from non-regulars in the AH, and get bums on seats from the readers.

When: this summer, from 16 July to 31 August. That's right, we're giving you homework for during the hols.
Stories will be posted as they're published, to generate interest from readers and writers alike.
The event is open to everyone, so feel free to join in. The more the merrier. Together, we have vast store of skill and experience. Let's bring it out into the open and share it.

This is really great. I’m so pleased. I’ve written and submitted a WIWAW already, but will do another one for this. A really positive initiative.

Emily

 

[alohadave]

So we post a new story during that time then start a thread about it?

 

[StillStunned]

Some examples to get you started:

StillStunned's first thread

joy_of_cooking's thread

StillStunned's second thread

AchtungNight's thread

MelissaBaby's thread

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

So we post a new story during that time then start a thread about it?

There should probably be a tag or something we all use so they can be searched and collected.

 

[EmilyMiller]

So we post a new story during that time then start a thread about it?

I don’t see why you couldn’t do a WIWAW about an old story. Or even comparing an old and new one if you want to talk about changes in your style.

Emily

 

[StillStunned]

So we post a new story during that time then start a thread about it?

Write it as an essay and submit it in the usual form your Story Dashboard. That way they'll draw the attention of readers, instead of just the AH denizens.

And as @EmilyMiller just pointed out: write it about any aspect of the writing process, whether that's a new story, an old story or both, or why you write in general, or what style elements you prefer to use, or anything.

 

[StillStunned]

Also note that a certain someone has copyrighted the acronym "WIWAW", and is very possessive of it. We'll all have to look at her very sweetly if we want to use it as the challenge code. Maybe even refrain from posting pictures of redheads for a few days.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Also note that a certain someone has copyrighted the acronym "WIWAW", and is very possessive of it. We'll all have to look at her very sweetly if we want to use it as the challenge code. Maybe even refrain from posting pictures of redheads for a few days.

I’m glad my lawyer was able to convince you on this point. She’s very persuasive.

 

[Djmac1031]

Interesting idea

Early on, I did a few "Authors Log" posts where I wrote about, well, writing. Backstory on the ideas for my stories, things I learned as I went, etc.

Nobody read them really lol.

I was gonna do one on the forum here, just haven't gotten to it.

Maybe I'll do a short one here, and a longer one for this idea.

 

[samhasstories]

I love this idea, though I feel like in order to participate I'd have to write something particularly for this. I love the craft discussions, and I think a lot about writing and what works and what doesn't and what I'd love to try, but I employ that thoughtfulness mostly in non-erotica that I don't post here. For the erotica I write, for better or worse, the answer to why I wrote it is almost always the same: because I think xyz situation might be hot, and I'd like to explore that and write some sex scenes.

 

[EmilyMiller]

[…] the answer to why I wrote it is almost always the same: because I think xyz situation might be hot, and I'd like to explore that and write some sex scenes.

That sounds like perfect WIWAW territory.

Em

 

[StillStunned]

WIWAW

Now you're just being smug.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Now you're just being smug.

My name is Emily Smug Miller. Or was it some other four letter word starting with a S and with U as the third character?

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

That sounds like perfect WIWAW territory.

Em

WIWAW, is that an acronym for Women I Want and Why? Sort of a secret club for you and @onehitwanda?

 

[StillStunned]

My name is Emily Smug Miller. Or was it some other four letter word starting with a S and with U as the third character?

Spur? Sour? Soul? Stun? Smut? Saul? Snug?

 

[ElectricBlue]

That's right people, your eyes aren't fooling you. This summer you too can tell the tale of your story, your very own What I Wrote and Why!

Neat idea, and far enough into the future to give me an unmissable deadline to miss. July/August, you say...

 

[Cagivagurl]

That's right people, your eyes aren't fooling you. This summer you too can tell the tale of your story, your very own What I Wrote and Why!

Follow in the footsteps of such illustrious names as @joy_of_cooking, @AchtungNight, @MelissaBaby and yours truly. Share your reasons for writing, tell us why you chose a specific topic, style or imagery, explain what it means to you personally. Stun your readers as you reveal the hidden messages locked inside your words. Bask in the adulation of your peers as they recognise the talent that's hiding in plain sight. Astonish yourself as you analyse your story and realise that you're more profound than you ever knew.

In short, let us in on your process.

By making this a challenge, we'll hopefully generate more interest from non-regulars in the AH, and get bums on seats from the readers.

When: this summer, from 16 July to 31 August. That's right, we're giving you homework for during the hols.
Stories will be posted as they're published, to generate interest from readers and writers alike.
The event is open to everyone, so feel free to join in. The more the merrier. Together, we have vast store of skill and experience. Let's bring it out into the open and share it.

Mine was of course my favourite shopping list....
Why you ask? When casting my eyes expectantly in the pantry... There were empty spaces everywhere.
Sigh... The supermarket called plaintively...
That meant a list...
I always structure my list to suit the supermarket layout.
When you walk in, it starts with the fruit and vege... Then there's the butchery... The canned food. and so it goes.
My list follows those time honoured themes.
I like to print rather than write... Why... I'm weird.

Cagivagurl

 

[EmilyMiller]

Spur? Sour? Soul? Stun? Smut? Saul? Snug?

So close

 

[lovecraft68]

To be clear, the event is not to publish a new story and come here to talk about it, its to write and publish a behind the scenes on an existing story?

 

[MelissaBaby]

To be clear, the event is not to publish a new story and come here to talk about it, its to write and publish a behind the scenes on an existing story?

I was part of the discussion about creating this event, and I don't think it ought to exclude writing about a new story, but that was not the intent in setting up the event.

The motive behind the What I Wrote thread, and of making an event of them, is to try to increase serious discussion of the art and craft of writing. It seems to me that if the reason you wrote the story is because you wanted to be part of the event, that is not really in the spirit of thing.

 

[joy_of_cooking]

I wonder if I'm misunderstanding the purpose of WIWAW. I originally interpreted it as a technical discussion: taking various goals as given, talk about the literary maneuvers you attempted and what you hoped they would accomplish. Based on the forum posts I'm seeing, it sounds like the goal is more to talk about what motivated you to write a story?

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I wonder if I'm misunderstanding the purpose of WIWAW. I originally interpreted it as a technical discussion: taking various goals as given, talk about the literary maneuvers you attempted and what you hoped they would accomplish. Based on the forum posts I'm seeing, it sounds like the goal is more to talk about what motivated you to write a story?

I inferred the same. It is What I Wrote and WHY, not HOW, after all. I've also inferred that either is going to be eagerly accepted, and rightly so.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I wonder if I'm misunderstanding the purpose of WIWAW. I originally interpreted it as a technical discussion: taking various goals as given, talk about the literary maneuvers you attempted and what you hoped they would accomplish. Based on the forum posts I'm seeing, it sounds like the goal is more to talk about what motivated you to write a story?

I think "What I Wrote and Why" can be interpreted as either "Why I wrote this particular story" or "Why I wrote this story this way."