What is your writing refractory period?

[alohadave]

When I post a story, I always need to take a break from writing for a while. Usually, when a story is posted, I won't feel the urge to write for a couple days to a week.

I can't really concentrate on writing, and nothing seems to flow. The after several days, it comes back to me, and I'm writing again.

How long do you take after finishing/posting a story before you feel like can or need to write again?

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

It's not story by story for me. When the muse is singing, I'm writing. I may have several stories in progress at a time, bouncing back and forth depending on the inspiration.
If she's not, I'm usually going back over the ones I have pending and taking a critical look at them. I've had stories pending for over a year just not quite convinced I had them right.
Of course, other stories just seem to manifest and demand to be published, warts and all. My Halloween piece, Pirate's Paradox was like that.

 

[mpeters]

I usually take a break between stories, because if I don’t, I end up taking a break while writing a story and I have to remember where it was headed!

 

[SimonDoom]

There is no set period. On some occasions, I get the creative juices and can write stories back to back to back. Other times, I go months without writing. Right now, I'm in one of those "months" phases. I haven't published since late October.

 

[AlexBailey]

It’s not so much a matter of needing time between, more a matter of needing long periods of being uninterrupted. My most productive time writing is when either my wife or I are away for work - as long as I’m not staying somewhere that is too distracting .

 

[samhasstories]

I try to write every day (results vary), whether it's a work in progress or something new. If I need a break I take it, but I try not to let the break last more than a couple days.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

In general, it's about 7-8 seconds long.

 

[Paul_Chance]

I don't have a refractory period between writing stories, just the appearance of one.

I'm nowhere near as prolific as some of our Lit compatriots because only a small percentage of what I write is destined for Lit.

I always have multiple writing projects ongoing, the majority of which are non-erotica and non-Lit related. I wrote 8 pieces for Lit through 2023 with anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks separating them.

I'm retired now, so I write (or edit) on average two to three hours a day.

 

[Djmac1031]

When I first started here, I was pumping out a new story, or the next chapter to a story, about once a week.

Of course, my stories were very short. Still are, most times.

The length between stories has grown longer for me for several reasons: personal time, inspiration, or lack thereof, taking my time to write better stories, edit more, etc.

 

[Sinstories]

I'm like @ShelbyDawn57 , not story based, time based...well except I don't think I have a muse and if I did it would more likely belch than sing...but I digress...

I get in a pattern, usually during the cold and wet and dark season, where I write a bunch. I've posted 8 stories/chapters since mid Dec and have 2 more things I'm working on that are pretty far down the path. At some point, probably soon, life will take back over and I'll stop for a while, hopefully not for 3 years again, but we'll see.

 

[EmilyMiller]

What is your writing refractory period?​

I often have multiple stories part written. So, when I get stuck on one, I go work on another. Sometimes I get an idea I can’t resist and blast through writing it, dropping everything else. So it can feel like a continuous production line. Saying that, I took a writing hiatus before Xmas as I was getting burnt out.

Emily

 

[Bamagan]

I'm multioperatic.

(From Latin opus, opera... work, works)

 

[KeithD]

My writing just flows in one long continuum.

 

[MyBareTorso]

Very quickly... sometimes immediately. I have a page full of fifty-something story ideas that I'm always excited to get into. Right now, this Literotica business is a lot of fun, so I just like to keep at it.

 

[MrPixel]

I'm multioperatic.

Wagner, Verdi, and Gilbert & Sullivan? Pretty eclectic if you ask me.

 

[MrPixel]

What is your writing refractory period?​

Writing has a refractory period? I have six, maybe seven stories going at the moment, a couple of them begging for attention. Question is... who do I kick out of the bed, and with whom do I start the refractory period with?

 

[Lumiere_Amie]

For me, it varies. I submitted a story for publication yesterday and started working on my next one today. Where I vary most is the time to completion. I may take a break from days to weeks mid-story depending on the time I have available to write and whether I am struggling with a particular scene or story line.

 

[M_K_Babalon]

I would love one of those, either intentionally,,or through writers block. But I got too much shit, and by the time it gets down to two or three, brain be like; "Aye! Here me out, real quick."

Right now I'm working on Babalon's Curse, and it should be three or so more chapters left. While still pondering my next moves with Mom Next Door and Turn About. I did those two 750s. All this is for here.

If I can get that done, it's back to One Loving Mother and The Mom He Never Knew(or whatever it's called) for my other account.

Back to College Daze for ao3, that I stopped for... all dat shit^.

Plus the two novels Love.exeV2 and Random Encounter(which I don't really need to work on).

Once at least the fanfic and the lit stuff is done, is it over, no. While writing those, I've got three or four layouts I was writing. Second story for Babalon's Curse, two AU for Love.Exe, one fanfic, one stempunk short story for not here, and a possible fantast short story, not for here. I should be getting paid something for all this work, money, sex, clout, cartons of smokes... something.

 

[TheRedChamber]

I find it impossible to get anything done the day I have a new story out. Too busy hitting refresh.

Apart from that, unless the writing period has been really intense and I'm burned out, I try to keep going.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Going through it now, submitted a story last night. Usually, a week or so, as I sort through my WIPs and figure out what I want to work on now.

 

[Omenainen]

I find it impossible to get anything done the day I have a new story out. Too busy hitting refresh.

Apart from that, unless the writing period has been really intense and I'm burned out, I try to keep going.

Yes, “the great refreshening”

I write fast when I’m inspired, but have long periods of silent brewing between bursts of creativity. Working on our collaborations is steadier but still prone to get slowed down by real life. So much to do, so little time.

 

[ElectricBlue]

My period between stories? Usually the next day, I'll have started something new.

 

[BobbyLaker]

What is your writing refractory period?​

Much shorter than my physical one unfortunately

 

[HeyAll]

After submitting a story, I still do something the next day, but usually much less.

The main reason is that editing a story is super tedious. It requires a lot of slow reading and some re-reading, the making a bunch of small or major fixes. Then when submitting, having to check carefully that it's all formatted correctly. It's always exausting on the eyes, making those final edits. Keep in mind, my stories are 5-6 thousand words. I can only imagine what it's like for people with stories that beyond 10,000 words.

After that I hit the brakes for about a day.

 

[StudlyCowboy]

It depends on my available time from my business and how much quiet time I get. I do most of my writing early in the morning before the noise of being the boss drowns my writing out. The biggest player may well be interaction with someone that may trigger my definition of creativity. When that happens, I'll write like a wild man because that's when my thoughts flow out of my fingertips.