The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[TheRedLantern]

But how do you describe an erotic union between two people who can't touch each other?

I took a swing at this a few weeks ago in a draft that hasn't figured out how to come together yet (but hopefully with some help it will)

Two characters have deep feelings for each other (and I also added the element that the guy is the kind of guy who loses interest in someone after they've had sex), but they co-own and manage a sex club together (The Red Lantern) and that working relationship is more important to both of them than any personal feelings.

She will find girls from the club to satisfy him in her apartment/office upstairs from the club once the place closes down, and she watches. It's told from the POV of one of the girls (if you read either of my published short stories it's the next in that series so same narrator), and she's astute and observant enough to put together the broad strokes of what's going on.

No idea if this is a good idea or not.

 

[NotWise]

I took a swing at this a few weeks ago in a draft that hasn't figured out how to come together yet (but hopefully with some help it will)

Two characters have deep feelings for each other (and I also added the element that the guy is the kind of guy who loses interest in someone after they've had sex), but they co-own and manage a sex club together (The Red Lantern) and that working relationship is more important to both of them than any personal feelings.

She will find girls from the club to satisfy him in her apartment/office upstairs from the club once the place closes down, and she watches. It's told from the POV of one of the girls (if you read either of my published short stories it's the next in that series so same narrator), and she's astute and observant enough to put together the broad strokes of what's going on.

No idea if this is a good idea or not.

That sounds challenging. It seems like your POV character would need a lot of empathy for the woman. Probably not so much for the man.

That has some elements in common with my story. My main characters are a man and woman (both economists) who've worked together in a two-person office for about five years. He's married, she's married to her job, but they're so comfortable together that people think they're a couple.

They attend a conference together (summer in Santa Fe) and play a game. They can't touch each other, and the first one to get the other off wins. It's a game without a real loser. It plays out in their conversations, on their phones and through pictures, and ultimately in their imaginations.

What I haven't written yet is the fourth (last) day. The idea is to bring everything from the previous days together at once. It's a complicated scene. For instance, early in the story she tells him that no man she's ever had was as good as a chocolate bar. That gives rise to a rating system. "How many chocolate bars would he be good for?" The rating depending largely on whether the woman with him is happy. On the fourth day, building to the climax, she awards him two chocolate bars, and they share the chocolate. Not sure what the conversation will be like.

 

[TheRedLantern]

That sounds challenging. It seems like your POV character would need a lot of empathy for the woman. Probably not so much for the man.

I totally agree. I feel like I've got that under control (she and the woman were both part of the same sorority, the main character's best friend is very close to the woman I'm talking about, and the scene immediately preceding this is the main character meeting the woman and they get along very well), but we'll see.

They attend a conference together (summer in Santa Fe) and play a game. They can't touch each other, and the first one to get the other off wins. It's a game without a real loser. It plays out in their conversations, on their phones and through pictures, and ultimately in their imaginations.

What I haven't written yet is the fourth (last) day. The idea is to bring everything from the previous days together at once. It's a complicated scene. For instance, early in the story she tells him that no man she's ever had was as good as a chocolate bar. That gives rise to a rating system. "How many chocolate bars would he be good for?" The rating depending largely on whether the woman with him is happy. On the fourth day, building to the climax, she awards him two chocolate bars, and they share the chocolate. Not sure what the conversation will be like.

So in your case, this game unfolds over several days? It's not one scene, it's a sequence of scenes that build? Are they playing the game the whole time, or is that introduced at the climax?

Edit: if this is the wrong place to have this discussion, I can move it to DMs or its own thread.

 

[NotWise]

I totally agree. I feel like I've got that under control (she and the woman were both part of the same sorority, the main character's best friend is very close to the woman I'm talking about, and the scene immediately preceding this is the main character meeting the woman and they get along very well), but we'll see.


So in your case, this game unfolds over several days? It's not one scene, it's a sequence of scenes that build? Are they playing the game the whole time, or is that introduced at the climax?

Edit: if this is the wrong place to have this discussion, I can move it to DMs or its own thread.

It's fine here.

Won't go into the details, but they do a (slightly drunken) mutual masturbation thing on their first night at the conference. They define the game the next day so they can go on without overstepping their limits. If I do it right, then the intensity builds to the fourth day. They call the game off on the fifth day when they go home. The story starts with a cold opening, and has a bookend closing to hopefully give the readers a sense of closure. Assuming any reader gets that far.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

I have a group masturbation story I'll tell sometime, but not yet ...

Another warm and wet day. A pop-up shower came near me yesterday and stopped on my next door neighbor's house. I didn't get anything but spray from the rain pounding on their roof and then it drifted away.

Anyway, I've got a pot of coffee going and the teapot is hot. There are donuts and brownies on the counter.

My trip to the dentist turned out quite good. I got a new crown in less than two hours with no pain at all. Didn't even feel the needle! That was the smoothest and most painless visit I've ever had. Even my last teeth cleaning was more painful than what I experienced. I'm going to have to change my opinion of dentists if this keeps up. I even got some writing done and am looking forward to getting more done today.

 

[iwatchus]

Such a tease, CK!

Glad the dentist went well. The last section of my novel went up this morning. I am trying to finish my first BSM story and hopefully early reading someone else's story this morning. And the air is breathable again here. Life is good.

 

[GrantBricksly]

Well, chapter 5 is officially live and ready to read!!! Ch 6 comes tomorrow.

 

[TheRedLantern]

I have decided to bill this one client based on the number of ALL CAPS WORDS and EXCLAMATION POINTS in their RAGING 6AM EMAILS!!!1!

Long story short, how does it work to buy a private island?

 

[iwatchus]

Can any of the rest of us come if we promise to never type in all caps?

 

[iwatchus]

Well, chapter 5 is officially live and ready to read!!! Ch 6 comes tomorrow.

Do you know how many chapters the whole story will be yet?

 

[TheRedLantern]

Can any of the rest of us come if we promise to never type in all caps?

There will be a place for Lit authors to chill and write. Our parties will be FREAKY

Edit: yes I totally get the irony of capitalizing "freaky"

 

[GrantBricksly]

Do you know how many chapters the whole story will be yet?

I'm not sure. This is only book one, of at least 2...and I definitely have a ways to go... I have the outline for chapters 8-10 finished. And basic plot figured out that I expect will bring it through 30-40 chapters...but it could be more.. could be less... Let's see where the characters lead things...

 

[MillieDynamite]

You sound like a plotting panster.

I'm not sure. This is only book one, of at least 2...and I definitely have a ways to go... I have the outline for chapters 8-10 finished. And basic plot figured out that I expect will bring it through 30-40 chapters...but it could be more.. could be less... Let's see where the characters lead things...

 

[MrPixel]

A pop-up shower came near me yesterday and stopped on my next door neighbor's house.

We had almost the same thing. About 5 minutes into a 15-minute downpour I looked at the NWS radar. "Honey? Radar says it's just our house!"

Well, almost. I zoomed in and out of views, and the tiniest of pop-up storms was parked over our town, and just our town, almost like it knew where the city limits were. It disappeared just as quickly, the sun came out, and it was a sauna until about 3:00.

 

[GrantBricksly]

You sound like a plotting panster.

What can I say....I have a end goal in mind...But the end goal, is the second book...so, to get there...I have an end goal for the first book... I usually don't do much more than that. I let the story and characters lead me where they may, and just try to gently guide them.

But, I do have some specific plans for the next few chapters... things I need to happen. And, then beyond that... let's just say I had some issues the characters wrote me into, and the other night, I came up with, what i think was, some brilliant ideas to work around them and get me to the end goal that I need.

 

[iwatchus]

You sound like a plotting panster.

You make it sound like us pantsers are the basis of a great conspiracy to overthrow order in the universe.

 

[MillieDynamite]

No, that's silly; overthrowing the universe would require the conspirators to plan it out.

You make it sound like us pantsers are the basis of a great conspiracy to overthrow order in the universe.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I can respect that.

What can I say....I have a end goal in mind...But the end goal, is the second book...so, to get there...I have an end goal for the first book... I usually don't do much more than that. I let the story and characters lead me where they may, and just try to gently guide them.

But, I do have some specific plans for the next few chapters... things I need to happen. And, then beyond that... let's just say I had some issues the characters wrote me into, and the other night, I came up with, what i think was, some brilliant ideas to work around them and get me to the end goal that I need.

 

[NotWise]

I brought in sweet corn, cucumbers and jalapenos this morning. Still waiting on melons, tomatoes, New Mexico chiles and green peppers. They're all getting pretty close, but the tomatoes may not ripen until the temperature moderates a little. Today the weather service expects us to go somewhere over 100F again, with a slight chance of showers.

It's a dry heat--except when it's not.

 

[TheRedLantern]

You make it sound like us pantsers are the basis of a great conspiracy to overthrow order in the universe.

"Pantsers of the world unite!"

Where?

"We'll figure that out when we get there."

 

[NuclearFairy]

"Pantsers of the world unite!"

Where?

"We'll figure that out when we get there."

Sounds like fairies trying to herd cats.

 

[Rustyoznail]

***I though the RL coffee machine had blown up, but it was just operator error. Phew!***

There was a question about the changes to the pinned notices. Here's a screenshot of the page from the internet wayback machine from a couple of months ago.

 

[TheRedLantern]

I've been having super vivid dreams this week, and most of them have been stressful so I haven't been sleeping well.

Last night I dreamed on was stuck to top of an elevator, but the elevator went sideways to other places. I woke up breathing heavily when I realized that it took me to Philadephia. No idea why being trapped on top of an elevator, holding on for dear life as it zoomed somewhere else, and being in an unfamiliar place didn't wake me up, but finding out that it was Philly had me bolt upright in terror.

I don't have anything against Philly and it's not like a train back home from there isn't a thing.

 

[iwatchus]

Oddly, I had a stretch a few months ago where I kept ending up in a long passageway that would take me to the Philly Airport. I guess Philly is a fairly common airport for me to fly through, but it was a strange recurring theme. I seem to have lost my Philly obsession. You seem to have found it.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

My reoccurring dreams are always about running through a city trying to escape Godzilla (just to put a name to it ... it's not really Godzilla), and no matter how hard I try, I can never get away, and keep running until I wake up ...

To celebrate my latest escape from Godzilla, I've got a fresh pot of coffee brewing. The teapot is hot and there are donuts and baklava on the counter.

I'll be over in the corner working on my story and pounding my head against the keyboard in frustration. I love witty dialog but am not very good at writing it so I am constantly rewriting lines and losing track of the story line ...