one is the lonliest number

[wicker]

so many of my most recent threads sitting childless. It's getting downright discouraging.
Anyone else have this problem? seems no one's on the same page you are

 

[BenjiDude]

I hear that, most of my threads are childless and the ones that do have kids have been added to by my self.

 

[wicker]

when someone adds to one of my threads, especially on one of my stories, I do my best to reciprocate.

 

[Murakami]

I wish I could get some child threads. It's really discouraging.

 

[sunandshadow]

seems no one's on the same page you are

This is one of the great, unfortunate truths of the universe. The chance of getting two writers or other artists to agree on what story or artwork they really want to produce is almost infinitesimally small.

 

[BenjiDude]

This is one of the great, unfortunate truths of the universe. The chance of getting two writers or other artists to agree on what story or artwork they really want to produce is almost infinitesimally small.

While that is true the whole idea of chyoo is that people can make the story go where they want it to, you're not confined to a set path by the original author.

 

[sunandshadow]

While that is true the whole idea of chyoo is that people can make the story go where they want it to, you're not confined to a set path by the original author.

Well yes, but the second writer has to find the original author's set-up inspiring enough to read and add to, and not so alien or unfamiliar that they can't confidently write another section to it. The only writing of mine I've ever had someone request to add on to was a Lord of the Rings Fanfic, and fanfic by definition doesn't have the alien/unfamiliar barrier most original fiction does.

 

[TJChurch]

I'm a troll.

 

[wicker]

street and I have some exhcanges going on Time Stop.

What's weird is when you have a back and forth with another author and he just stops.

 

[GoodBoy741]

That's not weird. It goes until it stops.

 

[wicker]

some people just disappear in mid-stream with no conclusion to the thread.

also frustrating is going back and trying to put new life into stories that haven't been added to in a while and not have anyone join you.

 

[GoodBoy741]

By the way, you left a couple of "Jessica"s in your recent thread.

 

[wicker]

By the way, you left a couple of "Jessica"s in your recent thread.

Think I fixed 'em.

I've tried to get some of your dormant stories again too.

 

[GoodBoy741]

There's one more.

"Hillary then grabs Jessica's legs and lifts, forcing Lindsay..."

 

[wicker]

There's one more.

"Hillary then grabs Jessica's legs and lifts, forcing Lindsay..."

fixed it and added to Professor Puppetmaster today too!

 

[sunandshadow]

I wonder what would happen if I made a complete outline for a chyoo story and posted it - would people take the little outline/summaries and replace them with full scenes, as requested? Or would they ignore the project because they aren't interested in a story that can't go off in random new directions, or for some other reason? *ponders*

 

[Zingiber]

I wonder what would happen if I made a complete outline for a chyoo story and posted it - would people take the little outline/summaries and replace them with full scenes, as requested? Or would they ignore the project because they aren't interested in a story that can't go off in random new directions, or for some other reason? *ponders*

You should try it. Perhaps at a limited scale. I expect you'll do better if you color in the introduction and the first set of alternative scenes. If there are no decision points (a completely linear story), you might not do so well. Come in with the expectation that you'll have to be a cheerleader, to answer questions, to supply some of the threads, and to trade back threads to authors' stories.

-Z.

 

[Menoetes]

I've had success with 'An Open Mind' as far as getting other people to contribute but that story is still 90% written by me and about over 4 years of on-and-off writing. If you really want someone else to contribute offer a thread exchange, it worked for me when I offered it and I think all parties where happy - eh Murakami?

However I don't know how people will react to a story outline, I know that when I write on someone else thread it's usually because I've had a brainwave of the direction I REALLY want it to go in and write it myself, or it seems like no-one else is going to continue a thread I've been reading and enjoying so I continue it myself a bit.

But like Zingiber said, if you make it vague enough to allow people creative freedom then I don't see why it couldn't work.

 

[Zingiber]

I wonder what would happen if I made a complete outline for a chyoo story and posted it - would people take the little outline/summaries and replace them with full scenes, as requested? Or would they ignore the project because they aren't interested in a story that can't go off in random new directions, or for some other reason? *ponders*

AaronWebster set up several stories that had somewhat tight structure and constraints -- not down to specifying scenes in advance, but limiting what could happen and who could be present and what amount of time a scene should represent. You might want to look at these stories to see if you get any ideas for structure. Some of them attracted many contributors and some attracted fewer.

AW's examples:

A Middle Class Orgy: One evening, one small cast of characters, one house party. Aaron provided detailed guidelines and attracted a couple dozen contributors. I'd consider that a highly successful participation rate.

The Pampered Pussy Club -- a completely linear story. It was open with fairly tight guidelines, but Aaron didn't get any contributions. I thought it was a nice idea but couldn't quite figure out how to draft an episode.

Big Fucker (International), a Big Brother/reality TV spoof, also had a tight structure (one thread = one day on the show; each day introduces a new character until the house is full) and attracted one other contributor. Maybe the slow start-up threads or the one-day-per-scene requirement made it hard to get a sense of the rhythm, or maybe people weren't excited about Big Brother with sex?

Bishop to Queen's Porn (the original threads and set-up are AaronWebster's work before 24ward took over editing and added a "reboot" reimagining the set-up into the real world). This story had a tight structure (alternating white and black chess moves on a virtual reality board featuring sex when a piece is taken) and attracted some good contributions. I felt it was a clever idea but it was a bit hard to sustain the energy of the story for the three-dozen-ish moves a moderately short chess game takes.

For AaronWebster it seemed like the looser the guidelines, the more contributors. However, if you got a few authors who found your characters and scene outlines appealing, you might do OK for contributions.

-Z.