Questions - Struggles with getting started

[BiatrixKido]

Hi I'm a total newbie here and to writing stories in general. I have a tiny bit of experience years ago but that was nothing serious and can't be counted for anything now.

I am running into some very serious problems on getting started. I really feel like I NEED to write a story or (hopefully) stories. They are literally bursting out left and right in my mind and I feel if I don't get one or two of em out and see what others think I am going to explode or something. I want to write them for myself too, but I can't lie, I want to think others find my thoughts sexy as well. Anyway to my main problems...

First and foremost I just can't get one started. I have tried a couple of times but I just can't get into a flow with it. I expect my main problem is lack of focus on what my exact story is going to be. I literally have 20 or so stories bouncing around in my head and some of them are similar or inter-changable and so on. So when I start trying to type it out I start going all over the place.

I can't really write my ideas down on paper and try and keep good track of them due to other people I live with. So I'm kind of stuck keeping them bottled in. That's one reason I so badly want to write them and get them posted here. Maybe have some closure with the ideas so I can move on to new and exciting ideas I haven't entertained yet.

It's really a struggle here. I need some advice on how to get started and keep seperate ideas and stories apart from one another in my mind. Sorry if this is a crazy type call for help, but I just don't know how to start the process off right.

 

[sr71plt]

You might try writing a scene and seeing if the story forms around that. And then another scene if it doesn't.

If you do that, chances are good you'll find that is actually an opening for a story, and you can go on from there. Most early-development writers start their stories too early with a lot of background and frills that just bog the story--and them--down. Start in the middle of an action scene (and, for erotica, sex could be the action). Then as you write on slip whatever you need of background in in small doses (and nothing more than what is needed for the plotline or character formation).

A couple of things to keep in mind.

1. Literotica is not the New Yorker. You can post something underbaked and it won't ruin your writing career. If you see where it could be better, you can pull it back and redo it. You can even just delete it. You'll get grades and comments here, but they don't have to mean anything to you if you don't find them helpful.

2. Writing is a renewable resource. You won't have lost the family jewels by just whipping up something and sharing it--and progressively get better at it.

 

[Bebeslut]

For decades I felt that I was handicapped at fiction because I just couldn't think of any good plots.

Then I made up some characters (a couple based on real life people), and started thinking about how they would think and filling in their backstories, and voila! Plots got easier to do!

It is easier for me to build a story if I know the people in it. Do you have any solid characters in mind with personalities of their own?

 

[3113]

First and foremost I just can't get one started. I have tried a couple of times but I just can't get into a flow with it.

All stories start with a character, and with the moment that the day the universe changed for that character.

So. Start with a character. Think not about the story or the sex but the character. Introduce yourself to him. Get to know him. Now. What's going to happen to him? Is he going to get a chance to live a fantasy, or experience sex he never dreamed of experiencing? Will he go wild for a weekend and come back a changed man?

Okay. Have you got those two parts? Character? What's going to happen to him? Good.

Now...What would make that thing that's going to happen to him happen? Does he need to win the lottery? Meet a wild woman? Where is she at the start of the story? That's where he is, and he's about to meet her, that's where the story starts. Or maybe the story starts on the day he gets up the courage to walk into a sex store. So that's where the story starts: "He'd stared at the whips and chains on the manikins in the window. Here goes, he thought, and holding his breath, opened the door...."

Three parts: Character. Knowledge of what's going to happen to him (in general)--the big thing. Decide on the first thing that needs to happen for that big thing to happen--start there.

Does that help?

 

[sr71plt]

My stories don't necessarily--or even often--start with a character. They universally start with a hook--the nub of the story that will make it unique and that gives the story a twist. That may have something to do with a character--but more often than not, it doesn't.

 

[BiatrixKido]

You might try writing a scene and seeing if the story forms around that. And then another scene if it doesn't.

If you do that, chances are good you'll find that is actually an opening for a story, and you can go on from there. Most early-development writers start their stories too early with a lot of background and frills that just bog the story--and them--down. Start in the middle of an action scene (and, for erotica, sex could be the action). Then as you write on slip whatever you need of background in in small doses (and nothing more than what is needed for the plotline or character formation).

A couple of things to keep in mind.

1. Literotica is not the New Yorker. You can post something underbaked and it won't ruin your writing career. If you see where it could be better, you can pull it back and redo it. You can even just delete it. You'll get grades and comments here, but they don't have to mean anything to you if you don't find them helpful.

2. Writing is a renewable resource. You won't have lost the family jewels by just whipping up something and sharing it--and progressively get better at it.

This is fantastic advice I think. I think this will help me along. Thanks so much.

 

[BiatrixKido]

For decades I felt that I was handicapped at fiction because I just couldn't think of any good plots.

Then I made up some characters (a couple based on real life people), and started thinking about how they would think and filling in their backstories, and voila! Plots got easier to do!

It is easier for me to build a story if I know the people in it. Do you have any solid characters in mind with personalities of their own?

Well yes and no. I do have some fairly solid characters fleshed out in my mind. Some based off me or what I see my true self being or becoming, others based on long time fantasies of characters in my mind. I've been carrying some fictional people in my head for so long I have damn near every possible avenue covered in their lives. The problem was mainly that some of my ideas and stories cover the same ground (different stories but similar plot lines and backgrounds). They are each different stories that I feel compelled to tell, even if they may seem redundant to others. Basically different type scenarios of similar situations. This causes a blurring of ideas when it's time to write em down. But I think I may can get a handle on it based on the above advice of starting with a scene only. Just a simple action scene where I can start building onto it after. I was already heading down the wrong path with wanting to do all this major building up since the characters are so fleshed out in my head. It was somewhat overwhelming to me to think along those lines. I'm gonna start a scene and just see where it will lead me. I also want to keep my first story or two pretty short. Get my feet wet before undertaking a larger more complicated story.

Thanks for your help

 

[BiatrixKido]

All stories start with a character, and with the moment that the day the universe changed for that character.

So. Start with a character. Think not about the story or the sex but the character. Introduce yourself to him. Get to know him. Now. What's going to happen to him? Is he going to get a chance to live a fantasy, or experience sex he never dreamed of experiencing? Will he go wild for a weekend and come back a changed man?

Okay. Have you got those two parts? Character? What's going to happen to him? Good.

Now...What would make that thing that's going to happen to him happen? Does he need to win the lottery? Meet a wild woman? Where is she at the start of the story? That's where he is, and he's about to meet her, that's where the story starts. Or maybe the story starts on the day he gets up the courage to walk into a sex store. So that's where the story starts: "He'd stared at the whips and chains on the manikins in the window. Here goes, he thought, and holding his breath, opened the door...."

Three parts: Character. Knowledge of what's going to happen to him (in general)--the big thing. Decide on the first thing that needs to happen for that big thing to happen--start there.

Does that help?

Definitely good food for thought. My characters are well thought out for sure but maybe I should incorporate the fleshing out of the major event into my new direction of the simple first scene. It's definitely good advice and I will keep it in mind. Thank you for your input.

 

[3113]

My stories don't necessarily--or even often--start with a character. They universally start with a hook--the nub of the story that will make it unique and that gives the story a twist. That may have something to do with a character--but more often than not, it doesn't.

I didn't say that all writers writing a story must start with a character. I said that all stories start with a character and the day his/her/it's universe changes.

Check out your stories and you'll likely find this is true even if you didn't start writing your story with that in mind. Even if you started writing it by finding that "hook" what you ended up with was still the same. The day something changed for that character.

I simply offered the advice to this writer to try and start in that way in order for them to see if it would work for them. If it doesn't, then they might need to try other ways. There are a lot of other ways. Yours included.

 

[sr71plt]

I didn't say that all writers writing a story must start with a character. I said that all stories start with a character and the day his/her/it's universe changes.

Check out your stories and you'll likely find this is true even if you didn't start writing your story with that in mind. Even if you started writing it by finding that "hook" what you ended up with was still the same. The day something changed for that character.

I simply offered the advice to this writer to try and start in that way in order for them to see if it would work for them. If it doesn't, then they might need to try other ways. There are a lot of other ways. Yours included.

No. Just as I posted, all of my stories start (originate) with a hook, which only sometimes involves characterization. Stories, including mine, also don't always open with character. Often they open with setting.

The only sweeping generalization that's true in life is that sweeping generalizations are all false.

 

[JackLuis]

Run for your life BiatrixKido, when sr71plt starts making sweeping generalizations about sweeping generalizations, generally one needs more that a broom.

 

[oggbashan]

Check the 'How-To' section of stories.

There are many tips about writing and some of them are actually useful.

Og

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Most LIT 'writers' dont write 'stories.' They have no story to tell. They write scenes to wank to, and most have been done 1000s of times. Dog bites man. Perfect woman and perfect man get it on. Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

A real story is something like a homophobe falls in love with the perfect woman, except for a couple of pieces that are missing. 'She' is a genetic male who's immune to androgenic hormones and developed 'female.' So our hero has a conflict and has to resolve it. THATS a story. And its easy to write once you work out the plot.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

My 2 cents

I found that the best way to start writing is to write about what you already know; i.e., write about events that happened in your own life. Describe the day you lost your virginity; the wildest sex you ever had; your first one night stand. Whatever you choose, make it into a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Work on describing your characters so that they are interesting to the readers. Work on using dialogue to move the story along. Work out how to describe the sex scenes in an interesting, non-repetitive manner. I recommend doing this with your own real life experiences because you already know the plot, and can concentrate on the other elements of storytelling. Do this a few times until you have something that is readable. Then, introduce your fictional characters and the settings that you have floating around in your mind. You will find that it is much easier to write fiction when you have first written a few true stories as practice.

 

[BiatrixKido]

Most LIT 'writers' dont write 'stories.' They have no story to tell. They write scenes to wank to, and most have been done 1000s of times. Dog bites man. Perfect woman and perfect man get it on. Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

A real story is something like a homophobe falls in love with the perfect woman, except for a couple of pieces that are missing. 'She' is a genetic male who's immune to androgenic hormones and developed 'female.' So our hero has a conflict and has to resolve it. THATS a story. And its easy to write once you work out the plot.

Well not saying I am or can break the cookie cutter mold of erotic stories you mention. But I can honestly say, most of my story ideas have not been done a million times. I have seen elements of my ideas in other stories (in some cases the other story may have even started my idea), but in all, if I can get them down like I see them, they should be fairly original and somewhat unique. Atleast some of my story ideas anyway. I do have a few cookie cutter type ideas as well, with just added ideas that might make them more interesting to me. I may have to tackle those type stories first so I can get the experience needed to tackle the more indepth, complicated, unique ideas later. We'll see, I've been brainstorming all day for my first scene to write. Still fuzzy right now, hopefully something will click for me soon. I truely appreciate all the advice and experience given here, it's already been helpful. Thanks all.

 

[BiatrixKido]

Most LIT 'writers' dont write 'stories.' They have no story to tell. They write scenes to wank to, and most have been done 1000s of times. Dog bites man. Perfect woman and perfect man get it on. Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

A real story is something like a homophobe falls in love with the perfect woman, except for a couple of pieces that are missing. 'She' is a genetic male who's immune to androgenic hormones and developed 'female.' So our hero has a conflict and has to resolve it. THATS a story. And its easy to write once you work out the plot.

Oh BTW, 9 times out of 10 I avoid the type "wanking story" you mention. I mean I avoid reading those. The stories that always grab my attention and holds it, are real stories with fleshed out characters and ideas. Those are the ones I've read over and over and what I one day aspire to create myself. Nothing would make me feel better than getting feedback that tells me I created a gem of a story that someone found the need to read more than once.

 

[TxRad]

Oh BTW, 9 times out of 10 I avoid the type "wanking story" you mention. I mean I avoid reading those. The stories that always grab my attention and holds it, are real stories with fleshed out characters and ideas. Those are the ones I've read over and over and what I one day aspire to create myself. Nothing would make me feel better than getting feedback that tells me I created a gem of a story that someone found the need to read more than once.

Remember that JBJ is our pet troll and has no stories posted on Lit. We are beneath his contempt. Erotica is not his cup of tea. Why is he here then? he likes to sling shit at anyone and everyone so keep your raincoat handy.

As for getting started writing, it's easy. Pull up a blank sheet of screen and stare at it. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

My first story came about because I was bored and had access to a computer for the first time. I had always wanted to write but never took the time to try it. Now I had the time. I started out to write a short story about something that had happened to me twenty years before. One thing led to another, including swapping around the first and fourth chapters, along with some rewriting. The next thing I knew, I had a 287 page novel. The only thing left of the original story was the description of a porch and a young lady.

I was in my late forties at the time and a long time away from my last English class. You learn as you go but first you have to go as in just write it. Get something down and hang around here. You'll find some nice people and some damned good writers. Read as much on the subjects that interest you as you can and find a writer than speaks to you. Most of the people here are very helpful so go for it.

see how easy it is to write a book.

 

[favoritesgoddess]

My advice would be to just write. Sit down and just let it out. Even if it's sentences that go nowhere, paragraphs that make no sense, spelling that makes your computer go WTF, just let it go all over the place, if that's where it needs to go. Think of it as stepping out of the way of your words.

Sometimes if you get all the pieces out of your head and into print where you can see them, it's less like writing from start to finish and more like putting together a puzzle. You can move stuff around and see what fits, what needs to go, what you could use elsewhere and then fill in from there. Writing isn't always a linear process.

I've found that the flow comes with practice, and even then there are some stories that just have a hard time coming together. The process isn't always pretty.

 

[JackLuis]

You could try writing backwards, that is start with the climax, then write a middle where you put in place all the keys for the climax, then write the beginning that puts in the keys( or hooks as sr says) and then put it all together and hack off the rough edges.

This way you aren't flailing around tying to make the plot fit.

I haven't tried this, but it might work? I may try this for the Horny Springs story because I've got too many characters and it is hard to get them all laid before the end.

 

[ExoMani]

Hi I'm a total newbie here and to writing stories in general. I have a tiny bit of experience years ago but that was nothing serious and can't be counted for anything now.

I am running into some very serious problems on getting started. I really feel like I NEED to write a story or (hopefully) stories. They are literally bursting out left and right in my mind and I feel if I don't get one or two of em out and see what others think I am going to explode or something. I want to write them for myself too, but I can't lie, I want to think others find my thoughts sexy as well. Anyway to my main problems...

First and foremost I just can't get one started ...

You might start by writing down an outline, or synopsis, of your story, before trying to go any further. Just jot down the main things you want to happen, in the approximate order you want them to happen.

After that, you might want to think about writing down a short description of your story’s main characters. Who are they? What are their normal personalities like? What are their motivations in your story? What emotions will they experience during the course of your story? What do they look like? Is a character inspired by a real person, or another fictional character?

Last, you might want to jot down a few notes to yourself. For instance, what things, specifically, you are trying to emphasize in your story? That is, are you trying to emphasize a particular character’s emotions, a particular sex act, a particular fetish? Is your story best told in the first person, or third person?

That’s what I do before I start a new story. I place my outline, character notes, etc. at the end, so I can refer to them as I go along.

It still takes me forever to finish, but I don’t have any problems getting started!

Good luck with your writing.

 

[BiatrixKido]

Thanks everyone. Such super helpful advice given. I really appreciate everyone who responded. Class acts all

PS. I am planning to start typing something out this weekend. Wish me luck