Becoming a good writer

[SheaLima]

I am new to this forum as well as the United States. I am from Brazil and recently moved here to attend college where I will be studying English and nursing. I would love to learn how to write better and post some stories here. I am new to writing and need any encouragement I can get. How is a good way to get started here?? My name is Shea. Nice to be here and meet everyone

 

[sr71plt]

By writing. And then writing some more, followed by more writing.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Sure. Do the wrong thing a thousand times, and youll do the wrong thing a 1000 times.

 

[slyc_willie]

Sure. Do the wrong thing a thousand times, and youll do the wrong thing a 1000 times.

I didn't know you had written a thousand stories, JBJ.

Shea, I'd suggest reading some of the stories already posted. The recent Halloween contest would be a good start. You'll find there's a lot of variety on Lit. There's something for every taste. Then dabble with your own writing. Figure out your style. And don't be afraid to ask more questions.

 

[sr71plt]

Sure. Do the wrong thing a thousand times, and youll do the wrong thing a 1000 times.

I suspected that was your way of doing it. Thanks for confirming it.

 

[lovecraft68]

Don't read other people's work. They will either discourage you if you feel they are better than you or give false confidence if they suck.

What to read here are the How to essays found here

http://www.literotica.com/storyxs/writ_stor.shtml

pretty much all the basics are covered here then just sit, bang out your story and from there best way to get feedback it to submit it and once it posts put it in the feedback forum.

I never read one lit story until I already had a few of my own posted. Which I believe is why I have never received a "you write like so and so..." or "You remind me of so and so..." remark.

Be your own writer and don;t try to emulate what you read.

Just my two cents

 

[sr71plt]

Oh, god, yes, read as much as you can in the genres you'd like to be writing in and observe what you like and what you don't. It will help you with your own writing.

 

[lovecraft68]

Oh, god, yes, read as much as you can in the genres you'd like to be writing in and observe what you like and what you don't. It will help you with your own writing.

Then get reading

 

[sr71plt]

I can see that you've been sucking on sour grapes again this afternoon, LC.

You've been spewing bile all across the forum. (What, are you still angry that Laurel posted to the forum that my stories were excellent? From what you accuse her of, it's strange I haven't won a contest yet. )

 

[SheaLima]

I am new to this forum as well as the United States. I am from Brazil and recently moved here to attend college where I will be studying English and nursing. I would love to learn how to write better and post some stories here. I am new to writing and need any encouragement I can get. How is a good way to get started here?? My name is Shea. Nice to be here and meet everyone

My problem is that I am new to writing English. I have studied it in Brazil of course, but I have to use the language every day here. I am unsure about commas. I am unsure where to put them and don't want them to kill the story
Thank you everyone for the support I need as much as I can get

 

[sr71plt]

My problem is that I am new to writing English. I have studied it in Brazil of course, but I have to use the language every day here. I am unsure about commas. I am unsure where to put them and don't want them to kill the story
Thank you everyone for the support I need as much as I can get

Concentrate on the content writing first. Someone can help you with the grammar and punctuation--but you want to establish your own voice and topics/issues worth writing about. You should work on those yourself--and first. (At least that's what I suggest.)

 

[patientlee]

I don't think you can go wrong by reading a lot. Even if it doesn't help your writing, it will help your English. And if you're entertained or you learn something new, all the better.

 

[slyc_willie]

Concentrate on the content writing first. Someone can help you with the grammar and punctuation--but you want to establish your own voice and topics/issues worth writing about. You should work on those yourself--and first. (At least that's what I suggest.)

And, reading other stories will help you get a feel for using punctuation. Just be wary; not everyone uses punctuation correctly. But, the more writing you expose yourself to, the easier it will become to get into good writing habits.

 

[SheaLima]

Concentrate on the content writing first. Someone can help you with the grammar and punctuation--but you want to establish your own voice and topics/issues worth writing about. You should work on those yourself--and first. (At least that's what I suggest.)

Thank you so much. I have not had this much help and support on other writing forums. I am blessed to be here I will need some help once I get going.

 

[Handley_Page]

I didn't know you had written a thousand stories, JBJ.

Shea, I'd suggest reading some of the stories already posted. The recent Halloween contest would be a good start. You'll find there's a lot of variety on Lit. There's something for every taste. Then dabble with your own writing. Figure out your style. And don't be afraid to ask more questions.

and Welcome to the AH

 

[Bramblethorn]

I am new to this forum as well as the United States. I am from Brazil and recently moved here to attend college where I will be studying English and nursing. I would love to learn how to write better and post some stories here. I am new to writing and need any encouragement I can get. How is a good way to get started here?? My name is Shea. Nice to be here and meet everyone

Looks like your English is already pretty good. There are plenty of native English speakers who don't write this well

 

[SheaLima]

Looks like your English is already pretty good. There are plenty of native English speakers who don't write this well

Thank you, Bramblethorn. I took a English class before I left home to be better prepared. I think it helped, but I need more help. I thought this would be a good way to get practice. Honestly, I signed up for fun and didn't expect much from this site. Other sites were dead or no help. This site has been friendly and helpful. Thanks again

 

[horrorotica]

My problem is that I am new to writing English. I have studied it in Brazil of course, but I have to use the language every day here. I am unsure about commas. I am unsure where to put them and don't want them to kill the story
Thank you everyone for the support I need as much as I can get

There's thousands of web sites that teach basic grammar skills for english. Other than that use the editors on the site to help you clean this up. Nobody is perfect at grammar as english is a very hard language.

I also suggest you get a couple of books about writing to help learn story structure, and the basics of writing. They can really help you avoid making the common mistakes from the get go.

Apart from that writing is a craft, and like all crafts it takes practice. That means you have to write and write and write and write. That I'm afraid is the only way you can really learn it and develop your own style/writers voice. There's no shortcuts or 'paint by numbers' in this caper (unless you steal others work which is a no no). That is if you want to be a good writer.

If you're just happy writing pornographic Schlock with little literary merit then you can do that too as most of literotica is filled with stories like that.

 

[SheaLima]

There's thousands of web sites that teach basic grammar skills for english. Other than that use the editors on the site to help you clean this up. Nobody is perfect at grammar as english is a very hard language.

I also suggest you get a couple of books about writing to help learn story structure, and the basics of writing. They can really help you avoid making the common mistakes from the get go.

Apart from that writing is a craft, and like all crafts it takes practice. That means you have to write and write and write and write. That I'm afraid is the only way you can really learn it and develop your own style/writers voice. There's no shortcuts or 'paint by numbers' in this caper (unless you steal others work which is a no no). That is if you want to be a good writer.

If you're just happy writing pornographic Schlock with little literary merit then you can do that too as most of literotica is filled with stories like that.

I just started a writing class at a community college a block from where I live. I don't want my GPA to suffer because I can't write. Last night I overheard this older lady telling her friend that she got better at writing on a erotica story telling site. I laughed at it to myself, but it really got me thinking. I signed up to two other writing sites today and no one has replied to my post except the admin. I was discouraged so decided to try what she did. I have been on her a couple of hours and you guys are so nice and friendly.
Now, if I can bring myself to write about sex. Eeeeeh... I am so nervous, jaja!

 

[sr71plt]

Conversely, I would suggest avoiding reading and being led much by "how to write" books--especially in the formative years of your writing. They reflect how a particular writer does it--and they all do it differently. You'd be better to form your own voice first--or a strong enough one to be able to resist running from pillar to post mimicking other writers--and also spending so much time reading manuals and trying to juggle their advice that you don't actually become a writer yourself.

 

[horrorotica]

I just started a writing class at a community college a block from where I live. I don't want my GPA to suffer because I can't write. Last night I overheard this older lady telling her friend that she got better at writing on a erotica story telling site. I laughed at it to myself, but it really got me thinking. I signed up to two other writing sites today and no one has replied to my post except the admin. I was discouraged so decided to try what she did. I have been on her a couple of hours and you guys are so nice and friendly.
Now, if I can bring myself to write about sex. Eeeeeh... I am so nervous, jaja!

Like others have said just take some time to read a few stories in some categories that interest you. Ones that you may want to try and write stories for yourself. Erotica doesn't have to be a full blown pornographic extravaganza which many writers on this site don't seem to get.

You could write a love story that goes into more detail about the sexual aspects of the relationship, for example, where a romance story may leave off (picture the camera fading away from the couple kissing in front of the fireplace in a movie, only in erotica the camera stays put for a while). It doesn't have to be extreme hardcore.

Just keep it simple and write about what turns you on. You'll find that is often enough.

Good luck with it.

 

[sr71plt]

Erotica doesn't have to be a full blown pornographic extravaganza which many writers on this site don't seem to get.

It also doesn't need to avoid being a full-blown pornographic extravaganza--which many writers on this site don't seem to get.

 

[SheaLima]

Conversely, I would suggest avoiding reading and being led much by "how to write" books--especially in the formative years of your writing. They reflect how a particular writer does it--and they all do it differently. You'd be better to form your own voice first--or a strong enough one to be able to resist running from pillar to post mimicking other writers--and also spending so much time reading manuals and trying to juggle their advice that you don't actually become a writer yourself.

I am not sure what to even write about either. The stories I have written before were all about my life experiences. Honestly, I don't know what to write here.

 

[sr71plt]

I am not sure what to even write about either. The stories I have written before were all about my life experiences. Honestly, I don't know what to write here.

You can write and post something nonerotic, but this is, after all, an erotica site. Nonerotic is welcome by the site, but it is an erotica story site--and it's a fiction site. Your life experiences, when written too close to reality, have the danger of being too dull for fiction or too revealing for what you would want to put on a site where many readers here are looking for pornography--and hookups.

Just telling it like it is. There are forum posters who will downplay the function of this site, but they just took a wrong turn in Cleveland to land here.

 

[RoyceConnors]

My best advice is to take a look at the Writer's Resource material and go through it. You'll find topics on how to write sex and develop a style. There's much to find and I found it invaluable in helping me get started in writing.

I never read others works on here, or in books, as I find them distracting from creating my story my way. There are writer's challenges in this forum at the top that will help with wording and such.

I have my own style and got that from working with what's been provided here. It seems to be good advice, as it helped me become a top writer in my category. Once you have the basics of what you need, do look at some of the top writers in the genre(s) you look to write in and see what made them the top stories. Read the comments especially, so you know what appealed to the readers.

Overall, welcome to Lit. and the AH and hope you enjoy yourself and do well in your writing.