Lengthy introductions

[Married_Man_63]

I've recently started a new story and seem to have written as much as some complete stories I've read on here and I haven't really got to the sex yet. I've been so caught up in setting scenes and describing characters and relationships I'm worried I've gone on too much.
What are general thoughts on how much introduction is too much and do people care how well the characters are drawn?
I'm not sure if I should whittle back or plough on.

 

[sirhugs]

this post might fit better on the Story Feedback forum.

 

[Kantarii]

As the author it is your decision on how much of an introduction you need. If it is a large stand alone piece, it might very well need the long introduction, but not necessarily. Multiple chapter stories allow the freedom to break up the character development and change scenes about as often as the chapters change.

I prefer doing multiple chapters myself. I am not constrained to do everything at once. I also have the choice to put a sex scene at the beginning, middle, end of a chapter or elect to not include one. Story development is what I focus on and not just the sex scenes. The only real issue with multiple chapter stories is maintaining continuity and leaving each chapter hinting and suggesting what will happen in the next chapter.

Hope that helps.

 

[Carnevil9]

It depends on your goal. If you want to write the best story you can, and achieve your vision for that story, then make the introduction as long as you believe it needs to be. Some readers will enjoy it. Maybe not many, but some.

On the other hand, if your goal is to get as many reads and high votes as possible, you might want to mix in some nice prurient interest near the beginning. Sex sells, even on a free site.

Personally, I will only read a story with a long, dry introductory phase if it is from an author who I know well, and trust to deliver an ultimate payoff, no matter how long delayed. If it is just a random story that I picked on Lit, I know the odds are that it is quite mediocre, and will back-click after a couple of paragraphs if nothing interesting is happening.

 

[astuffedshirt_perv]

long, well written stories score well. Long, boring stories don't score well.

that's not very helpful, is it?

 

[Hypoxia]

Whatever works. Does your long, dry intro work? Is a sexless span necessary? Can the intro be broken up into sex-delimited chunks? Can you squeeze some fucking into the intro?

 

[Married_Man_63]

Thanks for the feedback, you kind of confirmed what I was thinking. I appreciate you all taking the time to comment.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Make all of it matter. Your motto should be ITS ALWAYS SOMETHING.

I started a story this morning that begins with a shoot out between the man and his woman. She shoots him, and he kills her and her friend in the bed with her. He then goes to jail for a while, and has some violent encounters with the brothers and Aryans. Its an incest story, so the sex is with his mom after he gets released on bail. He moves in with her after he loses his job and house.

 

[oggbashan]

I sometimes write lengthy introductions, but I also try to have an interesting bit before the long introduction.

I'm not sure it makes any difference to the readers' reaction.

 

[8letters]

I've recently started a new story and seem to have written as much as some complete stories I've read on here and I haven't really got to the sex yet. I've been so caught up in setting scenes and describing characters and relationships I'm worried I've gone on too much.
What are general thoughts on how much introduction is too much and do people care how well the characters are drawn?
I'm not sure if I should whittle back or plough on.

My advice:
* Don't have a lot of narrative summary. If you are doing all of the scene setting, character description and relationship description as narrative summary, then readers will get bored and move on
* You should start your story just before something interesting happens. If your set up and character development is happening during everyday events, readers will get bored and move on
* Early on, you want to build chemistry and sexual tension between your characters. It takes very good writing to keep readers' interest if you aren't doing that

 

[sr71plt]

"Selling" fiction is subject to current trends. Currently, probably because of the shortening of attention span brought about by the electronic revolution (and maybe back to the James Bond movie openings), what sells to most readers is the "with a sudden bang; details filtering in later" opening. In Lit. that's what's made John Gresham and Dan Brown books, for instance, best-sellers. In the Victorian era, the long buildup was popular. There are readers for both, though, so do as you please you, if you do it well, you'll have readers here.

 

[TxRad]

I've recently started a new story and seem to have written as much as some complete stories I've read on here and I haven't really got to the sex yet. I've been so caught up in setting scenes and describing characters and relationships I'm worried I've gone on too much.
What are general thoughts on how much introduction is too much and do people care how well the characters are drawn?
I'm not sure if I should whittle back or plough on.

Different strokes for different stories. I've done a lot of stories with long slow buildup and they have done very well here. Just don't do the information dump sort of thing. Tell the story and add the character building, relationships, and settings in as needed. Through dialog is a good way to mix it all together but it takes some forethought. Hints and teases on the coming sex also helps keep reader attention. Anticipation is a big brain tease.

 

[SamScribble]

I wrote one story that was virtually all introduction. A lot of readers hated it. But some readers really loved it. You get all sorts of readers on Lit.

 

[Hypoxia]

All the above, and just the opposite, too. Anything we suggest should be avoided, like data dumps, has its fervent fans. Can't please everyone here. That said, we authors can all suggest what WE like and find effective. Of course, some of us are hallucinating...

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

All the above, and just the opposite, too. Anything we suggest should be avoided, like data dumps, has its fervent fans. Can't please everyone here. That said, we authors can all suggest what WE like and find effective. Of course, some of us are hallucinating...

THIS, LOL!
But yeah it's the 'you can't please everyone' thing. Some will like it, some won't.

I hate the info dump thing and try so hard to not do it, but sometimes it's hard not to!

 

[Jay321]

I hate the info dump thing and try so hard to not do it, but sometimes it's hard not to!

I hate it too, but if I can get the cottonballs out of my brain so I can write some more, I will have to do one for a Mistborn fanfic I am writing to explain off the powers to those who have not read the books.

 

[Hypoxia]

I hate the info dump thing and try so hard to not do it, but sometimes it's hard not to!

I weave my data dumps into other text. Some action, then some backstory. A bit more action, then a spirited conversation (interrupted by activities) with an info exchange. I find it useful for an MC to visit a relative or friend to "catch up" on recent events, which of course allows the MC to reveal everything necessary (and conceal a few thoughts, stealthily imparted to the reader). I think I did that rather well in The Book of Ruth: Coming Fast. The facts and descriptions are there but not too obtrusive IMHO.