Short & Sweet or Long & Detailed

[rjordan]

Not to worry Chibi_Angel! So far no-one has ever managed to meet sr71plt's standards.

One thing about sr71plt. When he's right, he's totally right. I thought his answers here were pretty straightforward.

I think new writers would do well to listen to what he says about writing and publishing. In that field, he's been there and done that many times. Guaranteed a new writer will learn something if they want to.

But you only have to listen once. He does tend to harp on certain points over and over and over. On the other hand, he's worked with many fiction writers, I've worked with many non-fiction writers and they both require CONSTANT harping to stay focused.

rj

 

[Hypoxia]

By all means, set standard lengths for writing. Each story must be X-number of characters; each sex scene, Y-number of words. I'm sure an app or table exists specifying the optimal values of X and Y. Stick to those; be consistent. Improvisation only leads to trouble.

Or follow Ogg's lead and write only 50-word stories -- 15 per submission. And don't forget to nibble your lucky rabbit's foot. If this technique was good enough for Voltaire, it's good enough for you, hey?

 

[ChloeTzang]

It really does depend on everything - your style, your intent, your subject matter, your perceived audience (you will never know your true readership, there is minimal data, minimal feedback, even fewer comments to guide you). It also depends on whether you crave readers or have a compulsive desire to write. There is no single answer to this.

As you can see, this topic does come up regularly, does get the same responses, and does annoy the same people. But new writers don't know that, and this is Authors' Hangout (with emphasis on the plural not the singular) so it's OK to seek multiple opinions, just so long as you realise nobody is right, nobody is wrong, and there is no single response.

The answer is always the same - it always depends on everything.

I for example am "slow burn" - I'm sure lots of people turn away, but a satisfying number get through to the end and will read the sequel. But I wrote it the way I wanted to write it, and if folk like it, that's good. But if they don't like it, there's always the next writer. And for me, there's always the next reader.

Just write the bloody story!

Bloody hell. A diplomatic Aussie. Something I havent seen before this side of the black stump. Seriously, there's no answer. Just write what you want to write and someone will read it.

 

[ChloeTzang]

On the contrary; I had a wonderful colonic today. You really should try it!

The ones with the ice cubes are best.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Bloody hell. A diplomatic Aussie. Something I havent seen before this side of the black stump

The land of the constant surprise!

And the first nation who didn't give the Donald what he wanted - now that's Aussie diplomacy in action, and done by a new Prime Minister Trumble, apparently. Oz 1, USA 0. Reminds me of the America's Cup back in 1983, when then PM Bob Hawke to all intents and purposes declared a public holiday.

The same Bob who was previously the world record holder for the fastest drinking of a yard of beer,when he downed a sconce pot in eleven seconds as part of a traditional Oxford college penalty. That's Aussie. The rest of the world tries their hardest, but seriously folks....

 

[Bramblethorn]

now that's Aussie diplomacy in action, and done by a new Prime Minister Trumble, apparently.

Not to mention our President, whose name escapes me.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...f-australia-on-call-list-20170204-gu5om5.html

 

[ElectricBlue]

Not to mention our President, whose name escapes me.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...f-australia-on-call-list-20170204-gu5om5.html

And without a referendum! How cool is that? I wonder if Her Maj knows yet? (Rest of the world - in-joke warning).

 

[HandsInTheDark]

And don't forget to nibble your lucky rabbit's foot. If this technique was good enough for Voltaire, it's good enough for you, hey?

Rub the rabbit's foot if you will; but remember that it went poorly for the rabbit.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

LIT is prolly the worst place to find quality porn. Its all mediocre. LIT reminds me of Biddy's old aunt school teacher in Dickens GREAT EXPECTATIONS. LIT is the 1st graders first 8 pack of fat Crayolas.

Try almost any true confession site.

 

[TxRad]

LIT is prolly the worst place to find quality porn. Its all mediocre. LIT reminds me of Biddy's old aunt school teacher in Dickens GREAT EXPECTATIONS. LIT is the 1st graders first 8 pack of fat Crayolas.

Try almost any true confession site.

Since you seem to hate Lit so much, why don't you take your own advice. I'm sure true confessions is much closer to what you write than erotica.

Have a nice day and don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

TAX RAT

He aint sweet but he is short.

 

[TxRad]

TAX RAT

He aint sweet but he is short.

Morning JB, how's life in the backwoods of Tampa?

I might not be sweet but I sure haven't soured like some others around here. In any case, short is a relative term. If your relatives are short then you may be also.

 

[weftandwarp]

Alright, I enjoy writing and am in middle of a couple of stories but here is my dilemma. When dealing with erotic stories do you think it is better to write short and sweet getting to the erotic part of the story quick and keeping it a nice easy and quick read as to not loose readers or is it better to make a story long or longer but get lots of details and build up into the adventure?

I like to think of a story as being like a fabric, it is made up of a warp which is the thread of it, the plot. The other part is the weft- the threads going across the warp, or the context. It is good if they fit together. If they don't the story tends to falls apart. Excessive context destroys just as inadequate context does. The warp is similar with respect to the plot. So, some stories will need to be longer than others to tell their story. I think if I'm wondering about whether a story is to be long or short I've basically missed the point. I have huge problems with disjointedness and use this to help. I don't use enough weft normally. I find it helpful.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

One thing about sr71plt. When he's right, he's totally right. I thought his answers here were pretty straightforward.

I think new writers would do well to listen to what he says about writing and publishing. In that field, he's been there and done that many times. Guaranteed a new writer will learn something if they want to.

But you only have to listen once. He does tend to harp on certain points over and over and over. On the other hand, he's worked with many fiction writers, I've worked with many non-fiction writers and they both require CONSTANT harping to stay focused.

rj

I'll miss you. But my rigid policy is: IF YOU HAVE A KIND WORD FOR PILETTE, YOU GO IMMEDIATELY TO IGGY HELL. Take care.

 

[sr71plt]

Again, talking about psychotic.

And still begging for attention.

 

[NicoleZ]

Actively begging for attention is infinitely better than always begging the question.

 

[RetroFan]

It depends on what you want to write about.

Most of my stories are comedies as well as erotica, so I will put more information in to amuse readers. For example, in a lesbian story I wrote one of the main characters has a stupid, fat, gluttonous, bully of a twin brother. He doesn't feature in any of the erotic parts, but his idiotic antics get a fair amount of space in the story for comic effect.

 

[Kantarii]

I like putting enough of a background story into each chapter to capture a fan base and keep my stories interesting for most people.Kant

 

[jackstud]

Big Fan

I am yes

 

[Hypoxia]

Reading or writing: sometimes I like short & sweet, sometimes I like long & nasty, and sometimes I barely notice. If long & nasty isn't written compellingly, I skip right over it and search for the plot. What else goes into a tale besides fucking? Backgrounds, and asides, and picture-painting irrelevancies, and histories, and snark, and whatever. It's dynamic.

 

[rjordan]

I'll miss you. But my rigid policy is: IF YOU HAVE A KIND WORD FOR PILETTE, YOU GO IMMEDIATELY TO IGGY HELL. Take care.

Which is meaningless since you already left the site.

rj

 

[UnderMyKilt]

Oh, Lord. There's that "one universal reader" to satisfy question again.

What do you think you're going to get in terms of a meaningful answer to this from a handful of people responding on the forum? Do you really think this represents anything useful? Can't you just write what arouses you yourself, knowing there will be readers for it on a site this humongous, and not be so insecure as to need to write to a false/unknowable consensus?

One of those answers for which I wish there was a "Like" button or a "Thumbs Up".

I'm not writing for anyone but myself. It's a way of remembering what I was ,who I was, and chronicling how I became who I am today. My brain, education, and former career leaves me unable to do anything but to include descriptive details. Sometimes, I rather painfully remove detail I'd like to include. I have an exceptional memory and I close my eyes and see scenes and remember words that happened decades ago.

I may write fiction someday, and then I may look more toward "writing for the reader", but for now there's too many memories pent up in my brain for me to even think about being creative enough come up with fictional story ideas.