How does your Unfinished Story count look?

[patdown]

with 75 published

I've got about 100 that are at some stage from started to half done to almost polished off. Mostly the former. My gift and curse is that I come up with a concept easily, then I have trouble with the middle or the end or the story. I see something or see somebody and an idea comes to me. It might be for a new story or it fits the characters in a previous story and I view it as part 2, 3, 4 whatever. I've got a few instances where parts 2 and 3 are nearly done but I can't get through the introductons of part 1 to fill in the beginning. Sometimes what I see fits well with a story I've already started and I change the direction that was going.

I wish I could put the effort into finishing but I get off the track. What I believe slows me down is not wanting to be repetitive, either in the story type, the characters or the sex.

 

[SimonDoom]

Since this thread started, my unfinished story count has increased by three. I hope to knock one of them off the list by the end of the day tomorrow, in time to submit to the letters event.

 

[DarkRaven13]

I finished a story a week ago ... but added 2 more idea items....so that's a net of plus 1.

 

[TheRedChamber]

I finished a story a week ago ... but added 2 more idea items....so that's a net of plus 1.

Mere ideas don't count surely? Not until your plot outline document starts to resemble the techical specifications for a 747 at least.

 

[DarkRaven13]

Mere ideas don't count surely? Not until your plot outline document starts to resemble the techical specifications for a 747 at least.

Would it count if I had notes about each story? (They each have about 2K words of notes on the plot and sequence of events.)

 

[TheRedChamber]

Would it count if I had notes about each story? (They each have about 2K words of notes on the plot and sequence of events.)

Okay, that's a bit more than 'Had a good idea while degrouting the bathroom and scribbled it down on a post-it notes so as not to forget.' It does indeed seem that you are working on those stories.

 

[DarkRaven13]

Okay, that's a bit more than 'Had a good idea while degrouting the bathroom and scribbled it down on a post-it notes so as not to forget.' It does indeed seem that you are working on those stories.

I am working on them. I sort of use my notes as a type of outline

 

[CurvySassyAJ]

My last count of unfinished stories was 5. I am working on 2, slowly. The others, well they might never be finished.

 

[lc69hunter]

I have 8-10. My problem is that I can't write a sex scene to save my life, so I get hung up there. Even if I lived it, or have it totally in my mind.

 

[DarkRaven13]

I have 8-10. My problem is that I can't write a sex scene to save my life, so I get hung up there. Even if I lived it, or have it totally in my mind.

One trick I use when I get stuck is to just write....it doesn't matter if it's junk. Don't erase. Don't backspace or try to think of the "right" word. Just spew words on the page. Then after a while , sometimes a form will start to materialize. Then you.can edit

It may help, it may not. But it will at least keep you from staring at a blank screen.

 

[Imstillfun]

I have 8-10. My problem is that I can't write a sex scene to save my life, so I get hung up there. Even if I lived it, or have it totally in my mind.

I’ve got 4 stories I’ve started but are languishing Unfinished. I’m bipolar type II and, even though my meds work well, I can only seem to write at certain points in my cycles.

I write my stories and leave out the sex scenes. Then I go back and fill them in.

that’s actually funny because I write porn, I freely admit I like writing jack off material. in my head my stories start with a set of characters, their relationship to each other, a venue, and a sex scene. The rest of the story is designed to get the characters to the seX scene.

the problem is once I’ve figured out the story, I find the actual sex scene boring to write because I’ve had it in my head for so long.

my Halloween story is 4700 words. 2000 are the primary sex scene. I wrote the first part, left a space, then wrote the ending. Then I went back and filled in the sex scene.

 

[Northstar4695]

I've been productive this weekend on one of my unfinished stories. My contest entry has been up for a few days and I get the most productivity shortly after I post a story. I like the excitement after posting of watching the score and getting comments, favorites, or followers, and I feel motivated as that engagement ebbs away after a few days. I want to get that engagement back, so I usually am able to get after the next story. If I miss that wave of motivation, it might be a while before I get something finished. After a few weeks, I might drift off and focus on other things. Who knows when I will be back to it then? I think that's why I tend to post either two stories within a few weeks of nothing for six months. *shrug*

Summer Lovin' was my first contest entrance and it helped me stay motivated and get the Halloween story up. Halloween has been having a similar effect too.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I've been productive this weekend on one of my unfinished stories. My contest entry has been up for a few days and I get the most productivity shortly after I post a story. I like the excitement after posting of watching the score and getting comments, favorites, or followers, and I feel motivated as that engagement ebbs away after a few days. I want to get that engagement back, so I usually am able to get after the next story. If I miss that wave of motivation, it might be a while before I get something finished. After a few weeks, I might drift off and focus on other things. Who knows when I will be back to it then? I think that's why I tend to post either two stories within a few weeks of nothing for six months. *shrug*

Summer Lovin' was my first contest entrance and it helped me stay motivated and get the Halloween story up. Halloween has been having a similar effect too.

Ain't it dreadful, you either have all the motivation in the world and hardly any time, or you have no motivation at all the time in the world!

 

[Emotional]

I told myself when I started I would only do one at a time. However I broke my own rule a couple weeks ago when I just wasn't thrilled to continue it. I started another stony that had been on my mind, and then cranked out a Halloween story.

Now I came back, read what I wrote and I am excited to finish it again. I don't think I will ever allow myself to have more than two ongoing works at once.

Although I have about 100 written in my mind.