A query on length

[OnnaDare]

Hola!
And it's NOT that kind of length...

Thanks to your kind words on my first lit story, I've decided to give it another go -
a little less "vanilla" this time.

I've perused the threads (a bit) about word count, and figure my newest will be about 4 lit pages long. (again!)

I feel compelled to write some backstory, because for me, if I don't have a reason for these characters to get busy, it's just doesn't make for a good story... but... if I don't get the "action" going by the second page, will I lose most readers?

So, what's the consensus? Enquiring minds want to know...

Onna

 

[Athalia]

I feel compelled to write some backstory, because for me, if I don't have a reason for these characters to get busy, it's just doesn't make for a good story... but... if I don't get the "action" going by the second page, will I lose most readers?

So, what's the consensus? Enquiring minds want to know...

I'm a beginning writer myself (of erotica, that is), so I'm commenting primarily from a reader's standpoint.

I think you have to at least give a pretty good idea of what the action is going to be within the first page, even if you don't get to the action itself. Consider it a sort of promissory.

If there's a way you can weave something of the erotic into the character development stage, so much the better. That's a good way to get your readers to connect with your characters right away.

 

[The_Fool]

Short? Long? As long was I feel good, who cares?


I was talking about the story dammit!!!


Stories with the highest ratings are usually longer. Whatever that means. No less than 2 lit pages and some grand epics.

 

[sr71plt]

There's no predicting how an unwritten story is going to go over on Lit. or who is going to read/vote/comment on it--or not. That said, this is an erotica site and this is the age of instant gratification, so don't be surprised by readers coming here looking for that. I'd say write and submit what you want--and don't get too hung up on the isolated responses.

 

[Boota]

I wouldn't worry about the length of the story. It will be as short or as long as it needs to be. Let the story dictate that itself.

 

[driphoney]

[ ... ] I'd say write and submit what you want--and don't get too hung up on the isolated responses.

I wouldn't worry about the length of the story. It will be as short or as long as it needs to be. Let the story dictate that itself.

I've read some really great stories of all lengths here. One of the worst habits I developed last year was looking at story length before starting. Before I got caught up in that, I read one story that totally absorbed me. I started it late and read from beginning to end in one sitting, then realized I'd read 9 lit pages!! The time passed in a flash, I enjoyed it so much. Was a story I would have missed if I'd been all picky about length.

Same might be said about that other length, too.

So, I'm with both these guys. As a reader, I hope you just tell the tale you have in you. Let the rest sort itself out.

 

[Dragonlipz]

If you write twenty pages or one, it's your story....the writing and the story are what's important- go for it...........

 

[jomar]

I have a hard time reading really long stories on a computer. And I'm far more average than I care to believe...so if your story runs more than a couple or three lit pages, you might consider breaking it into chapters. There are clearly exceptions, of course....

ETA: Didn't even address your question. The answer is if your story is well written you'll engage the reader and they'll wait for the sexy. Or you can grab the reader off the bat. The bottom line is different readers look for different things, so...write just your story and let it happen.

 

[Weird Harold]

I've perused the threads (a bit) about word count, and figure my newest will be about 4 lit pages long. (again!)

Four Lit pages is about 1400 words -- a nice length for a story, IMHO. But if you don' t hook me in the first quarter (page) I'm not going to be inclined to read further.

OTOH, if you do hook me in the first 500-700 words, I'm probably going to keep reading as long as you keep me hooked; it won't matter to me if it is 14 hundred words or 14 thousand.

Worry about the quality of your storytelling and not the length of the story.

 

[_Lynn_]

Four Lit pages is about 1400 words -- a nice length for a story, IMHO. But if you don' t hook me in the first quarter (page) I'm not going to be inclined to read further.

OTOH, if you do hook me in the first 500-700 words, I'm probably going to keep reading as long as you keep me hooked; it won't matter to me if it is 14 hundred words or 14 thousand.

Worry about the quality of your storytelling and not the length of the story.

Aren't you short a zero there, WH? A Lit page is about 3,500 words, isn't it?

 

[sr71plt]

Aren't you short a zero there, WH? A Lit page is about 3,500 words, isn't it?

Yeah, I thought Harold was living up to his name on that.

 

[Weird Harold]

Aren't you short a zero there, WH? A Lit page is about 3,500 words, isn't it?

Yea, I am. I plead stupid fingers and being arithmetically challenged.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I like to start with a bang (literally ). I put some action in the opening sequence, and then go into the back story, and then come back to more action later.

This hadn't been my model for every story I have released, but it is prevalent in most of my unfinished works. Maybe that's a hint that it doesn't work so well?