Are you a risk taker when it comes to writing?

[wishfulthinking]

It's something I've known for a long while, but never really thought about. My writing is uncontroversial pieces of fluff. I don't deal with the hard issues of reality, and in fact try to steer clear from it as far as possible ie lots of historial/SF settings. I don't try different things to see if they work or don't work, but simply write what I like and would enjoy to read.

I don't view this as a negative thing at all, and wouldn't change a thing. But I wonder if other writers here deliberately set out to get a specific response besides the expected , whether it be tears or anger, and if they think they are successful, or try different things in their writing with each new story? eg someone mentioned not long ago about trying ESP.

 

[Dirty Slut]

Yes, I take a lot of risks when I write. My purpose is to bring the reader into the story with me, and whenever possible look at an issue from a different point of view than normal. Especially in my interracial, and incest stories. They say you can't really know someone, or judge them effectively without walking a mile in their shoes. And I think to a certain point this is very true. So I let them walk a while with me by subtely pointing out the obvious things that they have missed in their own busy lives whenever I can. My feedback so far here at literotica, both good, and bad seems to agree. So while taking risks can be unsettling, it is vastly more rewarding as well. As is born out by the using of my chosen screen name from my actual initials.

DS

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I'm always trying new things, and don't think there's a topic I would immediately write off.

Some of the best poems I have written were departures from my usual style, and in that aspect I'm always searching to explore new venues. If you don't take risks with your writing in Lit, which is free, where are you going to? The real publishing world?

I just had a story posted (in my signature) that is already taking a beating in the scores, and I was expecting it. It's the best of my stories, I have absolutely no doubt about it, but it was always going to be a risk: it doesn't correspond to the model of what wanker readers of that category expect.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I like to try new things and strectch my wings. I wrote a het story for the lit olympics. My latest is pretty edgy. At least for me. i don't experiment with style too much, I have what I think of as a signature there and people seem to enjoy it. there are very fw things I absolutely wouldn't consider trying, but many of my more out there experiments sit on my hard drive collecting dust. The courage to write them is somewhat easier to find than the courage to post them

-Colly

 

[pop_54]

Always experimenting... and never scared of offending, that's why I almost always use the hardest possible language and sexually explicit descriptions... just me I afraid... The whole writing thing for me is an experiment and a game... I'm no bloody author... more a piss taker and dirty old man.

pops...........................

 

[oggbashan]

I like to experiment and some of them fail or only please a limited audience.

My experiments:

Donna - depressing
White Scut - weird
Bagged at the Opera - for bagging freaks
The Vinyl Dress - piss-taking of vinyl lovers
Trapped - for nylon fetishists
The Giant Squid - how to make tentacle sex 'normal'
The Virgin Unbirth - for unbirthing fans (how many are there? six?)
Tripletit - some male's fantasy

and of course:

The Worst Chain Story Ever Ch.01.

Links to all in my sig line.

Most of them score deservingly low ratings. 'White Scut' is a success d'estime (the public didn't like it).

Og

 

[CharleyH]

I love experimenting with form and content; it's personally satisfying, and quite frankly in my view, writing any erotic or non-erotic piece is an act of masturbation.

There is nothing more satisfying than removing a reader from their complacency. It is not something I always strive for, (I would love to be able to do it more often) sometimes I simply try to FINISH a story. LOL.

In the case of experimentation and risk taking on Lit, I find the best indication of success is a low score and acidic comments, particularly when I piss off men by disruption. Writing always from the point of view of an empowered female, this is definately the displacement I have sought in two of my stories. This is not to say that the stories don't invariably get men or women off, certainly they do, but I don't strive for this end when writing a story. I strive for masturbation, complete personal satisfaction.

I'm selfish that way.

 

[doormouse]

I'm a bit square I guess when it comes to writing.

I like my horror stories, but when it comes to the sex ones, they're pretty basic story lines.

The weirdest story I've written is Malcolm. They didn't like him

I thought he was funny, but hell, each to their own LOL

 

[KarenAM]

I love the English language, and love playing around with it. More than one reviewer has compared my style to haiku, which sounds flattering although I'm not entirely sure what haiku is (some form of formal Japanese poetry, I think, so I'm flattered). This puts others off (eh, Doc?).

As to content, I both do and don't take risks. Physical violence in my sex is kept at a minimum, but emotional intimidation and manipulation abounds. I'd like to branch into writing male POV's and bi/gay stories, but haven't yet. My het stuff does tend to be kinky; far kinkier, in fact, than I am in the real world.

Finally, theme. I like reading literature that challenges my opinions and thinking and makes me think more. Most erotica isn't designed to do that but rather to tell a story and arouse. So I like to try and ask questions with my work, usually about our perceptions of ourselves. I'd like to think that those who see the questions are enriched by them, and those who don't get off and end with a smile anyway.

 

[sweetnpetite]

I started off trying to prove that girls really do like hardcore nasty smut too (but w/ more focus on her pleasure than typical porn, where I find that woman often apear as little more than 'props' for the man to get off on.

Then I tried to do other things, to branch out and so forth, but I think my core audience appreciates my original intentions more.

I have man more ideas than I can develope and some of them are riskier than others. I think the biggest risks I take are when I try to write something that I really *want* to be good, rather than just something I slap down to get people off.

I have a gay male story in my mind, that's a bit risky because its biblical AND because I want it to be good. It's a shocking twist on a familiar story and I don't want to do it unless I can pull it off (so that scares me.) I took that risk on "Forced to Pee" and it payed off for me.

I tend to do well with the risky stories where I push myself just beyond my comfort leval of what is acceptable for me to admit to myself might be a turn on. (such as "Forced to Pee" and "TXT Message") They put me on edge when I write them and I think that brings a special quality to them.

I've been 'accused' of being a guy, but I'd like to think that no guy could write quite the way I do. (I love it when I'm told that however, it makes me feel like I'm doing something really right!)

 

[Match Made In Heaven]

I did something risky in that I posted to lit a story that I dared to call 'serious.' Some people might have thought I was looking down on my old work, but it was just my way of forwarning not to expect what they've come to know and love about my stories. (ie, the pure filth)

And also quite a risk to post what is essentially very rough and unfinished work and to accept feedback. (what was I thinking, hu?)

Anyway, so far it has done quite well- three H's and no sex to be found as of yet. It's not under 'non-erotic' it's under Romance which probably helps. But I would definatly say, don't be afraid to try somthing different. (although a nome-de-plume is sometimes in order)

 

[TheEarl]

My non-Lit writing all appears to be about serious issues. All of my characters seem to be fucked up in one way or another.

The Earl

 

[Sabledrake]

I enjoy taking risks and experimenting in my writing. I don't set out to write a story with a deliberate reader response in mind; I'm rarely thinking of the reader at that stage.

The book I most recently finished working on was a huge risk-taking experiment; I knew going into it that it was bound to upset or offend a lot of people. That isn't _why_ I wrote it; I didn't think to myself "Hmm, what can I write that will really freak people out?" but I did think to myself "Hmm, this is liable to cause trouble, but it's such a neat idea, I have to run with it anyway."

Then, my mother-in-law read the rough draft and told me that it was indeed "offensive, but not offensive enough to make me quit reading it." Which I guess is a good enough reaction

Sabledrake

 

[sweetnpetite]

Then, my mother-in-law read the rough draft and told me that it was indeed "offensive, but not offensive enough to make me quit reading it." Which I guess is a good enough reaction

Sabledrake

Sounds like the perfect response

 

[curious2c]

I used to think so...then I read some other authors works and realized that I am pretty tame by comparison. So...I guess not.

 

[gauchecritic]

I think 'writing with intentions' can lead to stilted or bitty prose like trying to insert a theme, or stopping whilst writing an orgasm scene and thinking "hmm maybe I should use onomatapoeia here."

Even though I have at least a vague outline when I start writing I'm quite often literally reading it for the first time as well. If it takes a twist I'm not sure about I go with it to see how it works out.

The only thing that stretches my abilities is the paragraph I've just written which has given me a level to maintain or move on from.

Gauche

 

[rgraham666]

I can't really answer that question.

When I write it is a matter of telling the story, not taking risks.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I take a risk every time I try to write in a category I don't normally read, like Exhibitionist & Voyeur, Fetish, or Mind Control.

I always fear that someone's gonna write me a nasty feedback, telling me to stay away from the categories I don't know well enough.

My reward for trying different genres? Well, I do like the feeling of being multi-talented, but personally I feel I write the best stories when writing Interracial, Gay Male and Non-Erotic.

 

[Ann Vremont]

Originally posted by gauchecritic
I think 'writing with intentions' can lead to stilted or bitty prose like trying to insert a theme...
Even though I have at least a vague outline when I start writing I'm quite often literally reading it for the first time as well. If it takes a twist I'm not sure about I go with it to see how it works out.......
.

Reading it for the first time--that's why I started writing, I liked not having a freaking clue as to where the story would end (which wasn't the case with most of the books I read). Sure, there's often a lot to clean up or go back and add with that approach, but it lets me sit in the skin of the characters and know where they would go and follow them there.

I prefer to go down dark corners when I write, starting slow, lost much as the characters, so that I am all the more surprised when the nameless thing under the bed reaches out and grabs my ankles. And I so like showing people that the dark can turn them on! A good example would be something that started out as anal erotica set on a weekend camping trip. I needed big brother to pass out...decided I wanted him slightly hostile, and then wondered WTF was wrong with him. The weekend scene (Backshore) isn't on lit anymore but the follow-up on the brother can be read at http://www.e-cubus.com/nowherestreet.htm

Then there's the psychopathic serial killer cop that plays a small part in a paranormal novel I have--I was so sure my editors were going to make me take the scene out where he sticks the heroine in a grave and goes down on her--really at the point of "eating her out". Liquid fear makes the blood pump faster, speeding it on its way to our genitalia.

And my own Tentacles story...Close Encounters of the Carnal Kind--very disturbing sort of outer-space crack whore scenario.

And then...ah, hell, all my favorite ones definitely do not play it safe and there are those who won't talk to me at all after reading some of them.

 

[thebullet]

There are various kinds of risks to take when writing: risks in style, risks in plot, risks in content, risks in language.

I wrote exclusively in the 1st person for all of the stories I posted to Literotica. So when I was ready to start my second multiple chapter story, I decided to try the 3rd person, mostly because I thought it was time I learned how to do it.

For me that was risky, because I felt so comfortable in the 1st person. I was able to get into the narrator's head. But the 3rd person gives the writer omnipitence, allowing for more plot-rich stories.

Maybe I've been pushing the envelope a little bit politically. Some of my more paranoid readers feel that Death by Fucking and especially Tales of the eKids are bleeding heart liberal anti-American bullshit. I'm shocked, shocked that they feel that way!

Well, I have gotten some emails threatening to cut my balls off. Shit, I hope they don't figure out who I really am!

There are little bitty risks you take in the writing, hoping your readers follow with you. For example, in one of the chapters of Death by Fucking I have one of my characters call herself a fellatiatrix. Now, I knew that this wasn't the proper word. But my character was a rather naive and sexually inexperienced woman. She was guessing at the word because she didn't have any reason to know the proper term. I received a number of emails correcting my spelling. I wonder if anyone understood my point?

 

[Lord DragonsWing]

I think as writers we all experiment. That's the challenge we look for. Each of us enjoys the language and the fun of story's. To be able to improve our skills and learn for our mistakes is what makes our stories better with each submission. I love experimenting.

 

[TheWriter]

I don't know if I could call anything I do a "risk" since I have no reall standing or fanbase that might be destroyed from offensive material.

All I have is my thing about realism, and sometimes I take that to an absurd degree. "Day One" was a nonconsent, kidnap story, and the character not only loathed and feared her experience, she killed her kidnappers.

"Obsession" a BDSM story was psychotic to say the least.

I'm not always so dark (if you can call that dark), but I think I just try to make people understand that sex might be fun, but it isn't all the time, and it isn't the only thing in life (Though maybe I'm trying to convince myself of that.

So stories that might seem "risky", are ones like "Lessons", which is just really melancholy, and the sex isn't fulfilling. So I get low scores from hardly any votes, and almost no feedback.

But like I said, it's not really a risk since no one knows me, and I don't have any fans to disappoint.

 

[nushu2]

Hell ya

After my next post, if I don't get a nasty feedback from a red headed real estate agent with a small dick, I'll be very disappointed.

 

[Boota]

I don't really think of it as taking risks, but I always write what I want and anyone who doesn't like it can go fuck themselves. I write for me. If other people like it, then maybe I'll have a career. I'd say the safest thing I have ever written is my story on Lit. I tend to only enjoy doing things that are offensive and morally questionable, so that's what I write about.

 

[matriarch]

I just write.
I never set out to offend, instruct, inform. Simply to entertain.
I see myself as a story teller. Pure and simple. Think of my writing as being wrapped in an old, comfortable sweater. Very non-threatening, and definitely not risky.

So far, most of my stories appear to have achieved that to a greater degree.

My poetry tends to be more adventurous than my prose. Maybe there is more of me in them. I have no idea.

And as a reader, I think the same applies. I like to be entertained. At what level and into which specific areas depends entirely on my state of mind (or hormones) at the time.

Mat