Ashamed of your work?

[Harrowborg]

Any stories your ashamed of?

I've written quite a few, some I could just shrug off if somewhere I knew closely read them, others I look back on and cringe. In the absence of a way to withdraw them, are there any stories your ashamed of in the harsh light of day? that you regret writing maybe?

 

[J.Q. Hack]

Of course hindsight is 20/20. As for my work I have one story I'd made longer, one I'd change the ending or expanded on and the other I don't know what I'd do with. However this is after some reflection and consideration and takes other viewers comments into account. At the time I posted those particular stories I was happy with them all.

J.Q.

 

[Antfarmer77]

I don't know if I'd use the word 'ashamed', more like 'embaressed by'. The stories I write ( none are posted here @ Lit. yet, but it's in the works) are pretty fetish specific ( we won't go there now). I have written some for an online friend who is into the whole gay/incest thing. I'm not saying that's bad or wrong, it's just not me ( the gay part at least). So to jot down something on the verge of foriegn was kind of weird, but my friend liked it so I guess that's what it's all about. I find I tend to use certain phrases over and over, perhaps not verbatim , but close. I tend to cringe at that.

 

[frostqueenha]

I used to feel really bad about some pieces for one of two reasons- because it somehow "went to far", or because I could see a lot of room for improvement. Of late, however, I've dismissed that feeling on both points: if I've pushed some boundaries in kink, that's tended to be a good thing in many ways for my personal life. And everything can always be reworked or altered in some way. At some point, you've got to let a story go or you'll never finish your first.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Ashamed...???

I'm not ashamed of what I've written. Regretful perhaps of things I could have done differently, as Jack eluded to. Lit has been a tremendous experience. I have grown so much as a writer, utilizing feedback to hone my skill, and sharing my natural affinity for teaching to mentor others.

I have had to seek a common ground between my writing and my faith that has been greatly assisted by a thread here. I'm still struggling to find the "line". There are days when I feel certain I'm condemned to the bowels of hell, and then wonder if there is such a thing at all.

I'm sorry, I'm deviating. The short answer is 'no'. I'd be more ashamed of not writing a story than writing one.

AS

 

[sensorotika]

Ashamed of content or craft of writing?

Are you asking if writers are ashamed of content they have written or ashamed of work they produced because they now feel it is inferior?

For the former, the question as to content is up to the individual author. An author has to decide what they are comfortable putting down on paper, what thoughts, what concepts.

As for the craft of writing, it's unlikely that any real artist, writer or musician ever feels as though their past work can't be improved. As some point, you'll look back on something you wrote ten years ago and be impressed, but usually it's the other way around. You'll look back and cringe. That's because if you are always improving, always changing, always evolving your craft, you will look back with a different eye.

Dave Sim once said that you must be both your biggest fan and harshest critic, because some people will unfairly criticize everything you produce and others will praise your work regardless of it's merit. Only you will know how close you came to your own idea of quality.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

That's a very good question, Harrowborg. I used to write stories by request, and wrote about a lot of sexual stuff that didn't especially appeal to me (foot fetishism, humiliation, exhibitionism), but I could just about always understand the appeal and find something sexy in it. I don't think I've ever written any story containing a sexual act that I found especially shameful.

I'd take the approach sensorotika mentions:

Are you asking if writers are ashamed of content they have written or ashamed of work they produced because they now feel it is inferior?

I no longer think my eariler stuff is especially good or indicative of the way I write now, but I'm not ashamed of it, so I leave it up. You never know who might enjoy it.

The closest I came to being ashamed was when I wrote a Lit story centered oin the Tsunami disaster a few years ago for the Earth Day contest that year. A few people wrote me saying they had lost friends and loved ones in that disaster and didn't think it was appropriate to exploit that for a sex story. I thought my story was more about how humans use sex as comfort after a disaster like that, but I felt guilty enough that I took the story down.

The whole question of the place of shame in erotica these days is pretty interesting. I think it's significant that there's a sub-category of BDSM called "shame-play," and I think there are some authors for whom a story doesn't feel hot enough unless they feel a certain amount of shame over what they've written.

 

[jeninflorida]

Any stories your ashamed of?

I've written quite a few, some I could just shrug off if somewhere I knew closely read them, others I look back on and cringe. In the absence of a way to withdraw them, are there any stories your ashamed of in the harsh light of day? that you regret writing maybe?

not ashamed of the story, just my ediiting story...i'm so excited about a new story that i post it before its ready. need to let the story sit for a week, and then edit the story one or two more times.

 

[Kain__Thornn]

I let very few people in my immediate circle read my work, mainly because I am a character in them. I can't help thinking they'd be weirded out by it.

 

[jeninflorida]

I let very few people in my immediate circle read my work, main'y because I am a character in them. I can't help thinking they'd be weirded out by it.

only a few people in my family know that i write....only a few friends know that i write......its mostly people online! lol

 

[Harrowborg]

I let very few people in my immediate circle read my work, mainly because I am a character in them. I can't help thinking they'd be weirded out by it.

Yeah, I've done that with a few of my stories where the central character is a little to close to home.

 

[J.Q. Hack]

Just like jeninflorida very few people know that I write. I don't know why I haven't shared it with anybody else except Literotica people. Even things that are non-erotic or even academic have only been seen by a few people. I guess I don't think people I know would really appreciate what I've written or may even think it's silly or something like that.

J.Q.

 

[Kain__Thornn]

There's one story I wrote for a female friend, starring her and Metallica bassist Rob Trujilo, it was strictly for her enjoyment. It was wierd writing it, although I think she's quite the lovely, I had never thought of her in a sexual context.

 

[SesameStreet]

As for the craft of writing, it's unlikely that any real artist, writer or musician ever feels as though their past work can't be improved. As some point, you'll look back on something you wrote ten years ago and be impressed, but usually it's the other way around. You'll look back and cringe. That's because if you are always improving, always changing, always evolving your craft, you will look back with a different eye.

Exactly.........I would have said the same thing. The more we write the more we perfect our style and our technique. When I reread some of my first efforts I can see many areas where they could be improved. I am not ashamed of them, but wish that I had done a better job of writing them. This is true of well known authors as well. I just read a book written by Lori Foster when she first began writing. She said that even her mother was not impressed with it. So now ten yers later she reworked it and added to it and had it republished under a different title.

 

[Harrowborg]

What is the policy of removing or reworking stories posted on lit? there are a couple i would like to change now but there is no obvious method how to change em.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

What is the policy of removing or reworking stories posted on lit? there are a couple i would like to change now but there is no obvious method how to change em.

You resubmit the revised story just as if you were submitting a new one, but where the story title goes, add on "(EDITED)" or (REVISED)" etc. to the original title.

In other words, a revision of a story called Mr. Happy Balls would be resubmitted under the title Mr. Happy Balls (REVISED).

It also doesn't hurt to put a comment in the comment box at the end of the submission page saying something like "This is the revised version of my story 'Mr. Happy Balls'."

The revised version will take as long to post as a new story.

BTW, if you ever want a story removed, you do the same thing, except no need to submit the whole story. Just submit the title with the words (Please remove) appended. i.e. Mr. Happy Balls (Please Remove)

 

[jeninflorida]

Just like jeninflorida very few people know that I write. I don't know why I haven't shared it with anybody else except Literotica people. Even things that are non-erotic or even academic have only been seen by a few people. I guess I don't think people I know would really appreciate what I've written or may even think it's silly or something like that.

J.Q.

most people freak...when or if you tell them you write...so why bother. plus, if you write about an erotic subject....well most of my family is just too catholic.

when i'm in the mood, i can put down 3,000 to 10,000 words in a night. my problem is that i will quickly reread the story, miss most of the mistakes and then post the story.

 

[lindiana]

most people freak...when or if you tell them you write...so why bother. plus, if you write about an erotic subject....well most of my family is just too catholic.

when i'm in the mood, i can put down 3,000 to 10,000 words in a night. my problem is that i will quickly reread the story, miss most of the mistakes and then post the story.

Amen to that, sister. My family was raised so catholic, I even went to a catholic university. I did alright keeping sex out of my stories when I was doing work as a journalist. But every time I tried to write fiction, there always ended up being a sex scene! So I gave up and just started writing erotica. My family doesn't know I publish here. I mentioned it to one sister and she said something along the line of "Oh why? God, you have always been the black sheep and the trouble maker. For that you will rot in hell." So I changed the subject and never brought it up again. And she is the most liberal of all my siblings.

 

[J.Q. Hack]

most people freak...when or if you tell them you write...so why bother. plus, if you write about an erotic subject....well most of my family is just too catholic.

when i'm in the mood, i can put down 3,000 to 10,000 words in a night. my problem is that i will quickly reread the story, miss most of the mistakes and then post the story.

I suspect even some people who aren't particularly religious would think anybody who writes or writes erotica is some sort of freak or weird -- especially when it's erotica. I guess it takes a certain type of mind or way of thinking to accept this type of writing.

Like you Jen when I get on a roll I can put out 2,000 or 3,000 in one sitting. Sometimes I'll look at it and like where the story is going other times it just seems like rambling with no particular direction. My problem is when I do finish a story I obsess on trying to weed out all the mistakes.

J.Q.

 

[Bedtime Storyteller]

I suspect even some people who aren't particularly religious would think anybody who writes or writes erotica is some sort of freak or weird -- especially when it's erotica. I guess it takes a certain type of mind or way of thinking to accept this type of writing.

Almost a year ago, someone I knew through church and our kids' school accidentally discovered that I write erotica. She felt it necessary to print it out and take it to our church and share it with everyone she could find, including the Pastor. Because I refused to meet with him about what I consider nothing more than a hobby, I was promptly excommunicated by certified letter. (And no, I'm not Catholic - this was Missouri-Synod Lutheran.) The irony is that the person who exposed me is unmarried with two children out of wedlock living with her boyfriend, and this is no secret.

I have always tried to be very careful who I let into my circle of readers - my parents don't know, although my siblings do (neither of them reads my work). A good number of my close friends know, including my boss. Some choose to read, others don't, and some request stories.

I'm not ashamed of what I write -- although it did take some therapy to come to terms with things after the whole excommunication thing. I love writing, I like to think I'm good at it, and I think sex is a normal, healthy part of life. I don't see any reason why erotica shouldn't be a part exploring your sexuality, particularly since it allows some readers to explore things in a "safe" environment, readers who wouldn't actually DO the things they read about for a variety of reasons. But at the same time, I fully recognize that not everyone feels this way, and for that reason, I don't want to force my hobby on them. If they seem interested in erotica, I might mention literotica and see what kind of a reaction I get. If it's positive, and it's someone I really trust or know well enough, I'll mention that I also contribute to the site. But i only reveal my author name if I'm certain they want to read my stuff, because it could certainly change someone's opinion of me. (I'm also careful of what stories I post here for that very reason. I keep my full collection of stories on eroticstories.com, where a paid membership is required for someone to access anything over 30 days old, because I know none of my friends would pay to do that.)

There are certainly times when I look back at a story and think "gee, that could have been a little tighter there" or "that part seems to drag things down a little" or "maybe I should have done more in character development here", but that's just me being the perfectionist and always critical of my own work. I'm like that with other things too --- baking, crafts, work, etc. It's not just erotica.

 

[temptanddestroy]

The endings

I'm always stuck with the endings. I usually write two and then, hate the one I eventually pick.

I could do alternative endings, I suppose, but seems a bit of a cop out.

How do people feel about alternative endings out there?

 

[AchtungNight]

Dave Sim was goddamn right.

I sometimes get ashamed or otherwise disturbed by my writings, but after I calm down and think about it, I always feel better. Good feedback helps. In the end, I am proud of everything I ever put out and I hope I continue.

On alternative endings, the only time I've found them fun is Wayne's World. Haven't seen them done well anywhere else, I'm sorry to say.

 

[saw_man1]

That is a great question. I suggest that you rephrase that question and post it in the authors hangout. You might want to rethink the word ashamed though; it’s probably too strong a word to use in this case.

 

[Avy]

Ya. I posted 2 stories, but none are up yet there still waiting for approval. I wrote some pretty weird and disgusting things....as some of you who read them whenever there up will notice and think as well......I dunno why those things are in my fantasies. But it just is.....

 

[BellaStone]

I am ashamed, embarassed and yet totally in love with my erotica. Part of the reason I write it is because I'm ashamed of it.

I have an insane crush on a man much older than me. We aren't just work associates but we are friends - an important aspect of our relationship. I take his image and secure it in nearly all my writing... This infatuation with him is unusual (for me) and I have no idea his reaction if he found out...

I do not harbor idols regularly and I am a very self-dependent woman so any act of admiration from me is an exposure that I can never completely accept. At least not without some level of embarassment or ashamed emotion - but that doesn't mean it's bad or stops me from said exposure all together...

So, yeah, I am ashamed of nearly all my erotica.

However, my erotica is still loved it for what it is - it's my expression, my release, my completion, my truth, my infatuation, and my ashamed fantasies all unabridged.

If it's the whole caboodle I can't expect any less, after all...