Burnout..writer's block

[magmaman]

I like to write erotica, like many here. But the last half dozen stories I have managed to write myself into a corner with no way out that I can create that would make sense. I keep trying to not upset anyone, to be "nice?"

If I do a loving wife piece and the wife cheats, I get hateful feedback, if I have any scenario that I can think of, someone will attack without fail it seems.

I even get filthy emails in my box from "anonymous" who hates me, my story, my dog and my cat. One told me to take a gun and kill myself, another lady told me my last one was the worst story ever written, meant it too because she even used her real writing name. So I read her stuff and...well...I didn't vote.

K..that doesn't bother me, write away, right? Hell, if I wasn't sensitive I wouldn't be able to write this drivel.

Yes it does bother me, so I try to write something erotic and now after writing several chapters I end up deleting them and starting over. Six in a row now.

The last one I posted was a scattered tongue in cheek thing that got such hateful comments (mixed in with a few nice ones) that I seem to have blocked. Different scenarios used to pour out of my head, all I needed was a title and a beginning line and I was off.

Now I can't even do a title, I find myself after an hour just staring at the screen. I think they have managed to kill off my fantasy world.

Anybody know a way out of this? First time for me with writer's block.

MGM

 

[deathlynx]

Well, first suggestion? Stay away from LW...Sorry but I keep hearing about people posting there and how viscious the feedback is...I have a story that could vaguely be placed there but I'm going for Erotic Couplings to be safe... There's a fine fine line...

My other suggestion? Try writing some short stories...Avoid the chapters for a little while...try to rediscover your muse...They don't have to be erotic even (heck there's a non-erotic section here)...Just put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard and let the words flow...

Is there a scenario you've been thinking of? If not simply choose intersting looking people on the street and think of the adventures they could have...Think of the secret lives they might be living...

Sometimes a change is all you need...

 

[Guest]

 

[nyte_byrd]

Try writing something short and totally opposite from what you normally write. I've published for over 12 years in the mainstream in a completely different genre, which is not even close to anything you'll ever find on Literotica. I got writer's block right after Christmas, and came to Lit just to try to "blow off steam," so to say. After only 3 stories here, I'm finding that I've already got a new story in the works in my chosen field, plus several more Lit stories on the back burner. Try writing a comedy from a woman's point of view, a factual essay about the scariest thing that ever happened to you, a tale of a road trip-- from your car's point of view. ANYTHING that's different from your normal. Don't even worry about publishing it anywhere, just write for the pure kicks of it.

Go through your feedback and weed out the ones that really made you feel good. Copy/paste them into a document and print them out. Keep them in a file that you read through when you're feeling discouraged. Tape that on the wall in front of you when you're working if it makes you feel good. But do give those comments at least equal weight in your mind that you do the bad ones. Many people who read and like a story don't take the time to leave any comments, so the ones that do really liked it a lot. Keep that in mind, because I looked at some of the feedback you're getting and I'm not sure you're letting the good ones affect you as deeply as the bad.

Have you considered turning off your feedback option for awhile? Everyone gets their jollies in different ways, and there are definitely some people on Lit. who seem to get theirs by harassing the authors, even the ones who are VERY good. I'd even venture to say that sometimes when you get ugly comments from "Anonymous," it's actually the same person hitting you more than once. You may also notice (and I know several authors will argue with me on this one) that after you've posted on the message boards a bit, your nasty feedback comments will increase for awhile. I just figure that proves that there are those out there trolling around looking for people to bother, so I actually expect them (AND the fall in story ratings that accompany them) and don't pay much attention when they come.

Have you deleted the comments that are negative without being helpful to your writing skills? You should. Read them all with an open mind. If it's just something like "I hate you, your dog, and your story," then that's just ignorant garbage that needs to be thrown away. Picture some ugly filthy old man chuckling through his slobbery lips and saying "THAT oughta freak that there writer out..hehe!" Forget him. He's amusing in his own pitiful way, and you need to put his useless words where they belong.
On the other hand, find the negative ones that have a kernel of advice in them and keep them. For example, if someone says "I didn't like it because you repeated yourself too much," well... did you? If so, then consider that to be a reader with a brain who may actually be trying to help you improve your work. Those we appreciate, and I would suggest trying to use their advice, although even they shouldn't break your stride. I had a story that did pretty well here, but then a couple of people wrote and said something along the lines of the outcome being "predictable." Ok, well, since I hadn't intended for it to be a mystery for the reader anyway (only for the main character), it wasn't something to get upset about. If I *had* wanted it to be a mystery though, then those comments would have been very useful to me, and I could have worked to persue a way to rewrite the story so the plot was more concealed.

As for the lady who told you it was the worst story she ever read; maybe it really was. For her. And maybe the one that she considers her favorite would turn your stomach, and vice versa. You will NEVER write a story that appeals to everyone, so if that's your goal then you are just setting yourself up for a fall.

 

[FallingToFly]

All I can say is- never delete anything. Even if you can't finish it, you can always cannibalize it later. Trust me, cannibalism is a writer's friend.

 

[Weird Harold]

Yes it does bother me, so I try to write something erotic and now after writing several chapters I end up deleting them and starting over. Six in a row now.

Turn off the feedback options on your stories and write for yourself. Turn off the voting for everything exept contest entries.

Then write to please yourself and rely on volunteer editors and selected people wose opinions you respect for constructive feedback.

It's easy to tell people to ignore hateful and/or negative feedback but it's not so easy to follow that advice. If the feedback you're getting is causing you problems with writing, then just eliminate the feedback.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

I totally agree with Harold. Turn off your feedback. If you're not writing for your own entertainment and you're worrying about what people think while you're writing, you're on a slippery slope. I went down this path for a while and I was paralyzed with fear and wrote complete shit. What saved me was getting involved with story challenges and posting my stories to a blog, things that were purely for me and reminded me why I'd started writing in the first place. If it's no fun and it doesn't turn you on, you might as well take up scrapbooking.

 

[sweetnpetite]

I had this problem for a while, but it was much more personal. Something I wrote offended my boyfriend. Suddenly I found myself second guessing every idea I had (will he think this means that or that means this?) If I write about neigbors screwing around will he think I want to sleep with the neighbor? ect. All my ideas have to come from somewhere, they are usually in some way related to my everyday life. Or at least something I am familiar with. My world has been somewhat small since I haven't been working, so the ideas I have are mostly who could be having sex w/ who that they shouldn't be having sex with? lol. That doesn't mean that I'm thinking about having sex with people I shouldn't be having sex with, I just want to create that aura of forbidden liasons. But it's hard not to base your main character on yourself to some extent, and so it's a bit harder to free them up.

Anyway, anything that inhibits you like this will, of course, make it difficult to write. If nothing works, set it aside for a while and read until something pulls at you once again, but turn off your feedback if you need to. Then send messeges to people who've sent you the kind of feedback you like, and ask there oppinion, or the oppinion of other authors, ect (as someone else has said)

You have to be able to let go in order to write and unfortunatly, people can make that hard sometimes. My sympathies go out to you.

 

[Softouch911]

1 Write for yourself, what you MUST say. Don't worry if people will like it, only if it's true.

2 Don't publish, or post, unless you have a thick skin. If you care what people think, you're going to be messed up. If you care, turn off the feedback and, for god's sake, don't send anything to a mainstream publisher.

3 Burnout happens anyway. When it does start by writing your name. Literally. Write it over and over and over. When your mind grows bored it will think of something else to say, and you can let your hands go there. Writing is a verb, no matter that we call the stuff we turn out by the same word. As a verb, it is something you do ... with your hands. It doesn't matter what you say ... eventually, you'll get tired of the drek and you'll actually say something that makes a difference. Throw away everything else.

ST

 

[CharleyH]

I like to write erotica, like many here. But the last half dozen stories I have managed to write myself into a corner with no way out that I can create that would make sense. I keep trying to not upset anyone, to be "nice?"

If I do a loving wife piece and the wife cheats, I get hateful feedback, if I have any scenario that I can think of, someone will attack without fail it seems.

I even get filthy emails in my box from "anonymous" who hates me, my story, my dog and my cat. One told me to take a gun and kill myself, another lady told me my last one was the worst story ever written, meant it too because she even used her real writing name. So I read her stuff and...well...I didn't vote.

K..that doesn't bother me, write away, right? Hell, if I wasn't sensitive I wouldn't be able to write this drivel.

Yes it does bother me, so I try to write something erotic and now after writing several chapters I end up deleting them and starting over. Six in a row now.

The last one I posted was a scattered tongue in cheek thing that got such hateful comments (mixed in with a few nice ones) that I seem to have blocked. Different scenarios used to pour out of my head, all I needed was a title and a beginning line and I was off.

Now I can't even do a title, I find myself after an hour just staring at the screen. I think they have managed to kill off my fantasy world.

Anybody know a way out of this? First time for me with writer's block.

MGM

The LC crowd is the most Jerry Spinger crowd I know. Fuck them, why worry about people like that? If you do? You will only start writing stories that interest them, NOT YOU. Write what you want and keep writing them better and better for you - that's what Lit is all about in the end.

 

[MagicaPractica]

I agree with turning off the feedback since it's bothering you so much. I also find that I need to soak up inspiration at times in order to have something to give back. Try reading, watching movies (I love to watch the DVD's with the commentary turned on for creative input), watching good television, listening to your favorite music. A great book is Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. To keep from stopping writing all together, keep writing down your reactions to the things you watch, read and listen to. Good luck.

 

[magmaman]

Thanks, some nice advice. I tried the writing my own name over and over bit until I finally started typoing it..LoL

I also thought about turning off the feedback thing but I LIKE constructive and good feedback, it's the hateful stuff and filthy emails that got to me.

I just want to get back to the point where I actually become the main character I am telling the story about, otherwise I just type words.

I will keep trying.

MGM

 

[Weird Harold]

I also thought about turning off the feedback thing but I LIKE constructive and good feedback, it's the hateful stuff and filthy emails that got to me.

Shutting off the public comments and feedback form doesn't mean you have to do without constructive feedback, just that it will be too much work for most of the Trolls and hateful nutcases to make the effort to come over to the forums and PM you or post in a thread in the Story Feedback Forum or here in the AH. It will also do away with anonymous feedback, which will significantly reduce the courage of the Trolls even if they are willing to make the effort to contact you through the forums.

 

[Tom Collins]

Shutting off the public comments and feedback form doesn't mean you have to do without constructive feedback, just that it will be too much work for most of the Trolls and hateful nutcases to make the effort to come over to the forums and PM you or post in a thread in the Story Feedback Forum or here in the AH. It will also do away with anonymous feedback, which will significantly reduce the courage of the Trolls even if they are willing to make the effort to contact you through the forums.

I've found that simply disallowing Anonymous feedback helps tremendously. It discourages the trolls because they then have to put their name to what they say.

 

[Tom Collins]

magmaman's submission page
Wow..people must really like you, man. something like 80% of your stuff has Hs and one of your stories has the coveted E.

 

[Oblimo]

There's always Dashiell Hammet's trick; whenever he got stuck in a story, he just had some gun-toting thugs burst in through the nearest door. Said it never failed.

 

[Softouch911]

Ah, yes, my little chickadee! Gun-toting thugs!!!

Should work great ... especially in "First Time," "Romance," "Mature" ....

Right about the time s/he gets to "second base" as they used to say -- "Suddenly a gun-toting thug burst through the door."

And if that doesn't work, how 'bout an earthquake!

Love it.

ST

 

[magmaman]

magmaman's submission page
Wow..people must really like you, man. something like 80% of your stuff has Hs and one of your stories has the coveted E.

I guess I shouldn't gripe, I know. When everything is working I seem to be able to just write a title and then I find myself actually becoming the person I am writing about. Stuff just runs off the keyboard.

Hell, I have to keep a roll of tissues around to wipe my eyes when I write something sad, or I will get to laughing out loud or all excited.

Suddenly that is what I can't seem to do, and it was one story and one person that plugged me up.

But I am writing a rather horrible science fiction novel right now on a typewriter like I used to. I reread the first 4 chapters and it is SO bad I suspect I can sell it! LoL.

I did notice that when I got to the part where the aliens bred by scratching each other's backs to transfer DNA, my back started to itch.

That's a good sign... MGM

 

[Weird Harold]

And if that doesn't work, how 'bout an earthquake!

I've actually used a Major Earthquake for Coitus Interuptus -- it was in my very first attempt at an erotic story, which is so bad it wll NEVER see the light of day again.

 

[Tom Collins]

I guess I shouldn't gripe, I know. When everything is working I seem to be able to just write a title and then I find myself actually becoming the person I am writing about. Stuff just runs off the keyboard.

Hell, I have to keep a roll of tissues around to wipe my eyes when I write something sad, or I will get to laughing out loud or all excited.

Suddenly that is what I can't seem to do, and it was one story and one person that plugged me up.

But I am writing a rather horrible science fiction novel right now on a typewriter like I used to. I reread the first 4 chapters and it is SO bad I suspect I can sell it! LoL.

I did notice that when I got to the part where the aliens bred by scratching each other's backs to transfer DNA, my back started to itch.

That's a good sign... MGM

I didn't mean to imply that i didn't think you have a right to complain, or feel insulted and disillusioned, darlin'. I was just surprised by all the Hots you have cuz it sounded like you're stories were doing terrible. My own stories do pretty well, but it still hurts when you get someone "suddering in revulsion" in their feedback. Like I said, you won't get that sort of thing anonymously if you disallow anonymous feedback. They'll have to tell you who they are to leave a PC or send an email, and most trolls don't want to do that.

BTW, if "stuff" is running off the keyboard you should invest in one of carson's patented keyboard covers. You don't wanna gum it up, after all.