Help, I can never finish a story!

[Corbie Lane]

i love to write, not just erotica, but stories like novels as well, i have no problem finishing sex stories because i've been horny since i was about 2, but finishing an actual story is different, it's almost like i lose interest, or want to create the characters over again. 1/2 the time i don't think it's good enough. anyone willing to 'lend a hand' and read my story or give me help on finishing the d@mned thing?!?!

 

[Monazwx]

Well

Do you not finish the stories because you get too aroused or do you think that the story is not progressing the way it should?

Do you plan to submit the story to the stie? Is this why you lose interest? A little afraid of feedback. Cause for me, that was why I never finished any stories at first. I had tons of ideas but would never end or edit because I didn't want to put it out there for the reader. It's a pretty vunerable position to be in.

If its just the fact that you can't come up with an ending, let it sit for while and come back to it. Something will happen in your life to provide inspiration. Do you go back and review your stories?

Just a few thoughts.

 

[Quint]

You could always go to the "feedback" forum and have us slice it apart there. You'll have a good place to go from there. Seriously, it may sound very intimidating, but if you don't take it as a personal attack, you will gain so much focus from a group critique. That's my best advice.

My second best advice is to drill away at it until it's "finished," in the sense that it has an ending, and THEN go back over it yourself with a red pen. (And I am now officially Queen Hypocrite.) There is a page on "writer's block" that you should look at.

G'luck!

 

[Closet Desire]

bend the rules...

...I often write the ending first. It serves as a goal post, gets the hard bit out of the way first, and can be edited when you know how the story is really going to turn out.

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

I know what you are going through. I have this problem too, not with sex stories, but just finishing a story at all. I get to the middle and then I just cannot finish. That is why my endings are often weak. I am writing a novella that I am struggling to get through, not because it isn't interesting or anything, just because of my curse of never finishing.

 

[mlyn]

I get this complaint about me all the time...

I don't finish my stories... I leave people hanging...

My problem is in how I started writing- I would post a short story on my website and I'd start getting emails to continue it. So I'd add a few more pages, always making sure I had something good!

The longest story I ever did like was 46 sections (240 pages in Word) and it still isn't finished.

I keep trying to finish stories. But sometimes the words just won't come... it is like some of them don't want to end. Of course, this may seem weird, but to me, my stories and characters feel real. And when I finish a story, I have to let the characters go- and that is hard.

A couple I've ended, but I don't feel right about it. One good thing I've found that works is to sit down and read the story again, from start to where it ends... stop and think... let the ideas flow... if they will.

 

[Whispersecret]

Ending a short erotic story usually isn't difficult. The climax of the story is the literal sexual climax. There's a short aftermath, and then the story is over.

In a novella the difficulty is that the climax isn't just a sexual one. It's a high point that you've been building towards. I'm one of those people who can't work from a detailed outline. I write sequentially and see what happens as I write it. HOWEVER, I do have a vague idea of where the story is going to end up.

If you're writing a novella, I think it's a bad idea to post it as you go. Then you prohibit yourself from going back and tweaking things when you do figure out how it's going to end. When I wrote Hostile Takeover, I didn't intend for it to be as long as it turned out to be. But when I discovered that Rockwell was falling for Fiona, I had to go back and temper some of his behavior in the earlier scenes. I had to insert places where his usual dominance faltered, where he showed he was starting to feel tenderly toward her.

If you're writing a novella, you have to understand story structure. Everything builds up to the climax, and if you're not building, building, building, then your story just coasts along with no end in sight. The reader will know it too. They'll feel that it's not going anywhere. There is no destination, no tension, no suspense.

Once you get your climax, you tie up all the loose ends you haven't tied up yet, and then end it. I've found that if you have that goal in mind (that all important climax), the story develops on its own, and at a certain point, your writing gains momentum and you can't really stop it. The ending happens before you realize it, and then you're faced with revisions!

I hope this helps.

 

[TheEarl]

I sympathise; I write my stories in one long session without pause. If I stop and come back to it, it usually ends up seeming forced, stalled, or I just can't finish it. Try waiting for 2 months until the start of your story doesn't seem like you wrote it anymore. Then print it out, go sit down on your most comfortable chair and read it as though it was a new book. When you get to the end think about where you'd like the author of this book to go from here. Then go back to your computer and let the words flow. I don't know whether that'll be any help, but it works for me.

Word of warning - Don't tinker. Subtle editing is fine, but wholesale changes tend to skew the story and make it feel stilted. Stay with your original vision unless you absolutely have to change it.

I'm a very odd writer and what I do may not help anyone else. But it may be worth trying to see if it works.

The Earl

 

[jon.hayworth]

As Whispersecret said erotic short stories should end pretty swiftly with the goal (the sexual act) achieved.

Novels / Novellas need more work - some plotting often a written structure. Some people have little block diagrams of their novel - each block containing a chapter outline. - They say the pitch for a good film can be written on a cigarette packet so a chapter should be a one liner.

Also index your characters, and update it as you work.

A 1950s British screenwriter Tubby (and his full name escapes me at the moment) said all his films were based on the "What if ......" Premise. Then he worked out the resolution - the ending, finally he filled in the middle with the events that made the body of the film.

I believe that many "Whodunit" and Mystery writers work on much the same principle.

I am great at giving advice but I don't always follow it which is why my work is sometimes crap.

jon

 

[mlyn]

I've had some stories that write themself

it doesn't seem to matter almost that I'm there... my hands are flying over the keys but the words are almost coming too fast.

I agree about waiting until the end of the story to post, all the bad habit is hard to break, but I'm trying! I also got into the habit by being limited on the amount of time that I could actually sit at the typewriter. An hour or two just isn't enough. One time I sat and wrote all day and into the evening. In one setting I had 18 pages. But I don't know what is considered average output?

take care

 

[Corbie Lane]

Thank you all, I actually have a story I'm working on, I'd like to post it, but as one of you said, once done, can't return to tweek it out. Unless I feel up to posting that whole section all over again, n honestly, I don't want to waste all of your time! Thank you again for all the advice, I do believe it will help incredibly. For my recent story, I finally realized a basic plotting out was in order. The first night I decided to write it again, (I've been re-writing this story over n over for the last four years!!) I spent two hours writing. A Prolouge, and then a plot, because I was so into the story and yet so tired I knew I'd crash n completely forget all the great ideas that were racing through my mind, so i sat down n wrote the story out in short. Would anyone be kind enough to an annoying teen to read her story?!?! I'm beginning to think it'd be too boring for anyone to continue reading, the wrost stories/book's I've ever read were the ones that took a 100 pages to get interesting. But when I'm writing, I, like another who wrote me, get so caught up in the writing that it's like it's actually happening, the computer isn't infront of me, I'm not even typing, it's just playing out, and I'm the only way for this world to ever hear/see it. I'm the world inwhich my characters live. Thanks again, I appriciate all the helpful advice! If I finish this story n sell it, I'll dedicate it to all who've helped!! And you all have a great morning/afternoon/evening.

 

[Guest]

How long is the story? I might be interested in reading.

svet

 

[Corbie Lane]

I'm not sure, it's close to 30 pages, but I only want someone to skim it and tell if it's ok or not. I hope no one hates me for this, but here's a taste! I know it's pretty long for only a taste, but hopefully it's good enough to get SOMEONE hooked and want more! If you do, awesome, if not, then I'll have to stop fooling myself and move on.

They stalked the night together, a deadly pair they made. They were walking beauties, so beautiful, as they passed, you couldn't help but stare. With their victims, lost in a fantasy world, filled with horribly clear eyes, and brilliant smiles hiding blinding white, razor sharp teeth. Clad in black satin overcoats, they were able to hide in the dark and appear out of nowhere whenever a victim showed.
Under her satin overcoat, she wore a matching satin purple dress that held deathly tight to her upperbody, forcing her full lusious breats to nearly pop out the neck line, and her tiny waist to appear even smaller with it's black string belt drapped loosely around her hips, and hanging clear down to her ankles. The full body of the dress was a mixture of purples and blacks, silently swishing with each step she took as they walked. The large black heels she wore, made no sound what so ever unless she wanted them to. Her purple nails were long as a witches, and made her appear vicious in her innocent state.
He wore black slakes that held tight to his thighs and hung loose at his knee, with a deep, blood red satin shirt that hung loosely off his shoulders and chest to where it was held securely in his pants by his belt. His brown skin accented his clear Iris eyes, and long dark lashes. Smiling his ever so charming smile, he grasped her hand and made her look at him. She smiled back and gave his hand a squeeze. They knew they were untouchable to the modern world, and would be for the rest of eternity. As they walked, a deep mist began to swirl up the street they were on. A young, attractive woman was walking towards them on the same side of the street, a horrible mistake. As the mist rose above her head, the woman's heart pounded in her chest, her blood raced through her veins as a sudden chill crept over her. A figure was approaching her, the shape of a woman appeared, and finally began to take shape. Thankful it was only another woman, she let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and relaxed. As she came closer to the woman, she noticed something odd. The woman's eyes were nearly clear. They were like blue tinted glass inside a sculpted face.
Averting her eyes, she looked at the ground as she was nearly side by side the woman, she barely missed the terrifying smile that had light reflecting off the horrible, sharp teeth. The smile turned into a snear, as the woman jerked and slammed into her, sending her flying onto her back. Letting out a terrified cry, she crawled backwards away from the woman on the cement, right into the man's legs. Jumping away, she looked up at him, to see clear purple glass eyes. He smiled as sweetly as was possible in his state, and reached his hand down to help her up.
"I won't harm you."

 

[Carl East]

Hi Corbie Lane, you could try something I've done on several occassions. You see, I too have had trouble concluding a tale or two, so what I did was simple. I never finished it there and then, I carried it on with a follow up of the same characters, until I thought of a way to end it.

That way I ended up with two, three or sometimes more short stories all involving different scenarios but with the same plot.

Just a suggestion.

Carl

 

[Corbie Lane]

Thx for the advice, but that's what I've been doing for the past few years with this exact story. Same basis, basically same characters, just different names and features, and heads in a different direction, the last time I wrote this story, the girl was beaten by her last boyfriend, and the guy was...well...pathetic with girls! This one the girls a confident business woman with, (you guessed it) bad luck w/ guys, and the mans a personal business owner with a sister that's more than a hand full. I just can't seem to keep my head on straight and continue with the same story. I get bored and want to make the characters different or the setting different, and the story direction different. I often don't have the time or patience to just sit for hours at a time and write non-stop which is what I like to do when I write. So it's hard to get going when I've got my job, friends, boyfriend, and fam continuously interupting me. I need to find a nice quiet ISOLATED place to write. Maybe then I'd get some work done. Thx again for the advice. I'm more than gratefull for the help.

By the way, I like the pic you got!

 

[p_p_man]

Many things can stop a story being finished...

My most recent experience was a gay story I wrote for the Literotica 2002 Survivor Competition. I started the thing way back in January and it became heavier and heavier and more difficult to write and was beginning to bug me. I had the plot alright and I had the story line mapped out in my head. But it was beginning to be too much like hard work to actually get the words down.

The solution was simple. I changed the style of the story from being a straight, fairly serious piece to one that was more light hearted. I also changed the character from an American backpacker working in London to an Englisman recently released from prison. And from third person to first person.

It took me 4 months getting nowhere but once I changed my approach to how it should written I finished it in a four hour straight sitting.

Are you using the right style for your own story? Obviously the words aren't flowing for you at the moment so maybe all you need is a change in your approach.

 

[Corbie Lane]

That's an interesting idea. I never thought of it like that, maybe it would work for me...I dunno...we'll see. Thx for the thought. I'll try it out.