how did you know it was ready?

[femmequicherche]

i have been writing little stories to amuse myself, and i harbor no illusions that they are literate with a capital L. that said, i do really like what i've written and am so thrilled with the mere idea of getting one accepted here. i've been a lurker for years, and finally !! started to quit thinking and start doing. that actually applies to most of my life, now that i think about it.

my question for y'all is this- when do you know that a story is ready to be submitted? what is a good length? should you check to see if there are already stories like yours? i haven't actually read very many, and i've never given feedback on a piece. (screamin newbie alert)


i am intimidated by the quality of some of the stories i've read, and i am self conscious about my stories. i don't want to share them with friends i have because it might scare them to know that about me.

 

[Darkniciad]

i have been writing little stories to amuse myself, and i harbor no illusions that they are literate with a capital L. that said, i do really like what i've written and am so thrilled with the mere idea of getting one accepted here. i've been a lurker for years, and finally !! started to quit thinking and start doing. that actually applies to most of my life, now that i think about it.

my question for y'all is this- when do you know that a story is ready to be submitted? what is a good length? should you check to see if there are already stories like yours? i haven't actually read very many, and i've never given feedback on a piece. (screamin newbie alert)


i am intimidated by the quality of some of the stories i've read, and i am self conscious about my stories. i don't want to share them with friends i have because it might scare them to know that about me.

You could make use of the editor program, or ask for people here to read your stories and offer their opinion. Most of all, you have to be happy with what you've written ( as much as you can be, few people are every truly happy with their own work )

If you go looking for similar stories, odds are you'll eventually find one. That doesn't really matter so long as it is your tale you're telling.

As to length, you'll get more reads to the end with shorter lengths, picking up readers who don't have a lot of time on their hands. Once you break the 3 Lit page boundary ( somewhere in the neighborhood of 8500 words, 15 or so Word pages ) you'll find many readers just don't have the time to invest in the story. Naturally, you'll have to have at least 750 words, as that is the minimum length for a submission.

Pick the right category when you submit, so that you appeal to the right audiance. Beware of the "Loving Wives" category as a new writer, trust me! Find what your dominant theme is, and look over the categories to determine where it would best fit. When all else fails, anything that is M/F will certainly fit in "Erotic Couplings".

 

[AchtungNight]

Welcome to active participation from another previous longtime lurker. The best advice I can give you on your quandary is to tell you what steps I take in making stories.

1. Research! This means read other people's stories extensively. It can also mean look up information on your intended characters. If they're lesbians, you want to research that if you don't know much about it. Ditto for any other form of sex you may use. It is especially the case if you work in Celebrities as I do because there are some serious fans out there you really don't want telling you how you got something wrong. Don't worry, research often gives you lots of hot fun ideas. That's what it's done for me anyway.

2. Get an idea, write it out, see if it works. Play with it, try different angles, bounce it off friends if you can.

3. Get the story down on your computer. I start from a basic outline, then let the bulk of the action write itself, never being afraid to change things as the plot and characters take shape before you.

4. Write slowly but surely. Let each idea spark and take form. Make sure you develop the characters and the plot- don't just write fucking and let that be all you do. Take frequent pauses to look back over what you just wrote and make sure it looks good to you. When you have a rough draft, check the length to make sure it seems right and then sleep on it.

5. In the morning, go back and look at the story again. Do whatever you can to make things sound better, flow better, make more sense, seem more spiced up, etc. Repeat as necessary until you are pretty much happy with your work.

6. Have an editor look it over. This can be a volunteer editor from Lit, a best friend (which is what I use), or anyone you trust who knows how to edit. Let them critique the story. Take their comments and suggestions in stride, discuss them. Make the story work better as needed. Do not get ticked off or impatient.

7. After you get a version both you and the editor are happy with, show the story to beta readers. These should ideally be diverse people who are all familiar with your work. They don't necessarily have to be fans of your subject matter, they just need to be familiar with it and okay with reading erotic stories about it. Use friends, fellow posters on these boards, and so on. If a certain writer has seriously influenced you in writing the story and it's possible to contact them about it, you can include them too. And you must if you're mentioning their work and it's not something widely known. (An example from my own experience- Joseph Conrad was not a beta reader for "A Request for Help" since he's a classic writer- and dead. Deman was, though, as he requested I make the story. Both were writers who influenced me when I penned the tale.) Treat the beta readers' feedback the same way you do the editor's. Work with them and your editor to make a new story as needed. Do not be afraid to change a lot.

8. When you are finally done with the beta readers and the editor, read over the story one last time. You have the last say as to what goes into it, and you should exercise that power. Make any final changes as you see fit, and if you feel it necessary, repeat steps 4-7.

9. Check over the story and the submission guidelines for every place you're planning to post it. Make sure they match. If necessary, repeat steps 4-8 to make things work.

10. Submit the story. And be prepared for possible rejection despite all you've already done. It unfortunately still can happen. Fortunately, a lot of sites, Lit included, will tell you what you've done wrong and how to make it work better. Take their advice and do what you must.

I had to learn a lot of this the hard way. But it is important to know.

Never be scared of your work. If you made it, it must have some merit. Generally we do not intentionally create stories we hate. I encourage you to look for stories similar to what you have written- I speak from experience when I say that such stories have helped me become comfortable with the things I write and often inspired in me great ideas. I honor such ideas in my work quite frequently. Make the stories as long as they need to be, no more and no less. You are the best judge of what that length is, and your editor is a very close second.

The only other thing I can say to you is this: Good luck, and I hope to enjoy your work someday.

- AN.

 

[S-Des]

All I'd add to the two previous posts are, for a first submission, you should definitely use a Literotica Volunteer Editor. They can warn you about things that could interfere with the approval of your story, let you know how readers most likely will react to something you've written and help you choose a category.

Once you have your feet wet, you can choose a different way to edit your stories (or even do it yourself), but first stories are very important. Many writers get beaten up for doing something "wrong" and decide to give up (a loss for all of us). Some of us are too hard-headed and respond well to the abuse (after a brutal first experience, my second story made it to the top ten in LW).

I personally like several prereaders after it comes back from the editor. The first time they see my story is when it's complete, so I get an honest, gut reaction. I don't care if they're editors, authors, or just readers. The one thing is that I ask for complete, honest criticism. I'd much rather have a prereader tell me something sucked than hear about it from 20 people in the Public Comment section (plus emails you will get).

Ch3 of my newest story is still at #1 in LW and it's partially because a young lady who has never written anything read it and told me she disliked the way I resolved the character's internal conflict. I had two authors and an editor tell me it was fine and should have been submitted as it was. Her comment bothered me, so I went over and over the section until I found a better way to explain it. She loved the rewrite, as did most of the people who have read it. You never know who is going to give you a good idea or valid criticism. I listen to everyone who offers me help. Then I go with my gut. In the end, it's your story and you have to be happy with it.

Good luck.

 

[M-Y-Erotica]

my question for y'all is this- when do you know that a story is ready to be submitted? what is a good length? should you check to see if there are already stories like yours? i haven't actually read very many, and i've never given feedback on a piece. (screamin newbie alert)


i am intimidated by the quality of some of the stories i've read, and i am self conscious about my stories.

The comments you have already gotten are great, so I won't repeat too many of them other than to also suggest you get a volunteer editor to help. I am one. Hint, hint.

Another thing to keep in mind is to just not take yourself too seriously. Only a couple dozen writers on here are really professional quality writers. Most of us are learning how to write still. The great thing about Lit is that we can often get help from people who don't mind telling it like it is so that we can get better.

A story is never finished. You could work on it forever. I am sure Shakespeare would have liked to change some parts of Romeo and Juliet when he read it 5 years later. As a writer and person, you will grow and change and hopefully improve. So don't be someone who tries to polish and polish and never gets around to letting anyone read anything. Instead, when you know the mechanics are good (Volunteer Editor), you've done all that you can think of for a few days or weeks, and you haven't left problems that you are yourself worried about, go ahead and submit. Then sit back and learn. You might get useful comments or you might not. The most disappointing is when no one says anything, but even that actually tells you something too. It means, often, that your story was fine. They may have enjoyed it, but it didn't make anyone need to speak. That's good to know. With your next story you can try to up it again and see if you can move some people.

Length. I am worried about this one too as my new story (with the editors as we speak) hits 76 Word pages. I worry and worry about this. But that seems to be how long the story is. I tried cutting out a 20 page section, but all my readers/editors said to put it back in. As said, you will get more readers the shorter it is; but if you need those pages to tell the story well then leave them in. I'd rather read 30 good pages than 15 crappy ones.

As for reading other stories, reading more is usually better, but I am not convinced it always is. It will depend on you and your story. For instance, I have no knowledge really about M/M sex, but I want to write one because I have an idea in my head with two men. Before I put a word down, I am going to go read some of the best gay male stories I can find and learn how it is done. On the other hand, if you are writing a story where you are already very familiar with the physical actions, with the feelings, etc., then you won't need to read as much. In those cases, it often helps me to write first and then go read for a bit. This is because after writing I have actual questions that I want answered. How does this writer indicate this emotion? How does he describe a woman's face? Etc. If I read beforehand, I only get the general impression. If I read after a draft is done, then I can read in a focused way to help solve my problems.

Over all, though, just have fun. And keep a thick skin.

 

[bellator]

The End?

... when do you know that a story is ready? ...

Someone told me long ago that sometimes you just have to stop writing.

VB

 

[katie_]

i'm really glad that femmequicherche made her post because I've sort of been in the same spot. ive written a few random stories for myself and have one that i keep changing and tweaking... when m-y-erotica said a story is never finished, that certainly seems to be the case with me! it is now at 3,300 words or so because i've added on a bunch of stuff which is basically background foreplay...

thanks for the comments everybody here, they're helpful! One thing I'd also ask... i've read criticisms of some stoires for being unoriginal - a post somewhere around here talking about not wanting to read another story about a black dick in a little white girl (my story involves this, I admit, its my fantasy). how do you know if you're going to get an editor who's expecting the Robert Frost of erotica or not? was anybody else worried about this when they first started writing?

thanks ahead for comments!

 

[dirtyjoe69]

just give it a go

don't look to produce the perfect story...then it will never happen...just have fun with it and post it if you like it yourself...we are usually our own hardest critics...personally I don't care what someone says about my story as long as it is constructive...if a person reads just slam someone then that person needs to get a life.

anyway good luck

 

[alias x]

I never really thought my story was ready, but the people on a messageboard (not literotica) said it was good so I posted it anyways (not on literotica). Try the same strat

 

[Darkniciad]

i'm really glad that femmequicherche made her post because I've sort of been in the same spot. ive written a few random stories for myself and have one that i keep changing and tweaking... when m-y-erotica said a story is never finished, that certainly seems to be the case with me! it is now at 3,300 words or so because i've added on a bunch of stuff which is basically background foreplay...

thanks for the comments everybody here, they're helpful! One thing I'd also ask... i've read criticisms of some stoires for being unoriginal - a post somewhere around here talking about not wanting to read another story about a black dick in a little white girl (my story involves this, I admit, its my fantasy). how do you know if you're going to get an editor who's expecting the Robert Frost of erotica or not? was anybody else worried about this when they first started writing?

thanks ahead for comments!

Odds are, people share your fantasy and will appreciate a new story to fulfill it. Nearly every story has an audiance out there.

As to editors, if you look through the profiles, the editors that expect a certain level of quality tend to say so. One thing for sure, run it through a spell checker and read it several times first. That way you eliminate as many problems as possible on your own and make the job easier for whichever editor you work with.

 

[M-Y-Erotica]

i'm really glad that femmequicherche made her post because I've sort of been in the same spot. ive written a few random stories for myself and have one that i keep changing and tweaking... when m-y-erotica said a story is never finished, that certainly seems to be the case with me! it is now at 3,300 words or so because i've added on a bunch of stuff which is basically background foreplay...

thanks for the comments everybody here, they're helpful! One thing I'd also ask... i've read criticisms of some stoires for being unoriginal - a post somewhere around here talking about not wanting to read another story about a black dick in a little white girl (my story involves this, I admit, its my fantasy). how do you know if you're going to get an editor who's expecting the Robert Frost of erotica or not? was anybody else worried about this when they first started writing?

thanks ahead for comments!

I agree with what darkniciad said about editors. Usually you can tell from their profile kind of what they expect. If what you are looking for is an editor to make sure your mechanics are good, then you can certainly find editors who say that that is exactly what they want to help you on. There's pages and pages of editor profiles to go through. And remember everyone is a volunteer. If you don't like working with an editor, just say so very politely and move on.

You also ask about writing up your fantasy of a black man and a white woman and how not to make it cliche. Well, you sort of asked this. My advice is to do your best to write exactly what your fantasy is. Is it some really hot guy at work who happens to be black that turns you on? If you can really write about him and what gets you hot, then you will have written a unique story, because he is a unique person. Is your fantasy about a taboo of breaking a racial barrier? If so, try to focus on exactly what it is that gets you excited about that. I bet you think of the barrier slightly differently than some other woman with the same idea. If you can capture exactly what turns you on, it will be unique.

It can be harder to find an uncharted space in some areas that have been written about, but they are usually there. The key is to be specific and detailed. Even, and this may seem paradoxical, if what turns you on is the racial categories involved. Let's say your character just has the hots for being done by a black guy. Well, what does she dream of when she thinks of this race as a category? Not even people's stereotypes are truly the same. Does she see muscles? Bald head? Curly afro? Stunningly hot dark, dark skin color? Gangsta image? Aggressiveness? None of this, but simply being forbidden? Then why does she think it is forbidden since people date across race lines all the time now? If you can capture even a blatant stereotype precisely, you will write a story that's a bit different from the others.

And in the end, as Darkniciad also said, there is no harm in fulfilling someone's fantasy that you share. After all that's what genre fiction is usually about. People want a head-strong, beautiful, intelligent young woman to meet a handsome, slightly arrogant, naughty but ultimately kind duke/pirate/cowboy and to be whisked off their feet to live happily ever after. The story's been written a billion times and it remains the single largest segment of the publishing industry, because people want to read it a billion and one times. So just write what makes you happy and then get it out there. There are a thousand reasons to write, but the best is probably because the writer thinks it is fun. Write what you think is fun.

 

[katie_]

It can be harder to find an uncharted space in some areas that have been written about, but they are usually there. The key is to be specific and detailed. Even, and this may seem paradoxical, if what turns you on is the racial categories involved. Let's say your character just has the hots for being done by a black guy. Well, what does she dream of when she thinks of this race as a category? Not even people's stereotypes are truly the same. Does she see muscles? Bald head? Curly afro? Stunningly hot dark, dark skin color? Gangsta image? Aggressiveness? None of this, but simply being forbidden? Then why does she think it is forbidden since people date across race lines all the time now? If you can capture even a blatant stereotype precisely, you will write a story that's a bit different from the others.

And in the end, as Darkniciad also said, there is no harm in fulfilling someone's fantasy that you share. After all that's what genre fiction is usually about. People want a head-strong, beautiful, intelligent young woman to meet a handsome, slightly arrogant, naughty but ultimately kind duke/pirate/cowboy and to be whisked off their feet to live happily ever after. The story's been written a billion times and it remains the single largest segment of the publishing industry, because people want to read it a billion and one times. So just write what makes you happy and then get it out there. There are a thousand reasons to write, but the best is probably because the writer thinks it is fun. Write what you think is fun.

I think your last two paragraphs were very very helpful, thanks a lot for the advice. Obviously, its sort of a weird thing to do at first (i'm sure you remember!) Theres so much of "Is this too brief" or "Do I talk about this for too long so that it seems absurd?" that goes through my head, I feel like sometimes I forget about the relative anonymity of the internet!

regardless, thanks for your comments - they're instructional but encouraging, unlike some sources of help...

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Greetings. I bill myself as a decent editor (never had one rejected out of 57) but more as a mentor. I can add sizzle if its lacking and you're open to sugestion. And I will place personal projects aside to help a newbie, if you're willing.

I believe that writing releases the heart, but writing well releases the soul. Geez, I like that. LOL. Seriously, I'm willing to help if you're willing to "listen". If not, that's fine too. There are many other very FINE people more than capable of achieving your goals. You couldn't have found a more supportive community. I'm damned proud to be a part of this.

AS

I think your last two paragraphs were very very helpful, thanks a lot for the advice. Obviously, its sort of a weird thing to do at first (i'm sure you remember!) Theres so much of "Is this too brief" or "Do I talk about this for too long so that it seems absurd?" that goes through my head, I feel like sometimes I forget about the relative anonymity of the internet!

regardless, thanks for your comments - they're instructional but encouraging, unlike some sources of help...

 

[schaeff]

Are we there yet?

The true test of a story isn't all that writing tech stuff about the first person of the third person in the second day near the fourth adverb and don't forget all those dangling participles or whatever they are.
Once you've written your story and gone over it dozens of times, sometimes a story loses its energy in the author's mind.

In this genre, here on lit, if you can get off to your own story before you finish reading it, it's ready! Think hot.