How do you guys (gender-neutral) do it?

[EmilyMiller]

What’s “it”? I hear you cry.

I just finished my “On the Job” story. And now I have to wait until mid-April to post it?

I’m used to banging stuff out there. But I know a few people here talk about sitting on completed stories for a while to let them mature.

I get that you might look at them with fresh eyes some weeks or months later. But where do you get the patience from?

Em

 

[onehitwanda]

But where do you get the patience from?

It's called barely having time to wee on a normal day.

 

[yowser]

Railroad salvage.

 

[onehitwanda]

Railroad salvage.

Is this a euphemism?

 

[EmilyMiller]

Is this a euphemism?

Seconded.

Em

 

[onehitwanda]

Seconded.

Em

I mean, Log Jamming has a meaning, so surely Railroad salvage does too?

Actually... now I'm scared to ask.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I mean, Log Jamming has a meaning, so surely Railroad salvage does too?

Actually... now I'm scared to ask.

A weird variation on being fucked sequentially in a gang bang?

Em

 

[panaflora]

A weird variation on being fucked sequentially in a gang bang?

Em

That went south in a hurry.

 

[ThatNewGuy]

I hear you. It's hard to wait. You have a shiny new story and you can't wait to get some feedback.

For me, patience comes from knowing it will be a better story if I shelve it for a bit and come back to it with fresh eyes. I always spot things that I want to tweak or rewrite after some time away.

Do you use beta readers? They can help take the edge off. Their early feedback helps scratch that instant gratification itch while also uncovering things that might help you improve the story prior to posting.

It may also help to immerse yourself in writing another story while the completed one is shelved. That might help take your mind off the urge to post.

 

[panaflora]

It may also help to immerse yourself in writing another story while the completed one is shelved. That might help take your mind off the urge to post.

You don't have half a dozen unfinished pieces lurking? I open my screen with trepidation each morning, wondering which one will grab me by the throat, screaming, "Finish me you lazy fucker!!"

 

[EmilyMiller]

I hear you. It's hard to wait. You have a shiny new story and you can't wait to get some feedback.

For me, patience comes from knowing it will be a better story if I shelve it for a bit and come back to it with fresh eyes. I always spot things that I want to tweak or rewrite after some time away.

Do you use beta readers? They can help take the edge off. Their early feedback helps scratch that instant gratification itch while also uncovering things that might help you improve the story prior to posting.

It may also help to immerse yourself in writing another story while the completed one is shelved. That might help take your mind off the urge to post.

I’m not terribly patient .

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

You don't have half a dozen unfinished pieces lurking? I open my screen with trepidation each morning, wondering which one will grab me by the throat, screaming, "Finish me you lazy fucker!!"

I have 12 drafts.

One is ~75% complete, one ~50%, the rest less than ~25%. Some are just placeholders.

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

I'm not patient enough to sit on a story. Usually I submit it a day after I finish it after taking a last look at it for grammatical errors or other edits.

Me too. This is difficult.

Em

 

[onehitwanda]

Me too. This is difficult.

Em

Patience comes as you get older. The joints don't work so well any more

 

[EmilyMiller]

Patience comes as you get older. The joints don't work so well any more

But I’m nearly thirty now!

Well closer to thirty than twenty, just.

Em

 

[onehitwanda]

But I’m nearly thirty now!

Well closer to thirty than twenty, just.

Em

i was going to call you young and innocent, but then I remembered that it's you.

I'm almost but not quite double your age. Time brings acceptance of many things.

 

[EmilyMiller]

i was going to call you young and innocent, but then I remembered that it's you.

I'm almost but not quite double your age. Time brings acceptance of many things.

I feel I have lived longer than 26 years! Poor me, right .

Em

 

[KeithD]

I get that you might look at them with fresh eyes some weeks or months later. But where do you get the patience from?

Having stories drafted in volume. I have something written for next year's Valentine's Day contest (and every contest before that).

 

[EmilyMiller]

Having stories drafted in volume. I have something written for next year's Valentine's Day contest (and every contest before that).

I am in awe of your productivity!

Em

 

[Zootonius]

One thing I've started doing is using text to speech feature in MS Word (Macs have this also). When I think it's done, I wait a day then listen to it, usually followed by 'Ugh, that doesn't sound right.' It's tightened up my bad habit of repeating word, among other things . And I think it makes my editors life a little easier. And having an editor slows publishing down in a good way for me.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Off topic, I get an impression that the average age of AH authors is somewhere around 55? I feel so young and innocent...

 

[jehoram]

I get that you might look at them with fresh eyes some weeks or months later. But where do you get the patience from?

I guess I don't have the compulsion to publish that you do. I write for fun, and I'll keep a story around for months, going back to polish it and re-write. When I'm thoroughly bored with the process and don't see that the story is going to get better, I'll publish it.

 

[Zootonius]

Off topic, I get an impression that the average age of AH authors is somewhere around 55? I feel so young and innocent...

We're all old enough to be Emily's parents, or grandparents.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I guess I don't have the compulsion to publish that you do. I write for fun, and I'll keep a story around for months, going back to polish it and re-write. When I'm thoroughly bored with the process and don't see that the story is going to get better, I'll publish it.

I write for fun too. It’s just that process does t sound that fun to me. YMMV.

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

We're all old enough to be Emily's parents, or grandparents.

Grandparents would probably imply hookups that Laurel would reject in a story. Parents, yes that fits.

Em