How do you write a post?

[Annisthyrienne]

How do you write posts for your stories/threads? Do you make it up as you go, writing whatever comes to you? Do you compose it directly in the posting window on Lit? Or maybe you outline it and flesh it out like a real story writer would do.

This thread is for sharing how you personally go about your writing. Maybe we can learn new techniques form each other and all get to be better writers. Or maybe newcomers can read this and see how the 'veterans' do it. Who knows? with the tips that might be shared here, some of the folks who don't consider themselves to be very good writers might get better and better.

 

[Mephistophelily]

I learned to write posts in notepad or something first.
Lit has a habit of eating posts randomly, so it's frustrsting to finish that Super Awesome Amazing post.... And hit Submit for it to go into limbo.

Most of my stuff, I have an inkling on where I'm heading, but whatever surprises my cowriter(s) throw can completely revamp that. Sure, we're headed the same direction, but the path varies. I like variation and surprises. After reading their replies, I like to plan out my own... I end up typing things out, possibly rearranging a little, redoing certain parts.

Sometimes actions or sounds seem... Off to me. So... I do them. You could catch me doing the weirdest things trying to see if they make sense, if my description is right.

 

[Vail_Indigo]

lets see...
deciding what I'm going to write is the same as when I write anything else. I basically look for a 'hook' for that scene...or maybe seed (in the context of crystals) is a better metaphor. A line or image or whatever that I build the rest of the post around.
Its a little different in that any given post usually has some kind of explicit goal, but not that different.
Anyhow, once I have that, I generally write it out entirely, offline, since its easier to do that way as I often need to flip back and forth through the thread to make sure continuity is preserved.
Finally, I put it in preview, make sure the line-breaks are what I want, and then add in the font/colors/sizing I want. Thats especially tedious because so many of my characters have this very active inner world that I tend to make in colors or italics etc.
So that usually takes about 10 tries to get it right.
Then I generally add or remove a few things, do some last minute changes, finally decide it still sucks but it isn't going to get any better, and post.

then I wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and when 15 seconds have gone by and my partner hasn't posted, I go poke them.

 

[Cheska]

I have an "Open Office"* note on my desktop that I use to write long post with. It helps me do spell check and such.
Now if it would just proof read and critique.

That is often for long post, but for short replys, I post directly from Lit.

*microsoft Office evil twin.

 

[Vail_Indigo]

As an aside, I use 'ByWord' on the mac for all my writing. Its very minimalist, distraction free. I find that things like office (open or microsoft) are clumsy for actual writing and try to help WAY too much.
"NO! I wanted to indent once! STOP INDENTING! AHHHHH!!!!!"

 

[Cheska]

As an aside, I use 'ByWord' on the mac for all my writing. Its very minimalist, distraction free. I find that things like office (open or microsoft) are clumsy for actual writing and try to help WAY too much.
"NO! I wanted to indent once! STOP INDENTING! AHHHHH!!!!!"

Mine never does that. I set it up the way I want an it doesn't anything else.. but I also spent an hour adjusting settings.
Only thing is, it wants to argue British English vs. American English, ie; Grey/Gray.

 

[Annisthyrienne]

When I sit down to write a post for a story I'm doing with someone, I first copy their last post to a Word file that I keep of all the posts since the beginning. I do this with all my stories, partly so I can go back and read them for my own enjoyment even when I cannot access Lit for some reason, and also partly because I then have a record I can refer back to for details like character names, place names, previous actions, etc. I find that it's also nice to be able to read stories I've finished but still enjoy, without needing to search through hundreds of pages of Literotica, hoping to find a story from a year ago.

When I've pasted my partner's last response in the ongoing story file in Word, I read back over it again to refresh my mind as to what I want to respond to, or where I want to go from there. I must confess at this point that I habitually go through my partner's post and edit for spelling, grammar, etc. I don't and won't criticize your writing, because I don't make it a big deal in role play. I have always said that I'm a role player first, not a writer, and I'm only doing this for fun.

But having said that, I'm also some kind of weird perfectionist. This trait makes me good at what I do at work, but it can seem like a disease sometimes. It's just something I have to do for my own sake, to make sure everything is right, or at least seems right to me. So I'm sorry if this offends anyone. I don't mean to do that. It's just something I feel compelled to do for my own sake.

If it has been a while since I posted, I might also go back and read my last post, or maybe even go back and read several posts back to get caught up to date in my mind afresh. This gives me a sense of what has led up to the post I'm going to write, and puts me in the right mindset.

At this point, I begin composing my post in Word. I always work in Word, but at least some other word processing program offline. The only time I'd ever compose a post in the posting window at Lit is when I am playing a scene and the post is going to be only a few paragraphs long at most. The posting window is relatively small and only holds a few paragraphs at a time. You cannot see the entirety of your post, and it's too easy to miss mistakes.

In a word processing program, you can maximize the window size to use your whole screen and see pretty much everything. There is just too much benefit to being able to see your words on a large screen. You can see most mistakes you make this way, and correct them before you post. Also, Word and most other word processing programs will come with an automatic spell checker and in some cases a grammar checker too. This takes a lot of the guess work out of it, but don't completely trust these things blindly. They will offer the spelling for the word they think you mean to use, but it may not be what you meant to say. You are ultimately the one with the brain, use it.

The other reason I will not use the Lit posting window to compose a post is because too many times, Lit has an internet hiccup and your post may be lost. I don't particularly want to have to do it all over again for something like this. Also, sometimes Lit can hiccup in a way that makes you think your post didn't go through, so you hit 'Send' again and end up with a double post. Avoid the posting window and you save yourself this problem. Only copy and paste your final draft in the posting window when you're ready to post it. By then, you will already have your saved version in your word processor and you'll be able to copy and paste it again easily if Lit has a problem.

Always proofread your posts at least twice. Do this in your word processor program, and then again when you post it on Lit. Sometimes when you copy and paste, for whatever reason you may not have highlighted a paragraph or something and only part of your post gets pasted in the posting window. You are writing the post as much for your partner as for yourself, so you want to do a good job. Also, believe it or not, other people read your stories who aren't even involved or don't even have a user name you've ever heard of before. Yes, total strangers read your stuff, especially if it's good. You sure don't want to post something that makes you look like a dufus to the whole internet world, so take pride in it and proofread to make sure it's all you meant for it to be. You will catch mistakes this way and also notice parts of your writing that just don't read the way you wanted it to. You can fix this at this point before too many people see it.

Now for me, I don't outline or prepare other than reading back over older posts to get in the mindset. I'm a role player from way back in the paper and pencil DnD games. So I routinely put myself in the place of my character and immerse myself in the setting and story. (I will add a note in here about using personal pronouns to accomplish this mindset. Most of our writing for stories is in third person, past tense. There are some exceptions, but usually that's how it is. However, in playing a scene in the lounges, I find it useful to use personal pronouns to describe what I am doing. I do not refer to myself as 'she' or 'her', because that removes me in my mind from the action. I use 'I' or 'me' or 'my' as descriptive pronouns to make it more immediate to myself. I also use 'you' or 'your' usually to refer to my partner to also make the action more personal. This is an old role player's trick, as opposed to the gamers who would describe what their character was saying or doing as if it were someone else.)

When you immerse yourself in your character this way it's easy to just write what they would be feeling, seeing, doing, reacting, etc. The only other things you have to write are descriptions of what is going on in the world that your character or your partner's character is reacting to. Is that Orc attacking from high upon a dirt bank? Is he leaping through the air, sword raised, about to cleave you in twain? This kind of stuff has to be told as part of the story, and as part of the description of what your character is reacting to.

Be descriptive. People like detail; it helps them place themselves in the scene and imagine it as if it were happening to them. Not only does this make the story more exciting to read, but it also helps you get back in the frame of mind when you review it before posting like I said above.

And now, having said to be descriptive, I'll make the argument for being purposefully vague on some things. In some cases, I prefer to leave certain descriptions up to my partner's or my reader's imaginations. This is to give latitude for them to make up their own version of the fantasy. Now it depends on your partner, and what they want from you, but this can be a useful concept. Let's give an example. Say you are describing your character and in some cases people post an actual picture. This is fine if you want to do that. I do it too sometimes. A picture can go a long way in supplying details that don't have to be described in writing then.

But supposing you say your character is a redhead, and your partner was fantasizing about a blonde. You've just forced the description, and made your partner have to adhere to that. Okay, maybe that is a lame example, but you get my meaning. If I'm playing an elf, in my mind, the elf has pointed ears like Spock from Star Trek. But if my partner is thinking of those damn anime elves, he's probably envisioning some mule eared monstrosity whose ears need a separate hat to hold them. There is enough ears on those elves to supply three or four normal elves! But the point is, it's okay for him to imagine his version and me to imagine my version in the same story. It harms nothing, and it gives each partner the chance to fill that detail in for themselves. But not if I take the time to describe it specifically.

This is a thing that you'll have to use your own judgment and converse with your partner about. It's a preference thing, so work it out with them. I will say one more thing about it. If you're doing a historical role play or one where factual details are important, you must use correct details or leave them to the imagination. Nothing will kill the fantasy more than a glaring factual error. If you are describing a certain rifle your old west character is using to shoot a buffalo back in 1838 Montana Territory, you had better not be describing a bolt action 30-06. They didn't exist in the age of flintlocks. This is another case where it might be better to leave out the description, if you aren't sure what you're talking about.

Okay, so when I write, I put myself in the mindset of my character and setting by reviewing the story up to this point. I never seem to need to do much planning for what I write. For me it just flows when I'm in the mind space I need to be in. I've described what I do to get in this mind space, but there are other things that can help too. If you have trouble getting there, try listening to some music that inspires you along the same genre of your story. Or maybe watch a movie in that same genre.

About the only real planning I do is while I'm driving to and from work. I read the last posts before I set out and think about what is happening in the story as I drive. For whatever reason, I do most of my best thinking while engaged in some other task that is more or less automatic for me. It's like my mind can engage on two levels at once. I can manage driving without putting much thought into it, and at the same time, be totally immersed in thinking about my story or maybe about a problem at work or whatever. In this case, my story often gets a real boost from ideas that come to me while driving. I might begin by summarizing the situation in my head with a sentence or two, and then ask myself what my character will do in reaction to it. This usually starts off the creative process for me, and it's off to the races!

Obviously I can't write down those ideas that come to me while I'm driving, but I can usually remember the gist of them long enough to write about them. Another thing I do is think about the situation just before I go to bed at night. Once again I read over the last few posts to familiarize myself with the story and put myself in the mindset. (Sensing a theme here?) Often I may dream about the story, but usually it's just that relaxed state of mind between fully awake and fully asleep that lets ideas come to me freely. You have to be careful doing this if you have trouble sleeping, because you can get your mind to be too active thinking about the story to be able to let you go to sleep. Then you'll be up all night and tired later. I can tell you that you will not do a very good job of being creative if your mind is tired and stressed. So get your rest and come to the keyboard with a fresh mind.

This brings up another thing that I know other writers do that I can almost never do. They sit down and pound out one post after another for vastly different story lines and characters. I put myself so deep into the mindset of the characters and the setting of the story that I need time in between posts for different stories to 'get my mind right' as the famous movie quote goes. (If you don't know that quote, shame on you! It's from "Cool Hand Luke".)

So in summary, keep a Word file of your story. Copy and paste each post into the file and review them before you start writing. Get in your character's head space and in the story setting. Immerse yourself in it. Let the words flow, don't try to force them. (I've made the comparison of this before to going to the bathroom. You have to just relax and let it happen. Don't try to force it or you'll just make a terrible mess.) Once you've written a post you think you are happy with, proofread at least twice; once when you read over it in your word processor and once again when you post it.

Never use the Lit posting window (and I would also say never use a texting window from a phone for the same reasons.) to compose your posts. There is no substitute for doing the thing right. My mother taught me young that if I don't do it right the first time, I'll only have to do it over, and if something is worth doing, it's worth doing right or not at all. Mommas know these things, trust me.

More to come later, if I think about it.

 

[Annisthyrienne]

lets see...
deciding what I'm going to write is the same as when I write anything else. I basically look for a 'hook' for that scene...or maybe seed (in the context of crystals) is a better metaphor. A line or image or whatever that I build the rest of the post around.
Its a little different in that any given post usually has some kind of explicit goal, but not that different.
Anyhow, once I have that, I generally write it out entirely, offline, since its easier to do that way as I often need to flip back and forth through the thread to make sure continuity is preserved.
Finally, I put it in preview, make sure the line-breaks are what I want, and then add in the font/colors/sizing I want. Thats especially tedious because so many of my characters have this very active inner world that I tend to make in colors or italics etc.
So that usually takes about 10 tries to get it right.
Then I generally add or remove a few things, do some last minute changes, finally decide it still sucks but it isn't going to get any better, and post.

then I wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and when 15 seconds have gone by and my partner hasn't posted, I go poke them.

Wow, Vail, I love that you wrote this! I forgot to mention in this long diatribe I just posted that I keep a Word file in part to refer back to my partner's last post to make sure I covered everything I meant to respond to and also maintain continuity like you said. The only difference is that I already have all the posts in the Word file and don't have to look on Lit to check.

I also have a standard formatting I try to keep with my posts. My character's dialogue will always be in bold, while the dialogue of other characters, including if I need to quote my partner's dialogue, is always in a colored font like blue. When I role play a scene in chat or on Lit, my actions are enclosed within ** and in italics, while dialogue is in quotes and normal text.

I, too, have a lot of internal thoughts and monologues with my characters, in part because in my real world, I think much more than I try to speak because of my voice condition. But I think that is true of most anyone really, voice or no voice. When I designate my character's thoughts, I use a single quote like apostrophes.

I'm also sensing a theme that all the best writers compose their posts offline in some way or another. I love Lilly's idea of acting things out. I don't do this physically, but I will close my eyes and visualize the actions I'm trying to describe and then it becomes much easier to write the play by play when I can use the DVR in my head to play the scene over and over or from different angles, etc.

 

[Cheska]

Interesting read Thyri and I agree with a lot of it.
I also keep two note books with me in my travel bag [Not a purse] I keep one for story ideas and one for notes to myself. I used to use a tape recorder that was voice activated.. did you know they are Horn, screaming child, loose change, other voices, cat and dog activated to?

I usually like to have a solid idea of what my character looks like, acts, how s/he might think and react to things.

As for ideas while before bed, I have to be careful because I can keep myself up late just thinking an that is a source of trouble for me.

Oddly enough, when I have trouble sleeping, I put a character to bed, honestly. I think about what they do before bed and then I slowly relax and go to sleep with them.
Halfling's knit before bed. FYI.

 

[yeishia]

I have decided to write down a little of how I go about writing a post. Some of it is shockingly similar to yours Thyri!

Please note that it is not my intent to offer advice. I think writing is very individual and what works for one often simply does not work for another writer. It takes me a long time to craft a single post and I wouldn’t wish that agony on anyone! It doesn’t help that my typing skills are shocking producing numerous idiotic spelling errors that I have to contend with...more if I’m on a role and my mind is working faster than my fingers can keep up with.

Sometimes I get lucky and read a post and know exactly what my response will be, at other times it will come to me at an inopportune moment such as 2.00 a.m. I wake up and the post is begging me to go downstairs and write I t and of course there is no sleep until I comply. At other times I am simply blocked!

When I am ready to reply I cut and paste my co-writer's response into word whereupon I edit out what I have no need of. (For exactly the same reasons Thyri mentioned, I never ever craft a post in the Lit window!) Then if I am inspired I simply reply. I am like Thyri in that I immerse myself in my character completely; this is a product of my drama training.

Once I have my post completed I allow my computer to edit and then fix. Then I scan and edit for consistency and flow myself. At this point I will go over my co-writers post and see if there was anything important I may have over looked in my response. I am usually lucky in my choice of co-writers they usually leave me many precious nuggets from which to pick and choose and it would be doing them a disservice if I ignored their efforts on my behalf.

Yes, I do have a clear idea of my own character but sometimes one needs to bend in order to ensure the continuity and the flow of a story, especially a group thread. If I feel I am being pushed to far away from my own idea of who she is I simply discuss it with my co-writer before I even begin. The edit button is a fabulous tool I have no problem asking my co-writer to use it if they have buggered up nor do I have any objections to doing the same when I have!

Next I copy into the Lit window and add italics to designate my characters thoughts. I preview my post on Lit where I read it out loud. This usually entails another edit. Once satisfied I post! *grins*I read over the post again and more often or not will pick up another silly mistake I have over looked …

Last edit unless my co-writer finds something I have missed.

When I am totally blocked I have to simply force myself to sit down and write. In this case weeks may have passed and I do what Thyri mentioned. I go back several posts and actively become my character. To my surprise this often works. It is having the discipline to actually make myself sit down when I have no desire to. Veroe gave me a wonderful piece of advice he told me to write something each day whether I wish to or not. I am trying to follow his advice but my real world keeps intruding on my efforts! Bad real world! Thank goodness I am not a writer for real with a deadline.

When I came to Lit I had no writing experience. I wet my toes in Dominance choosing a group thread with lots of amazing writers delighted when they welcomed me aboard so that I could learn from them: Slipped_Hallo, chronicle_tenko, M13, Astrilkiss, DominentEvil etc. I found the whole experience an invaluable learning tool.

Next I set up The Vassal Academy, deliberately choosing a cast whose writing caliber was and still IS way above my own, Tio _Narratore, Veroe, DarkEmpress, Chgris, LucianDevine, Last _Rider. Scarletnym. Sweetp4u etc. (I have since added many more incredible writers to the fray but those were my original cast.) The whole prospect of writing with such amazing people was daunting to say the least but I was determined to learn from the very best.

I did single threads with Light-Ice and CGRaven & Vampiric_Touch

All mentioned have proved to be a invaluable assets to my learning experience.

All the writers I have mentioned have in their different ways help me stretch myself showing me the many lights and shades of effective writing. I will never be able to thank them all enough.

The people here are more than willing to help..one has just to be willing to learn and not to take offense at constructive critique.

I have a long way to go but I am enjoying the process more than I could ever have imagined possible!

I agree with Thyri in that I am not one that could hammer out post after post even if I were faster. This is simply because I am my character in the moment of my writing. I find it hard to go for example from a submissive mindset for one thread into a Dominant mindset for another.

I love to be thrown curve balls by my co-writers and also enjoy collaborative posts on occasion too, variety I adore it.

Description; I agree with Thyri’s comments about finding a balance, although again it really does depend on the actual story. I am writing a thread with Lucian Divine in which I give no details of my character whatsoever even her name, leaving it entirely up to our readers, whom I will be in constant dialogue with in first person while writing opposite my co-writer in third, this is an experiment of sorts for me!

I put a lot of efforts into crafting my posts even the shortest ones and really like it when my co-writers so the same. It takes two to tango properly and I do so love to dance.

Some writers can throw down their posts very fast and they are a delight to read, ( I envy such writers!) I give for example, Last_ Rider, and this is not personal bias merely a fact!

I do however find that in the case of most of the writers I have written with who throw down fast posts that they are sadly lacking! Luckily my experience of this has been the exception not the rule!

I would rather my co-writer take their time, a good post is worth waiting for, why rush?

I dislike it when the post turns up barely edited, filled with grammatical errors, no punctuation; no speech marks no paragraphs and flip-flopping from first person to third.

I dislike it when is very clear that my co-writer has obviously not read what I have worked so hard to fashion, taking nothing from my efforts nor the plot in general merely writing their response in isolation. It is like pulling teeth to write opposite such a person.

I hate it when my co-writer simple quotes half of my post only adding a single line of his own thoughts to the end.

Lastly, and this is nit- picking I know.

I like to pretend we are all seasoned writers. I like speech marks to designate speech and not bold or color, when you last read a novel written like that? I prefer to keep lounge writing where it belongs in the lounges. *blushes*

Yes I have been spoiled by the people I write with and am delighted that I have been. I have been blessed with amazingly talented co-writers who have thankfully put up with my writing which I am sure probably drives them insane at times!

OK I think I have blathered on enough *giggles blushing*

I leave you with some links to other threads which offer help to us fledgling writers.


Workshop for the SRP Writer's Craft by Veroe

Simple Sexy Skills for the Erotica Writer by Shy _Mystica


*Many hugs to all*

 

[Mister J]

Notepad, then to Lit for fixes.

I usually wing it. I have an idea and then I expand on it. I don't usually write a post before hand. I like going in fresh.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Reading all of this makes me feel like a slob when it comes to posting. I open the reply page, reread the last post, and let the words flow. Sure, I make revisions, but they're on the fly. When I'm done, I reread once just to make sure I catch any last minute spelling errors (doesn't always work, though I'm a spelling nazi so I tend to correct as I type.)

For me, the last post always jogs my memory of the story, and I can usually get into it right away. I too sometimes have to look back for tiny details, just for continuity's sake.

Sounds like Mr. J and I share that organic style of writing, though.

 

[Perplexia]

It honestly depends on who i'm writing with.

But for all i start by turning my keyboard on. Then i go to the thread and click reply.

I do not use office notepad etc. I write them all in lit. Most just come from my brain without any prior thought. Some require the right frame of mind.

 

[Mister J]

Sounds like Mr. J and I share that organic style of writing, though.

Exactly. It's the best way really.

 

[Vail_Indigo]

I think we really need the people from "Lesbian Cheerleader Rape" to chime in here.

 

[Mister J]

I think we really need the people from "Lesbian Cheerleader Rape" to chime in here.

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/Sorukage/Smilies/29.gif

 

[yeishia]

Exactly. It's the best way really.

I disagree

There is no best way, it is what works best for each individual or pair of writers.

One tends to gravitate to those we work best with I am thinking.

 

[Mister J]

I disagree

There is no best way, it is what works best for each individual or pair of writers.

One tends to gravitate to those we work best with I am thinking.

Oh, don't mind me. I'm just being snarky.

 

[Cheska]

I think we really need the people from "Lesbian Cheerleader Rape" to chime in here.

Oh god! My brain! My soul! why must you torment me?!

 

[Fish_Tales]

I think we really need the people from "Lesbian Cheerleader Rape" to chime in here.

Vail, I don't think this thread is for professionals.

I suggest we continue to develop and hone our craft and then when we're finally at the level of the above thread and others like it, maybe we can start to employ some of their techniques.

 

[Vail_Indigo]

Vail, I don't think this thread is for professionals.

I suggest we continue to develop and hone our craft and then when we're finally at the level of the above thread and others like it, maybe we can start to employ some of their techniques.

Thats just wishful thinking, Fishie...I know that I will never be able to do to the english language the things those powerful artists do

 

[Fish_Tales]

Wow - I loved all the above comments - I have a bit of most of them and it's great to see how similar yet different we all are.

Ok

I am similar to most here in that I compose the posts offline. I use Word, but only because it's the only thing I've used so feel comfortable with it. I also do as Thyri recounts - I have my co-writer's previous post pasted into the document and then write from there so that I can keep the story thread at the forefront of my mind - I hate it if I've written about something and then the next post totally ignores all that - by all means throw in a curveball or something, but please don't ignore totally everything I've just written.

As to developing the actual post....

I usually need an idea or incident that comes to me that will then be the frame or main point of the post. As my poor co-writers know, this can take days or weeks or in some cases (sorry Thyri!) months. The ideas come to me at all times - I could be working, swimming, reading, fishing, whatever - they might come out of the blue. However, I have usually thought about "what if?" scenarios, so it's not totally "cold". Once I get the idea, I write it down as soon as is practically possible, even if it's having a beer on my verandah and jotting down an outline with a pencil and paper.

I'm a "feeler" and I like letting the reader into my character's head - similar to Vail. However, I use italics to show what my character is thinking. Don't know why - maybe I read this when I was younger and have stuck to it - not sure, but that's how I do it. I also use bold to highlight my co-writer's previous speech. Again, maybe I've seen this before and stick to it - I just know I do it instinctively.

Now, the story...

This may sound silly, but I only use writers that suit my style - but only to a certain extent. They don't have to be the same as me, they just have to get me. It took me a while to learn this. Ever since I first started on here, I would get requests to write. I was initially too much of a "yes man" - I found it difficult to be rude and say no. However, I then ended up with threads that were "work" rather than fun. I had to be able to say "no" and then I also had to overcome my natural tendency to not ask people to write with me so that I could then select who I thought were the good writers and then just approach them. The result - I am happy with ALL of my current co-writers. They bring different things to the table - intelligence, sensitivity, literacy, a female perspective etc. But I truly think if you see a good writer - go for them. I have a couple of writers I write with who are very very very under-utilised and I'm surprised there aren't other people falling over themselves in the rush to write with them. It puzzles me, but I'm happy because I've got them! I think there is an intimidation factor there - a lot of the males won't write with a literate thoughtful writer cause they just want to get there rocks off and it would be 1. too much hard work and 2. they just don't have the ability.

I also don't mind slow posters that provide substantial posts because I can often be snowed under with various commitments. I have one quick poster, but she is very understanding.

My style is very introspective and I like to examine myself through the eyes of the character. Yes, I know this can tend to make me one dimensional in terms of my characters, but I don't care - I'm predominately writing for me and my partner. As long as my navel gazing still gives my partner room to move, then I think I'm doing ok.

That being said, I'm very aware of other people reading my threads or stories so I always do the best I can with any post. I'm not "getting off" on my stories, I'm "getting into" my stories and I think there's a big difference. I want people to read them and like them - who wouldn't? This means I make sure my grammar and punctuation are acceptable - nothing kills it for me more than when I struggle to read a piece with poor punctuation and spelling -I invariably give up quickly regardless of how good the idea is.

I'm a bit anal in that I like to know where my character is heading and this is where this style of writing is great. It forces me to cope with curveballs and my partner's ideas and prefences. I'm into developing my skills - writing is a craft and you need to develop it and work on it and unexpected twists and turns help with that. I'm not saying I'm happy if my character falls asleep in Sydney and then wakes up in Rotterdam, but it's good that other elements are thrown at you.

Another thing that I've been advised of (in a polite way ) that is a little unique for me is that I so enjoy the character and plot development that I tend to forget the "S" bit in SRP!! This is in no way due to my writers who I think are among the "hottest" going around - but more due to the fact that I enjoy the trajectory of the narrative so much that I forget to stop off for anything else! Maybe it's because the "S" actually permeates the story so much anyway(in my mind), that I feel like the "S" can be in it in an atmospheric form rather than a tangible one? I don't know - but I have resolved to give my writers a bit more of a good "S"ing from now on when it fits into the story!

I hope that helps....

Shit - and I post long - as you can tell from above (and it's only half my thoughts!!! )

 

[Fish_Tales]

Thats just wishful thinking, Fishie...I know that I will never be able to do to the english language the things those powerful artists do

What is being delivered to the English language there is actually a "hard limit" of mine, so I'm afraid I could never go there

 

[Last_Rider]

For me it mostly depends on where a story is in terms of development. If something is just starting out I tend to be a bit more expansive. Once things settle into a rhythm my posts tend to flow with the person I'm writing with in terms of length and description.

I don't really lay my posts out, I just log onto lit and write it there. I tend to do most of the planning in my head, imagining dialogue and the basic setting. Frequently I'm unable to do justice to my imagination with words. I know lit has been known to eat posts, but for some reason that doesn't really bother me. I don't mind doing them over again because I get to alter things that I didn't really like.

Mostly I have to make sure I've got some doorway into the mind of the character I'm writing, sometimes it's easy as I just put personal attributes into them and can follow that little thread until I'm in touch with the character. Other times it takes a bit of effort. I just recently found my reliable way into Vincents head (story is The Fangsome Foursome if anyone is interested).

 

[Annisthyrienne]

Wow, I keep thinking of things I want to say in this thread that I forgot in my initial post. (I know, many of you are thinking that as long as that post was, how could I have forgotten anything?) Maybe I should do an outline of my thoughts for posting here.

Formatting speech, thoughts, quoting other's dialogue, etc.: I do it the way I do because I learned that on another role play site where the guy was running a group thread and insisted everyone post that way with the same format so he could keep straight which character was saying, thinking, doing what as opposed to quoting some other character.

Content of posts: I try not to just rehash my partner's posts only in my own perspective. But saying that, sometimes there are things they posted about that I do want to respond to in character, so I will go back partway and cover some of the same ground. This is especially an issue with long posts, and I'm sure that people have the same trouble with mine. There is just a lot that is covered, and if I feel that it would build the story or my character to respond to something my partner already covered, I do so and hope they will forgive.

It can become a problem if both writers constantly do this to each others' posts so that it gets too redundant and the story doesn't move forward. I've read stories like that. I've even critiqued that in a story which I've since been asked to come in as a co-writer on when one of the original writers dropped off Lit. So I am conscious of how much repetition I engage in, and at least try to move the story along. As a rule of thumb, I try to post at least as much totally original content as what I've gone back and responded to. Example: if it took me 6 paragraphs to cover what my partner had already mentioned, just to get up to the point where they left off, then I'll try to take the story at least 6 paragraphs further along. Usually this isn't a problem for me. It's stopping at a reasonable length post that becomes a problem. I'm the only person I knew of in my college philosophy class for whom the professor set an upper limit on the length of my papers!

I try to advance the story a little bit with each post. This is easier to do when I'm the main one planning the plot, or when I am in frequent communication with my partner through chat or PMs. I always try to set up my partner with something to respond to by the end of my post. Give them a little meat to chew, so to speak. It's like handing off the ball and letting them run with it for a while.

And to address something Fish mentioned, I don't mind if it doesn't get sexual for a while. In fact a lot of the stories I've seen or been involved in seem to die out after the first big sex scene. It's like my partner lost interest or something once that basic need was fulfilled. Maybe the sex was their fantasy all along and once it was fulfilled, there was no need to continue. I'm a character player, so I want the story to be about my character and those people she is involved with. Sex is only a part of what happens to them, not the whole story. As they said on the Poseidon Adventure, 'There has to be a morning after.'