How hard do you work on your stories?

[HeyAll]

Are you one of those tortured writers? Do you stress over every little plot point and sentence structure?

Or do you simply write casually and release it?

Something in between?


Personally, I write with instinct (at least that's how I think of it). Meaning, I'll think of ideas until a light bulb goes off in my head and I think, "Yeah, I want to write that."

Same goes with writing. I'll write when the ideas for dialogue & actions are there. I try to use instincts to determine what's necessary, and what's not (so the story gets straight to the point). I also use instincts to determine if the sentences and story structure are okay. I try to make it simple so that a reader can visualize everything while reading at a casual pace.

I generally try to write as fast as possible. Maybe a week for a 3 page story. It's not difficult when the ideas are there.

The hardest part of writing, for me, is being stuck on ideas and having the think hard for what happens next. That's when it feels like hard work.

It also feels like hard work when I have to edit the thing and read it slowly & carefully.


What about you?

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

I do quite a bit of research to get my locations and names correct, but after that, I usually just let it fly.

My stuff tends to be conversation based, and leans on banter, so I don't have to work that hard.

Your results may differ.

 

[lovecraft68]

I share your light bulb image. I don't over think anything, I'm like the nike ad, "Just do it"

But as I said in your other thread the material dictates how hard I'm working. Incest/milf stuff comes effortlessly. Things like my BDSM series and my Halloween entry took a lot more work because they are complicated plots the 'wing it' approach doesn't always work.

I think the more creative you are the less work it is though.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I get an idea and then just write it. I don't obsess over it nor do I fret over not writing anything for days.

I just write when the mood hits me. Once finished I set it aside for up to a month, then edit.

Once edited I just publish it.

Any errors I find after that, I fix and publish an update.

 

[Hypoxia]

They vary. Some require much effort; some write themselves. I *do* work hard at editing.

Hard stories may demand inspiration and/or detailed research on specific issues. I let The Book of Ruth finale slide for months before I figured out some medical and strategic details; then the ending only took a few hours. The seven LIT pages of That's My Girl reeled out in little over a day while the two pages of 'Neath Western Skies, Ma! came in two spurts six months apart -- part of my trouble was finding the right Hopi translations. A period romance about historical naturalists has been brewing for nigh on a year and may take a while more, mainly because I have tons of source material but not enough about their encounter. I need to knuckle down and make up stuff.

How much work goes into my stories? As much as I'm willing to expend at any given time.

 

[beachbum1958]

Some stories seem to almost write themselves, the plot seems so obvious and apparent to me that I'll willingly write non-stop for a week, give it to my editor, and that's all she wrote; others seem to languish as my interest in them wanes, or another lightbulb goes off, and I zoom off in that direction. Because of this, I have about 6 stories that seemed like a good idea at the time, but have slowly sapped any interest I might have had in them, and yet they stay on the shelf, because one day, I might just have a light-bulb moment about one or all of them, and go into manic-overdrive while the framework and fill is fresh in my mind. I get a lot of my inspiration from old song-titles, so I'll be listening to Magic FM or Smooth Radio, and a song that suggests an interesting back-story will play, and suddenly I know where to go with it. That's when I enjoy writing here the most.

 

[GoldenCojones]

I spend a LOT of time writing the story in my head. It's a lot easier to re-write when it's just in your head. By the time I put it on paper it is pretty well written and all I have to do is transcribe it from my noddle to the computer screen. I never really thought about how much work it is, because for me it is a hobby. Something I do because I enjoy it.

Like Hypoxia, I work at editing. I learned from one of my editors here that I have a bad tendency to get stuck on a word and over use it. I now go back and look for that as well as all the other little issues that many writers have; like passive phrases, over use of weak adjectives, etc.

 

[sr71plt]

Nearly all of my writing time now is spent on erotica (for pay), most of which eventually is posted to Literotica, and much of my nonsleeping time is spent on writing; I've retired twice over and even much of my career time was spent writing.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Are you one of those tortured writers? Do you stress over every little plot point and sentence structure?

Yep. Sometimes it flows easily, for a few paragraphs, but mostly it's a lot of work. This has a lot to do with my low rate of output.

 

[TxRad]

My Lit writing is what is called Pantsier. Fly by the seat of your pants. A blank sheet of paper, format, get ready, get set, go. The fingers put down what comes out of the mind. Normally just a title and a picture, either real or in my mind. No outline, no research, no plot points, no nothing. Just write.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

The fun for me is solving writing problems and discovering the process for how to write a particular category. Find the formula! Its the art of hack writing, but so what!

 

[_Lynn_]

I sit in front of the computer and write a story to go with whatever image is in my head at that moment. If I can't get the ideas to flow well, I wait until another day to write.

Unlike others, I rarely edit anything. That's been the case for the last couple of years, anyway. Once I've written something, I move on to the next piece.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

My normal way of doing things makes most people crazy. I get lots done but it all happens in a slow and casual way. Most people prefer frantic and excited action. I take the time the work needs.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

The best feeling I have while writing is when I'm consumed by it, unwilling or unable to let go of the story until I write as much of it as I can.

The worst feeling I while writing is when I'm consumed by it, unwilling or unable to let go of the story until I write as much of it as I can.

 

[DreamCloud]

I dream up a strange situation usually involving a couple. Nothing more than a scene or situation that I find intriguing. I write foundation for that scene, execute it, and then try to find a coherent end to the story.

The Mountain was written with one concept in mind; how do you make two people fall in love when they don't speak the same language. The rest of the story just flowed around that concept to support it. No plan - just the idea that it could be done.

My life has always been a disorganized mess. Somehow, it always congeals into something comfortable. My writing is no different.

BTW: If writing was hard (in the it-feels-like-work sense,) I wouldn't be doing it.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Back when I did psychotherapy I read a book titled SHIFTING CONTEXTS. In a nutshell its author asserted that well formed expressions are the royal road to mental health. Speaking well is the kissin cousin of writing well. Most of us hide inside bad speech and writing. Thirty years later I know good writing and speech are sure signs of trolls. Nice people prefer deceit and word salad.

 

[49greg]

Not hard enough.

 

[Gorza]

Hard? Yes, I write till I'm hard, and slowly work it out.

Not hard enough.

There are various good treatments...

Yep. Sometimes it flows easily, for a few paragraphs, but mostly it's a lot of work. This has a lot to do with my low rate of output.

There are various good treatments...

 

[BurningMonkey]

I tend to write in scenes or vignettes; I'll write a scene, which usually goes pretty quickly, then have to find or create a backstory that's plausible to get the actors to the threshold or jumping-off point for that scene. That part sometimes takes months.

Then I let it sit for a while, and go back over it and read it critically, editing as I go: Too wordy here, add some clarity there, etc.

When I'm finished polishing, I'll send it to some people for comment. I may or may not incorporate what they have to say, but a different perspective can sometimes change the entire tenor of a story.

And sometimes I go for weeks or months without a single line being written, either because I just don't "feel" that story at that time or I have no inspiration to start anything new. I usually have about 5-6 stories in various stages of completion at any given time, in different genres or on different themes.

So sometimes the magic works and I just spin it out; sometimes the magic doesn't, and I have to flog myself back to it.

 

[Penuche]

The bare bones of any idea (which might be just one line) get jotted down and set to one side.

Fleshing out comes later, and has to be fitted into scarce spare moments.

Reading, rereading, and reworking it to get it right (at least to my liking) takes a few more grabbed sessions.

This is mostly why you won't find anything I've actually finished posted on this site. :facepalm: