How long do you spend on a story?

[Chicklet]

I know that all stories are different lengths. All stories take different amounts of time. But, on average, about how much time and thought do you put into your stories?

My average is a week. The most that I've gone is 10 months, this story that I'm writing now. I suspect that it will take another 10 months to complete, and that it won't even be one of the top ten stories by chicklet on literotica.

 

[TheEarl]

Mine come in short bursts. I'll go through periods of writers block where I have the ideas, but not the ability to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), then I'll suddenly get a burst of creativity and finish everything on my slate and be left struggling for ideas.

The Earl

 

[gauchecritic]

A week thinking, maybe a month then a week or a day writing.

Present in-process story is still running round my head after 4 months.

Gauche

 

[Guest]

A 3-5 pager perhaps a week, or two if I let it sit a while also. the basic first draft probably takes 3-4 hours. I once wrote an 18-page piece that took several months before I felt it 'finished'.

Poems can take just as long. I hate to say this, truly for fear of offending anyone, but I don't take my Lit. writing seriously (just can't when the purpose is to titillate) so I'll submit something within a couple weeks of writing it. Otherwise I leave my other work for months or years and then go back to it.

 

[oggbashan]

Fast and Slow

My record is 3 hours from idea to final draft. That was an uninterrupted 3 hours, no coffee breaks, no phone calls, just sitting at the keyboard.

The longest? I'll probably be dead before some of the stories "in progress" get finished.

Og

 

[sirhugs]

an average story takes me about 3 hours to type the first draft. I typically have spent a week or more thinking about it first. Revisions take much longer.

Gender Blender and a few other more complex stories took much longer to write.

I have one long story 3/4 done that I've been working on since before Christmas.

 

[deliciously_naughty]

usually within a night from idea to writing to submission...

but to write an entire 5 chapter saga from submission of #1 to #5 it can be close to 6 months

 

[Sabledrake]

It really varies ... every story has a different gestation period. Sometimes the inspiration strikes, ka-BAM, and away we go. Mostly, it's the thinking that takes the time. Once I get going, I can write fast. But if I try to start before it's "ready" (shades of Orson Wells here), I have a hell of a time.

Some of them just sit in the back of my head and simmer -- the next one I plan to write for Lit has been doing that since a thread on Greek myth, but I am finally ready to write it. When I do, I expect that it will go very quickly, because the story (and its sequel) are already full and complete in my mind.

Sabledrake

 

[Croctden]

A long time

Probably the quickest I turned out a story was six months. The longest I have been writing for several years (but I work on it fairly constantly).

I'm going to have to second Perdita, of all my various time consuming projects stories for Lit receive the least attention.

 

[Pookie]

The quickest I have ever written a story from conception of the idea to final draft was six days, but I spent MANY hours each day writing what turned out to be about a 7000 word story. Luckily I had a editor handy at the time or it would have taken more days.

The longest is a story I'm still writing. I began it back in November as a collaboration with another author. It is now over 60,000 words and I have probably another 25,000 words to go before finishing it, based on my outline. I will probably finish it over the next month.

Pookie

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Forever and a Day...

As anyone who held interest in my "A Warrior's Tale" story could attest to. I recieved probably twenty e-mails wanting the second installment and I haven't finished it yet. I submitted the first probably a year ago.
I started working on one for the Halloween contest and am still writing it. Granted, it is long. Almost ten thousand words and still in the making. But let's face it, that's some slow writing...

 

[cahab]

I know that all stories are different lengths. All stories take different amounts of time. But, on average, about how much time and thought do you put into your stories?

I'm embarassed to admit that the longest I have spent on most of my Lit stories is about a couple of hours. Waiting I took a couple of days over.

I read other posts on this topic and you make me feel like a hack. In my defense, most were thought about for years, fantasies buzzing around in my head and my knickers.

 

[Guest]

Yay, Cahab!

I'm embarassed to admit that the longest I have spent on most of my Lit stories is about a couple of hours. Waiting I took a couple of days over.
I read other posts on this topic and you make me feel like a hack. In my defense, most were thought about for years, fantasies buzzing around in my head and my knickers.

Don't be embarrassed! I can't believe Waiting only took two days. You have a gift, dear; way at the other end of the spectrum from hackness (if hackness can be part of a spectrum).

regards and envy, Perdita

 

[Katerina Val-Kyrie]

Story Writings

I am not a fast writer by any means. I've only got a few stories on Lit so far and they took me forever to write. Mind you, that was quite a few years ago. I'm proud to say, I've just finished a brand new 3 chapter story. I started it last year. It's called, Dancing Angel. I've forgotten the sheer excitement of actually completing the last sentence. It's amazing. Now, all I need is an editor! *LOL*

Story writing is a challenge for me. I can't always sit and write, sometimes it just doesn't come. Other times, I'm in a zone and away I go. I love it when I have a night that I actually complete a handful of paragraphs.

Other nights I can sit and stare blankly at the screen wondering why nothing will come. New Beginnings is another story I have in the works. So far, I have seven chapters, but it's far from finished. I started that one well over a year ago too. Someday, I hope I do complete it. I'd hate for all the effort I've put into it so far to be for naught. Time will tell I guess. Now that Angel is out of the way, who knows. The sky is the limit, right?

By the way, I haven't posted in Lit for a very long time either. It's nice to poke my head in and be brave enough to speak up...should do that more often me thinks. Anywho, I've rambled enough for awhile. Was just feeling excited about finally completing my story. I hope it's up and running in Lit really soon. All I need is an editor...

Hugs, Katerina

 

[PAUL C]

writing times

if it flows then i have been known to write a story part of 3 - 4,000 words in an afternoon. Usually they are over 4 or 5 sessions.

A complete story can take between 3 - 6 months.

That of course doesn't include the part finished stories I have sitting somewhere, some have which have taken years.

 

[SlaveMasterUK]

Rhiana took me 7 months to write, working a few hours at a time on some evenings and weekends. It is the only story I have ever properly officially finished. It all started when I was working away from home and had my laptop with me; in the loneliness of the hotel room, I wanted a companion and I created one in Rhiana. A few days later I got an idea for a longer story, and over the following months I worked the plot out in my head while I filled out the story on the computer.

As Rhiana was nearing a close I found myself turning to my next story - I had already worked out roughly what I wanted. Again, about two weeks after I'd started the new story the ending came to me and very soon the whole story was written in my head, needing just the time to get it on the screen. It's been ongoing since March and is probably 50-60% complete...

ax

 

[Quasimodem]

As long as it takes, if we are talking about personnel, creative writing. Up to the deadline, in the case of professional work.

One story was written in snatches over three days, but took six months and forty-two rewrites to get into what I considered a presentable condition. (Since I save each version until the final is reached, I know how many rewrites.)

Alternately, I have burned one story out in half an hour (300 word Flash) including time spent running through spell/grammar checkers and eyeballing closely.

I sent it to an e-Zine, and the editor, who usually likes to make requests for changes, published it without a demur.

Still, both these incidents are examples of extremes.

 

[MathGirl]

Obviously, not long enough. It shows in the final product. The only thing I can claim is correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. I owe at least that much to the reader.
MG

 

[Guest]

grammar, etc.

... It shows in the final product. The only thing I can claim is correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. I owe at least that much to the reader.

Yeah, I try to get those basics out of the way first, then work on the artsy-fartsy stuff which is the fun part.

So if a story takes a really long time it's because I want to keep the fun up.
Perdita

 

[dr_mabeuse]

My stories are not very long on plot, so I can knock out a draft of a 3-4 page story in a morning if I'm motivated, and I've got to say that when I'm writing like that, in a white heat, it can be a great feeling, like playing an instrument.

The problem is, I can agonize over the editing. I've got to edit fast or I think too much and usually screw things up. I'll sit on the piece until I cool down and then edit and rewrite until I get sick of the thing and submit it. I think it shows. My best writing comes out hot and passionate, my worst looks like it's been edited by a committee.

I recently divided the number of stories I've had published here by the time I've been a Lit member and it comes out to about a week/story when figured that way.

---dr.M.

 

[gauchecritic]

a week/story.

---dr.M.

Sounds like my work. (homophonically)

Gauche

 

[BardsLady]

I'm not sure how long my stories will take until my Muse turns me loose from it. I spend at least a couple hours a morning with my bedroom door locked, writing a story.

I can belt out Poetry in ten minutes flat.

But I find that writing a story is an entirely new angle. I'm still new at this type of thing and I still need to get set into a time slot where I can write without interruptions. Mornings from 8 am til noon are good.

As to how long it takes. sometimes I actually have to fight with myself to put an ending on the blasted thing. Sometimes my alter ego/Muse wants to keep going. I have to add a cliffhanger ending then start in on a new story to keep the flow going.

This whole process can take anywhere from a week to several months. But it gets done, at least it gets finished and saved to my computer until I get a chance to submit it.

BardsLady

 

[Bob North]

Judging from the replies I'm an extraordinarily quick writer.

For a five-page story, I take a Saturday morning. For a ten to twelve-page story (my average) a weekend. This after rolling the idea around in my head for three or four days.

Editing sessions for stories usually take around two hours of intense work, but I let them cool for a few weeks first.

 

[FlyontheWall99]

Obviously writing times vary for each piece I write, but I'd say a week for 5,000 - 6,000 words from start to final edit is about the norm.

My personal best is pumping out a 6,000 word effort in one night (five hours?). I find that if I get a real good idea I scribble it down on a notepad and usually it draws me to the keyboard. If I'm not particularly excited about writing the story then it'll never happen ...

Back to writing ....

Fly ...

 

[BlackSnake]

Not long enough, the readers keep complaining about my grammer, but love the stories though. Maybe I should spend more than a few hours at work. So much crap in my head.