I need some advice

[Eric of MI]

Hello to everyone who read my story and thank you for the encouragement to write more.

I am now struggling. "The Love of My Life" (It is currently in 'new' but should end up in 'first time'.) is a true account of my first love. It is more a tribute to Ann and how she completed me, as a man. I do love her, to this day.

I am happy that my expressions for Ann moved you and that you could 'feel' something. However I have no other true stories about love and how wonderful it has been. Anything I write now would be more like an ideal of love, rather than the feeling of it.

I struggle...Would I cheapen this memory of love if I wrote a fantasy? I have plenty but it is all lust and sex. It would not be nearly as good, I don't think...and it might impugn my sincerity in "The Love of Mt Life".

After reading it, please let me know if I should retire my writing career with the first attempt, knowing I hit it good the first time.

Thanks!

Eric

 

[BlackShanglan]

This is a very interesting question, and one that I think is largely - but not entirely - personal.

I will put in a good word for stories that are entirely out of the imagination. Sometimes when we write about real life, we end up letting the act of recording what really happened override our sense of what makes a good story. Sometimes invented stories can be more powerful, as the writer feels more free to trim down the details and events to the key, most evocative elements. Just a thought.

That said ... I did choose not to post one specific story on this site. It was pure silly stroke, not bad in itseld - but I was worried how it would reflect on another story of mine, one that I valued considerably more. In the end I chose not to post it.

I suppose a great deal of it is about how you feel, but in my case it was also about how people would perceive one of the works if they'd read the other. It's something I think worth considering.

Shanglan

 

[Eric of MI]

Reply

Thanks Shangland, I really think you understood what my concern is. I can make up stories but this one about Ann was all true. I would think that when someone would read another story that is fiction, somehow it would diminish the heart-felt sentiments in my story.

I therefore will not write any fictional stories using this name. Perhaps I will re-register under a different Nom de plume.

Eric

 

[BlackShanglan]

I therefore will not write any fictional stories using this name. Perhaps I will re-register under a different Nom de plume.

That's a good idea, and I think a relatively common solution to this problem. It's a good way to introduce some distance between works that have different goals. Best of luck with it -

Shanglan

 

[Eric of MI]

Greetings to all,

A person who has been sending me private feedback has suggested I not be too hasty with my decision to stop writing.

I agree, that more feedback might be helpful and I was hoping if anyone who reads this post might take the time to read my story and give me some pointers, as this was my first and only atttempt.

Curiously, the only feedback I have gotten has been from men. I have had NO comment or feedback from a woman.

Ladies! is my story that bad!!!?