I'm having trouble getting started again after 10 years.

[Oedipus_Dreams]

I didn't write many stories back then. One of them was popular at least and voted well. Now, I feel like I have better plot points and character development ideas. I feel like my vocabulary has just naturally improved. Here's where I am struggling...

I can't get organized. I'm looking for input on how you guys and girls outline, and how much of it do you do?

Do you have the entire story framed before you start writing?

I feel like I'm so focused on outlining a well paced and natural feeling plot - that I can't actually start writing lol.

Thanks everyone.

 

[lovecraft68]

I didn't write many stories back then. One of them was popular at least and voted well. Now, I feel like I have better plot points and character development ideas. I feel like my vocabulary has just naturally improved. Here's where I am struggling...

I can't get organized. I'm looking for input on how you guys and girls outline, and how much of it do you do?

Do you have the entire story framed before you start writing?

I feel like I'm so focused on outlining a well paced and natural feeling plot - that I can't actually start writing lol.

Thanks everyone.

I'm a total pantser, I don't outline at all. I get the idea, have the concept of where it starts, where it ends, and the rest comes to me in flow.

My suggestion to you, at least to get back into the groove, is forget about an outline, or worry about do you have everything framed. Take one of your ideas and just get started.

Focus on getting back to writing first, and after awhile if you feel you need a more organized approach that's fine, but organization doesn't help if you can't write, so just open up a doc, and go for it, relax, cut loose and have some fun. You can always go back and change things later.

 

[SimonDoom]

I know a little bit about what this is like, because I prefer to outline before I start writing.

The first thing, for me, is to have a clear concept for my story. Nearly all my stories center around a particular erotic concept or experience. It's what I call "erotic focus." I don't ever start writing to see what happens. I typically have a clear concept of the story ending before I begin, and I often write the ending in full before I'm far along into the story. When I have a clear focus on the story, then everything falls into place more easily. I don't get stuck on the plot.

To give an example. Suppose I want to write an exhibitionist story. I come up with an exhibitionist concept: Character A accepts a dare to strip naked and get from point X to point Y, in public, in the nude. How can I make that erotic? Number 1, by the way I draw the character and her feelings. She must be nervous and in conflict about it. She hasn't done it before. She's not sure she wants to. Number 2, by focusing on what finally impels her to do it. Is it money? Pride? A need to prove herself to herself or her friends? An accident? Number 3, introduce the unexpected. Something has to go wrong between point X and point & that ratchets up the tension and eroticism. She sees her boss. There's a parade between her and her destination. Something.

A key concept is: don't do too much. Keep it simple. Keep it focused. That will make writing easier. Ask yourself, all the time, what's the main point in this story that I want to emphasize. Chip away everything that doesn't serve the main point.

 

[Dingo_Triplesix]

I´m seconding Simon, mostly I follow a similar approach.

Plotting I find only neccessary for big projects (novel size or larger). I think it will be easier for you to restart with single stories. For this you need one central idea, where it should lead to (normally some sexual encounter), and the rest is collecting prerequisites and building up tension.

Love
Dingo

 

[SimonDoom]

I'll add that I admire people like Lovecraft and others who follow the "pantser" style of just writing. I don't know how they do it. I'd like to try it but I can't ever seem to get going that way. For some of us it is very important to have a full picture of the story in our minds before we start adding the paint. That's the way I think of it. It's like building a chair or planting a garden. You can't really do those things in a pantsing style. I can't, anyway. If you can, my hat's off to you.

 

[shakna]

I do both extremes.

Toofy and related stories are extensively outlined. A truly massive amount of notes around lore, history, economics, etc. But that's to be expected - those stories are an exploration of "what if we gave erotica a decent storyline?"

On the other hand, stories like my I/T Christmas tale, or my witchy sister tale, were written with exactly zero planning. They start off just as a vague idea, or a single vivid scene, and then grow out of that. They rely on the reading falling for the protagonist/s.

 

[TadOverdon]

Just start writing the first bit that excites you.

There's no harm in doing it.

Something else will occur to you later. Open the file, or notebook, and add it.

The great gift of the modern age with our new-fangled word processors is that you can rearrange and add or delete lines anywhere, in any order, as the spirit moves you.

You can begin almost as a collage. If you have the turn of mind and you let your unconscious work, it may grow into a narrative.

The great curse of the modern age is that you can rearrange and add or delete lines anywhere, in any order, as the spirit moves you.

It can become a fucking mess.

 

[Comshaw]

I'll add that I admire people like Lovecraft and others who follow the "pantser" style of just writing. I don't know how they do it. I'd like to try it but I can't ever seem to get going that way. For some of us it is very important to have a full picture of the story in our minds before we start adding the paint. That's the way I think of it. It's like building a chair or planting a garden. You can't really do those things in a pantsing style. I can't, anyway. If you can, my hat's off to you.

Like Lovecraft I'm a pantser. I get inspiration for a story, jump in and follow the flow. Sometimes that can lead to problems, like when I'm 3/4 of the way into it and realize that what I just put down conflicts with an earlier part. That can get messy. But I've just never had the knack of doing an outline. For me, it seems a waste of time because most times when I start I know exactly where it will end.

I equate it to disassembly and reassembly of an engine. Some guys will lay out the parts they take off in an orderly fashion, other's will toss all of 'em into a pile. Both seem to get the engine back together without an issue, which is a long-winded way to say whatever works for you is the right way.

You might even try Tad's suggestion, a combo of both ways. But whichever, I believe if you just put down the first sentence, or the first paragraph, it will give you impetus to keep going.

To quote a line from one of my favorite movies, "The Martian":

"That's how you do it. You just begin."


Comshaw

 

[ElectricBlue]

Pure pantser here, I just start to write. I simply cannot do this outlining stuff, it would kill all spontaneity in my writing. I might have a vague plot line in my head, but not often. Characters will arrive in the space of a sentence, plot twists, the same. I think I have an unusual brain, but it works for me.

 

[NightPorter]

If you mean a notepad with scribbled notes, bullet points, tags, lists of titles and partial lines of dialogue. Then yes, I outline but its more like a brain storm than anything else.

 

[JuanaSalsa]

Most of the time I just follow the flow of the characters as I go, even if that sometimes takes me to a totally different story than I'd first imagined. If my first idea is really important to me, I start over and sometimes end up with two stories for the price of one idea!

My V-day story was outlined, though, since it was a modern version of an old tale and there were certain plot elements and character traits that I wanted to maintain. I struggled more to get started on that one, but it flowed just as easily once I had the whole idea mapped in my mind, with some notes on my phone to remember my plan. I did end up rushing through the plot points though, and had to go back and add an extra 5k words interspersed through the first 10k to fill out the story.

I figure either way works, as long as you do start writing at some point. You can always go fix what went wrong after you have most of it down.

 

[TxRad]

Pantser from the first words I ever wrote.

The story will write itself if the characters are willing to go there and it fits their character and style.

I also find a picture with a story in it helps a lot of the time. That is where a lot of my stories come from. That and being old and having been around the block a dozen or so times.

Experience is what you get when you live through the stupid things you did.

First off and most importantly, you have to start to do something. Pantsing cuts out all that outlining time that is better spent writing a story.

 

[Rustyoznail]

I put down "a little" as it depends on the story. Mostly, I make it up as I go along, but if the story needs to tie in with something else, I do a short outline to make sure I stay within the scope.

 

[yukonnights]

I typically get an idea when I'm not looking for an idea. When I do, I have a file on my computer called ---- wait for it ---- Story Ideas. These are simple bare bone thoughts of that idea for future reference. When I get in the mood to write, I'll peruse this stash of ideas, choose one and then the work begins.

With the broad idea in mind, I do a more detailed "flow-chart" of scenes that would take that idea from a beginning to an ending. It's not a straight-jacket that confines or snuffs out inspiration as I go, but it does give me a target to aim toward.

Once I get further into the story, I've mostly weaned myself from the outline and begin to write the 'movie playing in my head' — because often things have changed. But by then, I pretty much know where I'm going. So it's sort of a blend between "outline" and "by-the-seat-of-my pants".

If I were struggling to get back after a long hiatus, I'd probably go for something in the range of 3 Lit pages (11k words) or 4 Lit pages (15k words). As others have said, the main thing is to start writing.

And don't forget that there's lot's of fellow authors here willing to help, should the need arise.

 

[HeyAll]

My view is this:

This is erotica, so you already know the ending. That's the good news.

I like to establish the intro, then figure it out from there. It makes it more fun and rewarding. Something to discover.

The downside is that sometimes I think I have a great idea/concept, but halfway through it doesn't really work or I don't know what to do next to make it really hot. I have plenty of stories that I've paused in the begining or middle.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I vary. I usually use an outline of some sort, sometimes as little as four or five sentences, sometimes a detailed sheet with every major point detailed. Other times, I have a beginning and an ending and just work from point A to point B. The method I use on a particular story depends on how much I have been thinking about it before I start. The more detail that is worked out in advance, the more detailed the outline.

 

[GrantBricksly]

I know this is from the beginning of the year, but I find this to be very much what I am dealing with right now.

I have never done an outline for my stories. I hated doing them when I was in school. It always made writing harder for me honestly.

How I typically do things, is this: I have an idea. Similar to what Simon was saying above. I have a general concept/plan/focus on what the story will be about. Often times I have an end scene in mind, and some general ideas on how I want to get there. In fairness, sometimes The entire thing will be based on a dream/fantasy that I have. From there, I just start writing, and let the words take me where ever they lead.

Herein lies the problem: Sometimes I lose my mojo. I have probably 5-10 stories that are partially written that I honestly do not remember where I was going with them. I started them years ago. For whatever reason I stopped. (probably just lost motivation) Now, I just have partial stories, that I do not remember, and no clue what the end goal was.

Right now, I am 6k words into a story that is going really well. I love where it's going. I've been writing everyday. I know where I want to end up. But Today, I have to figure out what the next scene is going to be....and I'm not sure what it's going to be....

Sometimes just writing will help. That's why I'm here writing this. I'm hoping that writing on here will help get my mind working.
Sometimes watching some porn, or reading other stories will get my juices going. (That's my next step)

Any other people write like me and have this problem?

 

[jehoram]

I outline mainly to keep timelines and relationships straight. And I have an idea where the story is going to end, even if I'm not clear on exactly how. A lot of my stories end up being extensively revised when I find a better way to get from beginning to end.

 

[Seadog777]

Just start writing the first bit that excites you.

There's no harm in doing it.

Something else will occur to you later. Open the file, or notebook, and add it.

The great gift of the modern age with our new-fangled word processors is that you can rearrange and add or delete lines anywhere, in any order, as the spirit moves you.

You can begin almost as a collage. If you have the turn of mind and you let your unconscious work, it may grow into a narrative.

The great curse of the modern age is that you can rearrange and add or delete lines anywhere, in any order, as the spirit moves you.

It can become a fucking mess.

I absolutely agree and this is how I go about it.
Once I get an idea, I immediately just start "free writing/free typing". Absolutely no thinking at all, I just go until the ancestors tell me to stop.
If something pops into my head, I just add it to the ever-growing list

 

[gunhilltrain]

My view is this:

This is erotica, so you already know the ending. That's the good news.

I like to establish the intro, then figure it out from there. It makes it more fun and rewarding. Something to discover.

The downside is that sometimes I think I have a great idea/concept, but halfway through it doesn't really work or I don't know what to do next to make it really hot. I have plenty of stories that I've paused in the begining or middle.

I have a few stories, or parts of them - forgot the exact number - that I've never finished. There are also the first three chapters of a proposed series that I never published.
I still have them around if I ever feel inspired to finish them. I use to outline a lot at the beginning of my time here, but I do less of it now.

So sometimes things don't work out, but that's okay.

 

[GrantBricksly]

So, the more I write (and My GOD have I been writing the last few days. I was 6k words in the other day, I am now almost 22k words into that same story) the more I realize that as long as my idea is solid (and it seems to be right now) the characters and plot will tell me where to go. There have been several times already that a scene ended up going somewhere I was not expecting. Didn't change the overall story, just how I got there. The characters are just taking on a life of their own. My job has simply been to be the one to document it as it goes (and to keep them in check, to make sure that they don't go off on constant tangents; Ie: Plot bunnies!)

And now I have what is by far one of my best stories yet, at least by my estimation. I'm still not done, by I am in love with this story. I started out at the beginning last week hoping to, and actually, write 1,000 words a day. When I hit 6k words, I posted on here about trying to figure out the next scene. Since then, I think the least I've done was 2,000. One day I wrote almost 7,000 words.

Now I know word count is not a huge thing for some people. I do. But it has bothered me for some time that my stories were as short as they were. And honestly, when I did some checking, a large percentage of the stories that win contests, or had those 4.9 ratings tended to be in the 30k word count. So, it seemed like perhaps a longer, meatier story was what the readers wanted too.

Ok...rant done...back to writing. The point was: I have a clear idea of where I want to get. I have a solid idea for the story. Beyond that, I just start writing, and let the story unfold where ever it may.

 

[drobert44]

So, the more I write (and My GOD have I been writing the last few days. I was 6k words in the other day, I am now almost 22k words into that same story) the more I realize that as long as my idea is solid (and it seems to be right now) the characters and plot will tell me where to go. There have been several times already that a scene ended up going somewhere I was not expecting. Didn't change the overall story, just how I got there. The characters are just taking on a life of their own. My job has simply been to be the one to document it as it goes (and to keep them in check, to make sure that they don't go off on constant tangents; Ie: Plot bunnies!)

And now I have what is by far one of my best stories yet, at least by my estimation. I'm still not done, by I am in love with this story. I started out at the beginning last week hoping to, and actually, write 1,000 words a day. When I hit 6k words, I posted on here about trying to figure out the next scene. Since then, I think the least I've done was 2,000. One day I wrote almost 7,000 words.

Now I know word count is not a huge thing for some people. I do. But it has bothered me for some time that my stories were as short as they were. And honestly, when I did some checking, a large percentage of the stories that win contests, or had those 4.9 ratings tended to be in the 30k word count. So, it seemed like perhaps a longer, meatier story was what the readers wanted too.

Ok...rant done...back to writing. The point was: I have a clear idea of where I want to get. I have a solid idea for the story. Beyond that, I just start writing, and let the story unfold where ever it may.

Proud of you, my kids and friends say I should write.......

 

[GrantBricksly]

Proud of you, my kids and friends say I should write.......

I've done it off and on for years, but never like this. This is the most motivated and inspired I have ever been. It's intense. I love it. I hope I can keep it going. I have plans for several more stories after I finish this one, so I plan to keep this momentum going as long as I can.

 

[drobert44]

I've done it off and on for years, but never like this. This is the most motivated and inspired I have ever been. It's intense. I love it. I hope I can keep it going. I have plans for several more stories after I finish this one, so I plan to keep this momentum going as long as I can.

Get advice from Hemingway.......
gut it out.

 

[drobert44]

It may have been Tennessee Williams, just open up a vein. Or........3:00 is the dark night of the soul.