Introduction_Inspiration_Lifestyle_Feedback.
- Thread starter Bodie
- Start date
KillerMuffin
Seraphically Disinclined
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2000
- Posts
- 25,603
The writer's lifestyle?
Me. My keyboard. My dictionary. A few dozen books on writing. Logging hundreds of thousands of words a year. Rejection notices. Modest payments here and there. Submit.
It's a collection of nouns and adjectives with a hesitant verb at the end.
Me. My keyboard. My dictionary. A few dozen books on writing. Logging hundreds of thousands of words a year. Rejection notices. Modest payments here and there. Submit.
It's a collection of nouns and adjectives with a hesitant verb at the end.
Whispersecret
Clandestine Sex-pressionist
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2000
- Posts
- 3,089
So, how many of the writers here are professional writers?
Literotica paid me for my contribution to their print anthology, but I don't consider myself a professional.
What was the first posting of your work to the site like? How did it feel? What feedback did you get? Did it really help develop your writing ability to post here? How? Why? etc.
Posting for the first time was surprisingly nerve-wracking. I had spent so long yakking about how poor the quality of writing was here that when I finally put my money where my mouth was with "Hostile Takeover," I was terrified to find out I was nothing but hot air. However, I got (and get) a satisfying amount of feedback about that story. Because of the reader response, I feel some amount of confidence in my unrecognized-as-yet--by-the-powers-that-be-in-New-York abilities.
Being able to post here helped me realize that I COULD finish a longer work. Up until I had finished H.T. I had started several novels and finished not a one. H.T. gushed out of me in three months. Despite it's controversial non-consent theme, it's still a romance at heart, and it was a turning point for me because I had FINISHED it.
Also, as I've said many other times, when you analyze other people's writing, you often learn things about your own. When you read story after story written by novices, you can't help but see trends and common mistakes that make you more aware of your own tendencies.
And I only differentiate between the two groups of published and unpublished to pose the question of: what did you get from posting work here?
No, I realize there are hobby writers. But, I'm committed to being published in a big way. I'm very serious about my writing and sometimes forget that not everyone is like me. However, I get annoyed with the goof-offs who say, "I only write for me," or "Jeez, it's only PORN." Bullshit. If you were only writing for you, then there would be no need to post it for the public. Fiction with a sexual theme deserves just as much respect as any other genre.
Lifestyle? Phew! I suspect we all dream of living "the writer's lifestyle". But what does the writer's lifestyle mean to you, real or imagined?
Imagined
--royalty checks coming in regularly from my bestselling paranormal romance series
--a home office of my own that I don't have to share with kids or husband
--perhaps a device that will disconnect me from the internet after half an hour so I'm forced to go back to my writing
--having to go on book tours where my fans line up to meet me
--seeing my book on library and bookstore shelves
--getting reprinted
--having an alter ego that writes children's fantasy fiction too and maybe a picture book or two thrown in for good measure
The reality?
--shunning TV to write, but ending up cruising Literotica and posting on the boards
--going through alternate bouts of confidence that I can attain my dream and depression where I feel sure I can't measure up
--guilt over needing writing time and sometimes pushing my kids away in order to get it.
--trying not to be too hopeful that my manuscript won't come back again from Kensington Corp.
--feeling a sometimes overwhelming urge to write, which is both thrilling and intimidating
You published writers? Or you aspiring writers? You don't-want-to-be-writers, who post? From my own perspective, we frequently look for what secret formula Steven King, John Grisham, or whoever - see the filmic element - may have found to knock-out best-sellers and movies every year. But what are your theories? What have you done in the past? Did it work? How did you change? What would you change?
I feel if I'm persistent, it will happen. I KNOW I'm better than some of the writers I see published. Who's that Madison County guy? Robert Waller? Geez. I'm just going to keep doing my best and try not to gain too much weight when my stuff gets rejected.
Literotica paid me for my contribution to their print anthology, but I don't consider myself a professional.
What was the first posting of your work to the site like? How did it feel? What feedback did you get? Did it really help develop your writing ability to post here? How? Why? etc.
Posting for the first time was surprisingly nerve-wracking. I had spent so long yakking about how poor the quality of writing was here that when I finally put my money where my mouth was with "Hostile Takeover," I was terrified to find out I was nothing but hot air. However, I got (and get) a satisfying amount of feedback about that story. Because of the reader response, I feel some amount of confidence in my unrecognized-as-yet--by-the-powers-that-be-in-New-York abilities.
Being able to post here helped me realize that I COULD finish a longer work. Up until I had finished H.T. I had started several novels and finished not a one. H.T. gushed out of me in three months. Despite it's controversial non-consent theme, it's still a romance at heart, and it was a turning point for me because I had FINISHED it.
Also, as I've said many other times, when you analyze other people's writing, you often learn things about your own. When you read story after story written by novices, you can't help but see trends and common mistakes that make you more aware of your own tendencies.
And I only differentiate between the two groups of published and unpublished to pose the question of: what did you get from posting work here?
No, I realize there are hobby writers. But, I'm committed to being published in a big way. I'm very serious about my writing and sometimes forget that not everyone is like me. However, I get annoyed with the goof-offs who say, "I only write for me," or "Jeez, it's only PORN." Bullshit. If you were only writing for you, then there would be no need to post it for the public. Fiction with a sexual theme deserves just as much respect as any other genre.
Lifestyle? Phew! I suspect we all dream of living "the writer's lifestyle". But what does the writer's lifestyle mean to you, real or imagined?
Imagined
--royalty checks coming in regularly from my bestselling paranormal romance series
--a home office of my own that I don't have to share with kids or husband
--perhaps a device that will disconnect me from the internet after half an hour so I'm forced to go back to my writing
--having to go on book tours where my fans line up to meet me
--seeing my book on library and bookstore shelves
--getting reprinted
--having an alter ego that writes children's fantasy fiction too and maybe a picture book or two thrown in for good measure
The reality?
--shunning TV to write, but ending up cruising Literotica and posting on the boards
--going through alternate bouts of confidence that I can attain my dream and depression where I feel sure I can't measure up
--guilt over needing writing time and sometimes pushing my kids away in order to get it.
--trying not to be too hopeful that my manuscript won't come back again from Kensington Corp.
--feeling a sometimes overwhelming urge to write, which is both thrilling and intimidating
You published writers? Or you aspiring writers? You don't-want-to-be-writers, who post? From my own perspective, we frequently look for what secret formula Steven King, John Grisham, or whoever - see the filmic element - may have found to knock-out best-sellers and movies every year. But what are your theories? What have you done in the past? Did it work? How did you change? What would you change?
I feel if I'm persistent, it will happen. I KNOW I'm better than some of the writers I see published. Who's that Madison County guy? Robert Waller? Geez. I'm just going to keep doing my best and try not to gain too much weight when my stuff gets rejected.
horny_giraffe
Occasionally Spotted
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2001
- Posts
- 1,416
I like to write, and I enjoy posting. But I'd add a caveat.
Posting can be lots of fun, but I think you get a distorted view of humanity from the internet. Not that it people are lying, it's just that birds of a feather flock together. What that means is that people get progressively freakier because people accept them for who they are rather than chastizing them for their nonconformity. Think about it. It's like all of the Jerry Springer freaks who like to have sex with their mommies can get together on their own website and commiserate about how people don't understand them, and how they are really quite normal. And after a while, they believe it--because they are always talking to people who think that's normal.
So, personally, I'm a little wary of getting too involved in any particular "community" forums on the internet. I'm afraid of getting out of touch with the real world, which I find more rewarding.
If you're interesting in writing something more mainstream, I might suggest that you start an account on "The Well." I don't have an account there, but I've been thinking about it. The reason I'm considering it is because people are less anonymous, there. There's a vulnerability, there, because you use your real name. On the other hand, other people are just as vulnerable because they are supposed to use their real names, too. That sounds more like a community, to me. People can call each other on their bullshit. Real consequences for real people.
Of course, "real people" might not be so accepting of my pornographic writing. But you never know, perhaps Literoticans are not as big a minority as I think. A couple of my "real life" friends are aware of my writings, although I know they are less inclined to read. But I'm hardly "outed"--not yet, anyway.
Writers on the internet are a dime-a-dozen. I'm occasionally a competent writer, but I have no illusions that I'm special in that regard. It's a very large pond.
Most of my writing is non-pornographic. A lot of poetry, etc, which I can inflict on my relatives, friends, and acquaintances. I have a dream of writing a novel, but then again, results are about doing--not dreaming. I'm not quitting my paying job.
I've written a few stories, here. Some are better than others. I've occasionally written under different names for some of the more freaky stories.
I enjoyed watching the numbers pile up as people looked at my stories. It felt quite gratifying to know that several thousand people felt my title was intriguing enough to click on. A few hundred even bothered to vote on my stories. That feels good.
I also get occasional email feedback, which is also encouraging.
I've always felt a little threatened by all the competition, so I try to ignore anything that feels especially competitive. I like recognition, but I've come to dislike contests as I am inevitably dissapointed. I'd rather keep my illusions.
Posting can be lots of fun, but I think you get a distorted view of humanity from the internet. Not that it people are lying, it's just that birds of a feather flock together. What that means is that people get progressively freakier because people accept them for who they are rather than chastizing them for their nonconformity. Think about it. It's like all of the Jerry Springer freaks who like to have sex with their mommies can get together on their own website and commiserate about how people don't understand them, and how they are really quite normal. And after a while, they believe it--because they are always talking to people who think that's normal.
So, personally, I'm a little wary of getting too involved in any particular "community" forums on the internet. I'm afraid of getting out of touch with the real world, which I find more rewarding.
If you're interesting in writing something more mainstream, I might suggest that you start an account on "The Well." I don't have an account there, but I've been thinking about it. The reason I'm considering it is because people are less anonymous, there. There's a vulnerability, there, because you use your real name. On the other hand, other people are just as vulnerable because they are supposed to use their real names, too. That sounds more like a community, to me. People can call each other on their bullshit. Real consequences for real people.
Of course, "real people" might not be so accepting of my pornographic writing. But you never know, perhaps Literoticans are not as big a minority as I think. A couple of my "real life" friends are aware of my writings, although I know they are less inclined to read. But I'm hardly "outed"--not yet, anyway.
Writers on the internet are a dime-a-dozen. I'm occasionally a competent writer, but I have no illusions that I'm special in that regard. It's a very large pond.
Most of my writing is non-pornographic. A lot of poetry, etc, which I can inflict on my relatives, friends, and acquaintances. I have a dream of writing a novel, but then again, results are about doing--not dreaming. I'm not quitting my paying job.
I've written a few stories, here. Some are better than others. I've occasionally written under different names for some of the more freaky stories.
I enjoyed watching the numbers pile up as people looked at my stories. It felt quite gratifying to know that several thousand people felt my title was intriguing enough to click on. A few hundred even bothered to vote on my stories. That feels good.
I also get occasional email feedback, which is also encouraging.
I've always felt a little threatened by all the competition, so I try to ignore anything that feels especially competitive. I like recognition, but I've come to dislike contests as I am inevitably dissapointed. I'd rather keep my illusions.
karmadog
Now I'm a drink behind.
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2001
- Posts
- 1,198
rejection
I've had a couple of essays and reviews published, but they don't pay for shit. I write very little erotica, but it's a nice challenge to describe sexuality in a way that isn't cliched or simple porn.
I do write a lot of short stories, and have submitted quite a few to various literary mags. So far they have all been rejected, but I've started getting much better rejection letters. Letters that are actually from the editor and not form letters. I take it as a good sign that some of these editors took the time to send various bits of advice.
In about a month, I'm going to begin doing some research for a novel that I've been thinking about for a long time. I can't wait.
I've had a couple of essays and reviews published, but they don't pay for shit. I write very little erotica, but it's a nice challenge to describe sexuality in a way that isn't cliched or simple porn.
I do write a lot of short stories, and have submitted quite a few to various literary mags. So far they have all been rejected, but I've started getting much better rejection letters. Letters that are actually from the editor and not form letters. I take it as a good sign that some of these editors took the time to send various bits of advice.
In about a month, I'm going to begin doing some research for a novel that I've been thinking about for a long time. I can't wait.
kristydoll
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2002
- Posts
- 205
"So, how many of the writers here are professional writers? And by this, I don't mean wealthy and famous, but who diligently peck-away like I do, or more-often don't, for X-hours a day, earning a living? And I would honestly encourage feedback from either group. What was the first posting of your work to the site like? How did it feel? What feedback did you get? Did it really help develop your writing ability to post here? How? Why? etc. And I only differentiate between the two groups of published and unpublished to pose the question of: what did you get from posting work here?"
*****
Hi,
I don't class myself personally as a "professional" writer, but do say I am a dedicated one. This is what I do for a job...and for the enjoyment it brings me.
I post stories and flash for different reasons then the story itself. I will explain. Currently, I am working on two novels (I know, not always good, but instead, when I get stuck or discouraged with one, I find it better to move on to the other and deal with new subject matter than stop writing). I am getting to my point (but I do love words, so might take a bit *grins*).
I am, in concern to my novel(s) very protective, almost secretive, of my work. I find it best to keep the dea/storyline/characters/etc totally to myself. This is not because I think someone will "steal" my idea, but I have found in the past, that when I have shared work before it was completed, it took something important away from it. It had already been "told" before it was completed, and thus, ruined the story for me.
So, when I need "feedback" or wish to get a perspective of an area I am writing in my novel, I turn that idea into a short story or piece of flash. These are usually quickly written, so I don't expect raves from them. What I usually look for is comments about the subject, how it is written - mainly to see if the reader is taken in the direction I am looking for. If not, then I know I need to work on that section more. I find this feedback valuable for the more serious writing I plan.
On a side note, I think these forums are great. There is always something to learn from everybody. My biggest creed is,"if you can't help a fellow writer, you have no business writing yourself."
Good luck!
kristy
*****
Hi,
I don't class myself personally as a "professional" writer, but do say I am a dedicated one. This is what I do for a job...and for the enjoyment it brings me.
I post stories and flash for different reasons then the story itself. I will explain. Currently, I am working on two novels (I know, not always good, but instead, when I get stuck or discouraged with one, I find it better to move on to the other and deal with new subject matter than stop writing). I am getting to my point (but I do love words, so might take a bit *grins*).
I am, in concern to my novel(s) very protective, almost secretive, of my work. I find it best to keep the dea/storyline/characters/etc totally to myself. This is not because I think someone will "steal" my idea, but I have found in the past, that when I have shared work before it was completed, it took something important away from it. It had already been "told" before it was completed, and thus, ruined the story for me.
So, when I need "feedback" or wish to get a perspective of an area I am writing in my novel, I turn that idea into a short story or piece of flash. These are usually quickly written, so I don't expect raves from them. What I usually look for is comments about the subject, how it is written - mainly to see if the reader is taken in the direction I am looking for. If not, then I know I need to work on that section more. I find this feedback valuable for the more serious writing I plan.
On a side note, I think these forums are great. There is always something to learn from everybody. My biggest creed is,"if you can't help a fellow writer, you have no business writing yourself."
Good luck!
kristy
Whispersecret
Clandestine Sex-pressionist
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2000
- Posts
- 3,089
Bodie said:Whispersecret! Wah wah, wee wah!
Pfft. If you met me in "real life," you'd never know. Active in PTA as a parent, elementary school teacher (to answer your question), t-ball mom who drives a mini-van, etc.
But "confused" is also good, because reading your story sent me back to my own drawing board in panic! You ever read those books that are poorly-constructed and badly-written? And you smile to yourself, warmly? Then you read those that are brilliant, and you mutter to yourself, "Oh bollocks! I'll never be that good. What's the frickin' point?". Well.....I'll leave you to glow in what I thought. I have only read Chap. 1 as well, as I was a little "tired", and thought it deserved better from me. So I'll be heading back there today. I hope it doesn't get too much better!
Yes, I've read those crappy books and felt a renewed determination to get off my ass, stop being afraid of rejection and failure, and send my stuff OUT.
I've also read some great books that leave me frustrated and despairing. Writing a great book is such an art. There's so fucking much that has to be finessed that it's awe-inspring when it's done right. At the same time, it's a damned mystery, because there just no way in hell I'll ever be able to pinpoint all the specific things that made it great. (So I can emulate them.) Know what I mean?
You were tired? Does that mean what I think it means? Or did you really mean tired?
If it's crap, then so be it. But I'll see it for what it is: a first attempt knocked-out in a couple of days.
But don't let that be a safety net for you. Some people, I think, console themselves by saying, "Well, I didn't really try that hard on that, so no wonder no one liked it." That's a cop out. Be stronger and more confident in yourself. (Yeah, I'm working on following my own advice, I swear.) Put your very best out there.
(You worried me when you wrote your story over three months! But now I see why - in ambition and quality.) But yes, I also got a sense of satisfaction from finishing a story.
Not to freak you out or anything, but three months was FAST. My last novel (sitting on some asst. ed's desk in NYC) took two years.
I'd like to hear more about your mainstream writing area. I'd be very interested in what steps you've taken in this mainstream area, what successes, or not, you've had, etc. What advice you'd give, or what pitfalls I can avoid. I'm going to be going there soon, so all advice helps me and I'm a good listener. You submit to New York? Like we submit to London, I guess?
I wrote an erotic romance and sent it to Kensington because they have an erotic romance imprint called "Brava." It got rejected last November, but the rejection letter had a hand-written comment about a lack of deep emotional connection between the protagonists. So, I nixed the threesome, the fantasy fuck with the goddess (I know, this sounds weird, but you'd have to read the story to understand...) and really beefed up the committment factor between my hero and heroine. I queried the asst. ed to see if she'd be willing to see a rewrite. Thank God, she said yes. So it's there. I wait anxiously.
Advice? Write what you want and then find the publisher who publishes that type of writing. I originally wrote my novel with a male and female audience in mind, hence the raunchy female/female/male scene. But when I sent it to Kensington, I forgot that their audience is mainly female, and that romance-minded group isn't likely to take kindly to a hero who "cheats" with another woman. So, target your publishers well.
And New York is where the majority of the publishers in the U.S. are.
Madison County. I loved the movie, sob-sob, but heard the book sucked. Right or wrong?
Well, I read the book when it first came out and cried after I read it. (I hate unhappy endings.) But at that time I hadn't started Writing Seriously, so I wasn't in analyzing mode when I read it. I DID try to read his second book and couldn't get past the first few pages.
But seriously, whisper, I loved your story. It was obviously well-written, but it was a story - even what I've read so far - which is what I reckon people want, a good story. And I'm gagging to get back there and continue it as well.
Thank you very much. I'm proud of that story.
And welcome to the Lit Community.
Octavian
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2002
- Posts
- 601
time taken to write
A couple of days?
Three months even?
How did you manage that?
Mine took nearly three years!__________________________________________________________________
“If you can keep your head, whilst all around are losing theirs, then you don’t understand how serious the problem is!”
My Stories: (sounds grand, but there’s only the one of ‘em!)
http://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=124740
A couple of days?
Three months even?
How did you manage that?
Mine took nearly three years!__________________________________________________________________
“If you can keep your head, whilst all around are losing theirs, then you don’t understand how serious the problem is!”
My Stories: (sounds grand, but there’s only the one of ‘em!)
http://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=124740
Whispersecret
Clandestine Sex-pressionist
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2000
- Posts
- 3,089
I read your post about editing today. Very interesting. So, I'll just send all my work to you from now on then, shall I?
LOL. We'll see. I haven't got much written lately, so I'm not in the need for an edit.
And what is a t-ball mom?
It's like a soccer mom, but my kid plays t-ball (softball for beginners who can't hit a moving ball!)
The choice: to deconstruct a good book, identify the component parts and how, why, where, etc they work; and then reconstruct your own book in a similarish fashion. Thereby writing a "good book", even if considered a little formulaic, by the critics. Or to develop your own craft, by writing smut, or whatever else, and hopefully become a "good writer". That was the choice as I see it, although there is nothing to stop me doing a bit of both, as long as I get my writing done.
I think that both is a good idea. I see nothing wrong with analyzing good books for their merits, as long as you don't get too involved in that. For example, noting that the secondary plot was introduced on page 17, the description of the setting was only 97 words, etc.
I once read that you write the crap out of your system. You write and write until the crap is replaced by good writing.
God, that might be right for most people, but I am a slow writer. I revise as I go, which I know goes against the conventional wisdom. Still, it seems to work for me.
And I hate mediocrity. Either win big, or lose big!
That's exactly what I meant!
And I know, false modesty is a very thin veil. Like you, I've seen writing on the site, and in books, that I know I could better. But, also like you, I'll keep my big trap shut until my work is out there in the public forum. Shit, maybe we both read the one crap story on the site!
Oh, no, you won't be like me. My big trap was yapping long before I posted a story of my own. That's why I was so terrified to submit.
And when I first found Literotica I think I can safely say that the quality of the stories was much poorer. You'd have to ask some other "old timers" their opinion though.
Dum-dee-dum. Sorry, I was just trying to imagine your fantasy fuck with a Goddess! It sounds intriguing!
Yeah, I kept it and might use it in some other story sometime. It was pretty hot.
Do you subscribe to any of the cinematic principles of "storytelling", like Joseph Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces, or whatever?
Holy fuck. Do you know Christopher Vogler's The Writer's Journey which was modeled after Campbell's work? I love that book, and think it's golden. I don't make a checklist or anything. I just hope that I absorbed the info by osmosis and the story structure seeps into my writing naturally.
Do you start out with a definite, or fairly-rigid story structure, or make it up as you go along? Sorry, that sounds so naff, but you know what I'm getting at. Do you have key plot-points you want to have in there? An overall structure?
No, no rigid plotting ahead of time. I did that once and never wrote the book. Now I start with a rough idea of where I want things to go and wing it. What's naff mean?
Have you read Story by Robert Key?
No.
---
Say, by the way, where is everyone else? Bodie's questions are for anyone to answer. This isn't supposed to just be a private conversation. Jump right in!
LOL. We'll see. I haven't got much written lately, so I'm not in the need for an edit.
And what is a t-ball mom?
It's like a soccer mom, but my kid plays t-ball (softball for beginners who can't hit a moving ball!)
The choice: to deconstruct a good book, identify the component parts and how, why, where, etc they work; and then reconstruct your own book in a similarish fashion. Thereby writing a "good book", even if considered a little formulaic, by the critics. Or to develop your own craft, by writing smut, or whatever else, and hopefully become a "good writer". That was the choice as I see it, although there is nothing to stop me doing a bit of both, as long as I get my writing done.
I think that both is a good idea. I see nothing wrong with analyzing good books for their merits, as long as you don't get too involved in that. For example, noting that the secondary plot was introduced on page 17, the description of the setting was only 97 words, etc.
I once read that you write the crap out of your system. You write and write until the crap is replaced by good writing.
God, that might be right for most people, but I am a slow writer. I revise as I go, which I know goes against the conventional wisdom. Still, it seems to work for me.
And I hate mediocrity. Either win big, or lose big!
That's exactly what I meant!
And I know, false modesty is a very thin veil. Like you, I've seen writing on the site, and in books, that I know I could better. But, also like you, I'll keep my big trap shut until my work is out there in the public forum. Shit, maybe we both read the one crap story on the site!
Oh, no, you won't be like me. My big trap was yapping long before I posted a story of my own. That's why I was so terrified to submit.
And when I first found Literotica I think I can safely say that the quality of the stories was much poorer. You'd have to ask some other "old timers" their opinion though.
Dum-dee-dum. Sorry, I was just trying to imagine your fantasy fuck with a Goddess! It sounds intriguing!
Yeah, I kept it and might use it in some other story sometime. It was pretty hot.
Do you subscribe to any of the cinematic principles of "storytelling", like Joseph Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces, or whatever?
Holy fuck. Do you know Christopher Vogler's The Writer's Journey which was modeled after Campbell's work? I love that book, and think it's golden. I don't make a checklist or anything. I just hope that I absorbed the info by osmosis and the story structure seeps into my writing naturally.
Do you start out with a definite, or fairly-rigid story structure, or make it up as you go along? Sorry, that sounds so naff, but you know what I'm getting at. Do you have key plot-points you want to have in there? An overall structure?
No, no rigid plotting ahead of time. I did that once and never wrote the book. Now I start with a rough idea of where I want things to go and wing it. What's naff mean?
Have you read Story by Robert Key?
No.
---
Say, by the way, where is everyone else? Bodie's questions are for anyone to answer. This isn't supposed to just be a private conversation.
Jump right in!
karmadog
Now I'm a drink behind.
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2001
- Posts
- 1,198
As to revision, I write while inspired, and keep going until I get stuck. Then I do revisions. Then I write again. Then revise. Repeat until the story's done.
Then I let it sit for a week or two so I can read it with fresh eyes. From there--more revision. Repeat.
Some stories I can complete in a week (revisions and all) others I fear may never be done.
One of the reasons I like to let the story sit for a while is that I sometimes find that the story wasn't what about what I thought it was. When that's the case, the subtext must be adjusted.
I wonder if that happens very often to other writers? Or am I just not self-aware enough?
Then I let it sit for a week or two so I can read it with fresh eyes. From there--more revision. Repeat.
Some stories I can complete in a week (revisions and all) others I fear may never be done.
One of the reasons I like to let the story sit for a while is that I sometimes find that the story wasn't what about what I thought it was. When that's the case, the subtext must be adjusted.
I wonder if that happens very often to other writers? Or am I just not self-aware enough?
kristydoll
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2002
- Posts
- 205
karmadog said:
Actually, I think this happens quite often...especially when writers try and "force" a story. A similar experience happened in the writing of my novel. I had a "female character" try to sneak into my book. I was adamant that I did not need nor want another character involved. I ignored "her" voice and kept writing. I must have rewritten that chapter 10 different times and in different ways. It wouldn't work. I finally opened up to the idea of "her" and the writing just flew. It also added a new dimension to the story that now, I grudgingly admit, works better.
And Bodie....thanks for your comments. And as I have noticed that you are from the UK, I just might pick your brain sometime for some "slang"...one of my novels is being written in UK style english (and based in the UK) *grins*
kristy
Whispersecret
Clandestine Sex-pressionist
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2000
- Posts
- 3,089
Whisper, you bloody tease! You big, buggering tease-monster!!! My dum-dee-dumbing was supposed to be where you jumped-in and told me all about your Goddess, or the "hot" sex!
Sorry, I didn't realize. You'll have to wait. I may regurgitate that scene, fiddle around with it, and make it it's own story.
...do we all think of images in our mind when we write. Mostly, I do. Dunno if that's me being a bloke, and so visual modality-dominant, or whatever they reckon. But saying that, sometimes stuff just comes out onto the page without any conscious thought. And you wonder where it came from. Your subconscious maybe?
Sometimes I see things very clearly, like a particular stance a character has, and damned if sometimes I can't figure out how exactly to describe what I see. Sometimes I know that the flow needs two more thoughts, and I'll insert, not a visual, but some other sensory detail.
As for your over the top rave over "Hostile Takeover"...
Keep it up.
Just kidding.
Not really.
Oh, hell. You know what I mean. Thanks.
Now, POST YOUR FUCKING STORY. Wimp.
You big, buggering tease-monster!!! My dum-dee-dumbing was supposed to be where you jumped-in and told me all about your Goddess, or the "hot" sex! Sorry, I didn't realize. You'll have to wait. I may regurgitate that scene, fiddle around with it, and make it it's own story.
...do we all think of images in our mind when we write. Mostly, I do. Dunno if that's me being a bloke, and so visual modality-dominant, or whatever they reckon. But saying that, sometimes stuff just comes out onto the page without any conscious thought. And you wonder where it came from. Your subconscious maybe?
Sometimes I see things very clearly, like a particular stance a character has, and damned if sometimes I can't figure out how exactly to describe what I see. Sometimes I know that the flow needs two more thoughts, and I'll insert, not a visual, but some other sensory detail.
As for your over the top rave over "Hostile Takeover"...
Keep it up.
Just kidding. Not really.
Oh, hell. You know what I mean. Thanks.
Now, POST YOUR FUCKING STORY. Wimp.
wildsweetone
i am what i am
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2002
- Posts
- 6,809
pontification to the edification of the corpus collosum.
er, what she said.
pontification to the edification of the corpus collosum.
this thread has been a better build up than all the trailers for movies I've ever sat through.
er, what she said.
pontification to the edification of the corpus collosum.
this thread has been a better build up than all the trailers for movies I've ever sat through.
Coolville
rampant quodlibertarius
- Joined
- May 16, 2001
- Posts
- 2,807
So, how many of the writers here are professional writers? And by this, I don't mean wealthy and famous, but who diligently peck-away like I do, or more-often don't, for X-hours a day, earning a living?
Wealthy and famous writers? Not too many of those around on this planet. I've made a living writing since I was 22 but wealthy I am not. Comfortable is more like it. One of favourite writers, V.S. Naipaul said that one should never become a millionaire until one is over 40. So I'm looking forward to that - in 6 years.
Pounding out words every single day is the only way forward. Regardless of mood, emotion or hangover.
What was the first posting of your work to the site like? How did it feel? What feedback did you get? Did it really help develop your writing ability to post here? How? Why? etc. And I only differentiate between the two groups of published and unpublished to pose the question of: what did you get from posting work here?
It was fun to post it. It was a one-off and the person who runs the site sent me a mail saying it was wonderful. So that was nice.
Then, recently, i started hacking out more stories. More as a displacement activity, really. Something to do with the Nordic summer. Makes you horny. The feedback on all the stories has been overwhelming. Doesn't help me as a writer, but it's nice to read them.
Writing the stories, however, regardless of how different they are from the writing I do that pays my rent, is good practice. An artist sketches constantly, keeping the instincts fine-tuned. A writer writes. So while I get a kick out of the erotic content, I have no doubt that the mere act of writing them out, inventing characters, forming words into flowing stories, is good training.
Wealthy and famous writers? Not too many of those around on this planet. I've made a living writing since I was 22 but wealthy I am not. Comfortable is more like it. One of favourite writers, V.S. Naipaul said that one should never become a millionaire until one is over 40. So I'm looking forward to that - in 6 years.
Pounding out words every single day is the only way forward. Regardless of mood, emotion or hangover.
What was the first posting of your work to the site like? How did it feel? What feedback did you get? Did it really help develop your writing ability to post here? How? Why? etc. And I only differentiate between the two groups of published and unpublished to pose the question of: what did you get from posting work here?
It was fun to post it. It was a one-off and the person who runs the site sent me a mail saying it was wonderful. So that was nice.
Then, recently, i started hacking out more stories. More as a displacement activity, really. Something to do with the Nordic summer. Makes you horny. The feedback on all the stories has been overwhelming. Doesn't help me as a writer, but it's nice to read them.
Writing the stories, however, regardless of how different they are from the writing I do that pays my rent, is good practice. An artist sketches constantly, keeping the instincts fine-tuned. A writer writes. So while I get a kick out of the erotic content, I have no doubt that the mere act of writing them out, inventing characters, forming words into flowing stories, is good training.
G
Guest
Guest
Pro writer of a different hue
I work in the multimedia production field and very often I get the task of roughing out scripts for works in progress. Mind these are never anything terribly noteworthy, usualy it's some public service piece or industrial training video so the plot rarely becomes titlilating enough to draw more than a yawn from the client but that's what they pay for. From developing that as a 'talent', I generaly see my stories as a screenplay, fleshing out characters *pun alert* and establishing a plotline plausible enough for them to come together *pun alert repeated* at various points along the way, that seems to work best for me. Heaven forbid I actualy get the budget and cooperation to produce a dedicated adult feature in the real world, I have enough problems dealing with my literary actors and actresses here at Lit......
I work in the multimedia production field and very often I get the task of roughing out scripts for works in progress. Mind these are never anything terribly noteworthy, usualy it's some public service piece or industrial training video so the plot rarely becomes titlilating enough to draw more than a yawn from the client but that's what they pay for. From developing that as a 'talent', I generaly see my stories as a screenplay, fleshing out characters *pun alert* and establishing a plotline plausible enough for them to come together *pun alert repeated* at various points along the way, that seems to work best for me. Heaven forbid I actualy get the budget and cooperation to produce a dedicated adult feature in the real world, I have enough problems dealing with my literary actors and actresses here at Lit......
Alex De Kok
Eternal Optimist
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2000
- Posts
- 1,498
Wildsweetone said
The snag with trailers is that you get all of the best bits thrown at you in a kaleidoscopic frenzy and go to see the movie, only to find that there are long boring bits in between those highlights. A bit like life, I suppose. What was that quote about war, ‘Five per cent terror and ninety-five percent waiting for something to happen’, or something like that.
Professional writer? Not me. Like to be, one day, but in the meantime I’m learning my craft with a few submissions here. Generally well received, so I’m encouraged. I have a hidey-hole with my PC and printer where I can lock myself away to write, but the PC has an Internet connection, and if I stumble in my efforts I connect, come here and bang goes the writing for an hour or three.
I noted the comments by Whispersecret about Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey. I thought to myself, ‘that sounds familiar, where have I seen it?’ So I went looking. Know where I found it? On my own freaking bookshelf, that’s where. Three feet from this keyboard I’m typing on. Unread! Anyone got a trepanning saw? There’s an idiot here needs a brain transplant. Urgently! I have managed to read Stephen King’s On Writing so I’m not a completely lost cause.
Got to agree with wildsweetone. This is one of the most interesting threads going at the moment. (Apart, that is, from Whisper’s own feedback thread.) Now I’m going to post this. Then I’m going to disconnect. Then I’m making myself a cup of tea, locking myself away and writing!
Alex
The snag with trailers is that you get all of the best bits thrown at you in a kaleidoscopic frenzy and go to see the movie, only to find that there are long boring bits in between those highlights. A bit like life, I suppose. What was that quote about war, ‘Five per cent terror and ninety-five percent waiting for something to happen’, or something like that.
Professional writer? Not me. Like to be, one day, but in the meantime I’m learning my craft with a few submissions here. Generally well received, so I’m encouraged. I have a hidey-hole with my PC and printer where I can lock myself away to write, but the PC has an Internet connection, and if I stumble in my efforts I connect, come here and bang goes the writing for an hour or three.
I noted the comments by Whispersecret about Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey. I thought to myself, ‘that sounds familiar, where have I seen it?’ So I went looking. Know where I found it? On my own freaking bookshelf, that’s where. Three feet from this keyboard I’m typing on. Unread! Anyone got a trepanning saw? There’s an idiot here needs a brain transplant. Urgently! I have managed to read Stephen King’s On Writing so I’m not a completely lost cause.
Got to agree with wildsweetone. This is one of the most interesting threads going at the moment. (Apart, that is, from Whisper’s own feedback thread.) Now I’m going to post this. Then I’m going to disconnect. Then I’m making myself a cup of tea, locking myself away and writing!
Alex
Whispersecret
Clandestine Sex-pressionist
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2000
- Posts
- 3,089
Did Bodie post his story?
Route66Girl
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2002
- Posts
- 229
Did somebody say 'Wonder Boys?'
I'm going to write a lengthy reply to this and your other questions later tonight. Unfortunately, I have to go to work in a few minutes.
But I had to say that I was listening to the soundtrack to The Wonder Boys as I read your post, lol. I love that film so much. A writer's film if ever there was one. To quote a friend of mine: "It's so good it's a wonder it got made to begin with."
Well, off to work I go. Hope Vernon doesn't jump on my hood.
I'm going to write a lengthy reply to this and your other questions later tonight. Unfortunately, I have to go to work in a few minutes.
But I had to say that I was listening to the soundtrack to The Wonder Boys as I read your post, lol. I love that film so much. A writer's film if ever there was one. To quote a friend of mine: "It's so good it's a wonder it got made to begin with."
Well, off to work I go. Hope Vernon doesn't jump on my hood.
