Long, Unfinished Stories

[Boxlicker101]

For some reason, I can't seem to bring any of my stories to a finish. As I go along, the characters keep thinking of more fun things they want to do with each other, and I have to keep adding words. One story should have been about 4,000 words, but it's almost 7,00 already. At least the characters are getting tired and will want to stop pretty soon. Another one is over 3,000 words and less than half done. These people are insatiable!

 

[damppanties]

Just stop somewhere and write - "And then they lived happily ever after."

That easy.

(No, no. No need for the acknowledgemnt ... really! Oh well, ok. If you really want to... )

 

[floweringquince]

I have a similar problem: I can never seem to finish anything longer than a haiku.*

My characters get out of hand; there's always something else they need to do, and then the minor character develop into major characters, and then what if... (...what if the main character got elected President? ...and Martians landed?... and all the batteries in all the vibrators went dead at the same time?)

And then I get a new story idea, all fresh and bright and shiny, and go chasing after it ...(I feel so fickle sometimes).

- quince the unfinished


(*Similar problem:
Stories never get finished;
just a few haiku

 

[pop_54]

For some reason, I can't seem to bring any of my stories to a finish. As I go along, the characters keep thinking of more fun things they want to do with each other, and I have to keep adding words. One story should have been about 4,000 words, but it's almost 7,00 already. At least the characters are getting tired and will want to stop pretty soon. Another one is over 3,000 words and less than half done. These people are insatiable!

Filthy depraved sods... I blame the liberalisation of everything Boxy... your characters need a few lessons in polite behaviour

(I know the feeling well, I have a year old tome that's reached 11,463 words now and I still can't end it yet)

 

[SimonBrooke]

For some reason, I can't seem to bring any of my stories to a finish. As I go along, the characters keep thinking of more fun things they want to do with each other, and I have to keep adding words. One story should have been about 4,000 words, but it's almost 7,00 already. At least the characters are getting tired and will want to stop pretty soon. Another one is over 3,000 words and less than half done. These people are insatiable!

Decide what the story you're trying to tell is, tell it, cut.

If they really won't shut up, write another.

 

[pop_54]

Decide what the story you're trying to tell is, tell it, cut.

If they really won't shut up, write another.

That's easier said than done though Simon... often one gets so involved with a story and the characters, they become friends, part of your life, you can't just cut them off in full flow... It all becomes so mechanical and clinical to just write for the sake of publishing as quick as possible... sometimes we need to get into the story and make it a work of passion.

 

[Vermilion]

I have the opposite problem. With about 1 exception I have trouble breaking the 4,000 word barrier.
All my stories just naturally come to a close around about then and I can't seem to make them go on any longer...
I do have the problem where one story spawns another, mind...
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[pop_54]

I have the opposite problem. With about 1 exception I have trouble breaking the 4,000 word barrier.
All my stories just naturally come to a close around about then and I can't seem to make them go on any longer...
I do have the problem where one story spawns another, mind...
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I have that prob too dear, most times... the one's I post on here are all crap... stories that were going nowhere fast and naturally wound up due to lack of interest... I've yet to post what I consider a decent tome... none of them are finished

Neither of my two NanoWrimo efforts ever got posted in full cos neither are finished yet.... 50,000 plus & 70,000 plus words respectively and both just refuse to wind up

 

[Vermilion]

I have that prob too dear, most times... the one's I post on here are all crap... stories that were going nowhere fast and naturally wound up due to lack of interest... I've yet to post what I consider a decent tome... none of them are finished

Neither of my two NanoWrimo efforts ever got posted in full cos neither are finished yet.... 50,000 plus & 70,000 plus words respectively and both just refuse to wind up

I don't think mine are crap, they just came to a natural ending around about 4000 words. They're actually quite good, for me... I wish I could have written more.
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[pop_54]

I don't think mine are crap, they just came to a natural ending around about 4000 words. They're actually quite good, for me... I wish I could have written more.
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Yours are fine dear... It's mine that are crap... A lot of people can produce brilliant short stories, some people f*** it up by trying to force the tale on and on...

 

[Vermilion]

Yours are fine dear... It's mine that are crap... A lot of people can produce brilliant short stories, some people f*** it up by trying to force the tale on and on...

Oh, I'm never one to keep going once I've run out of story.
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[TheeGoatPig]

I have two different versions of the same story. Depending on which one I want to continue, it either has 16,000 words and is a third written, or 27,000 words and about half done. I'm insatiable sometimes.

 

[damppanties]

I have the opposite problem. With about 1 exception I have trouble breaking the 4,000 word barrier.
All my stories just naturally come to a close around about then and I can't seem to make them go on any longer...
I do have the problem where one story spawns another, mind...
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Kindred soul. I have the same problem. I keep telling Fallen I can't write more than 5,000 words. She keeps teasing me with tens of thousands.

 

[drksideofthemoon]

I have the opposite problem. With about 1 exception I have trouble breaking the 4,000 word barrier.
All my stories just naturally come to a close around about then and I can't seem to make them go on any longer...
I do have the problem where one story spawns another, mind...
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The majority of my recent stories have been in the 20K realm....a few of them have been shorter....

Hell, I tried to write a 500 word thing for the challenge that ended up being over 1K....LOL...

 

[Guest]

I have serveral stories that are unfinished. One of which is 3/4 finished with 60,000 + words and another 2/3 done—both are published on Literotica. However, instead of the case of Box, where his characters won't shut up, mine are silent and glaring at me too.

 

[drksideofthemoon]

Kindred soul. I have the same problem. I keep telling Fallen I can't write more than 5,000 words. She keeps teasing me with tens of thousands.

When's your next epic coming out....

 

[damppanties]

When's your next epic coming out....

Hmpf. More like a short.
Don't poke me too much or I'll challenge you to something.

 

[drksideofthemoon]

Hmpf. More like a short.
Don't poke me too much or I'll challenge you to something.

Hmmm...another chapter of Untouchable would be nice....

 

[damppanties]

Hmmm...another chapter of Untouchable would be nice....

Yes, I should.

 

[SimonBrooke]

That's easier said than done though Simon... often one gets so involved with a story and the characters, they become friends, part of your life, you can't just cut them off in full flow... It all becomes so mechanical and clinical to just write for the sake of publishing as quick as possible... sometimes we need to get into the story and make it a work of passion.

Yes, they do. Catriona's like that. She fascinates me as a character. So I've written her another story, which I may submit just shortly, and a third is... just simmering on the back burner. But the tale I was trying to tell in Catriona was simply the story of how they got together in the first place. It's a romance. And as someone said upthread, romance stops at the bedroom door.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I have serveral stories that are unfinished. One of which is 3/4 finished with 60,000 + words and another 2/3 done—both are published on Literotica. However, instead of the case of Box, where his characters won't shut up, mine are silent and glaring at me too.

Mine aren't actually talking to me; they are talking to each other but I can hear them. Sometimes they don't even talk about it. I say to myself something like "Well, this story is almost done" and some of the characters all of a sudden start doing something on their own, and I have to keep writing about it.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I figure the best thing to do is deconstruct the long piece, since I can't figure out an arc for it anyway. I could make it into a series of shorter stories that are linked together by the recurring characters.

 

[scriptordelecto]

I figure the best thing to do is deconstruct the long piece, since I can't figure out an arc for it anyway. I could make it into a series of shorter stories that are linked together by the recurring characters.

Works well for Rob!

 

[Fallenfromgrace]

Kindred soul. I have the same problem. I keep telling Fallen I can't write more than 5,000 words. She keeps teasing me with tens of thousands.

I found it difficult to write the 500 word challenge.

I have part one of a story on the site and that's about 5000 words, part 2 and 3 are written and are each 6 or 7 thousand words...and i KNOW i have at least another 3 parts to write after that.

I also have a 26,000 word WORK IN PROGRESS that needs a full re-write and edit. I know im adding something to the beginning which will be at least another 2000 words, but like i said it needs a whole re-write and so it may get considerably shorter or considerably longer. But as it is, i dont plan to make any move on that till 2008 as my writting calander for this year seems fully booked

 

[Vermilion]

The majority of my recent stories have been in the 20K realm....a few of them have been shorter....

Hell, I tried to write a 500 word thing for the challenge that ended up being over 1K....LOL...

Now you're just rubbing it in.
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