Post short stories first time or dive into a Series?

[Irreverent1]

I'm sort of curious for writers opinions on how to approach creating and posting stories for the very first time. If, as an authors, you could look back at how you did it originally would you change what you did? Would you attempt to get your feet wet a little, post a few anthological short stories to get feedback and adjust or would you just jump in, start a series and damn the torpedoes?


Also, being absolutely new to this process, if someone could point out a way to properly gauge how many Literotica pages worth of material I've written that would be most helpful. I've seen people refer to a word count but if I have a character sing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious it seems there are a few holes in the word count method. Any help would be sincerely appreciated though.

 

[Jay321]

The first thing I posted was a story with a solid end. It just had a hook. I gauged reaction and wrote part 2.

I am sure you will get an answer on word count, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Write until the end of the story. Edit (either you or an editor) and post.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

I'm sort of curious for writers opinions on how to approach creating and posting stories for the very first time. If, as an authors, you could look back at how you did it originally would you change what you did? Would you attempt to get your feet wet a little, post a few anthological short stories to get feedback and adjust or would you just jump in, start a series and damn the torpedoes?


Also, being absolutely new to this process, if someone could point out a way to properly gauge how many Literotica pages worth of material I've written that would be most helpful. I've seen people refer to a word count but if I have a character sing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious it seems there are a few holes in the word count method. Any help would be sincerely appreciated though.

Welcome to the madhouse. Rule #1 - Stop sweating "your first submission ever" and just do it!

If you're a first-time poster, your story will attract some eyeballs for the first few days it's up because new stories are listed on the category page. If you pick a popular category that receives lots of submissions, your story will drop off that front page quickly. Pick a slower category and it may linger up there for a week or so.

For example, the new story listing for the Anal hub include a story originally posted way back on 7/17/2016. Switch over to Incest/Taboo and the oldest story on the New list is from 8/24/2016.

Hot categories, like incest, receive more entries. More specific categories (like Anal) receive fewer entries, so it takes a while for a new post to fade from the new listing. No surprise, but the categories that receive the most postings tend to have the most readers, too.

Here's a GREAT way to attract extra attention to even a first-time submission - participate in one of Literotica.com's seasonal contests! Contest submissions enjoy speedier approval times (often appear the next day), they have a link to special page listing all the entrants, and that link persists until the conclusion of the contest.

Better yet? You still have plenty of time to enter Lit's current contest, "Summer Lovin'". There's no entry fee. The rules are fairly loose. And you're sure to gain a lot more attention to your first-time submission.

Once you build up a Lit library, keep entering contests - contests have a magical way of attracting attention to the rest of your lit library. Follow the links from the home page or click on this one: http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1339800

 

[NotWise]

I'm sort of curious for writers opinions on how to approach creating and posting stories for the very first time. If, as an authors, you could look back at how you did it originally would you change what you did? Would you attempt to get your feet wet a little, post a few anthological short stories to get feedback and adjust or would you just jump in, start a series and damn the torpedoes?


Also, being absolutely new to this process, if someone could point out a way to properly gauge how many Literotica pages worth of material I've written that would be most helpful. I've seen people refer to a word count but if I have a character sing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious it seems there are a few holes in the word count method. Any help would be sincerely appreciated though.

I suspect the page size is number of Lit lines rather than number of words, so it can vary. For most writers (not having characters recite Disney songs) it seems to come out to ~3700 words/Lit page. Maybe if you have a lot of dialog in one-line paragraphs then that can change.

I think everyone looks back on their first stories and cringes, so you might just think of your first submissions as a way to learn the ropes. My first two posts were short to very short, stand-alone stories. It was a learning experience and I was pleased with the results. Those were followed by a series that is still on-going. If you want to post any chapter series it's best for you and your readers if you have everything written before you start posting them.

 

[TxRad]

Going back the one thing i would have done different was to learn more about the categories right off the bat instead of posting a few stories and then realizing i had stories in the wrong place.

3700 +/- is a pretty good reference but Lit pages are based on character count more precisely. Weird Harold has the number somewhere in his answers waiting on questions.

 

[HeyAll]

I'm sort of curious for writers opinions on how to approach creating and posting stories for the very first time. If, as an authors, you could look back at how you did it originally would you change what you did? Would you attempt to get your feet wet a little, post a few anthological short stories to get feedback and adjust or would you just jump in, start a series and damn the torpedoes?


Also, being absolutely new to this process, if someone could point out a way to properly gauge how many Literotica pages worth of material I've written that would be most helpful. I've seen people refer to a word count but if I have a character sing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious it seems there are a few holes in the word count method. Any help would be sincerely appreciated though.

You can find out yourself.

Just paste what you have into the story submitter in your profile, and hit submit. It won't be submitted away though, it'll go to preview, and you can see how many pages it is. Then delete it.

Also, just jump right in.

You can get an idea of what readers like here by simply looking at other popular stories.

 

[sr71plt]

A measure of 3,750 words per Literotica page has held up well as a measure for me over nearly 900 Literotica stories.

And I'd suggest posting standalone stories of no more than three Lit. pages (but at least two Lit. pages) initially until you'd gathered a bit of readership. And if you write series and abandon them, expect a drop off in readers who will invest in reading you.

 

[SamScribble]

Short story? Or something that turns into a series? I think that is up to you. There are readers for both. But if you are going to write a standalone story, be prepared for the readers who want to know where the next chapter is.

Good luck.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

I've been at LIT 9 years and learned two Great Truths.

The first is, its futile to know more than PILOT, TEX, or LOVECRAFT. Cant be done. So when they remind you of this great truth, reply, I'M SORRY.

The 2nd Great Truth is. The Authors Hangout is the land of great thinkers and great drinkers.

What I do is look at what real writers and editors and publishers do. In the 20s and 30s Charles Scribner published gods discovered by Maxwell Perkins. Today Scribners is an imprint for gaycentric books no one remembers.

 

[oggbashan]

Series?

I started with a series, some of it already written long before I came to Literotica. I rarely look at them now and I'm unlikely to write more of it.

I would suggest, and it is only a suggestion, that you start with a few stand-alone stories and see what the reaction is. You could change and adapt as you learn what Literotica readers like.

But if you start a series it is more difficult to change if the premise isn't popular.

 

[TxRad]

Write what you want to write is a good start at all times.

What you first write is going to sound like drivel in three to five years to your own ears. Learn from the past.

Never post a series until you have it all written.

Put JBJ and his alts on ignore. You'll be several miles ahead, less misinformed, and have fewer headaches.

 

[OmnislashXX]

First story submitted one was a short, way, way back then. (It featured a Shrine Maiden who was bound and stripped by clothes eating bugs.)

My second story that I was writing about was also a short (featuring small gnomes that ambush a swordswoman in a dark forest) but unfortunatly my computer died. It was set on the same continent as the first one though, so I was considering turning them into a collection of shorts if I wrote anymore. I sorta stopped writing though for awhile.

Now my stories seem rather drawn out and require multiple chapters. I'm getting back into writing again, so maybe I'll try my luck. I think I have a nice idea for a short.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Just do it.

I'm sort of curious for writers opinions on how to approach creating and posting stories for the very first time. If, as an authors, you could look back at how you did it originally would you change what you did? Would you attempt to get your feet wet a little, post a few anthological short stories to get feedback and adjust or would you just jump in, start a series and damn the torpedoes?

Me, I just decided to go for it, bit the bullet and dived in. My first story was a rewrite of an existing one (I didn't read the rules), got removed, I rewrote and rewrote until it passed and I've been having a tremendous amount of fun writing ever since (that was just over a year ago.

I started writing a stand-alone story, it turned into a series that I'm still working on off and on altho I plan to go back and redo completely. Now, even tho I write stand-alone stories, I find they turn themselves into series - usually coz readers ask for a sequel and I'm a sucker for requests.

Would I change what I did? Not in the slightest. I figured I could waffle around thinking about it forever or I could just dive in and start writing and see what happens. I was actually a bit nervous about the reader reaction I'd get but it was pretty good on the whole. Especially considering I now look back at my first attempt and kind of go "urk! that is SOOO bad..." But you gotta be really bad to be bad.

My recommendation is go full speed ahead, jump in, write. Write and write and write. You'll get better with every story. I started buying books on writing, been going to weekly creative writing workshops since January this year (I take pieces of my Lit stories in ) and I can see the improvement in my own writing.

You're going to get some comments from assholes, but you'll get the odd good critique as well and you meet some fascinating and interesting people via feedback.

Just do it....... Chloe

 

[Irreverent1]

Welcome to the madhouse. Rule #1 - Stop sweating "your first submission ever" and just do it!

If you're a first-time poster, your story will attract some eyeballs for the first few days it's up because new stories are listed on the category page. If you pick a popular category that receives lots of submissions, your story will drop off that front page quickly. Pick a slower category and it may linger up there for a week or so.

For example, the new story listing for the Anal hub include a story originally posted way back on 7/17/2016. Switch over to Incest/Taboo and the oldest story on the New list is from 8/24/2016.

Hot categories, like incest, receive more entries. More specific categories (like Anal) receive fewer entries, so it takes a while for a new post to fade from the new listing. No surprise, but the categories that receive the most postings tend to have the most readers, too.

Here's a GREAT way to attract extra attention to even a first-time submission - participate in one of Literotica.com's seasonal contests! Contest submissions enjoy speedier approval times (often appear the next day), they have a link to special page listing all the entrants, and that link persists until the conclusion of the contest.

Better yet? You still have plenty of time to enter Lit's current contest, "Summer Lovin'". There's no entry fee. The rules are fairly loose. And you're sure to gain a lot more attention to your first-time submission.

Once you build up a Lit library, keep entering contests - contests have a magical way of attracting attention to the rest of your lit library. Follow the links from the home page or click on this one: http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1339800

I appreciate your input. 3,700 words is coming up a lot so I think that's a safe count per page. I like your latest piece.

 

[Irreverent1]

Write what you want to write is a good start at all times.

What you first write is going to sound like drivel in three to five years to your own ears. Learn from the past.

Never post a series until you have it all written.

Put JBJ and his alts on ignore. You'll be several miles ahead, less misinformed, and have fewer headaches.

Thank you. Your advice is appreciated though I have to admit I don't know who JBJ is.

 

[Irreverent1]

I suspect the page size is number of Lit lines rather than number of words, so it can vary. For most writers (not having characters recite Disney songs) it seems to come out to ~3700 words/Lit page. Maybe if you have a lot of dialog in one-line paragraphs then that can change.

I think everyone looks back on their first stories and cringes, so you might just think of your first submissions as a way to learn the ropes. My first two posts were short to very short, stand-alone stories. It was a learning experience and I was pleased with the results. Those were followed by a series that is still on-going. If you want to post any chapter series it's best for you and your readers if you have everything written before you start posting them.

I hope I don't cringe too much with my first postings but only time will tell. You're not the only one to say that in this thread so I'm bracing for impact later on.

 

[Irreverent1]

The first thing I posted was a story with a solid end. It just had a hook. I gauged reaction and wrote part 2.

I am sure you will get an answer on word count, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. Write until the end of the story. Edit (either you or an editor) and post.

Thank you. I have, indeed, gotten a fairly solid approximation on word count. I appreciate your advice

 

[Irreverent1]

Me, I just decided to go for it, bit the bullet and dived in. My first story was a rewrite of an existing one (I didn't read the rules), got removed, I rewrote and rewrote until it passed and I've been having a tremendous amount of fun writing ever since (that was just over a year ago.

I started writing a stand-alone story, it turned into a series that I'm still working on off and on altho I plan to go back and redo completely. Now, even tho I write stand-alone stories, I find they turn themselves into series - usually coz readers ask for a sequel and I'm a sucker for requests.

Would I change what I did? Not in the slightest. I figured I could waffle around thinking about it forever or I could just dive in and start writing and see what happens. I was actually a bit nervous about the reader reaction I'd get but it was pretty good on the whole. Especially considering I now look back at my first attempt and kind of go "urk! that is SOOO bad..." But you gotta be really bad to be bad.

My recommendation is go full speed ahead, jump in, write. Write and write and write. You'll get better with every story. I started buying books on writing, been going to weekly creative writing workshops since January this year (I take pieces of my Lit stories in ) and I can see the improvement in my own writing.

You're going to get some comments from assholes, but you'll get the odd good critique as well and you meet some fascinating and interesting people via feedback.

Just do it....... Chloe

BONZAI it is. Thank you

 

[Kantarii]

Fuck word count! Like that means anything to me really. If the story is interesting I will finish reading it. I believe in quality over quantity ity. I have never written anything but multiple chapter stories, sometimes each chapter is self contained an can be read alone without reading other chapters. But, that isn't my style. Would I go back and change anything and do it differently? I doubt it. Writing is a passion and a hobby to me..... I'll leave it at thatKant

 

[TamLin01]

You should, of course, write whatever you want.

But personally, I'd say Lit has far too many serials as it is.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

I appreciate your input. 3,700 words is coming up a lot so I think that's a safe count per page. I like your latest piece.

Its me. The winocerous is never wrong, do as he says or he'll diss you, too. JBJ

 

[ChloeTzang]

Fuck word count! Like that means anything to me really. If the story is interesting I will finish reading it. I believe in quality over quantity ity.

Exactly. Write what you want to write, be it short or long. I don't do short myself, I can turn a car drive into 6,000 words.... and that's before the blowjob. If it's interesting and it's well-written and you grab your reader, they'll enjoy it. I think, technically, short is more challenging coz to do it well, you have to create that whole image in the reader's mind with a lot less words to do it in.

 

[Kantarii]

Exactly. Write what you want to write, be it short or long. I don't do short myself, I can turn a car drive into 6,000 words.... and that's before the blowjob. If it's interesting and it's well-written and you grab your reader, they'll enjoy it. I think, technically, short is more challenging coz to do it well, you have to create that whole image in the reader's mind with a lot less words to do it in.

Your comment had me cracking up translating turning your "car drive" into 6,000 words before the blowjob..... I was thinking about 5,000 miles to the oil change and that's before the tires get rotated... HahaKant . I love visuals and that was priceless on a Sunday morning drive

 

[ChloeTzang]

Your comment had me cracking up translating turning your "car drive" into 6,000 words before the blowjob..... I was thinking about 5,000 miles to the oil change and that's before the tires get rotated... HahaKant . I love visuals and that was priceless on a Sunday morning drive

Happy to bring joy to your Sunday morning

Just spent the day finding out far more about Ford Mustang Cobra SVT's than I ever thought possible - all for a story! ......... Chloe

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Exactly. Write what you want to write, be it short or long. I don't do short myself, I can turn a car drive into 6,000 words.... and that's before the blowjob. If it's interesting and it's well-written and you grab your reader, they'll enjoy it. I think, technically, short is more challenging coz to do it well, you have to create that whole image in the reader's mind with a lot less words to do it in.

Writing to the Page count gives you more control as an author.