Question

[SimonDoom]

And . . . you wind up pretty much where I posted.

That's correct. But some people like to hear it again, even if it's been said before. There are always new people in these threads who haven't seen the things that have been posted over and over again for years. And, to be honest, while your advice is usually sound, some people like a little more milk and honey with their advice than you offer.

 

[KeithD]

That's correct. But some people like to hear it again, even if it's been said before. There are always new people in these threads who haven't seen the things that have been posted over and over again for years. And, to be honest, while your advice is usually sound, some people like a little more milk and honey with their advice than you offer.

I added to my post. What you're trying to tell me is that objecting to "ya gotta always try to be better" and saying there's a plateau you can reach here that is solely having the enjoyment of writing and posting what you do isn't giving "milk and honey" advice over needless frustration and competing with strangers. I don't buy it. I also don't try to sell it.

 

[KeithD]

I agree. Writers write and writers read, or they never get any better.

And you're some sort of vigilante determining what anyone else defines as satisfaction for their writing endeavors?

We periodically have someone pointing to the most prolific author on Literotica and looking down their noses at what he writes. My impression, though, is that he's more content and less frustrated about hunting for strokes here than the whole passel of "not minding their own business" writers are.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

What makes you think I'm not imparting information/useful guidance on the Author Hangout? I can pretty much guarantee it's based on more experience, training, and skill than you're giving--since you want to be nasty about it.

Nasty? I'm not the one taking an aggressive tone, nor am I the one who came into this thread solely to sneer at someone's good-faith attempt to start a discussion about craft and process.

Let's look at each other's portfolios here, hot shot. I think I have more of a reason to be on the Author's Hangout than you do, if you want to start suggesting who has a right/reason to be here.

https://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=6433736&page=submissions

Yours is a pretty lame attack to fall back on when you don't like something someone else posts and you've been here for, like, ten minutes. Ergo, where do you get off questioning why anyone else--especially a big contributor to the site--chooses to post to the AH?

I don't get into dick-measuring contests with crotchety strangers on the internet, but given that writing and editing is a significant portion of what I do professionally, I'm comfortable in my qualifications to engage in this forum.

And now I'm putting you on ignore, because you're tedious.

 

[KeithD]

Nasty? I'm not the one taking an aggressive tone, nor am I the one who came into this thread solely to sneer at someone's good-faith attempt to start a discussion about craft and process.

Yes, playing the "why you are here?" card to someone who's been hanging out here for a decade and a half with a thousand and a half stories contributed here--especially by a one-story wonder who's been here for a couple of months--is nasty, yes. I gave experienced advice on this thread, and I stand by it. Your ignoring me should bother me how?

 

[DouglasFinney]

Is bad to bounce betweens two stories or basically write two stories at the same time. Thoughts, comments does anyone else do this?

I’m surprised to represent what looks to be a small minority. I only work on one story at a time, and I’m rather monomaniacal about it. Generally, all of the ideas that I generate find their way into whatever story that I’m working on. I just don’t get many tangential ideas that warrant their own stories and, if I do get an interesting idea worth keeping that doesn’t fit into my current project, I jot it down in a notebook so I can forget about it and then I move on.

There’s nothing wrong with your current approach or with anyone else’s. What works works. Everyone has already said that, but it bears repeating. I wouldn’t question your work habits unless they hamper instead of foster productivity.

 

[SimonDoom]

I added to my post. What you're trying to tell me is that objecting to "ya gotta always try to be better" and saying there's a plateau you can reach here that is solely having the enjoyment of writing and posting what you do isn't giving "milk and honey" advice over needless frustration and competing with strangers. I don't buy it. I also don't try to sell it.

Ah, Keith. You are so wrong. I'm not trying to tell you that at all, but you have a bad habit of not listening to what people are telling you. The result is unnecessary rancor. Peace.

 

[KeithD]

Ah, Keith. You are so wrong. I'm not trying to tell you that at all, but you have a bad habit of not listening to what people are telling you. The result is unnecessary rancor. Peace.

I think you're dissembling. I respond to what is actually posted. I'll hold off on pontificating to you "what you always do."

 

[TheRedChamber]

I’m surprised to represent what looks to be a small minority. I only work on one story at a time, and I’m rather monomaniacal about it. Generally, all of the ideas that I generate find their way into whatever story that I’m working on. I just don’t get many tangential ideas that warrant their own stories and, if I do get an interesting idea worth keeping that doesn’t fit into my current project, I jot it down in a notebook so I can forget about it and then I move on.

There’s nothing wrong with your current approach or with anyone else’s. What works works. Everyone has already said that, but it bears repeating. I wouldn’t question your work habits unless they hamper instead of foster productivity.

You're not alone. I try to work on only one story at a time. I have a lot of ideas bouncing around my head, I keep a list of story ideas and occassionally I might quickly type down one page or less of notes about an idea (although if it's an idea I'm likely to forget, it probably isn't a very good idea). Ideas tend to go round in my head for weeks or months fermenting but I don't start writing until I have a clear, scene-by-scene concept of what I want to happen. After that, I try to get it down as quickly as possible. Momentum in writing is important to me. If I write Monday, I'm likely to write Tuesday. If I don't write on Wednesday then it makes the rest of the week more difficult. Swapping to another story would just complicate things.

That said, when I hit a road-block and really can't continue on a story, I put it to one side. Once that happens though, it becomes far more difficult to pick up again as, not only is whatever problem I had not going away for that story, the enthusiasm for it drains away.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

You're not alone. I try to work on only one story at a time. I have a lot of ideas bouncing around my head, I keep a list of story ideas and occassionally I might quickly type down one page or less of notes about an idea (although if it's an idea I'm likely to forget, it probably isn't a very good idea). Ideas tend to go round in my head for weeks or months fermenting but I don't start writing until I have a clear, scene-by-scene concept of what I want to happen. After that, I try to get it down as quickly as possible. Momentum in writing is important to me. If I write Monday, I'm likely to write Tuesday. If I don't write on Wednesday then it makes the rest of the week more difficult. Swapping to another story would just complicate things.

That said, when I hit a road-block and really can't continue on a story, I put it to one side. Once that happens though, it becomes far more difficult to pick up again as, not only is whatever problem I had not going away for that story, the enthusiasm for it drains away.

When I feel stuck, I'll work on another story, often a little raunchier than what I've been working on, because those kinds of stories, just seem to flow. Once I've cleared the cobwebs with my kinkier musings, I'll go back and get busy on whatever story had me stuck. Probably wouldn't work for everyone, but it often works for me.

 

[Voboy]

New ideas often try to seduce me while I'm working on something. I used to try to go for a new business ONLY after old model, but that's never been ironclad. The success or failure of the seduction is usually dependent on what kind of piece the old business is.

The new business ALWAYS feels tempting. If the old is my SF series, or a similar sort of "commitment," I can often leave it awhile and go hounding off after the new idea. Other times, the old just peters off and dies. But usually, I don't make a habit of working on two pieces simultaneously.

But my initial reply stands, OP. There's no "best practice." What works for you is what works best.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Nasty? I'm not the one taking an aggressive tone, nor am I the one who came into this thread solely to sneer at someone's good-faith attempt to start a discussion about craft and process.

I don't get into dick-measuring contests with crotchety strangers on the internet, but given that writing and editing is a significant portion of what I do professionally, I'm comfortable in my qualifications to engage in this forum.

And now I'm putting you on ignore, because you're tedious.

Very wise. Even without seeing what he's saying, it's obvious from the responses that it's the same old same old that he's been nattering on about for years. There are threads going back to at least 2014 (when I was the newbie), that are identical to this one, where I was attacked with exactly the same smug superiority for daring to challenge his "expertise".

And he still can't spell "aggressive", so ignore the bit about being the world's greatest editor.

 

[Cobaltofdark]

If you never implement the things and techniques you've been shown then yeah. You're wasting time but if you are then you are growing as an artist or writer.