Second Guessing

[Djmac1031]

I'm several pages into a new story now and I'm finding myself second guessing some things.

I'm very happy with the actual concept and plot, but now I'm debating on whether my main female character should be a virgin or not.

While her virginity isn't exactly integral to the plot, it would change the interaction between her and the male protagonist drastically of course.

The plot DOES hinge on these two eventually having sex, but I'm now also second guessing how fast they get there and how far they go before fully doing the deed.

I like what I've written so far BUT it's left me hanging on how to end it, and I'm considering major rewrites.

At least I'm learning from past mistakes; one of my earliest stories I'm now stuck on continuing because of something I committed to in the second chapter.

This new story I want to finish BEFORE I publish it. Just second guessing exactly how.

How do you more experienced writers deal with it? Do you just forge ahead or go back and rewrite?

 

[NotWise]

How do you more experienced writers deal with it? Do you just forge ahead or go back and rewrite?

I've done both. Now I prefer to write a detailed synopsis of the story first, and that lets me make sure the major elements hang together before I actually write the story.

If forging ahead is going to give you a story that you don't want, then find some other way.

 

[Djmac1031]

I've done both. Now I prefer to write a detailed synopsis of the story first, and that lets me make sure the major elements hang together before I actually write the story.

If forging ahead is going to give you a story that you don't want, then find some other way.

I suppose to clarify: I do have an actual ending in mind. I know how I want to end it.

But I'm now torn on how to get there.

I suppose I need to figure out if making her a virgin is actually important to the story OR if I'm simply looking to change the dynamic and interaction between them.

And I guess I'll have to decide if that's worth all the rewriting it would take lol.

 

[JuanaSalsa]

I suppose to clarify: I do have an actual ending in mind. I know how I want to end it.

But I'm now torn on how to get there.

I suppose I need to figure out if making her a virgin is actually important to the story OR if I'm simply looking to change the dynamic and interaction between them.

And I guess I'll have to decide if that's worth all the rewriting it would take lol.

This is why I have the story "A Pet for Samhain." I started it with the ending for "The White Pine" in mind, and about when I had my character eating food out of faerie vaginas, I realized I'd gone way, way, way off course. So I had to start over, because gosh darn it, I really wanted that tree nymph story! But that errant beginning made for a very different and, at least for me, equally pleasing story that I adapted for Halloween. So, why settle for one story, when you could write both?

 

[Djmac1031]

This is why I have the story "A Pet for Samhain." I started it with the ending for "The White Pine" in mind, and about when I had my character eating food out of faerie vaginas, I realized I'd gone way, way, way off course. So I had to start over, because gosh darn it, I really wanted that tree nymph story! But that errant beginning made for a very different and, at least for me, equally pleasing story that I adapted for Halloween. So, why settle for one story, when you could write both?

True. Without giving my entire story away, it's centered on two characters put into a position against their will that's manipulating them towards having sex.

That said, it's NOT a non consent / rape story. My male protagonist has no intentions of forcing himself on her.

She's going to eventually give herself to him willingly.

But making her a virgin would of course change the whole dynamic and make it more of a dilemma on how she gets there and how he approaches his dealings with her as well.

I guess I'll just sit on it for a few days and see if I can figure out what's more important.

 

[Paul_Chance]

This is how I approach it.

When I reach a significant crossroads in a story - where which path the characters take alters the whole story, either the dynamics of it or the outcome of it - I save a draft copy right there as "Story-Fork A" and "Story-Fork B". Then I pick one of the forks and keep writing to completion. If I like the end result, then that becomes the final draft and gets submitted. If I've still got the road less travelled (the other Fork) eating at me as a writer, I will go back and take the same story down that Fork to completion.

I find that, for a story with a significant fork, sometimes the fork I didn't take will eat at me as a writer and keep trying to sneak back. This let's me reach the place where I am comfortable with the final draft.

What if, at the end of the day, I like both forks? Publish both forks. See which version is more popular. Or, take one fork and go in and change the outer details - names, places, etc. and publish them both.

 

[Djmac1031]

This is how I approach it.

When I reach a significant crossroads in a story - where which path the characters take alters the whole story, either the dynamics of it or the outcome of it - I save a draft copy right there as "Story-Fork A" and "Story-Fork B". Then I pick one of the forks and keep writing to completion. If I like the end result, then that becomes the final draft and gets submitted. If I've still got the road less travelled (the other Fork) eating at me as a writer, I will go back and take the same story down that Fork to completion.

I find that, for a story with a significant fork, sometimes the fork I didn't take will eat at me as a writer and keep trying to sneak back. This let's me reach the place where I am comfortable with the final draft.

What if, at the end of the day, I like both forks? Publish both forks. See which version is more popular. Or, take one fork and go in and change the outer details - names, places, etc. and publish them both.

I like this idea, and have considered it.

Although I'm rereading my story as written right now and the more I read it, the more I realize making the female character a virgin basically means rewriting almost the whole damn thing.

The premise as it is right now involves two strangers trapped together in a bizarre situation against their will with circumstances manipulating them to eventually have sex. I'm not into rape stories so while the situation is controlling them to a degree, the sex will be consensual.

If I change her to a virgin, it would drastically change everything. My male lead would have to change how he deals with her in every way. And her reactions to this situation would be drastically different as well.

Maybe that's another story, I don't know.

 

[SimonDoom]

How do you more experienced writers deal with it? Do you just forge ahead or go back and rewrite?

I do it this way. The key for me is for the story to have an erotic focus. It may touch upon various kinks and erotic desires or fantasies, but there must be a focus. And I ask, is this thing I'm debating crucial to the focus of my story? If not, I throw it out.

If you make the female character a virgin, then readers will notice that. Presumably there's something important about her being a virgin. What? How is it important to the story? Only you know that. How old is this woman?

If I were the author, and virginity was not central to the story, I wouldn't make her a virgin, because I might think it could distract from the focus of the story. But if it was central to the story, I would leave it in.

 

[KeithD]

I forge ahead, but if a character in the story was to be a virgin, that would be a controlling element, and my mind would have already worked in the hooks that went with that. If the virgin part fell through during writing, I'd probably go with the new direction, but it would have to have a big, new hook involved.

 

[Djmac1031]

Thanks Simon & Keith.

After debating with myself and rereading what I've written, I've realized that her being a virgin isn't the focus of the story, if it was I'd have written it that way already.

So yeah it's either keep going or rewrite the whole thing.

I think I'll just keep what I have.

Appreciate the feedback from everyone.