Short Story length

[Killswitch]

Hi,
Hey just wanted everyones opinion. My first two stories were, and are pretty raw. Fuckfests as Earl would call them.
I am in progress of a much better story right now. I have roughly 5000 words down and nobodys naked yet
I have read what I have so far and think it is a pretty good read. It holds my attention, and I am im patient as hell.
It is going to be an ongoing (more stories) deal, and Im ready to close this one out now with a great scene.
Im going to let it fly like it is, and I think its enjoyable, descriptive and stimulating. I am guessing its going to be roughly 8000 words by the time I am done.
Its erotic to this point, but have I waited too long for any real .....sex... I guess is my question.
Also, whats your take on writing a story from a womens prospective, or narrative, if you are a man? Which is what I am doing with this current story.
I know you have probably covered these questions before (many times), but your thoughts would be appreciated.

Killswitch

 

[Killswitch]

Sheesh my bad.
Im losing my mind and I appologize. The story only has 1800 words now and we are into a great scene. I was looking at charectors and spaces included in my earlier numbers.
Sorry, but your thoughts on length and my other question about a man narrating from a womans perspective would still be appreciated.
Thanks!

Killswitch

 

[Weird Harold]

Sheesh my bad.
Im losing my mind and I appologize. The story only has 1800 words now and we are into a great scene. I was looking at charectors and spaces included in my earlier numbers.
Sorry, but your thoughts on length and my other question about a man narrating from a womans perspective would still be appreciated.
Thanks!

Killswitch

1800 words is roughly one-half of a "Literotica page" (The size of the HTML pages the scripts break longer stories into) and is VERY short in terms of what is generally considered a "short story" by the publishing industry. Your original figure of 5000 words is a good overall length for a short story or the first chapter of a longer work, although it's still on the low side for a traditional "Short Story."

Some men can write from a woman's POV. Others can't.

The only thing you cn do is try it and see if you can get into a woman's mind well enough to write from her perspective.

See WildSweetOne's thread about stereotypical narration for some other thoughts on cross-gendered writing. ( http://www.literotica.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=128042 )

 

[Killswitch]

Harold,
Thats GREAT information, and I certainly will go to Wildsweetones link on the suject as well.
Thank you for the number crunching. I was going to pick a few of the stories I liked, and paste them into word and check the number of words. You have saved me the trouble.
I really appreciate it and I hope you and everyone else has a great Thanksgivving day.

Killswitch

 

[Un-registered]

Some time ago someone posted what was claimed as the world's shortest short story on here. As I recall it ran something like:

The last man alive was wanking. Somebody knocked on the door ...

I found it interesting enough to remember, and it points up my thought on the length of a story; it should be as long as it needs to be, no longer and no shorter. When I write I do a word count afterwards and am sometimes surprised in both directions.

 

[Guest]

Additional food for thought.........

I also learned early on....

If you don't titillate the readers interest sexually within a reasonably short time of the stories beginning, chances are they won't hang around for the climatic finish, no matter HOW well or HOW exciting your sex scene is.

I tend to write some of the "longer" stories on here. Because of that I've gotten a number of feedback emails from people saying that they simply couldn't finish the story because they couldn't wait that long to cum. LOL.

So if you're writing something that you hope will please and stimulate the vast majority, keep it short...exciting...and make sure you dangle that proverbial big thick penis somewhere in the beginning.

If you're writing something that takes time to build up the characters and story line the way I do...as well as a few others, then realize as you do so, you're writing for a more select audience.

To sleep.....perchance to dream - William Shakespear

I remain,