Starting from scratch

[Lolita30]

Okay, are there any posts that can teach me to write a good erotic story? Step by step?

 

[anthrodisiac]

There's a whole thread: https://forum.literotica.com/thread...f-writing-tricks-philosophies-styles.1632683/

It also includes other threads that were started by StillStunned, myself, and EmilyMiller toward the bottom of page 18.

I don't know about step by step, but that thread offers a lot of good advice generally. If you have a specific question about something you can start your own thread and we can help you with that Trying to break down the entirety of writing erotica in one post is a bit difficult, but between all those threads, you can pick up quite a few tools and tricks that will point you in the right direction.

Best advice is not to overthink it too much. Write the story you want, don't judge it too harshly, and most importantly, enjoy the process!

 

[Rob_Royale]

Not that I know of.
Start small. If you are new to writing in general, start with an erotic scene, rather than a full story.
Two people meet, maybe on a hiking trail where you don't have to give a lot of detail to convey the setting. They have a history, explain that briefly. Dialog drives the story, builds your characters. Do plenty of it.
On pure chance, they are both going to a particular camping site, a few miles ahead, and maybe catch a couple of steelhead for supper. Then it's bedtime. Build the tension, the attraction. They are both lying in their respective tents, and then ...
Don't get hung up on doing something elaborate at first with multiple people, multiple locations, multiple sex scenes. The minimum story size here is 750 words. That's the only mark you have to hit. Writing is a skill. It can be learned, like anything else, with practice. Talent does come into play, but that's what separates the Hemingway's from the rest of us.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Okay, are there any posts that can teach me to write a good erotic story? Step by step?

The FAQ (https://www.literotica.com/faq/publishing) includes this: https://www.literotica.com/faq/publishing/publishing-your-first-work

 

[TarnishedPenny]

It's kindasorta like swimming, I think, or lovemaking. One can discuss it, have all kinds of theory thrown at one, talk about it until the entire world goes numb, but the only way do learn to do it is to actually do it. One takes off one's inhibitions and plunges in. The beauty of it is that one gets better with every attempt.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

It's kindasorta like swimming, I think, or lovemaking. One can discuss it, have all kinds of theory thrown at one, talk about it until the entire world goes numb, but the only way do learn to do it is to actually do it. One takes off one's inhibitions and plunges in. The beauty of it is that one gets better with every attempt.

I think advice is useful in all three of those skills, or arts.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I see a plot bunny hatching! Sexual advisor (it is too a thing!) becomes coach.

 

[NotWise]

There are lot of different kinds of erotic stories, and different ways to write them. Whatever you want to do with your story, I think the first step is to answer the question, "What do you want to write?"

 

[KittyOfSteele]

I mean, essentially, all you need is to just write. Get a piece of paper, or open a new document, and write a two-page story. Keep it simple: have either one person masturbating or two or more people doing it. Use your own kinks and fantasies if you have to. Don't make a complicated plot, character profiles, huge backstories, or a lot of worldbuilding. Just write about the character in their current situation, and how do they get out of it.

Worry about writing first, and looking into theory second. The secret to learn all forms of art is through execution, not consuming information. Just write, and do your best from staying out of tutorial hell by actually writing.

Now repeat the same exercise, at least once a day, every day. Write about the same thing every day. Once you start building the reps, the teacher will find you.

 

[TheLobster]

I don't know about step by step,

I believe the basic algorithm goes as follows:

1. Open text editor.
2. Type word.
3. Is the story complete? If so, edit and publish.
4. Go to step 2.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I believe the basic algorithm goes as follows:

1. Open text editor.
2. Type word.
3. Is the story complete? If so, edit and publish.
4. Go to step 2.

Ohhhh, I screwed up my recursive algorithm, that's why these suckers are so freaking long!

1. Open text editor
2. Type word
3. Go to step 2

Forgot the base case

Explains a lot...

 

[TheLobster]

Ohhhh, I screwed up my recursive algorithm, that's why these suckers are so freaking long!

1. Open text editor
2. Type word
3. Go to step 2

Forgot the base case

Explains a lot...

I’m afraid I have to tap into my infinite reservoir of pointless pedantry in order to point out that your algorithm is not, in fact, recursive

 

[anthrodisiac]

I’m afraid I have to tap into my infinite reservoir of pointless pedantry in order to point out that your algorithm is not, in fact, recursive

Pedantry, you say?

What I was attempting to do was keep your original logic intact from the post I was quoting for maximum fidelity to the source material, while making a logical error in said logic for humorous effect by removing the one thing that would stop the cycle from continuing, therefore removing a base case and ensuring the story never ended, indicating that is, in fact, what happens with most of my stories, because, as a pantser, they frequently go on much longer than intended and refuse to ever end despite my best efforts, but only because the algorithm I use to write my stories has no way to end.

The reasoning behind keeping the list the way it was was so that it was clear I was close to running a successful algorithm using the formula you provided, except I had missed a single step from the algorithm that you posted, which you indicated was a fairly simple one, and so the mistake of leaving out the one line that was the base case showed I was making a fairly large mistake, and the joke was that it seems pretty obvious to even the newest writer that you should at some point hit the completion portion, whereupon you would edit, then publish, your piece, and not have an unending story that you can never escape because you forgot to put in the base case.

Now, If I wanted to write an actual recursive algorithm with the pseudocode that starts it, I might do something like:

writeStory( ) {
Write new word
writeStory( )
}

And then to run it, I could:
Open text editor
writeStory( )

Luckily, I am incapable of pedantry and sarcasm, and thus unable to take several minutes to write out the exact nature and logical flow of the original joke for the purposes of humor, plus the additional explaination of the explanation to increase the metaness of the whole thing for additional comedic effect, while simultaneously providing an actual recursive algorithm to satiate your pedantry.

Any questions?

 

[TheLobster]

Pedantry, you say?

What I was attempting to do was keep your original logic intact from the post I was quoting for maximum fidelity to the source material, while making a logical error in said logic for humorous effect by removing the one thing that would stop the cycle from continuing, therefore removing a base case and ensuring the story never ended, indicating that is, in fact, what happens with most of my stories, because, as a pantser, they frequently go on much longer than intended and refuse to ever end despite my best efforts, but only because the algorithm I use to write my stories has no way to end.

The reasoning behind keeping the list the way it was was so that it was clear I was close to running a successful algorithm using the formula you provided, except I had missed a single step from the algorithm that you posted, which you indicated was a fairly simple one, and so the mistake of leaving out the one line that was the base case showed I was making a fairly large mistake, and the joke was that it seems pretty obvious to even the newest writer that you should at some point hit the completion portion, whereupon you would edit, then publish, your piece, and not have an unending story that you can never escape because you forgot to put in the base case.

Now, If I wanted to write an actual recursive algorithm with the pseudocode that starts it, I might do something like:

writeStory( ) {
Write new word
writeStory( )
}

And then to run it, I could:
Open text editor
writeStory( )

Luckily, I am incapable of pedantry and sarcasm, and thus unable to take several minutes to write out the exact nature and logical flow of the original joke for the purposes of humor, plus the additional explaination of the explanation to increase the metaness of the whole thing for additional comedic effect, while simultaneously providing an actual recursive algorithm to satiate your pedantry.

Any questions?

https://imgur.com/jqYdSTq

 

[anthrodisiac]

Apparently, it was an apt day to change the text under my name

 

[Andreas_Kreuz]

Let's not capture Dolly's thread again. It happened to her before, and I am impressed that you, @Lolita30, came back after the mean comments you received in the other thread. (From me as well.)
I had a look at your profile. You wrote some stories 5 years ago, and they are fine. A solid foundation to build upon.

My suggestion is not to try to make the first story perfect, but rather to take an idea, write the story, and publish it. And then after a few weeks, read it again. Do you notice passages that you might write differently now? Take that assessment and apply it to your next story.

Having these old stories actually is ideal. Read them in this way.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Hey, @Lolita30, what's your goal? What's a "good" story to you? Gets the reader very aroused? Something the reader will remember in 20 years? Pisses off people you disagree with? (There are a lot of those stories on the site.)

 

[SimonDoom]

No. There is no short cut or magic pill.

There are plenty of "how to" essays at this site that provide helpful information. I suggest you search for the topics you want to read about, or view the "how to" essay toplists for potential essays of interest.

The two things you should do, a lot, to become a good writer, are to read and write. Read other stories and figure out what you like. Writing is even more important. This is a craft where you learn by doing more than you do by reading from others how to do it.

 

[Lolita30]

Well I wrote about lesbians, threesomes and solo sex. Apparently I’m not good at writing that fits with the Literotica standards and everybody else is.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Well I wrote about lesbians, threesomes and solo sex. Apparently I’m not good at writing that fits with the Literotica standards and everybody else is.

Why do you say that? Did people not like your stories? Did stories get rejected?

"Not good at" writing is another way to say, "I can write better than this if I practice." Want to write better? Write more, and honestly evaluate how your work could be improved. I personally came here specifically to practice writing.

 

[Lolita30]

Why do you say that? Did people not like your stories? Did stories get rejected?

"Not good at" writing is another way to say, "I can write better than this if I practice." Want to write better? Write more, and honestly evaluate how your work could be improved. I personally came here specifically to practice writing.

I’ve been writing since childhood; it wasn’t something I picked up from thin air. But because I use a dictionary to look up words that I want to use for my stories, it’s too advanced for the moderators and I got my story rejected. So I asked for the dumbed down version in how to write an erotic story that fits with their standards so that I can dumb it down for people to masturbate to, or not.

 

[StillStunned]

I’ve been writing since childhood; it wasn’t something I picked up from thin air. But because I use a dictionary to look up words that I want to use for my stories, it’s too advanced for the moderators and I got my story rejected. So I asked for the dumbed down version in how to write an erotic story that fits with their standards so that I can dumb it down for people to masturbate to, or not.

I'm not a fan of "advanced" words in writing fiction, but I really doubt whether they were the reason why your story was rejected. There are plenty of stories here that are written to a very high standard, and nobody demands that they be "dumbed down".

 

[NotWise]

I’ve been writing since childhood; it wasn’t something I picked up from thin air. But because I use a dictionary to look up words that I want to use for my stories, it’s too advanced for the moderators and I got my story rejected. So I asked for the dumbed down version in how to write an erotic story that fits with their standards so that I can dumb it down for people to masturbate to, or not.

I read one of your stories and skimmed a couple others. Your vocabulary isn't a problem.

What disappoints you about your experience? What aren't you getting that you think you should be getting?

 

[Lolita30]

I read one of your stories and skimmed a couple others. Your vocabulary isn't a problem.

What disappoints you about your experience? What aren't you getting that you think you should be getting?

There are lot of people who wouldn’t talk to me because I said something that upset their comfortable existence, or use mean language disguised as help. I’ll admit I fed the trolls. I just wanted to know why am I attacked when others can write garbage and get away with it.

 

[WaxPhilosophic]

Well I wrote about lesbians...

As far as the Lesbian Sex category here, writing "the feels" will generally go over well with readers. The "Sex" in the category name seems almost secondary at times.