Story length and Reader’s interest?

[jeninflorida]

I’m working on a story where two couples become more than friends they become lovers. Just like in real life (for the most part) this does not happen overnight. I’m worried that a reader will lost interest if there is no group sex in the first 10,000 words? Anyone have input on this? Any thoughts?

[Yes, there is sex in the first chapter (between the wife and husband).]

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I’m working on a story where two couples become more than friends they become lovers. Just like in real life (for the most part) this does not happen overnight. I’m worried that a reader will lost interest if there is no group sex in the first 10,000 words? Anyone have input on this? Any thoughts?

[Yes, there is sex in the first chapter (between the wife and husband).]

I will say straight up that I am the opposite of the average reader. If I do not see three pages or more (I prefer five to eight) at the bottom of a story, I lose interest real quick, unless it is really well written.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

I’m working on a story where two couples become more than friends they become lovers. Just like in real life (for the most part) this does not happen overnight. I’m worried that a reader will lost interest if there is no group sex in the first 10,000 words? Anyone have input on this? Any thoughts?

[Yes, there is sex in the first chapter (between the wife and husband).]

You'd make a fatal mistake if you wrote your story for the imagined readers here. If all you want to write about is sex, then load it up with cum and they'll love you. On the other hand, if you are here, as I am, to practice the craft of writing and to experiment with different story lines, dialogue, and character development, then write for yourself.

There are some top writers gracing this site, they are the ones who will appreciate the hard work you've done to create a better story than worrying about whether or not readers will read your story because there isn't enough sex.

If you've developed your characters, your characters will tell you when and where to put the sex. Just get out of their way and allow them to tell your story.

Good luck,

Freddie

 

[bronzeage]

You'd make a fatal mistake if you wrote your story for the imagined readers here. If all you want to write about is sex, then load it up with cum and they'll love you. On the other hand, if you are here, as I am, to practice the craft of writing and to experiment with different story lines, dialogue, and character development, then write for yourself.

There are some top writers gracing this site, they are the ones who will appreciate the hard work you've done to create a better story than worrying about whether or not readers will read your story because there isn't enough sex.

If you've developed your characters, your characters will tell you when and where to put the sex. Just get out of their way and allow them to tell your story.

Good luck,

Freddie

True.

The Lit audience should not be mistaken for the general reading public.

 

[DG Hear]

I’m working on a story where two couples become more than friends they become lovers. Just like in real life (for the most part) this does not happen overnight. I’m worried that a reader will lost interest if there is no group sex in the first 10,000 words? Anyone have input on this? Any thoughts?

[Yes, there is sex in the first chapter (between the wife and husband).]

I write stories of all lengths. If the story is interesting, the readers will stay with it. I've seen a lot of stories (no-sex) and the comment were still positive.

For those readers who just want the quick sex stories, usually don't stay with a long story.

If this isn't a contest story you have two choices for a longer story. You can do it in chapters and submit a chapter a day. If it's for a contest, you have to submit it all at once.

My summer love story was 16,000 words and still received around 12,000 reads so far. Write for yourself! You can't please everyone so don't even consider trying. Write it, if you're satisfied with it more than likely the readers will be also.

Good luck on your writing.
DG

 

[TE999]

DG's nailed it. Write what you wish and let the readers decide. We're all experimenting and perfecting our craft here where there are various and sundry readers and restrictions on style and content are few.

When you develop a mass market style that clicks, seek out a publisher.

 

[Old_Blue]

Thanks

I’m working on a story where two couples become more than friends they become lovers. Just like in real life (for the most part) this does not happen overnight. I’m worried that a reader will lost interest if there is no group sex in the first 10,000 words? Anyone have input on this? Any thoughts?

[Yes, there is sex in the first chapter (between the wife and husband).]

Glad you posted this thread. I’ve found it an education.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

10,000 WORDS!!!

Thats 33 pages for porn?

 

[sr71plt]

I agree with the write and post what you like sentiments. The flip side of that, though, is that readers come here looking for all sorts of different type of reads. Don't go ballistic when they don't all react as you'd like to what you wrote and posted.

 

[LaRocha]

10,000 WORDS!!!

Thats 33 pages for porn?

9,772 comments on a message board(most in the Author's hangout) on a site you haven't actually authored any stories?

 

[Teloz]

9,772 comments on a message board(most in the Author's hangout) on a site you haven't actually authored any stories[ for]?

I'm pissing myself laughing! Is that true? I couldn't even be arsed to look!

 

[TxRad]

I'm pissing myself laughing! Is that true? I couldn't even be arsed to look!

Absolutely true for this user name anyway. Writing porn and posting it for free is not his cup of tea, according to him. Go figure

 

[JamesSD]

How do you plan on posting your story? One big block, or in chapters?

You can put it in Novels and Novellas. Most readers of that category expect the story to evolve more slowly, with deeper character development.

You also could put the earlier chapters in their appropriate category (Probably Erotic couplings... I would stay away from Romance) and save the Group Sex category for future chapters.

Do NOT put early chapters in group sex if they lack group sex.

If you're going to post it all as one big work, Group sex is fine. You can put a small note at the start that it's a long work and builds slowly. You won't get that many votes and comments, but the ones you get will probably be positive.

Good luck!

 

[jomar]

9,772 comments on a message board(most in the Author's hangout) on a site you haven't actually authored any stories?

I don't think JBJ has any stories on this site. But some people, Misty Morning for example, post here with a social identity and post stories under a different, private identity - keeps the votes pure.

Unlike Thee, if I see five pages to read I usually pass. I think it has something to do with the format - reading it on the computer. I should think about that some more. Anyway, since I'm far more average than I like to admit I figure others are like me, so I try to keep my stories to one to three pages or serialize them into chapters.

 

[sr71plt]

I don't think JBJ has any stories on this site. But some people, Misty Morning for example, post here with a social identity and post stories under a different, private identity - keeps the votes pure.

Then in Internet terms that's someone else altogether.

 

[LaRocha]

Then in Internet terms that's someone else altogether.

I agree. Really, what's the point of coming in the "Author's Hangout" every day and posting a new thread every hour about some political garbage? Johnson and Johnson told me on another thread that he doesn't post stories here because they don't allow underage sex. I think he should quit this site in protest of their no pedo story policy.

 

[3113]

I’m working on a story where two couples become more than friends they become lovers. Just like in real life (for the most part) this does not happen overnight. I’m worried that a reader will lost interest if there is no group sex in the first 10,000 words? Anyone have input on this? Any thoughts?

It really depends in which category you post it. Some categories get *mostly* readers looking for the sex (like erotic couplings), other categories get readers who want a nice long yummy story to go along with the sex (romance). How long is this work? 10,000 pages is about 3 lit pages (each lit page is about 10 regular pages and 8,000 words is about 20 pages). So I'm assuming it's longer than those 10,000 words? It might help to split it up. First chapter with husband/wife sex--trailing off to story with no sex, second chapter with no sex trailing into group sex. That way, the reader feels like they're reading less and getting more sex

 

[sadangel]

*writing thread bump*

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I'm one of those guilty of checking the length before I read much. Three Lit pages is fine, I think, but anything over that . . .

I believe Jomar has an excellent point. I have no trouble reading hundreds of pages with a book on my lap but off a computer screen three or so is my limit.

 

[driphoney]

It really depends in which category you post it. Some categories get *mostly* readers looking for the sex (like erotic couplings), other categories get readers who want a nice long yummy story to go along with the sex (romance). . . .

Yep. Though I tend to love those exceptions to that rule.

 

[TxRad]

I have the problem of keeping a story short. An editor I had pointed something out to me I had never noticed. She called it the roller coaster effect. Build it up, let it fall off, build it up again with each peak being a little closer to the point. The ending is the highest point and the climax. No pun intended.

Little teases go a long way in keeping a readers interest.

 

[driphoney]

I have the problem of keeping a story short. An editor I had pointed something out to me I had never noticed. She called it the roller coaster effect. Build it up, let it fall off, build it up again with each peak being a little closer to the point. The ending is the highest point and the climax. No pun intended.

Little teases go a long way in keeping a readers interest.

And everything you just wrote is the rub. Oh, except I thought the resolution after the climax was the ending. But I'm having all sorts of problems with climax and resolution. Sometimes it sucks being a beginner.

Oh, and, hi, Tx.

 

[SixtyMinuteMan]

I tend to write long. 15,000 words plus, most of the time. And they'll look even longer on Lit because I write a lot of dialogue, which is low-density word count goes and so pushes the page count out.

I've tried two solutions for it, so far. One, in my story "Stephen", was to insert a sex scene in the middle and break the story into two chapters, each taking up three Lit pages. The other was to write an actual, pure stroke story ("Educating Ken, Ch. 2", which interrupts the more genuine story of my early gay explorations) to "sex up" a longer journey. I'm not sure which, if either, I'll use going forward.

 

[Weird Harold]

I tend to write long. 15,000 words plus, most of the time. And they'll look even longer on Lit because I write a lot of dialogue, which is low-density word count goes and so pushes the page count out.

Actually, no dialogue does NOT extend the page count. Unless Lit has made unnoticed changes to the way they break stories into pages, the primary consideration for the break is a character count of 14-15KB; the goal is pages that download at 25KB of bandwidth not counting graphics. Only the nearest paragraph break to that character count has any influence on the page break.

 

[sr71plt]

Actually, no dialogue does NOT extend the page count. Unless Lit has made unnoticed changes to the way they break stories into pages, the primary consideration for the break is a character count of 14-15KB; the goal is pages that download at 25KB of bandwidth not counting graphics. Only the nearest paragraph break to that character count has any influence on the page break.

Ah, that's interesting information. Thanks.