survivor?

[hmmnmm]

I find the idea attractive, not for the competition aspect, but for the reason to focus on prose and poetry, since I do tend to get sidetracked. Also, if you tend to get in category ruts, this looks like a good excuse to go beyond comfortable boundaries.

But I worry about the burnout potential, the temptation to just throw out pieces short enough to qualify for a story submission, falling into a formula rut... among others.

Let's say a person does survivor, and they end up with twenty-five stories. But are they better stories than, say, ten stories without working under the influence of anything other than the love of creation and generally screwing around?

Past (and present) Survivor participants?

Thoughts?

Whys? Why nots?

Thanks.

 

[starrkers]

I did Survivor last year. I found it gave me a reason to "think outside the square" and pushed me to try categories I otherwise might not have attempted. I don't think it made me write more than I would have anyway, just differently.
And it led me to poetry, which I hadn't attempted in over 20 years.

I'm in it again this year. Not sure if it will have the same (or any) effect.

 

[hmmnmm]

I did Survivor last year. I found it gave me a reason to "think outside the square" and pushed me to try categories I otherwise might not have attempted. I don't think it made me write more than I would have anyway, just differently.
And it led me to poetry, which I hadn't attempted in over 20 years.

I'm in it again this year. Not sure if it will have the same (or any) effect.

Went ahead and applied. why not? and I see you're right. I'm already thinking 'different'. Usually end up just throwing stuff in novella or erotic couplings, the catchalls. Always shied away from the Horror, nonhuman, sci-fi, nonconsent... probably excellent brain exercise even if it produces a handful.

Thanks.

 

[KarennaC]

I'm doing Survivor this year, and I've found that it's really stretched my brain. So far, counting stories that aren't posted yet, I've written stories and poems in 28 of the 35 categories. I think it's been a great exercise, and I'm glad I signed up. Hopefully I'll be able to keep my momentum going!

Hmmnmm and Starrkers, good luck to both of you!

 

[hmmnmm]

I'm doing Survivor this year, and I've found that it's really stretched my brain. So far, counting stories that aren't posted yet, I've written stories and poems in 28 of the 35 categories. I think it's been a great exercise, and I'm glad I signed up. Hopefully I'll be able to keep my momentum going!

Hmmnmm and Starrkers, good luck to both of you!

sounds like you're off to a heck of a start.

I've eyed about twenty categories that might be possible, and fun, different - brain stretches - ouch!

Also, if I understand correctly, stuff that's been posted since january something can count. If so I might already have the poetry covered - but I'd not want to get so caught up in the stories that the poetry suffers. Plus, I've really been interested in the audio and illustrated poetry, so if this can be an effective impetus to stretch the brain - outch! - towards that stuff, then this'll be a worthwhile something to do, just for that.

Thanks.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I have entered for six years now, and there is always that thought that I could churn out crappy 1,000 word stories just to get credit for them. I have sort of done that with some poems, but not with stories. They are crappy for other reasons.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Why I write for Survivor

I just wanted to contribute my two cents worth, okay, judging by the length of this piece, my $2.00 worth.

When I first joined Survivor last March, I was nervous and overwhelmed by the volume that some of the other writers wrote. Many of the regulars were of no help to me nor did they make me feel comfortable. They viewed me as competition, while I viewed many of them with awe and reverence. Nonetheless, I persevered.

It surprised me how many stories that I was able to write (and that were not crap).

What amazed me more was, I began getting in the zone. My experience with Survivor opened my window of creativity longer allowing me to write more.

I free write and do not edit until the piece is nearly finished, otherwise I'll forget too many points.

I wrote 195 stories last year and 47 poems. This year, I've already written 143 stories and 5 poems. My word count ranges from 1,100 words to 1,600 words with longer stories 3,500 -4,500 for contest entries.

The biggest reason why I write in Survivor is because it gives me a reason to write every day. Also, now, because I'm writing every day, mining out the crap that fills my mind, once in a while, I discover a real gem of a story.

Secondly, the other reason why I write in the Survivor contest is because it is the only contest that I can win. This contest is quantity and not dependent upon how many friends vote for your story uses as many computers as they have access to.

Thirdy, because of the volume of stories I've written, 5 publishers have contacted me. I couldn't get a publisher to read my stories before. I now have two E-books with EroticExcursions.net. A writer bought one of my story to publish in her book coming out next month, The Big Bad Ass Book Of Sex by Sterling Publishers, which is owned by Barnes and Noble. ...And someone sent me a bank check for $5,000 with a note that read, 'You should have won the Survivor Contest."

I have no idea who sent me the money, but it was at a time that I was writing my Paparazzi stories. Maybe it was a celebrity. It's driving me crazy, though, not knowing.

This year, I'm hoping someone will send me more (lol).

I only have one identity and access to only one computer. I count on someone enjoying what I write enough to vote for it. The bashers make sure that I never win a contest.

Alas, the bashers have taken to me like trailer fish on a shark, which explains my lack of red H's.

Nonetheless, I'm having the time of my life.

I hope you found this helpful.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

I wrote in Survivor 2006. I loved it. I entered because I wanted to challenge myself. I honestly didn't care if I won or not. I won't lie, I enjoyed placing high and the money went for a good cause... jewelry.

But the way I "played" Survivor is how I still write today. I write when the muse allows. I don't force it.

I set mini-goals. The first was to either get 10 poems in each category, or to get one story in each category. Once I reached one goal, I set another. I did the poems first, passed up three immunities and posted one story in every category. Then I set up new mini-goals and that was to achieve 10 stories in categories I enjoyed the most.

The categories I felt were my weakest or didn't appeal to me, I no longer focused on. I enjoyed writing the work, but it wasn't something I was drawn to continue. I found out I really am quite good at writing Gay Male and I never would have realized that had I not "stepped out of the box".

I opted out of Survivor last year, because I did feel mentally drained from 2006. Not because I forced anything, but because I just needed to reflect and decide what to do next. I then ended up spending many months in and out of hospitals, so my muse was anything but ready to get up and go again.

I entered this year with a different mindset. No mini-goals and I'll use immunities when/if I win them. I'll use them in categories I find unappealing to me. I'm just going to write when the muse allows and not worry about goals and such. I know I can write in each one, I don't have to prove that to myself ever again.

Enjoy Survivor and have fun. It's an experience that I think everyone can grow from, if they are willing to try.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

I wrote in Survivor 2006. I loved it. I entered because I wanted to challenge myself. I honestly didn't care if I won or not. I won't lie, I enjoyed placing high and the money went for a good cause... jewelry.

But the way I "played" Survivor is how I still write today. I write when the muse allows. I don't force it.

I set mini-goals. The first was to either get 10 poems in each category, or to get one story in each category. Once I reached one goal, I set another. I did the poems first, passed up three immunities and posted one story in every category. Then I set up new mini-goals and that was to achieve 10 stories in categories I enjoyed the most.

The categories I felt were my weakest or didn't appeal to me, I no longer focused on. I enjoyed writing the work, but it wasn't something I was drawn to continue. I found out I really am quite good at writing Gay Male and I never would have realized that had I not "stepped out of the box".

I opted out of Survivor last year, because I did feel mentally drained from 2006. Not because I forced anything, but because I just needed to reflect and decide what to do next. I then ended up spending many months in and out of hospitals, so my muse was anything but ready to get up and go again.

I entered this year with a different mindset. No mini-goals and I'll use immunities when/if I win them. I'll use them in categories I find unappealing to me. I'm just going to write when the muse allows and not worry about goals and such. I know I can write in each one, I don't have to prove that to myself ever again.

Enjoy Survivor and have fun. It's an experience that I think everyone can grow from, if they are willing to try.

Ditto... except for the in and out of hospitals... poor Red...

Played in 2006, almost won... money went to buy hubby's new grill Bowed out in 2007... was just way too burned out... in it again in '08, but with a totally different attitude. I'm not in it to win it, I'm in it to motivate myself to write more. So far, so good... mostly...

 

[hmmnmm]

All reports appear positive, maybe the tap into a well from where the literary juices are able to excrete free and thick. And that can't be such a bad thing.

Looking forward to it, already,

I can say I wouldn't be looking for quantity, but some sort of incentive. Like, if I come up with a stretch of prose and can't figure out where to put it, there's the novellas category, but my submissions there have been well under the 7500 required words. So, say instead of worrying about a bunch of stories, just consider the end of the contest the deadline for finishing a novel, and if just that is accomplished, plus a little audio and illustrated poetry, throw in a couple category jobs, then that would be a worthwhile way to spend a lot of time.

Boston, Box, Red, Kitt, everyone else - look forward to the experience.

Thanks again for the responses.

 

[PrincessErin]

.....

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Ditto... except for the in and out of hospitals... poor Red...

Played in 2006, almost won... money went to buy hubby's new grill Bowed out in 2007... was just way too burned out... in it again in '08, but with a totally different attitude. I'm not in it to win it, I'm in it to motivate myself to write more. So far, so good... mostly...

Thanks. It was a sucky year.

Good luck to you in '08.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Oprah?

I think you are safe in that regard PrincessErin. Speaking for myself, I am not a professional writer. My passion is writing. There are days that I can write 16 hours a day because I'd rather write than do anything else.

Hopefully, one day, I'll make a living writing so that I can concentrate on what I love to do.

You make it sound as if those who write here are all professional writers. I dare say that if those who wrote here wrote professionally, we wouldn't be writing for free for Literotica.

We are all in the same boat trying to stay afloat in a sea of alphabet soup for struggling writers hoping for lightning to strike, at least, I know that I am.

"Oprah, I'm still sitting by my telephone waiting for you to call me."

 

[sr71plt]

You make it sound as if those who write here are all professional writers. I dare say that if those who wrote here wrote professionally, we wouldn't be writing for free for Literotica.

Tilt. Some of us have reputations and contracts for writing mainstream. If our readers/publishers knew we liked to write erotica too, our mainstream persona would be toast--and for the same reason we can't take a check for writing erotica. You can't really "dare say" what you "dare said."

I can see writing in the survivor's contest to broaden your repertroire and to get regimented practice, but I think mostly it just stuffs the Web site with a lot of half-baked "quantity." If you say you are going to pump 2,000 stories in the contest just to win, I'd give you a snort on writing anything but site-degrading "quantity." Or at least I "dare say" that.

 

[PrincessErin]

Tilt. Some of us have reputations and contracts for writing mainstream. If our readers/publishers knew we liked to write erotica too, our mainstream persona would be toast--and for the same reason we can't take a check for writing erotica. You can't really "dare say" what you "dare said."

I can see writing in the survivor's contest to broaden your repertroire and to get regimented practice, but I think mostly it just stuffs the Web site with a lot of half-baked "quantity." If you say you are going to pump 2,000 stories in the contest just to win, I'd give you a snort on writing anything but site-degrading "quantity." Or at least I "dare say" that.

I know that many of the great authors on here have published works. What I meant by professional writer is someone who does not earn a living outside of their writing and therefore can spend hours a day writing. I have a full time job so there is no way I can spend all day writing. Well I guess I could but I'd be unemployed pretty quickly.

As for the Survivor contest stuffing the website with crap - one of the reasons I had the confidence to start writing is after reading some very horrendous stories. People who are not doing the survivor contest post crap but thank heavens there are enough talented writers that allow me my guilty pleasure of the day.

Erin

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Crap?

I may be guilty of a lot of things, but I take my writing seriously. I "dare" anyone to pick out any of my stories that are crap.

Besides, what does it matter. It's all arbitrary anyway. What you like I hate and vice versa.

If I did post 2,000 stories, I wouldn't post any story for the sake of posting it. I put the same amount of thought, creativity, and effort in all my stories.

Rumors are already rumbling that a band of writers are grouping together to steal the Survivor Contest again this year. I was expecting that to happen last year. I'm ready this year.

Still, I'd never write a 751 word story, as did the writer who won the contest last year. Now, if you want to accuse anyone of writing crap, look to last year's winner of the Survivor contest.

I still stand by what I wrote before. No professional writer would waste his or her time writing for free. I know that I woudn't write for free if I could make money writing while expending the same effort.

I'll concede and qualify my comment. If I were a professional writer earning a living writing, I would not write here. Too many of my stories have already been stolen. I have stories in every language attributed to different authors all over the Internet.

 

[sr71plt]

I still stand by what I wrote before. No professional writer would waste his or her time writing for free. I know that I woudn't write for free if I could make money writing while expending the same effort.

I'll concede and qualify my comment. If I were a professional writer earning a living writing, I would not write here. Too many of my stories have already been stolen. I have stories in every language attributed to different authors all over the Internet.

Well, I am a professional writer and I post erotica here for free--for the reasons I stated--in addition to just liking to write erotica. So, again, I think you aren't in the position to say what professional writers would do.

 

[starrkers]

Crap is not defined by number of words.

I have two stories (one still pending) that just scrape past the 750 word mark. They are letters. The one posted has a current score of 4.44, so it's definitely not crap.

I write crap, all the time. I just try not to post it, Survivor contest be damned.

 

[sr71plt]

Crap is not definied by number of words.

I have two stories (one still pending) that just scrape past the 750 word mark. They are letters. The one posted has a current score of 4.44, so it's definitely not crap.

I write crap, all the time. I just try not to post it, Survivor contest be damned.

I agree. My best "reviewed" story (as in the most reviews written when reviews were still being posted on the forum) on this Web site is also the shortest one I have posted here.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

I'm a happy man.

For argument's sake, I conceded your point when I generalized about professional writers. I qualified my comment to include only me.

Allow me to reiterate, if I were a professional writer, I would never write for free. Just as I'm an accountant, I would never work for nothing.

Starkers, I hope you realize that I was not the one who threw out the crap word.

I've read some beautiful prose that is only a few words long, so I agree with you that tne number of words does not define the quality of the story. My comment related to some of the "crappy" stories that were entered by last year's winner on the Survivor contest, my opinion.

I was only defending myself to those who, present company excluded, take shots at me for wanting and trying to win the Survivor Contest, the only contest that I have any chance of winning on this site.

Now, if anyone thinks what I write is crap because I write for the quantity instead of quality for the Survivor contest, that is their opinion. I like what I write. I'm proud of what I write. I'm having a good time.

It is because of the number of stories that I write that, once in a while, I uncover a gem of a story, such as my stories, Emma, Online Love, Eternal Love, and Felicia Opens the Door, to name but a few.

It is because of the number of stories that I write that publishers solicit me and the reason why I have two E-books by EroticExcursions.

It is because of the number of stories that I write that a write bought one of my stories to publish in her book, The Big Bad Ass Book of Sex, by Sterling Publishers, owned by Barnes and Nobel and coming out next month.

It is because of the number of stories that I write that someone sent me a bank check for $5,000.

If you want to pee on my parade, then please turn the other direction and pee in the wind. Pee on yourself. I'm done with pissing contests on this site. I'm a happy man and I refuse to get into another discussion of samantics why I write what I write.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Okay, I must plead guilty to using the word "crap" or "crappy" but I was referring to my own stories. Rather, I was referring to what I try to avoid writing. I said I could churn out crappy 1,000 word stories and get credit for them in the contest, but I won't. Obviously, I could write more stories if I was willing to do that, but I'm not. I try to write fairly good quality smut, or stroke stories, because I take a certain amount of pride in what I do. Once in a while, I even write something that is better than just smut or sroke.

At no time did I mean to imply that anybody else writes crap either. I can honestly say that I have never read a story in the Survivors' Contest that I would define as crap. Obviously, some stories are better than others, and I have read crap on this site, although I try to avoid it.

At the same time, I will admit to writing some crappy poetry, just to fill in categories

 

[hmmnmm]

Well, I know one thing already, even if I will submit not one solitary qualifiable story: just the thinking about it, 'hm, nonhuman... wonder how something like that might go, for there's so many nonhuman possibilities, real and imagined'

which leads to other ideas, and so on.

also, if you ask two different people, 'what did you do today?' one might say, 'not a lot' and the other might begin a lengthy report replete with detailed detours that lead to a time that person got drunk in singapore. Two extreme examples, yes, but if you tell the succinct one to maybe try and add some color to their answer, it'll make them work their brains and imagination. And if you tell the rambler to answer the question in five words or less, and in ten seconds, that might guide them to a more succinct answer, "uh, not a lot."

So, this I say not having any real experience yet, but I will predict that if a person likes to gravitate to the novella idea but they let themselves stop and submit at 3000 words per chapter, then the idea of having to go at least 7500 per, will be a great exerciser for them, and they might get to go 'deep'. And, a person who tends to get lost in sideroad details, might benefit if they gear their mind to knocking out something short and quick, no dabbling, no dawdling, tell us what happened, in 800 words, and within two hours.

and me, for what it's worth, I've always been attracted to the idea of looking at a project requiring plenty of focus but with a deadline far enough in the future to allow plenty of procrastination but close enough so it's always close to conscious thought.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Well, I know one thing already, even if I will submit not one solitary qualifiable story: just the thinking about it, 'hm, nonhuman... wonder how something like that might go, for there's so many nonhuman possibilities, real and imagined'

which leads to other ideas, and so on.

also, if you ask two different people, 'what did you do today?' one might say, 'not a lot' and the other might begin a lengthy report replete with detailed detours that lead to a time that person got drunk in singapore. Two extreme examples, yes, but if you tell the succinct one to maybe try and add some color to their answer, it'll make them work their brains and imagination. And if you tell the rambler to answer the question in five words or less, and in ten seconds, that might guide them to a more succinct answer, "uh, not a lot."

So, this I say not having any real experience yet, but I will predict that if a person likes to gravitate to the novella idea but they let themselves stop and submit at 3000 words per chapter, then the idea of having to go at least 7500 per, will be a great exerciser for them, and they might get to go 'deep'. And, a person who tends to get lost in sideroad details, might benefit if they gear their mind to knocking out something short and quick, no dabbling, no dawdling, tell us what happened, in 800 words, and within two hours.

and me, for what it's worth, I've always been attracted to the idea of looking at a project requiring plenty of focus but with a deadline far enough in the future to allow plenty of procrastination but close enough so it's always close to conscious thought.

Just out of curiosity, what do you have aginst nonhuman? It's not bestiality, you know. I have a story about a woman whose husband is a werewolf. He's not a monster, just a man who turns into a wolf every full moon. When that happens, he and his beloved wife enjoy some great sex. I also have a series about a unicorn whose mistress has him use his tongue and his horn to pleas her. I must admit, though, they are just stroke stories, of no social value.

 

[sr71plt]

Just out of curiosity, what do you have aginst nonhuman? It's not bestiality, you know. I have a story about a woman whose husband is a werewolf. He's not a monster, just a man who turns into a wolf every full moon. When that happens, he and his beloved wife enjoy some great sex. I also have a series about a unicorn whose mistress has him use his tongue and his horn to pleas her. I must admit, though, they are just stroke stories, of no social value.

I have nothing against the nonhuman category, but I must admit that I can only see the slightest sliver of light between bestiality and a human getting it on with a unicorn.

 

[hmmnmm]

Just out of curiosity, what do you have aginst nonhuman? It's not bestiality, you know. I have a story about a woman whose husband is a werewolf. He's not a monster, just a man who turns into a wolf every full moon. When that happens, he and his beloved wife enjoy some great sex. I also have a series about a unicorn whose mistress has him use his tongue and his horn to pleas her. I must admit, though, they are just stroke stories, of no social value.

Oh, I have nothing against nonhumans.
I'd just never thought about exploring that kind of story. But now a little switch flicks on, and... you know.