Thoughts on Slow burn

[coreyc]

I am starting a story, it's going to be a slow burn nonhuman. I was planning on it being a multi-chapter story, I don't know how many yet. The first chapter is complete (I think) and is sitting around 8k word count, without any intimacy just laying the foundation.

Just wanted to inquire what people think is too slow for a slow burn store?
Having the first chapter be basically non-erotic, is that a hard pass for people?
Any suggestion or helpful tips are welcomed.


One final note/question.
This will be my third attempt to get something up. Everything I have try has been rejected as AI even after many re-writes to the point I hate the flow.
Is there anything I can do that will make it a little easier?

 

[Gamblnluck]

Even with a slow burn, you need a 'hook' to catch the readers' interest early on. Some use a prequel. I prefer part of the story and then go back and fill in. You mentioned non-human so you you won't be giving a character's resume as the next scene. I personally would rather details be dropped as you go.
A second thing is you need to put enough into the first chapter to give the reader a clear understanding. You can't be too mysterious and leave the reader asking, "what the Hell was that?"

 

[SimonDoom]

I think slow burn stories are fine, and there's plenty of evidence that they can do well here, but my recommendation would be to include at least something in your first chapter that will tease and please readers who want that type of story. 8000 words is a lot, in my view, to just "lay the foundation" without any "intimacy" (depending upon what you mean by "intimacy").

For example, I wrote an 8-chapter mom-son incest story that I would describe as "slow burn." The relationship is not consummated until Chapter 8. But along the way, every chapter contains erotic content that I intended to titillate the audience for stories of this type. The action ratchets up with every chapter. A few felt it went on too long and gave up, but most seemed to enjoy it. For me, personally, I can't figure out why someone would want to write a multi-chapter erotic story with a first chapter that's completely non-erotic. I want to hook my readers early. Even if nothing explicit happens, I want them to know that something is going to happen and I want the anticipation and the prelude to more activity to be erotically stimulating.

 

[THBGato]

I am starting a story, it's going to be a slow burn nonhuman. I was planning on it being a multi-chapter story, I don't know how many yet. The first chapter is complete (I think) and is sitting around 8k word count, without any intimacy just laying the foundation.

Just wanted to inquire what people think is too slow for a slow burn store?
Having the first chapter be basically non-erotic, is that a hard pass for people?
Any suggestion or helpful tips are welcomed.

I just read Blood & Chlorophyll by TheNyxianLily. It's in Non-Human. Five chapters have been published so far so far (around 20k words) and the two main characters haven't even kissed. The lowest ranking for any chapter is 4.8, so I guess far from being annoyed by this, the readers really like it.

If the writing and story is good enough, it seems this is not an issue.

There's a lot of long slow burns in Lesbian Sex that score very highly too. JCMcNeilly's A Girl Called Mitch sees no intimacy between the main two characters until after around 30k words, and neither does her Nanny Sarah.

Good luck with your story.

 

[TheLobster]

My summer contest entry can probably be classed as slow birn, since the MCs only get on after like 19k words. There’s plenty of suggestive anticipation and outright teasing in between, but even so at least one commenter described the first half as superfluous.

Still, the story seems to be doing reasonably well for a category that’s new to me, so it can definitely be done even by a clumsy writer like me Crucially, though, it’s a single Lit submission, with chapter breaks marked only typographically; I wouldn’t be so sure about standalone chapters without anything steamy.

 

[StillStunned]

I have a 19k-word story where the main characters never get beyond a bit of kissing and groping.

 

[Gamblnluck]

I have a 19k-word story where the main characters never get beyond a bit of kissing and groping.

When I think of slow burn, it's NOT the sex. It's the slow but steady build up of the PLOT. Like in those examples above.

 

[StillStunned]

When I think of slow burn, it's NOT the sex. It's the slow but steady build up of the PLOT. Like in those examples above.

The Countesses of Tannensdal is my attempt at a Gothic novella. The plot unfolds quite slowly.

 

[Voboy]

OP, you are posting on an erotic stories site.

I think it's wise if everything you post has some sort of erotic content.

If you must create a chaptered work, and you want to attract a reader like me, you better have some sex in every chapter. This is one of the reasons I usually answer questions like this by recommending a long, single story, rather than a chaptered piece. My experience suggests that many readers here are extremely tolerant of stories many writers would think of as "too long."

Meaning, a story as long as 30-40,000 words is still going to attract thousands of readers here. Don't worry, OP. I too fell into the "chapter trap" early on, before I realized 6-9 Lit pages is in no way off-putting to a huge subset of readers. For a slow burn story, I would (meaning, I have) always used single long stories in preference to short, choppy chapters. Those stories have done pretty well, generally.

Also, to one of the OP's other points, I believe it's harder for AIs to produce longer, cohesive works? If so, you might have fewer rejections to cope with.

 

[BgDaddy33]

The first chapter is complete (I think) and is sitting around 8k word count, without any intimacy just laying the foundation.

Just wanted to inquire what people think is too slow for a slow burn store?
Having the first chapter be basically non-erotic, is that a hard pass for people?
Any suggestion or helpful tips are welcomed.

Others have pretty much nailed the feedback. There needs to be a hook, and not just at the last paragraph. Can you see where the story may go as you progress with the story? Is there an interest to see where you are taking your character(s)?

Do you have the next few chapters written yet? If there is not enough erotic content in that first chapter, maybe post two (or three) together as one post?
(versus two or three different posts)

As writers, we tend to love what we write (we are usually our worst critics too) and we often gloss over parts from seeing them so many times. I recommend stepping away from the story for a few days, a week if you can tolerate it, then print it, and read it from the beginning. Does it grab you? If it doesn't right away, what is missing? What can be moved or removed?

How long is your story going to be? It might be fun to think of you adding chapters as you write them but that is a good way to end up with an unfinished story when you or your readers lose interest. I see you don't have any stories posted yet. I would perhaps take a spicy scene, one with a beginning and ending and post it with the disclaimer that it is just a sample to gauge reactions and get feedback. You'd be surprised where your story may go when you read some comments.

Good luck.