What's the hardest part for you?

[Reverse_Cowboy]

I'm curious to see what other authors find to be the hardest part when writing a new story. For me its coming up with names I like for my characters.

Sometimes they just come to me and its easy to get going, but other times it seems like it takes me forever to come up with a name I'm happy with for a character. It mostly happens with the main characters or important supporting characters.

How about you? What's that hardest part of starting a new story?

 

[matriarch]

Making myself write what's in my head.

I'm very lazy.

*sigh*

 

[impressive]

Starting is never the problem. Finishing ... THAT is the problem.

 

[gauchecritic]

Having to take out the whips and prods to make Mat stop posting and start writing.

My own problem is cutting out complicated words that I like the sound of so that other people can understand what the hell is going on.

 

[SummerMorning]

Writing stories, because I'm working on my thesis, so when I'm not *working* I never feel like *writing*

 

[McKenna]

Having to take out the whips and prods to make Mat stop posting and start writing.

My own problem is cutting out complicated words that I like the sound of so that other people can understand what the hell is going on.

Imp and Belegon used "doppelganger" in their latest collaboration. I was every so impressed. (Really.)




The hardest part of writing for me is ... getting started. Sitting down to get it out on paper (or on screen, as the case may be.)

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Making myself write what's in my head.

I'm very lazy.

*sigh*

This would be it...

Also, I tend to write out of order, making it nearly impossibly to deviate from the original idea until rewriting.

Q_C

 

[TxRad]

Starting is never the problem. Finishing ... THAT is the problem.

I'm in 100% agreement on that... I have anywhere from 20 to 30 stories going at any one time... Now, If I could only finish some more of them....

 

[Alexis Haines]

Putting the outline together. I enjoy writing much more when I have a plan, but I'd rather be writing than planning.

 

[JamesSD]

I'm curious to see what other authors find to be the hardest part when writing a new story. For me its coming up with names I like for my characters.

Sometimes they just come to me and its easy to get going, but other times it seems like it takes me forever to come up with a name I'm happy with for a character. It mostly happens with the main characters or important supporting characters.

How about you? What's that hardest part of starting a new story?

I don't put a lot of thought into character names. I have a list of women's names I find sexy, I tend to pick from. When a character is based on a specific woman I tend to use a name with the first initial, but not always.

A lot of my male characters are first person and semi-autobiographical. The ones that aren't, I just pick the name that seems "right" to me, usually something common.

I've written stories and changed character names afterwards, and been happy with the results.

For me the hardest part is the beginning paragraphs. When I don't fight it I tend towards long expositions rather than really grabbing the reader.
The more I write, the harder the sex scenes get, sadly. I have to be in the right mood, and it's a challenge to find the middle ground between overly clinical detail and fuzzy "R-rated movie" type images.

I also sometimes have a hard time finishing. There seems to be a point that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and can make a mad dash to the finish.

 

[cloudy]

Finishing...starting is never a problem.

I'm sure my ADD has something to do with it, but as much as I'd like to blame it on that, I'm just a master procrastinator.

 

[TheEarl]

Getting in the mood. If I tap a good creative vein I can be off and away for hours. If not, then I can sit there making a couple of sentences.

The Earl

 

[elsol]

Finding that place where your style does not interfere with the reader's understanding.

Sincerely,
ElSol

 

[Liar]

The whole issue of pressing the keys on my keyboard in such matter as to form sentences for any longer period of time is a major problem.

 

[elsol]

Actually, the hardest part is getting people to READ the sex in long stories.

All those damn, 'the plot is so good, I find myself skipping the sex!' emails.

Goddammit!

I used the plot to frame the sex.

I came up with ways to move different females in and out of the story, while maintaining the presence of two 'prime' females.

I created a character with no sexual identity of his own, so when a new female entered the story the sex with her could be based on her sexual identity, i.e. if she likes spankings, he does it... if she likes it slow, he does it... etc. etc.

I even went so far as to make the sex a PART of the story revealing character growth and change in relationships only in the sex.

And they SKIP IT!!!

I thought all anyone wanted was sex.

*grumble*

Sincerely,
ElSol

 

[TxRad]

SKIPPED THE SEX!!!!!

What group of people are reading your stories????

Mine a complain that the plot gets in the way of the sex or that I take to long to get to it.....

Maybe we need to swap readers....

 

[JamesSD]

Actually, the hardest part is getting people to READ the sex in long stories.

All those damn, 'the plot is so good, I find myself skipping the sex!' emails.

I think a lot of times in long stories the sex becomes secondary to the plot.

The timetable for chapter release seems to affect this for me a lot as a reader.
There's one online novel I read where the author tends to post a new chapter once every month or so. I tend to find myself dissapointed if there isn't a hot sex scene in every chapter.
However, when I read a story "cover-to-cover" I don't mind the occasional no sex/quick sex chapter. I suppose the fact is I only need one or two hot scenes per reading session to feel satisfied.

I would take is as a compliment that you have readers to whom the sex is secondary. It means they care about the characters and what happens to them.

 

[oggbashan]

Names are easy...

...because I have a collection of baby name books. I just flip through one of them until I find a name that I think suits the character and then start writing.

If the name doesn't actually fit when I have finished then I do a global search replace with another name that fits the character I've created.

What is difficult is:

1. Finishing a story when the plot/characters go the way I didn't intend.
2. Knowing when to stop and what to remove from the 'completed' story.
3. Finding the glaring errors that only become visible AFTER I have hit the 'submit' button.
4. Getting round to editing the stories that have been posted with the errors left in... There are so many other stories wanting to be written that the old ones get neglected.
and 5. Og's speciality - trying to remember that I should include some SEX!!!

Og

 

[OhMissScarlett]

I even went so far as to make the sex a PART of the story revealing character growth and change in relationships only in the sex.

Sincerely,
ElSol

Gasp! I'm calling the cops.


It's okay, Elsol, I get those "this would be great if it wasn't for all the butt sex" emails all the time.

Personally, I can't get turned on without some fairly complex character interaction. I think a lot of people are the same way. This is the hardest part for me, as a writer, I can't just write pure stroke without it turning into something emotional. Everything turns out longer than I want it to be. My characters go out for a random hump and wind up falling in love. I'm such a fucking girl.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

the hardest part ofr me is to avoid being formulamatic. I have written enough now that I find myself repeating ideas used in other stories. Some of this has to happen of course, there are only so many ways to givehead, but making sure I am not falling into a pattern is the hardest part for me.

 

[hmmnmm]

Getting into the groove.
Where nothing else matters and nothing else exists but the words and how they must be arranged. In a word, Distractions - internal and external.
I almost never get into that groove. Most often its the ruts.
But I keep trying.
One of these days...

 

[JamesSD]

the hardest part ofr me is to avoid being formulamatic. I have written enough now that I find myself repeating ideas used in other stories. Some of this has to happen of course, there are only so many ways to givehead, but making sure I am not falling into a pattern is the hardest part for me.

Ah yes, the difference between real sex and erotica.
I could recieve the same blowjob every day for the rest of my life and be a happy man. Doesn't work quite so well on paper. Must be all the nerve endings or something

I cringe when I read an older story of mine and realize I used the exact same phrase in a sex scene as I did in a new story.

 

[rgraham666]

I'm a lazy sod so getting myself to write is the hard part.

And sorting through all my ideas. I find it hard to stay focused on the current piece I'm writing.

 

[Typo Fu Master]

Starting is never the problem. Finishing ... THAT is the problem.

For me, truer words were never typed.

I also have a problem with details. When I get an idea, it's like a snapshot of the story. I have to fill in all the stuff before and after the snapshot. Sometimes, this is easy ... sometimes not.

 

[elsol]

SKIPPED THE SEX!!!!!

What group of people are reading your stories????

I don't know... but I keep getting that

It's not bad in my non-stroke stories, but when I'm trying to bring the heat seeing people admit they skip the sex is a downer.

Sincerely,
ElSol