When is a story ready?

[wws_wws]

I've received a few messages from readers who ask that I quickly update what will be the last installment in my story. Given how many in the past pointed out my need for an editor and need for more editing, I'm working away. Of course now I'm writing and rewriting and it never seems to end.

When do you, fellow writers, decide when your story is ready to post?

 

[unregistered]

 

[TamLin01]

This will not be a popular answer if you want a quick turnaround, but I find that a story is ready three to six months after you think you're finished with it. That may sound like a jaw-dropping period of time, but whenever I push a story out the gate right after finishing the final draft, a few months down the line I read it again and the flaws in it are much more apparent than they were before. Once the throws of composition are no longer a monkey on your back you can look at your own work much more objectively, and the resulting edit will always, always be better than what you wrote the first time.

Of course, the waiting is the hardest part...

 

[sr71plt]

I don't submit anything in a series until the entire series is finished, edited, cleaned up, and reviewed again.

 

[lovecraft68]

Everyone has a different method and at times superstition about when a story is ready

But I want to point out that its ready when you feel its ready, don't rush because you're readers are asking, they'll wait, you make sure you post it when you're ready to.

 

[glynndah]

When a broomstraw or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


Hm. That might be for something else.

A from the good little witch.

 

[Handley_Page]

When a broomstraw or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Hm. That might be for something else.

A from the good little witch.

I fear you may be drinking the wrong stuff again. Your cake may not come out as well as you'd expect!

I think the answer to the question is "When you manage to divorce yourself from being the Author and enter the mind of the Reader".

 

[JKendallDane]

I fear you may be drinking the wrong stuff again. Your cake may not come out as well as you'd expect!

I think the answer to the question is "When you manage to divorce yourself from being the Author and enter the mind of the Reader".

Quite possibly THE BEST answer of all time! Thank you for that one HP. it!

(Previous to that gem, I would have answered: When the characters and the Muse have stopped whispering suggestions in your ear...but damn...HP just nailed it to the wall with his comment!)

 

[Hypoxia]

My answer last night would have been, "You don't know when the story is done. The story knows when it is done. When the story says it's done, then it's done. Not before."

That was last night. This morning I'll say, "Shoot it in the head and move on to the next one." Damn pesky stories, always getting underfoot...

 

[wws_wws]

I want to do something radically different and I suspect people are going to be very upset with how this story will end. I feel like it's no longer something that I'm making up but something that I'm merely transcribing. How did this thing suddenly take over my life?

 

[jomar]

It happens when they want out.

Write what you write and don't worry about the readers. Just yesterday I looked at a new comment and as I scrolled over the others there were two comments back to back...one disliking this and that and the next praising the same things.

Write it for you.

 

[JKendallDane]

I want to do something radically different and I suspect people are going to be very upset with how this story will end. I feel like it's no longer something that I'm making up but something that I'm merely transcribing. How did this thing suddenly take over my life?

Wait until you start telling people you are certain you have sold your soul to your Muse and the characters because you ARE nothing but their secretary anymore.

It does happen...and damn is ever a fun ride to see who is actually going to win control of each paragraph and/or chapter!

 

[DoctorHook]

It happens when they want out.

Write what you write and don't worry about the readers. Just yesterday I looked at a new comment and as I scrolled over the others there were two comments back to back...one disliking this and that and the next praising the same things.

Write it for you.

Indeed write it for you. Everyone will have an opinion about whether you made the right choices in a story. In the end, it has to be genuine if it's going to be enjoyable. And the only way to be genuine is to write it for you. To try and second guess what readers want is a fools game, really.

To respond to your original question, I've never posted a story that I truly believed to be finished. There are only varying degrees of doneness. It's a question of how much can you tolerate one more read through. I often need someone to tell me, "just post the damned thing already!"

 

[Hypoxia]

I've never posted a story that I truly believed to be finished. There are only varying degrees of doneness. It's a question of how much can you tolerate one more read through. I often need someone to tell me, "just post the damned thing already!"

Like I said above, sometimes you just have to shoot'em in the head and move on to the next one.

 

[sr71plt]

If I get tired of reviewing an erotica story, believe me, it's done.

 

[49greg]

I've received a few messages from readers who ask that I quickly update what will be the last installment in my story. Given how many in the past pointed out my need for an editor and need for more editing, I'm working away. Of course now I'm writing and rewriting and it never seems to end.

When do you, fellow writers, decide when your story is ready to post?

I self edit, and as much as I try to prevent it mistakes have happened, but I have to admit that I have posted some stories when I just got to darned sick and tired of the darned thing to go over it again.

As for when the story is done, plot wise, I always have a problem with that. I've got a couple of multi chapter stories that were never intended to more than one chapter. I just couldn't bring the plot and all the characters to a conclusion, and finally gave up and posted what I had, saving the rest for later.

I think having an outline that includes and ending where everything is tied up would solve it for me. Except that I have rarely been able to follow an outline, the damned characters just get out of hand and do their own thing.

Perhaps just setting down ahead of time what you think the conditions for an ending are, and work toward that. Like planning a job through a factory, or even a major project. Set the end date/conditions, and work backwards through every step and time frame of each process (or sub plot) until you get to the start date, or beginning situation.

I'll have to try that some time.

Or where you really just asking how to get it done without typos?

 

[Hypoxia]

I've got a couple of multi chapter stories that were never intended to more than one chapter. I just couldn't bring the plot and all the characters to a conclusion, and finally gave up and posted what I had, saving the rest for later.

That's when it's time to murder the characters. Well, I suppose they could have heart attacks in their sleep. I think the only way I can end The Book of Ruth is to send Randy to prison (after being beaten by agents of his cuckolds) and seeing everyone die except poor innocent little children (sob!) and maybe one sneaky mother. Should it be a chain-reaction car crash, or a meteor strike, or earthquake-collapsed buildings, or what? Something like that.

(And if I can't leave RUTH well enough alone, I have an idea of a prequel told in flashbacks by all the older women Randy has impregnated. Shoot me now.)

My Black & White series started as a single standalone, had a more popular variant requested and executed, which then expanded... and I've written myself into corners. Maybe I should let a tsunami sweep Los Angeles out to sea -- that'll get myself out of trouble there! A tsunami cleansing the central Oregon coast would bail me out of my Jenny Be Fair series too. And I could close-out Alan in the Office and Left Behind. Yes, one tsunami can cure many dead ends. Maybe I'll write just one 3rd-person POV tsunami story and plug-in the various players and locales as needed to terminate the series. "__________ watched in horror as the giant wave swept over __________ and left only debris and bodies."

 

[49greg]

That's when it's time to murder the characters. Well, I suppose they could have heart attacks in their sleep. I think the only way I can end The Book of Ruth is to send Randy to prison (after being beaten by agents of his cuckolds) and seeing everyone die except poor innocent little children (sob!) and maybe one sneaky mother. Should it be a chain-reaction car crash, or a meteor strike, or earthquake-collapsed buildings, or what? Something like that.

(And if I can't leave RUTH well enough alone, I have an idea of a prequel told in flashbacks by all the older women Randy has impregnated. Shoot me now.)

My Black & White series started as a single standalone, had a more popular variant requested and executed, which then expanded... and I've written myself into corners. Maybe I should let a tsunami sweep Los Angeles out to sea -- that'll get myself out of trouble there! A tsunami cleansing the central Oregon coast would bail me out of my Jenny Be Fair series too. And I could close-out Alan in the Office and Left Behind. Yes, one tsunami can cure many dead ends. Maybe I'll write just one 3rd-person POV tsunami story and plug-in the various players and locales as needed to terminate the series. "__________ watched in horror as the giant wave swept over __________ and left only debris and bodies."

I gotta admit that I have thought of finishing Bad Vibe as well as Between Tim and Tracy with one person stepping out and getting aids and giving it to the other.

 

[Hypoxia]

I gotta admit that I have thought of finishing Bad Vibe as well as Between Tim and Tracy with one person stepping out and getting aids and giving it to the other.

Yes, a terminal STD is always a sure winner, even better than cancer (fast or slow) or a messy collision. That would be a good way to close out Substitute Pussy or even Black & White, the multiracial close-incest version. In Substitute, Elle infects her player, who infects everyoine he fucks, who infect everyone THEY fuck, and the whole town is soon gone. In B&W, Mom strays (after finally overcoming her debilitating narcolepsy and agoraphobia), picks up AIDS, passes it to the kids, and they all waste away together, the end. Whew.

 

[sr71plt]

Yes, a terminal STD is always a sure winner, even better than cancer (fast or slow) or a messy collision. That would be a good way to close out Substitute Pussy or even Black & White, the multiracial close-incest version. In Substitute, Elle infects her player, who infects everyoine he fucks, who infect everyone THEY fuck, and the whole town is soon gone. In B&W, Mom strays (after finally overcoming her debilitating narcolepsy and agoraphobia), picks up AIDS, passes it to the kids, and they all waste away together, the end. Whew.

Ah, but that wouldn't be the end for some readers. There would still be those who wanted more of the story.

 

[Hypoxia]

Ah, but that wouldn't be the end for some readers. There would still be those who wanted more of the story.

I yesterday re-read the bit in Stephen King's DANSE MACABRE critiquing DARK SHADOWS. In standard soaps, characters are written-out, and they're gone. In DS, they merely return as ghosts. So any requested sequels to my TEOTWAWKI scenarios would be ghost stories -- unless some tsunami survivors use escape capsules. Deus ex machina rides again!

 

[wws_wws]

Well I wrote the final paragraph and feeling gutted. I'm burning this mother down. Or maybe I'll save it for the sequel. I realize I started my project as a run of the mill bodice ripper but what are the chances for happy endings in that time period. Realistically. The sex did get better with this last chapter at least. =)

 

[BuckyDuckman]

I've received a few messages from readers who ask that I quickly update what will be the last installment in my story. Given how many in the past pointed out my need for an editor and need for more editing, I'm working away. Of course now I'm writing and rewriting and it never seems to end.

When do you, fellow writers, decide when your story is ready to post?

This reads to me as if editing is an issue for you more so than storytelling. Developing a relationship with a good editor/beta reader who will point out mistakes may be all you need. Writing style develops after hundreds of thousands of words.

I self-edit most of my stories (and it shows). I'm bad about dropping words and finding those dropped words becomes very difficult for my eyes. However, if you're struggling with more basic principles of writing (run on sentences, poor punctuating, etc.) - an editor can help. Heck, even using a program like Microsoft Word can help. If Word tells you the punctuation is wrong, it's probably right.

 

[SusanJillParker]

I fear you may be drinking the wrong stuff again. Your cake may not come out as well as you'd expect!

I think the answer to the question is "When you manage to divorce yourself from being the Author and enter the mind of the Reader".

Oh, so true. This is the perfect answer.

Once you divorce yourself from being the author, totally detached from the story as if you didn't write it, you're now reading it and enjoying it through the eyes of the reader.

It's perfect until you post it to Literotica and find a dozen typo mistakes and receive the typical bashing feedback.

"I realy enjoyed your 30,000 word story but you rote "a" instead of "an" and that nocked me rite out of the story."

Duh? An expected response, I write a 30,000 word story and you bash me for a typo when you can't even write one, grammatical correct sentence. Wow!

Write for yourself and what you write is even better when someone else likes your story and reads your story with the same amount of joy that you wrote your story.

 

[sethp]

I write until it feels finished. Then I spellcheck....then I start at the beginning and self edit rewrite...catching mistakes...extending sex scenes...fixing or deleting passages that don't work...then I send to my editor...once back I self edit rewrite again..one more spell check and submit.