Why do you....Honestly

[Guest]

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I don't know. I tend to agree with you, but there are a lot of people who keep diaries and journals only for themselves, so they probably don't care very much what other people would think about that kind of writing at least.

However, writing is kind of a unique art in that the audience has to make some effort in order to make it work. You can't just hang a piece of writing on a wall. Someone has to take the trouble to read it.

This fact haunts me when I write. It makes me work harder than I probably have to. I would like to not care, but I can't seem to manage it.

---dr.M.

 

[DirtyJJ]

hokay.......this has come up before..and will again.

My contention(..and confrontation...and agrivation..and annoyance...)

Is that some people here are lying to themselves and us as to why they post stories here. Some have said that they only write for themselves.

I say "bullshit"

if one "only writes for themself".... why post? Just put it on your hard drive or print and save.

I believe we all have selfish/ego centric motives for posting. SOME may not care about SCORES, but we DO almost all want feedback and/or strokes (literal and/or figurative) for our writing.

one reason MIGHT be....posting gives some validation..ligitimacy to our work.

another MIGHT be... ego boost to see our work "in lights"

another might be to lure opposite (or same) sex

another MIGHT be to WIN a contest.

another MIGHT be...writing for another person

On Literotica specifically there is the EROTICA portion the sexuality. SOME have suggested THAT is not really an issue...it's all about creative writing...PERSONALLy I think the sexuality is A KEY factor to posting HERE.

I write.....as a reassurance that i am still a viable sexual being...and HOPEFULLY someone will respond to it...however i am terrified that might NOT happen...so combined with procrastination and other projects have not yet posted stories. So i am writing "for myself"ish reasons...but not for myself.....in fact i USED to write for someone else (also PARTIAL selfishly i suppose, but I felt it was giving some of myself to her as well).


rhino-steps back turns on fan

I do not ONLY write for myself, but I think I write for myself first, and then other reasons come into play, like some you listed: I love getting feedback for one, I like having my work "out there" for others to read, I love it when it turns someone on or they just plain enjoy my story. As far as writing for someone else... my stories are currently ABOUT someome else, and he may or may not ever see them.... but somewhere in the back of my mind I think as I write I want him to know about these feelings I have for him... thinking that maybe one day he will see the stories.

I do enjoy writing just to write, but since I have discovered Lit I like the idea of my writing being out there for others to enjoy. I may even try and win a contest, because the more I write, the more things like feedback and/or contests give me a "push" to keep doing better.

Now rhino, SOME of your fans are anxiously awaiting the time when YOU post a story or two!
JJ

 

[Green_Gem]

Why I write and submit to Literotica

I write because I enjoy it, but I post my stories on this site because there is a thrill and personal satisfaction in knowing that thousands of other people will read my words.

I write and post stories here because I love the feedback. It can be addictive, and I like to know that I have moved people in some way, emotionally or physically.

If I enter a story for a contest, of course I want to win, or be placed, otherwise why would I do it? Recognition is great for anyone's ego, but it's not everything. I don't lose sleep if I don't win and I'm not that fiercely competitive that I will try and knock someone else down. I've learned here that it is different strokes for different folks.

I write and post here because I have loyal readers and 'fans' and I like to entertain them while doing something I enjoy.

I write and post here because it allows me total freedom of sexual expression without judgement and that in itself is very liberating.

Green_Gem

http://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=183586

 

[Couture]

At least in my case I have to agree with you 100%. The first story I wrote, it was there in my head and it needed writing. But then came what a lot of readers don't consider . . . editing.

Editing a story is a lot of work. At least for me it is. By the time I release one of my stories to the public, I have written and worked and written and worked it over to such an extent, that 'no, it doesn't get me hot,' and 'yes, I'm pretty much sick of it at that point.'

So for me, the payoff is the awards, the feedback, and the ego stroking. The payoff is knowing that somewhere out there, roughly 10,000 people per week are getting off on my stories. The payoff is to write stories that are so good, so kinky, and sexy, that five years from now, that they will still be circulating and people will still be reading them on the internet.

I've submitted 89 stories/chapters. I've seen other net porn authors come and go. Maybe I'll be like Uncle Uther and keep at it, but I doubt it. I figure 11 more stories and that's a wrap.

 

[damppanties]

if one "only writes for themself".... why post? Just put it on your hard drive or print and save.

Because I get critiques here. People point out to me what works, what doesn't, the why of it, the teeny stupid points about which I could never think about myself.

Yes, I primarily write for myself. I post because *I* want to get better. I want other views about my stories. I think this is what most writers mean when they say they write for themselves.

I would be lying if I said the appreciation or votes don't matter. They do. A lot. But I don't enjoy them as much as I enjoy an honest critique.

 

[oggbashan]

I write because I have to.

I continue writing because I want to improve. Posting is the act of completion. Until the story is out "there" - wherever "there" is - it isn't finished.

I rarely revisit a posted story to edit it. I should, particularly when I get intelligent criticism, but that story is done and I'm writing the next. I should delete some of my earlier stories but I leave them to remind me that I have got improved.

I want to write better stories in the sense that they match the vision of the story I have in my brain. I don't think I will ever come closer than half-way towards the ideal story. Kipling, and Coleridge with Kubla Khan expressed that frustration much better than I can.

Og

 

[Guest]

 

[Wills]

Rhino

At the moment I am writing purely to explore my ability to tell a story.

I am astonished at the readership numbers and that 'fans' a certain inner pride.

Apart from the L&L feedback noted elsewhere, all my feedback has been supportive and encouraging suggesting I must be doing something right.

It is gratifying to think that my writing 'turns people on' but that is not the primary objective. That is to tell a story that turns people on with sufficient power to draw them into the charactors lives.

Louise & Lisa's - "The bi-sisters" request that "you have resisted Anna for all these years, don't give into her now" would have been great feedback for me if they hadn't headed it 'TRASH' - but at least they read it far enough (3 Lit pages in) to have understood the story!

Will's

 

[oggbashan]

Ogg,
i understand that.
I often find that just getting something on paper is "completion" enough.
Other times...or maybe more often now it is presenting it...then on to the next.

STILL...i crave reinforcement or support or reassurance or something LIKE that.

rhino-insecure?

Getting on paper used to be completion enough. Then posting it on a Yahoo adult group but I rarely got feedback.

Posting it on Literotica gives a much better sense of completion. Even if I get NO feedback, and some of my stories have never had any, the views and the occasional votes give me the impression that someone else is looking at my work.

I am not so self-contained that I don't appreciate responses to my work but once the story is posted I'd like to let it sink or swim by itself. I don't. I do some shameless plugging.

My earlier stories feel as if someone else wrote them. I'm not the person I was then. If I had to edit one, I'd rewrite the story from the perspective I now have, or scrap it entirely.

My best story is always the next one until it is posted. Then it is the one being written or planned.

Being an author is an experience I enjoy and hate. The enjoyment comes from the act of creation. The hatred comes from the difference between the conception and the reality of the written words.

Og

 

[mtnman2003]

why not write......

I find writing substitutes for a less than perfect sex life. Given being married for 30-years, the aspect of new, forbidden, non-consentual, etc sex is exciting.

I write stories that create themselves while doing other things. Example, driving out of the mountains to the city yesterday, a new story line jumped in my head, rambled around, and will start life on my computer over the next several days.

I "birth" the stories. They are my creative babies. Whether from past experiences made better in a perfect place here, or created from a thought, I create them, feed them, and look to feedback and scores from readers to see how they were received.

I pride myself in being bright, articulate, and with an ability to put to paper what is rambling around my brain. I want to capture imaginations, raise sexual desire, and bring to life a persona for a short period of time, even though it is in the minds of the readers.

That's why I write.

Mtn

 

[oggbashan]

Re: why not write......

I create them, feed them, and look to feedback and scores from readers to see how they were received.

Mtn

Then why not put a link in your signature line to your stories? Like this:

http://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=257689

Og

 

[MR. Gibson]

I love to write because I love other people to read and enjoy my work! And send me much feedback of course!!! I also love to read other people's good works too! talent respects talent!


I have two new poems out:

MR. Gibson' sexy tales!

 

[Boota]

Like a lot of the other responses, I write for myself first. If enough other people like it, I may have a future in it. If not, I really only did it for me anyway. I only wrote short stories as warm-ups for writing my novel. Strangely, none of my short stories are even vaguely related to subject matter or style of my novel. LOL.

I posted my only erotica story here because it looked like a great home for it. I had never before, or since, written any erotica. I did it due to a challenge from an online friend. When it was finished I posted it on the message board we usually talked on, and it was well received. Then I began getting a lot of requests for it via email. I needed a place to post it just to direct people toward. I thought of Lit. This is the site I did my erotic writing research on when I was getting ready to write the story. I was pleasantly surprised to find so much good quality writing here. I didn't expect that from "smut". LOL. I expected a half-assed "Dear Penthouse" type of thing.

Being totally honest, writing about sex didn't really do anything for me. It seemed like more of a chore after I undertook the challenge because it wasn't what I was really interested in writing. I've been celibate for over ten years and sex just isn't that important to me. I don't know if I'll ever have sex again. I can honestly say, I come here for the writing and the discussions that have come up on styles, techniques, etc. I only know one other writer and we never talk about writing. LOL. That's why I post here and visit this message board.

 

[MR. Gibson]

you sound like a nice but serious guy Boota. pray tell though what turned you off sex? if you don't mind a fellow literotica author asking?

MR. Gibson' sexy tales!

 

[KillerMuffin]

Me? I post stories here because I'm head over heels in adoration for the webmistress. Can't help it, she's just do darned cute. That and Lit is the water for my Chia-Ego.

 

[raphy]

For me, it's very simple.

I write because other people have told me I'm good at it.

I wrote the three lit stories I have up because I thought it would be a fun experiment to see if I could write erotica. Turns out, I can.

 

[Lorindellia]

I write because...

I write Literotica for many reasons:
1) Because it provides an outlet for me to express something about my sexuality.

2) Because it turns me or another person on.

3) Because it is a mental challenge and a lot more fun than writing an essay on the pros and Cons of using the DSM-IV (or some other schoolwork).

4) Because I enjoy getting other people's reaction to my writing.

and I think the list goes on, but mostly I love to write.
Lady _ Lorindellia

 

[steve w]

More reasons to post

Firstly, I think we need to recognise that everyone has an ego - whether it's inflated, subdued, or anything in-between is a matter of subjective opinion.

First and foremost, I write because I enjoy it. Because it gives me an intellectual challenge to try to do it well, and because it can be a wonderful way to communicate - as wonderful as a touching song, for example.

I post on Lit because I get instant feedback from people who are interested in that style of writing. If I posted elsewhere I might get a bunch of feedback saying "that's too explicit" or "I don't like that kind of thing". Fine - that's up to them but, while it tells me something of their moral structures, it doesn't tell me anything about how well or badly I wrote.

I've found that (in my opinion!) my writing of all kinds has improved since I started posting on Lit. It has given me confidence in writing a number of different things, since I never previously believed that I could write erotic pieces. I've proved to myself that I can, with practice, write something passable for the audience reading it. This gives me confidence in my general writing to tackle subjects and styles I would have otherwise considered off-bounds.

I've also written pieces for an individual that I won't post on Lit, although they are "suitable" material in terms of content. So it isn't simply a question of the "glory" of seeing yourself up there on the screen. It depends on what you're writing, and what you want to happen to it, which may vary from piece to piece.

Finally, I've said before that I've met some lovely and interesting people through Lit, and if continued posting allows that to happen, that's another reason to continue.

 

[Icingsugar]

I write becuse it's fun to write.

I also write because it's something I'm fairly good at, and it's boosting my ego to know that something I do is enjoyed by others.

I write erotic stories because here, at this site that I found, thousands of people will read them, and I am an attention whore.

I write poetry because I got them bouncing around in the emptiness of my skull, and same rason as above, people who read them seems to like them, which makes my day to hear.

I write music because my sister keeps nagging me to do it all the time. I never really want to, but when I'm done, I'm always pumping my ego with the result.


I write dis b'coz u asked, man.

there you have it.

/Ice

 

[Guest]

 

[Chimney Sweep]

I write because I get frustrated with my logical job. I can only handle so much programming before the other half of my brain butts in and says, "Time for some creativity!."

Up until maybe 18 moths ago I wrote fantasy fiction for a Dungeons and Dragons game I was hosting (nerd, yes I know, next window please.) I have no artisitc or musical talent, but I seem to get along well with the written word (although I'll claim no particular talent as I have yet to get a story rated over grade 7 on the MSWord scale!) I just get this itch to go off and create something, and since I've given up on the gaming I had to replace it with something.

I started writing erotica (more like smut in my case) as a way of scratching that itch. I have found it an interesting change. I started taking peices of my life and waving the porno-wand over them, jazzing them up and changing the variables. I got laid a lot more in this alternate past of mine!

I used my own past, and women from it, partly as a way to revisit lost opportunities and relive past glories, but also as a crutch to a sometimes unfulfilling sex life. I love my wife dearly, but sometimes I wish for the nasty little sex-kitten in college. So I write to fulfill a need and to entertain myself. If I don't get a boner reading my stories, I've done something wrong.

Posting the stories was a decision I made after much consideration. Ultimately I chose to post due to a desire for praise and a desire to find out if I was any good at it. I suppose I feel that, for me, a work of art is useless unless it is experienced by others. For me, a work of art is an attempt to communicate. Without sharing it, it is of little use to me. That's why I quit the fantasy stuff - my group of players disbanded and my creative efforts were going unseen. I'll admit to being an attnetion whore!

I have grown fond of the ratings (hovering around 4.6 combined, thank you very much!) and the feedback. It is nice to have your efforts appreciated, no matter what they are. Perhaps this feeds my need to be accepted or a need to show off - I don't know. I think we all just want to be aknowledged a little sometimes.

edit - forgot to show off.....

Chimney Sweep

 

[reohoko]

I write because I have to.

I continue writing because I want to improve. Posting is the act of completion. Until the story is out "there" - wherever "there" is - it isn't finished.

I rarely revisit a posted story to edit it. I should, particularly when I get intelligent criticism, but that story is done and I'm writing the next. I should delete some of my earlier stories but I leave them to remind me that I have got improved.

I want to write better stories in the sense that they match the vision of the story I have in my brain. I don't think I will ever come closer than half-way towards the ideal story. Kipling, and Coleridge with Kubla Khan expressed that frustration much better than I can.

Og

I am with you 100%

I also write for my friends though . Makes them happy to see their suggestions put into a story form.

 

[TheEarl]

I wrote because I thought I could do better than an author on here.
Then I wrote because I knew that I couldn't do better than some authors on here.
Then I wrote because I wanted the respect of the authors on here.

Now, I'm not writing. I know I've done better than a lot of authors. I know there are authors who I can't touch, but now I have some people's respect. I'm not sure I have a reason to write for Lit anymore. I wouldn't mind writing more, but I don't have the motivation at the moment.

I'd like to place in a competition (even if it wouldn't be worth my effort changing the cheque from dollars to proper money), but that's not big enough motivation for me. I'm writing my 'big project' because I want something non-erotic to show people who don't know, but I can't find the emotion to do any more Lit work.

That's actually quite sad to write that; I enjoy having new stories up here, but I don't feel one coming. Quite depressing actually.

The Earl

 

[reohoko]

HUGS theEarl!!!!