Writing Evolution

[scheherazade_79]

We're always trying to get to know each other better as people, so I thought it would be interesting to start a thread where we learn about each other as writers.

So here's a series of questions to get things started:


What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?


Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?


What did your English teacher say about you in school?


What attracted you to writing erotica?


How has your writing evolved over the last few years?


What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?


What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?


If you were to write a book, what would it be about?



Discuss.

Scheherazade

 

[tolyk]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?
It was about a Dwarf named Glorin, he was an adventurer. This particular tale was set in a mystical castle with a shifting maze. I was in the 7th grade.

Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?
Terry Brooks, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, David Eddings

What did your English teacher say about you in school?
They always enjoyed my writings, when I handed anything in.. I hated english class.

What attracted you to writing erotica?
Had writer's block.. wanted to write something completely outside my genre, so tried my hand at an erotica story (product of which is submitted here, was written a long time ago though)

How has your writing evolved over the last few years?
Well, I've learned a lot more about poetry, but story wise, I've been blocked for years.

What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?
Starting it

What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?
Plot and character depth

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
I have one started, it is about a Mage and his pet. Fantasy story.

 

[scheherazade_79]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?
I was about 5 and it was a horror story about an old witch called Josephine, who lived in a cemetary and kidnapped kids around my age.


Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?
Bill Bryson - he has a nice, easy style.
Thomas Hardy - I'm very much into the symbolism thing as a kind of reward for obersvant readers.
George Orwell - from the viewpoint of social commentary.


What did your English teacher say about you in school?
I was usually teacher's pet in English. The only criticism I ever received was that my writing sometimes "strayed into the realms of fantasy". The rest was all good. I also got away with introducing the occasional swear word and approaching toilet-related topics that were slightly near the knuckle, and all she used to do was laugh.


What attracted you to writing erotica?
The challenge, the guaranteed high-readership, the opportunity to explore some of my own fantasies on paper, and the thrill that comes from leading a respectable life and writing smut in your spare time


How has your writing evolved over the last few years?
I've moved away from descriptions of sexual scenes to proper storylines. My next step is to start weaving in subplots, introducing themes, motifs, symbolism etc. without sending the whole story toppling in on itself.


What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?
The discipline of keeping on going, even when I'm sick to the eyeballs of the story. I usually get to the halfway point before it becomes a struggle. I guess the fact that I do so much editing as I go along doesn't help.


What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?
I'd like to say description, but sometimes I think I overdo it. It's something I'm working on,


If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
A 1984 / Brave New World type thing where the worst elements of our modern world were blended together to form a frightening new vision of tomorrow.

 

[cantdog]

Plump up your egos, ladies and gentlemen. Let us hear how miraculous your talent really is!



What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?

Two of my toys and what they did. I was livng in South Gardiner, so I must have been six or so. My sister was not yet born.


Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?

I think every thing you take in influences what you put out. Wodehouse, Straub, Kitto, Thucydides, everyone.


What did your English teacher say about you in school?

I was a lusus naturae and that colored everything.


What attracted you to writing erotica?

Sex. Specifically, pussy. I like it a lot.


How has your writing evolved over the last few years?

I was like Grandma Moses a few years ago. Primitive.


What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?

Getting up the gumption. Gumptionology ought to be a course of study.


What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?

Polemics. Not fiction, so much.


If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

Human beings in flux, confronting spiritual growth.

 

[Boota]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about? I wrote little stories when I was in sixth grade about a slasher loose in our school. I had him killing all my fellow students in unique ways. A couple of the stories I wrote got out and soon everyone was asking me to write a story with them being killed in it. The more gruesome the better. In today's climate I would have been escorted from school to the looney bin, but it was harmless fun.


Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?
Stephen King, in as much as I have been a big fan of his for years. His book On Writing was very helpful to me in the techniques and processes of the writing craft. Christopher Moore helped me a lot online with a suggestion about how to plot a novel.


What did your English teacher say about you in school? My creative writing teacher gave me A's all the time, but he always put something like, "Now that you've displayed your penchant for sick humor, why not try a more serious approach to your work."


What attracted you to writing erotica? I was challenged to do it by a girl I know online. She asked if I could and I didn't know.


How has your writing evolved over the last few years? I'm a lot more comfortable in the process of it and it's easier to get in the proper frame of mind to write. I know better what works than I did when I started.


What do you find most difficult about writing a new story? In short stories, nothing. They come to me almost fully formed. In novels I always hit one important plot point that needs to be worked out. But that's the fun part.


What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing? Comic timing with the written word. It's much harder to do than simply telling a joke.


If you were to write a book, what would it be about? I have written a book. It's a comedy about a guy who wins $158 million in a lottery and uses the money to get revenge on the snobs who treated him badly when he was poor. Funniest damn thing ever written.

 

[sophia jane]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?
It's here on lit, actually- Speeding Ticket about a woman getting pulled over for speeding and well, you know...

Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?
I don't know. I only write erotica and poetry and I don't know if anyone has influenced me on either of those. I would say the only person who has really affected my writing is the person who does my editing (thanks Softie!)

What did your English teacher say about you in school?

My English teachers love me. I was great at essays, etc.

What attracted you to writing erotica?
I thought- I don't see alot of stories that are about what turns me on, so maybe I should try to do it. Maybe there are other people who are turned on by the same things as me. Now, it's just fun (most of the time).

How has your writing evolved over the last few years?
I'm new to erotica, so that's tough. My poetry hasn't evolved at all, really. I think I have pretty much the same style as I have always had. Erotica wise, I find that I improve with each story.

What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?
Description. I am terrible about details. I also hate revision.


What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?
No clue.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
A woman's sexual journey. I hate reading erotic novels where the main character has to become a hooker or something in order to evolve sexually. I want to see a
"normal" woman have a fantastic sex life and be happy for it.

SJ

 

[rgraham666]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?

A vampire story featuring several classmates. It's the only time I got a really good mark in high school.

Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?

Stylistically? No one really, I write the way I want. Intellectually? Robert A. Heinlein, William Gibson, Roger Zelazny. I'm looking around for stuff by Carol Shields and Joseph Conrad. I hear Shields is a great short story writer and Conrad is the sort of practical, simple and evocative writer I would like to be.

What did your English teacher say about you in school?

Very little, except for one. The word had been set when I was nine, 'This one is unsalvageable.'

What attracted you to writing erotica?

It was the first time my imagination had really been engaged in about a decade. Plus I like the sex.

How has your writing evolved over the last few years?

Mostly I seem to be better evoke the emotions the characters in my stories are going through.

What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?

Trying to shut up the old me. "Give it up," it says. "Nothing you do is any good."

What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?

I seem to be good at description; of the setting the action takes place in, of the actions the characters take and the feelings they experience.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

I would want to do something that can be both read as entertainment but makes a philosophical point. Something along the lines of Charles Dickens.

 

[Honey123]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?

My first story was written for Lit. The title Away for the Weekend. It was about a woman cheating on her husband while he was away....


Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing? Hmm...that's tough. I think I have created my own style just from being "me".


What did your English teacher say about you in school?

She loved my real name. Thought I was a great student. I was in a talented and gifted English class, so we didn't really do the traditional studies. We read Shakespeare, wrote poetry had discussion on those topics.


What attracted you to writing erotica?

I had a friend who would read the stories on Lit. He and I started emailing very erotic things to each other. He sent me a story from Lit, I read it and said to him that I could do that, no problem. He dared me. I did and still have been writing since. Most of my stories were from fantasizes I had about him.


How has your writing evolved over the last few years?

I think that I have written better stories lately. I am trying to be more descriptive when writing, which is very hard to do.


What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?

Well, lately my muse had begun a new chapter in his life and it has been difficult for me to feel sexy. So, what I find most difficult is finding that urgency, the need, the want, the passion.

What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?

I don't think I found that out yet.


If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

It would be a love story. I grew up on love stories ~ it would be filled with passion and love.

 

[NoJo]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?
As a 7 year old, I wrote a story about "Jumbo J", an elephant who went to the moon.

Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?
John Sladek, Bob Sheckley, Philip K. Dick.

What did your English teacher say about you in school?
In secondary school, she hated me, thought I was a smartass. Then I had this really fierce teacher who shouted the whole time. She found the comic book I was drawing and started reading it. She started laughing and passed it around the class. It was a Terry Gilliam/Robert Crumb influenced comic called "PC Hotchkins vs. the Fiend of Fognal Manor". The Fiend (the bad guy) always won.

What attracted you to writing erotica?
An erotic episode in my life that I wrote up and submitted. It's the lowest rated of my stories.

How has your writing evolved over the last few years?
It got funny.

What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?
Building up a critical mass of motivation.

What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?
Dialog.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
Computer Programming.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?
When I was twelve I started “Tales From The Mummy’s Tomb”, a series of stories and pictures about me and my friends and Khairis the Mummy terrorizing our teachers. They went on from seventh grade into high school and finally filled 12 volumes. they were all lost when someone moved


Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?

--Jack Kerouac first showed me that writing was art, and not just story-telling. He taught me about music in prose.

--Various Sci-Fi writers. I cut my teeth on Sci Fi.

--Patrick O’Brian because he’s just the best I’ve ever read.

--Mad Magazine, because it occurred to me recently what a huge effect Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder and the early Mad artists and writers had on me and my sense of humor


What did your English teacher say about you in school?
I was the go-to guy when it came to writing, but they all said I needed to apply myself more (i.e. read “David Copperfield”)


What attracted you to writing erotica?
I used to write porn in high school to get myself off. I started writing again as an adult because I still love sex and I’m good at it and it gets read more than “David Copperfield”.


How has your writing evolved over the last few years?
I’ve gotten more interested in the psychology of sex and what happens in people’s heads. I’ve always struggled with plot, but now I care less about it. I’m just not a plot-driven author.


What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?
The opening sentence is always rough, and since I usually sit down to write without a clear idea of exactly what’s going to happen, sometimes the stories get stuck and stay there.


What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?
Mood and emotion. I also have a very good imagination.


If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
I’ve already written a bunch, but they’re basically just a string of Lit-style episodes with a happy ending.

 

[Halo_n_horns]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?
It was a story about a guy who dies over and over the way some people faint or the way narcolepsy sufferers experience their illness. Each time he "revived" he had to adjust to the lives of others having gone on without him.

Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?
None.

What did your English teacher say about you in school?
That I was extremely creative, despite nearly failing her class.

What attracted you to writing erotica?
Sex. Another outlet for my creative propensity.

How has your writing evolved over the last few years?
Dunno. I don't get too much feedback.

What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?
Making sure that I stay interested in it long enough to complete it.

What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?
Sex scenes. Horror scenes.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
I am. Three actually, that are all part of the same storyline. The first seven chapters of the first book are here on Lit.

 

[Liar]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?
Toys in a rubber boat. They were toys, and they were in a rubber boat. Nothing happened. Must have been six or seven when I wrote it.

Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?
Astrid Lindgren was the first one to tell me that no story was either too far out or too trivial to tell. Eyvind Johnsson, Neil Gaiman, Dorothy Sayers, Terry Pratchett, and a number of scriptwriters for stage and screen taught me what I know of deliverance. Style, pace, wit, language, depth...that sorta things.

What did your English teacher say about you in school?
English class for me was not what is is for you. So, what my mothertongue teachers said was: Talented, but undiciplined. They praised my imagination and eagerness to tell stories that went beyond What I Did On My Holiday. But they didn't really like it when I didn't write what I did on my holiday when that was the assignment.

What attracted you to writing erotica?
I read and enjoyed erotic stories, but found myself disliking more and more of them the more I read. I found myself thinking I could do as well, or even better. So I did.

How has your writing evolved over the last few years?
I'd say the core hasn't changed, but I've been able to branch out into new things that I didn't dare to try before. From stroytelling dialouge based scripts to elaborate narrative prose. I think my venture into poetry made that possible.

What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?
Finishing the fuckers.

What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?
Haven't got the foggiest. I hope I'm good at being witty. Or else some of my writing must look bretty damn dumb.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
Love, greed, dreams, life and seagulls. I'm already writing it.

 

[Dar~]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?The Battle at valley forge. It won a prize for some national thing I was in the third grade


Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing??only my High school English teacher, jeff streeby, fantastic.


What did your English teacher say about you in school??Very creative, needs focus, writes exactly like she speaks. Got extremely gfood grades in english.


What attracted you to writing erotica??I am bi sexual and married. The opportunity for me to explore the other side of my sexuality doesn't present itself often. Not that my husband would mind, but just haven't had the opportunity. I write to release tension, my husband also gets extremely turned on by what I write, so it improves my sex life.


How has your writing evolved over the last few years??Went from mostly poetry to erotic short stories.


What do you find most difficult about writing a new story??Relating the internal workings of a character.


What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing??Description. I set the scene really well.


If you were to write a book, what would it be about??Probqably one called Jerichoisms, The workings of a three year old brain.

 

[English Lady]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?

Well I know i must have written stories in school but I only remember the poem i wrote when I was 8/9 which was all about Easter. The forst story I remember writing was a story about an Angel called Dominic who came down to earth to help me get cool and win the heart of the guy I fancied, but in the end I fell in love with him instead.

Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?

Well I guess the ones I've read,mostly fantasy with some mills and boons romance thrown in! Authors like David Gemmell,Terry Pratchett,Piers Anthony as well as folks like Roald Dahl and Lloyd Alexander who all write really good cnd well formed characters as well as plot.


What did your English teacher say about you in school?
Actually it turned out that I was (very) vaguely related to my English Teacher. Anyhow, he thought I was great,he wanted me to become a journalist actually, he adored my stories and essays but he despaired of my spelling and grammar *L*


What attracted you to writing erotica?

I had a dream...No really I did and Ihad to write it down. I submitted it here (eventually) and the feedback became a thrill. I write eortica because I like the idea of turning people on with my words.


How has your writing evolved over the last few years?

My splling and grammar has gotten better, it has still got far to go though,I think i've gotten better at writing plot and have broadened the variety of writing I can do.


What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?

Getting the thoughts in my head down. I do enjoy writing but sometimes it frustrates me too, when it flows it's all good but sometimes I just can't write my thoughts down and it drives me loopy.


What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?

Dialogue,Character description and word flow.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

Well my NaNo novel is a romance where the guy has some major issues that need overcoming and quite surprisingly love conquors all

I also have a novel idea simmering in my brain based on a storyi have here...it might happen one day *L*

 

[cloudy]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?
I have no idea. The only early one I remember much about was a sort of romance, with a lot of parental conflict thrown in - written when I was in junior high.

Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?
I'll echo someone else and say that I think they've all probably had an influence, to one extent or another. Stephen King's book on writing made me think about the process for the first time.

What did your English teacher say about you in school?
They all thought I was brilliant, but extremely lazy. The lazy thing I'm pretty sure is true.

What attracted you to writing erotica?
Don't know, to be honest. Actually, an old boyfriend told me I ought to try it...said I could probably do well at it after some of the letters I'd written him.

How has your writing evolved over the last few years?
I'm much more of a perfectionist than I used to be, and I agonize over every damn word (almost). I hope I've improved.

What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?
Getting started. After that, it's trying to keep my focus on the story.

What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?
I've been told that my settings are decent, and that I'm good at dialogue. Who knows?

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
Most of my stories nowadays concern some spiritual element in them somewhere. It may be small, and unnoticeable to others, but it's there. My as yet unfinished NaNo is about a spiritual/cultural journey of sorts.

 

[TheEarl]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?
I'm reaching for this one. Beyond school exercises, I don't think I wrote a single story until I found Lit. When I was <ahem> 18. I do remember starting a sci-fi novel just after my first and abortive sojourn into writing for Lit, 4 or 5 years ago, when I was 18 <coughs>.

Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?
Christopher Brookmyre would be the number one influence, without a doubt. Although my style has drifted from his a little, I still remember reading "One Fine Day In The Middle Of The Night" and thinking, 'I want to be able to do this.' A lot of the irreverent humour and occasionalsparks of comic relief derive very heavily from his influence.

Steven King earns a close second place for the effect that "On Writing" had on my attitude to the craft. It turned it from something ethereal and out of reach into something that I could do.

And last, but certainly not least is WildSweetOne, who was my first editor on Lit and an utter star. She directly shaped my writing, guiding me away from error and showing me what I was doing that was good.

What did your English teacher say about you in school?
"Talented, but verging on insolent. Never short of a word to say in class discussion, but bordering on rude more often than not and constantly argumentative."

Tscha! Just because I knew more about Shakespeare than him and was adept at out-arguing him in front of the class.

What attracted you to writing erotica?
Erotica was the first kind of proper writing that I knew how to do. I was always technically gifted and I could string words together with the best of them, but I didn't believe that I had the spark, the craft, or the skills to create a story. I was attracted to Lit for the reason that you would expect from a fifte... sorry, I mean eighteen year old - It had sex, it didn't require a credit card and it was free. When I got here, I discovered that words affected me far more than pictures and I loved reading the stories. However, the curse of dial-up limited my access. One day, I decided to see if I could create my own. Words flowed, I posted it on Lit (in the days when you had to e-mail in submissions, ah nostalgia) and I was off and away.

How has your writing evolved over the last few years?
Well, I've started developing my characters a lot more and creating genuine non-erotic works. I have 'finished' my first novel, but that's currently in its third rewrite. It's something I'm very proud of though; my work has developed from a two page hard-on fuelled afternoon's work into a 45,000 word project that's taken me two and a half years so far and interweaves several characters into an actual storyline.

What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?
Getting into it. The first couple of sentences will often be rewritten several times and whenever I stop, I always have trouble starting up again. But once I'm going, I can sometimes knock out two, maybe even three sentence an hour. I'm a speed demon.

What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?
Procrastinating. I'm only getting so much writing done atm, cause I have more important things that need doing.

Seriously speaking, I'd have to say that my greatest skill is still my technical expertise. I'm learning all the time on lots of things, but I can craft a phrase as well as anyone.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
I am tempted to write a book in diary-form about writing a novel and the trials of a part-time author. It would be a comedy (obviously) and I think there's great potential for humour there. But for the moment, I think I'll stick with rewriting my novel.

The Earl

 

[TheEarl]

Would also just like to give an honourable mention to the patron saint of short stories - Roald Dahl, whose work has certainly affected my attitude to the shorter craft and has given me ambition to try and ape him.

The Earl

 

[wishfulthinking]

Don't quote me


What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?

Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?

What did your English teacher say about you in school?

What attracted you to writing erotica?

How has your writing evolved over the last few years?

What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?

What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

 

[wishfulthinking]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?

Innocent Pawn. There was a lord, a french maid [unfortunately with an italian name] and sex.

Which other writers have had [have] the most influence on your approach to writing?

Laurell Hamilton, Joanna Lindsey, katie macalister... [brain block]

What did your English teacher say about you in school?

Since I skipped most of my English classes, probably not a lot I hated it. The things I submitted were not received well, especially my reviews. Until university I believed I had extremely poor writing, evaluation and analysis skills. I now realise it was the teaching style.

What attracted you to writing erotica?

I read it, but couldn't find what I was looking for. So I tried to write it.

How has your writing evolved over the last few years?

I think the usual progress from stroke to something with more character and plot development. With this my stories are getting longer and longer, but by most author's standards on lit, they are baby length.

What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?

Finishing a story. I can't seem to manage to tie up all the loose ends. But this is most likely a result of not planning anything, and just writing what comes.

What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?

The comment I receive most often is that readers thought they were standing in the same room as the characters. I haven't figured out how I do this yet But it is very flattering.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

Romance, but there would have to be a lot of naughty bits. Whenever 2 characters of mine get together, all they seem to want to do is have sex.

 

[elsol]

What was your first ever, ever, ever story about?

Vocal Story: About tying my Great Dane to my tricycle, and having him take off after a cat.

Written: About my high school crush on Yvette S*nt*r*


Which other writers have had the most influence on your approach to writing?


Robert Heinlein, specifically Starship Troopers.


What did your English teacher say about you in school?


10th grade was when I discovered I wanted to write... after that it became my favorite class. I don't know what they had to say about me.. they were teachers.


What attracted you to writing erotica?


The audience can talk back to you... therefore it's easier to find out what you do well or badly because you're getting input.

Also in writing erotica you're expected to write about sex, which allows a more complete story about the human experience; kinda like genre Romance novels.


How has your writing evolved over the last few years?


Much better technician... I'm also able to see how things connect rather than just connecting them.


What do you find most difficult about writing a new story?


Deciding when to bitch-slap a reader with something, and when it's okay if they don't get it.


What do you think you're particularly good at when it comes to writing?


The story


If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
[/b]

The difference between living and existing.

Sincerely,
ElSol