POLL: Authors, what do you have the most difficulty Writing?

Quote by MorganHawke

Hey Ashleigh,
-- If you want to write a Novel -- WRITE ONE. Lush isn't the only place that takes Erotica. There are publishers too. A quick visit to your local bookstore's erotica section should give you a whole pile of publishers to choose from. Just make sure you find their sites on-line and read their posted Submission Guidelines carefully.

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*Whispers* "Morgan Hawke is soooooo smart..." xx SF

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*Whispers* "Morgan Hawke is soooooo smart..." xx SF

Quote by Dancing_Doll
Thanks Morgan, I've already been published.

Quote by Dancing_Doll
In the meantime, I do enjoy the short story format when it comes to the erotica genre in particular, so I will just work on the ruthless idea-editing bit. It definitely seems to get easier with more practice.

Quote by scooter
She never solved my dilema

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Quote by Dancing_Doll
Thanks Morgan, I've already been published.

Congratulations! So what's holding you back from writing another one if that's what your subconscious really wants to do?

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Quote by Dancing_Doll
In the meantime, I do enjoy the short story format when it comes to the erotica genre in particular, so I will just work on the ruthless idea-editing bit. It definitely seems to get easier with more practice.

Ruthless editing is all well and fine, but what if the story Should be novel-length? Some stories really do need to be long to reveal their true potential. If you already have a publisher, why not just send it to them, then write a fresh short? (My novels make me far better money than my shorts.)

Quote by stephanie
I find that if I KNOW my characters and the scenario is interesting then the characters tend to tell me where to go as I write them... I think if you INHABIT your characters, and they inhabit you, they can really talk to you and tell you what they're about...

Paradoxically, story characters are REAL people... They need a reason to do what they do. And I like to explain how they think and feel about what they do... Conflicting emotions are intriguing...

Quote by Magical_felix
I have trouble with the ending. I think, because I'm a guy, I just want to sleep after sex most of the time...

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Quote by LadySharon
The hardest is ending the story. I don't want it to come off as generic, nor do I want it to sound convoluted, with nothing resolved.

This is why I plan my ending before I begin writing. If I don't, I get stuck within two chapters of the end -- sometimes for MONTHS.

However, once you've already gotten that far into your story, the only way to fix the situation is to STOP WRITING and decide on where you want to End. You can't get to Pasadena if you don't even know that it's in California. Once you know how your story is supposed to end, THEN you can plan your route to get there.

As for where to End...?
-- Stories aren’t just about characters Doing stuff, it’s about character’s Dealing with stuff and Figuring out stuff about themselves. The really good stories, the ones that grab us and stay in our memories the longest, all illustrate normal people problems and issues, and the SOLUTIONS they come across.

No matter how fantastic the setting or characters are, stories are still about people being people dealing with people stuff. It isn’t what they Do, it’s How they did it, and what they discovered about themselves on the way.

What you need to decide, is what Issue Character was present at the very beginning of your story that needs to be solved? That's your true End. To make it truly catch the Reader's (and your) imagination, make that issue the Last thing the character wants to address in any way, shape or form.

For more details on writing Endings: How to make THE END.

Quote by LadySharon
With some of my stories, I can have the beginning and ending already worked out, no problem. The middle then becomes the hardest for me.

Ah! I have a whole pile of techniques you can use to make your Middle interesting!

Go To:The Trackless Wasteland known as the MIDDLE

Quote by daniel_mcleod
My biggest challenge is introducing tension, pathos, challenges for my characters. The tough stuff they need to face and resolve.

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Quote by Magical_felix
I have trouble with the ending. I think, because I'm a guy, I just want to sleep after sex most of the time...

Ah, so your problem is what to write After the sex scene.
-- Well, my first suggestion is after you've written your sex scene, Take a Nap. THEN go back to the beginning of the story and figure out what personal issue the main character had.

Loneliness
Arrogance
Selfishness
A broken heart
A physical limitation
A phobia

Once that issue is addressed, your story is officially done - The End.

Don't have an issue?
-- ADD ONE. You're the Author right? You can change anything you like so Add something interesting and fix it by the end of the sex.

Seriously, the real payoff of any story is the Answer to the main character's issue presented in the beginning, even if their problem is as simple as: "Will she get laid?" Once you've address that issue, you've reached the end of your story.

Quote by Magical_felix
Thank you Morgan, that is good advice.

Quote by sprite
ok, sort of putting everything on hold now and writing a one off that sort of puts your lessons into use... wish me luck - i have an idea, and it's not complicated, but i sort of want to write something... beautiful

Quote by scooter


She never solved my dilema

Quote by Morgan
Once you get that novel out of your system, you should have no problems returning to writing short again. On the other hand, if you let that sit and FESTER in your subconscious, it could very well infect and inflame everything you write until your creativity flinches away from writing anything at all.

Trust me, I speak from experience.

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Quote by sprite
ok, sort of putting everything on hold now and writing a one off that sort of puts your lessons into use... wish me luck - i have an idea, and it's not complicated, but i sort of want to write something... beautiful

Good luck sweety.
-- Don't push yourself too hard. Creativity works best when you let it Go.

Quote by sprite
Ha! you're just worried cause it's going to be my red riding hood challenge piece! meetcha at high noon, Pardner, guns ablazing! ;)

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Quote by daniel_mcleod
My biggest challenge is introducing tension, pathos, challenges for my characters. The tough stuff they need to face and resolve.

Hey Daniel,
-- "Tension, pathos, challenges ... the tough stuff [characters] need to face and resolve" should be introduced the instant your character steps into view -- but subtly through Description.

All human issues; fears, limitations, hopes, and appetites are painted on our bodies in some way shape or form. It's present in our Appearance and in our Body Language. However, a writer's accuracy in portraying such things Visually depends on the writer's level of personal experience of observing such issues and their level of knowledge about basic human psychology.

This is something you can't Fake. In order to pull this off, the writer actually has to Know it to get it right. In this case, Close is NOT 'close enough' because those readers who have experienced these things will know Immediately if the writer is blowing smoke out his ass.

Luckily there are some things that almost everyone has experienced:

Loneliness
Achievement
Guilt
Disappointment
Rage
Denial

-- Addressing those issues is what the story's progress is for, but their introduction; that the character has such issues, should happen the first moment they step on stage before the reader.
-- The details of those issues; such as what exactly they are and how the character got them, should be exposed little by little throughout the actions and events of the story.
-- The Climactic scene near the very end is where the full extent of those issues are exposed, and where the fatal strike occurs. This Climax is when the issue is finally addressed and dealt with -- because the character literally has no other choice but to face it.
-- The Conclusion, the final closing scene, shows how the character is dealing with the results of their choice.

Sound like fun?

Quote by daniel_mcleod
Clarity is your gift, Morgan. That is a perfectly helpful frame within which I can absolutely work. THANK YOU! ~Daniel

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Quote by scooter
She never solved my dilema

Actually, I did. Go back through the entries.
-- You asked about finding new 'research' partners. My answer was: Use the Old ones, just change their names and descriptions in the STORY.

Quote by scooter
Forgive me Morgan, my bad all the way.
I could not of come up with a better answer myself. For real, thanks, makes perfect sense. The old ones, really are the old reliables