Oh, this will be very handy!
I currently have about five (at least!) stories that are begging me to finish writing them, but I'll just sit and stare at my screen.
Thanks so much, Alan!
I've got to say I agree with most of the previous comments. Of course, as thrilled as it's always made the new guys (who rarely fixed the problems) I start to see, I bashfully admit my lack of sexual experience. I'm far from a virgin (I've got a child) but not been with many men, and not very experimental ones.
Sometimes NOT sharing isn't a bad thing. But the past shapes who we are now, so we should be grateful for them.
Even better yet ... why does the nose run, but the feet smell?
I remember when ...
people actually wrote letters and sent them in the mail. That excitement of checking the mailbox and finding that long-awaited response from my penpal.
kids played outside and didn't have to worry about getting shot, or witnessing a drug deal.
having a new box of Crayons made you the shit in school.
I had an NES, an SNES and I was friggin' happy to play Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt when my parents would let me.
I live alone, and work nights, so writing is my calming time. Even if I've had a heinous night at work, I pull up my projects folder and work on something, anything. I have over a dozen things in the works right now, and a small notebook that's peppered with ideas that aren't ready to be full stories yet.
I generally write at least a hundred words each day, but like others, there are also times where I pitch out several thousand. It varies on my mood and my inclination.
Well, I was raised in a Pentecostal home, and, when referencing Him, I'll cap it. But I don't whine over big G/little g at all. I'm partially with RejectedReality on this one. The fanatics are more likely to complain at the capping than no non, but ...
I broke away from the Faith when I was a teenager, and practiced different paths of Paganism for many years, so not every instance do I refer to the Man Upstairs. My vote is for the cookies, really.
A few tips from one of your friendly neighborhood story moderators!
So, self-editing is a long and slow process to learn and absorb, and focusing too much on it can often actually hamper our efforts to write fiction. In my experience, it's problematic to spend too much time on editing too early in a story or the story never makes it to the page. However, sometimes, when we are writing short fiction, especially if it is on a deadline or for a contest, it can be useful to have a few tricks in one's back pocket for tightening up the language as-we-go, because there may not be very much time at the end for editing (especially if you're writing for the Writer's Cramp or a similar daily effort!) This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just some of the things that I use while I'm working that I think you might find useful as well.
Some quick things that you can look for right away in your fiction:
"Be" verbs and junk language-- verbs that do nothing but modify (had, was, were, would, etc) are often filler words that waste valuable word count and don't advance your story. There are specific situations where each of these words is necessary, but running a quick search for "had" and "was" will allow you to tighten up your narrative in a jiffy. These words add stiffness to prose. An example, far from the only one, but dynamic enough to get the engine running: try using verbs like so: "he moved" instead of "he was moving" -- even though "moved" is past tense, it can be used to indicate current movement at 2/3 of the word count, and looks cleaner to boot.
Another dialogue tag clutter: Look at your dialogue tags and see if you've been tempted to insert a lot of dry description and adverbs-- remember, your default tags are "said" and "replied," and that neither of these needs to be used every single time. Dialogue with fewer tags rips along at a faster pace and helps to immerse the reader in the story. Another thing where no holistic approach is correct; it's best addressed on a case-by-case scenario, but if your dialogue feels laggy, reread it and see if there's too much non-dialogue in your dialogue.
Give it a once-over for major cliches, worn-out turns of phrase, unintentional repetition of words (my personal nemesis!), and overwrought, nigh-unreadable descriptive passages. Anything that YOU struggle to read as a writer will be inevitably more difficult for your reader to grasp, since the reader isn't able to benefit from the intended meaning in your head.
Last but not least-- when in doubt: simplify. If you think something is too complex to be understood, give yourself the time to reassess and be sure you're putting out the clearest story you can. Smile
Again-- this is just a primer, but these are basic things to work on that shouldn't hamper your style or flow while you work-- keeping you productive and hopefully making your writing even more efficient!
What other fast and easy editing tips do you have for writers who are in a hurry? Any you'd like to share?
103 for me, please, dear!
You're such a good guy, sponsoring these contests!
Dan Brown ~ for all of the reasons previously listed
EL James ~ For fuck's sake. "Mommy porn?" Uh, nooo. I verify better stuff than that tripe. And she's done NOTHING for the world of BDSM except bring it to light. Far too many women are suddenly thinking their poor sex lives mean they need to be "bossed around", and too many "bossy" men are calling themselves Doms because of her flowery prose.
I LIKE Terry Goodkind, actually. I couldn't stand the TV show because it completely fucked the story-line of the book up. It was a little dull in places, sure, but overall a good read.
And Stephen King is very much an acquired taste. Like absinthe, you either like it, or you don't.
OK! My attempt ...
Amazingly Bella came, defying every facet.
Good heterosexual intimacy justifies kinks, like many new obsess privately.
Quietly, Raj sighed, thrusting upward.
Violently, whimpering, xerochasy.
Yelling "Zelotypia!"
(xerochasy - the release of seeds from a seedpod)
(zelotypia - morbid zeal)
As a writer and reader, I love the build up. Even in my 'stroke story' ("Shelby's Surprise") I have a lead-in. It's a sexy one, but still a lead-in.
I find myself enjoying a heated scene if I've got some kind of connection with one or both characters. Especially if there's been some leading tension that I can ride. Immediate sex doesn't have the same response, not all the time. I'll agree completely with Alan (DirtyMartini) on that one. In fact, the first two chapters of my trilogy are no-sex, just backstory and foreplay.
And I'm all in with what Sprite said: we're an EROTICA site, not a porn site. Also as Alan said, (in my own words, of course) if I just wanted a one-off, I'd go look at some porn or something and skip this reading stuff!
dragon_lily + little_kitty = little_lily or dragon_kitty or lil_dragon_kitty
I still haven't got my "forum guru" badge!
No fair.
I'm with Dancing_Doll and naughtynurse on this one.
You've got a bit of a catch-22 here, and really, the only one to lose anything in this relationship is you. I really suggest you take DD's words to heart, because she's really got it spot on.
Good luck!
For all of the drama that some of the people drag up on here, there are more good people, IMHO.
As a Mod, I get to see ALL kinds of sides of people here on Lush, and believe you-me, it's not all great.
But, for the most part, I couldn't leave. Not only because of my duties here, but because I have several friends here that I genuinely like, and that I'm pretty sure like me.