MorganHawke's Forum Posts

25 Mar 2011

Quote by rxtales
I have a terrible vocabulary, so I often use thesauruses. I found this website which is quite cool, and allows you to visualize the thesaurus:
http://www.visuwords.com/

Woooow! That is so cool!
http://www.visuwords.com/?word=sex

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25 Mar 2011

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.

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25 Mar 2011

Quote by KillianRussell
I wanted to stop by and thank Morgan, since studying the material she has posted I have got exponentially better...

Excellent! I love being helpful.

Quote by KillianRussell
...sadly if we are to write about what we know I really will not be able to create the subject matter for this site.

If you don't Know something, there's always Google.com or Wikipedia? That's what I use. smile

Be glad you didn't start writing when I did - BEFORE the Internet was invented.

Quote by KillianRussell
Nonetheless, the help has been huge…thanks so much !

You're very welcome.

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25 Mar 2011

Writing what you KNOW
~ or ~
How I trained myself to have a Photographic Memory.

Shortly after I published my very first story, I was introduced to the phrase: "Write What You Know."

I was horrified.

I was horrified because I was still in high school and living with my Mother in a very small New England town. Other than a few encounters with a couple of ghosts, and what I had looked up in my local library, (keep in mind this was 1980, the Internet hadn't been invented yet,) I knew Nothing. Seriously, I had no personal experience doing Anything.

What the heck was I supposed to write if I only wrote what I knew?

I had yet to learn how to drive a car, but that was okay. I was damned good at riding the bus. However, I still hadn't had my first kiss yet so relationship stories of Any kind were right out. Forget stories that had guns or weapons, though I could use a sling-shot and swung a mean baseball bat. (Don't make me break out my pocket book!) Forget stories with horses in it, though I did know how to feed and train a dog.

I had three younger brothers, so I had some experience with childcare, but having learned my techniques from a sociopathic parent (Not a Joke,) writing from those experiences would have landed that character in the villain slot, pronto. (The scary part was that I was aware of this back then!) I sucked at sports and had no friends, so those kinds of stories were out too.

In short, the sum total of my knowledge was strictly from books. Which was to say, Not Useful toward making a story realistic in even the vaguest sense.

Even worse, I discovered that my memory Leaked. I could remember things long enough to pass a test, but that was as far as it got.

Since moving out of my mom's house wasn't looking too close to happening, experiencing new things had to be put on hold. Instead I started working on my memory.

I tried a number of techniques but what worked for me was a type of Image Association.
-- In short, staring hard at something and then later, Drawing it. Or rather, trying to. I was an okay artist, nothing terrific, believe me, but I noticed right away that if I drew a picture whatever I was trying to remember stayed in my head better. Even doodling in the bottom corner of my notebook worked. The really interesting thing was that the picture didn't have to be related at all to what I was trying to remember! Though it worked better if it was.

Strangely enough, cutting pictures out of magazines worked too, though not nearly as well. I had to really stare at the picture and recite out loud what it was I was trying to remember.

This led to the next step: Recitation.
-- This meant quite literally, staring hard at a scene I wanted to write about later, such as the park during the height of autumn, or a thunderstorm, and describing it out loud -- without writing it down. Just spitting out adjectives that described what I was looking at, or what I was Feeling, such as what the brass handrail in school felt like sliding under my hand while walking down the stairs. After only a couple of tries, it didn't even have to be out loud. Saying it in my head or under my breath worked too.

I never did recall exactly what I said, but I recalled the experience Perfectly. In other words, Sensory Association.

By the way, the Schoolhouse Rock multiplication jingles saved my math grade, seriously. If I sang along with the cartoon, I remembered it. ALL of it. In fact, I still remember them. Recitation + Images.

About a month or two after I started doing all that, the flip-side of those exercises suddenly kicked in. I started Picturing what I was reading while I read it. In other words, I was playing a movie in my head of whatever I was reading. Though it was a bit more than that. My memory added the experiences I'd worked to remember. If the writer mentioned 'forest', my memory automatically added the sound of the wind, bird-calls, the smell of moldering earth, the specific colors of the leaves in sunlight, and the chilly brush of a breeze.

That doesn't seem like such a big deal, but it had one hell of a side effect.

I could remember anything I'd read. That included Text Books. If the text books had pictures it was even easier. I was actually able to remember the names and stories of any historical figure simply by picturing that person's portrait.

However, I was not remembering the Words, only the images I'd seen and the Stories that went with it. This actually worked well when I needed to answer essay questions.

However, my ability to remember things in a list; dates, names, phone numbers, groceries I needed to buy...dropped off the face of the earth. If I didn't have a picture to connect with what I was trying to remember, it left my head almost the moment it went in.

My last two years of high school saw a major lift in my grades in every subject except One: Math. I still suck at math. Numbers simply don't bring up images. I could remember my times tables, (thank you Schoolhouse Rock,) but that was IT. Geometry was fine because the formulas were all associated with shapes, but Algebra was right out.

One would think that Grammar would have been difficult to remember, but it wasn't. I was using it almost daily in my story notebooks. (When one is writing a story, one NEEDS punctuation to have it make sense to the reader.) Repetition saved me there.

Later on, I finally left home and gathered a great number of wildly varying experiences. I still can't recall all the names of the people I met, but their faces are all engraved on my mind along with everything I experienced down to the weather conditions on the day it happened.

Picture Association and Sensory Association...
-- Those were the keys to how I trained my memory to recall anything I'd seen or done clearly enough to write it on paper. I'm still amazed by how much I haven't forgotten.

Enjoy!

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25 Mar 2011

Quote by Magical_felix
I was just wondering about the proper way to add a characters thoughts into a story written in third person.

THIS I can help you with!
-- There are two types of 'thought' styles used in a story.

Direct thoughts:
-- Internal Dialogue; when the character is actually speaking in his own mind. Because direct thoughts are a form of Dialogue, they're italicized.

Kiba smiled tightly. "I'll be more than happy to carry a tray to Dr. Haruno." And make her eat every bite too.

Indirect thoughts:
-- When the character is thinking, but not having an actual internal dialogue.

Kiba eyed what he could of her firm thighs exposed by her snug shorts and that sweet, sweet ass. His mouth watered while heat began to spiral downward and tighten his pants. Gods... Fired up and spitting mad, the woman was hot. With a groan of pure hunger, Kiba reached down to adjust himself. What he wouldn't give to have all that screaming fury redirected into screaming passion. Clearly, she would break a bed.

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25 Mar 2011

Creative Narrative
A Description Exercise

For this exercise, you will need the movie Sin City. If you don't have it, The Matrix or Equilibrium will do.

WATCH the movie undisturbed from beginning to end. NO INTERRUPTIONS. This is Important!

Watch where the Camera looks. Sin City in particular is a brilliant example of how to describe using pictures. The movie is filmed in black and white with splashes of color here and there only where the viewer's eye needs to be.

When a character is first introduced, LOOK at how the camera starts in Close Focus on the character's face and then pulls back to reveal the character's body, lovingly showing the viewer exactly what the character looks like AND their distinguishing characteristics from top to bottom. THEN the view expands wider to disclose where that character is and what they are doing at that moment.

After those first few moments of sheer View, you get a narrative from the Point of View character -- which may Not be the character the camera is showing you. You get the narrator's opinions, their feelings, their delusions. THAT is how the viewer (the reader) learns about the character.

Once the movie is over, put on some music that fits the movie. (I actually have the soundtracks, to these.) Next! Break out your remote control and Watch The Same Movie AGAIN -- but this time, with the volume OFF.

Sit on your couch and Out Loud, Narrate what you are looking at. Do NOT write anything. Just talk to the TV screen Out Loud and describe -- in detail what you are looking at as though it was a book you were reading.

Describe the Characters.
Describe the Actions.
Describe the Fight Scenes.
Describe the Kisses.
Describe the Backgrounds and Setting
-- including the rooms and weather conditions!

Use your remote control and STOP the scene where you have difficulty describing what you are seeing. Work at it until the words come to you. They don't have to be perfect -- close IS good enough for this exercise.

Do NOT write anything down.

Keep going until the movie is Over.

This should help loosen up a few things in your writing mind -- and give you some strong visuals to write from later.

Next!
-- Write a 1000 word Scene that introduces a character of YOURS. Make sure you picture the scene in your mind with the same dramatic camera angles and close-ups the movie and Describe it so that anyone Reading it can clearly see it.

Compare that scene with any introductory scene in a story you've already written and SEE the difference.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just so you know, this is an exercise I created to make my own writing more Visual. I hope you like it!

Note: You are NOT expected to post your work here! This is NOT a class, you will Not be graded on your efforts.

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25 Mar 2011

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

I'm glad I could help.

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25 Mar 2011

Quote by Magical_felix
...I am not sure if I'm technically doing it correctly.
http://www.lushstories.com/stories/group-sex/one-thing-leads-to-another-the-head.aspx
Am I doing it right?

Felix sweety, I don't check other people's work to see if they're 'doing it right,' nor do I offer opinions on it, also known as critiquing.

I have no problems answering questions on technique, but I will not correct anyone's work. That's a job for an editor or a beta-reader. Beta-readers are people that volunteer to read your stuff and 'check your work' for typos and story continuity. Editors are are people Paid to read your stuff and 'check your work' for typos and story continuity. I am neither -- nor do I wish to be.

If you're looking for a couple of beta-readers, the best way to get some is by advertising on your personal blog and asking point blank: "Would anyone like to Beta-Read my stuff?"

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24 Mar 2011

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?

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24 Mar 2011

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. smile

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.

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24 Mar 2011

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...

Ah... Sounds to me like your characters happen first and the story happens because of their interactions. That's actually a pretty common way to write a story. It's also known as "By the seat of your pants."

I come from the opposite direction. I come up with a story idea (a plot) and then I create my characters to make that story happen. This is also is why my characters don't run amok with me. smile

However, the main thing is, If what you do Works for you -- Keep Doing It!
-- Don't fix what ain't broke.

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24 Mar 2011

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.

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24 Mar 2011

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?

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.)

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24 Mar 2011

Quote by stephanie
*Whispers* "Morgan Hawke is soooooo smart..." xx SF

Morgan is really Experienced -- in every sense of the word. ;)

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23 Mar 2011

Quote by Loislane
I have the same issue. My latest 'straight' stuff has turned into an 8 to 10 chapter story and it might even progress to more chapters. I find it hard to just tell a short story. I've also tried to edit ruthlessly but I'm never happy with that.

I'm going to give you the same advice I gave Doll.
-- If you really want to write Novel -- WRITE ONE then find a publisher for it. If you honestly feel that your skills aren't ready for publication, Sketch it out as a Draft and and SAVE IT for when you DO have the skills.

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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23 Mar 2011

Quote by LadyX
Coming up with something original; something that doesn't seem like it's been done 80 million times already. That's the hardest thing for me.

Hey Xuani,
-- Give up on Original. It doesn't exist. Not even Shakespeare was Original.
Instead, try for Different and Fresh.

Originality is Overrated
-- When designing a car, why stop to reinvent the wheel if someone else has already done all the research and done it better?

Why struggle trying to find a good plot and good characters when the data on what you already like is right there in front of you? Why work when you don’t have to?

Take a look at your personal DVD movie shelf. I bet there’s a whole bunch of movies dealing with stories that could (in your personal opinion,) use some good Sexing. Stories that Could have been hot but fell just a bit short; stories with tons of potential just waiting to be told properly.

So, DO IT. Yank them off your movie shelf, and write them EROTIC. Figure out the flaws in all those stories, and FIX them. In fact, why not mix two different stories together, or take the characters from one and toss them into the plot of another, just to see what would happen?

Once you change the setting, the characters’ appearances and their personal backgrounds… Voila! ~ Instant Brand New ORIGINAL Story!

How simple can you get?

When it comes to making Original Fiction, it’s NOT how unique the plot is, it’s Your VISION of that plot that makes it fresh and different!

• Alice in Wonderland + CyberPunk = THE MATRIX
• Treasure Island + James Bond = NATIONAL TREASURE
• Robinson Caruso + Space Aliens = ET
• Romeo & Juliet + the Old South = GONE WITH THE WIND

How can a billion movie-goers be wrong?

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23 Mar 2011

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

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23 Mar 2011

Quote by FantasyFiction
I seem to have trouble developing the characters.

In what way, specifically?
-- Describing what they Look like?
-- Describing what they Act like?
-- Describing how they feel emotionally about the events going on around them?
-- Describing how the story changes them as people?

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23 Mar 2011

Quote by sprite
*sighs* i have this sudden urge to rewrite everything now... hmm... and honestly, i think i get the emotional part down well.

Actually, I agree, you DO do the emotional part very well. Your Actions are good too, it's your Descriptions that fall flat. All you need are Direct Nouns instead of vague nouns and more ADJECTIVES.

Adjectives give your objects and locations emotional flavor and impact. The trick is not to over-do it! Moderation - moderation - moderation.

Avoid Simple Nouns:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Use a Specific Noun rather than a simple and vague noun to automatically pop in description.

Instead of: the door, the car, the tree, the house, the sword, the robe, the hat...

Write: the French doors, the Subaru, the oak, the Victorian cottage, the claymore, the yukata, the fedora...

One adjective per Noun:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ADD an Adjective to a specific Noun. The ornate French tapestry, the rusty Subaru, the quaint Victorian cottage, the gleaming claymore, the blood-stained yukata, the battered fedora.

Two adjectives per Sensation:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sight, Sound, Taste, Texture, Scent - are all perceived through the senses. The glaringly red French doors, the seductively throbbing jazz, the creamy bite of yogurt, the nubby white dishcloth, the pungent musk of wet dog.

For more details, read: Tricks for Writing DESCRIPTION

Quote by sprite
...but wow - you just do it so much better in just a throw away example then i do...

Well, duh... I've been published since 1980. After all this time, I'd BETTER be able to write like that.

Quote by sprite
ok, i quit -- curse you Morgan Hawke! *giggles*

Look at it as being a Challenge, sweety.
-- Remember, it took me decades to learn all this stuff. You get to see it and learn it in one lesson. USE that and take advantage of all the hoops you Don't have to jump through to move ahead in your writing.

Quote by sprite
oh, and everyone waiting for a new story from me (that's both of you!) you know who to blame if it takes longer than usual!

Because you're going to take the time to really crank up the heat and do it Right this time, right?

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23 Mar 2011

Quote by Dancing_Doll
The hardest thing for me is to avoid over-complicating a plot for a short story. ... sometimes I feel like too many ideas can convolute the original premise of the story, because I tend to want to do way too much.

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.

Quote by Dancing_Doll
Contrary to a lot of the other posts in this thread, creating and writing the sex scenes is my favourite part...

LOL! If these writers didn't like writing sex scenes, they wouldn't be posting on Lush.

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23 Mar 2011

Quote by scooter
I'd have to say the hardest part for me, is coming up with new female companions to act out all these scenes before writing them.XGXaYGFlpnhu1Yvu

Who said you have to come up with New ones?
-- It's perfectly fine to use the ones you have, just change their physical descriptions and names in the story. Who's gonna know? REALLY?

This is how I get away with using movie characters in my novels. Of course, my characters tend to change and grow into their own distinct characters as the story progresses.

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23 Mar 2011

Quote by LovingMyWife
The hardest thing I've had to write about is trying to describe what the woman (my wife) is thinking and feeling during the scenes. I'm no expert on females, so I've had to consult with her about it.

Hi Lee,
-- You're trying too hard. Since you write from strictly the Husband's (your) point of view, you Don't need to describe the Wife's FEELINGS, you need to describe her EXPRESSIONS. Her Facial Expressions will give those feelings away.

Here's a Cheater's Guide to describing expressions: The Non-Verbal Thesaurus

Quote by LovingMyWife
It's also difficult to remember some of the details of true stories, so I've had to fill in some of the gaps with embellishments, especially the sequence of some of the smaller events, the time of day, etc.

LOL! Welcome to the world of FICTION, my sweet! That's exactly how us professional authors do it.

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23 Mar 2011

Quote by nicola
Developing an interesting plot. Coming up with a scenario which hasn't been read a million times before.

That merely takes a change of Setting.
-- Consider how a basic cunnilingus scene would change if you put it:

In a rowboat on a lake.
On the staircase of a haunted house.
With one's legs tied up in a doctor's chair.
In zero-gravity on a spaceship.
Underwater.
While straddling a fallen tree trunk in the woods.
While sitting in a church pew.
Spread out across a table while covered in sushi.
While sitting at a desk in a classroom full of high school students.
In a busy public bathroom.
On the mats during a karate class.
At a rock concert jam-packed with people.

Quote by nicola
How to write in a way which leads your reader to think they know where the story is heading, but end up taking them on a different journey. Creating twists in a story, how to surprise the reader.

That's easy, write the scene in a cliche'd fashion, and then end it a totally different way.

That Halloween story is a perfect example of the cliche' "Girl Gets Boy." However, the fact that the boy turns out to be her brother changes "Girl Gets Boy" into: "Girl gets WRONG boy."

Some more cliche's: from Sex Tropes

A Man Is Always Eager
Bigger Is Better In Bed
Caught With Your Pants Down

The trick to a twist is to go in an unexpected direction:

A Man Is Always Eager -- It wasn't Sex he was eager for.
Bigger Is Better In Bed -- Unless it's TOO big.
Caught With Your Pants Down -- It Wasn't by accident.

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23 Mar 2011

Quote by Lisa
My weak point is coming up with an ending and trying to round things up after the deed's done. That always takes me the longest to write.

Writing an End is the hardest thing for me to come up with -- which is why I figure out where I want my story to end Before I even begin writing, but that's just me.

The best way to end any story is by solving the Character's personal Issue or Problem introduced in the beginning. Is the character shy, or lonely, depressed, lacking in confidence, looking for love in all the wrong places, too arrogant, too smart for their own good, or too stupid to live?

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.

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23 Mar 2011

Quote by DirtyMartini
I would say I have the most difficulty with the sex scene part...trying to keep it fresh after writing a number of stories is a common problem I've heard other authors mention as well...

Believe it or not, the key to making a sex scene fresh is to make the scene AROUND IT fresh.
-- A blow job is something that happens in just about every sex scene, but a BJ in zero gravity on a space ship is going to very different from one done underwater during a scuba dive.

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23 Mar 2011

Quote by sprite
well... if we're talking purely erotica, sometimes i have trouble with sex scenes... ...here's the deal, i'm not sure how long to make them last - this would probably fall under the sexual gymastics part ... i mean, should the description of a blow job be one sentence, a paragraph, three?

According to my editors, a sex scene should last a minimum of one whole chapter -- and that's ONLY the sex scene. Just so you know, my chapters are anywhere between 2500 to 3000 words.

DESCRIPTION is the key to fleshing out the scene. Don't just call it 'juice,' describe the glistening moisture that slides in slender rivulets down the inside of her thigh THEN describe how it feels physically, THEN how the character feels emotionally about the fact that they're dripping from excitement.

1. What it looks like.
2. What it feels like Physically.
3. How they feel about it Emotionally.

The glistening moisture slid in slender rivulets down the inside of her thigh. The coolness of the moisture tickled in contrast to the wamth of her skin. Because her skirt was so short, her excitement was clearly visible to anyone who happened to be looking. Her cheeks filled with embarrassed warmth and she lowered her gaze, not wanting to know who might be staring at her, aware that she was aroused.

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23 Mar 2011

Seriously, authors, when you're writing a story, or want to write a story, what do you find the hardest thing to put on paper? Feel free to comment.

Click on the sentence to Vote!

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23 Mar 2011

Quote by nicola
You forgot to add the part about having a sexy avatar, and befriending all and sundry, to help boost your scores

Blinks innocently. Nooo...! That stuff never works.

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22 Mar 2011

Quote by nicola
Excellent advice Morgan =d>

Thank you!
-- It's one of my most common writing questions, believe it or not.

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22 Mar 2011

"How do I make my stories POPULAR?"

That's easy:
-- Write something everyone wants to read.

"How do you find out what everyone wants to read?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a story site like this one, that's even easier:
-- Check out the 20 Most Popular Stories (who has the most Fav's,) and figure out what they have in common. Also, pay attention to the posted comments. The readers will state their likes and dislikes right there.

Begin by making a list of the most common elements:

Types of characters:
-- Not what they LOOK like, their Personality types!

What's the preferred type of Main Character:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ordinary Person
Genius
Moron
Other...?

What type of Heroine:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sweet
Sour
Mature
Silly
Sarcastic
Other...?

What type of Hero:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Strong & silent
Sweet & caring
Sarcastic & rude
Other...?

What type of Villain:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ordinary Person
Genius
Moron
Strong & silent
Sarcastic & rude
Sweet
Sour
Mature
Silly
Other...?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Character Age:
Teens
20's
30's
40's
Other...?

Types of STORIES...

Story (sub-)Genre:
-- This is an Erotica site, these are sub-genres.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fantasy
Sci-fi
Adventure
Romance
Horror
Gothic
Suspense
Yaoi
Yuri
Other...?

Setting:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Castle
Wilderness
Office
Condo
Seedy apartment
Mansion
Farm
High School
Other...?

Time Period:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Middle Ages
Modern Era
Ancient times
Other...?

Types of Action Scenes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One on one encounters
Duels
Huge epic battles
Grand Chases
Captures
Grand Escapes
Monster Attacks
Pure Smut
Other...?

Love Scenes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Romantic
Orgy
Voyeurism
Exhibitionism
Fetishism
Bondage & Kink
Seduction (mild Non-Con)
Just kissing
No love scenes at all.
Other...?

Pairings:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
M/M
F/F
M/F/M
F/M/F
M/F w strap-on

Other...?

Any Other common factors to these popular stories:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
?

Once you know all these things, all you have to do is write within these parameters -- and write WELL. Sometimes the only difference between a Winner and a Dud Is NOT the content, but HOW it's written.

Many readers here are forgiving of bad grammar and head-hopping. I am NOT one of them, and I am NOT alone.

When you have a lot of people that write the same thing, someone that takes the time to use their spell-check and proper paragraphing will always pull ahead of those that don't. Someone that's easy to read will always have more readers than someone who writes stuff you have to struggle through just to figure out what the heck is happening.

SKILL counts a hell of a lot more than you think.

Why didn't I bother to list story Length in my list above?
-- Because when a story is GOOD people will gladly read an Epic. (Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings anyone?)

------Original Message------
Skill doesn't always count, example "Twilight".
-- Disgusted Guy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Actually, Twilight is a prime example of 'writing what the Readers want to Read'. It's a Fantasy about an extremely powerful and inhumanly gorgeous guy that worships the ground his very ordinary and fairly selfish beloved walks on. It's the fantasy of True Love. ("No matter what you do, or how often you walk head-first into danger, I will always drop whatever I am doing and be there to protect you. You will always come First in my life--forever.") This is EXACTLY what teenagers and housewives love to read. That it has absolutely Nothing to do with the realities of love is precisely what makes it so popular.

Yes, the grammar, spelling, and sentence structure sucks, plus it's seriously draggy in places, but there is Nothing out there to compete with it. The only stories that come close to this are childrens' Fairy Tales and the Bodice Ripper romances of the 80's. If someone else were to write a bunch of pure TRUE LOVE fantasies and actually know how to write, they'd put her out of business.

By the way, want to know what Else is just as popular and has exactly the same theme? Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

"Does popularity Really matter?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whether or not Popularity matters depends on WHY the writer posts their work.

For someone just writing to be creative and express themselves, popularity isn't all that important. They're writing to please themselves, so if someone else likes it too...? Well, that's just dandy, but that's not why they're writing.

Popularity = "You actually read my work? Wow, thanks!"

A goodly number of writers consider an increasing number of views and comments as a sort of gauge to tell them whether or not their writing skills have improved.

Popularity = "I must be getting Better!"

Many, many more submitters to story sites post simply to get attention. Ahem, popularity. Just look at all the stories that DEMAND reviews and/or comments before they'll post the next chapter? If that isn't a scream for attention, I don't know what is.

Popularity = "I am Cool."

Sadly, those writers rarely last long. The first hard critique they get usually breaks them of their delusion that the readers will be satisfied with anything posted in a highly read sub-genre (or fandom.) Once that delusion of grandeur -- that they're SOMEBODY just because they posted -- is gone, so are they.

The ones that do make it past that first hard critique often become dedicated to making their stories worth the praise they originally sought. Those writers also tend to improve fast.

In my case, popularity = PAYCHECK.
-- I'm an author and books that don't sell well--aren't popular with my readers, mean less money in the bank when it comes time to pay my rent, but that's just me.

In Conclusion...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're looking to make your stories popular, there's no getting around the fact that the only way to do it is by writing what the readers want to read and Better than anyone else.

However, if your purpose for writing is merely to please your creative urges -- don't worry about it. When you write just to be creative, the only one you really need to please is yourself.

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISCLAIMER: As with all advice, take what you can use and throw out the rest. As a multi-published author, I have been taught some fairly rigid rules on what is publishable and what is not. If my rather straight-laced (and occasionally snotty,) advice does not suit your creative style, by all means, IGNORE IT.

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