2000 words and nothing has happened

[gunhilltrain]

There's always in media res.



This is the curse of the overthinker. I am compelled to write the same scene from her PoV now.



-Annie

That's okay, I wouldn't call it overthinking. You can write a scene from two points of view. Usually it's a male and a female, but it doesn't have to be. Usually when I've done that a lot of time, months, maybe a year has gone by and I want to revisit an interesting character. It's notable that the two people will usually not see everything in an identical way. Or maybe I've seen something I missed the first time around.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

2000 words without sex? How about 15k without? I tend to write long chapters and after doing this for the past 13 years, I know that my readers have enough patience to read a long stretch without people fucking like rabbits. Or, to put it another way - my character and world building is probably better than my generally awkward sex scenes.

Your character and world building is fucking incredible.

 

[gunhilltrain]

The second story that I am writing for LE is so far over 2000 words. Which for me just starting it at like 4am Dec 10th isn't bad lol. But, whatever, I'm noticing a problem with this current one, nothing has happened, aside from describing the outfit and their abs. I can get very wordy and tediously draw shit out. I've been like this all my life.

Now for y'all writers here. Would you go back and find a place or two where I could do some scene tweaking to add, at least, some oral or something? Or would you just go with the flow and see what happens?

At least I didn't get to wordy here, or I'd be banned from the boards.

Happy writing

Actually, you can't post large pieces of an unpublished story. I forgot if there is a strict word limit. You'd have to get someone to look at it privately.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

The second story that I am writing for LE is so far over 2000 words. Which for me just starting it at like 4am Dec 10th isn't bad lol. But, whatever, I'm noticing a problem with this current one, nothing has happened, aside from describing the outfit and their abs. I can get very wordy and tediously draw shit out. I've been like this all my life.

Now for y'all writers here. Would you go back and find a place or two where I could do some scene tweaking to add, at least, some oral or something? Or would you just go with the flow and see what happens?

At least I didn't get to wordy here, or I'd be banned from the boards.

Happy writing

My short "How-To" piece lists some literary techniques that you may want to consider that would allow you to get the details more intertwined within the story without readers having to plod though all of them in the beginning.

 

[Rob_Royale]

If that number stretches to 5000 words it might be worth worrying about. Might. But I still wouldn't worry about it. Sex should happen when it organically fits into the story. Readers appreciate a slow burn and a nice payoff.

But as others have mentioned, beware the dreaded backstory info dump.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

But as others have mentioned, beware the dreaded backstory info dump.

The reader couldn't know why Rob_Royale said this, the dark story of how a poorly-timed info dump had doomed him to years of toil, drudgery, and psychological abuse--otherwise known as retail employment. He had promised his mother that, if he didn't sell a novel by the time he was 21, he would take a job at the store she managed ....

-Annie

 

[designatedvictim]

The second story that I am writing for LE is so far over 2000 words. Which for me just starting it at like 4am Dec 10th isn't bad lol. But, whatever, I'm noticing a problem with this current one, nothing has happened, aside from describing the outfit and their abs. I can get very wordy and tediously draw shit out. I've been like this all my life.

Now for y'all writers here. Would you go back and find a place or two where I could do some scene tweaking to add, at least, some oral or something? Or would you just go with the flow and see what happens?

I feel my writing experience is so minimal, that maybe I shouldn't jump into these types of threads. I don't feel like I've earned the right to, yet.

But that won't stop me!

In my view, 2K-words isn't all that much to be worrying about things like that.

Set up is important to any decent story, but depending on what you are doing, setup can actually be back-filled later on. (Edit: I don't mean going back and inserting new bits in the early portions of the story, but providing such descriptive information well-into the story, so long as it happens before it becomes important.)

I've seen many short stories just jump into the action with both feet at the outset (I usually prefer slower-buildup stories - YMMV). As TWG said, in media res is certainly an option. I have several points in my own ongoing Epic (my characters do get wordy at times) where after a scene change and new material laid out, I do what might be called an inline 'micro-flashback' to describe some of the leadup to things during the scene-jump. There's probably a writing term for that that I'm not aware of, though.

(The weirdest part is I never really planned it that way. I just rattled it off and liked the effect, so kept it.)

I just pulled up my first submission and extracted the first 2K-words. The characters had just sat down and relaxed to watch a movie after going out for pizza. So, yeah, something technically happened, but nothing exciting happened.

My character's physical descriptions get doled out in bite-sized snippets as the story marches on. (She looked up to meet his eyes because she's 5' 4" and he's 6' near the beginning, then She looked into his eyes, her own dark brown eyes wide and earnest which takes place fifteen-thousand words later, because it wasn't close to relevant until then.)

Every writer has their own habits and means of organizing/motivating themselves. Clearly there's no one size fits all to doing this.

I like the suggestion ght mentioned about bullet points. Because it was exactly what I did when I started. Very rough, high-level outline. Major actions/activities listed in order to provide a framework for placing all the detail.

Thursday

• Come home from work
• Go out for pizza with friend
• Watch movie with friend
• Get naked with friend

Friday...

• More friendly-things get fleshed out

Keep going.

You can always re-evaluate the early material in edit (I did). Decide if it should be moved or omitted in light of newer material when it's no longer the entirety of the body of work. There's also the likelihood that some later bit may prompt you to go back and insert bits earlier in the story to set up that later bit - this happened to me tons of times.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I feel my writing experience is so minimal, that maybe I shouldn't jump into these types of threads. I don't feel like I've earned the right to, yet.

But that won't stop me!

In my view, 2K-words isn't all that much to be worrying about things like that.

Set up is important to any decent story, but depending on what you are doing, setup can actually be back-filled later on. (Edit: I don't mean going back and inserting new bits in the early portions of the story, but providing such descriptive information well-into the story, so long as it happens before it becomes important.)

I've seen many short stories just jump into the action with both feet at the outset (I usually prefer slower-buildup stories - YMMV). As TWG said, in media res is certainly an option. I have several points in my own ongoing Epic (my characters do get wordy at times) where after a scene change and new material laid out, I do what might be called an inline 'micro-flashback' to describe some of the leadup to things during the scene-jump. There's probably a writing term for that that I'm not aware of, though.

(The weirdest part is I never really planned it that way. I just rattled it off and liked the effect, so kept it.)

I just pulled up my first submission and extracted the first 2K-words. The characters had just sat down and relaxed to watch a movie after going out for pizza. So, yeah, something technically happened, but nothing exciting happened.

My character's physical descriptions get doled out in bite-sized snippets as the story marches on. (She looked up to meet his eyes because she's 5' 4" and he's 6' near the beginning, then She looked into his eyes, her own dark brown eyes wide and earnest which takes place fifteen-thousand words later, because it wasn't close to relevant until then.)

Every writer has their own habits and means of organizing/motivating themselves. Clearly there's no one size fits all to doing this.

I like the suggestion ght mentioned about bullet points. Because it was exactly what I did when I started. Very rough, high-level outline. Major actions/activities listed in order to provide a framework for placing all the detail.

Thursday

• Come home from work
• Go out for pizza with friend
• Watch movie with friend
• Get naked with friend

Friday...

• More friendly-things get fleshed out

Keep going.

You can always re-evaluate the early material in edit (I did). Decide if it should be moved or omitted in light of newer material when it's no longer the entirety of the body of work. There's also the likelihood that some later bit may prompt you to go back and insert bits earlier in the story to set up that later bit - this happened to me tons of times.

Thanks, you mentioned me! I think the rough, high-level outline (I know it's just an example) is a little too rough perhaps. You might as well consider a bit more.

1) Who is this person, male, female, whatever? What job are they doing?
2) Is the main character narrating their own story or is it in third-person?
3) Who is the friend? Again, gender, age, etc.
4) Are they already lovers?
5) Since you mentioned a movie, you might as well say what it is. That's not trivial, because the reactions of the two people to it are significant.
6) When and where is this taking place? I wouldn't set a story in Istanbul, because I don't know enough about the place.

This is what @StillStunned offered as a snippet, and my first set of notes about it.

"Ellie is working in her garden when she hears the new neighbors - Don and Val - having sex. Intrigued, she keeps listening, trying to find a place where she can get a view of them. She has her fingers down her shorts when suddenly she feels strong hands grab her waist and a cock press up against her."

Ellie – Ellen ? last name

Describes herself – looks like teacher/professor, which she is.

40?

Taught at Maspeth high – then lecturer at LaGuardia College. English, most students interested in careers.

Lived in Queens, then moved to – Syosset? Has job at community college in L.I.

Somewhat tired of husband? Velveeta vs. Camembert cheese – Jong quote

Gardening is sexy – wears denim skirt but no panties. Halter top. Look at photo of other woman.

Tried to see Don and Valerie – finds out that it’s their son – 19. School he goes to.

Swats at him. He looks contrite. Mentions his parents never spanked him.

Ellie remembers her secret dominatrix fantasy. Decides to play the game he seems to be suggesting. Pulls him into her house.

Chides him first – has seen dominatrix videos.

Over his lap – gets erection. Comes in her lap? Maybe.

Corner time – goes up to him. Touches his cock?

Orders him to masturbate while standing up. Does the same while sitting down.

Gets him a drink afterwards. Asks him about his girlfriends. Not kinky either.

Both adults.

Neighbors now. He likes her.

 

[designatedvictim]

Thanks, you mentioned me! I think the rough, high-level outline (I know it's just an example) is a little too rough perhaps. You might as well consider a bit more.

You're welcome!

When I said 'high-level outline,' I meant just that. A loose framework to guide the overall direction of many of the steps the story needs to take before you start fleshing them out with the lower-level details, which drill down to, and eventually include, the much more specific detail that you describe.

My initial bullet list actually was about as rough as that - maybe even rougher, but it gave me the broad outlines of how the story was supposed to go and what needed to be done, in what order.

I like how my story has been developing, so I think it worked for me.

I'll also freely admit that my story is derived on a pretty basic trope (friends decide a weekend alone is the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better) and fairly light on plot.

It's also still a work-in-progress.

 

[gunhilltrain]

You're welcome!

When I said 'high-level outline,' I meant just that. A loose framework to guide the overall direction of many of the steps the story needs to take before you start fleshing them out with the lower-level details, which drill down to, and eventually include, the much more specific detail that you describe.

My initial bullet list actually was about as rough as that - maybe even rougher, but it gave me the broad outlines of how the story was supposed to go and what needed to be done, in what order.

I like how my story has been developing, so I think it worked for me.

I'll also freely admit that my story is derived on a pretty basic trope (friends decide a weekend alone is the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better) and fairly light on plot.

It's also still a work-in-progress.

I was reluctant to get into too much in this thread because everyone does things differently. But @StillStunned offered some of his snippet ideas here, although not the one I used. (I probably couldn't do fairy tales.) And then you offered quite a bit of advice. So maybe it will help @FlippinBirds; who knows?

I was lucky that time because most of it came to me in about two days. But it still took a while to write - a month? The final word count was just over 6,200.

 

[gunhilltrain]

The reader couldn't know why Rob_Royale said this, the dark story of how a poorly-timed info dump had doomed him to years of toil, drudgery, and psychological abuse--otherwise known as retail employment. He had promised his mother that, if he didn't sell a novel by the time he was 21, he would take a job at the store she managed ....

-Annie

I'm going to be seventy, and I still haven't sold anything. But my social security check, as a retirement entitlement, would still come in I think. If you want to experience "toil, drudgery, and psychological abuse," try driving a taxi. At least forty-five years later, I have posted several essays here about it, so I did get a long-term advantage.

 

[madelinemasoch]

The second story that I am writing for LE is so far over 2000 words. Which for me just starting it at like 4am Dec 10th isn't bad lol. But, whatever, I'm noticing a problem with this current one, nothing has happened, aside from describing the outfit and their abs. I can get very wordy and tediously draw shit out. I've been like this all my life.

Now for y'all writers here. Would you go back and find a place or two where I could do some scene tweaking to add, at least, some oral or something? Or would you just go with the flow and see what happens?

At least I didn't get to wordy here, or I'd be banned from the boards.

Happy writing

Hey, you started it like 4 days ago... Let it cook.

 

[nice90sguy]

nothing has happened, aside from describing the outfit and their abs

In 2k words? Wow. There ought to be a prize for that