8letters' big list of writing tips and advice

[ElectricBlue]

Just an observation - Lit does allow italic use. HTML tags <I> and </I> work. I use them. And I like your stories.

Simon mentioned the Lit app, which apparently loses all formatting.

I have no idea how many readers would use the app, but for those that do, they care nothing about formatting.

 

[dmallord]

Simon mentioned the Lit app, which apparently loses all formatting.

I have no idea how many readers would use the app, but for those that do, they care nothing about formatting.

I read and write using a computer and am unsure what a Lit app is. Thinking about it, though, it registered with a few comments from readers that my paragraphs were too long for them as they read them using a telephone. Now, that is crazy. Crazier still is one comment I read that someone types their stories using a phone. The formatting is stripped, as you noted.

I was thinking more about submitting a story using the Lit window. I write in MS Word using the HTML markers and paste that into the Lit window. In that instance, when viewed with a computer, everything is centered or italicized correctly. I had no idea that others would not see the attempt to have the story appear more 'book-like' when opened.

Thanks for the clarification for an old guy needing a big screen to read comfortably.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I read and write using a computer and am unsure what a Lit app is. Thinking about it, though, it registered with a few comments from readers that my paragraphs were too long for them as they read them using a telephone. Now, that is crazy. Crazier still is one comment I read that someone types their stories using a phone. The formatting is stripped, as you noted.

I was thinking more about submitting a story using the Lit window. I write in MS Word using the HTML markers and paste that into the Lit window. In that instance, when viewed with a computer, everything is centered or italicized correctly. I had no idea that others would not see the attempt to have the story appear more 'book-like' when opened.

Thanks for the clarification for an old guy needing a big screen to read comfortably.

It's a phone app. There must be tens of thousands of readers who read on their phones, and hundreds of writers who write on their phones. How they do that, I don't have a clue - far too small a screen for me.

 

[RejectReality]

Note that the Lit app isn't approved to be on official stores, ( same as any adult app ) which means it throws scary warnings at anyone who downloads or attempts to install it. In most cases, it can't even be installed without changing default settings on your phone.

The number of people who will ignore all those warnings and install the app is most likely a tiny percentage of users. If you prefer to use italics and other Lit approved formatting in your work, don't let the app's tiny userbase discourage you. Formatting shows up for users reading on their phone via browser.

 

[SimonDoom]

Just an observation - Lit does allow italic use. HTML tags <I> and </I> work. I use them. And I like your stories.

Thank you!

 

[Djmac1031]

If you do write a series, I recommend putting all of the chapters into the one category the story is mostly about. If you publish Chapter 3 in Group Sex after being in Erotic Couplings for the first two chapters, the Group Sex readers aren’t going to be very interested in jumping into the middle of a series and the EC readers who’ve read the first two chapters won’t know a third chapter has been published

Going to respectfully disagree.

I have a long running, multiple chapter E/V series, but at one point I wound up writing a chapter where there was no exhibitionism nor voyeurism involved, just straight up sex.

And so I listed that chapter in EC. Didn't have a problem. Loyal readers of the series were already following me by then and got notified when it published.

And I didn't get any complaints. Of course it was a modest, easy change and not like it suddenly switched to gay male or non con. That I suppose could be very jarring for series readers there for one particular kink only.

 

[SimonDoom]

And I didn't get any complaints. Of course it was a modest, easy change and not like it suddenly switched to gay male or non con. That I suppose could be very jarring for series readers there for one particular kink only.

This is the key to what you experienced. You have to analyze the categories carefully. I've written many E&V stories and even more with elements of E&V and in my experienced it's one of the more open-minded, flexible readerships. So I'm not surprised you had a built-in readership that was flexible enough to handle an EC chapter. But there are some categories that don't mix as well, and one is much more likely to get a negative reaction and a big reader drop off with a category switch.

 

[Djmac1031]

When I’m describing a character, I paint with a broad brush. I give enough detail that the reader can picture something, but give the readers a lot of freedom in what they actually picture. I had one commenter say he loves a story where the FMC looks like a certain porn star. I looked up the porn star, and she looked nothing like what I imagined the FMC to look like

Had a similar experience where a reader told me my female character reminded him of a porn star he liked and asked if had used her as a template.

I had to look her up and much like your experience, she was nothing like how I saw the character.

But I told him if my character reminded him of that performer than by all means he was entitled to his interpretation.

 

[Djmac1031]

This is the key to what you experienced. You have to analyze the categories carefully. I've written many E&V stories and even more with elements of E&V and in my experienced it's one of the more open-minded, flexible readerships. So I'm not surprised you had a built-in readership that was flexible enough to handle an EC chapter. But there are some categories that don't mix as well, and one is much more likely to get a negative reaction and a big reader drop off with a category switch.

Absolutely understand that point. I suppose my take on this as I'm reading through it all is that there are of course exceptions to every "rule," and its up to us to learn how to read the room when it comes to sudden changes in tone or story etc

 

[Djmac1031]

What if your story is rejected for underage sexuality
1. Don’t get bent out of shape! It’s most likely a minor thing

MINOR thing. . Sorry just had to.

 

[Djmac1031]

I don't agree with every specific thing 8Letters recommends, but I think this is very helpful.

Same, but I truly don't want to get into a "this is why I don't agree with point X" on it, because overall I feel most of this advice is very helpful and on point.

It's not even so much I "disagree" with any given point. More so just that I feel there are of course "exceptions" to many of these "rules."

But I appreciate the effort it took to put this together, @8letters. Kudos.

 

[AG31]

Story Category
* Before you write the story, decide on the category it’s going to go in. Know the likes and dislikes of that category. For example, I/T readers don’t like male-male sex. Romance doesn’t like Male Main Characters who cheat
* If your story could go into multiple categories, research which category is more likely to get you the best results. Pick that and write your story to appeal to the readers of that category
* I’d put the categories into the following tiers (this is based on data I pulled in 2018 and may be out of date):
** A - Incest/Taboo (highest average views and second highest average comments per story for stand-alone stories, a strong chance of getting a Red H)
** B - Loving Wives (highest average votes and comments per story. Lowest average rating. High favorites. Many of the comments are harshly negative)
** B - Mature (high views, favorites and ratings; good number of comments)
** C - Anal (good views, favorites, and ratings, average comments, the vast majority of stories are one page)
** C - E&V (above average views, okay favorites, good ratings, average comments)
** C - Gay Male (above average views, okay favorites, good ratings, okay comments)
** C - Group Sex (good views and favorites, okay ratings, poor comments)
** C - First Time (good views, okay favorites and ratings, average comments)
** C - Lesbian Sex (above average views, good favorites, high ratings and comments)
** C - Noncon (high views, good favorites but low ratings, okay comments)
** C - T&C (above average views, high favorites, high ratings, good number of comments)
* If you do write a series, I recommend putting all of the chapters into the one category the story is mostly about. If you publish Chapter 3 in Group Sex after being in Erotic Couplings for the first two chapters, the Group Sex readers aren’t going to be very interested in jumping into the middle of a series and the EC readers who’ve read the first two chapters won’t know a third chapter has been published

Interesting, but how do you know all this?

 

[8letters]

Interesting, but how do you know all this?

I gather story stats. I gathered months' worth years ago. I was annoyed that people kept saying 3-4 pages was the ideal story length based on, as far as I could tell, absolutely nothing. The tiers in the post are based on that set of data.

I've been collecting story stats since August. I have felt too motivated to do much with them.

 

[MrHereWriting]

Interesting, but how do you know all this?

 

[SimonDoom]

Same, but I truly don't want to get into a "this is why I don't agree with point X" on it, because overall I feel most of this advice is very helpful and on point.

I agree.

I don't feel it's rancorous to add a supplemental perspective, which is what I think I do. Two things can be true, and IMO ARE true: this is a place with a big and extremely diverse readership, and you can achieve "success" in reaching readers through many different strategies. But I also think what 8Letters says is useful and true, because he's actually dived into the data, and most of us are pulling generalizations from thin air.

I know what's worked for me, and I can share that, and I hope somebody can find something useful in it, but then I look at authors who have achieved great "success" (by whatever metric) writing completely different kinds of stories in completely different categories, and I realize an author can achieve a great deal of success and satisfaction doing things in a completely different way.

 

[8letters]

Note that the Lit app isn't approved to be on official stores, ( same as any adult app ) which means it throws scary warnings at anyone who downloads or attempts to install it. In most cases, it can't even be installed without changing default settings on your phone.

The number of people who will ignore all those warnings and install the app is most likely a tiny percentage of users. If you prefer to use italics and other Lit approved formatting in your work, don't let the app's tiny userbase discourage you. Formatting shows up for users reading on their phone via browser.

I corresponded once with someone who uses the Lit app, and he was totally fine with authors using formatting that doesn't appear on the app. In fact, he'd read into the story the formatting he thought the author put there.

 

[8letters]

Same, but I truly don't want to get into a "this is why I don't agree with point X" on it, because overall I feel most of this advice is very helpful and on point.

It's not even so much I "disagree" with any given point. More so just that I feel there are of course "exceptions" to many of these "rules."

But I appreciate the effort it took to put this together, @8letters. Kudos.

Thanks for the kudos.

In my original version, I expressed a lot of my advice as rules. I tried hard this time to present my advice as "This is what works for me" instead of "Here are the rules".

I'm fine with people disagreeing. In fact, I'd encourage people to disagree. My advice is based on my experience reading and writing I/T stories. I'd love to see a "Big List of Writing Tips and Advice" from authors of other categories.

 

[FINLEYDIXON]

I regret not finding these posts sooner.

The rookie mistake of posting a chapter 1 as my first story, yeah, that's me.

Still, chapter 1, 2, and 3 of my Swim Team Series did well enough to keep me writing.

At the time of writing, 11 of 14 of my published chapters have the hot label. A couple of things to note that might have increased my ratings: every chapter has at least one sex scene, they're all categorized as Gay Male, and steeped in personal experience (very fictional, but I was a swimmer

My first not-hot story broke another of your rules. It dove into a social issue: human trafficking. I'm still trying to resolve that plot thread. It drags down the ratings of every chapter it features, even lightly.

All of my published stories are all in chapters [facepalm]. I have two serialized stories waiting for endings right now and three unpublished projects at various points of completion.

• Seals of Sambia (Historical Fiction: WW2, Gay Male)
• On the Cochrane (Historical Fiction, Gay Male)
• Cormance (Erotic Horror, Bisexual, MMC)

FML

Happy writing,
Finley

 

[VerbalAbuse]

Well, really? Writing advice?

Lit is a site for fetishists. If one wants votes, hearts and comments, one panders to their tastes.
I see stories that are 2k words, of doubtful literary merit, stories that break all the "good" rules, yet garner hundreds of votes in less than two days after posting.

If votes is what you really want, that's easy.

 

[lovecraft68]

If votes is what you really want, that's easy.

I won't argue this in anyway.

"writing" and "popularity" are often confused here, but in both ways.

The unpopular claim people with a lot of success are pandering and have no talent.

Backside of that is those people think they're great writers who just don't write in popular categories, because it could never be THEY have no talent.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

Much of the advice given here makes a lot of sense, but deserve some discussion. Or requires it.

This, for an instance:

If you set your story in a particular city, then I recommend having the city as a character in the story. There should be steady reminders that the characters are in that city. Otherwise, make the story more universal by leaving the city name out

I agree with this exhortation, but many questions arise about it. Why? How much? How? An in-depth discussion with examples would serve well.