What have you learned since you started writing stories for Literotica?

[AStrangeDesire]

I'm now up to four death threats due to my writing.

Two were on Reddit, and two were from here.

The two on Reddit were on a story that was ultimately a tragic romance. The readers did not like the "tragic" part. I left Reddit shortly after that, lol.

The two from here were mild in comparison.

I genuinely don't understand people at times. It's just fiction... <shrug>

Sorry you had to experience that.

 

[Erozetta]

Eh, unless one of them sends me my real name or address alongside the threat, they can have their fantasy anger outlet.

 

[BellaBestia]

Empty death threats or book burning should be a badge of honour, that one’s art/writing affects that strongly.

 

[yembrose]

I think I've learned a lot about the balance between sexy, discriptive, and narratively useful writing and generally gotten better at deciding when to use one or the other, and I think I've improved at "painting a picture" using words.

More importantly though, I think I've learned that the story is key, and comes before any other percieved requirement that a piece might have.

A scene might seem like fun to write or like it will be too fun to leave out, but if it doesn't fit into the larger narrative or it goes against anyone's character arc, it's not even worth putting down.

 

[HannahBaird]

I'm now up to four death threats due to my writing.

Two were on Reddit, and two were from here.

The two on Reddit were on a story that was ultimately a tragic romance. The readers did not like the "tragic" part. I left Reddit shortly after that, lol.

The two from here were mild in comparison.

Only two for me, so I plan on catching up!

One instance of cyberstalking where I was sent emails saying they knew where I lived (they didn't).

Been told that I should have my "tits cut off and boiled in acid".

All in all, my time since publishing reaffirmed that people are fucking awful, which is absolutely nothing new.

The good?

I have made countless friend (Liz is one of them! <3) talked to some of my inspirations, got on Discord and helped build a community, and I have readers who support my work.

In this case, I'll call it a wash.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

I admire the bravery of those who are calmly ignoring death threats.

I've never gotten a threat. I struggle to get any sort of reaction, really.

 

[Statius]

Only two for me, so I plan on catching up!

One instance of cyberstalking where I was sent emails saying they knew where I lived (they didn't).

Been told that I should have my "tits cut off and boiled in acid".

All in all, my time since publishing reaffirmed that people are fucking awful, which is absolutely nothing new.

The good?

I have made countless friend (Liz is one of them! <3) talked to some of my inspirations, got on Discord and helped build a community, and I have readers who support my work.

In this case, I'll call it a wash.

I'm not sure if I should like this post or...

FFS.. people are terrible

 

[HannahBaird]

I admire the bravery of those who are calmly ignoring death threats.

I've never gotten a threat. I struggle to get any sort of reaction, really.

The reactions will come in time. Truly. Stay active here on the forums when you can, and dont hesitate to go to Reddit and spread your works there. The sub is great for finding new readers. Also, there's lot's of Discord channels to find new readers, writer's workshops and more.

 

[HannahBaird]

I'm not sure if I should like this post or...

FFS.. people are terrible

Statius! It's been too long. I had a crazy schedule the past month or two. Glad to see you again! I think I got back to you regarding your Ria stuff, if I didn't let me know.

But yes... people are atrocious. How this site and LW as a category brings it out, is still shocking to me. A total lack of decorum, respect, and decency.

However, to balance that out? Meeting and having discourse with amazing readers, writers, and everyone in between. There are many good folks out there.

 

[Statius]

Statius! It's been too long. I had a crazy schedule the past month or two. Glad to see you again! I think I got back to you regarding your Ria stuff, if I didn't let me know.

But yes... people are atrocious. How this site and LW as a category brings it out, is still shocking to me. A total lack of decorum, respect, and decency.

However, to balance that out? Meeting and having discourse with amazing readers, writers, and everyone in between. There are many good folks out there.

I love these forums and the people in them. Nice to see you here; it has been a bit hope you are well!

 

[Erozetta]

I admire the bravery of those who are calmly ignoring death threats.

It's easier to do when you've been proven difficult to kill through many attempts.

 

[HannahBaird]

It's easier to do when you've been proven difficult to kill through many attempts.

No lie detected!

Unless we're already dead lol

 

[Areala-chan]

I'm learning to accept that it's okay to tell the story I want to tell, instead of the one I think other people will want to read.

I'm learning to accept that when people say good things about the stuff I wrote, they probably mean it.

 

[HannahBaird]

I'm learning to accept that it's okay to tell the story I want to tell, instead of the one I think other people will want to read.

I'm learning to accept that when people say good things about the stuff I wrote, they probably mean it.

You absolutely have to write what you want to tell. And never, ever let someone tell you to tell another story. I feel better about doing that.

 

[Dodola]

I'm starting to feel slightly guilty, so I'll cross-quote from On writing: sounds and sentences:


I hope nobody has been put off writing by me going on and on about "the craft". I'm just a total nerd when it comes to that stuff: it's the part of writing that I enjoy most, and that I enjoy talking about most. But I don't expect everyone to share that fixation

No, it's not you or this at all.
I'm at a spot where I sort of feel like a musician who learned to play by ear in my bedroom, and suddenly found myself in an orchestra full of Juilliard graduates.
I think I can contribute to AH from a reader's perspective, but not as a writer.

 

[ElectricBlue]

No, it's not you or this at all.
I'm at a spot where I sort of feel like a musician who learned to play by ear in my bedroom, and suddenly found myself in an orchestra full of Juilliard graduates.
I think I can contribute to AH from a reader's perspective, but not as a writer.

Comments from readers in this forum are rare. Writers are often speculating "what readers want," so for someone to say, "Hey, I'm a reader, this is what I reckon," is most welcome. Will probably help a lot of us get our heads out of our asses!

 

[Erozetta]

No, it's not you or this at all.
I'm at a spot where I sort of feel like a musician who learned to play by ear in my bedroom, and suddenly found myself in an orchestra full of Juilliard graduates.
I think I can contribute to AH from a reader's perspective, but not as a writer.

Your experience as a writer is valuable, partly because it isn't the experience of a writer with a long history of writing experience. Your experience is what will guide people like us who feel intimidated by everyone else because of their experience with writing professionally or editing professionally, or having an above-average education in writing technique and craft.

Our experiences and talking about them like Lovecraft does can make the writing side of the site more accessible for the people who don't have the writing experience and education behind them. It shows we're never too old to learn new things, and we are all capable of more than our background might imply.

Please do not withhold your experience with writing. It's valuable because you have a viewpoint that is much more common than those with significant writing experience and/or education behind them. It shows people it can be done without that stuff just as well as it can be done with it. It also shows that sometimes you can just do a thing because you want to.

The professional and educated input of those with that background is valuable for learning, growing, and improving because it gives people like us access to their knowledge and education. Those are things we likely either can't afford monetarily or time-wise, so sharing that knowledge is a great way to give others access they otherwise might never have the opportunity to get.

Both sides of this have a place here. No one should feel like their input doesn't matter or isn't as important as anyone else's because we never know who we might inspire with what we have to say.

Like, I'm a dyslexic woman with severe social anxiety and agoraphobia who dropped out of college because I had to choose either an education while homeless or having two jobs in order to have a roof over my head. I tried to do the latter with an education, but I was only sleeping about 3 hours a day, I wasn't eating, and I was in an abusive relationship at the time. I have zero experience with education involving writing, not even a creative writing class in high school. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. I still have insight into the process of how I write and what works for me that could be valuable to someone else.

To me writing is a lot like cooking, and the cook who isn't willing to experiment and fail will never have a shot at becoming a genuinely great cook regardless of how much training and experience they have behind them.

Artistic creation is partially adaptation through a blend of experience and education, but it's also having a willingness to fail through experiments with the craft of choice. Sometimes education and experience can hold that "novel creation" side of things back, as it can be a blow to the ego when something you've worked on tirelessly falls flat.

The best writers are often the ones with some degree of all of these elements. But that doesn't mean those writers are the most successful writers as they most likely have a much higher fail/success rate overall. This is a big part of why I look for writers who have high and low scores in various categories. They try. They learn. They are willing to fail. I trust them to give me a different experience than the writer with consistent perfection (whom I go to for comfort and familiarity, not potential).

*Edited after my migraine went away, lol.

 

[tchina85]

There's an audience out there that enjoy chubby M2M stories. A big plus.

 

[NuclearFairy]

No, it's not you or this at all.
I'm at a spot where I sort of feel like a musician who learned to play by ear in my bedroom, and suddenly found myself in an orchestra full of Juilliard graduates.
I think I can contribute to AH from a reader's perspective, but not as a writer.

I'm a high school dropout, who dropped out because I felt like I hadn't learned anything in school since the fifth grade.

If I can write, anyone can write. It's just like that chef in Ratatouille said, "Anyone can cook"

That being said, if you don't feel like it anymore, then don't bother, just keep hanging out and giving us the readers perspective!

Although, a peek at my stats will show you that I'm nowhere near as accomplished as most of the people here. But who cares! I'm having fun writing the story and that's what matters.

 

[BeechLeaf]

I don't think I've learned anything yet, but I'm taking notes. I'm a long-time pantser who uses dialogue too much and I want to convert to planning and narrative. My notes list specific authors I want to go back to and study, for the following points:

• don't do dialogue - do action
• has to be about people - their motivation - their unhappiness (perhaps)
• lots of colouring and small actions - keep on doing this, around the dialogue
• let words have power
• how to keep working on a routine that doesn't yet work

Now all I have to do is think up a completely new idea, plan it, don't write it the way I naturally would, and apply all these at all stages of writing. Child's play.

 

[MK_Whimsy]

FWIW, the opening of the Declaration of Independence is one very long sentence. And Jefferson was considered the best writer in the Continental Congress.

Hm. Maybe I should try writing one of those.

 

[StrentWriter]

I learned that this is a hobby which I am enjoying more, as I become more dedicated to it. When I let the distractions on the forum float away, the stories come.

In short, I have to be a hermit to get any actual writing done XD

 

[Statius]

I don't think I've learned anything yet, but I'm taking notes. I'm a long-time pantser who uses dialogue too much and I want to convert to planning and narrative. My notes list specific authors I want to go back to and study, for the following points:

• don't do dialogue - do action
• has to be about people - their motivation - their unhappiness (perhaps)
• lots of colouring and small actions - keep on doing this, around the dialogue
• let words have power
• how to keep working on a routine that doesn't yet work

Now all I have to do is think up a completely new idea, plan it, don't write it the way I naturally would, and apply all these at all stages of writing. Child's play.

I'm with ya, trying to change how I write (mostly). It's rough in a lot of different ways but I just keep pushing through. Keep at it. I do like the WIPs I have going now

 

[Baztrachian]

What have you learned since you started writing stories for Literotica?​

I've learned that an awful lot of moralistic prudes come on this site, head for the erotic stories, and then get themselves righteously offended at every story and every genre they don't like.

Can't even begin to say "FUCK OFF!" to these types.

 

[APilgrimSquare]

I’ve learned that writing smut comes much more easily to my pen than the non-smut stories I’d struggled with for decades. What that says about me, I don’t know!