Before I add my two cents' worth, I have to state that I consider myself nothing more than a hobbyist story writer (not to the same standard as many above), who had never written anything of interest until January 2021. Then, for fun, I wrote a book, "The Alpha Man in Me". In 2022, I adapted for LS and then began posting it here, simultaneously learning grammar as I went along.
Now, two and three-quarters years later, I have found I can write stories with reasonably good grammar and sometimes “slightly” different plotlines. The one thing I have never had an issue with is coming up with story ideas or, luckily, finishing a story.
Here is my short story thought process…
1. Decide what genre I am writing in.
2. Look for an idea. This could come from something as simple as the cover photo or from an idea I thought of on an earlier date and had in my head or on notes.
3. Handwrite a brief story plot. This is normally nothing more than a couple of paragraphs.
4. Write the first few pages. I prefer to write from 8 am to noon, but it can be all day if words are flowing and making sense!
5. Once the first couple of pages are sensible (I find opening a story often the hardest part), I stop. Then write the closing few paragraphs.
6. I continue writing. Join the story; start with its end. This often means sex scenes are written last. I prefer stories with strong plot lines, characters and twists. Though I do sometimes write them, I am not so much of a fan of over-descriptive sex scenes.
7. It normally takes me around a week to write 5,000 sensible words and then another week to edit and polish a story into something better. This is where I feel a story comes alive. I also believe it is important not to be tempted to publish until it is done, and I mean really completed, which brings me to my final point.
8. Decide if you need to break the story into parts. Is it better to have a story of two 3,000-word parts or one story of 6,000 words? It is an issue that I don’t have the answer to, but I know a lot of readers won’t even look at a story over 3,000 words, which I find a shame.
Point 8 is probably the point I have the greatest issue with. This is because I like spending words on setting the scene. Introduce the reader to the characters and the worlds I create, and then try to make them fall in love with them before sex scenes.
Being an average writer without a huge following, I find it frustrating that points 1 and 8 probably have more influence on how many readers you have looking at your story than the words that are contained within it.
I’m not complaining, but I can back this statement by saying… I wrote one I/F story and gained 168 extra followers from it (at the time, I had around 120). I also received over 200 likes on Part 1 and well over 100 likes on each of the other 3 parts. Even today, I am asked to write more parts, which maybe I will do one day (it is nice to be asked).
Just to round up this long post. I have never binned a story or deleted one. However, I have returned to the earliest novel I posted here and edited it to improve the grammar and add cover photos.
