How I Put A Story Together

[Playfulsub]

Hey Y'all! What a great thread.

How do I put a story together? Like many others here, I tend to shoot from the hip. The two novella length stories I'm working on started out as short stories that I couldn't seem to finish. Once the characters came to life, they had stories to tell that couldn't be told in 2,000 words. I'm not certain I will finish either of them without quite a bit of re-writing, but I'm determined.

I have never used an outline for fiction. I spent so many years doing technical writing as a job that when I began to write fiction again, I wanted nothing to do with structure! lol! On the other hand, I have tried to put some general structure in anything new I write.

I'm currently on hiatus from the novella and writing primarily short stories and poetry. One important thing I've found is that writing poetry is making my prose writing tighter. I'm learning to use far fewer words to say the same thing. I recommend poetry writing to anyone who suffers from excessive word usage! Haiku is especially helpful at cutting out superfluous words.

I wrote my first erotic short story last year and was quite pleased with the reaction from my friends and dom (who is also my husband). All that positive reinforcement made me want to write more. :-)

[Euryleia]

I start putting a story together by getting a wicked idea (usually at 2am) and must make sure to write it down or I will have the devil of a time going back to sleep. Of course, if I do manage to fall asleep without having done so, I will be tormented for the next several days about how the perfect story got away.

From my hastily scrawled notes, I create a Word file for the new idea and roughly draw out the main characters--they won't get names yet but I might already start to hear their voices in my head. I'll put down those conversations and any other brilliant ideas and then put it away to marinate for a few days.

When I come back to it, I usually have a better idea of what kind of story it will be--a short story or a novel, erotica or mainstream, or maybe it is something that isn't ready to be written yet. If it is clamoring to be written, I then write a basic outline of the plot arc. By this, I mean I figure out the set-up, the action, and the resolution.

I have really found that an outline is very helpful as a starting point, especially for the longer stories to make sure that I tie up any loose ends. However, I find I get more use out of a pack of yellow stickies (aka post-it notes) than the outline process I was taught in school. I basically create a storyboard for each of stories I may be working on at any one time.

On my stickies, I put character descriptions down as I write them in the story (hair and eye color, background info like job or parent’s names, their particular kinks, etc) and stick 'em up on the bulletin board. I also put down the main plot points to make sure that I'm keeping the tension high. I can quickly and easily rearrange things as I write and reference back (were her pubes shaved?) as I work.

I try to write something everyday. If the muse isn’t cooperating, I end up hopping around from one story to the next. Instead of having to reread everything I’ve written so far before I can start the days work, I can glance up on the board and see the stickies for each project.

When writing the story itself, I rarely work in a linear fashion. Mainly because I am easily bored, I jump around and write the fun stuff and then have to buckle down and write the nitty gritty transitions and explain how we got from point A to point D and why they don’t have any clothes on.

As I get close to finishing, I start rereading the story, making obvious corrections as I go. These read throughs help me to fine tune the story and resolve any plot holes. Once I finish, I usually put the thing down for a week or better before I start editing. I have to get some distance and perspective first. If I start editing too soon, I might catch the grammar errors but I won’t see the extraneous paragraphs that don’t do anything to move the story forward.

[theladystouch]

Hello, all. Quite an interesting, not to say provocative, thread. I’m afraid I have no chance of holding my own with that part of the conversation, so I’ll just get on with my assignment and try to explain (at least to myself) how I put a story together.

Ideas for stories come out of the blue. I have no idea from what dark crevice of my mind they appear. Once I have an idea, I start writing. I put the idea down on paper, and any character info I can think of.

I don’t use an outline because I never know where my story is going to go. I do use character sheets, but only after I’ve been working with a character for a while. My characters tend to quickly develop their own “voice,” and that allows me to “ask” them about themselves. I am not clinically schizophrenic, I promise, but after I’ve been working with characters for a while, they just start talking to me. I write down what they say, and, voila! I have a story.

This is not always good. Often, they take me places I hadn’t planned on going, did not want to go, and have no idea how the hell I am going to get out of there. Sometimes a solution eventually occurs to me. When that happens, I produce some of my best stories. When it doesn’t, the manuscript sits on the shelf, often for months, until I decide to take another stab at it.

Although I’ve been a technical and business writer for years, I have no formal training in how to write a story, a novel, etc. In fact, some of the terminology I’ve run into on this forum is unfamiliar to me. I just put ideas on paper, make sure the spelling and grammar appear to be correct, read it aloud once, and hope for the best. I am terrible at editing my own work, because I fall in love with my own writing. * Sigh *

While I don’t use an outline, ideas for bits and pieces of the story tend to come to me at odd times, including 2am, so I keep my laptop with me everywhere I go (it’s on the bedside table at night). When an idea or a scene leaps to mind, I just scroll to a new page and start typing. When the rest of the action gets me to that point, I revise as necessary, but those scenes that come to me in toto, and out of the blue, tend to be pretty good and need little revision.

I’m usually at the halfway point of a story before I know what the crisis is going to be, or how it will end. So, that is my willy-nilly way of putting a story together.

Tips and things I’ve learned:

1) Draw from your own experience. It sounds more believable that way.

2) In general, draw characters and surroundings lightly; it allows the reader to “buy-in” to your story by making the hero(ine) and locale into whatever they feel comfortable with.

3) If you don’t like it, don’t write it.

4) This one isn’t a tip so much as something I’ve learned, plus a query. I find writing the crisis part of a story to be very difficult. I always fall in love with my protagonists, and usually hate my antagonists. So when I do awful things to my heros, it hurts. My brain also usually wends its way through some VERY dark corridors as I imagine what is happening. The stuff that ends up on the page is usually much milder than the creepy and icky stuff that slimed up my mind while I was working on it.

My query is this: do other authors have a difficult time writing these hard bits? And, if so, do they have any tips on how to deal with it?

Well, that's my two cents...

Lady C

[H Dean]

A good two cents it was, too. Thank you.

[Euryleia]

4) This one isn’t a tip so much as something I’ve learned, plus a query. I find writing the crisis part of a story to be very difficult. I always fall in love with my protagonists, and usually hate my antagonists. So when I do awful things to my heros, it hurts. My brain also usually wends its way through some VERY dark corridors as I imagine what is happening. The stuff that ends up on the page is usually much milder than the creepy and icky stuff that slimed up my mind while I was working on it.

My query is this: do other authors have a difficult time writing these hard bits? And, if so, do they have any tips on how to deal with it?

Lady C

Oh, yeah, I certainly have trouble. Especially when I've come to care for my characters. And, sometimes, my fantasies disturb even me.

The best way that I've learned to handle it is to just take a break. Let the ideas marinate for a day or two before I committ unspeakable acts on my heroines (boy characters are icky and they don't count lol). Let the light of day shine on on the creepy stuff and see if it still makes your pulse race.

ER

[H Dean]

3) If you don’t like it, don’t write it.

Are you speaking of subject matter or your tale in general? I tend to look at things that I don't necessarily like to write about and push myself by writing about it a bit. That isn't to say that I write on subject matter that i really dislike. I've no want to commit a M/m story to the printed page since I have no passion for it. Still, it may be a way for me to expand my abilities and I have thought on it once or twice.

4) This one isn’t a tip so much as something I’ve learned, plus a query. I find writing the crisis part of a story to be very difficult. I always fall in love with my protagonists, and usually hate my antagonists. So when I do awful things to my heros, it hurts. My brain also usually wends its way through some VERY dark corridors as I imagine what is happening. The stuff that ends up on the page is usually much milder than the creepy and icky stuff that slimed up my mind while I was working on it.

My query is this: do other authors have a difficult time writing these hard bits? And, if so, do they have any tips on how to deal with it

Oh, but I enjoy the dark stuff. I can't recall a story I wrote where bad shit didn't occur. In fact, the story I was most proud of writing was extremely nasty to my protagonist. The ending was entirely written (in my head) before the rest of the story was even thought of.

I do have a tip, though: Compartmentalize. Write the bad shit as the bad person doing committing the evil acts. Get rid of the nice person and write like you are evil. It sure worked for me on "Mel and the Sadist". The main character was a real prick and I relished eliminating the nice guy from me while I wrote that little tale. I just wish I had not been in a hurry to get that one in the library - oh, the mistakes!

[Nikita]

My query is this: do other authors have a difficult time writing these hard bits? And, if so, do they have any tips on how to deal with it

I do. There are a couple of stories that are hanging around because I still have a difficult time with the 'hard bits.' In fact, I'm generally not happy with bits that I've written to 'just do it.' It leaves a sick feeling in my gut. I don't want to put a piece like that out there.

One of the exercises in level three helped me push through that wall. The assignment was to write a piece from the pov of the opposite gender, first person. The first try was appalling. So, I put myself in the mental space of the character, to be him and think like him. It turned out okay. I can live with it.

[theladystouch]

3) If you don’t like it, don’t write it.

Are you speaking of subject matter or your tale in general? I tend to look at things that I don't necessarily like to write about and push myself by writing about it a bit. That isn't to say that I write on subject matter that i really dislike. I've no want to commit a M/m story to the printed page since I have no passion for it. Still, it may be a way for me to expand my abilities and I have thought on it once or twice.

A succinct way of stating that if I can't generate some interest or passion for the material I am working with, I will write substandard junk.

At least in my case, I find fiction-writing to be a very emotional thing (rather than technical writing).




4) This one isn’t a tip so much as something I’ve learned, plus a query. I find writing the crisis part of a story to be very difficult. I always fall in love with my protagonists, and usually hate my antagonists. So when I do awful things to my heros, it hurts. My brain also usually wends its way through some VERY dark corridors as I imagine what is happening. The stuff that ends up on the page is usually much milder than the creepy and icky stuff that slimed up my mind while I was working on it.

My query is this: do other authors have a difficult time writing these hard bits? And, if so, do they have any tips on how to deal with it

Oh, but I enjoy the dark stuff. I can't recall a story I wrote where bad shit didn't occur. In fact, the story I was most proud of writing was extremely nasty to my protagonist. The ending was entirely written (in my head) before the rest of the story was even thought of.

I do have a tip, though: Compartmentalize. Write the bad shit as the bad person doing committing the evil acts. Get rid of the nice person and write like you are evil. It sure worked for me on "Mel and the Sadist". The main character was a real prick and I relished eliminating the nice guy from me while I wrote that little tale. I just wish I had not been in a hurry to get that one in the library - oh, the mistakes!

I like the compartmentalize tip. Most of my stuff has some dark stuff in it somewhere, that's where the drama comes in, but nowhere near the coal black stuff you write.

[theladystouch]

My query is this: do other authors have a difficult time writing these hard bits? And, if so, do they have any tips on how to deal with it

I do. There are a couple of stories that are hanging around because I still have a difficult time with the 'hard bits.' In fact, I'm generally not happy with bits that I've written to 'just do it.' It leaves a sick feeling in my gut. I don't want to put a piece like that out there.

One of the exercises in level three helped me push through that wall. The assignment was to write a piece from the pov of the opposite gender, first person. The first try was appalling. So, I put myself in the mental space of the character, to be him and think like him. It turned out okay. I can live with it.

Thanks for the perspective, Nikita. I'm working on the same assignment, LOL, and having the same difficulties. I'll try your advice before submitting it to H Dean, but I still expect him to shred it. I just don't know how to think like a man!

[Nikita]

Thanks for the perspective, Nikita. I'm working on the same assignment, LOL, and having the same difficulties. I'll try your advice before submitting it to H Dean, but I still expect him to shred it. I just don't know how to think like a man!

Oh oh oh.... I just can't say it. We are outnumbered. <stares at ground...> Nope...I can't.

[Euryleia]

I just don't know how to think like a man!

Gosh, who would want to? ~shudders dramatically~ Who knows what evil lurks in the minds of men?

[H Dean]

I just don't know how to think like a man!

Raise your IQ about 30 points to find out.

[Nikita]

Raise your IQ about 30 points to find out.

What if we are already past 30?

<mumbles about being underestimated>

[H Dean]

What if we are already past 30?

<mumbles about being underestimated>

Yes, Nikita, you should be proud of having an IQ in the high 30s. I am proud of you and so are the rest of us.

[theladystouch]

Oh oh oh.... I just can't say it. We are outnumbered. <stares at ground...> Nope...I can't.

[theladystouch]

Gosh, who would want to? ~shudders dramatically~ Who knows what evil lurks in the minds of men?

Clearly we don't...and apparently we have no interest in finding out.

I think my grade on this assignment is already dead.

[theladystouch]

Raise your IQ about 30 points to find out.

Ya see! Men get so confused the can't keep "raise" and "lower" straight.

[theladystouch]

Yes, Nikita, you should be proud of having an IQ in the high 30s. I am proud of you and so are the rest of us.

Bad Dean! No biscuit!

[Mad Lews]

Actually the idea of the gender switch story telling is a good one.
Try a couple things,
1) Listen on the sly to a group of men/women talk among themselves. That helps with character dialog. In addition, it gives an insight into common assumptions within the gender.
2) Use your imagination, figure out how biological differences will affect the big picture, the minor details, and the mindset of men/women.
3) In Biology form determines function, and one gender is much more important to reproduction which makes the other more willing risk takers. Also consider the physical act of copulation and what the ramifications are to the mind set.
4) Use your cultural cues, They exist and are a common background but of course in the story you create you play off them and challenge them. Just remember they need to be in the reader’s gestalt for you to do that.

[theladystouch]

Actually the idea of the gender switch story telling is a good one.
Try a couple things,
1) Listen on the sly to a group of men/women talk among themselves. That helps with character dialog. In addition, it gives an insight into common assumptions within the gender.
2) Use your imagination, figure out how biological differences will affect the big picture, the minor details, and the mindset of men/women.
3) In Biology form determines function, and one gender is much more important to reproduction which makes the other more willing risk takers. Also consider the physical act of copulation and what the ramifications are to the mind set.
4) Use your cultural cues, They exist and are a common background but of course in the story you create you play off them and challenge them. Just remember they need to be in the reader’s gestalt for you to do that.

Really useful post, Mr. Mad. Thank you. I'm going to save it for future reference.

[H Dean]

Bad Dean! No biscuit!

Then no gravy for you!

[Horatio Palmer]

Hi there.

One of greatest personal challenges in my life is writing (OK maybe that's a bit of an exagerration, but it's pretty tough). It isn’t because I find it difficult to get the words out or that I’m too critical of myself; it’s because of my situation. See, I’m still pretty young. I go to school so, as you might imagine, I’m still living at home. Luckily I have no annoying younger siblings to disrupt my flow, but that doesn’t mean I’m free to write. The computer that I write on is located in the kitchen purely for the reason that powers that be dictate that “there are no secrets in this house”. Well, I’m afraid there are. There is usually someone hovering around intent on viewing what I’m up to, so I keep several tabs open for when I want something to vanish with a click and I get somewhat angry when people deliberately attempt to pry. Actually, as I write, something has just occurred to me- why don’t I buy a laptop? I think I will do shortly. It’ll give me a lot more freedom to conduct my scribblings in peace.
But I digress. My story ideas always come to me in one of two places- the shower or in bed those few minutes between getting in and falling to sleep. If I’ve a lot on my mind, sometimes I jot down the ideas I have. Usually, a story just drifts into my head, fully formed so if I do go to write it down, I give a summary of the whole story. It isn’t that I use outlines; it’s just to get the idea down before it disappears. More often though, I just store the stories in my head until the opportunity arrives to do something with them. I find it easy to spill the story from my head onto the page. The trouble is getting the opportunity to do so. I try to snatch an odd quarter of an hour here and there. Some times are easier than others to get working.
Because I live in the absolute middle of nowhere, I can’t very well set my stories locally. I usually set them in places I’d like to visit or that conjure up interesting images- London, New York, Paris (though I have been there), San Francisco, Seattle etc. This is made far easier by a wacky invention I use called the internet. I have an idea of the places I’m looking for and establish exactly where they are using Google Maps or something similar. I find that nothing lends an air of authenticity better than accurate place names and descriptions of the locale. I don’t let missing details ruin my flow. When I’m writing, I’ll usually fill in place names with an XXXXX or a YYYYY, then I’ll go back later and look them up. In fact, by this method, I could almost set a story in any city, filling in the details later. It’s easier though, to set stories in the US because of the TV shows and films that I watch. This gives me a better feel for the dialogue and locations too.
I like my characters to have some unusual quirk or feature. I’m not a great believer in writing about everymen or everywomen. They usually have an interesting occupation or personal trouble and past. I’m not exactly brilliant at dialogue so I try to keep it to a minimum (in real life as well as in my stories).
When I’ve finished writing, I usually leave a couple of days between completion and final edit. I read back over my work and try find better ways of saying things and reducing the verbosity. Generally, I edit as I write, so the final edit doesn’t take long.
Hopefully, it’s something of an insight into my work and methods. I like to understand how other people work- their methods and so on and this is my take on the challenge of writing.

[Venom]

Almost never I can just sit down and write. The act of writing is only the execution of a long story-building process.
It all starts with a motive; an idea or a theme, or just a sentence that sounds cool. My motives can come from books, pictures, newspapers, movies. I can find them at work or in the street. Mostly I don't even have to search for them.

Once one of these little bastards has dug its claws into my mind, I start to construct a rather rough story layout. By and by, more details are added to this frame.( Better make sure you have a notebook at hand during this phase; afflatus doesn't care about time of day. )

I usually work with lists (mostly actually collections of passages): the upgraded frame becomes the story list. It contains the story's keywords, chapter titles, phrases, short passages and so on, in the order in which they will appear in the final narration.

If needed, a timeline list is created, too. Here, the mentioned elements are arranged in their chronological succession. The timeline , of course, is only used if the story works with flashbacks or similar.

Of immense importance are character cards. All main characters get one. Here are their attributes and peculiarities listed. It begins with aspects like the colour of hair and eyes, their height or what country they come from. Then it goes deeper: likings, fears, abilities - whatever I need to get (and give) a feeling for the characters.

Last but not least, there is my collection of (semi-)synonyms. It is really helpful when writing foreign-language. An example:



female
girl
lass
damsel
vixen
harlot
...
...
...



As you can see, these are not all real synonyms but nuances of the term "female". This collection enables me to narrate variedly and to create the desired atmosphere.



That's it - the rest is brilliancy.

[H Dean]

Seems like you have an entire process. I usually write my stories at night, in bed and as I go to sleep and then slap them on the page after they have fermented enough to make me drunk with the urge to write.

Good stuff. Look for another assignment very soon but be patient with my critiques. I am now working two jobs and it's gonna be a long fucking year.