How I Put A Story Together

[Nikita]

Hi, My name is Nikita. I started writing bdsm stories a little over 3 years ago and posted my first one, Walking on the Wild Side, on this site. It's going to be a novella, but it's been slow going. The main reason is I get side tracked writing short stories. I like them...a lot.

My first book, a collection of those short stories called The Whipping Post, was published earlier this year. My reward was seeing it on an ebook site with a price tag next to it. Let's say, with the money it's generated to date, I can pay for a couple of months' worth of Starbucks lattes.

One of my short stories, was accepted for publication by Carol Queen, More Five Minute Erotica: 35 Tales of Sex and Seduction. She sent out a call for submissions with general guidelines on what she was looking for. The book will be sold on Amazon.com in December.

Why am I here? I want/need to learn more, move out of my comfort zone and work on writing assignments set by someone else, AND, be another set of eyes for Ruby and Dean.

How do I put a story together?

I just tell a story. Sometimes, the need to put it down is so strong, I can close my eyes and type away until I have to stop. This can go on for 10 min. I peek once in awhile to make sure my fingers are still on the right keys.

Characters drive my stories. I think they are the most important part of a story. I'll go even further and say they are the story. They each have a part that I know, can relate to, have seen at one point or another. In other words, drawing from personal knowledge and experience makes it easy to write.

Like Rhabbi, an outline stifles me, but after I've written several scenes, one is needed to put the story together. It is easier to connect the dots on paper than on the computer screen.

I don't have any tools other than reading books and stories I like. Observe how the author put it together, etc.

There are two books I refer to often, Write Great Fiction: Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint : (Techniques and exercises for crafting dynamic characters and effective viewpoints) and Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish).

As to tricks...music feeds a side of my brain that needs to be occupied while I write. The selection is relative or random.

These days, I work on pottery, tinker with photography, and draw. These activities keep me from being so anal retentive. hahahaha To be honest, my brain needs rest from over thinking.

I also write a little everyday. It maybe the constant stream of emails, blogs, responses to forum topics, etc. But, it is still writing.

Looking forward to the writing challenges and interacting with you.