Over-working??

I just finished another story and I’m super-duper excited to share it.  However, I am trying to find an editor on Literotica (a volunteer service they offer), but I just can’t find one that jumps out at me.  I’m reading their profiles and trying to see if I could find one that I can see myself clicking with, but haven’t had much luck.  I did find one a few days ago I thought might work, but he has yet to contact me back and I’m afraid I have to start my search over. 

I didn’t use an editor with my first story, but I want to with this one.  I want a different opinion than my own and Manly Man’s and maybe some suggestions for changes if they are necessary.  It’s hard to look at my work and read it like someone else would.  Every time I read it I change something which is not always a bad thing, but can be.  I’m afraid in trying to make it better; I am working it too much.  Is that possible?

Take  care,

Jane

Chapters vs. Postings

So, if you’ve read my “About Me” section you know that I post my stories on Literotica under the username hotbabydoll.  My first post was the first chapter in a story I was excited to share.  Perhaps a little too excited.  I basically wrote that first section in an afternoon and wanted to share it so badly I couldn’t wait to finish the whole thing before I submitted it for the site.    

I received great feedback and a ton of people read it, close to 15,000, with in the first week.  I only received a few votes, around 40 or so, with those first thousand viewers.  I’m not sure why, but I expected a lot more votes.  I mean, 15,000 people read it and only 40 votes?  That’s less than a half percent on average. 

I recently posted the second installment and now close to 25,000 people have read the first installment and somewhere around 13,000 for the second.  I currently have a “hot” rating on the first chapter with a score of 4.56 (out of 5) and a 4.34 on the second.

If only 13,000 people have read the second installment that’s close to half of the people who have read the first.  If I had posted them together, then more people would have read the full story.  Now, however, some people out there missed out on the full experience I was trying to give. 

I know when I read a story on the site, I often have multiple chapters (postings) to read and I’m rarely left hanging.  In my rush when I submitted chapter one, I didn’t think this through.  I didn’t fully comprehend (because I didn't think about it) that when the readers finish chapter 1 they vote or not, and move on to the next chapter.  My story wouldn’t immediately have a next chapter posted.   There is no way to “tag” a story to come back to (not that I know of anyway), so if the full story is not there to read all at once, the second part tends to get over looked when it finally is posted.  I wasn’t left hanging because I was new to the site and the current authors had already had time to post several of their chapters, but because I was new to the site, my readers would be left waiting.

I’m not sure if I’ll submit a story in one full submission or break it into chapters to post all at the same time, but I don’t think I’ll post another story that isn’t complete.  Doing so, in my short experience, leaves a lot to be desired.

Lesson learned.

Take care,

Jane

Flash Fuck Me, Baby - contest

So one of my favorite authors (she's also an editor), Alison Tyler, hosted a contest for flash fiction.  There is no hard and fast definition for flash fiction, but basically it is a snipet of fiction, a very-short story or part of a story.  It can range from a certain number of characters (like Twitter's limit of 140) to a couple hundred or thousand words.

In this case, Ms. Tyler asked authors (anyone could enter) to annonymously write 100-words of flash fiction.  The contest would end on Sept. 15 and she would let us know who won the prizes. 

I was blown away with all of the entries, and of course, had to enter myself.  I wrote "My Favorite Story."  I told manly man I was definitely not going to win anything with all the other fabulous entries out there.  To which in true loving he replied, "Quit putting your writing down.  So, it's not perfect, it'll get better the more you do it." I do tend to put my writing down, but some of the flash fiction entered was truly great, and definitely better than mine.  There I go again.

Ms. Tyler announced yesterday that she was also blown away and instead of a readers poll (there were so many entries and some authors didn't title their stories), she was going to feature each author on her blog (which I am super excited about).  We each also won a copy of one of her short-short collections and a chance to be "involved" with the new book she is working on (also a real honor for any writer).

Will I get too be "involved" in her book?  I don't know, but it was a truly fun experience to even get to enter one of her contests.  And I look forward to reading my prize.  :P

Take care,

Jane

New Blog

This is a new blog, so bear with me while I make changes and get used to this thing they call blogging.

Intro Blog:

Hi, my name is Jane and I am an aspiring erotica writer.  I would also say I'm a fairly new writer.  I read the bios of my favorite authors and most of them say they have written for as long as they can remember.  Their first stories were written in kindergarten. 

I'm not like that.  I have written a few stories over the years (because yes, I did feel the need to get them out of my head and on paper), but I have not had the time they seem to be able to make for their craft.  Which does make me feel a little like I somehow don't deserve to write. 

I was married young and had my first child by the time I was twenty-two.  I don't think my writing is nearly on par with my favs, but I'm working on it.  My manly man (that's what I call the spouse) who is an artist (on the side, after his 9 - 5 job) says that most creative types don't ever think their work is "good" enough.  He says there are a lot of his pieces that he hates, but the buyer loves and it's all (too quote a cliche) "in the eye of the beholder."  So here I go - off to write my heart out.  And hopefully, while I might not always like the finished work, someone does.

Take care,

Jane