A problem, lacking action

[jackierabbit1]

 I guess that was the point I was trying to make Fordman, although not as articulately as I might have hoped for. Amy's characters are definitely not "set pieces" but rather in depth characters that require some explanation, (as are yours) and therefore chapter space. I struggle with that constantly, and am sympathetic to those that do as well.
 Please don't take my comments as criticism toward any author, I personally love the different styles here and wouldn't wish to dissuade any author from contributing, the starting from the middle thing just an experiment that I thought to share if there were interest. In the end it's really the same story, but with the chapters arranged differently, and obviously not applicable to every story here at the plaza.

Best wishes to all, Jackie.

[AmyAmy]

In case I sounded facetious, I definitely wasn't being negative about Steve Spandex.

I mean it when I put him forward as an example of a writer who produces amusing, accessible work that people cannot stop reading. If you were writing a "how to" book on hooks and suspense, his work would serve as examples better than almost anything I've read. He doesn't start off with padding, or work up to the good bits, he starts with something strong and he keeps on piling in the good stuff. People like his work, they want to read it, and they enjoy it so much that they tell others how much they liked it. Not a lot of people writing erotic bondage stories have that going for them.

Anyone starting out should look at his stories as a great example of how to do it right.

A lot of writers, when the start out, they seem to feel it's necessary to put a mini-bio for all their characters at the front of a story. I think they pick it up from reading other erotic stories that do the same thing. It's amazingly common, almost a genre convention. Mostly, it's unnecessary though.

[64Fordman]

I think Amy brings up a brilliant point. When you read a story you really enjoy, think about the techniques the author used to tell the story.

The best writing advice I got was to read like a writer. When I finish a book or story, I go back and consider where the author started the story, how they introduce characters and when and how back story is provided.

I also think about how the author matches style to the character. For example, Robert B. Parker novels are 80% dialogue and that keeps the story moving at a fast pace. His character, Spencer, is a hard driving swing first and ask questions later private detective.

When I decided to try writing erotic fiction, I didn’t need any help with the kink, I had that. It was realizing when I read a story I enjoyed, it wasn’t just the subject that made it enjoyable but the way it was told.

So Harry, whether it’s AmyAmy, jackierabbit, Steve Spandex or Jane Austen, valuable lessons can be retrieved from the work of great writers.