Why?

[Lobo De la Sombra]

It's been a while since I've done this, so I have a question for all you writers.  Two questions, actually.  Why do you write?  Why do you share?

Since I'm asking the question, I'll give my own answer.  I write because I enjoy it.  Not just the story, either.  I enjoy the process, watching the characters I create come to life as the words flow onto the page (or screen).  And those characters, all of them, are very much alive to me.  After all the years and stories, I may not remember all of their names, but that makes them no less real in my mind.  It also makes me think.  Not just about bondage and/or sex, but about human nature.  I share for much the same reason I share my Skyrim screenshots, because I enjoy the result of my effort, and it's my hope that other people can enjoy those results as well.

Those are my answers.  What's yours?

[Gromet]

I'm like you Lobo, I write because I enjoy it. It's one of the reasons I launched the site way back when to post my stories and other authors whose stories I liked. I get the images in my head of the characters and how they react and relate to each other. The story seems to flow out of me as I write it, but once written the story is no longer there in my head, strange .
I also love studying people and the way they behave (people watching).

[Lobo De la Sombra]

Not so strange.  As I've said before, my writing style can be best described as being instinctual.  Sometimes, when I sit down to write, the whole story comes out in one sitting, complete and ready for sending in (well, except for spellcheck).  It's like a pitcher of water, I guess, and once some gets poured out, it's gone, and the space very soon gets filled by other ideas, other images.  Not sure if that makes a whole lot of sense to anyone but me, but there it is.

[MaxRoper]

The Pitcher Of Water analogy is close for me too. Like you, I have stories in my head. If I like the story I want to read it and the only way to read it is to write it. No one has the exact same take on things I do and no one else is going to write it the way I want it, so if I want those characters and those events to happen, I have to make it so.

I've written bondage tales since I was a teenager (a LONG time ago). Sometimes I shared them with my partner but mostly they were just for me. The idea of sending them to be posted and read by others was quite appealing because I can't help wondering if my stories and fantasies will resonate with anyone else. I've met and corresponded with several people since I began posting here and a few of them have become friends. The feedback I receive is helpful in my future writing because I learn what others look for in a story. Although I still tend to write only what I want to read, I've tried several things that were suggested by readers.

And of course I'm over the moon when someone takes the time to write and say they enjoyed a story of mine.

-Max

[rbbral]

My answer is also very simple. I love it, I love it. I have spent much of my life writing fairly complex business reports, very dry, and I find writing - at least my writing on this site, a wonderful release. There are no boundaries, your mind can wander. It's also a challenge, most of my stories are long - too long, I'm sure for some - and I suppose the reason for that is, I don't know where or when to stop.
While I like putting my characters into quite unpleasant situations, yes, it's only a fantasy, I do try to develop them into real, relatively believable characters (in relatively unbelievable situations), rather than cut-outs, and sometimes this takes time.
For a long time I wrote simply for my own pleasure, and it was only when I viewed Gromet's great site, years and years ago, that I thought I might submit something (nervously). Reactions were, for the most part, positive - and here I have to say it is great hearing from readers offering thanks or encouragement - so I will carry on, four fingered, as long as ideas come into my head. 

[Lobo De la Sombra]

One of the great things about writers, Max, especially writers like the ones you have here, is diversity.  You could take any 5 writers here, give them the same basic idea, and wind up with five totally different stories.  Over the years, I've actually had people tell me they wished they could write like me.  My usual answer is, "No, you don't, you want to write like you."  We each have a different take on any given situation, a different view as to how things should progress, and we've been very lucky here to see so many writers taking their own unique paths to great stories.

[Lobo De la Sombra]

For the record, rbbral, I wasn't exactly positive when I sent my first story to Gromet.  I doubt anyone is.  And even now, after 16 odd years and a couple hundred stories, I cross mental fingers whenever I send in a new one, hoping people will enjoy it.  I definitely agree with the importance, and sometimes difficulty, of creating believable characters, especially the ones who, if you met them in real life, you'd really want to punch.  And just for the record, who doesn't love hearing back from the readers about a story you've spent a lot of time on?

[rbbral]

I'm a pretty poor typist, and therefore my stories have a long gestation period, so, as you say, when you get a favourable response, then all those hours hunched over the keyboard seem worthwhile, not that I wouldn't do it anyway, even without any approbation, as it is in my blood I suppose.
I like to create believable (well mostly) characters, and I don't have to like them, sometimes I have more fun with the nasty ones, I can see why actors always say they prefer playing baddies, there's more meat to chew on there.

[MaxRoper]

Lobo, to be fair, when most people say they want to write like you, it probably has more to do with your use of language, editing skills, believable characterizations, and all the other things you do so well. The only way to develop those skills is to write incessantly. When I look at my early writings (not usually a good idea) I cringe at some of the things I did, but I consider that a good sign since it shows me I've improved.

There's no one else with my exact interests and fetishes and that's one of the many joys of this site. A large percentage of the tales here have little or no interest to me based on the kink content but almost everything can be instructive in some way, even if it's only to show me things to avoid in my own writing.

[Unajet]

I started writing very short scenes years ago when I was young and very inexperienced (all the way around). The stories fell into the "What would I want to try?" category.  But for the most part, when it comes to writing now I use the "What would I want to read?" idea.
Through the years I have probably written over two dozen stories/scenes.  But it wasn't until I saw the notice for the Halloween 2017 Special, I decided to take a chance.  I had never posted one of my bondage stories online (but I have posted other stories that would be considered normal somewhere else).  It was very nerve-racking wondering if anyone else would even like what I wrote about or if the moderator would come back saying 'this sucks, I'm not posting it'.
When you think about it, writing out any type of sex act is a very personal experience.  You are sharing a part of yourself with everyone to see.  And when that part is a bit 'dark' or 'unique', it can either make you want to continue on or run and hide.  As a new writer, I now understand how much reviewing or rating a story means to an author.

[Mikel]

I had written for myself for years keeping all the "racy" stuff private allot was hand written then I wrote several short factual "stories" for a few magazines, thankfully had professional editors, and had some of my photographic work published with the stories but it wasn't until Gromet (So Gromet's to blame if you don't like my stuff) encouraged me to send a story in. I had only ever let one person read any of my erotic writings before and still absolutely hate editing but since I posted here I have really enjoyed letting people in and the feedback I've gotten, its nice to know there are interesting people out there. I have changed the way I write, I still fall back into the old type fast forget punctuation and time lines, ETC. and hopefully catch and fix on editing, did I mention I suck at editing? I have always enjoyed reading stories at Gromet's site so I had a lot and still have many old stories to send in. So why- I get ideas and feel the need to write them down and expand on a picture I've seen or thought I've had, sometimes I loose motivation or inspiration so stories linger in limbo waiting to be finished but sometimes it all comes out as fast as I could type till its finished. Why share- its nice to put stories out there and have others like them, makes me feel less alone with my "strange" thoughts. 
Mikel

[loras pa6]

I like to write because my mind fills with stories and it offers me a release. If others enjoy that release all the better!

[TeaSer]

The few stories I've written for this forum have come from an idea - most likely some thread which inspired me. And then I write the story - trying to devellop some rational and probable course for the story. ANd of course the story has to be presented here - paying back on the inspiration.

The process, however, might well be quite lenghty. I have little time to write so it may take a year to finish even a short story. This is no real problem to me though, as I can enjoy imagining scenes from the story without typing a word

Sometimes I like to play with the scene and the setting - the story I wrote about some laundry-company owner (only posted in the forum, most likely the old one - subsection trash) was such a thing.