Forum: Author Hangout

I still occasionally read some of my original stories.

My issue, is that every time I visit the old stories, like others, I immediately start updating my outdated writing style, and a single change (prompting the review) often leads to 6 or 8 pages of substantial changes, before I finally bail. So I've found, after a certain period of time, that it's safer avoiding my older stories entirely, as it appears to be a horrendous productivity sink hole.

Note: I have been working on my first two posted stories, The Catalyst and The Great Death, but they're NOT easy to switch over to my newer style. I either need to throw out the older stories entirely, doing a complete rewrite, 'cause if I do retain the original dialogue, I end up dragging in the 'convoluted' writing style as well.

but they're NOT easy to switch over to my newer style.

Since I knew nothing about head-hopping when I started writing, my old stories are filled with it. I once tried to revise an old story at a reader's request (it was on my old site and never moved to SOL) and gave up. I guess it would have been doable to re-write it in omniscient, but that's not how I write today. When I try writing omniscient I unconsciously slip back to 3rd-limited and end up with head-hopping.

I once tried to revise an old story at a reader's request and gave up. I guess it would have been doable to re-write it in omniscient, but that's not how I write today. When I try writing omniscient I unconsciously slip back to 3rd-limited and end up with head-hopping.

The basic options are to clean the mess up as much as humanly possible, OR read the story through, so the ideas are fresh in your mind, and then rewrite the entire thing from scratch, never once glancing at the original. That way, you keep the same characters, and retain the same plot points, but everything else (dialogue, writing style and POV off change).

I'm making progress on my latest revision, but it'll take several revisions and there's NO guaranteeing that ANY of it will ultimately be useful. :( Right now, it's still my old 'day in the life' tale, as the story follows the characters each day, rather than jumping from one story event to another. The character development is great, but the story pacing is utter crap!

I'm with Shad. The whole impetus for me getting into writing was to get stories I wanted to read myself.

I have found myself physically affected by some of my writings and I'm not just referring to arousal.

I'm with Shad. The whole impetus for me getting into writing was to get stories I wanted to read myself.

I think we're all like that. I started writing, when I could no longer find the complex stories with complex sentences I like. Instead, all the modern stuff adheres to the basic "Write as if every reader is an utter moron". Luckily, there are enough frustrated older readers, they were hungry for a return to the older styles.

I have cut clips of sex scenes from my stories to arouse myself. I find them less arousing than other stuff I use.

Wait, so you're saying that, not only are your stories sexier without the sex scenes, but deleting the sex scenes from your stories gets you sexually aroused?

I don't know whether that says more about your sex scenes, or you. 'D

But, if I get your gist. Often it's the hint of the salacious that gets us going, while the actual 'insert tab a into slut b' gets tedious.