Cuzosu

I personally don't like posting a chapter with less than a thousand words--unless it's in response to a challenge or is one of my drabbles. I think drabbles are my biggest challenge; describing a scene so that it draws people in with such a limited amount of words is difficult for me, because I. Like. Words. All of my actual chaptered stories, I try to keep a minimum of a few thousand words. Some are longer. Some are a lot longer. As a reader, I'm pretty much the same in preference. I love longer chapters, longer stories, the intricacies and details that can be revealed in a well-written work. Knowing this about myself makes me more aware that I need to branch out periodically, though, and so occasionally I find myself reading short stories, drabbles, and poems. Some are absolute gems--like the drabble collection A Karakura Ghost Story by black.k.kat on FF. And some writers are just worth reading, whatever the length of story or whoever it's focused around. DG and Kurahieiritr are right: the length of a chapter should probably depend the most on the story flow, style, syntax, and how it reads--both as a standalone chapter and as part of the whole.

*catches the knitting needles and pokes her man in the ribs with one* I'd better take these to my mom. She's probably the only one in the family who might have a use for them.... *tosses a pair of socks*

"I Left Something Turned On At Home" in my pants. So...either I left my pants at home and there's something reeeaaally weird--and possibly dangerous--going on, or someone's wearing my pants and is horny as hell. Hm....

"One Hot Mama" in my pants. For once, it makes sense!

"I Left Something Turned on at Home" Trace Adkins

Pfft. I'll say this: my mother hooked me on his books, too, and I don't think his books are as terrifying as so many people say they are. Don't get me wrong, they'd probably be freaky as hell if they were truly followed and made into movies, but as books, I find myself impressed with his skill as a writer. He fleshes out the characters just enough, leaves just enough mystery to have the reader wanting more, includes wonderful action scenes, and has that dark edge that whets my curiosity. (Not to mention the skill the man has with world-building and societal structures.) In my opinion, to write like Stephen King is not a bad thing. Myself, I can't find a way to keep my humor out, and so the Stephen King comparison doesn't work. DG, wonderful points. I have childhood books that I would go back and reread in a heartbeat. For that matter, I have some that are part of an ongoing series that I still read! (Megan Whalan Turner's "The Thief" books, for example.) Yes. I fully agree with DG. World construction--and societal construction--can play a very big part in a story, especially if that story is in a world the author created. Those two factors will impact every character in the story, regardless of personality; it will just affect them in different ways depending on those personalities. The catch is, it's hard to reveal the details of world or society in a way that the readers appreciate. Too fast or too slow and you'll lose readers, but that in between balance is hard to find and harder to maintain. We're all strange in our own ways, BW. No worries. You know the saying, "Never judge a book by its cover"? I am guilty. I usually do, because if there's a detail on the cover that intrigues me, I always enjoy the book. If I read the back and like it, I'll enjoy the book. And if the title alone is interesting, I'll read the first page or two and see if the author can reel me in. If so, great! If not, then back to the shelf it goes. Genre-wise, I enjoy my action, adventure and humor...but I find myself branching out a lot; I've read the occasional military or autobiography (even biography), and romance sneaks in now and again. I still love the animal books from my childhood, White Fang, Call of the Wild, and the Black Stallion series in particular. (Also one of my grandpa's favorites, At the Back of the North Wind. Surprisingly enough, it's a children's book, too.) And your last comment, BW, made me laugh. Setting and action are a pain to get right. But don't put setting first as a solid, unbreakable rule, because I've seen books that start with the action and just enough description of the scenery and opponents to make it like an action movie clip. In some cases, that style works better. You might try it out, see if it works for you. I suppose I can see how it would work for others (that last paragraph of yours), but for me, I like to take the time to think about my phrasing. Still, it's certainly a good idea.

I don't know that there is any one thing that pulls readers in. As someone who reads a number of different genres, the only thing I can think of that all the books I've really gotten into had in common were, as I mentioned before, realistic emotions and at least one good bout of action. This is perhaps because I'm insatiable as a reader and absolutely adore finding that one more book or author I have to add to my favorites, as if I didn't have enough already. If you have any specific questions on how to write, it might help to narrow it down to a genre or two, first, before asking for advice. That way you'll get specific tips, instead of generalized how-to help. Also, one of us others here might be able to point you to an author or two in the genre you're trying to write, so that you can read and pick up pointers from your own impressions of someone else's work. Sometimes we find our best style by adapting something someone else is already using. Myself, I appear to have picked up a disturbing mix of Terry Pratchett, Simon R. Green, and Martha Wells. If you've read all three, you'll understand that in some ways, their writing styles were never meant to mix. (When I say Martha Wells, I'm thinking mostly of her Ile-Rien books. Coupled with yet more action/adventure and then parody/satire on top of that? Uh-oh.)

I prefer to stick to third person POV, usually a narrative perspective, though from time to time I'll narrow it down to only one character as a focus. On occasion, I do forget about one or two characters who only play a minor part in one scene as I transition into the next. Thankfully, I have pre-readers and betas who are willing to say, "Hey, what happened to So-and-so? They were here a minute ago...." It may be embarrassing, but it's less embarrassing than posting a chapter and having all the readers asking the same thing. (With, of course, the notable exception, who says something like, "LOL! I forgot about them, too!" and so makes me feel both better and worse at the same time, however unintentionally. Oops.) Also, I've noticed as I read around that writers who are strong in voice tend to write mostly voice, while those who are strong in description write mostly description. This, of course, is a general rule and doesn't apply to everybody, but I know that, especially when I first started out, it applied to me, too. I have always been good at voice because I pay close attention to words and phrasing, what is said and what is not. Someone kindly pointed out this tendency to me, and so I have spent some years working on adding more description to my stories...to the extent that sometimes I find myself completely reversing this tendency toward the descriptive side and usually end up scrapping the entire lot that's been written, or at least most of it. Lost five pages of effort in one go, once, but I needed to just start over with a clear mind.

I'm not sure that I would say a writer has to enjoy his/her own story at all times--sometimes the best you can hope for is satisfaction. Does this fit the theme I want? Is the character's reaction emotionally sound so as to draw my reader deeper? How well did I hit that dark note that should make a reader unwilling to look away? As a reader, how would I respond to this? To be perfectly honest, as long as I am satisfied with how it all turns out, the readers seem quite happy, too. And the ones that aren't tend to be the ones who wouldn't buy a second copy of a novel when the first wore out. Fair-weather-fans of anything aren't supportive when life has puppies in your lap and you really need help, so, and I realize this is blunt: don't write to please your readers. If they enjoy it, great, but if you can't at least be satisfied with it, then it's not worth doing. (Generic "you".... Not trying to be offensive or pushy; I drifted into 2nd person.... Strange, really, since I usually drift between first and third, with nothing in between....) As a reader, I find myself a sucker for stories with darkness, humor, realistic emotions, and characters/world(s) that are fleshed out just enough but not too much. Info dumps are a major turn off for me because I just don't retain all the details that way. Don't get me wrong, I love details, but I like them better when they're spaced out somewhat and not all in one place. Take a paragraph or two to describe something/someone, physically. Emotions and mental state are harder to get right--I went to my dad's college classes with him when I was little and I absorbed more than anyone expected me to, so I can be kind of critical of getting the emotions right. The thing about writing emotions, though--at least to me--is this: emotions that fit the situations will draw a reader in. I'd be the same. I'd be pissed/sad/angry, too. You want the reader to empathize with your characters, because it inspires a deeper connection, yes? So I'm of the opinion that using the correct emotional response (for the character in question; not everyone reacts the same way!) is a key element to writing well. It's not the only element, but it is one of them, and societal differences will weigh in on that equation, too. And, yes, editing is big, too, but--as others have noted--you certainly seem to do well with it already. Plotting a story ahead of time.... I won't say it's a waste of time, but you don't need to plan every little thing. List situations, events, maybe even conversations that you want to include, figure out if they need to be in any certain order, and then it's kind of like a Fill In The Blank game. Just try to get your characters from one point to the next. Sometimes they'll try to off track you, and sometimes it may work better for your story if you let them, but if the end result of the off tracking doesn't feel right to you, scrap it and try again. I don't know that there is any certain number of crises that ought to be included, but DG has a point--trouble comes in threes, right? Three big problems, plus however many little disasters crop up along the way. If you get stuck at one scene, skip ahead to another so you keep writing. Let the part where you got stuck simmer in the back of your mind as you write ahead, and sometimes you'll have it all figured out by the time you get back to it. Tenses, now, past vs. present: Past is often easier to stick to in writing, but sometimes the action seems slow or just doesn't flow right. Present is difficult to stick to--which can be a turn off if the writing switches back and forth from 'is' to 'was'--and can cause a writer problems when deciding what phrasing to use, because, of course, it is the present and no one knows what's going to happen next except the author, who shouldn't be talking about the future in the present! (Sorry, it's a bit of a pet peeve....) Still, I feel it's a challenge every writer should try their hand at once, if not more than once. It gives them an appreciation for writing nuance that, I feel, many fan fiction authors lack. I can't think of anything else at the moment, but I hope this helps!

"My Cellmate Thinks I'm Sexy" in my pants. Way to go, Cledus. Your parody landed me in prison, apparently.

Emotional OOC-ness due to situation/circumstance is probably the only OOC I tolerate well. Though I have enough of an off-kilter sense of humor that OOC-ness done as a mockery can be acceptable, too. And you make a good point about the OCs.... Too many fan fictions are entirely about OCs when there should be much more canon characters instead.

hollow: Again, I'm trucking and have practically no time. Though I want to, I doubt I'll have any updates for some time. As to Shunsui, though.... Yes, he is getting possessive, isn't he? He might snap...and then again, Kis-kun may snap first. Tension, tension.... And neither one of them is easy prey. Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying my stories!

hollow: Ok, another vote for Shunsui. The bet, you ask? They're betting on when Shunsui and Kisuke are going to get laid. However, there will be two winners of the bet, in the end. And, given reader popularity and my own twisted mind, I have decided on who the two winners are. Those scenes are going to be most amusing. Currently, my problem is getting everyone there.... I hit a bit of writer's block, which isn't fun, and then when Raymy helped me past that, suddenly I have no free time to write because I'm in training to be a trucker. It's going to take a while to get another chapter out, for which I apologize. For everybody else who has read CK so far, the updates above are current, and I am so, so sorry that it's taking so long. It's making me a bit snarly, too--at the story and at my muse, and most definitely at my job. But needs must...so please, bear with me.

Since I have a moment of down time, I'll share this. My man and I are going through training to drive semi trucks. Well, one thing truckers are given is a "handle" or a nickname other truckers use to identify them on the CB. One of our group is Smokin' Joe. My man, on the other hand.... Four of us were going over the pre-trip inspection and one thing we're supposed to do is check that nothing is damaged. So my man's listing off things that need to be checked for on the steering shaft, but he forgot to mention "bent"...so we reminded him. He went off on a tangent, one of the other guys and I looked askance at each other and tried (and failed) to bite back laughter because his phrasing was so easily misunderstood.... Now he's Bent Shaft among the four of us, and you should hear the razzing he gets. Yup. Truckers are pervs.

"Dear Agony" Breaking Benjamin

Yeah, in two weeks, we covered three months of regular training.... So I know what you mean about needing more hours in the day than you can possibly get. I let some of the studying and work slide so I could sleep and be semi-functional; no use letting yourself get stumbling stupid when you're supposed to be safe to drive. (I think the average, for our group, was maybe--MAYBE--3 hours of sleep per night, when you're supposed to have eight or more. Unsafe much?) At least if you fall asleep at the keyboard, you can still fix your mistakes relatively easily. Falling asleep at the wheel of a big rig, not so much; accidents in a semi trend toward the costly and/or life-endangering side. Although, and I can't believe I'm saying this because I so rarely drink anything for caffeine (too focused on flavor), I miss my cappuccino when I'm on the road. *stumbles about, arm outstretched* Sleep, sleep, why doth thou elude me? I really did mean it, despite my rambling, when I said that you do a good job. Thank you.

Ah. Sounds like a workload I wouldn't want, but she does a good job. (As if I have room to talk about insane workloads.... Cram school for trucking, yes, let me just say this: Avoid it. I spent a week and a half recovering--mostly mentally--from the first two weeks of cramming/training, and I have been cursing myself since...to be honest, since I headed over to be trained. Two days on the Greyhound is never fun, and then coming in late and having to play catch up on top of that...I was kicking myself pretty hard. The insane part? I think I'm starting to enjoy this. There's something wrong with my head. Either that or I'm exhausted and getting loopy....)

"It's Been A While" Staind

Oh. That makes sense. Presumably that can be fixed, when you (or whoever else is available) get to that area, then, I guess. Until then, it's just another note in the To Be Fixed section.

I'd put this one in with the misplaced stories I've been bringing up, except that, instead of being misplaced, this one...is blank. It doesn't show any story. I don't know if the document got lost or it's an incomplete delete, or what, but I thought I'd bring it up. http://original.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=31794

Think I found another one.... http://original.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=544210843 Talks about Midnight Sun, apparently a manga, though not one I've read.

BronxWench: *blushes, bows* Thank you, though I'm not sure I'm as happy with it as you are. (Maybe that's just a writer thing. Hm....) I was in a bit of a rush, trying to write this, and I've been on the road (and have a whole three days of break before I'm back on it again, so I can only hope I'll be back and writing more soon!), and it's been chaotic and miserable. Tip for anyone who's interested in trucking for a living: get a school loan or financing of some sort and take the longer courses colleges/universities offer. Companies too often rush you through training. Colorado offers trucking school for a mere $3,000 tuition, the same as the companies do, and it lasts longer and is probably more thorough. I spent nearly a week and a half recovering from that brain-fried feeling that comes of constant cramming, and that's not fun. Apart from that...I'm in Florida with my man, holed up in a hotel while our trainer takes a break, and I'm probably going to spend about half my time in the pool or in the room on the computer, so hopefully I'll get more written! Still, at least the plot's been sorting itself out in my head a bit more, despite the chaos that my life has become.

I would say I'm a wolf, because I'm loyal, pack-oriented, and don't take well to outsiders or those I don't know. Also, I have a rather wolf-ish sense of play. It's not unusual for me to tease someone with an action and a challenging look, and I have a tendency of sticking my tongue out as I laugh, if I'm happy and amused all at once. (Really, truly, utterly happy. Almost giddy, but calm, not spazzing out.) Of course, I've also been compared to a laughing hyena; I will laugh as I tear throats out, if I'm pushed that far. Friends, in school, would come up to me and ask, "So, how's my favorite hyena today?" or "In other news, *hometown's* resident hyena escaped from the zoo today. Neighborhoods live in fear for their lives, steaks, and Mountain Dew." *cough* Soda addiction.... *cough* Yes, it really was that bad.

"Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On" Neal McCoy

"My Give A Damn's Busted" Jo Dee Messina