Anesor

Start in the action. That will tell you what needs to be in the start. I started one NaNo in the middle of the escape from a prison and decided it was better to do the worldbuilding in later flashbacks,   Memory lane trips are kinda boring starts to me as there’s little tension or relevance to current action.  You need to hook the reader and they don’t have any investment in a flashback until they have met and feel for the character… GL!

Ah, you’ve stumbled on to the great mystery of fiction with any relationship, because there is no true answer. It depends on the writer’s intentions and the specific characters. You seem to have already done some thought, and THAT fits these characters, Another story may have a different answer.
Try not to worry about how it will seem to others, the first person you need to please is yourself.  (And a writer can do either extreme if set up right)

One more question and I will leave everyone alone, at least for awhile.
I hate it when characters jump into bed right away, but I hate it just as much when it is dragged out. How do you know when the time is right? 
In my story, I have one character that expects it to happen right away because he is sort of whoring himself. The other isn't opposed to it, but only with someone he doesn't plan to keep around. They will eventually become a couple, but how do I know, for the sake of the story and for readers, when the time is right? 
Like I said, I do not want them to seem as if they are jumping into a relationship too quickly, but I don't want readers to feel as if I am stalling at bringing them together. I have stopped reading stories where it felt as if that were happening.
 
 
 

Thank you. I hadn't thought about needing to hook the reader, and I should have. That is what gets me to continue reading most of the time. 

What do you do when you can't decide how to start a story? I can't decide on whether to start with a trip down memory lane, revealing what brought the protagonist to where he is in life, or to get on with it, letting his history be told in bits and piecs in later chapters. Either way would work, but I cannot decide which way to go. I was hoping for some advice in urging this nag out of the gate.

Start in the action. That will tell you what needs to be in the start. I started one NaNo in the middle of the escape from a prison and decided it was better to do the worldbuilding in later flashbacks,   Memory lane trips are kinda boring starts to me as there’s little tension or relevance to current action.  You need to hook the reader and they don’t have any investment in a flashback until they have met and feel for the character… GL!

so in a story im working on, i have a small number of small farms kind of together in a LOTR type setting.
would that be called a village or something else?

Is it a particular topic or fandom? My worst block on stories come when I’m trying to force a story and refusing to work on something else. I feel bad for stuck stories, but getting mad makes it worse. Most often I break block by working on a new story, often silly/satire. I have to be careful that these side stories don’t take a life of their own as I have too many active stories.  I get really stuck when I think I SHOULD work on my more meaningful big stories and then I get stuck across the board. My muse just gets bored, frustrated, and doesn’t like being told what it should do by planning.  Right now I’m doing cleanup on all the drafts I did for NaNo and one plot bunny sticking Vader in something like Quantum Leap (no Al) taht is running short and fast.
Write anything, even a blog journal, to get the words moving...

I’m not finding anything here on AFF for that name. It’s not surprising, since I’m assuming it was a false name used for the purpose of stealing other people’s work. However, if you find out anything more, please let me know. As a published author, I really, REALLY dislike thieves.
Pulling your work does feel like letting the bad guys win, at least to me. It’s ultimately your decision, of course, but I’m rooting for you to keep your stories up.

Given that the 12-16 week period fell in the holiday season, I’d give them to the middle of March. At that point, I’d poke them for a decision.

So I have a question for those of you with experience with publishers. I submitted to one back in early October. It said to expect a 12-16 week wait, and now it’s been well over 16 weeks, I haven’t got a response, so I’m moving on and looking through other publishers. My issue is that a lot of them don’t allow simultaneous submissions. Some specifically say to “wait for an answer” from previous submissions. Would you submit anyway, or would you try to pester the previous publisher for a definite rejection?

I had a reader on another site alert me to a theft of my story, located here and two other sites. The reader told me that my fic was on Kindle, for sale, and I didn’t put it there. ALL three sites I have placed a copyright date on my original fics. Thankfully, Amazon saw it my way and removed my story. I don’t know if the thief is here or on either of the other two sites so I am hesitant to finish my other originals or any story. Is there a way to prevent someone from dl/copying a story on this site? If there isn’t, support team might want to work on that. Thank you.

Well, to be honest, I used to write a lot more (ask @CloverReef, she’ll vouch for that…  lol), but in returning to university (and three English classes, because I’m a crazy bastard) and work (because… well, crazy bastard), which is essentially a new job with a different place in the same company (again, crazy...)…  I’ve been finding it harder to write in what amounts to spare time.  Writing at work (at least, writing stuff for here at work) is impossible, especially with fifteen people crowded around and writing some kinky fun time adventures with people not necessarily looking over the shoulder, but still clearly seeing it, just doesn’t work too well…  And essays and research and all that jazz, just drained the writing (lucky to have written anything for the anthologies), so much so that, even with classes being over and finals done, just haven’t been writing.  Albeit, did get some done yesterday and a little today, so…  YAY!  But, stress (not to mention a distinct hate for the season…  thank you, retail…), work, university…  They’ve all played a major factor in a lack of written word…

Heh, these were ideas for boredom and block. Exhaustion from NaNo and holidays were part of it for me not lack of ideas. I have files of ideas and inspirations, and about 6 that want attention right now, and an original on hiatus until the new year. (I really don't read outside my current fandom, like I won't touch lotr or any anime)
I had to skip the whole period of that collection was in the works as we had a major illness in the house   and what time I had went to a college-level writing class and the anthology I’m in that just released.  Some projects you just have to let pass. I’m trying to wean myself off fanfic into originals for publication, probably my new year's resolution.

Heh, these were ideas for boredom and block. Exhaustion from NaNo and holidays were part of it for me not lack of ideas. I have files of ideas and inspirations, and about 6 that want attention right now, and an original on hiatus until the new year. (I really don't read outside my current fandom, like I won't touch lotr or any anime)
I had to skip the whole period of that collection was in the works as we had a major illness in the house   and what time I had went to a college-level writing class and the anthology I’m in that just released.  Some projects you just have to let pass. I’m trying to wean myself off fanfic into originals for publication, probably my new year's resolution.

Is it a particular topic or fandom? My worst block on stories come when I’m trying to force a story and refusing to work on something else. I feel bad for stuck stories, but getting mad makes it worse. Most often I break block by working on a new story, often silly/satire. I have to be careful that these side stories don’t take a life of their own as I have too many active stories.  I get really stuck when I think I SHOULD work on my more meaningful big stories and then I get stuck across the board. My muse just gets bored, frustrated, and doesn’t like being told what it should do by planning.  Right now I’m doing cleanup on all the drafts I did for NaNo and one plot bunny sticking Vader in something like Quantum Leap (no Al) taht is running short and fast.
Write anything, even a blog journal, to get the words moving...

Dunno about you all, but even aside from the hectic tasks to prepare for the holidays, I’m just tired of writing. I have plenty of things I want or need to be writing (I’m six weeks behind in a writing class) but I can’t seem to concentrate for more than an hour or so on writing. Nodding off  is the first symptom.  I usually get some done on the actual days of the holidays as we just have a quiet meal, our big feast is the 24th and then we relax.
Are you managing to get anything done right now, or are  you in a hiatus?

Is it a particular topic or fandom? My worst block on stories come when I’m trying to force a story and refusing to work on something else. I feel bad for stuck stories, but getting mad makes it worse. Most often I break block by working on a new story, often silly/satire. I have to be careful that these side stories don’t take a life of their own as I have too many active stories.  I get really stuck when I think I SHOULD work on my more meaningful big stories and then I get stuck across the board. My muse just gets bored, frustrated, and doesn’t like being told what it should do by planning.  Right now I’m doing cleanup on all the drafts I did for NaNo and one plot bunny sticking Vader in something like Quantum Leap (no Al) taht is running short and fast.
Write anything, even a blog journal, to get the words moving...

I’m hardly writing anything, I want to, I just can’t seem to get it out. It’s not even exhuastion, I just can’t seem to get the words to flow anymore. It’s been like this on and off for me for years, so I hope the writing ability comes back again!

Oh, my dear sweet gods. If I ever submitted anything that bad, my editor would smack the living shit out of me and make me rewrite until the pixels fucking bled...

Some seemed better than others….  Like I can complain, I’d probably get top spot if my smut were submitted.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/30/bad-sex-award-2018-the-contenders-in-quotes?CMP=twt_gu
If only I was a published ‘literary’ author I could win the shit out of this.

I don’t often use photos to help my stories. The images I have in my mind’s eye are usually not close enough to a real image to help the story, they frustrate. A  photo can be both too close and too far and this cognitive dissonance is like chalk on a backboard. Most canon characters and events in fanfiction have plenty of images.
 
There are two exceptions that come up in maybe 1 in 12 stories. A fan art can and has triggered a story or a scene. Or when I was trying to build up a cover art illustration for a story, I dug out a bunch of photo references. I went so far as to scrounge enough to pay for an illustration from an artist  who paired representational and impression in that fandom whose style I like and had open commissions. They requested refs and then backed out. The money went to another bill then.   My art skills are more photoshop than Michael Whelan. That image is very clear in my head. But only in my head.
I see enough of my scenes that I forget to include important details. So looking for photos that match that is mostly a way to use the time I could be writing.

Yeah, most writers are pantsers or outliners at base.  If you have trouble with outlines you are probably a pantser. It is a continuum so there’s no hard edge. 
I think I have the most problem if I try to plan character behavior or feeling stuff ahead of time. I’ve done detailed grids and flow charts for action sections or to keep track of cast locations when multiplots are at a climax. Background and culture I don’t  plan enough, but I do record bits in a separate file/location for later reference.
My notes file makes for interesting reading in its own right. My notes mentioned someone wanting to shave someone’s beard as payback in chapter two, it finally happened in chapter 28. That wasn’t planning from before I started writing, but more like weaving in loose threads and plot hooks I left behind me. Often my Maguffins like the beard threat aren’t planned consciously, but my muse makes very good use while my ego is pleasantly surprised. One character got threatened in what I thought was a throwaway chapter ending, but is making an interesting subplot now… It’s not always ME doing the planning, but my muse. Recording the mass means I can weave the story back into itself and look much cleverer by not being totally episodic that ignores earlier changes. Continuity errors make ya look bad.

I don’t often use photos to help my stories. The images I have in my mind’s eye are usually not close enough to a real image to help the story, they frustrate. A  photo can be both too close and too far and this cognitive dissonance is like chalk on a backboard. Most canon characters and events in fanfiction have plenty of images.
 
There are two exceptions that come up in maybe 1 in 12 stories. A fan art can and has triggered a story or a scene. Or when I was trying to build up a cover art illustration for a story, I dug out a bunch of photo references. I went so far as to scrounge enough to pay for an illustration from an artist  who paired representational and impression in that fandom whose style I like and had open commissions. They requested refs and then backed out. The money went to another bill then.   My art skills are more photoshop than Michael Whelan. That image is very clear in my head. But only in my head.
I see enough of my scenes that I forget to include important details. So looking for photos that match that is mostly a way to use the time I could be writing.