Tips For Beginners: Storywriting

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Xtc
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Post by Xtc »

To paraphrase a famous American writer: if you introduce a pile of rope in the first paragraph, you must use it beofre the last one!
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Post by LordNelson »

A good exercise that I do is to find an interesting tie up picture and use it to write a story in as few words as possible. Often a single paragraph is enough to explain how the picture happened. Then from there it can be expanded into a fuller story without adding too much. It is great practice at being "short & sweet"
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Post by Fordman »

First, let me thank [mention]bondagefreak[/mention] for considering me to be among this site’s popular / talented authors. It’s an honor I am surely not worthy of.

For anyone who wants to tell a story, there are as many ways to write as there are writers. So my advice is to just start. Don’t be intimidated by the process, because the process is ugly. No author can get a story, even a true story, down in the first pass. Even Earnest Hemmingway said first drafts are excrement.

I’m old fashioned. Well, old, so I start a story with pen and paper, exploring my idea and creating characters, and then a few scenes. When I feel I have fleshed the story out I will create a list of scenes to get the story from beginning to end. Then I start writing.

For me the first draft is always the hardest part, getting down the bare bones of the story, just getting the characters from point A to point B. It’s ugly, like the scaffolding that goes up before construction begins. I force myself not to edit or use punctuation and ignore misspelled words. That’s very hard for me, but when that’s done the fun begins.

The rewriting process is where the real creativity begins for me. I can build out the scenes and add the details that make the story come to life. My second and third ideas are always better than my first, and often the finished story is very different than the one I started.

I started writing in 2013 and I’ve produced maybe 15 stories so far, but when I go back and read my first attempt I can see how far my skills have come.

You can get valuable tips and advice on the basics from more experienced authors, but writing is a learning journey only you can make. Take the first step, your first story will probably suck. That’s okay, share it anyway. An apprehension to rejection is a hurdle for most of us, but the community as a whole will be kind as always. Take the feedback and make your next story better. Every word you put on the page is a learning experience, and as writer/director Billy Wilder said, you’re as good as the best thing you’ve ever done.

I haven’t written my best story yet, but I will. The journey started with my first words.
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Post by bondagefreak »

We've got some truly wonderful advice on here so far.
Thanks for the contributions, folks!
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Post by Straitjacketed »

There's good advice here, with the proviso that not everything will work for every writer.

With me, there are a number of ways a story might come together. The first is the seed, the idea. Often, that comes from reading other people's work or - particularly - from discussion with online bondage buddies. I especially enjoy a back-and-forth discussion with someone whose specific turn-ons overlap with mine but are not identical; that way, they give me new ideas or new perspectives on old ideas and a sort of creative cross-fertilisation happens.

For example, Authority Figure, the tale I've begun in the Fictional Stories for Adults forum, arose from several online discussions with a long-term friend on Recon. As well as tie-up scenes, he has a big turn-on for "identity theft", those slightly soap operatic situations where one character takes on the identity of another and starts living as him on a day-by-day basis. The Talented Mr Ripley is a classic example.

I like straitjackets so, between us, we came up with the idea of a psychiatrist being overpowered by one of his patients and ending up in a straitjacket, locked away somewhere while the other guy takes on his identity and creates merry hell. That's the basic idea and the rest is refinement. Point is, bouncing ideas off another person with his own particular set of kinks and turn-ons creates new angles, fresh combinations.

It's another reason I wish more lurkers would post feedback on stories: sometimes even one comment can spark a new idea for where things could go next.

Sometimes, story ideas come from dreams. I used to have a pad beside the bed where I wrote these down. Nowadays, I use the Notes section of my iPhone.

The iPhone is also good for developing ideas. I travel on public transport around an hour and a half every day and that's often when I flesh out the germ of an idea, add a little detail. I love the "failed escapologist" trope so my starting point is often the escape challenge. I ask myself a load of questions. Who's challenging the escapologist? Does the challenger prefer rope bondage or some more elaborate means of restraint? How are the rules agreed? Is a trick of some kind involved? How does the escapologist manage the situation? What techniques does he employ? Has the challenger prepared for those techniques? How? Etc.

And then, when I have time and the mood takes me (often when I'm on holiday or have a nice long period of uninterrupted time stretching ahead of me), I'll open up a Word document and just write.
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Post by David Han »

Don’t worry if someone dislike your story.
Tie me up and have fun with me
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Post by bondagefreak »

We've got some fantastic input from many writers on this thread.
Readers should also feel free to add their own two cents.

Not much has been overlooked.
I'd like to add one thing though.
This won't apply to a majority of themes, but can be of use to writers who favour more mature and intimate themes.

When possible, try to flesh out your main character, make him/her relatable and IF so desired, make him/her likeable. Your target audience will be more prone to offering feedback and input if they feel somehow connected to the main character, or even one of the supporting characters.

Building emotion in a way that will affect the reader is not an impossible feat, and is definitely worth the trouble.

Once you have your readers emotionally attached to a character, they'll keep coming back for more.


The human brain doesn't make a different between real friends and imaginary ones. That's why it's so easy for us to develop a form of familiarity with people we don't know/don't exist (think TV shows and books).

Obviously this applies mostly to those authors aspiring to create long, multi-chapter tales.


In short, don't skip out on using tangible emotions to hook your audience.
It's a win-win situation for both the writer and the readers, and it adds dimension to the characters.

Keep in mind, the best way to provoke an emotional response from the character(s) and readers, is to line your story with sizeable plot twists and unjust/unfair situations. Don't be afraid to shake things up a little.
Captivating tales, movies and shows are often lined with such things. That's why they're so captivating.
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Post by bondagefreak »

I'd like to encourage new users and new writers especially, to participate in this year's Halloween story contest!
Writing a short story is a perfect and easy way to get started.
Keep it simple, keep it short and most importantly, have fun!
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Post by KP Presents »

Well, here's my tuppence of advice, for what it's worth.

For me, it depends on what I'm writing, and where the inspiration is from. For thee stories I post here, they tend ot be based on a photo or photos I find - I'll select them, and ask myself "if the Games Player, or Jay Edwards, met these people, would would happen" and progress from there.

For An Education and Heidi, there is a longer term plan and structure, and I'll write the story to get to key points in that structure while always imagining what the characters would say or do. Sometimes, they do surprise me with what happens. The recent hiatus in my mind has been for two reasons - I have had some well documented work and health issues, and I lost focus on that plan. Hopefully, it's going to be back on track soon.

As for my stories on my site and elsewhere, wherever they come from, be it pictures, or a song, or whatever that strange thing that passes for my brain comes up with, I know where it is going to start, and where it is going to end, and the joy is the bit in-between.

Some other tips: -

Do not be afraid to rip it up and start again - there is one story in another series where I knew I had gone down the wrong path, and I had a choice - delete and ignore it, or work a way out. I managed the latter - do not be afraid if the former is the right answer.

It is ll right to leave it and go back later, if you are stuck. The Games Player/Mother and Daughter moments started as exercises when I was stuck on something else.

When you have established characters, listen to them - and if they guide you an unexpected way, go with it and see what happens.

And remember Chekov's rule - if a gun appears in the first act, it needs to be used by the end. If a gun is used by the end, make sure you establish it earlier.
Read stories of ordinary women in peril at www.kppresents.com
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Post by Xtc »

THanks for that contribution, KP, there is much there (especially about not being afraid to rip it up and start again) of which I should take more notice!

I hope things are looking up for you.
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but little Speedos always rule.
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Post by Stoutland395 »

Be mindful of when and how to describe a scene/characters

I read a bunch of stories that begin similar to this:
"Bob is an eighteen year old guy with long black hair, wears a green t-shirt and blue jeans. He is tall and has blue eyes.
"Sarah is also eighteen and has long blonde hair tied into a ponytail. She has green eyes and wears a jean jacket over a pink top and white capris..."


If this description helps you, the writer, keep a visual in your head as you write your story, keep them in your outline notes to look at for reference. But don't include it in your story, especially at the beginning before your story actually starts. It's very tempting to throw exposition like this out in front all at once.

But it's boring. It subtly tells the reader that you're not confident in your story-telling abilities. Keep in mind that each story you write is an opportunity for feedback, and that feedback will be useful to you later on as you grow and develop your writing skills.

"Show, don't tell" is a phrase that's become cliche at this point, and I'm sure everybody has heard it at some point - probably multiple time to the point it flies over your head (it happens to me when I see/hear it). But it's true, nonetheless. Don't tell your audience about your characters - show them with your descriptions. The story is already there to tell your audience about them. Have enough faith that your story will describe your characters for you without the need to throw a big block of text in front of your story.

For example, if you want your audience to know your character has long black hair, pick a moment that allows for that description:
"The assailant reached out, catching a fist full of Bob's long black hair. With his fingers and wrist tangled in the boy's dark curls, Bob was trapped. He flashed his teeth and scrunched his face in pain as the attacker yanked on it, pulling his head back into his shoulders. Bob called out in desperation, yelping from the sting, until a gloved hand reached around and clamped down on his wide mouth."

Again, if having those brief descriptions helps you visualize the characters, keep those in your notes. Just remember you may not need to include every little detail about a character. The audience's own imagination is way more descriptive than your words will ever be, so it's important to consider when to let the audience flex that muscle. Pick your moments for important descriptions, and allow the audience to fill in some blanks on their own.
Last edited by Stoutland395 5 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
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Xtc
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Post by Xtc »

How true.
Thanks for that, [mention]Stoutland395[/mention]

It has been said that radio is better than televsion because the pictures are so much better!
They all say boxer shorts are cool,
but little Speedos always rule.
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Post by Kyle »

Something specific for this site and places like it, is don't overdo the gag talk. If you have a "mmph" every other line, it makes the story very hard to read.

I agree with what [mention]Stoutland395[/mention] nd395 says about descriptions. It's a very common thing to do on here, especially since so many people really want to know what everyone looks like and many people want to know what they're wearing. But it's better to slip it into the story. Although, if you don't describe the participants, I can tell you from experience on the old site, someone is bound to ask. I won't really criticize writers who do that here because of that, but it's definitely not a habit you want to have, especially if you write anywhere else.

There are a lot of other good tips on this thread.
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Post by Fordman »

The best way to become a better writer is to read the works of great writers. When descriptions and gag talk are done well in a bondage story it’s a pleasure to read, and one of the best is Van. If you have never visited his site, check it out.

http://www.vansfiction.net/vf-stories.html
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Post by Bondage_suisse17 »

Hello everyone,

I started writing a story and saved it as a draft, but unfortunately, I cannot find it anymore. Does anyone know where I can find it?

Thanks in advance :)
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Post by BoundJana »

Hi [mention]Bondage_suisse17[/mention],

click on your username in the top right corner and select the first option, "User Control Panel".

There you select the section "Overview" (far left) and click on the sub-section "Manage drafts". There you should find your draft ^-^
What are you waiting for? Finally put a gag in my mouth and play with me!
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Post by gige »

LordNelson wrote: 5 years ago My tip for beginners...avoid a "too" story.

Too many characters, too much action, too much detail, too complicated plot lines...keep it simple.
Thanks for your tip.
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Post by Shotrow »

Here's something that may help in making your stories more immersive:

Keep in mind how humans experience the world. That is, through the senses.

Don't write what happened. Write what your POV character saw, heard, and felt. It can really help your reader feel like they're there. If your character is blindfolded, dropping sight and describing everything in terms of sound and feel will make your reader feel the helplessness they're feeling. If your character is naked, describing cool air or warm sun on their bare skin can really drive that home. I personally find that the sense of touch is especially evocative and tends to be neglected.

This goes for emotions too. If you want your reader to really understand what your POV character is feeling, consider describing it in physical terms. Instead of saying they're scared, describe a sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach. If they're angry, describe their jaw clenching.

This shouldn't be considered an absolute rule (I don't know if any rule of writing should be), but I think it can help most of the time.
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