Green_Knight
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2015
- Posts
- 1,076
As a relatively new contributor of Lit stories, I've read this thread with considerable interest.
While my experience is limited, a number of things stand out for me, but before I go on to talk about them, I should point out that in the real world I want readers to enjoy my writing because (a) they've paid me for the privilege and (b) I want them to buy my next title. I write erotica because I enjoy inventing situations (ok, sometimes there's an autobiographical element in there) and writing about them. If people don't enjoy reading the stuff I submit to Lit, that's their lookout.
Taking into account that basic premise, a few thoughts on matters raised...
Comments in general
Comments can occasionally be either interesting, useful or just plain funny. Others are of minimal value. I work on the basis that if I feel a comment is useful, etc, I will respond to it, either accepting the points made or explaining why I disagree. If it's not worthy of a response, it gets deleted.
I like trying out different writing styles and techniques and it is better to experiment on Lit than in something that has to get past a publisher. Comments and votes that tell me whether it's worked or not can be invaluable.
The comments I find the most pointless are those that say, for example, 'I don't like short stories' or base their judgement of a story on the moral issues involved. If you don't like short stories or you don't like cheating wives, read something else, don't vote a story down because of it. Perhaps you should have to record your likes and dislikes in your profile so that you can be blocked from reading (and voting on) unsuitable stories. (Only kidding.) Lots of people prefer short stories - as far as I'm concerned, one page is good, three pages or more and you've lost me, unless it's very tightly written - so don't vote a story down simply because it's short unless you want me to start voting down over-length stories. The same applies with the subject matter. If you know you're going to be biased against it before you start reading, don't read, don't comment, don't vote.
LW really does seem to attract the barking mad. I've concluded that the reason they have so much time on their hands - along with god knows what else - is because their wives have left them for someone else and they're wreaking their revenge.
Anonymous comments
There really is little point in blocking anonymous comments. Those who are intent on being nasty will simply create a throwaway account to use instead. One commenter on my stories has presumably discovered that we can turn off anonymous comments and has therefore created a number of accounts (impo_nn) instead, some of which have been banned. (Question: do votes cast by subsequently-banned members still count?)
The New list
Not surprisingly, trolls seem to especially target the new stories list. All of my stories seem to get a much lower rating when they first come out compared to their rating after a few weeks, I was intrigued to find that one of my stories achieved just 2.5 on its first day out. Within a few days it had reached 3.5 and continued climbing. That suggests there were a good few 1* and 2* votes on the first day and not many after that. A simple way of limiting that might be to exclude the top 10/20 and the bottom 10/20 of the votes cast while a story is on the New list.
It is also my impression, based on nothing particularly concrete, that brand new writers get the most trolling. Why is it that I have a nagging thought that it might suit certain established authors to deter new ones who might one day supplant them?
Final thought
I shall probably get blown up for saying this but the story-related threads on here do seem to be remarkably intolerant. Doesn't encourage participation.
While my experience is limited, a number of things stand out for me, but before I go on to talk about them, I should point out that in the real world I want readers to enjoy my writing because (a) they've paid me for the privilege and (b) I want them to buy my next title. I write erotica because I enjoy inventing situations (ok, sometimes there's an autobiographical element in there) and writing about them. If people don't enjoy reading the stuff I submit to Lit, that's their lookout.
Taking into account that basic premise, a few thoughts on matters raised...
Comments in general
Comments can occasionally be either interesting, useful or just plain funny. Others are of minimal value. I work on the basis that if I feel a comment is useful, etc, I will respond to it, either accepting the points made or explaining why I disagree. If it's not worthy of a response, it gets deleted.
I like trying out different writing styles and techniques and it is better to experiment on Lit than in something that has to get past a publisher. Comments and votes that tell me whether it's worked or not can be invaluable.
The comments I find the most pointless are those that say, for example, 'I don't like short stories' or base their judgement of a story on the moral issues involved. If you don't like short stories or you don't like cheating wives, read something else, don't vote a story down because of it. Perhaps you should have to record your likes and dislikes in your profile so that you can be blocked from reading (and voting on) unsuitable stories. (Only kidding.) Lots of people prefer short stories - as far as I'm concerned, one page is good, three pages or more and you've lost me, unless it's very tightly written - so don't vote a story down simply because it's short unless you want me to start voting down over-length stories. The same applies with the subject matter. If you know you're going to be biased against it before you start reading, don't read, don't comment, don't vote.
LW really does seem to attract the barking mad. I've concluded that the reason they have so much time on their hands - along with god knows what else - is because their wives have left them for someone else and they're wreaking their revenge.
Anonymous comments
There really is little point in blocking anonymous comments. Those who are intent on being nasty will simply create a throwaway account to use instead. One commenter on my stories has presumably discovered that we can turn off anonymous comments and has therefore created a number of accounts (impo_nn) instead, some of which have been banned. (Question: do votes cast by subsequently-banned members still count?)
The New list
Not surprisingly, trolls seem to especially target the new stories list. All of my stories seem to get a much lower rating when they first come out compared to their rating after a few weeks, I was intrigued to find that one of my stories achieved just 2.5 on its first day out. Within a few days it had reached 3.5 and continued climbing. That suggests there were a good few 1* and 2* votes on the first day and not many after that. A simple way of limiting that might be to exclude the top 10/20 and the bottom 10/20 of the votes cast while a story is on the New list.
It is also my impression, based on nothing particularly concrete, that brand new writers get the most trolling. Why is it that I have a nagging thought that it might suit certain established authors to deter new ones who might one day supplant them?
Final thought
I shall probably get blown up for saying this but the story-related threads on here do seem to be remarkably intolerant. Doesn't encourage participation.
