I'm curious.....

[RoyceConnors]

I would look at it and say, if I have two extremes in scoring and two extremes in reader's views, there must be a happy medium I need to find, so both camps are happy.
I spent time writing in different styles for the same story and went with the one that read the best. Style is important, as it's your signature and distinguishes you from others, but it's getting all the formulas right.

Sounds like you have most of the right ingredients, just need to tweak the amounts and add more of this and less of that. Try submitting your next story, or chapter to the Story Discussion forum and get some feedback from there.

 

[Tyro999]

There is no happy medium in Loving Wives. The various camps therein hate each other too much, so whatever you write and submit there will deeply offend one or another camp who will seek to wreak revenge on you for your hubris in deeply offending them.

 

[ShelbyNaughtyGirl]

The story I submitted to LW is about a wife who wants a threesome with her husband and another man. She really does love her husband and he sends her out to seduce guy #2 to test the waters before she proposes the threesome. I am now terrified it will tank in LW and the restless natives will sabotage my other stories. (I'm a big wimp and I want everyone to like me )

Would this be better in another category? Group sex? Fetish? Erotic Couplings? The first part of the story is just wife and guy #2 and part two is wife with husband to set up the threesome in part three.

 

[StrangeLife]

Would this be better in another category? Group sex? Fetish? Erotic Couplings? The first part of the story is just wife and guy #2 and part two is wife with husband to set up the threesome in part three.

It sounds like an LW story to me.

And despite it's reputation you shouldn't let yourself be intimidated by submitting in this category. Trust in your work and trust in your fans.

Besides, your story doesn't sound cucky so it might just fly under the radar of the cuck-bashers.

 

[TQM]

ShelbyNaughtyGirl,

Surely you can't be serious that the ratings on this story site really matter to you.

For a rating or review to be meaningful, the person giving this rating or review needs to either give a reasoned account of why their position is worthwhile or has previously given you reason to let his/her opinion matter.

I no more value the praise than I do the rants. In fact a well-reasoned criticism of something I've written is far more valuable than someone who just writes "great story."

A review that actually makes a reasoned point is gold - whether you agree with the point or not.

Last thought - in taking a stand on something perhaps controversial - surely it is good that those on one side of the issue should be frothing at the mouth. As someone who is pro-choice on the abortion issue, for instance, I'm glad to be condemned by the anti-choice crowd. Similarly, because the women in many of my stories engage in extramarital sex and don't get beaten up or divorced and generally don't get punished by their acts of unfaithfulness, I'm all to happy to find criticism and poor ratings by people who find not only such actions - but also a story about such actions - offensive.

For a particular crowd here, stories about women engaging in extramarital sex are offensive. Fair enough. You should expect them to be offended.

But there is a deep sub-group at play here as well. There are a number of people here that think that it is okay to depict women engaging in extramarital sex as long as you also depict the terrible consequences they incur afterward.

In other words, these people see this depiction of a woman as a whore/slut/tramp as ok as long as there is cowboy like justice that follows. The whore/slut/tramp needs to be thrown out on the street (divorced) and pissed on. The boyfriend needs to get beaten up. This is really a surprisingly large group here. (by large, of course, one realizes everything is relative.)

So - why does this group continue to read these stories? Why do they patrol Loving Wives for more such stories. The answer is obvious - it's a fetish. They actually (many of them anyway) get off on the stories. It does offend them - but in getting offended they get off.

I can, of course, be completely wrong. But when I get violent comments in my reviews, I always picture them as coming from someone who is a male and someone who has just masturbated to completion to the story.

Sorry to be long-winded.

 

[Tx Tall Tales]

There is no happy medium in Loving Wives. The various camps therein hate each other too much, so whatever you write and submit there will deeply offend one or another camp who will seek to wreak revenge on you for your hubris in deeply offending them.

Wrong. There is a happy medium. Consensual extramarital sex, without the humiliation, without hiding it, with both parties getting some action can do quite well in the category.

• One-sided affairs - when only one spouse gets to play, is hard to overcome
• Cheating - without the spouse knowing, is extremely difficult to overcome.
• Humiliating the spouse - whether they want it or not, is almost impossible to overcome

Selfish cheating spouses, who get what they want, without their other half knowing, without consequences of any kind, fall into the first two categories.

Cuckold stories, often fall into all three, and thus the low scores.

This isn't rocket science. Open relationships in LW often work. Cheating doesn't. If you care about your scores, it's good to remember that. If you don't, then write whatever you want.

 

[TQM]

Consensual extramarital sex, without the humiliation, without hiding it, with both parties getting some action can do quite well in the category.

Hoping this quote thing works - got to say, that writing about people having sex, whether extramarital or not, where there is nothing else worthy of note - just a bunch of smiley people screwing each other - sounds very boring.

 

[bluemono]

Keep in mind the number of votes versus number of readers. Just like reviews on any product or any website or anything - people hardly vote. So sometimes the voting score is not an accurate indicator of how good the story is or what the "majority" of people think - since the "majority" never votes.

 

[TQM]

Keep in mind the number of votes versus number of readers. Just like reviews on any product or any website or anything - people hardly vote. So sometimes the voting score is not an accurate indicator of how good the story is or what the "majority" of people think - since the "majority" never votes.

You are undoubtedly right. I'm not using votes as an indicator. I'm just interested in the lack of middle ground in the voting.

I'm not claiming to be a good writer, but I'm getting extreme feedback, from the story being horrendous to offers to be paid to write porn. It's like my story is a magnet - and the readers either love or are repulsed.

 

[sr71plt]

I think bluemono's point was that the preponderance of readers actually are in the middle--not motivated to weigh on at either end of the spectrum. There's no requirement to vote on this Web site. Readers can come and read what they want and walk away without voting or commenting. And, apparently a preponderance of readers do just that. It doesn't mean they didn't like what they read. You can't really read any meaning into it at all. The site wasn't set up to either require or even lean on readers to give any feedback at all.

Authors angst over that, but it's just self-torcher.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The story I submitted to LW is about a wife who wants a threesome with her husband and another man. She really does love her husband and he sends her out to seduce guy #2 to test the waters before she proposes the threesome. I am now terrified it will tank in LW and the restless natives will sabotage my other stories. (I'm a big wimp and I want everyone to like me )

Would this be better in another category? Group sex? Fetish? Erotic Couplings? The first part of the story is just wife and guy #2 and part two is wife with husband to set up the threesome in part three.

They will. If youre gonna be a gladiator youre gonna run into a few lions and tigers. Better! They'll favorite you so they find you later to kick you some more.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

You are undoubtedly right. I'm not using votes as an indicator. I'm just interested in the lack of middle ground in the voting.

I'm not claiming to be a good writer, but I'm getting extreme feedback, from the story being horrendous to offers to be paid to write porn. It's like my story is a magnet - and the readers either love or are repulsed.

If you write milk & water stories the middle will luv you and forget you.

 

[TQM]

I think bluemono's point was that the preponderance of readers actually are in the middle--not motivated to weigh on at either end of the spectrum. There's no requirement to vote on this Web site. Readers can come and read what they want and walk away without voting or commenting. And, apparently a preponderance of readers do just that. It doesn't mean they didn't like what they read. You can't really read any meaning into it at all. The site wasn't set up to either require or even lean on readers to give any feedback at all.

Authors angst over that, but it's just self-torcher.

It's possible. But the middle vote hasn't just been quiet - they've been (nearly) non-existent.

It strikes me as more likely it is either a bad story, with a small group of deviant devotees who swear by it or a good story with a corresponding group of deviant haters who swear against it.

In other words, I'm inclined to think it is much more like the two sides of the evolution vs. creationism debate - educated vs. deviants or morons (or both).

 

[sr71plt]

It's possible. But the middle vote hasn't just been quiet - they've been (nearly) non-existent.

It strikes me as more likely it is either a bad story, with a small group of deviant devotees who swear by it or a good story with a corresponding group of deviant haters who swear against it.

In other words, I'm inclined to think it is much more like the two sides of the evolution vs. creationism debate - educated vs. deviants or morons (or both).

Yes, the middle vote (although you can't really know that) as an active click. Not clicking a star is also a vote. And I think you continue not to get the point and only want to pick at the scab. So, go for it.

 

[TQM]

Yes, the middle vote (although you can't really know that) as an active click. Not clicking a star is also a vote. And I think you continue not to get the point and only want to pick at the scab. So, go for it.

Perhaps if the point had been made in a way where my particularly simplistic mind had been able to understand I wouldn't have a need to pick at any scab.

If the salve had worked the scab wouldn't be itchy.

 

[bluemono]

I'm just curious how you come to knowing that the "middle" vote has been non existent? Do you mean middle votes as in 3 star votes?

 

[sr71plt]

If the salve had worked the scab wouldn't be itchy.

I sort of doubt that. You've been told what reality is and you are still picking. So, I rather think you're waiting for reality to match your wishes.

 

[PennLady]

I'm just curious how you come to knowing that the "middle" vote has been non existent? Do you mean middle votes as in 3 star votes?

No, more that there are people who are not on the extremes of the LW category, who enjoy stories where people are not vengeful or revenged upon -- and they do not vote. Or, they read the stories and are simply not motivated to vote either way. As sr71 said, there is no requirement to vote on this site, and people on extremes are often louder than the moderates (if you will) on any issue.

 

[TQM]

sr...

I sort of doubt that. You've been told what reality is and you are still picking. So, I rather think you're waiting for reality to match your wishes.

Your version of "told" is my version of a partially formed opinion. And really, it's not just a partially formed opinion, it's a sketch of a partially formed opinion. And given the detail in support of that sketch of a partially formed opinion, I've suggested back that this sketch might only partially explain the phenomenon I'm asking about.

I haven't said it is a wrong opinion. I've only suggested it might not be the full explanation. Even if a sentence is the truth, it doesn't follow it is the full truth. I've already suggested why I don't think it is the full truth - but that doesn't matter - the fact I want deeper (and clearer) analysis before letting the issue rest clearly bothers you. You will do better in life with a more reasoned approach - especially one that doesn't need to resort to personal attack when you don't get complete, full agreement.

 

[TQM]

I'm just curious how you come to knowing that the "middle" vote has been non existent? Do you mean middle votes as in 3 star votes?

I infer the middle vote disappeared solely from what the comments are and what they say their votes are - and I combine this with a little mathematics.

While I'm sure - over the several hundred votes there are a few 3's, etc., by and large, the #of votes per score curve instead of taking on a bell shape would instead resemble a U.

The average score doesn't prove this - but is an indicator for it.

Sure - it's true the vast majority don't vote. You have to make assumptions as to why they don't vote. But that doesn't mean there isn't something of interest to be found in the words and scores of those who did vote.

Not voting suggests only that the average score might biased if taken as a representation of the overall thought on the story.

And as I've said before, I'm not taking the average score as being meaningful in any particular way as to representing thought of the readership. Instead, I'm interested in the raw data.

I do think it possible the middle ground is less likely to vote. But the middle ground won't evaporate - unless there is something else at work.

In general, the middle ground evaporates on "polarizing" issues (whatever they are).

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

In this life the choice is: Act out a script or be who you are. The same rule applies at LIT. We learn it back in middle school. But somebody somewhere decides whats cool and who's cool, and it aint no committee.

If you wanna fall in line and write the same stuff as everyone else without balls, go for it.

 

[TQM]

Jbj

In this life the choice is: Act out a script or be who you are. The same rule applies at LIT. We learn it back in middle school. But somebody somewhere decides whats cool and who's cool, and it aint no committee.

If you wanna fall in line and write the same stuff as everyone else without balls, go for it.

JBJ - thanks for the advice. Now if only I had a clue as to what you were trying to say....

 

[sr71plt]

Your version of "told" is my version of a partially formed opinion. And really, it's not just a partially formed opinion, it's a sketch of a partially formed opinion. And given the detail in support of that sketch of a partially formed opinion, I've suggested back that this sketch might only partially explain the phenomenon I'm asking about.

I haven't said it is a wrong opinion. I've only suggested it might not be the full explanation. Even if a sentence is the truth, it doesn't follow it is the full truth. I've already suggested why I don't think it is the full truth - but that doesn't matter - the fact I want deeper (and clearer) analysis before letting the issue rest clearly bothers you. You will do better in life with a more reasoned approach - especially one that doesn't need to resort to personal attack when you don't get complete, full agreement.

Fine with me. You're the one stewing about it.

 

[TQM]

Fine with me. You're the one stewing about it.

You seem angry that I don't give you full agreement. Have a cup of coffee. There is no reason for either of us to be "stewing" about anything. I'm just interested.

 

[sr71plt]

You seem angry that I don't give you full agreement. Have a cup of coffee. There is no reason for either of us to be "stewing" about anything. I'm just interested.

No, I'm shaking my head that you're being so stupid about wasting you and our time.

Again, it's your rather dumb issue.

Fini