Just before I go

[desertslave]

Um, if you want to improve your writing, take a college creative writing class. This site is a free-for-all, not an instruction site.

Only an author can delete comments (on their own stories), and that is any author's choice. Some of us don't have less patience with assholes than others.

The primary question you need to ask yourself is why you are writing and posting here. If it's simply to enjoy the act of writing and to share your stories, there's not much stopping you. But if you want someone to fawn over you, you special snowflake, this is definitely not the place.

Oh, and it's "so long, and thanks for all the fish." Just sayin'

 

[Swilly]

So, I take it your and PL's three-way affair with Hatecraft is off?

It was never on. You're just universally despised, dickhead.

 

[sr71plt]

But your old pal and cohort, Hatecraft, claims it exists (I didn't). It's sort of fun watching you try to make this all about me. It seems to be mostly about you, PL, Hatecraft, and around 15 other writers at Lit. Have you managed to replace Hatecraft in your little voting group yet? If I joined, could I run in a pack with you on the forum too--and giggle with you all in your private PM forum?

 

[Swilly]

Whatev. Not going to waste my time arguing with you. Go stroke your two inch boner to your imaginary scenario. We'll all be fine here in reality.

 

[sr71plt]

Have fun stuffing this little genie back in the bottle, Shrilly.

I can see where you'd want to take some time out to do damage control with the group.

 

[slyc_willie]

This . . .

Is utterly ridiculous. What a pathetic circus.

* * * *

Mordikai:

You've only been a member of Lit for a few months. There was the suggestion posted above about sticking it out and giving yourself more time to develop a following. I second that.

And I'll add another suggestion: don't write for the votes, the views, the scores, or the contests (although, writing for the contests is a good way to get noticed). Just do it because you love it. Forget the cliques, whether real or imagined (and I'm sure most are imagined as a way of assuaging wounded egos). Are they the ones you're trying to impress? I sure as hell hope not.

In the end, the only opinions regarding your writing that matter are yours, and those of whoever you decide to trust.

Everyone else is just background noise.

 

[sr71plt]

Originally Posted by lovecraft68 View Post

I'm not sure I understand the last one...stars submissions disappear? Does that mean when voting is screwed up and you can't click the stars?

I have to say I agree with all of the OP's reasons they are all very real.

Especially the cliques voting stories up. The last contest winner? They are part of a group of about 18 lit authors who formed their own private chat room and part of what they do is go and vote 5's on all each others stories.

Now on an everyday story I still think that's a bit cheap, but what's the big deal?

But in a contest with a cash prize? Its pretty much cheating. Considering the winning story won with maybe 75 votes at the time, getting 18 free 5's makes a huge difference.

In fact since that group was formed three of its members have placed in the last four contests.

But aside from that....all of the reasons are sources of frustration we all deal with. If I had to pick one I think the "stories that shouldn't be posted here, but are would be my biggest peeve.

The rules are jokes here and they tie into "not the same applies for everyone" because some get through some don't, but I don't think that is personal favortism as much as a half ass screening process.

But its a free site and we get to post our work here and there's a lot of good to go with the bad so I play ignorance is bliss and take the good.

I used to get pissed about some of it, but it is what it is, but its why I will never put what I feel is a "very good" story into a contest anymore. I'd rather see it get treated fairly as a regular story than have the trolls and the "super secret sweep" play hell with it.

And the little club I mentioned earlier is the other reason.

As for deleting your stories, as Pilot says you either have to do each manually or send a request to laurel through PM

Good luck to you.

Wasn't a problem when you were a part of it. Fuck you.

Just for historical purposes, let's preserve this little exchange so that the originals don't mysteriously disappear.

We can come back to this when anyone wants to discuss whether there are voting blocks on Literotica.

 

[LazyAssReader]

I'm not sure I understand the last one...stars submissions disappear? Does that mean when voting is screwed up and you can't click the stars?

I have to say I agree with all of the OP's reasons they are all very real.

Especially the cliques voting stories up. The last contest winner? They are part of a group of about 18 lit authors who formed their own private chat room and part of what they do is go and vote 5's on all each others stories.

Now on an everyday story I still think that's a bit cheap, but what's the big deal?

But in a contest with a cash prize? Its pretty much cheating. Considering the winning story won with maybe 75 votes at the time, getting 18 free 5's makes a huge difference.

In fact since that group was formed three of its members have placed in the last four contests.

But aside from that....all of the reasons are sources of frustration we all deal with. If I had to pick one I think the "stories that shouldn't be posted here, but are would be my biggest peeve.

The rules are jokes here and they tie into "not the same applies for everyone" because some get through some don't, but I don't think that is personal favortism as much as a half ass screening process.

But its a free site and we get to post our work here and there's a lot of good to go with the bad so I play ignorance is bliss and take the good.

I used to get pissed about some of it, but it is what it is, but its why I will never put what I feel is a "very good" story into a contest anymore. I'd rather see it get treated fairly as a regular story than have the trolls and the "super secret sweep" play hell with it.

And the little club I mentioned earlier is the other reason.

As for deleting your stories, as Pilot says you either have to do each manually or send a request to laurel through PM

Good luck to you.

Wasn't a problem when you were a part of it. Fuck you.

The only problem is, dumbass, that the voting conspiracy is bullshit.

There seems to be an awful lot of pissy people around here because someone with real talent has shown up. How ridiculous.

Oh, that wit of yours Pilot. Shrilly. I almost died laughing at that one. You're quite a comedian. Has Jimmy Kimmel called to ask you to come over and write for the Tonight Show.

There is no "voting group", moron. Never was. It's all just sour grapes, which should be very familiar to you, jackass.

Quoting for posterity.

 

[sr71plt]

Ah, one of the group alts appears (you can tell by the join date, post total, and obviously being a partisan player who knows the state of play. You could also tell on this one by doing a past post search and seeing who it ganged up with).

Is that the voting group's answer to this mess opened by Hatecraft and augmented by PL and Shrilly (who, if I'm not mistaken, is PL's husband?) The plot congeals.

You guys do like to play all of the angles to your advantage over everyone else at Lit., don't you?

 

[robertreams]

I wrote a story for the April Fool contest. In that story I sought to intentionally lampoon as many Literotica categories or subcategories as I could, knowing how seriously some folks take their "categories". I warned myself that few readers would be able to discern the satire, even if I advertised it in advance. Of all the readers who responded, basically only one even noticed the actual satire. Almost everyone else was appropriately offended. It has the lowest ratings of any story or poem I have written. I guess I was a success.

The point is: I know why I write my stories. Do you know why you write yours?

 

[robertreams]

Sorry about that first message I thought it hadn't gone through.

Mordecai, I think you are asking too much of everyone at Literotica. If you prick us (pun intended) do we not bleed? Who says what stories should or should not be published? You? I was not aware you are the owner of the site. We have trusted clergymen, authors, publishers, politicians all through our capitalist society who believe in the virtue of selfishness. Even our beloved Ronald Reagan has publicly endorsed selfishness. Why should this site be different? Any system that can be tweaked (cheated) will be cheated. This 'clique' behavior is taught in our schools as the proper way to 'succeed'.

You have given others way too much power over you. Ask me what I think is wrong with your story i will tell you, honestly. Ask me to vote for you if I think your story sucks, I won't. But I wont 'one' you for writing a story I don't like either, unless I think you wrote it terribly.

Even though I enjoy having others 'five' me and hate it when they 'one' me, I place little actual power in my reader to teach me how to write, and do not equate good numbers with good writing, or bad numbers with bad. People do what they do what they will do, what they want to do, what they are wont to do, usually without rational thought, based on some internal emotional agenda, or reaction to vague 'feelings'.

If cheating gets some folks off, and irritates you, you are making them double winners by valuing the results. If you know the results are skewed, then you know they are not real, so why should it bother you?

Lighten up, you will find writing a much more enjoyable craft.

 

[robertreams]

Actually sour grapes would be a wolf.

 

[Swilly]

I've never bought into the clique theory, and I still don't. Maybe I'm too naive or trusting. I don't know. What I DO believe is that there are certain individuals who will one bomb the stories of others. The smart ones go for the three bomb I think, but I digress.

I will say with 100% honesty that I have NEVER had a single person ask me to tank the story of another person. Not once. I have NEVER one bombed or two or three or four bombed a story. Ever. I have no alts. I do not believe that the writers I have befriended waste their time bombing other writers. Not for a second. As irritated as I am that LC leveled such a bullshit charge, I don't even think he one bombs others.

I have also never had a single person ask me to give them a five. I have messaged people that I have become friendly with. We do let each other know when we've posted something. Some of these people have edited my stories and given me suggestions. We are honest with each other, but in a respectful manner. Truthfully, I never get through all of the contest entries of even the people I am friendly with. I don't vote on a story I haven't read. Ever.

The truth is that the people I have become friendly with are all damned good writers, and they work hard on their stories. If I read a story, it is likely to get a good score because it's good. I don't, nor do I believe any of my friends, fives a story because of who wrote it.

The takeaway for the OP? Find writers who you respect out here, and converse with them. Ask for honest opinions and write a lot. That's how you'll improve your writing.

 

[lovecraft68]

My "charge" was cheerleading. No where in my post dof I say anyone sniped or down voted
That's pilots assumption because he has to make everything about him and feed his persecution complex.

He needed to be able to work me into as always.

And I never named anyone. If you two never announced yourselves people would have chalked my post up to tin hat conspiracy theories. Instead you opened yourself up to pilot and anyone else.

I won't come back to this. If you're smart you won't either every bump puts more eyes on it.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I've never bought into the clique theory, and I still don't. Maybe I'm too naive or trusting. I don't know. What I DO believe is that there are certain individuals who will one bomb the stories of others. The smart ones go for the three bomb I think, but I digress.

I will say with 100% honesty that I have NEVER had a single person ask me to tank the story of another person. Not once. I have NEVER one bombed or two or three or four bombed a story. Ever. I have no alts. I do not believe that the writers I have befriended waste their time bombing other writers. Not for a second. As irritated as I am that LC leveled such a bullshit charge, I don't even think he one bombs others.

I have also never had a single person ask me to give them a five. I have messaged people that I have become friendly with. We do let each other know when we've posted something. Some of these people have edited my stories and given me suggestions. We are honest with each other, but in a respectful manner. Truthfully, I never get through all of the contest entries of even the people I am friendly with. I don't vote on a story I haven't read. Ever.

The truth is that the people I have become friendly with are all damned good writers, and they work hard on their stories. If I read a story, it is likely to get a good score because it's good. I don't, nor do I believe any of my friends, fives a story because of who wrote it.

The takeaway for the OP? Find writers who you respect out here, and converse with them. Ask for honest opinions and write a lot. That's how you'll improve your writing.

It's real, or my informant is lying. The clicques also blow smoke at the same time they one-bomb. Youre naïve.

 

[Swilly]

It's real, or my informant is lying. The clicques also blow smoke at the same time they one-bomb. Youre naïve.

I may well be, JBJ. Even out in the real world, I often tend to believe people until there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that tells me I shouldn't. I project my own sense of honesty and fair play onto others. It's okay. I'm happier that way.

 

[Swilly]

My "charge" was cheerleading. No where in my post dof I say anyone sniped or down voted
That's pilots assumption because he has to make everything about him and feed his persecution complex.

He needed to be able to work me into as always.

And I never named anyone. If you two never announced yourselves people would have chalked my post up to tin hat conspiracy theories. Instead you opened yourself up to pilot and anyone else.

I won't come back to this. If you're smart you won't either every bump puts more eyes on it.

Come on, LC. You accused people of blindly five voting stories. That's not cheerleading, and it wasn't truthful.

 

[Mordikai]

I think that anyone deciding whether to post anything at all on this site could do worse than reading this thread.

Yes I enjoy writing and I know the more I write the better I'll get. It's a well known fact that constructive criticism from your peers is operated.

I am allowed to say if I feel a story should not be published if I feel it breaches rules. Enough people said it about mine.

I actually cannot be arsed to comment any more. Reading the puerile comments on here has just convinced me I'm doing the right thing.

Finally neither Douglas Adams nor I are fluent in dolphin so either of us could be right.

 

[lovecraft68]

Come on, LC. You accused people of blindly five voting stories. That's not cheerleading, and it wasn't truthful.

Fwiw I have a pm from one of the group saying they not only voted but commented on amb's story.....with only a quick glance at the first page.

Not what I would call a legit vote....would you?

On a story with hundreds of votes...who cares?

But on a story that won with about 70 votes a group of attaboy fives makes a difference.

In fact at 44 votes his story was 4.85 a lot of those early votes were group votes. Then the next 40 vptes the story goes down into the sixes so the second wave of readers weren't as high voting

But of course thr sweeps took the back half of the votes off because it saw them as the anomaly after the wave of rah rag votes

The comments bare me out take away the group comments and there is more negative than positive. Especially discounting the two defending comments from group members which demonstrated the pack mentality Of how dare anyone not like this?

Sounds a little less "bullshit" now doesn't it?

I am not pilot. I can back my smack.

But I don't want this fight. I made a comment with names left out to protect the guilty. You named yourself.

In fact if you were ticked you could have pm'd me but you posted here.

I don't care what others think and I don't care about burning bridges. But I won't be dismissed with "come on"

So I made some points and will walk away on that note.

You guys can circle your wagons and best of luck to all of you

 

[The_Misplaced_Gypsy]

I'm not sure I understand the last one...stars submissions disappear? Does that mean when voting is screwed up and you can't click the stars?

I have to say I agree with all of the OP's reasons they are all very real.

Especially the cliques voting stories up. The last contest winner? They are part of a group of about 18 lit authors who formed their own private chat room and part of what they do is go and vote 5's on all each others stories.

Now on an everyday story I still think that's a bit cheap, but what's the big deal?

But in a contest with a cash prize? Its pretty much cheating. Considering the winning story won with maybe 75 votes at the time, getting 18 free 5's makes a huge difference.

In fact since that group was formed three of its members have placed in the last four contests.

But aside from that....all of the reasons are sources of frustration we all deal with. If I had to pick one I think the "stories that shouldn't be posted here, but are would be my biggest peeve.

The rules are jokes here and they tie into "not the same applies for everyone" because some get through some don't, but I don't think that is personal favortism as much as a half ass screening process.

But its a free site and we get to post our work here and there's a lot of good to go with the bad so I play ignorance is bliss and take the good.

I used to get pissed about some of it, but it is what it is, but its why I will never put what I feel is a "very good" story into a contest anymore. I'd rather see it get treated fairly as a regular story than have the trolls and the "super secret sweep" play hell with it.

And the little club I mentioned earlier is the other reason.

As for deleting your stories, as Pilot says you either have to do each manually or send a request to laurel through PM

Good luck to you.

Wow.. REALLY? You know, I thought this website/forum only allowed adults on here, since it is all adult themed stories.. This is not some high school play ground LC. I use to have respect for you, like you really care about that because you do not even have any respect for yourself acting like this.. How old are you again? Grow the fuck up.

 

[sr71plt]

Welcome to backpedaling morning.

 

[lovecraft68]

Welcome to backpedaling morning.

Once again inserting yourself into other people's conversations.

But I don't blame you. If you waited for someone to invite you into one you would never post.

But while you're here you may as well grab the popcorn and watch the pack prove me right. The more protesting the more right I look.

Now they even got their wives involved

 

[robertreams]

It's real, or my informant is lying. The clicques also blow smoke at the same time they one-bomb. Youre naïve.

JBJ what does "youre" mean? And how about clicques? I can't find them in the dictionary.

Do you really want to start editing my posts?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

JBJ what does "youre" mean? And how about clicques? I can't find them in the dictionary.

Do you really want to start editing my posts?

Youre an epithany, Bobby.

 

[Combat323]

Mordikai

Seems to me you had a bad relationship with the site because you came in with too many expectations and too thin a skin. Anyone who bases their self-image as a writer on scores and comments from an anonymous internet site like this is bound to end up disappointed.

Sometimes you just have to say "Fuck it!" and continue motoring despite the haters you perceive around you. If you get discouraged and stop writing, the terrorists win.