New/Foreign authors, please ease up on the disclaimers

[pink_silk_glove]

Your often belligerent doubling-down reactions can't lead to a meaningful discussion and I am not sure you are completely aware of that.

If you actually believed that you can't have a meaningful discussion with me you would not be discussing this with me.

 

[AG31]

Could your concept of "simple erotica" be stories with little or no plot or character development, almost entirely the seduction and carry through of sex?

Could be, could be.

 

[AG31]

It's an issue here on which all are dug in, with all opinions well represented by AHers (which, as Pink notes, is no reason, of course, not to state one's opinion when the subject comes up). We just go around and around on this.

I, personally, don't mind repetitive threads that go round and round. I enjoy getting a peek inside the minds of a wide variety of people. AH promotes honesty. I like that a lot. Maybe I'll feel differently after I've been around longer and stuff really does feel repetitive.

I personally, like @pink_silk_glove, find most preface-like appendages here to be brainless, self-centered or irrelevant, often all three.

In a similar vein, I like peeking into the minds of authors.

 

[mildlyaroused]

As a general response to some authors here: I don't care if you, as a reader, don't like forewords or disclaimers - and I don't even care if they are such a red flag for you that you choose to stop reading a story. All of that is within your right to think and do.

But prescribing narcissistic motivations to authors who do include such forewords is just plain folly (for lack of a harsher word). You are not omniscient. It's arrogant to pretend that you know more of the author's motivations than the author themself. There is no relationship between the inclusion of most forewords and an author's desire for "only good feedback", "good scores", or whatever else has been suggested. Those who argue such a relationship exists are conjuring it right out of the air, like a bunny out of a magician's hat.

It's bullshit!

 

[TadOverdon]

...tells us that the writer is more interested in his writing experience than he is in our reading experience...

I'd hope so.

 

[lovecraft68]

But to say "I write what I want and screw the readers, they have to rate it on merit regardless of their likes, dislikes, preferences, expectations and whatever" is not only short-sighted, but also disrespectful. It doesn't make you a better author, or morally superior, or a long-suffering misunderstood artiste.

There's a couple of those here, and on the back swing of their comment about their moral superiority is the all popular authors/stories are just pandering.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

But prescribing narcissistic motivations to authors who do include such forewords is just plain folly (for lack of a harsher word). You are not omniscient. It's arrogant to pretend that you know more of the author's motivations than the author themself. There is no relationship between the inclusion of most forewords and an author's desire for "only good feedback", "good scores", or whatever else has been suggested. Those who argue such a relationship exists are conjuring it right out of the air, like a bunny out of a magician's hat.

For the zillionth time: I am not presuming assuming predicting or mind-reading anyone's intent. I am merely telling how most (nearly all) disclaimers read and the vibe that they put forth. Anyone who (especially after I've spelled this out multiple times) still has to rebut with "you can't assume intent" is merely responding because their ego was poked, jumping straight to the conclusion that soothes it quickly.

 

[AG31]

It's arrogant to pretend that you know more of the author's motivations than the author themself.

Hear! Hear! Reminds of the time a prominent AHer declared that I was a sociopath for asking a particular question. I'm not. I know for sure that I'm not.

 

[Voboy]

Hear! Hear! Reminds of the time a prominent AHer declared that I was a sociopath for asking a particular question. I'm not. I know for sure that I'm not.

...that's just what a sociopath would say...

 

[mildlyaroused]

For the zillionth time: I am not presuming assuming predicting or mind-reading anyone's intent. I am merely telling how most (nearly all) disclaimers read and the vibe that they put forth. Anyone who (especially after I've spelled this out multiple times) still has to rebut with "you can't assume intent" is merely responding because their ego was poked, jumping straight to the conclusion that soothes it quickly.

You're literally assuming intent right here, too! You defended your own lack of assuming intent... by assuming intent !!

And these are from your first message in this thread alone:

This is an apology to protect the score - nothing more - and tells us that the writer is more interested in his writing experience than he is in our reading experience because the reason that we're supposed to read this is to tell him how good it is, and never how bad it might be. He already thinks that he knows what some of the not-liked parts are, so he's apologizing and we haven't even started yet. Translation: "Make sure that you read this right." Don't tell us how to read. It's very off-putting.

Assuming intent. Speaking in absolutes.

Which is often followed by "... so if you're not into this, hit the back button now." ~ This one takes it even further, telling us with a heavy hand to actually fuck off and keep the scoresheet and comments clean and happy.

Again, assuming intent. You have established no correlation between this motivation and the quoted line. How do you know they care about comments and scores? I might remind you that some authors, such as AchtungNight, include these sorts of disclaimers and don't even have scores turned on.

This tells us that the writer publishes each chapter as he writes it, so the plot will meander and have loose ends as it's really just an aimless soap opera. It also tells us that so long as everyone keeps loving the writer, there will be more story but as soon as that love drops off, his inspiration will drop too and the story will begin to suck and die.

Again, you appear to have deep insights into other writers' brains and minds. You even know what their own plans for their own stories are. Interesting.

I often respect you for holding firm to your views and being blunt about it, but you have to understand that this is simply how you frame your arguments a lot of the time. You may not be literally claiming to read minds, but you sometimes speak as if you've already read the relevant minds and have formed the objectively correct conclusions.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Again, you appear to have deep insights into other writers' brains and minds.

No. I'm explaining how it reads (for the ga-jillionth zillionth, vermillionth time!). If you insist otherwise, then you are the one assuming intent and there's nothing that I can do to stop you, so go right ahead. Make me the pedantic cunt that your ego needs me to be.

 

[Voboy]

No. I'm explaining how it reads (for the ga-jillionth zillionth, vermillionth time!). If you insist otherwise, then you are the one assuming intent and there's nothing that I can do to stop you, so go right ahead. Make me the pedantic cunt that your ego needs me to be.

Ever stop to think that if a bunch of people are all telling you the same thing about yourself... well, they just might be right? Or, at the VERY least, you might not be communicating nearly as clearly as you think you do?

Just a thought.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Ever stop to think that if a bunch of people are all telling you the same thing about yourself... well, they just might be right? Or, at the VERY least, you might not be communicating nearly as clearly as you think you do?

Just a thought.

I understand this topic and you don't. The OP asked for opinions. I gave mine. You don't like it so you flame me for it. I don't give a fuck what you think of me because the opinion of a punkass is just that. I'm not here to win a debate. I know damn well that I can't win one when people like you are the judge, so I don't give a fuck. I'm here to call it the way that it is. You personally have been a total douchebag to me on a number of occasions so I didn't expect anything different from you. I knew what you would say the moment that you opened your mouth, so keep flapping your gums and stay arrogant and ignorant and keep dragging the collective IQ around here down.

 

[AH_Mod]

This thread is going nowhere productive, and will be locked.

Forewords and disclaimers are generally allowed in Literotia submissions. They are subject to the same rules as the main text of the story. They are not required or forbidden. Whether you choose to utilize them or read works that contain them is a personal decision.