The Halloween 2024 Official Contest Support Thread!

[Erozetta]

For what it's worth, I'm significantly more proud of my collaboration with @WhiteTailDarkTip: Lips of a Witch.

It took us a few weeks to get it from a rough idea with a couple of interesting characters to what it is now. He did the majority of the writing, I mostly amped the sex scenes and added some Salem flair to it. It finished with a 4.88 and had well over 350 votes even with being a nearly 65k word story. Mine was piddly in comparison.

Seriously, not only getting over 350 people to read and vote high on 64.6k words, but getting oodles of great comments and feedback from those readers has been such a joy to me.

And working with WTDT was such a pleasure! I will be eternally grateful to him for rescuing my little idea and really fleshing out Ayela, her zoo, and the McCarthy clan as well as creating a disgusting bad guy in George Hamilton.

So, while I absolutely appreciate the win, I recognize that there were much more deserving stories and hope that maybe next time the voting totals will reflect the actual merit of the story rather than whatever caused them to vote mine high. (I'm assuming it was the coffee stealing and cute pet name, not the fluffy cat tail butt plug.)

 

[AlexFourways]

They have the algorithm for the sweep. Not sure why they can’t filter votes when they’re made.

Althought that would look sensible, and with some 'contributors' it might (and may be) possible with Anon from differing IP addresses how do you know?
Towards the end you have patterns that an algorithm can use.
One data point - is without context. (a single 1 or 2 from a particular IP)
Two data points provide context but no reliable trend. (say a 1 and a 2 from a particular IP)
Multiple data points provide context and a trend. (multiple 1s and/or 2s on a story (or stories) from similar IPs, in contrast to typical 4s and 5s from very different IPs indicate that they are unreliable and an algorithm can sweep.) Note you can reverse the numbers.
So it makes sense to release the algorithm later rather than earlier.
NOTE: I have no idea how the Literotica algorithm works, so the above is an an illustration of how it might work from a Civil Engineer, not even a computer one, though I have had some involvement since 1976!

 

[AlexFourways]

For what it's worth, I'm significantly more proud of my collaboration with @WhiteTailDarkTip: Lips of a Witch.

I'll have to give it a look!

So, while I absolutely appreciate the win, I recognize that there were much more deserving stories and hope that maybe next time the voting totals will reflect the actual merit of the story rather than whatever caused them to vote mine high. (I'm assuming it was the coffee stealing and cute pet name, not the fluffy cat tail butt plug.)

The problem with that is some categories (as discussed earlier) get more reads so picking Romance rather than First time might make a 4.98 lose to a 4.51 and have grumpy authors for other reasons!

 

[Erozetta]

The problem with that is some categories (as discussed earlier) get more reads so picking Romance rather than First time might make a 4.98 lose to a 4.51 and have grumpy authors for other reasons!

Which is why I said I'd hope the voting totals would reflect the merit of the story rather than the winner be based on the merit of the story.

I posted in Erotic Couplings, which is supposed to be a bit of an oversaturated dead space for stories to get lost in a sea of other stories. Lips of a Witch was in Romance, it was bound to get really good vote totals, but managing to keep a high score in romance with a story that includes noncon elements, cheating, and lesbian cheating was fucking impressive to me, lol.

I didn't even expect my solo entry to get enough votes to qualify, to be honest, considering my other story in that category has like 20 votes on it and has been up for months.

 

[Katie_Mae]

Well, you can reenter your five star vote.

So a follow up. The 5 star vote I re-entered got swept again, probably in the last sweep (I only just thought to check it.)

The vote I originally entered was entered after reading the multi-page story, and I also commented on it. I was logged in and didn't (initially) vote more than once, I only voted again after the vote was removed and now that vote's been removed again. It seems it's the un-voteable story for me

 

[AlexFourways]

Which is why I said I'd hope the voting totals would reflect the merit of the story rather than the winner be based on the merit of the story.

Apologies - I misconsrued your comment as being about the number of reads (or votes) influencing the winner, rather than the merit of the story influencing the number of reads or votes.
I sit corrected as "I reserve the right to be (proved) wrong." Also I should have put a YMMV caveat.
I am enjoying your winner, but I am a slow reader and reading time takes from writing time!

 

[StillStunned]

For all of you still in the Halloween mood, I invite you to take a look at the newest chapter in the chain story about an erotic horror movie: Lights, Camera, Blood: Ch. 02. The actress playing Elizabeth Bathory starts channelling the long-dead countess.

Don't look at me like that! Chain Stories is a wasteland. I have to do something to get eyes on the story, right?

 

[Erozetta]

Apologies - I misconsrued your comment as being about the number of reads (or votes) influencing the winner, rather than the merit of the story influencing the number of reads or votes.
I sit corrected as "I reserve the right to be (proved) wrong." Also I should have put a YMMV caveat.
I am enjoying your winner, but I am a slow reader and reading time takes from writing time!

No worries!

I stand by wanting to be corrected when I fuck up, lol. And I absolutely could've worded it better. But yeah, I meant I'd hope the merit would influence the votes and views to push those to the top of the list over lucky underdogs.

Please don't feel obligated to read my entry. It's a fun romp but it's not some masterpiece of prose and world building.

 

[Erozetta]

For all of you still in the Halloween mood, I invite you to take a look at the newest chapter in the chain story about an erotic horror movie: Lights, Camera, Blood: Ch. 02. The actress playing Elizabeth Bathory starts channelling the long-dead countess.

Don't look at me like that! Chain Stories is a wasteland. I have to do something to get eyes on the story, right?

This is much more worthy of a read!

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

Congratulations again to the winners.

My story, Once Again, That Feeling, went from 4.81/.82 to 4.88 after the sweeps and a few final votes, so it finished just slightly behind the winners. While that was a bit disappointing, that score matched my best-ever score from a couple of earlier contests (also close but no cigar) and was good enough to, at least temporarily, place it at #10 on the All Time List for the Mature category and first in the Mature category for the month of October (subject to any last minute downvoting, of course). It's been over two years since I've had a monthly category leader, so woo hoo!

With the net number of votes, favorites, comments (all mostly good), and some new followers (plus several really complimentary PMs), I felt this was a very successful event for me and hope everyone else feels the same about their own entry or entries.

Now, time to keep writing on the next one!

 

[mrs_mackenzie]

The final sweep bumped my entry from 4.65 to 4.66, so that's definitely a result!

Congratulations to the winners. I thoroughly enjoyed entering this one and got a lot of positive feedback on my story, as well as almost 67,000 views (albeit in a popular category), which I think is pretty good for a standalone story.

Looking forward to reading some other entries today and hoping for inspiration for the Winter contest.

 

[WittyUserName]

Congratulations to the winners!

 

[nicksouth]

Well done everyone ! Now onto Christmas ?

 

[SimonDoom]

Same with their entire catalog of stories.

Mine has already dropped by .09 points and another story dropped by .23

I find it amusing considering I'm right up there thinking mine was scored way too high. I figure settling around a 4.6-ish is probably a more accurate score.

Congratulations. Last year my Halloween story placed third with a score, at the time, of 4.92. Now that same story's score is 4.55, so this is a common phenomenon. I can't complain too much, though. The story only had around 29 votes when it won and now it has 163, so it's hard to chalk it up to 1 bombing.

 

[PrimalDual]

My problem isn't the 1-bombs, it's the preponderance of 3-bombs from experienced writers and readers who know I'm mediocre.

 

[AlexFourways]

My problem isn't the 1-bombs, it's the preponderance of 3-bombs from experienced writers and readers who know I'm mediocre.

Though I suspect it's from would be writers, who believe they could do better, but never have tried!

 

[yowser]

Despite the large number of contest entries this year, I am surprised (by skimming new story titles the last couple weeks) how many Halloween themed stories are NOT entered into the contest. Would these authors do so if they were aware of the contest business? Why, given the obvious advantages of exposure, would someone have a Halloween story and not give it a whirl?

Maybe evidence of how many authors aren't tuned into the whole Lit experience, and maybe don't visit the forums.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Despite the large number of contest entries this year, I am surprised (by skimming new story titles the last couple weeks) how many Halloween themed stories are NOT entered into the contest. Would these authors do so if they were aware of the contest business? Why, given the obvious advantages of exposure, would someone have a Halloween story and not give it a whirl?

Maybe evidence of how many authors aren't tuned into the whole Lit experience, and maybe don't visit the forums.

More than a few just choose not to. The attention is nice and can filter over to your other stories, but that attention, especially if you win, can be more negative than positive. There's also the factor that a lot of writers are in this just for the pure joy of writing, and 'chasing blue Ws' isn't in their DNA.

We all have our reasons. Don't read to much into anything that happens here. It can drive you crazy.

 

[Erozetta]

Despite the large number of contest entries this year, I am surprised (by skimming new story titles the last couple weeks) how many Halloween themed stories are NOT entered into the contest. Would these authors do so if they were aware of the contest business? Why, given the obvious advantages of exposure, would someone have a Halloween story and not give it a whirl?

Maybe evidence of how many authors aren't tuned into the whole Lit experience, and maybe don't visit the forums.

Well, I'm unlikely to ever enter one again.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Why is that @Erozetta? I haven't followed this thread closely, probably because I'm not in the contest this year. But I'm interested in what in the contest was off-putting.

Well, I'm unlikely to ever enter one again.

 

[yowser]

More than a few just choose not to. The attention is nice and can filter over to your other stories, but that attention, especially if you win, can be more negative than positive. There's also the factor that a lot of writers are in this just for the pure joy of writing, and 'chasing blue Ws' isn't in their DNA.

We all have our reasons. Don't read to much into anything that happens here. It can drive you crazy.

I'm curious if you know if that's a deliberate choice. I can't tell whether it is just unawareness of the contest or something else. But maybe you have empirical knowledge here.

 

[gleader]

Congratulations to the winners!
Thanks all the voters, especially who made my story look like the top-rated one.

 

[Erozetta]

Why is that @Erozetta? I haven't followed this thread closely, probably because I'm not in the contest this year. But I'm interested in what in the contest was off-putting.

This is probably gonna sound completely fucked, but I don't handle compliments well and I never wanted or expected to place in the contest. I've been nauseous since the announcement and got sick shortly after realizing *where* I placed.

I entered for fun.

But now I desperately want someone to read my story and point out all of its flaws because there are a lot and I'd feel better if someone just acknowledged the mistakes. (I know this is a fucked mindset, but I have a bit of a fucked mind.)

 

[StillStunned]

I'm curious if you know if that's a deliberate choice. I can't tell whether it is just unawareness of the contest or something else. But maybe you have empirical knowledge here.

I've made a deliberate decision not to do contests anymore. I'm sure I'm not the only one, for whatever reason. Some people don't like competing, some people don't like losing, some people don't like the pressure of deadlines, some people probably assume that dealing with the winning cheque would be too much hassle.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Oh, don't worry. Some anon will make your day sooner or later.

This is probably gonna sound completely fucked, but I don't handle compliments well and I never wanted or expected to place in the contest. I've been nauseous since the announcement and got sick shortly after realizing *where* I placed.

I entered for fun.

But now I desperately want someone to read my story and point out all of its flaws because there are a lot and I'd feel better if someone just acknowledged the mistakes. (I know this is a fucked mindset, but I have a bit of a fucked mind.)