The Official Authors' Hangout Halloween 2023 Contest Support Thread

[pink_silk_glove]

You should still be noticed by those specifically looking for the contest stories. Which, not so strangely, accounts for a lot of the readers.

Ok, good to know. Day 1, over 1000 hits and 7 votes, day 2 almost 1000 hits and 8 votes, today off the category new list, day already more than half over about 150 hits and 1 vote. I guess all those extra hots and votes will come in the evening then.

 

[LadyStillwater]

Did you remember to both tag it as Holloween 2023 and put that in the notes field?

I put it in the notes field put I didn't include the year in the tag. Next time I'll remember! I'm still just figuring it all out.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Experience is the best teacher. I had a lot of her teaching, and she's the best. She's also the most painful teacher EVER.

I put it in the notes field put I didn't include the year in the tag. Next time I'll remember! I'm still just figuring it all out.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I think the reads pick up steam closer to the deadline for the end of the competition. Someone with more time here can answer that part better than me.

Ok, good to know. Day 1, over 1000 hits and 7 votes, day 2 almost 1000 hits and 8 votes, today off the category new list, day already more than half over about 150 hits and 1 vote. I guess all those extra hots and votes will come in the evening then.

 

[A_Little_Show_Too]

I am pleased with the number of readers for my entries into the competition. I gave myself a challenge to write Third-Person Non-Omniscient perspective. My other stories mostly take place inside a character's head. It's all about thoughts and feelings. The challenge was to convey thoughts and feelings without just writing, "she thought" or "he felt". It's very hard to describe arousal and pleasure without being able to just say it. The characters can say it to each other, but I can't just say it to the readers. I have been away from Literotica for a long time, but I never stopped reading.

Good luck in the contest everyone.

What challenges have you set for yourselves?

 

[StillStunned]

The Ruritanian romance I started writing a while ago has evolved into something Gothic, so it might be suitable for this contest if I can finish it in time. At 13,500 words now and approaching the climax (hehe) of Act 2. It probably doesn't help that I decided that the story needs not only a Hungarian nobleman, but an Irish priest too.

I've just finished the rough version. A shade under 19,000 words.

Oooph, it was tough towards the end. I'd plotted the end out a few times, wrote it in my head in bed last night, and typed it out this evening. The impact still caught me by surprise, though.

It was supposed to be a shallow adventure story in the tradition of The Prisoner of Zenda. Turned out it had a mind of its own.

 

[EmilyMiller]

The score on my Ex Exorcism is bouncing up and down like a yo-yo leading me to believe that there are only two types of people reading on Literotica; wise, thoughtful, intellectually advanced people, and trolls.

This is not a major new insight, hun. Welcome to my world .

Em

 

[gordo12]

I am very new to this process, so I know this is probably a stupid question. I just published my first story inspired by this contest but I don't know what the "votes" are. How do you see them? How do you vote?

Aside from the info on the story, the author panel where you submitted the story has some links on the left. (phone/tablet might be different) Choose "WORKS" and you'll see everything you've written, broken down into votes, scores and comments. You can read the comments and choose to delete them if they're not nice. You can change the settings on the story there if you wish. For instance, no more comments or voting etc. If you choose to turn voting off during a contest you're out of the running for it.

 

[Voboy]

I think the reads pick up steam closer to the deadline for the end of the competition. Someone with more time here can answer that part better than me.

Generally, but not always.

I've entered a lot of contests, and the only thing I've learned definitively is that I should always be wary of thinking I know how things will go. Even apart from the well-known (and oft-discussed) quirks of the Lit contest system, each theme in each year has its own special idiosyncrasies.

My story this year got an EXTREMELY slow start, for example, compared to my previous entries in Halloween contests. It surprised me, but a glance at this thread shows I'm hardly alone in getting few views and votes early on. Things have already picked up since then! Sometimes, there's just no real way to know except by submitting your work, sitting back, and keeping your hands and arms inside the car at all times.

 

[MillieDynamite]

My votes are slow, that's for sure.

Generally, but not always.

I've entered a lot of contests, and the only thing I've learned definitively is that I should always be wary of thinking I know how things will go. Even apart from the well-known (and oft-discussed) quirks of the Lit contest system, each theme in each year has its own special idiosyncrasies.

My story this year got an EXTREMELY slow start, for example, compared to my previous entries in Halloween contests. It surprised me, but a glance at this thread shows I'm hardly alone in getting few views and votes early on. Things have already picked up since then! Sometimes, there's just no real way to know except by submitting your work, sitting back, and keeping your hands and arms inside the car at all times.

 

[EmilyMiller]

My votes are slow, that's for sure.

Summer Lovin’ only just finished.

Em

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

My just published story for the contest is sitting at 4.75 but only four votes.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Well, if you can maintain that score until you have ten votes, you'll have your first ed H.

My just published story for the contest is sitting at 4.75 but only four votes.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I’m my vast experience of Lit comps (dating all the way back to Summer Lovin’ 2023), it’s not over until the lipidly-challenged lady sings.

Late vote surges and final sweeps can change things drastically. In any case, it’s meant to be a fun community thing, not the Pulitzer Prize.

Em

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

I want enough votes to be in the competition. A red H would be a nice thing as well.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Mine is submitted just now.
"Black Opal Magic" in Erotic Horror

I've entered a couple of other contests and not even come close to winning. I don't expect that this will break that streak, but it was a bit of a departure for me. It's just over 38k words, which is the longest story I've written and submitted as a single story.

So, fingers officially crossed now.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I’ve set a second hare running. An unplanned story that kinda fit. We’ll see how it goes.

Em

 

[Rustyoznail]

Better late than never, and I'm in. "Amorous Goods: The Rockabilly Travelling Pants" will hopefully go live in a day or so.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I am pleased with the number of readers for my entries into the competition. I gave myself a challenge to write Third-Person Non-Omniscient perspective. My other stories mostly take place inside a character's head. It's all about thoughts and feelings. The challenge was to convey thoughts and feelings without just writing, "she thought" or "he felt". It's very hard to describe arousal and pleasure without being able to just say it. The characters can say it to each other, but I can't just say it to the readers. I have been away from Literotica for a long time, but I never stopped reading.

Good luck in the contest everyone.

What challenges have you set for yourselves?

To keep this story under ten chapters. Which it is, because I'm almost done. Hopefully the ghost sounds victorian enough and the sex scene has the oomph I think it will.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I want enough votes to be in the competition. A red H would be a nice thing as well.

Crazy when you have enough score(4.50+), but not enough votes, huh?

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I’ve set a second hare running. An unplanned story that kinda fit. We’ll see how it goes.

Em

I thought about doing a second one. I've beem sitting on this idea of a guy who accidentally makes a contract with a sucubus he hooked up with from a bar- it'd fit nicely in the contest. I just don't have the time or enough thought out to do it. With what I want out of it, might leave it a novellette, or novella.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I thought about doing a second one. I've beem sitting on this idea of a guy who accidentally makes a contract with a sucubus he hooked up with from a bar- it'd fit nicely in the contest. I just don't have the time or enough thought out to do it. With what I want out of it, might leave it a novellette, or novella.

I wrote it and then went “oh this is kinda on topic.” I could [pretentiously] say it emerged organically. Or [more accurately] that it was dumb luck [fuck?].

Em

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I wrote it and then went “oh this is kinda on topic.” I could [pretentiously] say it emerged organically. Or [more accurately] that it was dumb luck [fuck?].

Em

It was fated to be.

 

[EmilyMiller]

It was fated to be.

Yeah - that too .

Now the perfect ending would be it goes on to win; but back in the real world .

Em

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

Crazy when you have enough score(4.50+), but not enough votes, huh?

Well, I'll not be seeing a red H this go-round.