Are we writing Quality?

[D_K_Moon]

I'm more of a storyteller than I am a writer. I don't look for the perfect phrase, or try to dazzle the unwashed masses with my literary brilliance.

I like to create compelling characters who have a story to tell. I want to entertain people, I want arouse them, make them smile, I want their hearts to break, I want real tears rolling down their cheeks.

Whether this is quality writing or not, I don't have a clue, but I do the best I can with what I have.

 

[Otto26]

Quality: Easy to read and follow/understand.

I'm working on improving the quality of my stories.

 

[Gamblnluck]

I think that's mostly true. Quality matters up to a certain point, but beyond that it won't make a big difference at Literotica. It may make a difference elsewhere. It will make a difference to some readers, including me.

Take a look at many contemporary authors. Eloquent prose is NOT a term I'd use to describe. Janet Evanovich, or James Patterson. How about Lee Child with his Jack Reacher series? These just pop up as i think about story tellers.

 

[lovecraft68]

I write stories, the readers can decide if they think they're 'quality' stories.

 

[Cagivagurl]

You'd think. But I can't get over how many people in AH are clearly most interested in being authors of good stories more than arousing their readers. Not a bad thing. Just interesting.

There are many great works contained within Literotica.
What I find unusual is.... Some of the most horribly written stories get high scores. Some of the most superbly written, get average scores.

Personally, I put it down to content winning over writing quality... (Quality, as I judge it.)

I guess as always, the market dictates the price. How do we judge quality??? What sells best is the most popular. Meaning... The most popular is the best, so is obviously the higher quality item...

Maybe... Don't listen to me because I know nothing about literature...

Cagivagurl

 

[shelleycat1]

A story's quality is supported on multiple legs. Enough legs have to be there so it can scuttle into a reader's head, but the high quality ones can get into many people's minds and perhaps for not the same reason.

Look at the filters it has to get through: can it be read (or read out, for some people); is it the right language; is the typeface irritating; are there too many braking errors or is the punctuation so wrong a reader cannot comprehend it; can it catch the reader's attention, and then can it hold it; some readers want plot, some want smut, some want a happy ever after; too long or too over mannered; language too complicated for most readers; does it bring in dissonant politics or opinions that turn off a reader (I'm thinking of anti-semitism that I found in an old book); for fantasy or SF is the world building convincing enough? Sometimes a story has enough legs that you can forget the broken ones and just enjoy it.

I read stories on this site that make me cry. I see stories here that turn me on. I see stories here that have similar elements and just don't hold enough interest. Some of my favourites have virtually no sex - in LW there are a whole set by Todd172 who does stories with no sex, all with great scores. I think that Tefler is writing a great epic, but may never finish.

I look at my own stories and know they are not the highest quality. Some legs are broken. It doesn't matter to me, because I have the satisfaction of writing for myself, I am learning and enjoying the process, and they may entertain some people. When I started I never dreamed that over 4000 people would at least look at a story by me.

 

[JordynsCanvas]

Quality is hard to define.



For me, it's the other way around. I have read genres that really don't appeal to me based on the quality of the writing...

Tell me a wonderful story full of colourful characters where the emotions are stretched and tweaked. If you can do that, I'll read it...

Cagivagurl

Please give my series Always and Forever You a try. Worked on it for almost a year until I thought it was quality storytelling, stretched emotions, and characters the reader would fall in love with. Also, I tried to make it very sexy too.

https://www.literotica.com/authors/JordynsCanvas/works/stories

It would mean a lot.

JC

 

[TheLobster]

In stories? Hard to tell; opinions vary, as you can see in this thread.

On the forums? Much easier. This is page #3, and some posts here have approached the length of a small novella. We are definitely writing quantity.

 

[nice90sguy]

Thinking about when we use expressions like "they make shitty quality shoes" and "high-quality build (cars, apartments)",
I think what we're talking about is care, attention to detail, sound judgement in choice of material, sense of style, built to last vs throwaway etc.

So an entertaining "junk-food" story might be low-quality, but still entertaining and satisfying.

I put a lot of work into some of my stories, and for some of my stories I don't really work that hard and am a bit more careless.

A high-quality erotic story for me:

• Has a careful choice of words
• Has a coherent narrative
• Is immersive (you feel involved in the story and characters)
• Is generally "well-crafted", according to all those rules of thumb we never tire of talking about in this forum.

None of which guarantees I'll enjoy it, because it also has to arouse me, which no amount of "quality" will do, if it's just not my thing. Equally, a low-quality story might hit the spot, in spite of being badly crafted.

 

[AG31]

Thinking about when we use expressions like "they make shitty quality shoes" and "high-quality build (cars, apartments)",
I think what we're talking about is care, attention to detail, sound judgement in choice of material, sense of style, built to last vs throwaway etc.

This is one of the best definitions I've seen.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

There are many great works contained within Literotica.
What I find unusual is.... Some of the most horribly written stories get high scores. Some of the most superbly written, get average scores.

Personally, I put it down to content winning over writing quality... (Quality, as I judge it.)

I guess as always, the market dictates the price. How do we judge quality??? What sells best is the most popular. Meaning... The most popular is the best, so is obviously the higher quality item...

Maybe... Don't listen to me because I know nothing about literature...

Cagivagurl

Marketing!
One of the challenges here on Lit, as in other areas is getting your story/product in front of the right audience. Allison Krause is an EXTREMELY talented singer and musician. High quality all the way. If she were the opening act for Sabaton she would get booed off the stage. Great product, wrong market.
Some people come to lit looking for a quick stroker, some people want something more. One of the challenges is differentiating that for the audience. How do we communicate to them what kind of story it is?

 

[Cagivagurl]

Marketing!
One of the challenges here on Lit, as in other areas is getting your story/product in front of the right audience. Allison Krause is an EXTREMELY talented singer and musician. High quality all the way. If she were the opening act for Sabaton she would get booed off the stage. Great product, wrong market.
Some people come to lit looking for a quick stroker, some people want something more. One of the challenges is differentiating that for the audience. How do we communicate to them what kind of story it is?

Perhaps I didn't explain myself very well... Wouldn't be the first time.

My reference to marketing and the market dictating the price was more aimed at how do you decide whether something is good or bad???

If there's been a million of them sold, when the market is full of similar items... It's obviously the best... (Most popular) Does that mean it is the best??? Is the market the judge, or are there self imposed (experts) judging it saying this is a very poor item.

I'm a musician, and often compare the world to the world of music.
Pop music is often heavily criticised because it plays to the masses. I'm not a fan myself, but. It is popular.

Trying to judge a stories quality is very difficult. Score doesn't cut it for me. Like music, a story has to provide emotions, highs, lows. Thoughts that make me think. The story must paint a picture in my mind. I want to be able to visualise from the written words. See a character... Hear their voices. I want to feel what they feel...
For me... That's great writing. A high quality story...

There are some very high scoring stories contained within Literotica, that provide none of that. They got high scores because they hit the buttons of the audience. Who didn't care how poorly it was crafter. How clumsy and emotionless it was.

Scores do not indicate quality... Just popularity. Which is an entirely different thing...
Brahms was brilliant. Very high quality...
Pop music, not so great... But way more popular....

What I dislike is seeing people with no more idea than me judging peoples work, and describing it as poorly written, or of lesser quality than others.

Horses for courses. We like what we like, for whatever reason. Your interpretation of quality writing might be completely different to mine...
Neither of us would be right or wrong, just different...
That is the world we live in.

These of course, are only my thoughts and opinions. Not speaking as if I am an expert, or even know anything.

Cagivagurl

 

[Cagivagurl]

Thinking about when we use expressions like "they make shitty quality shoes" and "high-quality build (cars, apartments)",
I think what we're talking about is care, attention to detail, sound judgement in choice of material, sense of style, built to last vs throwaway etc.

So an entertaining "junk-food" story might be low-quality, but still entertaining and satisfying.

I put a lot of work into some of my stories, and for some of my stories I don't really work that hard and am a bit more careless.

A high-quality erotic story for me:

• Has a careful choice of words
• Has a coherent narrative
• Is immersive (you feel involved in the story and characters)
• Is generally "well-crafted", according to all those rules of thumb we never tire of talking about in this forum.

None of which guarantees I'll enjoy it, because it also has to arouse me, which no amount of "quality" will do, if it's just not my thing. Equally, a low-quality story might hit the spot, in spite of being badly crafted.

I think what you are actually talking about is opinions....
I could say a pair of shoes were shitty... I'm not a cobbler, so my opinion is nothing more than a voiced thought....
They may have been fit for purpose.

Cagivagurl