Do you leave comments?

[mpeters]

I don’t leave comments simply because I don’t read anyone else’s stories here, otherwise 1) I’d never have time to write my own, and 2) There would be the risk of unconsciously copying something from someone else.

 

[RoperTrace]

I don’t leave comments simply because I don’t read anyone else’s stories here, otherwise 1) I’d never have time to write my own, and 2) There would be the risk of unconsciously copying something from someone else.

Almost 2000 posts since Sept, and no time, LOL.

 

[mpeters]

Almost 2000 posts since Sept, and no time, LOL.

I don’t do the posts during my writing time, and most of them take a lot less time than reading a story would. But go ahead and laugh.

 

[Seadog777]

Not very often.

I do if it's a really good story or if it's a really bad story.

I can only think of one time that it was out of anger.

It was a story (I forget the name), SOMEHOW it got through screening and had no commas, apostrophes, and barely any periods. It was egregiously offensive. LOL.

 

[nice90sguy]

I don't leave comments, but I do make use of the Story Feedback forum.

 

[BgDaddy33]

I don’t leave comments simply because I don’t read anyone else’s stories here, otherwise 1) I’d never have time to write my own, and 2) There would be the risk of unconsciously copying something from someone else.

You don't read any of the stories?

 

[BgDaddy33]

I don't leave comments, but I do make use of the Story Feedback forum.

Can you elaborate? The feedback forum, isn't that just people asking for feedback?

Do you not leave comments on the stories that you read outside of the forum?

 

[mpeters]

You don't read any of the stories?

I haven’t for quite a while.

 

[nice90sguy]

No, but I might PM the author. I'm happy to receive them, and always reply. I rarely vote, and I ONLY vote 5.

 

[BgDaddy33]

No, but I might PM the author. I'm happy to receive them, and always reply. I rarely vote, and I ONLY vote 5.

So I have run into this myself, someone PM-ing me instead of leaving a comment.

Can I ask you what compels you to do one over the other? Leaving a PM is not difficult, but it is more steps than leaving a comment. Curious why you prefer one over the other.

 

[RoperTrace]

I don’t do the posts during my writing time, and most of them take a lot less time than reading a story would. But go ahead and laugh.

Don't know why I'm throwing out critiques on your time management, when I haven't finished two different stories in months? You've been finishing and submitting stories.

 

[mpeters]

Don't know why I'm throwing out critiques on your time management, when I haven't finished two different stories in months? You've been finishing and submitting stories.

I don’t just write for Lit, I’m also working on a novel that’s very different. But I’ve been writing off and on for like 45 years now and am used to having deadlines to meet. Everyone’s different.

 

[SeraphNocturne]

@lovecraft68 , @joy_of_cooking , @AG31 , @seraph_nocturne , @lavendersilk , @Rob_Royale , @ElectricBlue , @K1tten92 , @forgotmyantidepressants , @RelentlessOnanism , @AshCardiff , @yowser , @rebelxcarpenter , @ph7000 , @genzsub , @DanDraper , @Gamblnluck , @Mogrem , @RoperTrace , @spiderwal , @Smuttyandfun

First of all thank you all for engaging and answering!

Do you think the scoring process gets in the way of people leaving comments? Makes it too easy for someone to choose one or the other instead of both?
Do you think the website could do anything to encourage feedback more? (ex: show the names of commenters only to the author in case they want to reply, but leave them out of public view...)

I think it could do an enormous amount to improve feedback, but Lit is in a system it’s been in for well over a decade, it works for them so they don’t see a reason to change it.

Statistic seem to lean that most traffic is random passerbys looking for a quick read, and there’s little to encourage them to sign up, vote or engage with authors at all. I’ve had sooo many readers tell me they weren’t even aware the site had a forum. If you’re writing for recognition it’s a slow build, your best bet is to try your hand at the big hitter categories (LW/IT), they have by far the largest followings on site. Everything else is a gamble of how well you tag, and the sort of work you put out. Stroker stories seem to get more bypass of recognition because they heavily saturate the collection of Literotica’s stories… a dime a dozen they are.

Series stories take time, but with effort you can reach a very responsive audience writing a longer, more complex piece of erotic literature over short strokers. That aside, I have seen ample short smut story writers reach a responsive audience, with a LOT of publishing and a lot of dedication to their chosen trope (most of those writers were either IT/LW authors, if it matters). People like what they like here. If you deliver that you’ll get regulars. Or, if you happen to write something substantially compelling, you’ll draw in loyalists on that front.

Best of luck with writing—and I haven’t forgotten to check out your work, I’ve just been busy out in the real world! And honestly I’ve been enjoying a nice break from the Literotica forum, a lot of my usual Lit companions have moved on to better pastures so I’ve been less pressed to frequent the forum. I imagine I’ll get a lot more writing done that way at least!

 

[Lady2020]

I did at one time. I don't read Lit stories much these days.

 

[nice90sguy]

So I have run into this myself, someone PM-ing me instead of leaving a comment.

Can I ask you what compels you to do one over the other? Leaving a PM is not difficult, but it is more steps than leaving a comment. Curious why you prefer one over the other.

I prefer PM-ing because it can lead to discussion.

 

[Valdedeorsum23]

Instead of whining and complaining that my latest story has received zero comments despite the warm score reception, I like to ask instead:

For those of you that DO leave comments: What motivates you to leave a comment? Do you focus on the technical, the overall experience, the constructive critique?

For those of you who DON'T usually leave comments: First of all no hate your way (please people, maybe we can learn something) - what would help turn that around? Is there any reason (experienced or heresay) that would keep you from commenting? For example, someone once told me that they didn't leave comments so that others wouldn't be able to see what he was reading and judge him for it. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your replies (now watch this get no replies - )

I've never felt moved to comment. I'll give a story a star rating but to comment, not sure I'm qualified on the grammical front. If I don't like a story it's just an opinion, it's whether the writer likes it that counts and how many get read. If you get one comment that says 'Brilliant' but the rating is 3.1, surely the rating tells you more than the comment?

 

[BgDaddy33]

I've never felt moved to comment.

Never??

I'll give a story a star rating but to comment, not sure I'm qualified on the grammical front.

There *are* some grammar nazis out there but for the most part I don't think this is something you need to worry about.

If I don't like a story it's just an opinion, it's whether the writer likes it that counts and how many get read.

I disagree. A writer *writes* because he likes it. Because he/she enjoys writing. They post to *share* what they have written with others.

If you get one comment that says 'Brilliant' but the rating is 3.1, surely the rating tells you more than the comment?

I respectfully disagree with this even more. Not every story is going to be a hit. Not every story written will find a large audience that loves it. But *knowing* that there was somebody out there that your writing, your ideas connected with... well, that makes all the difference in the world.

We have different tastes and kinks than others, or we would all be writing in different forums. The same story you hate, may be the story someone else really likes and came to lit.com to find. If all that writer sees is a 3.1 how would he/she know what someone is waiting for more?

 

[Valdedeorsum23]

Never??


There *are* some grammar nazis out there but for the most part I don't think this is something you need to worry about.


I disagree. A writer *writes* because he likes it. Because he/she enjoys writing. They post to *share* what they have written with others.


I respectfully disagree with this even more. Not every story is going to be a hit. Not every story written will find a large audience that loves it. But *knowing* that there was somebody out there that your writing, your ideas connected with... well, that makes all the difference in the world.

We have different tastes and kinks than others, or we would all be writing in different forums. The same story you hate, may be the story someone else really likes and came to lit.com to find. If all that writer sees is a 3.1 how would he/she know what someone is waiting for more?

 

[Valdedeorsum23]

I'm new to writing stories. It was suggested to me by a tutor who thought my style of writing lent itself to writing a book. It's just the way i was writing my assignments for academic stuff. I thought I'd give short stories a go first to see how this goes.
I'm writing because I enjoy it, and writing about sex and spanking is something I have experience in, so it seems a fairly easy way to combine experience, fantasy and imagination to produce a story. It's gratifying if people like it, but I'm not bothered if they don't, if may just not be their cup of tea. But I suspect my ego is no different to anybody else's. If I got consistent scores below 4, I would probably stop to be honest.
I'd put some blogs on another site, under stories, and had a reasonable response although couldn't really gauge the readership as a percentage of anything. One person who commented had done proof reading professionally, she was really helpful.
I started on Literotica about a month ago and the readership is way higher than the other site, but this is mostly a writing site, the other one isn't. I've also had a story returned because the grammar was crap, which it was. I took the advice on board, sorted it out, and it's probably my most popular one to date.
Something I hadn't fully appreciated is how invested people get with stories. If they don't like the story arc they tell you what's wrong with it. That's fine but it's not real, it's all fiction, so the story arc is what it is from my imagination.
It's all a learning curve though.

 

[AG31]

If I got consistent scores below 4, I would probably stop to be honest.

How will you know whether you're getting consistent scores below 4, or 6 scores of 5 and 5 scores of 1? I.e., your story arouses a strong response?

 

[BgDaddy33]

How will you know whether you're getting consistent scores below 4, or 6 scores of 5 and 5 scores of 1? I.e., your story arouses a strong response?

Exactly. If there was only a way for people to tell you how they felt about your story in addition to giving you a score...

 

[RoperTrace]

Exactly. If there was only a way for people to tell you how they felt about your story in addition to giving you a score...

???

 

[AG31]

???

You can't see individuals' scores.

 

[WeShallUnclench]

Frankly what would make me comment more is knowing whether or not comments are even welcome.

I mean, extrapolating from myself, I would say by default comments are extremely welcome.
The trouble is knowing what the author in question would appreciate. And with so many different authors, it's hard to tell.

I recently left a comment where I praised someone for two really fun plots twists, but also pointed out I wasn't a fan of how they wrote the story overall (too long for its content, "horny gushing stream of consciousness" proportion not ideal) while making it clear that was just my personal preference.
Should I just have said nothing? I could have just left the praise, but that would have left out a very big portion of what I actually think. In that spirit, I hope I communicated that if that's what the author was going for, it's fine, and just not the sort of thing I personally like.

On the other hand, there was a story I recently bookmarked and looked forward to reading. The protagonist and premise seemed fun. Already from the start, there were things I didn't like and KNEW the author could have done better. I wanted to write a comment to that effect, but then paused - Who am I to tell them how to write? And also, what if nobody else agrees with my criticism and it's just an unhelpful, personal nitpick?
I picked it up again a little later, and dammit, there was a passage I found so unpleasant (a guy ranting about his "slutty" cheating ex girlfriend, written in a way to make the guy sound sympathetic) I decided to drop the story entirely. To make sure, I jumped to the middle of the story (several chapters) to see if I was missing out, and nope, the scene I landed on was not promising.
Should I have commented, or was it better I stayed silent?

Other end of the spectrum: There was one (claimed) autobiographical story I really loved, the comment that came to mind was "you absolute legend". I didn't post it, because - is that helpful? Does that not just ring hollow? I exaggerate a little, but is that not the literature comment section equivalent of a man yelling "nice ass!" at a random woman on the street?

 

[AG31]

Frankly what would make me comment more is knowing whether or not comments are even welcome.

I mean, extrapolating from myself, I would say by default comments are extremely welcome.
The trouble is knowing what the author in question would appreciate. And with so many different authors, it's hard to tell.

I completely agree. I'm personaly eager for any kind of feedback. Even if I don't find anything of use, I find the variety of reactions interesting. But I would just love for people to tell me when they find something awkward or confusing, etc.

On the other hand, it's very clear that a lot of people react pretty strongly to any kind of less than positive feedback. So unless requested, I don't give it.

Sometimes I've thought about (and maybe did it... not sure) asking if they'd like feedback on diddley squat via a DM. I don't recall that anyone ever did - but maybe it's happened.

I wish there were a checkbox where you could indicate "Critical feedback encouraged" or something.