Inexplicably popular stories (of yours)

[StillStunned]

I like the stories that I post here, obviously. Still, whenever someone gives one of them 4 or 5 stars, deep down I can't help wondering whether my wife hasn't created half a dozen accounts just to vote, so that I don't feel bad.

 

[MillieDynamite]

My Mum wrote several of her FanFics in the first person present tense. Very compelling and when it has action, keeps right on the edge.

That is a rookie mistake. But present tense stories sound like a conversation when done right

 

[madelinemasoch]

I think my current Cuckold Camp chapters are far better than my current The Gauntlet chapters, and better still than my old Black & White story, but both exceed the former in ratings nowadays. Gauntlet pushes 4, Cuckold Camp is less than 3. Black & White chapter 5 had a red H for many months before I posted more and garnered a hate mob.

I swear, I could've started with a different idea than Cuckold Camp and maybe it wouldn't have been so vitriolic a response. But maybe it would've been worse. Those old ideas were just as brutal...

 

[Smuttyandfun]

My two most viewed and most favorited stories are not my highest rated.

Sexy Sadie, about a guy hooking up with his kinky mother-in-law during the pandemic has over 200k hits and 214 favorites and it's scored 4.59.

Breeding Bull, about a guy with a breeding fetish has over 167K hits and 298 favorites and it's scored 4.56.

From everything I've written, these two are probably the ones that people read the most, though they're obviously not my best work.

 

[Rob_Royale]

The only one that surprises me is Famine to Feast. It's got a red H but I don't feel it deserves it. I was writing three stories at a once and getting nowhere fast and just decided to finish one and get it over with. I totally phoned in the ending. A couple commenters called me out on it too. I will eventually submit an edited version with a better ending.

 

[SimonDoom]

Not a huge fan myself, but what really does aggravate me is when a writer can't make up their mind so they keep switching back and forth, sometimes mid sentence.

I just cannot stand it when this happens, and it happens very, very often.

The other mistake authors make, even experienced authors, is the failure to use the correct coordinated tenses when they write in the present tense. They often use the wrong perfect tense with the present tense. It's why I think it's better for authors to stick to the past tense unless they understand how to use the present tense and are extremely attentive when they do.

 

[luv2custrip]

My story “Yes Mr. Johnson” about a girl posing nude in a museum exhibit started out around 4.14; one negative comment. Now it’s gone to 4.56 in a few weeks. There’s some ebb and flow that I don’t get.

 

[luv2custrip]

The only one that surprises me is Famine to Feast. It's got a red H but I don't feel it deserves it. I was writing three stories at a once and getting nowhere fast and just decided to finish one and get it over with. I totally phoned in the ending. A couple commenters called me out on it too. I will eventually submit an edited version with a better ending.

I’ve tried to edit two stories and they are trapped in the Ninth Circle of approval Hell.

 

[madelinemasoch]

I’ve tried to edit two stories and they are trapped in the Ninth Circle of approval Hell.

How long have they been there?

 

[Rob_Royale]

I’ve tried to edit two stories and they are trapped in the Ninth Circle of approval Hell.

I've had two edited stories go through. Both times they took about a month. But I knew that going in so it was no big deal.

 

[madelinemasoch]

I've had two edited stories go through. Both times they took about a month. But I knew that going in so it was no big deal.

That's ridiculous...

Here I was thinking four days was a long time.

If you submit something else during that time, does it post faster than the edited one?

 

[Rob_Royale]

That's ridiculous...

Here I was thinking four days was a long time.

If you submit something else during that time, does it post faster than the edited one?

Yes. My new story submissions are posted in 2-4 days, and the edit is left in the pending tab. I totally get it though. New stuff should get priority and edits they get to whenever they get a free moment. Not a big deal for me. I know this site is a ton of work for two people so I don't complain.

 

[madelinemasoch]

Yes. My new story submissions are posted in 2-4 days, and the edit is left in the pending tab. I totally get it though. New stuff should get priority and edits they get to whenever they get a free moment. Not a big deal for me. I know this site is a ton of work for two people so I don't complain.

It's like imposing a month-long hiatus on a chapter series...

Good thing I have another.

 

[madelinemasoch]

https://media.tenor.com/0scRVp7mXMIAAAAd/walder-got.gif

 

[MrPixel]

My story “Yes Mr. Johnson” about a girl posing nude in a museum exhibit started out around 4.14; one negative comment. Now it’s gone to 4.56 in a few weeks. There’s some ebb and flow that I don’t get.

Probably due to a "sweep" or two. I had one jump +0.20 just this week from an apparent clearing of spurious votes.

 

[Duleigh]

You know which one I'm going to mention

 

[MediocreAuthor]

You know which one I'm going to mention

Ahahaha!!! Duleigh, you know I love you and your writing, but yes... that story is straight up pookie-dooks!

It's currently sitting at 4.34, and while that isn't WILDLY better than it deserves, it's higher than I would rate it

I once used this quote from the Simpsons to explain to LC why his NC/R story missed the mark for me. Your story also misses the mark in a similar way, although on the opposite end of the spectrum.

"Dad, I made fish sticks! They're burnt on the outside, but they're frozen in the center so it balances out!"

(For those of you who think I'm being unfairly cruel to Duleigh, just know that he is my surrogate Grandpa, and I love everything he's written that I've read [with one notable exception! ])

 

[Bamagan]

"Dad, I made fish sticks! They're burt on the outside, but they're frozen in the center so it balances out!"

Some people like that kind of dichotomy in their food. Like a hot fudge sundae, for example.

 

[luv2custrip]

I've had two edited stories go through. Both times they took about a month. But I knew that going in so it was no big deal.

Here I’m thinking I can go through one at a time— fix errors and make prior chapters lead in better. Maybe my August edit will be approved by Christmas.

 

[YDB95]

In terms of favorites, my Christmas story Forgiveness is my fourth-best ever. I don't dislike it by any means, but I never felt there was anything really special about it either. If I had to guess why it attracted so many favorites, it is much shorter than a lot of my work, which seems to be popular here.

In terms of ratings, the highest rated one I wouldn't have expected to be so is Mia's Complaint. Again, I don't dislike it, but I do think it kind of drags in places and I didn't think the sex scenes were anything special.

 

[StillStunned]

The other day, between dinner and bedtime, I wrote a bit of fluff called Lily in the Springtime. It seems to have hit the spot with readers. Views are soaring faster than anything else I've written, and in one day's time it's collected the highest number of ratings of any story I've ever posted here (except my very first one, which I've since removed).

Based on previous experiences, it's a bit of a surprise. Not that I'm complaining, of course. But I think it goes to show that readers appreciate the short, simple stuff too.

ETA: Is there any way I can change my screen name to Short and Simple?

 

[Kumquatqueen]

The only one that's really surprised me is my one attempt at incest. I knew I/T had more readers than most categories, but being used to getting maybe 10k views in a week, getting 100,000 and hundreds of votes in a couple days was a shock.

It's quite a sweet little story and probably deserves its H if you like the bro/sis thing (though some readers complained they didn't stay together as a couple), but I really didn't expect that level of readers - I got 70 new followers, at least 50 of which ran away after a few of my more usual stories with queer kink in the background, even if they aren't blatant gay/lesbian/bisexual/BDSM/fetish stories. And most of the rest after a femdom chastity enema porn story, despite readers liking that one for being sweet, caring and adorable...

 

[ElectricBlue]

That's ridiculous...

Here I was thinking four days was a long time.

If you submit something else during that time, does it post faster than the edited one?

Yes.

Edits are low priority, always have been. I've only done a few edits, but they've always taken at least two weeks. A new story, 2 - 3 days.

 

[ElectricBlue]

The other day, between dinner and bedtime, I wrote a bit of fluff called Lily in the Springtime. It seems to have hit the spot with readers. Views are soaring faster than anything else I've written, and in one day's time it's collected the highest number of ratings of any story I've ever posted here (except my very first one, which I've since removed).

Based on previous experiences, it's a bit of a surprise. Not that I'm complaining, of course. But I think it goes to show that readers appreciate the short, simple stuff too.

ETA: Is there any way I can change my screen name to Short and Simple?

Ask Laurel very nicely. She has changed Account Names without the owner raising a new account, but I suspect she wouldn't want to do it too often.

 

[Duleigh]

Wildly higher than it deserves? That would be Stormwatch - the Love Boat. It didn't quite have that "Stormwatch" feel to it and there's several glaring errors that should have been caught in final editing but I let them go