Nineteen-Year-Old Ramblings

[maggot420]

I noticed you too...and I know exactly what you mean when you say you feel invisible but you have enough personality that I'm sure that will change in time once the lovely people of Lit get to know you better.
I was going to try to talk to you but I didn't have the right software. PM me if you ever just want to vent. I have some personal experience with Aspergers.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I was looking at the top-rated romance stories one day after the close of the Valentine's Day contest, and I saw that you had something like 5 or 6 stories in the top ten. You'd already won the Valentine's Day contest, you have God knows how many stories up, every one of them with an H, and you've been here not even a year.

It's kind of like you've swept through Literotica like the proverbial 600 pound gorilla and taken over the entire place. No one else even comes close.

No offense, but your posts make it seem that you're quite satisfied with yourself and your genre, with no doubts or real concerns about your output, and so there seems to be little room for any input from any of us rather obsolete old-timers.

Just what does one say to someone like you? About all we can do is bow down and leave, making sure that the door doesn't hit us in the ass on the way out.

You have a tremendous talent and the output to go with it and an army of loyal fans. Do I resent it? Fuck yes. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. And you should be aware that you'll probably stir up that kind of resentment wherever you go.

It's a shame that writing has to feel like a competition with other writers, because really it's not. Everyone has their own style and is only in competition with themselves. But that fact is, we set things up competitively, and no one can win without someone losing. I fully expect you to sweep the Annual Awards. You probably deserve it, but you can most certainly expect more resentment for that.

So how should you handle it? Well, the usual way is with grace and graciousness. Here that involves helping others, a little modesty, and a willingness to give as well as take. I'm not saying you don't have those. I'm just saying they haven't been much in evidence from what I've seen on this board. You have a tremendous gift, but that gift comes at a price: the resentment and envy of others. You can ignore this, you can flaunt your talent (which seems to be in fashion these days), or you can cultivate modesty and humility, which really is the best way to handle it.

Anyhow, that's my take. As for your age, I never saw that as being of any importance at all. It's your overwhelming popularity and the way you've just taken over.

---dr.M.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I had turned 19 just a week before joining Lit, and I don't think anyone ever treated me any differently because of my age...

 

[cloudy]

We haven't always gotten along, so you can read what I have to say, or skip over it - it's up to you.

As others have already said, your age matters to no one but you. As long as you are 18 or older, Lit says it's fine for you to be here, and I assume that's just hunky dory for everyone else, too. Please stop making it an issue. Maturity has very little to do with chronological age, and I mean that going both ways. There are very mature 16 year olds, and there are very immature 40 year olds. People here might have guessed you were rather young, but we never would have known but that you told us - over and over again.

As Dr. M. said, modesty and helpfulness go a long ways. There are many, many talented writers that post here in AH. Personally, I don't see any of them as my "competition." They are my friends. When someone here wins something, the outpouring of congratulations is amazing, and I'm also willing to bet that they're all very sincere. I'm very happy for one of my friends here to win something. Do I wish I'd win more often? Sure, I wouldn't be human if I didn't, but that doesn't mean I begrudge them their accomplishments.

I've not read anything you've written, simply because the romance category doesn't appeal to me. You may be very talented, I'm not the one to judge that, but it seems to me that you've told us over and over again how talented you are. Rather than doing that, why don't you let us find that out for ourselves? It's nice to have self-confidence, but there is a fine line between self-confidence and boasting. I'm not judging you, or trying to come down on you, I promise, just trying to help. Sometimes your posts come across as very defensive and almost like you're bragging, whether you intend it to be that way or not. Read some of the posts by some of the more prolific writers here - Colleen Thomas comes to my mind first. She's a very, very talented author, but I'd be willing to bet that you won't find a single post where she's boasted of her talent. In fact, she's very self-effacing. I'm not going to tell you to be like her, because you should always be yourself, but it's not going to sit well with others when you assume automatically that you're a better writer than they are, or that they see you as competition.

I bet there's very few, if any, here who see you that way. I don't. You may be a better writer than I am, I have no idea, and I really don't care if you are or not. I'm writing and working on my skills for me, not to beat anyone else at anything. I loved it when I won in the Halloween Contest, but I don't assume that means I'm better than anyone else.

Step back for a moment, try to read what you've written in your first post in this thread, and pretend that someone else wrote it, and imagine how you would react to it. It's hard to be objective, I know, but if you let it sit for a day or so, you may be able to.

Posts get skipped in the chaos sometimes....it happens to everyone. But you might think about how you're presenting yourself here, and whether that's the problem, and not that we're so insecure that we dislike having another author here.

My two cents, take it or leave it.

 

[Kate.E]

I had turned 19 just a week before joining Lit, and I don't think anyone ever treated me any differently because of my age...

Ummm ... I did.

 

[Guest]

http://www.attitude-tees.com/Attitude-Tees/panties.gif

Perdita

 

[Kate.E]

*Chuckles*
As long as they are not granny pants

 

[TellMeATale]

A very interesting thread.....it's so nice to see the honesty, sincerity and maturity of those who've had similar feelings and/or experiences not only share them but use them in a positive way. All of us have suffered bumps in the road while growing, it's called the learning process. It's how we learn and hopefully evolve into a well-rounded, caring adult. I think most of us, regardless of age, can take something positive away from what's been said here.

To Perdida....you could send Brightly some of your panties but judging by what I've read I'm positive SHE'S long past diapers!!!!

 

[brightlyiburn]

Thank you, Dr. M, for your candid honesty.
I disagree with you on one point however. You are going to flatten me like a little newbie pancake in the polls.
I'm sorry for the way I might have come off. It wasn't my intention. As I said, I'm not what you'd call the most socially competant person. I don't always realize how what I'm saying might sound. I will work on it. However, I can't fix a problem I don't know about. All you ever need to do is say something. I may not like it, but that doesn't mean I won't listen. Even if I don't seem responsive, I do think about it.
I think I'll do as Carson suggested and put together a little information on Aspergers. Since you all took the time to give me some insight into what you think and how you're feeling, I'll try to do the same. I've had so much ill experience that I'll admit, I've kind of fallen into the habit of expecting that people won't understand. That was wrong, and I apologize for that, as well.
Again, thank you to the people who took some time to offer some useful advice.

 

[impressive]

I think I'll do as Carson suggested and put together a little information on Aspergers.

That couldn't hurt. I have a little experience with disabilities that affect social interactions. (Well, really, they ALL do ... given society's reaction to anyone that's "different.") Anything that increases awareness is always welcome.

 

[Huckleman2000]

http://www.attitude-tees.com/Attitude-Tees/panties.gif

Perdita

LOL - No offense, BIB, but that pic made me laugh hard.

It reminds me of a favorite saying - If you want to piss like a big dog, you've got to lift your leg. (meaning, for my penile-challenged sisters, to leave yourself in a pretty vulnerable position, re: your nuts vis-a-vis others' boots)

This post comes across way more harsh than I mean it to - you'll all just have to take my word on that. I do have empathy, but it snorts out my nose sometimes.

 

[Lovepotion69]

Brightly,
I haven't been around the AH much lately, so had no clue who you were until I read your Valentine's Day stories. As my previous PM to you said; I got hooked on the stories! I very much enjoyed them and your talent is obvious. You also seem to have created a solid fanbase with your writing and be proud of your work.

When I saw you had begun posting in the AH was thrilled to see your name. Thought "oh, cool, then I can get to know her a little". Always nice to get to know the writer.

In all honesty though, many of the posts I read from you were in the V-day thread. You seemed quite mad in majority of the posts, and that made me react. For a period there - and I mean no offence - you sounded a bit too whining. I figured you probably just had a bad day or took your writing VERY seriously

Do like the others have told you; post in various threads on the AH. Just for fun. Read what other have to say, even if it's absolutely stupid/silly stuff. It's all for a laugh. We can be serious, silly, crazy, and yes, occasionally mean. Like someone said a while back; we're like a big family.

And trust me we've all felt left out as newbies, and maybe even nowadays occasionally. I recall starting my own thread once saying I felt left out and ignored. It's part of the process. Participate and after a while people will get to know you and you'll get to know them.

/LP

 

[hotchkiss]

19, oh sweet 19, don't knock it because far too soon you'll wake up and realise that theres more years behind you on the three score and ten march than are in front of you!

Make the most of what you've got B

And as for height when I was nineteen I was 5' 2" and attained the dizzy height of 5' 6.5" so theres hope.

Just have fun on Lit

 

[Lovepotion69]

I was 5"4 at 15. I got stuck there.

 

[brightlyiburn]

And as for height when I was nineteen I was 5' 2" and attained the dizzy height of 5' 6.5" so theres hope.

Unfortunately in my family, getting older only means getting shorter. We're The Amazing Shrinking Family

 

[oggbashan]

Ancient Ramblings

So you feel ignored?

It happens to all of us. We post to a thread and it dies. Was it me? Was it something I said or did? Have I upset someone? We try to rationalise but there is no real reason that some posts get answered and some get ignored.

Perhaps the people who would have acknowledged or replied are not around at the time I posted and the thread inexorably slips down and off the first page while I worry that I wrote something wrong.

Threads and posts either attract someone to respond or they don't. They live for a while and then die until someone resurrects them two years later and you are slapped in the face by your two-year-old opinions.

I and everyone else here has to recognise that not everything we write in the AH is going to get the response we want or any response at all. It doesn't matter in the overall scheme of Literotica. With posts you either catch the mood of the moment or you don't.

What is more important is how your stories are regarded. Look at my list of stories. Count the percentage of Hs. Look at your own. Count your percentage. Your ratings may fluctuate. The trolls may strike from time to time and their work is swept away. It doesn't matter - whenever you look you will have far more H rated stories than I have. That is the true measure of how your work is regarded on Literotica.

The only indication of your youth, apart from your own mentions of it, is that you cannot see that you are already one of the most successful writers on Literotica. Believe in yourself and the other things that worry you will be in perspective.

Og

 

[carsonshepherd]

Ogg-

your post was perfect. Can you solve my problems now too?

 

[tolyk]

Ogg-

your post was perfect. Can you solve my problems now too?

Carson, I don't think he wants to sleep with you.

 

[oggbashan]

Ogg-

your post was perfect. Can you solve my problems now too?

Er... How about someone solving mine? Like how to get more Hs? and...

I'm having trouble communicating with the spiders who are trying to sing Happy Birthday to Lisa and f**king each other simultaneously. I think they should concentrate on one activity at a time - that's good advice for all of us.

Og

 

[carsonshepherd]

Carson, I don't think he wants to sleep with you.

I have more than one problem, but thanks for the advice.

 

[oggbashan]

Carson, I don't think he wants to sleep with you.

Too true, but neither do I want to sleep with anyone else who isn't old enough to understand that an ancient relic like me actually needs sleep and does not use the word as a euphemism for other activities.

Helen of Troy is just about old enough. Cleopatra is a thousand or so years too young.

Og

 

[BlackShanglan]

Ugh, Og. (I just liked the eupohony). You make me feel antique. I am well beneath the century mark, but I have already a strong respect for sleep. How else will I have my energy for a few hours of rough chastisement?

Shanglan

 

[BlackShanglan]

I have more than one problem, but thanks for the advice.

Hmmm. I can get rid of one of your nagging, annoying problems, but I would miss you terribly. Mind if I keep hanging around?



Shanglan

 

[carsonshepherd]

Hmmm. I can get rid of one of your nagging, annoying problems, but I would miss you terribly. Mind if I keep hanging around?



Shanglan

Awwwww!

*flogflog*

 

[BlackShanglan]

Awwwww!

*flogflog*

I'll take that as a YES!