Pending Stories

[MillieDynamite]

Sounds robotic are usually short, simple sentences, such as "Good morning, Mr. Pheleps," would probably trigger a robotic yellow highlight. Short, common sentences used in lots of stories in exactly the same way trigger as robotic. That isn't really avoidable in some instances and shouldn't be the issue here. But then again, Who The Fuck knows?

Half a chapter in, it all says likely human but there is one sentence every other paragraph that "sounds too robotic". I guess I'm just a boring writing.

 

[SamBomb]

Have you had any notifications yet?

I'm still in the process, it only lets you put in like 500 words at a time. Every batch has a few sentences they claim is too robotic, which just happens to be how I write. It takes a few attempts to not make it that way

Halfway done, everything is likely human. I'll let you know once I post and the results. It will either be the end of my writing or a happy moment.

 

[SamBomb]

Sounds robotic are usually short, simple sentences, such as "Good morning, Mr. Pheleps," would probably trigger a robotic yellow highlight. Short, common sentences used in lots of stories in exactly the same way trigger as robotic. That isn't really avoidable in some instances and shouldn't be the issue here. But then again, Who The Fuck knows?

Exactly who knows!

"Yes, sir." gets flagged and it's frustrating.

 

[MillieDynamite]

In order for the notes to be seen, they must first get past the robot review. Catch 22 is a good book, but hard when it happens in real life.

Thanks for this. All the more frustrating when you’ve taken the time to put notes in that you think are being read!

 

[Deleted member 6736302]

In order for the notes to be seen, they must first get past the robot review. Catch 22 is a good book, but hard when it happens in real life.

Yep, really feels like that at the minute. So frustrating.

 

[MillieDynamite]

You don't have to take that out; those can't be hair that breaks the camel's back. (Talk about cliche) If it worries you, make it, "Yes, sir," he said as he slammed his fist to the desk or some other action to make it more than just those words. I wouldn't change it, though; I can't believe those are what get stories bounced.

Exactly who knows!

"Yes, sir." gets flagged and it's frustrating.

 

[Deleted member 6736302]

I'm still in the process, it only lets you put in like 500 words at a time. Every batch has a few sentences they claim is too robotic, which just happens to be how I write. It takes a few attempts to not make it that way

Halfway done, everything is likely human. I'll let you know once I post and the results. It will either be the end of my writing or a happy moment.

Thanks, will be really interested to see if you get through.

I actually put out a request for an editor as an advert to try and help work out what I’m doing wrong, I’ve also approached two editors, still not really getting anywhere.

Writing is normally a really pleasant experience for me, I’ve had things actually physically published in other fields for years but this has thrown me, never known it quite this frustrating. Maybe I’m just not cut out for Erotica…!

Maybe we need a support group

 

[Deleted member 6736302]

You don't have to take that out; those can't be hair that breaks the camel's back. (Talk about cliche) If it worries you, make it, "Yes, sir," he said as he slammed his fist to the desk or some other action to make it more than just those words. I wouldn't change it, though; I can't believe those are what get stories bounced.

You see, I have quite a lot of those as I like the use of dialogue and present much of the work in first/third person narratives. Therefore you do get a lot of short sentences.

I’ve also always believed in “show don’t tell” and try to keep it on point that way. Par example:

"I can help you with that”, Peta said. Sam looked up, confused. “I will help you get that erection to go. But you cannot go inside me."

Sam looked at her, bewildered by this sudden offer. "I'm not going to cheat on Hans," she clarified, (not fully, her inner voice said), her eyes fixed on his throbbing member. "You cannot fuck me. But," she continued, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper, "you can fuck my thighs."

"Fuck your thighs?" Sam asked, his confusion evident.

Peta nodded, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "I'll show you," she said, her voice filled with anticipation. "You'll enjoy it." With that, she stripped off her clothes and stood in the doorway to the kitchen, her naked body fully exposed. Sam was stunned. Peta beckoned him with a finger, and told him to stand behind her. He took off the rest of his clothes, and positioned himself behind her, Peta carefully aligning herself with the door frame.

Sam obediently stood behind her, his member still aching for release. Peta took hold of his throbbing shaft, carefully positioning it between her legs, with the tip protruding in front of her. She bent forward slightly, presenting herself to him, putting out her hands either side of the frame to steady herself. "Okay, Sam," she instructed, her voice dripping with desire. "Start thrusting."

So this is also how I paragraph things, keeping the paragraphs really specific between individuals’ dialogue.

When I first went through the AI-rejection with one of my parts, the responses were somewhat personal with regard to what I put in the note box. This time, I got the same message through both rejections. As it stands, I'm at day 7 of my third submission with this part so I'm expecting another rejection.

Tis all fun and games on the AI-rejection merry-go-round

Sorry to hear that Penguin. My third round of potential rejections too!

 

[Britva415]

Sounds robotic are usually short, simple sentences, such as "Good morning, Mr. Pheleps,"

Interesting. I haven't used G'ly so I wouldn't know what it considers a robotic sentence.

But when I read the reference to "robotic sounding sentences" above, it made me think of something generative AI does, which a shitload of (not the better) authors here also do. And those are the ones who get published.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Grammarly doesn't check for AI. I was talking about the sites that do check for AI.

Interesting. I haven't used G'ly so I wouldn't know what it considers a robotic sentence.

But when I read the reference to "robotic sounding sentences" above, it made me think of something generative AI does, which a shitload of (not the better) authors here also do. And those are the ones who get published.

 

[Britva415]

Grammarly doesn't check for AI. I was talking about the sites that do check for AI.

I thought Grammarly was identifying sentences for correction, and labeling them "sounds robotic," and generating corrections you can accept or reject, if you use the AI generative features of Grammarly.

Re-reading the string I now see a different tool was referenced.

I wonder if any of the sentences I was referring to "sound robotic" to AI detectors, or only to humans (or only to this human).

 

[Deleted member 6736302]

My journey with AI-Rejection since I first posted a story in September:

Part 1 - No AI Rejection

Part 2 - 1 AI Rejection, story was posted after a resubmission with a note attached.

Part 3 - 4 AI Rejections across a month, published on the fifth attempt with some small changes

Part 4 - No AI Rejection

Part 5 - 2 AI Rejections, third pending.

The lack of consistency is astounding and yet hilarious at the same time

Rough going tbh! Sorry Penguin.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I don't use Grammarly AI features. I write and let it recommend grammar changes, which I don't always accept. It doesn't check for robotic sentences; it makes some dreadful suggestions to improve clarity, usually changing clauses from the end to the beginning or the beginning to the end, which I always reject. There are about a dozen sites that you check for AI-sounding sentences.

I thought Grammarly was identifying sentences for correction, and labeling them "sounds robotic," and generating corrections you can accept or reject, if you use the AI generative features of Grammarly.

Re-reading the string I now see a different tool was referenced.

I wonder if any of the sentences I was referring to "sound robotic" to AI detectors, or only to humans (or only to this human).

 

[ElectricBlue]

You see, I have quite a lot of those as I like the use of dialogue and present much of the work in first/third person narratives. Therefore you do get a lot of short sentences.

Here's a thought - your dialogue is quite formal at times: "you cannot do that", "I will help you". But people don't talk like that. It's, "You can't do that", "I'll help you."

Look at the rest of your dialogue, and check that it reads as people would actually speak, less formal. I don't know if it is this that's triggering a bot, but it jumps out at me from your sample. That prose is very "structured" and "too grammatical", if you get my meaning. Loosen it up some, maybe?

 

[Deleted member 6736302]

Here's a thought - your dialogue is quite formal at times: "you cannot do that", "I will help you". But people don't talk like that. It's, "You can't do that", "I'll help you."

They definitely do talk like that if English wasn’t their first language - formal English is a something a multi lingual speaker will speak more of. It’s also a biographical story, so it’s based on actual dialogue between two real people.

But I can try and make it less…accurate?

Look at the rest of your dialogue, and check that it reads as people would actually speak, less formal. I don't know if it is this that's triggering a bot, but it jumps out at me from your sample. That prose is very "structured" and "too grammatical", if you get my meaning. Loosen it up some, maybe?

This is going to be difficult, I’ve paid really careful attention to it. Peta in that example is dual lingual Austrian, speaking German/English and they are undoubtedly formal when speaking in English. Sam is British/French-Caribbean and is in the same mould.

Other characters are more informal, for sure, but that’s part of their setup.

Thanks for your input though, I really appreciate it. It definitely hadn’t occurred to me that the dialogue itself sounded robotic.

I will give it some thought but it’s not going to be easy to get around something that is…well…realistic to this particular set of characters.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Thanks for your input though, I really appreciate it. It definitely hadn’t occurred to me that the dialogue itself sounded robotic.

I will give it some thought but it’s not going to be easy to get around something that is…well…realistic to this particular set of characters.

Sounds to me like you've got a double whammy, English as a second language. It's always tough to get that, "sounding right".

Many native English speakers aren't very good at written English, so it's an added burden if it's not your mother tongue. It might explain something though: "feels like a machine translation"? I have no idea what the fix might be.

 

[Britva415]

Here's a thought - your dialogue is quite formal at times: "you cannot do that", "I will help you". But people don't talk like that. It's, "You can't do that", "I'll help you."

I don't know if it would be flagged as "potentially AI generated," but it would be painful to read if there weren't really obvious and good reasons for the characters to be talking that way.

 

[Deleted member 6736302]

Sounds to me like you've got a double whammy, English as a second language. It's always tough to get that, "sounding right".

Many native English speakers aren't very good at written English, so it's an added burden if it's not your mother tongue. It might explain something though: "feels like a machine translation"? I have no idea what the fix might be.

I was sort of hoping I had captured something of that but I realise from that sample you won’t know that we also get some German and french phrases throughout the story that punctuates the more formal English on show.

I don't know if it would be flagged as "potentially AI generated," but it would be painful to read if there weren't really obvious and good reasons for the characters to be talking that way.

The sample above I gave - is it that bad?

If the answer is “yes”, then it requires a rethink as to how the writing progresses.

When it’s wrong, it’s wrong, and that requires a change in style/thought.

 

[ElectricBlue]

When it’s wrong, it’s wrong, and that requires a change in style/thought.

Sounds like you're beginning to realise that yes, it's a stylistic issue (compounded by ESL).

We've seen many writers struggling to get their stories through the AI blocker, and a common theme seems to be, "But that's how I write, that's my style, why should I change how I write?"

It's a fair question, but it might also be the nub of the problem, writing like an AI does, with its predictable, one style fits all, content. There's a trick to be learned somewhere, because look at all the stories getting through that don't get bounced. They must be "reading different", not "reading the same".

All you can do is persevere, I reckon, if you believe in yourself.

 

[Britva415]

The sample above I gave - is it that bad?

I don't know, I haven't read the story, but if the characters are obviously non-native English speakers, which is what I think you were saying earlier, then, it would be fine. These are characters who have a good reason which is not obscured or left out in the story to speak this way.

Definitely better than if a couple of characters who are presented as contemporary, casual native English speakers were speaking that way.

Some writers do that because they think it's "how you're supposed to write," without thinking about how the characters would actually talk.

 

[TakeItOrLeaveIt]

I'm still fairly new to this site, but I'm also seeing some weird behaviour.

I submitted a story (category 'Fetish') on the 11/02 and it is stuck there - still pending. However, a second submission (also categorised under 'Fetish') was flagged as 'New' in the pending folder within 12 hours and then went live this morning within 26 hours... Whilst that first story remains stuck in a weird state of limbo.

I have messaged Laurel, just to double check that I've not done something stupid, but I haven't had a response as of yet.

I appreciate that none of this advances the conversation here. But, as they say, misery loves company...

 

[Deleted member 6736302]

Welcome to the club!

 

[PenumbralVision]

I'm still fairly new to this site, but I'm also seeing some weird behaviour.

I submitted a story (category 'Fetish') on the 11/02 and it is stuck there - still pending. However, a second submission (also categorised under 'Fetish') was flagged as 'New' in the pending folder within 12 hours and then went live this morning within 26 hours... Whilst that first story remains stuck in a weird state of limbo.

I have messaged Laurel, just to double check that I've not done something stupid, but I haven't had a response as of yet.

I appreciate that none of this advances the conversation here. But, as they say, misery loves company...

The same happened to me as well. Strange that Doubly so, since they're written very similarly. I actually compared the two thoroughly but haven't really found any explanation why one was accepted within hours and one was rejected after being stuck in "pending" for almost two weeks.

 

[TakeItOrLeaveIt]

The same happened to me as well. Strange that Doubly so, since they're written very similarly. I actually compared the two thoroughly but haven't really found any explanation why one was accepted within hours and one was rejected after being stuck in "pending" for almost two weeks.

I've gone back and looked at the pending story and, as with you, my style does tend to be pretty consistent. I write a lot, not just for this site, and so my stylistic quirks are kinda baked in at this point (for better, or for worse).

I do tend to use repetition for narrative effect (for pacing, tension, etc.). Having re-read the pending story, there is an early paragraph where I use this technique. It isn't unique to my writing - as per my other other stories published here. But it does come very early in the text. I'm wondering if that is throwing the AI detection software.

But then again, I've not actually had a rejection. Perhaps the moderator is just so enjoying reading it, that he/she cannot bear to let it go

 

[Deleted member 6736302]

And there we go! Rejection number 3 for this part with the same generic message as the other two rejections.

Bloody called it.

The merry-go-round continues. This isn't even worth my God-damn time seeing as this seems like it's going to be a continuous issue for every part of this story I submit and I don't know if I can be bothered to keep fighting it, but I want to finish this story.

Catch 22 if every there was one.

Bloody bonkers if you ask me. It will just put people off entirely from trying. If that’s the actual aim, it’s working.

Meanwhile I am now approaching another week in “pending”.