Pink Orchid 2024: Story Event for Women-Centric Erotica - Official Support Thread

[Omenainen]

Will there be a 750 word event next year? I have a story which should fit both Pink Orchid and 750 words. Hope they overlap.

I think so, and they have overlapped in the past because that’s also in February. We’ll know for certain when 2024 contest schedules comes out. I don’t have any inside info.

 

[Omenainen]

I have the same worry about writing female characters. I do my best by just writing people, but adding a "female gaze" heavily influenced by what my wife tells me she likes.

Ah, luxury [insert 3 yorkshireman sketch quote] I'm just winging it without feedback, but good that your missus is weighing in. In the end, it's not that we do, but that we try?

Well, I have offered to beta read any event stories. If y’all think “winging it without feedback” is better than with my feedback, then I won’t hold it against you. The above just comes off as woe is me, no help is available, so I thought I’d point it out again.

 

[StillStunned]

Well, I have offered to beta read any event stories. If y’all think “winging it without feedback” is better than with my feedback, then I won’t hold it against you. The above just comes off as woe is me, no help is available, so I thought I’d point it out again.

Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as whiny. I meant it more as an area where I pay particular attention to getting it right, and I explain my approach:

just writing people, but adding a "female gaze" heavily influenced by what my wife tells me she likes.

and in another post:

It's listening to my wife tell me what turns her on: my hands, my legs, how I smell. Then other bits and bobs about men she thinks are good-looking, or are good dressers, or have a nice voice. That's what I try to channel in my female POV characters.

But when I get round to writing the story I actually have planned for Pink Orchid, I might ask you to take a look.

 

[ArdentHemingway]

just winging it without feedback

That's my usual technique. Though I have used the editor program for some stories which I thought needed some expert attention (and rightly so).
On the other hand, I don't just whip one out and submit it either -- I re-read and tweak over a period of months at least (usually).
But, yeah, for Pink Orchid, I'm having my two entries beta read.

I'm of the opinion that all stories will benefit from sitting on a shelf for a cooling off period and then being groomed before being submitted even if you are your own beta reader.

 

[Omenainen]

I wanted to share with you guys this comment I just had on my last Pink Orchid story (emphasis is mine):

by Juicyplay on 11/28/2023

This is just so beautifully hot and subtle at the same time. So liberating for straight men, too - thank you! I am voting for you. And I just love this quote: "Why would it be slutty to have things done to his anus, when it felt normal to do things to hers? Why was he having these metaphysical conversations with himself when he was having his ass fucked in the most delicious way? Oo, and here came another finger."

I swear I didn’t aim at liberating straight men it was an entirely unintended byproduct.

 

[StillStunned]

Straight men probably most need liberating from themselves.

 

[ArdentHemingway]

My next wife will be more into giving and getting ass-play.

 

[StillStunned]

"The Code" is up: https://literotica.com/s/the-code-1
Tagged Pink Orchid, even though I'm ahead of the actual event. It's about a massage therapist wrestling with an ethical dilemma.

Apparently Eastern hemisphere readers like my story more than those on the Western hemisphere. Ratings soared this morning, for 4.8 after 10 ratings. Since early afternoon (European time) it's just gone down and down.

 

[Trionyx]

Apparently Eastern hemisphere readers like my story more than those on the Western hemisphere. Ratings soared this morning, for 4.8 after 10 ratings. Since early afternoon (European time) it's just gone down and down.

This is fairly common. Perhaps your followers got to the story first and were more generous than the random readers who came along later.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

I now have a premise. I think it can give rise to a story. I've written the opening scene. So far, I like it. There's now a definite maybe that I can make this into something by February.

I'm having trouble, though, on how to work in space hippies.

 

[StillStunned]

This is fairly common. Perhaps your followers got to the story first and were more generous than the random readers who came along later.

Stop making sense. I prefer my own unfounded reasoning.

 

[ArdentHemingway]

Oh those spaced hippies. Not spayed hippies?

 

[Omenainen]

I’m sad to say that I did not write about space hippies. I hope some of you do.

 

[StillStunned]

I've decided to weave "space hippy" into my narrator's backstory.

 

[ArdentHemingway]

Aha! Yes! A Space Hippy themed swing party! That can work.

P.S. Just watched "The Way to Eden" (Star Trek TOS) for source material.

 

[StillStunned]

Sure there is. Here’s all pink orchid stories so far: https://tags.literotica.com/pink orchid/

It’s probably not the most used in searches (yet!), but I think it’s well worth having, and definitely if you’re having trouble coming up with ten tags.

"The Code" just hit 10k views after being up for only four days. That's significantly outperforming any of my other stories in Erotic Couplings. I don't know whether it's because of the "pink orchid" tag, but I'll gladly let you take the credit for it.

 

[EroticCupcake]

Posted early under Pink Orchid.

https://literotica.com/s/love-is-easy-01-dresden-problems

Will try to write follow ups for official event.

Edited to add context. This is the last Romance / China piece I plan to write before retiring to a life of writing simple smut.

 

[Morevinila]

Hello
I have been reading stories on Literrotica for a long time but I am a newbie as far as writing is concerned. i have written some pieces which I was considering posting but for some unknown reason, I can't get through to editors to advise before actual posting.
I have a piece that may fit in with the pink orchid theme but I'm not rally sure. I have not gone through all the posts in this thread but from what I have gathered, the initiator of this post (Omenainen if I'm not mistaken) has proposed to have a look at stories to see if they fit and also generally advise on content.
So if this stands, I would like to know how to proceed - and if anybody else is ready to help with editing (this story and others I have written), I would be glad to hear from you.
Thank you.

 

[StillStunned]

Simply being concerned about what you're writing probably means you're already being more careful than quite a few writers here. I suggest writing your stories, and the using Word's Read Aloud function (or another text-to-speech tool) and going through the whole text word for word. This will help you catch typos, redundancies and clumsy sentences and paragraphs.

Then just publish. See what feedback you get, and if necessary consider asking an editor for help. Maybe read your story again, online, before you start on the next one. You might notice things you'll want to keep an eye out for anything you think you should do better when you start writing again.

Speaking as a professional editor, I wouldn't let the lack of an editor stop you from publishing. I wrote this in another thread the other day:

Simply being concerned about what you're writing probably means you're already being more careful than quite a few writers here. I suggest writing your stories, and the using Word's Read Aloud function (or another text-to-speech tool) and going through the whole text word for word. This will help you catch typos, redundancies and clumsy sentences and paragraphs.

Then just publish. See what feedback you get, and if necessary consider asking an editor for help. Maybe read your story again, online, before you start on the next one. You might notice things you'll want to keep an eye out for anything you think you should do better when you start writing again.

 

[ArdentHemingway]

I can't get through to editors

I'm in the editor program, you should be able to find me there.
And Omenainen has kindly beta read two stories for me.

My biggest suggestion is to let a story sit for a while and then read it afresh to see if it still looks right.

 

[Omenainen]

Hello
I have been reading stories on Literrotica for a long time but I am a newbie as far as writing is concerned. i have written some pieces which I was considering posting but for some unknown reason, I can't get through to editors to advise before actual posting.
I have a piece that may fit in with the pink orchid theme but I'm not rally sure. I have not gone through all the posts in this thread but from what I have gathered, the initiator of this post (Omenainen if I'm not mistaken) has proposed to have a look at stories to see if they fit and also generally advise on content.
So if this stands, I would like to know how to proceed - and if anybody else is ready to help with editing (this story and others I have written), I would be glad to hear from you.
Thank you.

Hi and welcome! You can send me a PM and I’ll send you my email for beta reading

I’m not an editor and I’m not a native English speaker, so I’ll comment on how it fits the event themes and on things like characterization and pacing and such. But I’ll gladly take a look at what you’re thinking might fit the event. Also, I second what others have said - it’s not so serious, you can publish even if it’s not perfect and even if you don’t manage to find and editor. I’ve heard they’re hard to find.

 

[alohadave]

i have written some pieces which I was considering posting but for some unknown reason, I can't get through to editors to advise before actual posting.

Finding editors can be tough. You don't need to use them to post a story, so if you think you can self edit well enough, just go for it.

 

[Devinter]

Hi and welcome! You can send me a PM and I’ll send you my email for beta reading

I’m not an editor and I’m not a native English speaker, so I’ll comment on how it fits the event themes and on things like characterization and pacing and such. But I’ll gladly take a look at what you’re thinking might fit the event. Also, I second what others have said - it’s not so serious, you can publish even if it’s not perfect and even if you don’t manage to find and editor. I’ve heard they’re hard to find.

I think it's amazing how incredibly helpful you are towards people wanting to participate in this challenge. I just wanted to say that publicly. You deserve so much credit for the commitment you show, and the compassion you give to others in need of help. Not only that, your advice and guidance are of the highest level. I have the greatest respect for you.

 

[Morevinila]

I'm in the editor program, you should be able to find me there.
And Omenainen has kindly beta read two stories for me.

My biggest suggestion is to let a story sit for a while and then read it afresh to see if it still looks right.

Thanks for your reply - would you be agreeable to act as editor for the story I am considering for Pink Orchid? And may be also, if you are have time and are willing, for some other stories too.
If yes, how should we proceed?

 

[ArdentHemingway]

how should we proceed?

https://www.literotica.com/faq/volunteer-editor-program/find-an-editor

Try this? : https://www.literotica.com/my/#/editors/contact-editor/?userid=3339990