Support the AH Halloween Contestants Thread

[impressive]

I'm on strike ...

Was uni-bombed over night & I'm so pissed off. My story was doing SO well, too. It's disheartening.

I approached the contest with a sincere desire to see EVERYONE do well -- and was working my way through the list, leaving sincere PCs and votes. The thanks I get? Bombed.

So, now I'm only doing reciprocal reads. If I get feedback/votes, I'll give feedback/votes. The hell with it. I'm tired of giving giving giving and not even getting the courtesy of a view in return. No more.

 

[Guest]

Anonymous voting sucks doesn't it? I had the same attitude going into this. Now I just don't care anymore. How can you have a contest and expect honest results like this?

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I know, the 1-bombing sucks. But you know, most of us also get 5-bombed by our friends, and no one seems to complain about that.

If the 1-bombing were consistent on all stories, then it would just be part of the cost of doing business here. That's the way I think of it. You've just got to expect that in the 25 vote minimum, a few will be bombs.

---dr.M.

 

[My Erotic Tail]

Votes~

I know, the 1-bombing sucks. But you know, most of us also get 5-bombed by our friends, and no one seems to complain about that.

If the 1-bombing were consistent on all stories, then it would just be part of the cost of doing business here. That's the way I think of it. You've just got to expect that in the 25 vote minimum, a few will be bombs.

---dr.M.

The Doc's right~

I've done these contests for over a year
and every story Ive submitted has been
bombed...with a couple 1's and rarely
get the 25 votes needed to be eligable
(still trying to achieve that) while others
say they have 425 votes...wow...
so I except that and try and enjoy the
gathering and the tles for the season.

Not so much trying to win...that will not
be obtainable for me..he he he
but to enjoy the write/reads/ seasonal
spirit...I have learned to write for enjoyment
not for points...

I had a story that got almost 100 votes one time
but had only two comments....both were
critical on grammer yet my score was great
so two bad comments and 98 good votes..
it's always differently the same...he he

I never win...I rarely get the votes needed
but I enjoy the stories and the spirit of the
season...so elbows up and type away...
enjoy each and every story, the energy, effort,
thought, time and tale that so many have put
into this isn't wasted...it's a halloween gathering
of writers...pretty cool huh? .......scarey........

 

[Boxlicker101]

I know, the 1-bombing sucks. But you know, most of us also get 5-bombed by our friends, and no one seems to complain about that.

If the 1-bombing were consistent on all stories, then it would just be part of the cost of doing business here. That's the way I think of it. You've just got to expect that in the 25 vote minimum, a few will be bombs.

---dr.M.

Sometimes the "five bombs" are a matter of "See what I am doing for you? Now be nice and do the same for me." Usually, though, I believe they are legitimate expressions of opinion. A one vote can be a legitimate expression also but If I have, for instance, thirty votes on a story, all fours and fives, and a single, anonymous one, I have to think the person who voted the one had a reason that had nothing to do with the story.

 

[Black Tulip]

My Erotic Tail,

Totally off topic: I love the seasonal touch to your sig!

I think this is the first time I lost track of whether I got bombed or not. Most comments are nice, and lots of views. And it was fun writing.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Re: I'm on strike ...

Was uni-bombed over night & I'm so pissed off. My story was doing SO well, too. It's disheartening.

I approached the contest with a sincere desire to see EVERYONE do well -- and was working my way through the list, leaving sincere PCs and votes. The thanks I get? Bombed.

So, now I'm only doing reciprocal reads. If I get feedback/votes, I'll give feedback/votes. The hell with it. I'm tired of giving giving giving and not even getting the courtesy of a view in return. No more.

I have two private trolls, who start nearly every story I post out with a couple of ones. Sometimes a disparageing pc if they are feeling froggy. Big deal, I delete the pc's, ignore the nasty feedbacks and let the rest of the votes pull the ones up. To get upset over it just lets them win a small, mean victory. I prefer to let them loose a small mean loss.

My contest entries Always attract bombs. Some of it is my normal trolls, some of it is pretty obviously from your random trolls who seem to think blasting contest entries is a sacred mission and a very few I think, come from other authors. Again, big deal. It's going to happen. If I see a certain author has sumbmitted a story for the contest, I know, any story that has a better score than their's will get bombed. It's going to happen, as sure as daylight.

While dislikeing trolls is a major sport here, one must be very careful not to pass on the angst you feel against them to people who have nothing to do with it. Your average Ah author wants you to do well, just as much as they want to do well. Your vote totals and average are a reflection of that, as surely as they are a reflection of the troll's dirty work. When Laurel sweeps next, many of the bombs will get removed.

I never look at my averages during a contest, it isn't worth the aggravation. I check my PC's, to make sure Annon isn't at work and check until I get the 25 votes needed, then I forget about them until the contest is over.

If you are watching them closely, it's true you will know when you have been one bombed, but considering your options of dealing with it are so few, it seems to me to be inviting stress you don't need.

Write for yourself. Submit to the contests for the fun of sharing with your fellow authors, but don't sweat the numbers. That will just lead to aggravation and anger and will sour the spirit of fun and sharing the contests generate among us.

-Colly

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Don't seem to be getting as many reads as in past contests. "The Moth's Song" has been up for 4 days and only has 2000 views. Only 2 comments, too. Pretty disappointing.

And here I thought it was a pretty catchy title.

---dr.M.

I've noticed that too Doc. It's only my second halloween contest, but it does seem to be down. I've noticed it with most everything posted this last 3 to 4 months.

I can't help but wonder if this isn't the result of it being an election year in the US? Not that porn is any less popular, but it seems to me the continuing media circus, the scandals, slips, etc. have become something of national theatre. Entertainment enough perhaps to keep some readers from their normal activities and important enough to some (my particular audience especially) to keep them too busy to be reading porn?

-Colly

 

[oggbashan]

Rules for the coveted Last Place...

Normal Rules for Last Place contest.
****
Here they are:
Order for coming last:

Lowest voted rating for a genuine attempt at a story multiplied by number of votes if less than 25 divided by 25.

So - if rating is 3.00 but only 12 votes the score would be

3.00 x 12 / 25 = 1.44

If rating is 3.00 but more than 25 votes, the rating stays the same.

I suggest ignoring number of reads except as a tie breaker when least number of reads would *win*.
****

Og (who always tries to come last with at least one entry)

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Greetings,

I don't have the self-descipline of Colly and Co.. Until the story falls off the New List, I check it regularly. For me, it's fascinating, like watching a roller coaster or, in the case of my stories, maybe a train wreck. I entered this year just to be a part of the contest, and because Colly bugged me. I'm not entering the NaNoWriMo contest. As I mentioned in that thread, it's so time consuming, it'd cut out half my sex life and I can't decided which half to give up, the half I dream about or the half I lie about.

Truth be told, I enjoy all the BS and support on threads like this one. That's not to say I wouldn't like to win. I long for a W or an E on my list of stories. But I also long to have wild sex with Charlize Theron. At least I have a prayer of getting a W or E.

My story's voting pattern in this contest was typical. Started out at about 4.70. Then the trolls hit and it fell to 4.00. Then Laurel did a troll sweep. Now it's off the New List and has settled in just above 4.50 with about 70 votes. I suspect that after another sweep, most scores will improve.

While the trolls are frustrating, some of the best Lit writers have suffered from their activity. In a prior contest, Gauchecritic won the coveted, if mythical, last place trophy.

Anyway, try to enjoy the ride--don't sweat the destination. And always remember the Lit version of that old Latin phrase, "Don't let the (troll) bastards get you down."

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Og,

Thanks for posting the unofficial rules to the unofficial contest. Have you cogitated carefully on a prize?

I've just had an inspiration (beats having perspiration). Every fall, a vast horde of masochistic AH folks enter the NaNoWriMo contest. Maybe we should do the same thing for the beloved Bulwer-Lytton worst first sentence competion. It's a spring contest with a deadline on or about April 15, tax day in the US.

Just a thought.

Rumple Forsking

 

[oggbashan]

Bulwer-Lytton

Some of us do.

Have you ever read a Bulwer-Lytton novel?

I have - several. At one time he was considered nearly as popular as Dickens. Why?

Og

 

[My Erotic Tail]

Thanks Black Tulip~

My Erotic Tail,

Totally off topic: I love the seasonal touch to your sig!

I think this is the first time I lost track of whether I got bombed or not. Most comments are nice, and lots of views. And it was fun writing.

I like the holiday spirited AV...
I'm trying to thing of one to draw for the AV
but was waiting till this week end to
finish the Sig-line...
and then I saw a rash of new
erotic Halloween stories are out
and I'm a sucker for a good read
but the weekends young...
thanks
good luck~
Happy Halloween~

 

[sack]

The Halloween Contest Entries

I've gotten through about half the Halloween contest entries. Pretty amazing lot, and quite variable. One story which resonates in the memory is Ghost In The Machine by Gypsy. Utterly compelling, and I love the "framing scene" of the gossipy neighbor. This certainly deserves to be in the top three, I will pray for it. Actually, all of the stories I read were at least entertaining and many offered odd plot twists as well. Only The Moth's Tale was a slight miscalculation....it would take centuries of research to breed a moth THAT big. And while it's only a fantasy, the author took great pains to be scientific in other ways, right down to the latin names of the moths. So, I feel, if you want to be scientific, fine, but be scientific down to every detail. (Not to mention that the thought of a human sized moth screwing a woman is pretty gross, Erotic Horror category nonwithstanding). I'll try to comment on every entry eventually..this is fun!

Sack
PS- Loved Thomas' Nunsense and all of Ogg's stories. God, that man is a genius!

 

[cookiejar]

I'm slowly working my way through the stories. I'm starting with the AH authors first. I've had computer problems so I'm way behind.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Wow, If any of you haven't read Doc M's story, move it to the top of your list. Creepy is an understatement!

 

[Black Tulip]

Wow, If any of you haven't read Doc M's story, move it to the top of your list. Creepy is an understatement!

And why do you think I was glad I read it while it was still daylight?

 

[Colleen Thomas]

And why do you think I was glad I read it while it was still daylight?

Ugh, I had moth mares *shudder*

 

[My Erotic Tail]

Doc's Moth Tale...

I saw a great big white moth the other day at work...
in the shop, I normally think nothing about the
harmless creatures...but I thought about
Doc's tale and I kept telling the moth every time
I walked by it, I know you want to jump my bones
when you get bigger.....lmao...he he he

Yep I will never look at moths the same way again,
yep the ghost in the machine was hearty,
very well written, I still have a few to read...
I see a bunch more came out and I had just caught
up day before yesterday...hehehe

more tantalizing tails to play with...<grin>
(I meant tales)

 

[lilith1979]

My contest entry is in my siggy.
Thanks for looking.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

My contest entry is in my siggy.
Thanks for looking.

I'll be sure to give it a look-see, Lilith.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[cookiejar]

My contest entry is in my siggy.
Thanks for looking.

Read and voted on...

 

[Goldie Munro]

have only managed to read a few entries so far but they have all been good! The quality of writing is awesome.

I have been 1 bombed at least twice I think - I suppose putting yourself in a contest invites the trolls along!! Hope laurel does another sweep though!

 

[cookiejar]

have only managed to read a few entries so far but they have all been good! The quality of writing is awesome.

I have been 1 bombed at least twice I think - I suppose putting yourself in a contest invites the trolls along!! Hope laurel does another sweep though!

I just read your story and was envious. Absolutely wonderful Goldie!

 

[Goldie Munro]

I just read your story and was envious. Absolutely wonderful Goldie!

Aw thank you Cookiejar and thanks for your PC too - really appreciated!