The Agony and the Ecstasy (of posting a story)

[gunhilltrain]

Have you seen the Assembly Cut of Alien3. It fixes some of the issues with the theatrical cut. But that was a mess of a production through and through. To this day David Fincher won't talk about it.


Covenant managed to be worse.

The rule in Hollywood is to keep making sequels until they no longer make money, or even beyond that. The needs of the story are not important. Still waiting for Heaven's Gate, Part 2: The Early 20th Century. Remakes are also all too possible.

 

[Duleigh]

Leaving them WANTING more doesn't always mean we should GIVE them more though lol.

This, coming from a Star Wars fan, a franchise loaded with endless sequels and offshoots lol.

Sequels can be fun. They can also be utterly useless.

Look at the Alien franchise. Everything after the second one was completely worthless to me, demeaning the original two with each new movie. Especially Prometheus. Did we really NEED an origin story for the Alien species?

Sorry, tangent rant lol.

You have to realize that movies are written by committee, worst of all it's not always the same committee for each movie and providing the viewer with a quality story is rarely their aim. Their aim is to pry those hard earned dollars out of their wallets. (Sidenote: I stopped going to the movies because their reclining seats were more comfortable than my recliner at home and I was spending $16.75 (plus popcorn) for a nap) Don't get me started on Hollywood's lecturing the viewers.

As a writer we control our sequels, as long as we stay within Laurel's Laws, we can do anything we want with our story lines. Look at Star Wars, one great movie and two really good movies bookended by six festering, steaming piles of crap because they were written by committee who didn't care about the storyline, they cared about the bottom line.

If the same writer (avoiding all the cocaine that Hollywood money could buy) gave a damn as they wrote all nine scripts with sole control of the story, concentrating on the story, there would be no Jar-Jar Binks, there would be no Green Milk, and Ray would not be flawless embodiment of perfection that never needed a training montage, she would be the transport vehicle to return the light saber to Luke who would NOT toss it away, but instead he would return to action and save the universe (The End. Roll Credits)

We do have to take responsibility for what happens, but we control the direction of our stories.

 

[alohadave]

George Lucas was a case where he needed to have people reining him in. Ep4 was saved in the edit by his (then) wife Marcia.

By the time he was filming the prequels, he had no one telling him that maybe his ideas needed refinement and restraint. He was surrounded by yes men that agreed with everything he said.

 

[Djmac1031]

I whole-heartily agree.

It takes talent to know when to quit, even a good thing.

I say things sometimes fully aware of my own hypocrisy lol.

My Jenna Arrangement series currently stands at 26 chapters plus a prequel.

BUT, in fairness, the series was designed as a serial of sorts; each new chapter a short adventure between the characters, with hopefully a little growth and character development etc.

I consider it the LE equivalent of a long running soap opera or TV series.

That said, one day I'll eventually have to figure out how to end it lol.

I just didn't want people to think I'm completely AGAINST sequels; I'm not. And I write them myself.

But unlike when I first started writing here, sequels are no longer my primary goal.

If the story warrants a sequel, great. But more often now I'm leaving them alone, and letting the reader decide what happens next.

 

[gunhilltrain]

You have to realize that movies are written by committee, worst of all it's not always the same committee for each movie and providing the viewer with a quality story is rarely their aim. Their aim is to pry those hard earned dollars out of their wallets. (Sidenote: I stopped going to the movies because their reclining seats were more comfortable than my recliner at home and I was spending $16.75 (plus popcorn) for a nap) Don't get me started on Hollywood's lecturing the viewers.

As a writer we control our sequels, as long as we stay within Laurel's Laws, we can do anything we want with our story lines. Look at Star Wars, one great movie and two really good movies bookended by six festering, steaming piles of crap because they were written by committee who didn't care about the storyline, they cared about the bottom line.

If the same writer (avoiding all the cocaine that Hollywood money could buy) gave a damn as they wrote all nine scripts with sole control of the story, concentrating on the story, there would be no Jar-Jar Binks, there would be no Green Milk, and Ray would not be flawless embodiment of perfection that never needed a training montage, she would be the transport vehicle to return the light saber to Luke who would NOT toss it away, but instead he would return to action and save the universe (The End. Roll Credits)

We do have to take responsibility for what happens, but we control the direction of our stories.

The problem with movies is worse than that. If you've read The Devil's Candy, you'll find out how the first cut of a film will be shown to test audiences, and then the director may be forced to re-edit it based on the comments of a random group of people in San Diego or wherever. In that case it happened to Brian De Palma.

 

[Djmac1031]

Look at Star Wars, one great movie and two really good movies bookended by six festering, steaming piles of crap because they were written by committee who didn't care about the storyline, they cared about the bottom line.

Oh, the Star Wars debate lol. As if I didn't derail this thread enough already.

Without going down THAT huge rabbit hole, I'll say this:

I've been a lifelong fan since the original hit theaters when I was 10 years old.

And I have watched almost everything produced since then.

Some I love, some, well, not so much. But generally I am more forgiving than most when it comes to the prequels, sequels, and shows.

That said, there are plenty of legitimate criticisms of them, and while sometimes I disagree, I do not dismiss them outright, because many of them are warranted.

And yeah, even I hated Rise Of Skywalker.

"Somehow, Palpatine returned" sums up every single mistake a bad writer could make in one sentence.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I say things sometimes fully aware of my own hypocrisy lol.

My Jenna Arrangement series currently stands at 26 chapters plus a prequel.

BUT, in fairness, the series was designed as a serial of sorts; each new chapter a short adventure between the characters, with hopefully a little growth and character development etc.

I consider it the LE equivalent of a long running soap opera or TV series.

That said, one day I'll eventually have to figure out how to end it lol.

I just didn't want people to think I'm completely AGAINST sequels; I'm not. And I write them myself.

But unlike when I first started writing here, sequels are no longer my primary goal.

If the story warrants a sequel, great. But more often now I'm leaving them alone, and letting the reader decide what h

I say things sometimes fully aware of my own hypocrisy lol.

My Jenna Arrangement series currently stands at 26 chapters plus a prequel.

BUT, in fairness, the series was designed as a serial of sorts; each new chapter a short adventure between the characters, with hopefully a little growth and character development etc.

I consider it the LE equivalent of a long running soap opera or TV series.

That said, one day I'll eventually have to figure out how to end it lol.

I just didn't want people to think I'm completely AGAINST sequels; I'm not. And I write them myself.

But unlike when I first started writing here, sequels are no longer my primary goal.

If the story warrants a sequel, great. But more often now I'm leaving them alone, and letting the reader decide what happens next.

When the inspiration for a story strikes me, I will typically consider if there could be a way to weave it into becoming even loosely associated with something that I have written previously. I doesn't have to be a sequel but if it can incorporate characters or plot elements from a previous story and still meet my vision, I will try to make it work.

 

[Djmac1031]

When the inspiration for a story strikes me, I will typically consider if there could be a way to weave it into becoming even loosely associated with something that I have written previously. I doesn't have to be a sequel but if it can incorporate characters or plot elements from a previous story and still meet my vision, I will try to make it work.

I've been having a lot of fun weaving certain elements from one story into another, even crossing a few characters from one series into another, but in a way that didn't obligate readers to HAVE to go read those stories.

I'm starting to understand most of my stories exist in the same universe, so finding little ways to connect them has been fun.

 

[Duleigh]

I've been having a lot of fun weaving certain elements from one story into another, even crossing a few characters from one series into another, but in a way that didn't obligate readers to HAVE to go read those stories.

I'm starting to understand most of my stories exist in the same universe, so finding little ways to connect them has been fun.

Same here. We're a Wonderful Wife Ch. 13 The Love Boat actually binds three story lines together gently, and I'm taking the opportunity write the story from three different perspectives. The next perspective will be Stormwatch - Honeymoon Finally, and the third will be Andi's Dream - Shakedown Cruise due out in January (?).

 

[Kumquatqueen]

George Lucas was a case where he needed to have people reining him in. Ep4 was saved in the edit by ...

Ahem. Kumquat's Law strikes again.

I've just got the orange New button for a story, so it'll be going live tomorrow morning. I suspect a lot of T/C readers won't like a story that's not fetishising a trans woman's cock, but there we go. It would go down worse anywhere else. Oh, the suspense!

Still, I have had a couple stories which managed to have a perfect 5 and a red H at the same time - for about an hour each before regression to the mean happened. Or the trolls. Yes, definitely the trolls!

I have spent many a sleepless night trying to figure out which of my characters might have been in the same place at the same time, especially as I end up writing more of them in places at the same time. Saves reinventing characters...

 

[PastMaster]

This for me sums it up perfectly - two reviews left side by side for one of my stories.


by juanviejo
on 03/09/2023
OUTSTANDING STORY! Cinco Estrellas!

by Mbgdallas
on 3 hours ago

Very poorly written and lazy.

Why would a man destroy his life to get back at his wife. Cashing in a 401k has such tax consequences it would be utterly stupid. Which is what the writer has demonstrated he is for writing this garbage.

Not wanting to talk to his wife and understanding why is a ridiculous concept. You can’t get closure that way. You will just live with anger. And taking his anger out on the kids that are innocent in all this is heartless.

Really really a bad story, lazily written, and stupid in concept.


I'm guessing that the latter commenter didnt rate it very highly, but its not really clear - what do you think?

 

[Imstillfun]

This for me sums it up perfectly - two reviews left side by side for one of my stories.


by juanviejo
on 03/09/2023
OUTSTANDING STORY! Cinco Estrellas!

by Mbgdallas
on 3 hours ago

Very poorly written and lazy.

Why would a man destroy his life to get back at his wife. Cashing in a 401k has such tax consequences it would be utterly stupid. Which is what the writer has demonstrated he is for writing this garbage.

Not wanting to talk to his wife and understanding why is a ridiculous concept. You can’t get closure that way. You will just live with anger. And taking his anger out on the kids that are innocent in all this is heartless.

Really really a bad story, lazily written, and stupid in concept.


I'm guessing that the latter commenter didnt rate it very highly, but its not really clear - what do you think?

Was this story in loving wives. I get this stuff all the time

 

[Djmac1031]

I am currently experiencing the "Agony" of having two stories sitting in the "pending" section lol.

Refresh much? I might wear my screen out.

 

[PastMaster]

I am currently experiencing the "Agony" of having two stories sitting in the "pending" section lol.

Refresh much? I might wear my screen out.

Got that T shirt - I have 3 waiting - all next chapters of a series that were published elsewhere literally weeks ago

 

[Djmac1031]

And now the anticipation begins; one of my two new ones has been approved to post.

Will be up late tonight/ tomorrow morning.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

Don't be too pessimistic.

I have gone six years between a story and its sequel and been successful.

Don't be too pessimistic.

I have gone six years between a story and its sequel and been successful.

I know, it's frustrating. I published the ending of my four part story 'Finally' in October of 2020. Right now, it's my highest rated story at 4.88, though almost no one has read it, even though it's near the top of the Hall of Fame in Mature. It's only got 18 favorites and a little over 10,000 reads. It's nice to know that whoever took the time to read it enjoyed it, but it's also disappointing after all the work we put into them, that the final chapters rarely get looked at.

 

[Duleigh]

I have spent many a sleepless night trying to figure out which of my characters might have been in the same place at the same time, especially as I end up writing more of them in places at the same time.

Exactly! I probably spend more time figuring out timelines than I spend on realistic dialogue.
BTW - I see that my "Fan club" has visited your works also.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

I know, it's frustrating. I published the ending of my four part story 'Finally' in October of 2020. Right now, it's my highest rated story at 4.88, though almost no one has read it, even though it's near the top of the Hall of Fame in Mature. It's only got 18 favorites and a little over 10,000 reads. It's nice to know that who ever took the time to read it enjoyed it, but it's also disappointing after all the work we put into them, that the final chapters rarely get looked at.

I dunno. My first story dipped in views in the middle but come back solid at the end.

I don’t get millions of views but if those that read are happy then I'm happy, although comments are rarer than unicorn shite in GS.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Don't be too pessimistic.

I have gone six years between a story and its sequel and been successful.

John Updike would go ten years, and he also had the novels change in real-time. That was a challenge, because he had to update the characters in ten-year increments. He pulled it off, however, it seems to me.

 

[Handeguy]

Maybe becuase I'm still kind of new to this, I get a lot of satisfaction from just doing the writing. There's something very liberating about getting my most sexual thoughts out there and "on paper" so to speak. I find the writing process itself, though a lot of work, enjoyable work. For awhile, I was chatting with another Litster who would give me just the barest ideas - certain people doing this or that - and I'd write short story on the spot. It was really quite arousing for both of us. Don't get me wrong; seeing a story read and reviewed positively is fantastic, but at this point for me, it's just icing on the cake.

 

[onehitwanda]

Waiting for the comments is the worst bit, I find.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Waiting for the comments is the worst bit, I find.

The fact that I crave them is what I am most frustrated about. Especially since there is never enough of them

 

[Rob_Royale]

Waiting for the comments is the worst bit, I find.

Once I get the first one, and it doesn't say, "Dear God, that was bad." I feel better.

 

[onehitwanda]

The fact that I crave them is what I am most frustrated about. Especially since there is never enough of them

The worst bit is that I know that I crave them, and I know why I crave them. That little endorphin hit is way, way too addictive.

 

[Zootonius]

The worst bit is that I know that I crave them, and I know why I crave them. That little endorphin hit is way, way too addictive.

Reading comments are like the old show 'let's make a deal.' Are you gonna find a prize behind the door or a goat. Well, at least for me. And I've read a few of your works, onehit, I can't imagine you getting a bad comment.