You're right - what matters is to get more readers but also some (constructive) comments. From what I gather some of you are getting nasty comments just because of the plot, not the way the story is written. Too bad. Fortunately it happens only in LW (at least I hope so). I have some stories in mind, some partly written about LW but I'm not sure I'll post them or at least not in LW if comments are personal.
Yes it's definitely for fun
That really varies and often varies significantly between the three winners in a particular contest. It's been a while but I think there have been relatively late entries (or ones in typically slower categories) that have won with right around the 25 minimum and (and occasionally one that doesn't get enough to qualify), but others in more active categories (or that were submitted earlier) that have won with lots (my current story has over 700 votes and it's not a barnburner by any means).
I received four comments about the same minor plot issue. It may have been a goof, but not a serious one. There was an easy answer that one could say was implied. I had the character send me an email which I posted as a comment. I don’t know if I should have done that, but I did it. In the same comment I included an answer to another similar minor flaw, again by having the character answer the question.
Up to you. The experience goes either way. Some come back to respond, and I've started conversations that way. The majority never do come back. If there's a major misconception about the story, it doesn't hurt to set the record straight, but you'll often encounter the same claim a few comments later cause not many read all the comments. Email feedback is much the same. If they include an address, I thank them but responses to my emails are far and few between.
If you have a well enough recognized name, dropping your story late is a great strategy. I've seen other writers drop stories at the end of a contest (Chloe) and win mostly because the scores were tallied before the trolls found her.
My approach is stated in my profile: only texts should speak for their author.
My view on zero comments and a good score is the story is nice, but a safe, middle of the road effort. People like it enough to vote, but not enough to comment.
A fair assessment. We'll see what happens as I write and post more, as my writing improves. I am grateful for the ratings and followers I've gotten, that encourages me to keep going.
I get quite a few from regular readers on series entries, but when I step away from a series I don't get a lot, so I entered into LW this year. I used a well known (to my readers) couple to hook up at the farmers market and end up in bed. A young white pastor and a black woman. I did it to troll the LW trolls. A few caught on and were really angry, my regular readers loved it, but some... They didn't catch on that when the pastor's brother walked into the bedroom he caught his brother and his sister-in-law in bed with each other - they just didn't understand and freaked out. What's a pastor doing picking up women? He should be fired!
It still exists but they are behind and it is now typically updated shortly before the annual Readers' Choice Awards begin. Announcements are made but I'm not sure if the threads in the forum are still being updated. The most recent month was December 2023.
Where can we find that? I mean the various winners for 2023 - the last one I saw was January 2022 - it would be interesting to read those award winning stories if only to get to know the authors
Morevinila, I wrote that wrong. They've released winners through December 2022 for the 2022 RCA which were held in 2023. I don't think there's been anything since then. Sorry for my confusion.Where can we find that? I mean the various winners for 2023 - the last one I saw was January 2022 - it would be interesting to read those award winning stories if only to get to know the authors
Yeah, they tend to ignore contests other than the 6 yearly.
No problem - so no more monthly contests thren?
Where can we find that? I mean the various winners for 2023 - the last one I saw was January 2022 - it would be interesting to read those award winning stories if only to get to know the authors
Thank you
The link leads me to a place where they give the monthly winners for 2022. For 2023, only January is given. Or Am I misinterpreting the information?
