The Official (Mostly) Literotica April Fool's Day Contest Support Thread!!!

[SimonDoom]

This is the contest I have the hardest time with. I have no ideas for it. I'll be busy with other projects and with my Nude Day and Summer stories.

 

[Djmac1031]

This is the contest I have the hardest time with. I have no ideas for it. I'll be busy with other projects and with my Nude Day and Summer stories.

Only reason I have a story for this one is I already had a germ of an idea for a story I wanted to write anyway that I realized could be made to fit the theme with a simple tweak.

 

[Duleigh]

I've never written for it before, but I have an idea for existing characters to prank each other. (it's a follow up to a previous story) Somebody gets to yell "April Fools!" and it makes me happy. My needs are few. However, as for the readers... No clue.

 

[Voboy]

Curious, since this is my first time writing for this contest, how readers have responded to it in the past.

Do they appreciate the spirit of the thing? Do they enjoy a good twist, a subversion of expectations?

Or have you gotten negative feedback because they felt fooled or cheated?

One of mine's not about pranks, per se, so much as "mistaken identity." The other is a trick played on another character. I have no clue how they'll be received.

 

[Djmac1031]

One of mine's not about pranks, per se, so much as "mistaken identity." The other is a trick played on another character. I have no clue how they'll be received.

It's going to be pretty obvious in my story that the theme will somehow involve a, for lack of a better term, "prank." Right from the title, in fact.

Although it's not a prank so much as a misdirection. But I digress.

I'm very curious as to how readers will take it. I wouldn't do something like this in a typical story.

So I'll either pleasantly surprise them if they're open to the idea of it, or utterly piss them off if not lol.

 

[Duleigh]

I'm very curious as to how readers will take it. I wouldn't do something like this in a typical story.

Sometimes your readers will surprise you, and on rare occasion it will be a pleasant surprise. Last year I wrote a story for the On The Job challenge about a blind guy that pulled a prank on his fiancée, Blindsided by the Blind Guy, I portrayed him as a playful pain in the ass (in more ways than one ) and I got roasted by a reader or two: How dare you treat a blind person like that! as if disabled people are beyond reproach. (Pro tip: we're not) but I was worried that they were correct in their criticism.

But then I got a LOT of reactions from blind readers of Lit (there are quite a few) thanking me for portraying a blind guy like *gasp!* a regular person! They thanked me and praised me for getting my portrayal right, one even asked if I was blind or had a blind person in my life (no, but I can google the hell out of any situation) One turned out to be a writer here at lit and gave me more tips on how to portray my blind character.

This year my character is back and his fiancée, now wife of 15 years, plans to pull a prank on him, I'm calling it "Blindsiding the Blind Guy" and after last year I refuse to even speculate on readers reactions, they always confound me. The comments on my #4 750 word story led me to believe that it was a well written story, but they're hammering in in the ratings. Why? Because I put it in the interracial category... but I've been writing about this interracial couple for over a year and have been getting great ratings go figure.

I shut down voting on one story, an essay on veteran suicide because I did not want to be surprised in any manner and I didn't think it was appropriate to be voting on something that important. They can comment all they want, but I can delete any comment that I deem as hurtful or inappropriate to a subject that important. So far I haven't been forced to do that.

 

[KeithD]

Sometimes your readers will surprise you, and on rare occasion it will be a pleasant surprise. Last year I wrote a story for the On The Job challenge about a blind guy that pulled a prank on his fiancée, Blindsided by the Blind Guy, I portrayed him as a playful pain in the ass (in more ways than one ) and I got roasted by a reader or two: How dare you treat a blind person like that! as if disabled people are beyond reproach. (Pro tip: we're not) but I was worried that they were correct in their criticism.

I've gotten the same mix of reactions when depicting disabled characters having sex in a story--like some people wanted disability to mark the end of a sexual life.

 

[RetroFan]

Curious, since this is my first time writing for this contest, how readers have responded to it in the past.

Do they appreciate the spirit of the thing? Do they enjoy a good twist, a subversion of expectations?

Or have you gotten negative feedback because they felt fooled or cheated?

I got a highly negative comment about my story 'The Lost Hours With Annabelle' last year.

The reader was angry that the mysterious time slip that formed the major part of the plot was still never resolved many years later (which was kind of the point of the story), but most feedback was positive.

 

[Duleigh]

I've gotten the same mix of reactions when depicting disabled characters having sex in a story--like some people wanted disability to mark the end of a sexual life.

My recent 750-3 Saturday Evening centered around a mature disabled woman and her physical therapist, voting and comments were generally positive, and readers of 750 word stories have no problem dispensing negative comments or low votes

 

[lovecraft68]

Curious, since this is my first time writing for this contest, how readers have responded to it in the past.

Do they appreciate the spirit of the thing? Do they enjoy a good twist, a subversion of expectations?

Or have you gotten negative feedback because they felt fooled or cheated?

This contest is where I get a few "didn't get it" comments, the only I see that type on. But the people who comment are a fraction of the readership so either most 'get it' or most don't care as long as they enjoy the story.

For example my entry last year featured a young kid who was shy, kind of nerdy and still a virgin who had someone slip two viagra into his soda at a party. From there he comes homes and is panicked he can't get it to do down so of course big sis ends up helping.

You know, happens all the time.

It was just a goofy fun story that ended up doing well enough to place, but I got a comment saying "I didn't see the April Fool's connection". The kid was obviously pranked, but maybe because I didn't specifically use the day?

Better to just write it and not worry about the yoyos.

That's my plan, because my entry this year deals with the 'chance' aspect, or life itself playing the prank so...yeah this will be beyond the grasp of some.

 

[lovecraft68]

I have no clue how they'll be received.

Like every other story a range from "Best story ever" to "Stop fucking writing"

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I am currently working on a story that might fit the theme (deception, mis-direction, etc.) but I think it is too long for a contest entry. It's currently at just over 51,000 words and only about half done. Unless some other inspiration distracts me from this story, I'll pass on this contest.

 

[KeithD]

Nothing is too long for a contest entry here.

 

[lovecraft68]

I am currently working on a story that might fit the theme (deception, mis-direction, etc.) but I think it is too long for a contest entry. It's currently at just over 51,000 words and only about half done. Unless some other inspiration distracts me from this story, I'll pass on this contest.

I imagine the fact a contest story has to be a one off self contained story is the biggest reason we see long entries that otherwise would have been split into multiple chapters.

 

[lovecraft68]

I am currently working on a story that might fit the theme (deception, mis-direction, etc.) but I think it is too long for a contest entry. It's currently at just over 51,000 words and only about half done. Unless some other inspiration distracts me from this story, I'll pass on this contest.

I've seen entries over 20 pages. One of mine was 23 I think back in 2016, a story I've since pulled to add to and publish as a novel.

 

[alohadave]

I have an idea for this that came to me today, the only problem is that it's pretty much an LW story, and I don't know if I want to subject myself to that, especially since it's neither BTB or RAAC. Plus I definitely don't have the chops to charm the readers there.

Maybe it'd work in Group Sex.

 

[MajorRewrite]

What if the story pranks the readers, as opposed to the characters in the story pranking each other? Every April 1 lots of news outlets publish funny prank ”news”. I’m thinking of something along those lines.

 

[Duleigh]

What if the story pranks the readers, as opposed to the characters in the story pranking each other? Every April 1 lots of news outlets publish funny prank ”news”. I’m thinking of something along those lines.

Hey, you're pranking someone, it works for me.

 

[MyBareTorso]

Now that the Valentine's Day contest winners have been announced, (well... they will be) let's get the April Fools Competition Thread rolling:

April Fool's (April 01)

The themes: Stories (humorous or otherwise) of surprise meetings, humor, tricks, trick endings, and other themes of deception, chance, and/or misunderstandings (happy or otherwise)

Starts: March 02
Closes: March 23
Winners announced: March 30

As usual, this thread is to SUPPORT and ENCOURAGE authors to enter stories in the 2023 April Fool's Contest.

Get writing, everyone, and don't forget to copy and paste the phrase "APRIL FOOLS 2023" to the "Notes to Admin" field of the submission

As ChloeTzang said in the writeup for a previous April Fools Thread, many of us find this contest the most difficult of the year - but have a go.

There is an advantage to entering stories in one of Literotica's themed contests, apart from the possibility of winning, and that is that your story gets far more exposure and attention than it would normally do.

Some of that attention might be unwelcome, some abusive, but some could possibly be appreciative and helpful.

Wait for Laurel's notice of the start of the contest as a sticky at the top of the Authors' Hangout before submitting and follow the instructions in that thread.

Have fun everyone! And get started if you haven't already!!!!

GAME ON FOLKS! Here's the official notice:
https://www.literotica.com/s/april-fools-day-story-contest-2023-at-literotica

I've never entered this one before, so I'm looking forward to it. Love the increased reads that you get from comps! I'm gonna rejig a revenge/ENF sneaky enforced beach strip story I've been thinking about for a little while...should just squeeze into the competition guidelines....

 

[MyBareTorso]

What if the story pranks the readers, as opposed to the characters in the story pranking each other? Every April 1 lots of news outlets publish funny prank ”news”. I’m thinking of something along those lines.

That sounds cool...good idea!

 

[Duleigh]

That sounds cool...good idea!

Pranking the reader is a lot of fun, but you can't insult their intelligence. I love pranking my readers and my steady readers kind of look forward to it. Here's my favorite, and it's only 750 words in length...

 

[MyBareTorso]

Pranking the reader is a lot of fun, but you can't insult their intelligence. I love pranking my readers and my steady readers kind of look forward to it. Here's my favorite, and it's only 750 words in length...

Great story! Loved it!

 

[Duleigh]

My first story is done, it's based in an existing universe so now I have to purge a lot of references to that universe (I've been told I get carried away by them) but keep enough in the story for the folks who enjoy that universe. Hopefully I'll get it right this time

Anyone else having that problem with side stories in an existing universe?

 

[AnnMarieKay]

I submitted a story on Tuesday and it’s still pending. Is that usual for contests to take so long to get published? Or do all the stories get published on March 1st? I’ve only done one other contest last summer. And the 750 words project. So I’m still relatively new to this. Thanks for any info you can give me!

 

[lovecraft68]

I submitted a story on Tuesday and it’s still pending. Is that usual for contests to take so long to get published? Or do all the stories get published on March 1st? I’ve only done one other contest last summer. And the 750 words project. So I’m still relatively new to this. Thanks for any info you can give me!

The story stays in pending until the contest starts