We could all learn something from SamuelX

[SimonDoom]

With respect, Simon, there is a through line in your comments on writing, and that is that you put a very high value on constant improvement. There seems to be an assumption in nearly all your comments that it we all ought to be striving to be better writers.

Now, I feel that way about my own writing, and it's why I do pay attention to my scores. They may be an imperfect metric of success, but they are better than nothing.

But there are certainly people who have no interest in improving their skills, and that should be perfectly acceptable. We all have out reasons for writing. Just having fun is as good a reason as any.

You are right about that. But there's a reason for that. People ask questions here all the time to the effect, What should I do? How do I get better? That's not me; that's them. I don't think it's at all helpful to advise people, "Just do what you want to do and screw the rest." Because the reality is that people often don't know what they want to do. They want to be better, but they don't know how.

My view is that writing is not different from other things. If you want to be a better writer --IF, you don't have to want to be -- you do the same things you do with any other craft to be better. You read. You study. You look at how others do it. Do the work. Practice. There's no shortcut. Nobody is obligated to do anything here. But people keep asking questions, and I think the right answer to those questions is that you have to put in the work, as with anything else.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Midorigreengrasses looked at Samuelx’s scores and said, “Hold my beer.”

https://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=4397770&page=submissions

And Midori continues to post regularly in LW of all places.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

liberating to not fret over the numbers, comments, or stats.

plenty of us, *plenty* of us both pay attention to the available stats, and also manage to refrain from fretting about them. I have 25ish stories posted here. I check their scores maybe every six months, I write a story I like, I submit it, it (hopefully) gets published, and I don't think about it again.[with exceptions for the contest entries. I do check those until the contest is over].

But I do take pride in crafting something that's well written, and I use the only available information outside of my own opinion to assess that. I find that valuable, because I'm naturally biased about my own work. And there's a whole universe of reactions between obsessively fretting about scores, or calculating when to shut off voting but keep the H (when that was still possible), and just giving zero fux about whether your story is even coherent.

Focusing on the extremes, lambasting one extreme and lauding the other, and posting as though some how those are the only two options in human nature just extends the debate you keep insisting we shouldn't have. If the threads talking about scores and comments and stats irk you so much, then don't fucking read them. Chalk it up as a kink you don't share and leave those folks be.

 

[Euphony]

Because the reality is that people often don't know what they want to do.

I was absolutely in this camp. Write for me with little concern for overall improvement.

Then I built up enough of a portfolio and stumbled on knowledge to realize I DID want to improve. I fell in love with the idea of better translating the story in my head faithfully to the page.

Is that everyone's bend? Not hardly.

But if I'd fed on "IDGAF-ism" enough, I wouldn't have had the experience and, yes purely in hindsight, that saddens me.

 

[MelissaBaby]

You are right about that. But there's a reason for that. People ask questions here all the time to the effect, What should I do? How do I get better? That's not me; that's them. I don't think it's at all helpful to advise people, "Just do what you want to do and screw the rest." Because the reality is that people often don't know what they want to do. They want to be better, but they don't know how.

My view is that writing is not different from other things. If you want to be a better writer --IF, you don't have to want to be -- you do the same things you do with any other craft to be better. You read. You study. You look at how others do it. Do the work. Practice. There's no shortcut. Nobody is obligated to do anything here. But people keep asking questions, and I think the right answer to those questions is that you have to put in the work, as with anything else.

Fair enough, but SamuelX wasn't asking.

 

[SimonDoom]

Fair enough, but SamuelX wasn't asking.

Fair point, but this wasn't a response to him but to Lovecraft's post.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

. I fell in love with the idea of better translating the story in my head faithfully to the page.

This is the whole thing, right? The only reason to write is to convey information or and idea to someone else. Even in the case of a purely personal journal, you're conveying information to your future self. If you take the step to write in a public forum, then you're (obviously) conveying that information or idea to strangers. And, for me anyway, when I go back and read something that's failed to convey the idea, it's like an itch I can't quite reach to scratch.

Clearly, some writers are satisfied with whatever they write for themselves and don't care about conveying that idea more clearly, or more vividly, or more lyrically. To each their own. But I don't hold that attitude as some kind of achievement to be emulated.

 

[KeithD]

Agree with Melissa here. SameulX didn't ask. Didn't even ask for the attention sent his way on this thread. I believe in minding your own business here. Just be glad Literotica hosts your stories and views and leave other writers and readers the hell alone to enjoy themselves here in anything Literotica lets them do.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Agree with Melissa here. SameulX didn't ask

Yeah, I don't see any post in which Simon was offering unsolicited advice to SamuelX.

 

[KeithD]

Yeah, I don't see any post in which Simon was offering unsolicited advice to SamuelX.

You're pretty myopic then. But you can be if you like.

 

[Euphony]

Clearly, some writers are satisfied with whatever they write for themselves and don't care about conveying that idea more clearly, or more vividly, or more lyrically. To each their own. But I don't hold that attitude as some kind of achievement to be emulated.

I'm just lost as to why they are coming around the AH (if they are wholly satisfied in keeping on as they are keeping on)

Also, what they are adding to the discussion of the "craft" of writing? (which is in this forum's description)

Could most stand to be a little less precious with scores/views/recognition/pats on the back in all forms, sure. It's a (less technical) form of improvement.

But jettisoning the concept of improvement completely equals achieving some higher state of writerly being seems odd to me.

 

[TheRedChamber]

I gotta say I agree with Lovecraft on this one.

At one end of the scale you've got people who will never published anything because they're too worried it isn't perfect. At the other end you've got SamuelX doing his thing.

I'm not saying people shouldn't strive to improve or care about quality control because lots of us enjoy getting better a skill. But it is a spectrum and as such its worth being reminded of the extremes.

Honestly, if I had a chance to sit down with a beer with one Literotica author, it'd be SamuelX.

Anyway, excuse me. I'm off to see if that 4.4 story has garned any more votes in the last fifteen minutes...

 

[MelissaBaby]

I suspect that there are people who use posting stories to Lit as a sort of journal of their fantasies, and pay no attention at all to reader response.Some of them might be pretty good, most probably are not. But, as far as I can tell, there aren't really any applicable quality standards outside of proper punctuation and formatting, so more power to them. Not my circus, not my monkeys.

 

[XerXesXu]

He's literate, can spin a yarn, has a voice, and nearly 2000 followers. He doesn't procrastinate. I like his style, he's descriptive and fresh, tight and fast-moving.
In his own words:

'I am Samuelx. I am Black. I am Male. I was born in Cap-Haitien, Northern Haiti, and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts. I now live in Canada.
I am the one and only Haitian Trickster, and quite simply live only by my own rules.
I utterly challenge the restrictions of a rather dull and boring society.
I am also a Firm Believer in the Creator and a proud Muslim.
I write diverse erotic stories to show this mundane world a simple truth.
Black Folks, Arabs, Indians, Aboriginals, Chinese and all others are just as sexually adventurous as White folks.
Sexuality is a great gift that all human beings should enjoy.
I also fight against the Bisexual Erasure that so many LGBT people practice.
Straight-but-curious men do exist, and I am proud to say that I am one.
I publish my works as Teejay LeCapois on Amazon.
I mix the sacred and the profane. A mass of contradictions, that's me. Life is worth living. Push boundaries. Challenge limits. You just might discover the truth. Peace.'

In which of his objectives do you say he fails in his writing? Are you more or less successful in yours?
PEACE.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

He's literate, can spin a yarn, has a voice, and nearly 2000 followers. He doesn't procrastinate. I like his style, he's descriptive and fresh, tight and fast-moving.
In his own words:

'I am Samuelx. I am Black. I am Male. I was born in Cap-Haitien, Northern Haiti, and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts. I now live in Canada.
I am the one and only Haitian Trickster, and quite simply live only by my own rules.
I utterly challenge the restrictions of a rather dull and boring society.
I am also a Firm Believer in the Creator and a proud Muslim.
I write diverse erotic stories to show this mundane world a simple truth.
Black Folks, Arabs, Indians, Aboriginals, Chinese and all others are just as sexually adventurous as White folks.
Sexuality is a great gift that all human beings should enjoy.
I also fight against the Bisexual Erasure that so many LGBT people practice.
Straight-but-curious men do exist, and I am proud to say that I am one.
I publish my works as Teejay LeCapois on Amazon.
I mix the sacred and the profane. A mass of contradictions, that's me. Life is worth living. Push boundaries. Challenge limits. You just might discover the truth. Peace.'

In which of his objectives do you say he fails in his writing? Are you more or less successful in yours?
PEACE.

Holy crap, this guy has loads of books on Amazon. The joke is really on us

 

[BelleCanzuto]

You're pretty myopic then. But you can be if you like.

I'll take my myopia, and you can keep your visual hallucinations.

Honestly, if I had a chance to sit down with a beer with one Literotica author, it'd be SamuelX.

I'm genuinely curious, why him, of all the authors?

 

[TheRedChamber]

I'm genuinely curious, why him, of all the authors?

Just curiousity on my part. Like Lovecraft says, zero fucks given and he seems to have his own weird take on life. Plus if I were to sit down with anyone else we'd probably discuss the craft of writing erotica, which we do on here all day anyway.

 

[lovecraft68]

plenty of us, *plenty* of us both pay attention to the available stats, and also manage to refrain from fretting about them..

Then this didn't pertain to you, now did it?
Or seeing you replied, does it?
This thread proved what it was meant to.

 

[lovecraft68]

Just curiousity on my part. Like Lovecraft says, zero fucks given and he seems to have his own weird take on life. Plus if I were to sit down with anyone else we'd probably discuss the craft of writing erotica, which we do on here all day anyway.

Yeah, I'd really like to see what makes him tick in the sense of are some of his stories just meant to troll? Has he created a schtick of sorts where his goal is to inflame people and he gets a kick out of it? Or is this just how he likes to write? If these are his real life world views he puts into his stories, he'd be an interesting conversation.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Just curiousity on my part. Like Lovecraft says, zero fucks given and he seems to have his own weird take on life. Plus if I were to sit down with anyone else we'd probably discuss the craft of writing erotica, which we do on here all day anyway.

Ok. I can understand that.

This thread proved what it was meant to.

That you're characterologically incapable of refraining from lecturing, ad nauseam, about how people who think differently than you are just wrong?
Yep. It sure did.

 

[lovecraft68]

He's literate, can spin a yarn, has a voice, and nearly 2000 followers. He doesn't procrastinate. I like his style, he's descriptive and fresh, tight and fast-moving.
In his own words:

'I am Samuelx. I am Black. I am Male. I was born in Cap-Haitien, Northern Haiti, and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts. I now live in Canada.
I am the one and only Haitian Trickster, and quite simply live only by my own rules.
I utterly challenge the restrictions of a rather dull and boring society.
I am also a Firm Believer in the Creator and a proud Muslim.
I write diverse erotic stories to show this mundane world a simple truth.
Black Folks, Arabs, Indians, Aboriginals, Chinese and all others are just as sexually adventurous as White folks.
Sexuality is a great gift that all human beings should enjoy.
I also fight against the Bisexual Erasure that so many LGBT people practice.
Straight-but-curious men do exist, and I am proud to say that I am one.
I publish my works as Teejay LeCapois on Amazon.
I mix the sacred and the profane. A mass of contradictions, that's me. Life is worth living. Push boundaries. Challenge limits. You just might discover the truth. Peace.'

In which of his objectives do you say he fails in his writing? Are you more or less successful in yours?
PEACE.

I think your post backs the fact of how little scores mean. Some of his stuff is out there, but he can write, its just that his unapologetic style is so in your face its an acquired taste, so the low scores are more a reflection of style than bad writing.

 

[lovecraft68]

Ok. I can understand that.


That you're characterologically incapable of refraining from lecturing, ad nauseam, about how people who think differently than you are just wrong?
Yep. It sure did.

You don't understand anything, which is why you're being snarky, because its all you have. Nowhere did I say this is everyone, and if you're not one of them you don't have to feel attacked. But playing victim and acting offended is all the rage.

Silly me for trying to point out that people should care more about the joy of writing and the craft of it over the vanity of numbers.

 

[SimonDoom]

It shouldn't be necessary to say this, but I'll say it since my comments seem to have been misconstrued and misunderstood by some others here. My comments are not a critique of SamuelX, who didn't start this thread or invite discussion of his story-writing approach. I support his right to write stories however he wants to. I was responding to the initiator of this thread, Lovecraft, who held up SamuelX as an alleged exemplar of the "zero fucks given" school of writing. I would not be so presumptuous as to speak of another author this way. But whether or not it's SamuelX's attitude (I don't know and to the extent my previous comment suggested I did I retract it and apologize for it), I don't believe in this philosophy at all, for reasons I've stated.

Authors here should write for whatever purposes they want to, and get satisfaction in whatever way they can. That's what I believe. We're not getting paid. There's no objective standard of success.

But time and time again, new and old authors start threads and ask questions about how they can get better. I think it shortchanges people to say "don't give a fuck." It's a stupid attitude to take about anything in life, including writing. If you WANT to get better at what you do (you don't have to), then hell yes, you should give as many fucks as possible.

 

[Voboy]

Nowhere did I say this is everyone, and if you're not one of them you don't have to feel attacked.

I mean, sure, but... why is it your place to attack them? Who told you they needed you to do that?

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm just lost as to why they are coming around the AH (if they are wholly satisfied in keeping on as they are keeping on)

Also, what they are adding to the discussion of the "craft" of writing? (which is in this forum's description)

Could most stand to be a little less precious with scores/views/recognition/pats on the back in all forms, sure. It's a (less technical) form of improvement.

But jettisoning the concept of improvement completely equals achieving some higher state of writerly being seems odd to me.

So a higher score means you improved? On this site the category you write in will get you higher or lower scores. If you put one thing in story someone doesn't personally like, and they bomb it, did you get worse as a writer? If you strike gold with high numbers because you pandered perfectly to a kink that means you improved as a writer? Or more about just knowing how to play a readership?

But having replied to that, I'll waste my breath again, but only because you're always very reasonable, that the whole motive here is for people to care less about the stats, not completely eschew them. This was aimed at the hopelessly obsessed, not the "Yeah, the scores are nice, but..." people here.