New author, looking for advice and stuff!

All good advice for posting stories at Literotica and joining in forum discussions, but I'm sort of wondering if Veronica's eyes are crossing because she might have meant (if you do a literal read) in her OP that what she was looking for was buyers of her marketplace works and advice on getting them sold better.

Boxlicker101 said:

There is a whole library of advice on writing, etc. and you can access it through the index page. It will help even more than posting nude pics on this thread.

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I have been posting nude pix of my pussy on my blog by mistake! I already do get some great advice in here but I will quickly post some pix in the hopes of even more help and assistance.

NaokoSmith said:

I have been posting nude pix of my pussy on my blog by mistake! I already do get some great advice in here but I will quickly post some pix in the hopes of even more help and assistance.

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ZZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ - i i i - p

sr71plt said:

All good advice for posting stories at Literotica and joining in forum discussions, but I'm sort of wondering if Veronica's eyes are crossing because she might have meant (if you do a literal read) in her OP that what she was looking for was buyers of her marketplace works and advice on getting them sold better.

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Haha, well yes, those are nice too, but I was also looking for just general advice, and also saying hello! Everyone has been fantastic in both greetings and advice, so...mission accomplished!

Thanks so much everybody! =D

Here is a thread on commercializing your writing. My take - write because you enjoy it. If Tx Tall Tales, one of the best and most prolific writers on this site, is struggling to commercialize his writing, then your chances of doing it are very, very slim.

Hullo everyone! I'm new as well and posted my first story last week... I thought I'd weigh in with a couple of observations from three days of exposure:

First, that description box is quite important. It took me by surprise. I'm new to erotica and rushed something off the top of my head. Now I'd like to change it, but it seems I can't.

Second, constructive criticism isn't necessarily helpful criticism. A couple of posters here have said to write what you want and I think that's exactly the approach to take. I've had two comments thus far. One was from a troll. The other was a very positive, very constructive comment.

However, the poster suggested that I could improve my work by creating more detailed characters to encourage readers to emotionally invest in the piece. A perfectly reasonable piece of advice, but I was writing a story which deliberately had no characterisation (just "you" and "I").

Whether my story is good is up for debate, but while the advice offered was sound, it wasn't relevant to what I was trying to achieve. It only becomes relevant if I get lots of similar comments and a very low rating on my story.

But I can tell (by the amazingly cool and sexy process of logging in frequently to check each rating and applying maths) that while my story's rating is 3.14, it's not because I'm being rated 3 consistently. It's because I'm getting a mix of very high and very low scores.

That's good to know, because it means some people are reading and really enjoying it. And if I ever want to write an anthology of these kind of stories, I now know that it's very important to explain to potential readers what they'll be getting before they buy it.

So my (extremely convoluted) point is: it's very easy to think you're doing something wrong, especially when you know the people talking to you are genuine, thoughtful and helpful. Try to keep an eye on all the factors and don't be disheartened by poor ratings/reviews!

PrurientRogue said:

Second, constructive criticism isn't necessarily helpful criticism. A couple of posters here have said to write what you want and I think that's exactly the approach to take. I've had two comments thus far. One was from a troll. The other was a very positive, very constructive comment.

However, the poster suggested that I could improve my work by creating more detailed characters to encourage readers to emotionally invest in the piece. A perfectly reasonable piece of advice, but I was writing a story which deliberately had no characterisation (just "you" and "I).

Now whether my story is good is up for debate, but while the advice offered was sound, it wasn't relevant to what I was trying to achieve. It only becomes relevant if I get lots of similar comments and a very low rating on my story.

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That's a good point, I think. A lot of the critique here seems to be based on one "it's what works" story structure in mind, like it was the universal "answer" the teacher had put up on the chalk board. Quite often there doesn't seem to allowance for variety or any effort to discern what the author seemed to be trying to do with the story. Filling out characters is standard knee-jerk advice here when, as you say, the characters--or knowing what the characters ate for breakfast or what they are wearing--aren't always what the story is about.

A note for the newbie:

Scouries and scouriesworld are the same person and there is no such thing as AIR. It is a fake association made up of scoures and scouries alone. It is used to run fake contests, fake lists, and fake awards to disrupt the real contests and the site in general.

Scouries claim as the number one writer on Lit is just that a claim. He is actually a hack incest writer who figured out a ay of scamming the system when he first got here. That hole as been plugged among many more he has tried to use over the years.

Someone mentioned the ignore feature here on Lit. The two above are very good candidates for including on that list. It will make your stay here much more enjoyable.

NaokoSmith said:

I have been posting nude pix of my pussy on my blog by mistake! I already do get some great advice in here but I will quickly post some pix in the hopes of even more help and assistance.

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...different colours. Have you been dyeing?

PrurientRogue said:

...

Second, constructive criticism isn't necessarily helpful criticism. A couple of posters here have said to write what you want and I think that's exactly the approach to take. I've had two comments thus far. One was from a troll. The other was a very positive, very constructive comment.

However, the poster suggested that I could improve my work by creating more detailed characters to encourage readers to emotionally invest in the piece. A perfectly reasonable piece of advice, but I was writing a story which deliberately had no characterisation (just "you" and "I").

...

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Some apparently constructive criticism isn't constructive, nor really criticism.

What the comment is saying is either "I wouldn't have written it like that" or "I would prefer it if you had written it this way". Both are the reader's subjective opinion.

What you might also get is "I wish X had worn FF nylons" or "I wish X had been a DD busted natural blonde". They aren't reading your story. They are rewriting it to fit their own particular fantasy or fetish.

"More detailed characters"? There are at least three ways to take this.

1.If you write generic characters without much description, are they cardboard cut-outs or stock characters? Even if they are, the plot could depend on the interaction and who the people are isn't necessary. Some classic Greek drama, particularly the later comedies, has stock characters - The Miser, The Bore, The Young Lover etc. That doesn't detract from the drama. The audience expects the stock character to behave in a particular way, and because he does, dramatic consequences follow.

2. If you describe the character's physical characteristics in detail, you limit the reader's imagination. If he prefers natural redheads, and you haven't stated her hair or skin colour, he can imagine that she is a natural redhead. If she prefers tanned hunky men, the hero can be the tanned hunk of her imagination.

3. Let's assume that the comment is valid. If the story is longer than a minimum Lit short story of 750 words there should be some development of the characters so that the reader can imagine who the characters are, and how they might react in a different situation from your actual story. If you can produce a character that has a personality, who lives for the reader, then the story becomes more interesting. The best writers produce characters who almost become real and have a life of their own beyond the page. One example was Conan Doyle's creation of Sherlock Holmes. Another author who produced many 'live' characters was Charles Dickens. We can't all hope to produce such great characters but if we can produce characters that the reader cares about, the story will work better.

oggbashan said:

Some apparently constructive criticism isn't constructive, nor really criticism.

What the comment is saying is either "I wouldn't have written it like that" or "I would prefer it if you had written it this way". Both are the reader's subjective opinion.

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Isn't that the root of all criticism though? But I think writers (especially amateurs) are more prone to ignore another's intentions if they are very conscious of their own work.

oggbashan said:

What you might also get is "I wish X had worn FF nylons" or "I wish X had been a DD busted natural blonde". They aren't reading your story. They are rewriting it to fit their own particular fantasy or fetish.

"More detailed characters"? There are at least three ways to take this.

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Well, in this case I wanted the reader to bring their own characters into the story - so that they can impose their own fantasy/fetish!

Well yes and no. In one sense all criticism is what someone else thinks and tells others. In another sense criticism is pointing out what is wrong as has been agreed upon by society at large. Things like the scene would have been better if the sky was bluer is the first type of criticism. It is also what you ignore because it's what they like and you are not them.

The other type is things like 'you had disease spelled wrong in the entire story'. That is constructive criticism and what you want to receive. Anything beyond exactly that is the first kind of criticism and thusly is ignored. For some reason most people seem to think that saying, your grammer is wrong is all they need to put. So incredibly not true.

Anything being constructive criticism is nothing more than a sign that the person sending it enjoyed the story but then felt guilty about it for whatever reason and so has to attack you in whatever form they feel like. Most prevalent in loving wives where you are lambasted for posting a story in there. What it really means is 'I sprayed my seed all over my fucking keyboard it was so hot thank you'. Course what you will actually see is something like, 'bitch you should get on your knees and blow me before you blow yuour brains out for writing sucj fucked up shit'.

Typoes are intentional because they type fast to be 3lite or whatever fucked up name they have for it now.

Some untouched upon details

Hello, Veronica and welcome! As a still green writer and submitter to LIT. I thought I'd mention some things that I've not seen yet.
You can check on your story's progress by logging in and going to the submission page.
DO CHECK AFTER THREE DAYS AND EVERY DAY AFTER!
I didn't do that on my first story and didn't realize it had been rejected until I lucked upon it.
DON"T CLICK ON IT IF IT SAYS "PENDING"!
That puts it back at the bottom and prolongs it being posted. Again this comes from my own experiences.
"IGNORE NEGATIVE COMMENTS THAT DON"T OFFER CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM!
"DO PAY ATTENTION TO ONES THAT DO!"
Most important, write for your own pleasure, know that you will get better, and enjoy!

Submissions are taking around 6 to 7 days at the present.

Not entirely true, my latest story Littlest Agent took three or four days. I'm not precisely sure when I did post it but do know it being accepted when it was shocked the hell out of me.

PrurientRogue, first person, present tense stories are unusual for LitE. My impression from the few that I have seen is that they aren't popular. If you want to keep writing them, go ahead. However, you may continue to receive low scores for them.

All I can add is always keep learning about writing. Read books on the subject and apply what you learn to understand what works best for you. The only way to develop your writers voice is to write and write and write. Writing erotica is no different to writing anything else really so learn how to use sex in an interesting way to move the plot along, rather than just write like a porn movie where the sex is the point and in between story is dumb.

Personally the erotica writers I like never write wank stories, they write a story that engages my brain and my desire at the same time. This is not that common on this site as most of the amateur writers tend to just write wank stories (sex scenes). Strive to be better than that.

Hi there: I read everyone else's advice before posting my own so I wouldn't be repeating. A few things I may tell you may seem like "duh, obvious!" but it's because I've seen repeated mistakes.

1. Use spellcheck and grammar check, but don't rely on them. Ya gotta proofread, and try to have a friend proofread. I give low scores for not proof reading, and the dreaded 1 star for not using spell check.

2. Break down paragraphs into chunks no more than 5 sentences. Reading on a computer screen strains the eyes, and some like me read on the phone.

3. Contact those who leave feedback, AFTER checking over their profile. First, avoid weirdos. Then thank the fan for feedback, and personalize the note a little like "so nice to have a UK fan" or "no, I don't plan on writing a sequel, sorry." Also, it's good to PM fans when you have a new submission. When you let them know about a new story, it's good to include the link with the link to the story

4. Use tags. This will help increase story exposure and help you're readers get a better idea of what it is. That being said, don't force a story a certain way so that you can satisfy a handful of preselected tags. It winds up looking like a cheesy 70s porn where the girls are so horny waiting for their boyfriends that they make out with each other, and oh look- here comes the pizza delivery guy...

5. Read a few stories and their comments to get an idea of how things flow.

6. You'll see a forum board called Story Ideas. Ignore it. I've read it many times and have yet to find a legit idea. 90% of the ideas suggested are either incest or some form of female degradation. They will also write about half the story for you, obviously looking for you to pen a very specific fantasy. The one time I found a marginally useful idea... It was 50 year old fireman had rescued an 18 year old blond with DD boobs wearing a negligee, and she is so grateful that she comes to the firehouse and gets gang banged. No, I'm not kidding- all that was missing was horny girls making out and a pizza delivery guy.

7. Avoid stereotypes. As you cruise the boards and stories, you'll see them a lot. Using a stereotype background character very briefly is ok in order if a certain mechanic is needed in a story, but you'll find for main characters a lot of 6'1 studs with 9 inch penises, or 18 year old blondes with DD boobs, and everyone is having sex in college. Funny, not everyone goes to college right after school. Most folks I know either went to work or military; I went to Desert Storm.

Well, that's my advice. Good luck to you.

It never gets said but find a vacant niche to write about. My grad school statistics perfesser writes erotica with disabled characters. If that niche is on LIT I haven't seen it.

Bramblethorn said:

...different colours. Have you been dyeing?

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LOL, no 'new lifeing' not dying or dyeing. The one up top is my pussy . The bottom one is her/our kitten - the one we had to keep after the supposedly spayed slut had that litter of five, gah. (I have more sickeningly cute pix of the kitten than I care to mention.)

PrurientRogue said:

But I can tell (by the amazingly cool and sexy process of logging in frequently to check each rating and applying maths) that while my story's rating is 3.14, it's not because I'm being rated 3 consistently. It's because I'm getting a mix of very high and very low scores.

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I have that experience too! One of my stories has nine fives, a four and a one! LOL. All the others rocket about between the highest and lowest categories and are very rarely rated 2 or 3, even if the final scores sometimes end up in the 3s. As I post more stories, I'm finding people who know my style go there or avoid it, so I get less of a problem. In Slyc_Willie's recent anonymous writing contests (FAWC 1 and FAWC 2), we were all astonished to find we did worse than usual. We were all convinced we usually get 1-bombed by trolls and would do much better in an anonymous competition, LOL.

I know this may sound strange, but it's worth bearing in mind that many people don't come on here in the hopes of finding really fine literature. They are actually looking for a good wank or spank piece. So in some cases, the more carefully honed and beautifully developed your storyline is, the more likely it is that someone sitting impatiently with their jeans unzipped is going to hit 1 and run away to play elsewhere . That star system is acksherly for hotness, not OMG-the-best-thing-I-read-since-War-And-Peace-(and-so-enjoyably-long!)

Feedback rather than scores can be really helpful. My favourite comments are the ones where instead of telling me how I could use my tags better, people become indignant about the bad behaviour of characters, or tearful when someone suffers some dreadful necessary plot development. That tells me they got properly caught up in the story, so much so that the characters became real to them.

JAMESBJOHNSON said:

It never gets said but find a vacant niche to write about. My grad school statistics perfesser writes erotica with disabled characters. If that niche is on LIT I haven't seen it.

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I would so much like to review those. Any chance of a link?

RESEARCH.

Last night I watched a hidden cam vid. Cameras were installed in a vagina, and on a penis, to observe copulation and ejaculation. The vid was interesting.

The male was endowed, yet fully inside the vagina the uterus looked to be far away, and the cervix was closed tight. I read that the cervix is normally sealed with a waxy substance until ovulation, then seals after menstruation. So I wonder about reports of womb penetration.

The ejaculation surprised me with the volume of semen the male expelled, but there didn't seem to be much force behind it. It looked like someone tipped over a pail of milk. And that's consistent with my experiences. At climax I stop moving and the semen spills out.

The vagina formed a good seal around the penis but didn't spasm or change much from beginning to end. I did see mild abrasion on the cock-head towards the end, and wondered how aroused the female was.

NaokoSmith said:

I would so much like to review those. Any chance of a link?

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Let me see if theyre still on Amazon. Check back here.

http://www.amazon.com/My-Sweetpea-S...r_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379070918&sr=1-16

PrurientRogue said:

First, that description box is quite important. It took me by surprise. I'm new to erotica and rushed something off the top of my head. Now I'd like to change it, but it seems I can't.

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Think this got lost in the shuffle. You actually can change that description line.

This covers pretty much all the types of editing:

• Take note of the url of your story/chapter. That's the address appearing in the address bar of your browser when you view the first page of your story. You really only need the last part after the /s/ that represents your title.
• Start a new submission.
• Use the same title as the original ( or as much as will fit ) plus something such as *EDIT*
• Fill in the same category, then fill description and keywords with placeholders, as they don't matter. ( Unless one of these things are what you're editing )
• If editing the story text, paste/upload the new text in the "story text" section. You need to upload the whole story, not just the edited sections. If editing anything else, copy the "notes" section detailed below in order to fill this section.
• In the "notes" section, say what you are editing. If story text, then put that. If title, then put the requested NEW title here. You can fill in edited descriptions/keywords/category above, but you'll still want to list any such changes here. It's a good idea to list the url that I mentioned in step 1. This is unique to every story/chapter, and can help eliminate the potential for human error. As mentioned above, if you are editing something other than the story text, copy what you put in the notes section to the "story text" as well. This is simply because there must be something in that section for you to submit.
• Click "Review", then "Submit"

Edits are subject to the same wait time as a new story. Laurel has said that edit requests have low priority, but I have also seen edits go up in bulk in far less time than a story usually requires to post, though. So, it could be shorter, or it could be longer than the normal wait for a story to post.

Edits will not appear on the public side immediately. Wait at least 24 hours after the "edited" submission vanishes from your private author list before worrying that your changes haven't been applied. Changes may not all appear at the same time, either. Page 1 may change, while page 2 will remain the same until an hour or so later. Be patient as the system catches up.

If you edit the story in this manner ( as opposed to deleting and re-submitting ) you'll retain your votes, views, comments, etc. The only thing that will be changed is what you say that you want changed. It will not appear on the New List again.

If you wish to delete a story, use much the same method, except put something such as *DELETE* in the title, and say that you want to delete the story in question in the "notes" section.

If you wish to delete all of your stories, an entire series, etc., then use the normal delete process, but explain in the "notes" section that you want to do a mass delete, and what type.

Convoluted, but it does work. It gets a little easier as you get used to it.