May I have some feedback?

[ZoZa]

I've been tempted to ask that here before ad now I am.

I've written two chapters, the first real prose I've ever written, I think. People seem to like it. I get some views, some votes, always fours and fives (according to my maths) , but I've only ever had one comment. Anonymous and by email. It was, in tot:

More plz? Damn character limitations.

Positive, I grant, but somehow... Unsatisfying. I feel ungrateful in a way, but... I was perhaps hoping for more from a comment (more vowels even would be nice...)

I really would like some critique, advice, criticism (praise? no sense denying that, everyone likes praise). My Author name is ZoZa and the story is called My Travels with Clytemnestra, although I think there must be several better titles I could have used. It's in Sci-Fi & Fantasy. It's got fairly strong watersports in it, so I won't blame you if you want to avoid it for that reason.

The first chapter is here:
http://www.literotica.com/s/my-trave...emnestra-ch-01

The second here:
http://www.literotica.com/s/my-trave...emnestra-ch-02

[sr71plt]

You really need to try to get past the stage of "few comments" worry. There is no requirement to comment on this site, and if your stories are really hot, the reader is thinking about something other than giving you feedback. This doesn't bill itself as a critique site--it bills itself as a reader's site, and a high percentage of the readers come here to get off and then go do/read something else. They have zero interest and zero incentive and zero requirement to help develop you as a reader or give you strokes. Views going about 10,000 and ratings running between 4 and 5 should tell you pretty much all you need to know on how well your stories are received (plus any "favorite story" or "favorite author" endorsements you get). There isn't even any requirement here to rate a story.

It will be nice if this post generates feedback--and this is the place to engage folks interested in doing that for others, but the "few comments" worry is something you just need to get past if you want to have a satisfying experience on this Website. It just isn't that sort of Website.

[datedsoul]

I'm struggling with the same issues, Zoza. I think you'll find that writing what can be considered a "niche" piece will limit your feedback considerably. My romance series had received quite a few of the "more plz" style of comments, which you just have to accept as a pat on the back and move on. The Christmas story I posted in Erotic Couplings has generated much more feedback. Ultimately, the verbosity of your readers is a total crap shoot. If you feel as though you really need feedback, and you aren't already using an editor (Lit-based or otherwise) I suggest you pursue that route. Reader feedback, good or bad, is always going to arrive randomly.

[ZoZa]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

You really need to try to get past the stage of "few comments" worry.

...

It will be nice if this post generates feedback--and this is the place to engage folks interested in doing that for others, but the "few comments" worry is something you just need to get past if you want to have a satisfying experience on this Website. It just isn't that sort of Website.

I know that to be true, but it doesn't make it easy to accept. We all need a little acknowledgement from time to time, don't we?

No doubt inner peace will come...


...

I'd really like to thank the person who, having read this, did send me his thoughts (you know who you are!).

I'm glad you liked it (I would have thanked you for responding even if you hadn't liked it). I'm also thrilled that you liked Clytemnestra's name! I never thought anyone else would appreciate that!

I feel the same way you do about the C word. It has a brutality to it which makes it so perfect for delivering visceral immediacy to a description, I think.

[will1939]

Lol, I am glad you liked the feedback. I think it must be frustrating to work so hard and not even get an acknowlegement and know whether it was worthwhile or not. Lots of people must read it, and I certainly enjoyed chapter 1 enough to read chapter 2, even though as I said, this kind of fantasy is not usually my cup of pee--ermm, I mean tea. Keep up the good work!