Looking for Advice and Critique

Hi! I am writing the series of chapters for a story called Her First Encounter. I am just starting to write the last chapter. My eventual goal is to possibly get into self-publishing. I would really like to improve my writing. If someone has some free time and some advice, I would really appreciate any help. I watch my ratings and noticed people like chapter 5 better than the other chapters, and maybe I'm just too close to the story, but combing through it all on my own, I am not sure what's different.
Thank you!
Guinahart

Guinahart said:

I watch my ratings and noticed people like chapter 5 better than the other chapters, and maybe I'm just too close to the story, but combing through it all on my own, I am not sure what's different.

Click to expand...

It's typical that as series increase in length, views diminish and vote scores rise. The usual explanation: Lots of people read the first chapter. Fewer read the next, fewer still the next -- but these are now your fan club, and they vote high.

I can map my own results. My most-read pieces are also mostly the lowest-scored, and vice-versa. I have a few outriders but the pattern generally follows. Are the later pieces better-written? Sometimes; sometimes not.

If you find that the FIRST chapters in a series gain Red H's then you've hit on a winning model (I won't say formula) especially if the sequels do well too.

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

Can you explain more Hypoxia? This is interesting. I have some stories I want to publish here but I am new to the structure here

Diminishing Returns

Think about any regular series you've read. The first will get the most reads. Those who feel it's a bad read will stop after the first one, and give a bad review. Assuming your stories maintain a consistent subject matter in the same category, you'll develop a following of people who like them more than the people who stop reading. Those people who read the longest will typically vote the highest.

As an interesting side note, if you stop posting chapters of a series for awhile, the last chapter you post will garner a higher than average number of votes and comments as many people will jump to the next chapter without voting if there is one or will reserve judgement until the end of the posted series.

If you feel you'd like a higher readership, you can artificially re-instigate the process by posting a chapter in a different category (and presumably adjusting the storyline to include content fitting that category). You'll get new readers, but risk losing your core audience and/or annoying people whose kinks don't align with the overarching story.

NickiC said:

Can you explain more Hypoxia? This is interesting. I have some stories I want to publish here but I am new to the structure here

Click to expand...

LesbianChickLit explained it quite well. As for posting pieces here, keep in mind:

* Orthography (spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc) and physical structure (how sentences, paragraphs etc are blocked out) have a major impact. You may want to work with a volunteer editor. And/Or, look closely at successful writing and try to imitate it stylistically. That's how painters learn.

* What are your goals? Are you writing for your own pleasure or needs, or to develop the craft of writing, or to entertain others, or what? What do you seek here: views, votes, faves, comments? If you're interested in the numbers, the category you post in makes a huge difference. Incest and Loving Wives stories often get the most views, grab the most eyeballs. If you want to be READ, go where the readers are. If you don't want to be read, write poetry.

* The 'structure' here is pretty simple. Write something. Submit it. Agonize over how long the approval process takes. Feel suicidal when it's rejected. Drink heavily. Sober-up and rewrite and resubmit. Bask in glory when it's approved. Watch the numbers compulsively. Curse as the Red H slips further and further away. Sigh, and write another one. Repeat forever.

We look forward to seeing your stories. Well, somebody here probably will; I might be stuck in the "drink heavily" part of the storytelling cycle. Cheers!

There are really only 2-3 rules that matter: Everyone, everywhere is raised on stories and know how they work. Its in your blood. Raymond Chandler advised: WRITE WHATS NEVER BEEN WRITTEN BEFORE. And, 3, edit out all the boring crap. That's it.