First Time Author Here - Looking for tips & answers

[JaxonHill]

https://www.literotica.com/s/tangled-web-ch-01-1

Chapter 1 finally got published! I’m guessing the other 3 chapters will be up soon since I submitted them all within 36 hours of each other.



Thanks everyone for your advice. I’m feeling better about pushing forward. My note at the beginning about a “slow burn” is the only thing I regret at this point lol.

As I’m writing it, it doesn’t seem like much of a slow burn at this point.

 

[JaxonHill]

So this is interesting.

I noticed that my chapters are set up to publish one per day.

Is this random happenstance or is there someone setting it up to publish like that?

 

[Norway_1705]

Are you familiar with one of mankind's oldest fables...?
Aesop's "The Man, the Boy and the Donkey"?
The moral is: Try to please everyone and you will please no one.
Some readers are only looking for porn scenes to masturbate in a hurry and shut down their PCs.
Other readers are looking for a Revelation. I learned on this site, things that no teacher had ever told me (and I am not talking about sex, but sociology and psychology).
Some are in a hurry and resent 750 words. Others want to sink into your narrative and then complain if you don't publish another follow-up after 20,000 words.
Whatever you publish, some will not like it: too vanilla, too kinky, too straight, too lesbian. Then focus on what you like, of the length you need, and the audience will be selected by time. Some will follow you everywhere, others will cross your name off the list.
However. Don't take my advice and don't read my little stuff, I'm just a lost idiot who doesn't know English. Don't follow the one who is lost.

 

[Norway_1705]

Do not underestimate the power of TAGS. you put in too few: two or three.
You must put TEN. Tags are the bait that attracts the wandering reader. I search for a word that intrigues me (e.g. Fangs) and read what I find.
Write ten TAGS. Help ten different tribes of people discover that they would like your narrative if they 'knew' they would like it.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I should write about how war and military terms are used as metaphors elsewhere. In Vietnam, it was "in the shit" (being in combat). I think in the Civil War, it was called "seeing the elephant," for some reason.

As I understand it, the idea behind that metaphor was that no amount of description could convey what it was like to see an elephant close up, and the same was true of battle.

 

[Norway_1705]

About emoji and emoticons. If you send a .doc file, the site can publish the icons. I did this in a silly story, but at least it showed the emoji in colour. https://www.literotica.com/s/a-daughters-skimpy-bikini-for-dad (please forgive the poor quality of characters, landscapes, jokes, plot, and action).

 

[gunhilltrain]

As I understand it, the idea behind that metaphor was that no amount of description could convey what it was like to see an elephant close up, and the same was true of battle.

Thanks, that is confirmed here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seeing_the_elephant

I guess 19th Century Americans rarely saw elephants. I've been seeing them at the Bronx Zoo since I was a little kid, but that didn't open until 1899.

 

[alohadave]

So this is interesting.

I noticed that my chapters are set up to publish one per day.

Is this random happenstance or is there someone setting it up to publish like that?

It's probably Laurel spacing them out. It's uncommon to have multiple chapters go live all on the same day, but it does happen occasionally.

 

[BBlaketbv]

1. From other's perspective, is there a point where I should consider a break in the chapter because its getting too long?
Based on what I read, there sure can be stories that are just too long for a single post. There is one that is more than 60k words, I really like it, but it would have been better if it had been split up in several parts.
How many chapters? I don't know, but I looked at the stories in my favourites list to get an estimate. The longest chapters clock in at around 15k words, which is perfectly fine I think.
I have been writing stories myself as well. The two I have published until now are both part of a series. 10k and 15k words long respectively.
A new story I am writing is currently at nearly 26k words. And I am starting to struggle with that one. I will probably cut that down into two parts.
But on the other hand there too are stories that are too short. Anything under 3k is rather short I think. If the complete story is under 10k, I would rather have the complete story.
Conclusion: maybe 15k-20k is around the max for how long a story chapter should be for me.

2. What are other's opinion of the tolerance for story and character development to "sex scenes"
Personally I want a backstory. Just one sex scene after another isn't what I am looking for when I read here. Connections between characters is also essential. I think that is why the incest/taboo section is so popular, there already is a connection that you as a reader can imagine. If the build-up is slow, I think it is good to hint towards something. There doesn't have to be an actual sex scene, but it is a great place to start some sparks.

3. How long does it typically take for a story to get "approved"?
I only have two released yet, so I have little experience here.
My 1st got sent back after maybe 48 hours. It got proper feedback on what I needed to change with helpful links.
After that my stories were released between 12 and 48 hours. I know how excited you are for other people to read your story, but I appreciate that there is a quality check. Simply be patient.
4. With they myriad of stories on this site, is there anything I should or could do to enjoy my story with fellow readers?
Enjoy it with others? What do you mean here?
People who enjoy your story sometimes vote, and comments are not that common. Probably the best place to discuss a story is right here on the forum?