Still relevant?

[FifthEstate]

Not long after I started writing on Lit 5+ years ago, someone shared this essay with me and I’ve seen it listed on numerous authors favorite story lists over the years. I keep it on a reading list and peruse it occasionally for reference.
How To Break The Literotica Toplist
Despite it being 16-years-old I still find it surprisingly relevant. If you’re familiar with it, I’m curious your thoughts?

 

[SimonDoom]

I think it is, in general, spot on, if you keep in mind that it is about writing popular stories and not necessarily "good" stories.

I read this essay before I started writing, and I've kept it in mind when I've written stories, and I have found that its ideas are true and that they work in terms of achieving popularity.

 

[NoTalentHack]

LW’s not quite right, although the broad stokes are there. People want the drama and not nearly as much sex. This can affect your ratings elsewhere, too; I got a comment on my Halloween entry in EC from a LW regular that said, “wanted more drama and less sex.” In Erotic Couplings. With the sex taking up maybe half of the text, at most.

 

[RejectReality]

I'd forgotten all about this one. It still has some decent insights, although there's been some evolution. Have to be happy with one aspect of it, as it calls out my "Danica" as an example in Sci-Fi&Fantasy.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Interesting. But I'm a terrible write. I write for me and not the scores.

 

[FifthEstate]

keep in mind that it is about writing popular stories and not necessarily "good" stories.

Very good point…

 

[AchtungNight]

I have gotten more positivity out of writing stories about lesser known celebrities than popular ones. Guess what that list suggests.

 

[Djmac1031]

Breezing through that essay, I'll generally agree with it's points.

I've probably said it a million times here; there's a place and an audience for all kinds of stories here.

But it's pretty obvious what the bulk of readers here expect, IMO.

I've seen simple, basic sex strokers amass thousands of views almost instantly.

I've seen well thought out, intricate stories wallow in relative obscurity.

I write all kinds of stories; some complicated, some basic.

My basic ones do better. That's just a simple fact.

Doesn't stop me from writing the more complicated ones though.

 

[GinnyPPC]

The analysis of the Lesbian category is way off. Maybe it was that way 16 years ago when it was written, but not now. One part though is correct, based upon the feedback I have received, the majority of readers there are male. But what is popular are longer sapphic romance stories. Just go look at the all-time popular stories there.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Interesting. But I'm a terrible write. I write for me and not the scores.

Maybe you're a good writer but the readers aren't so great. Or an analogy might be that Lit is a story factory cranking out stuff on an assembly line. That's what we have to deal with.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Well, I'm a terrible writer if I have to please the reader. I just want them to feel when they read my tales, twisted or otherwise.

 

[lovecraft68]

LW’s not quite right, although the broad stokes are there. People want the drama and not nearly as much sex. This can affect your ratings elsewhere, too; I got a comment on my Halloween entry in EC from a LW regular that said, “wanted more drama and less sex.” In Erotic Couplings. With the sex taking up maybe half of the text, at most.

Looks like back then people were complaining about "Loving" but for some reason I don't recall seeing that as much my first few years here. I think they describe it fairly well, difference is some of the factions have gotten angrier and nastier.

I keep wondering if a category name change would help, but I doubt it. Whether loving is accurate or not, they know what content is there so there wouldn't be much change, but if it was dubbed "Hotwife/Cuckold at least they could stop bitching about the "misnomer."

I think taboo pretty much holds up as does my own essay on it from back in 2014. Its a fairly consistent readership over the years.

I imagine there's good tips in these things, but also feel people an take them to much to heart and begin writing 'formula' stories

 

[lovecraft68]

Unless my computer is being weird the "Stacy" series they use as an I/T example of brother/sister goes nowhere.

 

[alohadave]

Well, I'm a terrible writer if I have to please the reader. I just want them to feel when they read my tales, twisted or otherwise.

You just need to find readers with the same sensibilities as you.

 

[lovecraft68]

You just need to find readers with the same sensibilities as you.

Millie has sensibilities?

 

[MillieDynamite]

NO!

Millie has sensibilities?

 

[lovecraft68]

NO!

Glad you confirmed what I suspected, that comment was dangerous misinformation.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Well, I'm a terrible writer if I have to please the reader. I just want them to feel when they read my tales, twisted or otherwise.

I guess we all care or otherwise we'd just keep these stories on our computers or devices and no one would ever see them. After five years I don't know exactly how to balance it all. The best I can come up with is that you have to please yourself and then the readers will follow - you hope.

P.S.: I looked at your submissions list and it seems like you're doing very well.

 

[AchtungNight]

I guess we all care or otherwise we'd just keep these stories on our computers or devices and no one would ever see them. After five years I don't know exactly how to balance it all. The best I can come up with is that you have to please yourself and then the readers will follow - you hope.

I have come up with the same knowledge after writing erotic fiction since puberty. I’ve just published it online here since 2006.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Well, I'm pretty honest. Brutally honest sometimes.

Glad you confirmed what I suspected, that comment was dangerous misinformation.

I don't think I'm doing bad until people start bragging they've never had a story lower than 4.5...

I have come up with the same knowledge after writing erotic fiction since puberty. I’ve just published it online here since 2006.

Good thing the vote score isn't the most important part to me.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Well, I'm pretty honest. Brutally honest sometimes.

I don't think I'm doing bad until people start bragging they've never had a story lower than 4.5...

Good thing the vote score isn't the most important part to me.

It might become a bit dull if everything is 4.5 and up. You can't really appreciate them unless you have some sub-threes. However, if everything or most of them were that low, I would have become a bit discouraged by now.

 

[MillieDynamite]

So very, very, true.

It might become a bit dull if everything is 4.5 and up. You can't really appreciate them unless you have some sub-threes. However, if everything or most of them were that low, I would have become a bit discouraged by now.