Versatile authors

[EmilyMiller]

Some authors here pick a genre (or a range of them) and excel in delivering amazing work within these parameters. Constraints can lead to creativity. You do see some profile pages where 90% of stories are in one category.

It’s not those authors I wanted to highlight here, but instead those butterflies who flit from subject to subject and are still able to write impactfully. Those who can do pathos and humor. Gritty realism and wild SciFi. Tender romance and rough sex. Different voices of different protagonists with different motivations and different predilections. And yet still authentic.

Who do you think is a master or mistress of this less focused approach?

Emily

Note: I really wanted to highlight other authors here, so please no self-nomination

 

[StillStunned]

Dear EmilyMiller,

You seem to be new here on this forum, so I feel should perhaps explain. We don't talk about how amazing other writers are, we only talk about how great we are.

Let me know if you need any further pointers to help you familiarise yourself with the Hangout.

Sincerely,
StillStunned


Sincerely, though, this is a tricky question. I think most people, even if they admire other writers here, are more likely to stick to reading one or two particular categories. So we might not get to appreciate each other's full range.

 

[joy_of_cooking]

I'll quote @NoTalentHack :

NoTalentHackabout 1 year ago
Fantastic story. I'd like to say, I really love the range of your work; you can do this and Alena's Game, both love stories, both very different. It's a damn crime that you don't have more followers.

That was on

Love is the Last (4.59) Husband's tale of love from the front lines. Romance

Alena's Game starts here:

Alena's Game Ch. 01 (4.44) Alena's husband is completely under her control in the club. NonConsent/Reluctance

 

[Privates1stClass]

I think I'd nominate DreamCloud as a top author who not only has stories in many genres, but has a red H in nearly every one of them. Here's a link to his stories: https://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=2065159&page=submissions

 

[joy_of_cooking]

Another one: ThatNewGuy

The first story I read of his was his second lowest-rated (at 4.48):

What Dreams May Come

It's about a girl lying awake as her booty call snores beside her. It remains the longest Lit story I've read out loud to my wife. Highly recommend.

But he also writes horror: Maize (4.80)

And tearjerkers: Ornaments (4.77)

And straightforward romances: Full Circle (4.86)

And vampires: Abandoned (4.86)

 

[lovecraft68]

You're welcome for the idea.

I'll give myself a pat on the back for manipulation and reverse psychology.

I won't clutter the forum up with another thread, but I'd extend this further for anyone interested.

A favorite story by another author.... who is not a forum member, (or a regular one as there's a lot of authors who only post once in a great while.)

I think enough back slapping and cheerleading goes on here that we can acknowledge someone from the vast sea of authors who don't post here.

And here we are.

 

[EmilyMiller]

You're welcome for the idea.

I'll give myself a pat on the back for manipulation and reverse psychology.

And here we are.

I posted this twenty minutes before you (9:20am vs 9:40am). Your influence is even stronger than you think, it permeates back in time . Some theoretical physicists want to talk to you.

Emily

 

[EmilyMiller]

Dear EmilyMiller,

You seem to be new here on this forum, so I feel should perhaps explain. We don't talk about how amazing other writers are, we only talk about how great we are.

Let me know if you need any further pointers to help you familiarise yourself with the Hangout.

Sincerely,
StillStunned


Sincerely, though, this is a tricky question. I think most people, even if they admire other writers here, are more likely to stick to reading one or two particular categories. So we might not get to appreciate each other's full range.

A joke I know, and I self-promote as much as anyone, but I thought this would be a fun / nice thing to do.

Emily

 

[StillStunned]

A joke I know, and I self-promote as much as anyone, but I thought this would be a fun / nice thing to do.

Emily

I agree, it is. I was just commenting on the fact that it had been half an hour and no-one had replied. It was nearly two hours before you got a serious reply. The thread asking authors to name their own favourite story had ten replies in that time.

So a joke, but with some underlying truth. Not criticism of anyone here, mind: like I said, I'm not sure many people read across multiple categories, regardless of a writer's output.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I agree, it is. I was just commenting on the fact that it had been half an hour and no-one had replied. It was nearly two hours before you got a serious reply. The thread asking authors to name their own favourite story had ten replies in that time.

So a joke, but with some underlying truth. Not criticism of anyone here, mind: like I said, I'm not sure many people read across multiple categories, regardless of a writer's output.

As I’ve said before, you have to be something of a narcissist to write. To believe that your internal thoughts would be of interest to anyone else. So it’s not surprising. But we can strive to be a bit better .

Emily

 

[MillieDynamite]

I don't know how versatile I am, but I write horror, mystery, thriller, a few westerns (under an old nom de plume), of course, different genres in erotica. There's usually an erotic element in my writing, but in many stories, it is quite mild.

Oh, other writers, not me. UM, everyone here.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I think I'd nominate DreamCloud as a top author who not only has stories in many genres, but has a red H in nearly every one of them. Here's a link to his stories: https://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=2065159&page=submissions

You got me thinking. I went and checked and I have Hs in 15 categories. I guess that’s pretty good. Had never thought to look.

Emily

 

[Bazzle]

I've got at least 15 red H's in one category...oh...shut up Bazzle.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I've got at least 15 red H's in one category...oh...shut up Bazzle.

Maybe it’s a branding iron fetish that you have?

Emily

 

[KeithD]

You got me thinking. I went and checked and I have Hs in 15 categories. I guess that’s pretty good. Had never thought to look.

Emily

That's an accomplishment. The sr71plt account has Hs in 13 categories (with the KeithD account adding 2 more) and Green Es in 6 categories.

It may be a bit difficult to get a handle on an author's versatility at Literotica, as some may have done as I did to avoid backlash--opened separate accounts, but same author, for wildly divergent categories they write in. I started with the single, sr71plt, account, but eventually split out divergent categories into separate accounts.

 

[lovecraft68]

Dear EmilyMiller,

You seem to be new here on this forum, so I feel should perhaps explain. We don't talk about how amazing other writers are, we only talk about how great we are.

Let me know if you need any further pointers to help you familiarise yourself with the Hangout.

Sincerely,
StillStunned


Sincerely, though, this is a tricky question. I think most people, even if they admire other writers here, are more likely to stick to reading one or two particular categories. So we might not get to appreciate each other's full range.

Well, it seems that after a decent start, people are back to talking about themselves again.

It's pretty much the nature of all social media. "Enough about me, let's talk about you, like what do you think of me."

As for here-and to your point-people have certain tastes so won't encounter many authors-but also, more than a few authors here have admitted they-for a variety of reasons- either never, or very rarely, read other people's stories. If they do, it will tend to be someone from here because people here are often asking for reviews/opinions.

 

[EmilyMiller]

That's an accomplishment. The sr71plt account has Hs in 13 categories (with the KeithD account adding 2 more) and Green Es in 6 categories.

It may be a bit difficult to get a handle on an author's versatility at Literotica, as some may have done as I did to avoid backlash--opened separate accounts, but same author, for wildly divergent categories they write in. I started with the single, sr71plt, account, but eventually split out divergent categories into separate accounts.

It’s probably a good strategy to keep some things separate. I have had people love one of my stories and think the kinks in another are squick. I try to suggest checking the category and tags first. But I have had adverse reactions when someone read Romance and then BDSM or vice versa.

Emily

 

[EmilyMiller]

You got me thinking. I went and checked and I have Hs in 15 categories. I guess that’s pretty good. Had never thought to look.

Emily

Speaking of H, I guess I’m the Heineken of Lit. Not awful, not wonderful. You kinda know what you are getting.

Emily

 

[Trionyx]

opened separate accounts,

How is this done? I tried once using a different email addy and it was rejected.

 

[KeithD]

How is this done? I tried once using a different email addy and it was rejected.

Just with separate e-mail addresses. I have a few separate accounts for writing and also opened a coauthored account with Sabb, under Shabbu. Didn't have any problems. Maybe it's something they are allowing anymore, although a separate account for coauthor seems the most logical way to go.

 

[KeithD]

I think I'd nominate DreamCloud as a top author who not only has stories in many genres, but has a red H in nearly every one of them. Here's a link to his stories: https://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=2065159&page=submissions

I'm a little suspicious of someone who has red Hs in virtually everything listed. DreamCloud has a lot of contest wins too, though. I counted Hs in 9 different categories. Would be good to hear of authors with more than 15 different-category Hs. Silkstockingslover maybe? For versatility, maybe the H isn't vital. Maybe it's enough to just have stories in lots of categories.

 

[RejectReality]

How is this done? I tried once using a different email addy and it was rejected.

Yeah, same here as Keith. 3 pen names, 3 email addresses, no issues. It was a long time ago when I started this one ( the most recent ) but I've seen umpteen posts from people starting new accounts to try to get access to their old one, and banned people returning over and over and over again under new names, all in the really recent past.

 

[StillStunned]

Here's a thought: surely "versatile" doesn't necessarily equate to "as many different categories as possible"?

It’s not those authors I wanted to highlight here, but instead those butterflies who flit from subject to subject and are still able to write impactfully. Those who can do pathos and humor. Gritty realism and wild SciFi. Tenser romance and rough sex. Different voices of different protagonists with different motivations and different predictions. And yet still authentic.

If I look at my own work, I have stories in E/V, EC and Group that are very similar in tone and style, but within SF&F I have stories as diverse as The Rivals, Fairytale of New York and Life and Death of the She-Wolf. Within E/V, there's no comparison between Flesh for Fantasy, Love At First Sight and The Walled Garden. In I/T, there's miles between Too Cold Not to Fuck and You Know You Shouldn't.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Here's a thought: surely "versatile" doesn't necessarily equate to "as many different categories as possible"?


If I look at my own work, I have stories in E/V, EC and Group that are very similar in tone and style, but within SF&F I have stories as diverse as The Rivals, Fairytale of New York and Life and Death of the She-Wolf. Within E/V, there's no comparison between Flesh for Fantasy, Love At First Sight and The Walled Garden. In I/T, there's miles between Too Cold Not to Fuck and You Know You Shouldn't.

I agree - it’s not just a category thing. I do think it requires versatility to write well in multiple categories, but writing in multiple categories doesn’t necessarily mean you are versatile. And an author could display versatility by writing dramatically different stories, all in - say - Gay Male.

Emily

 

[Voboy]

Well, it seems that after a decent start, people are back to talking about themselves again.

I doubt there are a massive number of regular posters here (think "the usual suspects," those who post here every day or so) who do enough disparate reading on the site to be familiar with all that many "versatile" writers.

Speaking for myself, I tend to read in two or three (four, maybe) different categories that reflect my kinks, or I use the tag portal; either way, if I'm casually looking for something to read one-handed, I'm not taking undue notice of the writer's username. Certainly not closely enough to have it at my fingertips when a thread like this starts up.

My tastes as a writer are FAR more diverse than my tastes as a reader. I have no reason to think I'm all that unusual in that; on the contrary, as threads like this show (and as you point out), we're way more familiar with our own work than we tend to be with that of other writers.

Just my $.02. Most of my go-to writers tend to focus on the few categories that reflect my interests. Even if they write in other categories, I'm not reading those stories and can't use them as a recommendation for others.