Why do you spend time in the Lit forums?

[AG31]

I thought of this question when I woke up this morning and got so excited composing it in my head that I wanted to leap out of bed. Couldn't, though, as hubby was bringing me breakfast in bed. I couldn't really concentrate on my book. Glad to dig in!

So, to repeat, why do you spend time in the Lit forums?

I'll go first.

1. Very clearly for me, the main reason I visit forums such as this (and this one is far and away my favorite) is that I'm hoping to find like minded people with regards to erotica. Why do I want to find like minded people? Well, there's the simple human fact that people perk up when they meet a like minded person regarding some issue. I don't think that needs further analysis. But the other reason is that I'm hoping to get recommendations for erotic stories that exactly address my sensibilities. I long to hear from someone, "I loved your story xxxxxxxxx. It was perfect!! Have you read xxxxxxxxxxx or xxxxxxxxxxx??

Over the last three years I haven't found any totally like minded people. And I've only encountered two totally satisfying stories, both by the same author. That is, other than my own, of course. I don't find my apparent uniqueness in the world of erotic sensibility distressing, although the lack of other stories is frustrating, and I do continue to find it all a bit odd. My own sensibilities seem quite natural to me, of course.

But I keep frequenting the forums in hopes. And for other reasons too. See below.

2. Analysis. I'm an analysis junky. I'm a clarity junky. I just love putting words to ambiguous or vague or elusive phenomena. And the forums seem to be loaded with people that share my predilection. One rarely submits a post that doesn't get replies.

3. Intimacy. This is an amazing place. People (including me) will talk about the most intimate aspects of their lives. I've talked about stuff like personal physical arousal that I didn't even talk to myself about until I discovered this online world. It's very freeing. Closely related is kindness. Very early on I was struck by the kindness of so many readers and writers of erotica. Even those who aren't kind are usually entertaining.

4. Curiosity. I've always appreciated it when people are willing to talk about how they feel. And when visual artists are willing to talk about their work. This may have something to do with my not having much, if any,ability to visualize. I'm not good at it when people want me to intuit their feelings. Anyway, I take delight in discovering the wide variety of people.

5. Enjoyment in well written stories. I've found a number that do push some of my buttons, and those are treasured. But I've also found a surprising number that are just plain good literature, to be enjoyed the same way one would enjoy a story picked up off the shelf of Barnes & Noble. (Do they still have stores? I use the library, myself.)

So what are your reasons? I'm sure a lot of you come here for reasons related to your craft as an author - to get feedback, whether positive or suggestions for improvement. I don't expect to write any more stories, so I don't consider myself a craftsperson. But I certainly can appreciate the experience of people who are at the business of being authors.

Other reasons? Maybe something none of us would have guessed at?

 

[TxRad]

It keeps me off the street.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Because I am a masochist, deep down.

 

[onehitwanda]

It keeps me off @TxRad's street.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

@onehitwanda outside @TxRad's house before the advent of the forum:

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

I come here to procrastinate.

 

[StillStunned]

To steal other writers' ideas.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

@onehitwanda outside @TxRad's house before the advent of the forum:
View attachment 2290363

*Looks through the window at my own street to see if there is a Wanda outside...*

 

[onehitwanda]

*Looks through the window at my own street to see if there is a Wanda outside...*

 

[33RPMVinylPants]

Because pretty much every social media site has gone to absolute shit.

Facebook is filled with ads and "suggested content" that is absolute horseshit. Zero interest in whatever 'the algorythm' has decided I want to engage with.

Xitter (pronounced 'shitter') is openly sponsoring fascists

Reddit is completely overrun with astroturfing bot accounts (There are a few hobby subs I browse, but they're pretty quiet)

Zero interest in Instagram or TikTok.

Web 2.0 has rotted away. AI tailoring content to keep you on the page has replaced real human interaction. Discussion has been sacrificed at the altar of engagement. Ragebait designed to draw eyeballs for pageviews is poisioning our minds.

So instead I fuck around on the nice, wholesome, literotica forums all day.

We might all be perverts, but at least we're people.

Plus, there's something nostalgic about a forum like this, too. I don't think I've really been active on one for about a decade.

 

[StillStunned]

One thing is becoming clear: most of us aren't here to give serious answers to people's questions.

 

[onehitwanda]

One thing is becoming clear: most of us aren't here to give serious answers to people's questions.

whimsy is my middle name.

 

[StillStunned]

whimsy is my middle name.

Mine is Giles. I like yours better.

 

[Djmac1031]

whimsy is my middle name.

OneHitWhimsyWanda does have a nice ring to it.

 

[CEOescape]

I thought of this question when I woke up this morning and got so excited composing it in my head that I wanted to leap out of bed. Couldn't, though, as hubby was bringing me breakfast in bed. I couldn't really concentrate on my book. Glad to dig in!

So, to repeat, why do you spend time in the Lit forums?

I'll go first.

1. Very clearly for me, the main reason I visit forums such as this (and this one is far and away my favorite) is that I'm hoping to find like minded people with regards to erotica. Why do I want to find like minded people? Well, there's the simple human fact that people perk up when they meet a like minded person regarding some issue. I don't think that needs further analysis. But the other reason is that I'm hoping to get recommendations for erotic stories that exactly address my sensibilities. I long to hear from someone, "I loved your story xxxxxxxxx. It was perfect!! Have you read xxxxxxxxxxx or xxxxxxxxxxx??

Over the last three years I haven't found any totally like minded people. And I've only encountered two totally satisfying stories, both by the same author. That is, other than my own, of course. I don't find my apparent uniqueness in the world of erotic sensibility distressing, although the lack of other stories is frustrating, and I do continue to find it all a bit odd. My own sensibilities seem quite natural to me, of course.

But I keep frequenting the forums in hopes. And for other reasons too. See below.

2. Analysis. I'm an analysis junky. I'm a clarity junky. I just love putting words to ambiguous or vague or elusive phenomena. And the forums seem to be loaded with people that share my predilection. One rarely submits a post that doesn't get replies.

3. Intimacy. This is an amazing place. People (including me) will talk about the most intimate aspects of their lives. I've talked about stuff like personal physical arousal that I didn't even talk to myself about until I discovered this online world. It's very freeing. Closely related is kindness. Very early on struck by the kindness of so many readers and writers of erotica. Even those who aren't kind are usually entertaining.

4. Curiosity. I've always appreciated it when people are willing to talk about how they feel. And when visual artists are willing to talk about their work. This may have something to do with my not having much, if any,ability to visualize. I'm not good at it when people want me to intuit their feelings. Anyway, I take delight in discovering the wide variety of people.

5. Enjoyment in well written stories. I've found a number that do push some of my buttons, and those are treasured. But I've also found a surprising number that are just plain good literature, to be enjoyed the same way one would enjoy a story picked up off the shelf of Barnes & Noble. (Do they still have stores? I use the library, myself.)

So what are your reasons? I'm sure a lot of you come here for reasons related to your craft as an author - to get feedback, whether positive or suggestions for improvement. I don't expect to write any more stories, so I don't consider myself a craftsperson. But I certainly can appreciate the experience of people who are at the business of being authors.

Other reasons? Maybe something none of us would have guessed at?

perfectly said .

 

[Djmac1031]

Hmm. Why am I here?

Started simple enough I suppose. I started writing stories about two years ago, then decided to dig around the place a little to basically, yes, meet, interact, get to know other writers. Read about the craft. Learn.

From there it expanded. Because I'm also here to goof off, have fun. Chat with friends. Waste time.

Someone else commented on the wasteland that is social media lately. And I sadly agree.

For all the controversy that crops up here, it's still not as bad as any other given social media site.

And it's a lot easier to avoid shit you don't wanna talk about here. Can't get away from the nonsense in many places.

Mostly, I enjoy talking stories. And yeah, okay, it's an erotica site. What's not to like about that?

I'm a horny guy. And I have found my people.

 

[Duleigh]

So, to repeat, why do you spend time in the Lit forums?

Because I can

 

[Djmac1031]

Because I can

Funny. I say the same thing about masturbating.

 

[lovecraft68]

These days its just part of the ADHD browser hopping. I go from writing to here, to e-bay, to You tube to writing to back here. I'm on a frustrating loop.

Beyond that, the same reason its been for years, procrastination, mixed with seeing if there's anything interesting and occasionally trolling the AH playgrounders.

As for actual writing, there's nothing here I'm going to learn because its been the same discussions since my first day here, which is the nature of most forums I suppose. I'll still help out anyone that asks, but otherwise writing itself is at the bottom of the reason ladder.

 

[samhasstories]

Noble answer, the one I tell myself: I come to connect with writers, because I find you folks interesting, because I think it's good for me to communicate with other people who enjoy doing what I enjoy doing.

All of that certainly has some truth to it. But often the answer is simpler and less interesting: to procrastinate, to distract myself, to not be working on whatever it is I'm supposed to be working on.

 

[AG31]

To procrastinate on writing.

Though I think I spend more time doing that on Discord now than here.

Have made some great connections from here and carried them over to there.

I've tried Discord several times and every time I get so confused I just give up. Do you have a suggested script for someone to get involved in conversations about erotica?

 

[AG31]

We might all be perverts, but at least we're people.

Indeed, indeed!!!!

 

[AG31]

I'm a horny guy. And I have found my people.

 

[yowser]

A couple of the same reasons you have mentioned. I enjoy hearing about writers' process, the difficulties they have in writing, how they surmount said difficulties, the various craft things employed to convey a mood, establish a character, et al. That's a long list and I never tire of it.

Like minded people, yes, and also looking for good tales (this place has such a wide pool of efforts and getting to a good story is often a fraught journey.) A number of AH regulars do top notch work, almost all of them way above average (the Lake Woebegon effect.)

More than once it has been a handy troubleshooting tool. Once I wanted to know how women's undergarments were referred to in Canada (panties? Knickers? something else?) and within half an hour I had a sound answer.

Intelligent discussion I always appreciate, even the barroom fisticuffs here have occasional amusement value.

 

[DustofFallenStars]

About 10 years ago I used to write non-erotic fiction online. I had a few fans, and received regular feedback that made me a better writer.
Then I gave it up for a decade.

I stated writing again here, in a whole new genre, but as we all know, getting feedback for erotica is like pulling teeth from a stone. Half the threads here are a variation on 'how do I get more engagement / feedback?'.

Feedback and self-improvement were an integral part of my original writing hobby. I came here not so much as a way to increase my engagement with readers, but to find an online community that shared my interests, because that was a key component of how I honed my craft. This community is the closest I have seen to a supportive group dedicated to helping each other improve the craft of creating erotica.

As I now have a second story in the works, one which is something I want to be of a quality I'm proud of, I hope that I will be able to use the connections and knowledge I acquire here to make that story as good as it can be. And maybe receive the support I need to see the creative process through to the end.