The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[NuclearFairy]

They're nice, but with the number of votes I tend to get they're too easily influenced for me to get overly excited. I've had too many stories suddenly plummet to not hot only to crawl back up a week or so later. Sometimes the pattern repeats.

 

[NotWise]

Sooo, how much do y'all care about ratings on your stories?

I'm pretty easy-going about ratings as long as I understand why I have what I have.

 

[Bomberaw]

I'm pretty easy-going about ratings as long as I understand why I have what I have.

Yeah, I suppose that's fair. I just hate getting my rating fucked with because people don't like the subject matter, as opposed to it being based on quality

 

[Rustyoznail]

Yeah, I suppose that's fair. I just hate getting my rating fucked with because people don't like the subject matter, as opposed to it being based on quality

Yeah, that sucks. I like a good score, but until you have over about 100 votes, a one bomb can make it plummet.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Sooo, how much do y'all care about ratings on your stories?

I try not to. Doesn't stop me being miffed when a red H vanishes. It's rare for me to get over 20 votes while a story is still new and popular, so one or two downvotes makes a big difference.

I have 10 votes on my ending for the Chain story, and three of them clearly didn't like it, which is annoying as I was pleased with it and tried hard to be in keeping with preceding chapters. Ah well.

On average, my stories are scoring less well than a few years ago. I don't know if that's down to harsher voters or just me being more experimental and not going for 'typical' stories. Or being off my tits on meds and writing less well...

 

[Bomberaw]

Yeah, that sucks. I like a good score, but until you have over about 100 votes, a one bomb can make it plummet.

Yeah, neither of my chapters are above 100 votes yet, so I guess I'll see after they get higher

 

[Bomberaw]

I try not to. Doesn't stop me being miffed when a red H vanishes. It's rare for me to get over 20 votes while a story is still new and popular, so one or two downvotes makes a big difference.

I have 10 votes on my ending for the Chain story, and three of them clearly didn't like it, which is annoying as I was pleased with it and tried hard to be in keeping with preceding chapters. Ah well.

On average, my stories are scoring less well than a few years ago. I don't know if that's down to harsher voters or just me being more experimental and not going for 'typical' stories. Or being off my tits on meds and writing less well...

Fuckkk, I feel you on the last part though. I'm on blood thinners right now, and I damn near constantly feel like shit because of them

 

[iwatchus]

I have to admit I care way more than I wish I did. I think I am better than I used to be about it, but that was a low bar to surpass.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Just found out that my Lobos will be starting the season going up against the Wolverines ...

It's going to be another hot day. There was fog this morning due to the humidity but the sun has burned through it and is now shining in my face.

I've got a fresh pot of coffee going and the teapot is whistling. There are various pastries on the counter if anyone needs a sugar rush.

I'll be over in the corner wondering why I torture myself writing the stories that I do. I'm spending so much time in the eighties in my head that I'm dreaming about all of the people I knew back then and wondering where they all are now ... makes for troubled sleep at times ...

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Sooo, how much do y'all care about ratings on your stories?

Just to throw my 2 cents (I just realized that my keyboard doesn't have the cent symbol on it) in, I used to really care about them, but since the '2' bomber started on the Lesbian Sex Stories (where most of my stories reside) top list last year, I've cared less. Laurel tried a couple of times to fix the issue but as soon as she did, they got bombed again. I think she's just given up on it. All of my top stories have been '2' bombed down into the 4.7s and one of my stories seems to have drawn the bomber's ire at the moment.

 

[NotWise]

Yeah, I suppose that's fair. I just hate getting my rating fucked with because people don't like the subject matter, as opposed to it being based on quality

You need to keep in mind that the readers generally aren't critics. That's something I think a lot of author's--especially authors who are new to getting reader feedback--need to remember.

Readers vote almost entirely on whether or not they enjoy the story. If you include subject matter they don't enjoy, then they'll vote low. They may not even have to get very far into a story to know if they'll enjoy the content.

If you value the score, then it's important to put your story in the right category and to know the community in the category well enough to judge what they want and don't want. Otherwise, you should adjust your expectations downward.

When you get comments on the quality of your writing, then they usually come from other writers, people who want to be writers, or the rare readers who fancy themselves as critics. To get more of that kind of input, you can find beta readers, ask for it in the Story Feedback forum, or enter the contests and events. Other writers in the contest and events are more likely to read and comment.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

'down into the 4.7s '


Chuckles ....

 

[NotWise]

Just to throw my 2 cents (I just realized that my keyboard doesn't have the cent symbol on it) in, I used to really care about them, but since the '2' bomber started on the Lesbian Sex Stories (where most of my stories reside) top list last year, I've cared less. Laurel tried a couple of times to fix the issue but as soon as she did, they got bombed again. I think she's just given up on it. All of my top stories have been '2' bombed down into the 4.7s and one of my stories seems to have drawn the bomber's ire at the moment.

Same in Romance. I only have one story on that list, so the effect on me is limited. I take it as a challenge to write a new, better stories.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Just found out that my Lobos will be starting the season going up against the Wolverines ...

Well, at least they're not going up against the Deadpools.

 

[NotWise]

Just found out that my Lobos will be starting the season going up against the Wolverines ...

I may have finally given up on the football program. This isn't a good community for American football. On the other hand, it's a great community for Futbol. A few years ago the U had to adjust it's athletic programs to even out opportunities for women, and they chose to scrap a men's soccer program that was, on a national scale, the best athletic program at the university. I thought that was a remarkably bad decision, but I don't know all that went into it.

 

[NuclearFairy]

I may have finally given up on the football program. This isn't a good community for American football. On the other hand, it's a great community for Futbol. A few years ago the U had to adjust it's athletic programs to even out opportunities for women, and they chose to scrap a men's soccer program that was, on a national scale, the best athletic program at the university. I thought that was a remarkably bad decision, but I don't know all that went into it.

Wait, those are the names of sports teams?

 

[NotWise]

Wait, those are the names of sports teams?

Lobos = University of New Mexico
Wolverines = University of Michigan

That is not a competitive match.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Lobos = University of New Mexico
Wolverines = University of Michigan

That is not a competitive match.

Ah, okay thanks.

I pay more attention to comic books than sports, so I thought she was making a comic related metaphor.

 

[NotWise]

Our official high yesterday was 84. It was overcast almost all day and that high came near noon. There wasn't a time during the day when I wasn't comfortable working outside.

Today should be warmer, but I'll see what I can get done.

For my WIP, I did my first full read yesterday, and one editing pass. I have two problems that are more than basic editing, but I don't think they're killers. I want to find a consistent tense for when the main characters are expressing their fantasies, and I need to re-write the last two "sex" scenes, mostly because the penultimate scene falls flat. The quickest route to a solution is too move part of the last scene, which will leave to rewrite then beginning of both of those scenes.

 

[MillieDynamite]

In Colorado for the next week. I may or may not be online much. How's y'all? I'm having coffee with Mary right now, and of course, it's Saturday, so she's doing her Jewish thing of minimal work. I had thought, silly me, when she became a Christian Jew, I mean Messianic Jew, she dumped some of the Jewish things. NOPE! No writing as she makes money from writing, so that's work. No playing on the internet for her and minimal food preparation. At least we have coffee, and since I'm not a jew, I made a big breakfast.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

In Colorado for the next week. I may or may not be online much. How's y'all? I'm having coffee with Mary right now, and of course, it's Saturday, so she's doing her Jewish thing of minimal work. I had thought, silly me, when she became a Christian Jew, I mean Messianic Jew, she dumped some of the Jewish things. NOPE! No writing as she makes money from writing, so that's work. No playing on the internet for her and minimal food preparation. At least we have coffee, and since I'm not a jew, I made a big breakfast.

Enjoy, and please pass along regards to Mary.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I will do both. Mary says hey to all of you and that she might get on after Sunday services.

Enjoy, and please pass along regards to Mary.

 

[iwatchus]

After a more-or-less eventful day yesterday, I managed two settle down to get some writing done. I have finished the draft of my latest romance. A little longer than I expected (20K) but I think I like it. I will set aside for most of the day and then start the serious editing tonight. Between my own ranting yesterday, the people coming yesterday to install the heat pumps for the third floor and it being longer that I had expected, it took me longer.

Now off to finally reading. And I need to get the last bits of my courses set of for classes to start in eight days. At least it's only two easy classes.

 

[TheRedLantern]

At least it's only two easy classes.

Is one of them about how to eat a cupcake that's larger than your mouth without making a mess? If so, send me your notes before tomorrow when I walk by the cupcake place and my id, ego, and superego all gang up on me and make me get one.

 

[NuclearFairy]

Is one of them about how to eat a cupcake that's larger than your mouth without making a mess? If so, send me your notes before tomorrow when I walk by the cupcake place and my id, ego, and superego all gang up on me and make me get one.

You could always do it the way my eldest does, with a plate and fork. Bonus points if you can learn the nifty trick of using the back of the fork to smash all the delicious crumbs into one last delicious bite.