If the comments for a story assume things about your characters that you feel are untrue, would you correct them?

[TheDok]

Yeah I get that. But with this one story it really saddens me that readers missed the entire point of the story. I feel like I failed.

J4S

If a few readers miss the entire point of your story, why would you think you have failed? it is inevitable that some readers will not be able to grasp complex or subtle plots. particularly if they are looking for a simple stroker with no discernible plot other than my wife fucked this guy and I got even. i am not suggesting I, you or anybody on this site is a Shakespeare but do you think he felt he had failed because some or all of his audience who watched the Tempest did not understand his reference to the divine right of kings. If you write well enough for the majority of people to get the message, you are not responsible for those who are unwilling or incapable of understanding your story. Change nothing. oy is your story

 

[Gamblnluck]

What's bugging me is that some of those comments make assumptions about one of the main characters that I think totally miss the mark. People are saying she must have already been cheating, or that it was her plan all along, but in my mind, that's not her at all.

Obviously she's fictional, but I know her motivations. To me, those assumptions are flat-out wrong. I'm not sure why I care, but I wrote her as a good person and it bothers me that people think she was duplicitous.

Without reading what others have said. The problem is you have to be clear. If you leave a situation where you can surmise the wife was cheating, you will get called on it. To be honest, too often a spouse asks about 'opening a marriage' simply because he or she already has. The person wants validation after the fact. That is what you are running into.

 

[Gamblnluck]

I read the story. It was him who asked for it. She took the ball and ran with it. Not only ran with, instead of spiking it in the end-zone, she rammed it down his throat. She made it clear he would not get her unless he accepted the humiliation she offered and submitted to others.
She was very quick to have a man to screw after he brought up the idea of opening the marriage. She also was very (maybe TOO) quick to humiliate her husband to the point of full subservience. She screwed her husband over for weeks. It certainly appeared she had been primed and ready for a full on attack on the hapless bastard. I can see why it did not get any traction and got a poor score. She turned him into a full on cuck with her in charge.

 

[Just4Sheets]

I read the story. It was him who asked for it. She took the ball and ran with it. Not only ran with, instead of spiking it in the end-zone, she rammed it down his throat. She made it clear he would not get her unless he accepted the humiliation she offered and submitted to others.
She was very quick to have a man to screw after he brought up the idea of opening the marriage. She also was very (maybe TOO) quick to humiliate her husband to the point of full subservience. She screwed her husband over for weeks. It certainly appeared she had been primed and ready for a full on attack on the hapless bastard. I can see why it did not get any traction and got a poor score. She turned him into a full on cuck with her in charge.

Sure .. that's all true. But then she let him off the hook. He screwed up .. she made him pay .. and once he completely accepted it she accepted him back. And he learned from things and (I think) turned out a better person for it. To me it was some payback for her and a redemption arc for him.

She started the story as an innocent housewife, who might have had fantasies, but would never act on them. He started the story as a horny husband who wanted to stray. They both ended the story as a more adventurous loving couple.

I'll say it again: I had no idea where the story was going when i came up with the idea. Husband wants to cheat, so he opens the marriage. Wife reluctantly agrees. He fails. She succeeds. And then I just start writing to find out what happens, not unlike the people reading the story later.

I really think it was a love story. When I reread it earlier I was so happy for them.

J4S

 

[Bramblethorn]

Sometimes such assumptions are a sign of unclear writing, but also a lot of readers apply their own world-view to what they read and will ignore things that contradict it even if they're on the page in black and white.

Usually I'd leave it alone but I have responded to a couple of comments where the reader had very clearly ignored things in the story in order to come to their preferred interpretation. I doubt it made any impact on those readers.

 

[kreemi_pi]

I have a story in Loving Wives (yeah, I know .. the minefield) that's sitting at 3 with a few comments.

What's bugging me is that some of those comments make assumptions about one of the main characters that I think totally miss the mark. People are saying she must have already been cheating, or that it was her plan all along, but in my mind, that's not her at all.

Obviously she's fictional, but I know her motivations. To me, those assumptions are flat-out wrong. I'm not sure why I care, but I wrote her as a good person and it bothers me that people think she was duplicitous.

So my question:

• Should I reply to clarify her character and explain what I was going for?
• Or should I just leave it alone?

After all, it's not like anyone would necessarily see or care that I responded.

J4S

Third option is just delete the comment if it's way off base

I have a story in Loving Wives (yeah, I know .. the minefield) that's sitting at 3 with a few comments.

What's bugging me is that some of those comments make assumptions about one of the main characters that I think totally miss the mark. People are saying she must have already been cheating, or that it was her plan all along, but in my mind, that's not her at all.

Obviously she's fictional, but I know her motivations. To me, those assumptions are flat-out wrong. I'm not sure why I care, but I wrote her as a good person and it bothers me that people think she was duplicitous.

So my question:

• Should I reply to clarify her character and explain what I was going for?
• Or should I just leave it alone?

After all, it's not like anyone would necessarily see or care that I responded.

J4S

Third option: delete the stupid comment.

Yeah, I know, that's a whole new can of Ethical Worms. And maybe you thinks that's "wrong" somehow. But consider:

1) you do your readers a disservice if you leave a misleading comment in place that could change readers' interpretation of the story.
2) it's YOUR story
3) Lit gives you that option

 

[Just4Sheets]

Third option is just delete the comment if it's way off base

Third option: delete the stupid comment.

Yeah, I know, that's a whole new can of Ethical Worms. And maybe you thinks that's "wrong" somehow. But consider:

1) you do your readers a disservice if you leave a misleading comment in place that could change readers' interpretation of the story.
2) it's YOUR story
3) Lit gives you that option

I completely forgot about that .. but I could never do it. I'm very much anti-censorship .. I'd rather feel bad about the comment than make it go away.

J4S

 

[M_K_Babalon]

If we could actually reply to comments, I might.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

One problem with Loving Wives is that readers seem to expect a story that fits easily into the BTB, cheating or willing cuckoldry genres, and have problems when it doesn't.

Is one of the options really not just wives who are loving? Like...does a purely loving wife just have to go somewhere else? Romance?

 

[Statius]

Is one of the options really not just wives who are loving? Like...does a purely loving wife just have to go somewhere else? Romance?

Lol I have the same questions about that category. What do the readers want there?

 

[Nightaelf]

You wrote the story with a certain idea in mind, but you can’t control how someone else receives it. When readers comment in ways that don’t match your intention, that’s just their personal reaction.

Take it as proof that your story made them think and then let it go. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for a character you already understand.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

Lol I have the same questions about that category. What do the readers want there?

See that's the thing. I'm also asking as a reader. I sometimes just want to read a story about a wife that is loving and dedicated to their spouse and...they aren't there! This one highly rated one had ZERO loving wives, though it did have one loving husband. Where are the loving devoted wives?!

 

[LetsMisBehave]

Is one of the options really not just wives who are loving? Like...does a purely loving wife just have to go somewhere else? Romance?

Amen and Hallelujah.
Admittedly, I can't remember reading a story about a husband or wife just enjoying having sex with each other in the LW category unless they were pretending they were cheating when making love to each other. To be fair to the readers, that version of bait and switch does seem to be marked on its erotic merits.
I started writing this reply before Statius and SB's comments came in, and delayed posting until I assimilated what they had said.
There is perhaps a problem in writing erotica that it is assumed husbands and wives are "going through the motions" while a new lover is exciting because they offer variety.
I can see that writing a story about getting all the kids out of the house and then snatching a quick, uninhibited bout of lovemaking would be realistic without being erotic. Mind you, that does tempt me to write a story about getting the house to yourselves.
By the way, do millennials or Gen X find the thought that their parents are having sex as disturbing as baby boomers used to find it?
A problem I found with the reaction to the first two chapters of Losing Inhibitions was that the readers were expecting a cuckold story when, at least if they had read the companion mature story Grampa's Last Hurrah, it should have been clear that was not the intention of the young man in the story and that both spouses had problems with expressing their sexuality.

 

[Actingup]

There's no right answer. I'll tend to push back ('clarify') if they've clearly misread the story or ignored the content, or I'll explain what was in my head. I tend to be more annoyed by comments that point out the character's stupid decision-making and assume that it's a reflection of the author* Yes, I know that Brad is an idiot: I wrote him that way.

Sometimes readers do read your responses, but in general my assumption is that responses are written for subsequent readers who read the comment and want to know what your response is.

*Although I've never had a reader assume that, because my character is a true sex god/goddesss, the author must be as well....

 

[Britva415]

Is one of the options really not just wives who are loving? Like...does a purely loving wife just have to go somewhere else? Romance?

If there's nothing extramarital going on, then, yes, I guess.

If it's a loving wife doing extramarital stuff within the context of a loving and consensual agreement with the husband, it belongs in LW but it doesn't neatly fit into any of the named boxes you responded to, the ones which many readers expect all LW stuff to fit into even though the category description doesn't suggest that that's what goes in there.

I sometimes just want to read a story about a wife that is loving and dedicated to their spouse and...they aren't there!

It doesn't sound like you will find what you're looking for in LW. Read the category description: Even without all the loveless BTB, cheating and cuckoldry, even when the LW wives are loving and loved, the category still isn't set up for what you seem to be after.

 

[Actingup]

If there's nothing extramarital going on, then, yes, I guess.

If it's a loving wife doing extramarital stuff within the context of a loving and consensual agreement with the husband, it belongs in LW but it doesn't neatly fit into any of the named boxes you responded to, the ones which many readers expect all LW stuff to fit into even though the category description doesn't suggest that that's what goes in there.


It doesn't sound like you will find what you're looking for in LW. Read the category description: Even without all the loveless BTB, cheating and cuckoldry, even when the LW wives are loving and loved, the category still isn't set up for what you seem to be after.

See that's the thing. I'm also asking as a reader. I sometimes just want to read a story about a wife that is loving and dedicated to their spouse and...they aren't there! This one highly rated one had ZERO loving wives, though it did have one loving husband. Where are the loving devoted wives?!

A really useful resource is an essay written back in 2007 (!): How to Break The Literotica Toplist. It summarises what readers are looking for in each category (and therefore, what readers can expect to find if the authors are paying attention). About LW, it says:

Loving wives
This is the strangest category. "Loving" in the title at first seems like a misnomer, because basically, this category involves some sort of infidelity. The idea, often, is that the wife or husband "loves" their partner so much they're willing to give them anything they want—even another lover. Be forewarned, writing in this category takes a strong ego and the ability to withstand some pretty caustic criticism, because fans of this category are very vocal and opinionated, and often use the story comment sections to argue and debate their beliefs about infidelity. To write a popular story in this category, you need all the details. Readers here want to know characters' histories, motivations, all the details of their lives that led up to the infidelity, etc. and often the aftermath as well. Revenge stories are popular in this category. Usually, you're going to split your readership no matter what you do, because there are those that like the cuckold fantasy, and those who feel anything short of shooting a spouse who cheats makes the wronged partner a "wimp."

@SamanthaBehgs , I sympathize with your plight. You can find some good loving wives in LW, but usually not. You can certainly find some in Romance, and scattered across the other categories. The problem is of course that if it's already a happy marriage, there's no tension in the story.

For what it's worth, I just looked at my own small catalogue, and in 23 published stories, there's a total of one stable marriage that proves resilient when it's under external threat (in a 750 word tale). The rest are mainly either romances or unstable relationships. And I thought I was such a nice guy....!

 

[iwatchus]

I think sincerely loving couples generally make stories only when there is another kink involved. As @Actingup suggests, there is not enough struggle to make an interesting story. My original series is based around a happy marriage. But over the 21 stories, they expand their relationship to include some others. Those 21 stories range across E&V, Group and EC. I have seen stories in Mature of long time couples. I could certainly imagine Anal or BDSM. If you are willing to go beyond hetero couples, Lesbian has some couples stories and I assume Gay Male does as well.

I could certainly imagine couples stories in SF&F.

Lots of places. It never occurred to me to use a Happily Married tag, but maybe it would be a good idea.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Man, that's messed up that people said that. Would you mind linking that story please or DM it to me?

J4S

The first story mentioned
The second story mentioned

 

[Just4Sheets]

The first story mentioned
The second story mentioned

The first story was unique. I enjoyed the trip through time with the 2 of them. But that second story was really great. Not sure how people didn’t understand what was happening. Nice jobs!

J4S

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

A really useful resource is an essay written back in 2007 (!): How to Break The Literotica Toplist. It summarises what readers are looking for in each category (and therefore, what readers can expect to find if the authors are paying attention). About LW, it says:

Loving wives
This is the strangest category. "Loving" in the title at first seems like a misnomer, because basically, this category involves some sort of infidelity. The idea, often, is that the wife or husband "loves" their partner so much they're willing to give them anything they want—even another lover. Be forewarned, writing in this category takes a strong ego and the ability to withstand some pretty caustic criticism, because fans of this category are very vocal and opinionated, and often use the story comment sections to argue and debate their beliefs about infidelity. To write a popular story in this category, you need all the details. Readers here want to know characters' histories, motivations, all the details of their lives that led up to the infidelity, etc. and often the aftermath as well. Revenge stories are popular in this category. Usually, you're going to split your readership no matter what you do, because there are those that like the cuckold fantasy, and those who feel anything short of shooting a spouse who cheats makes the wronged partner a "wimp."

@SamanthaBehgs , I sympathize with your plight. You can find some good loving wives in LW, but usually not. You can certainly find some in Romance, and scattered across the other categories. The problem is of course that if it's already a happy marriage, there's no tension in the story.

For what it's worth, I just looked at my own small catalogue, and in 23 published stories, there's a total of one stable marriage that proves resilient when it's under external threat (in a 750 word tale). The rest are mainly either romances or unstable relationships. And I thought I was such a nice guy....!

Thank you! Especially for that category description "How to" essay. That's so useful both as a reader AND a writer (I'd have made the Vampire mistake had I actually decided to keep writing my Halloween contest story for this year. I think I'm putting it off for next year).

My thoughts on loving relationships and tension/drama is that it comes from the outside. Think power of friendship only somehow fucking helps to power up that power. And not even the most loving relationships are perfect. But yea, I can see why that might be much harder to do and much less popular overall too. I like how you put things.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

I think sincerely loving couples generally make stories only when there is another kink involved. As @Actingup suggests, there is not enough struggle to make an interesting story. My original series is based around a happy marriage. But over the 21 stories, they expand their relationship to include some others. Those 21 stories range across E&V, Group and EC. I have seen stories in Mature of long time couples. I could certainly imagine Anal or BDSM. If you are willing to go beyond hetero couples, Lesbian has some couples stories and I assume Gay Male does as well.

I could certainly imagine couples stories in SF&F.

Lots of places. It never occurred to me to use a Happily Married tag, but maybe it would be a good idea.

I've considered the "Loving Wife" tag but given the category I am wondering if I would be misusing it. Fortunately, I just stuck with "wife."

 

[IWroteThis]

Lol I have the same questions about that category. What do the readers want there?

There is not a simple answer, because it's not a simple category. It's a conglomeration of multiple categories, which results in a confusing hodgepodge of stories that lacks a unified audience.

The link between stories in the category is primarily one thing: extramarital sex. Some people mistakenly think that a large portion of the audience just wants true loving wife stories in the category, but that's not true. By and large, the people who specifically read Loving Wives are looking for extramarital sex in the stories. The disagreement typically stems from the different opinions on how the cheated upon spouse should respond to it.

The different groups are willing to accept a different range of stories. The key to success in the category is to find the range with the greatest acceptance and try to stay in it. In my experience, underdog stories that aren't too over-the-top do well, whether they include reconciliation or divorce, do quite well in the category.

Sadly, the misogynists and misandrists are the most vocal. RAAC and extreme BTB do the best with the corresponding group, but are lambasted the most by the opposing group. True reconciliation and simple moving on/mild burn stories often do much better.

 

[Statius]

In short they either want it to be the husbands idea with the wife going along with everything he says, or if she strays on her own they want a BTB.
They want submission and complete male domination.

 

[Just4Sheets]

In short they either want it to be the husbands idea with the wife going along with everything he says, or if she strays on her own they want a BTB.
They want submission and complete male domination.

And they will strike down upon thee with one-star-reviews and furious comments those who attempt to poison their specific fantasies.

J4S

 

[Statius]

And they will strike down upon thee with one-star-reviews and furious comments those who attempt to poison their specific fantasies.

J4S

Precisely. But there are many writers who refuse to cave. And even with low scores they are the most read stories.