Who else gets nervous every time they're ready to hit that "Submit" button?

[TheWritingGroup]

I usually look at my spouse, go "okay, I'm gonna do it... I'm gonna do it... I'm really gonna do it!" and then like, peck-tap at my mouse button to make sure I don't chicken out...

Is this some notorious comment troll or something?

https://forum.literotica.com/thread...n-the-ire-of-story-critic-stacnash-🤣.1634089/
https://forum.literotica.com/threads/an-open-letter-to-stacnash-feel-free-to-ignore-this.1594381/

 

[ronde]

Granted, I've only published a handful of stories so far, but every time, it's like "Is this really ready? What if there's a typo I missed? An obvious plot hole or contradiction? A rule I don't realize I'm breaking somehow?"

I think part of it might be the whole "art is never finished, only abandoned" thing. I could re-re-re-re-re-reread my story forever, but eventually, I have to let it go, decide that it's ready, and put it out into the world. But still, there's always that part of me that says "maybe ONE more read through to see if there's anything I missed," and I need to work up the courage to press that final little blue button.

Anyone else have the same thing? And if so, do you ever get over it?

Some advise I got on this same forum over 20 years ago is still applicable and I do it for every story I submit.

Once you've finished a story, let it marinate for at least a week and two weeks are better. The reason is how the human brain works.

You don't notice when you unconsciously blink your eyes. That's because your brain "remembers" what you were seeing and fills in the blank that happens when you blink. The same thing happens when you try to proofread a story a day or so after you've finished it. Your brain remembers what you intended to write, and will "autocorrect" things like typos and missing punctuation. If you let the story sit for a couple weeks, your brain will forget and those typos and other errors will stand out.

As for typos that appear as soon as your story is published, I firmly believe that there is a demon in my computer that changes words as soon as I hit submit. It is truly demonic. It changes both what I sent to Literotica and it changes the original file. It has been present in all of the five computers I've had over the years.

 

[TheExperimentalist]

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/has-anyone-else-drawn-the-ire-of-story-critic-stacnash-.1634089/
https://forum.literotica.com/threads/an-open-letter-to-stacnash-feel-free-to-ignore-this.1594381/

Looks like a definite "sort of, but it's more complicated".

 

[ElectricBlue]

Is this some notorious comment troll or something?

Controversial, to say the least. Caused a chunk of drama a year or so ago, with unsolicited reviews using unknown story selection criteria, and giving a score/100.

You can find her profile by searching the Authors list. The listings then speak for themselves, in terms of her approach.

Full disclosure, she reviewed one of my stories and liked it, and at the same time revealed a slightly prissy morality that said more about her than it did about the story. Definitely Drama 101, though.

 

[TheExperimentalist]

As for typos that appear as soon as your story is published, I firmly believe that there is a demon in my computer that changes words as soon as I hit submit. It is truly demonic. It changes both what I sent to Literotica and it changes the original file. It has been present in all of the five computers I've had over the years.

Is it bad that this gave me an idea for a story about an actual cyber-demon who's fallen in love with a Lit writer, somehow worked his way through the interned into her computer, and is slowly building up the ability to communicate? A seemingly-random typo is all it manage do for now, but eventually, she'll figure out the code, and find some more direct way to communicate with it and then... I guess some really hot old-school cybersex? I doubt this story, which is already stretching credibility way too far, could have a plausible way of the demon acquiring a body... Unless it can share HER body? Hmm...

No, that's ridiculous.

 

[LegendInMyOwnMind]

I must say, the moment was less nervous than usual for The Only Man She Can Trust, and I think it's my best so far. Up since 12/9, 302 views and 10 comments, only two of which had anything negative to say at all, and those were "too short" and "not really an incest story, and I don't know why it's taboo," in the context of otherwise positive comments.

 

[TheExperimentalist]

Is it bad that this gave me an idea for a story about an actual cyber-demon who's fallen in love with a Lit writer, somehow worked his way through the interned into her computer, and is slowly building up the ability to communicate? A seemingly-random typo is all it manage do for now, but eventually, she'll figure out the code, and find some more direct way to communicate with it and then... I guess some really hot old-school cybersex? I doubt this story, which is already stretching credibility way too far, could have a plausible way of the demon acquiring a body... Unless it can share HER body? Hmm...

No, that's ridiculous.

Case in point: that was meant to be "internet"

 

[ElectricBlue]

Is it bad that this gave me an idea for a story about an actual cyber-demon who's fallen in love with a Lit writer, somehow worked his way through the interned into her computer, and is slowly building up the ability to communicate? A seemingly-random typo is all it manage do for now, but eventually, she'll figure out the code, and find some more direct way to communicate with it and then... I guess some really hot old-school cybersex? I doubt this story, which is already stretching credibility way too far, could have a plausible way of the demon acquiring a body... Unless it can share HER body? Hmm...

No, that's ridiculous.

No it's not, that's a really clever idea.

I've got a (stalled for three years) story where an astronaut on Titan encounters an alien life form that can flow through metal, gets into his spacecraft and moves through the electrical wiring, then manifests around him like a nuru massage. I even sorted out the mumbo jumbo physics that explains how it works. Some guff about atomic manipulation, similar to electricity, but sentient.

@stickygirl and I co-wrote a story where characters become sentient through the writer's computer: Transgendence

 

[TheExperimentalist]

No it's not, that's a really clever idea.

You know what? Fine. With @ronde's permission, I'll add it to my ever-growing list of story outlines. I don't know if I yet, or will ever, have the skill to do it justice, but you're right. On reread, it actually could work, maybe.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

No worries: Stacnash hasn't posted in months.

Actually, she posted a couple of times a week ago or so. I believe @PennyThompson and @nice90sguy were both "reviewed" by her recently.

 

[TheExperimentalist]

Actually, she posted a couple of times a week ago or so. I believe @PennyThompson and @nice90sguy were both "reviewed" by her recently.

Where are these reviews posted?

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Actually, she posted a couple of times a week ago or so. I believe @PennyThompson and @nice90sguy were both "reviewed" by her recently.

I didn't see or hear about it. Interesting.

Is it bad that this gave me an idea for a story about an actual cyber-demon who's fallen in love with a Lit writer, somehow worked his way through the interned into her computer, and is slowly building up the ability to communicate? A seemingly-random typo is all it manage do for now, but eventually, she'll figure out the code, and find some more direct way to communicate with it and then... I guess some really hot old-school cybersex? I doubt this story, which is already stretching credibility way too far, could have a plausible way of the demon acquiring a body... Unless it can share HER body? Hmm...

No, that's ridiculous.

No, no: the cyberdemon sucks her into the computer. It becomes a Tron parody.

--Annie

 

[NuclearFairy]

Where are these reviews posted?

They're comments on stories. I have one on The Party. I don't really agree with most of her points, but I did find several of them useful.

 

[SmilingLez]

They're comments on stories. I have one on The Party. I don't really agree with most of her points, but I did find several of them useful.

Voices from silent lips,
casting judgments like shadows
on vibrant pages filled with soul.
They never tasted ink,
yet they dissect with ease.


(Disclosure, my SIL challenged me to reply publicly in verse)

 

[TheExperimentalist]

Voices from silent lips,
casting judgments like shadows
on vibrant pages filled with soul.
They never tasted ink,
yet they dissect with ease.


(Disclosure, my SIL challenged me to reply publicly in verse)

Your SIL is either a nuisance or a genius, and I can't decide which.

Oh, I mean:
Lez's SIL
Either nuisance or genius
I can't decide which

Wow, that actually fit pretty effortlessly.

 

[SmilingLez]

Your SIL is either a nuisance or a genius, and I can't decide which.

Oh, I mean:
Lez's SIL
Either nuisance or genius
I can't decide which

Wow, that actually fit pretty effortlessly.

She and my bro are 18 years older than me and are my godparents. So she is a combination, but mostly a genius. Since I won the bet, she will be cooking a leg of lamb with brussel sprouts, potatoes, carrots, and celery tomorrow for dinner.

 

[iwatchus]

That's typical, in my experience. One Vote per hundred Views, one Comment per thousand. If I get better than that, it's always a sign the story's doing really well

Or is in the right category (rates vary between categories by 10X) Romances and LS give so much more feedback than E&V. I thought it was just me until I saw the stats that this is normal for everyone.

 

[TheExperimentalist]

Or is in the right category (rates vary between categories by 10X) Romances and LS give so much more feedback than E&V. I thought it was just me until I saw the stats that this is normal for everyone.

Yeah, after the category discussion I started a couple weeks back, I came to realize that each category is basically its own entirely separate reader base, with its own subculture(s), dramas, and expectations.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Granted, I've only published a handful of stories so far, but every time, it's like "Is this really ready? What if there's a typo I missed? An obvious plot hole or contradiction? A rule I don't realize I'm breaking somehow?"

I think part of it might be the whole "art is never finished, only abandoned" thing. I could re-re-re-re-re-reread my story forever, but eventually, I have to let it go, decide that it's ready, and put it out into the world. But still, there's always that part of me that says "maybe ONE more read through to see if there's anything I missed," and I need to work up the courage to press that final little blue button.

Anyone else have the same thing? And if so, do you ever get over it?

Every single time.

 

[TheExperimentalist]

Every single time.

Damn. 91. Guess there's no hope for me then.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Damn. 91. Guess there's no hope for me then.

Hope lies in the next story...

 

[ronde]

You know what? Fine. With @ronde's permission, I'll add it to my ever-growing list of story outlines. I don't know if I yet, or will ever, have the skill to do it justice, but you're right. On reread, it actually could work, maybe.

It was your idea, not mine. Go for it and best of luck.

 

[TheExperimentalist]

It was your idea, not mine. Go for it and best of luck.

Thanks. I feel like several core elements came from you, so I wanted to make sure to check. It's in cold storage for now, waiting for my skill level to grow enough to be confident in doing it well.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Where are these reviews posted?

She leaves a comment on the story she's reviewed, then adds the story to one of her lists (ranked according to the score she's given the story). If the author deletes the comment, which many have, the comment is gone from the Lit public domain.

You have to do a little sleuthing, not much.

She mostly reviews stories by AH denizens - there are a few reviews of stories from non AH writers, but not many.

She generated a fair amount of controversy a couple of years ago when she first started handing out unasked for reviews (vigilante reviews, as a long time AH member - since deceased - called them). Some were unbelievably hostile, and many confused the writer with the story, which was unnecessary.

My story got off lightly - she liked my leading lady, but then went on to castigate me for being vulgar - because I wrote cunt half a dozen times and one or two others misdemeanors (or cardinal sins, I'm not sure). Which made me laugh, because the story was more about anal sex than vaginal, and who uses the word "vulgar" nowadays? She also revealed a quaint Americanism, not knowing or not caring that in Australia we interchangeably use both knickers and panties when describing women's underwear. She also missed a tip of the hat to Last Tango in Paris - she wanted my characters to use lube, not butter.

I exchanged a few PMs, and came away thinking she was a faintly shockable librarian keeping some kind of a log on filthy stories. I tried to suss out the overarching purpose of the lists and what she did with them, to no avail. Damned if I know who her audience was, because she did a good job of alienating a bunch of people here.

Here's the story she reviewed. Why she chose the second of the series I don't know - I figured maybe she preferred anal sex to vanilla, but fucked if I really know.

https://www.literotica.com/s/garter-belts-and-whiskey

 

[ElectricBlue]

Or is in the right category (rates vary between categories by 10X) Romances and LS give so much more feedback than E&V. I thought it was just me until I saw the stats that this is normal for everyone.

I did my category homework in the first week or two I arrived on Lit. It wasn't hard to pick the category to permanently avoid, and to spot the formula for some of the others. I don't quite understand why more people don't do that, a whole lot of grief could be avoided!