Do US authors have to tolerate this?

[DeYaKen]

How many Us authors find their stories criticised on the basis of where the author was born. Below is section of comments from just one story. I've been using this site for over two years now and never have I seen similar criticism for a US author.

So what is it about us Brits that makes you feel so uncomfortable that you feel you have to critisize us for a mere accident of birth.

You have to forgive anonymous, he's obviously not bright enough to know that British should have a capital B.

10/03/13 By: Anonymous
A typical depressing british story. While it was well written and the story telling was good I just couldn't enjoy it. These british authors always write depressing stories.

Brit shit
10/03/13 By: Anonymous

10/03/13 By: cantbuymy
This story is wrong on so many levels. What is this Brit shit of having everyone be friends?



10/03/13 By: cantbuymy
Brit - it's just that you Brits got do used to your women fucking other men and putting up with it that you think it is normal.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

I had someone tell me that my writing style was slightly british, but that wasn't a compliment or an insult.

Some anonymice leave stinkier turds than others. Sorry about that.

 

[A_Little_Show]

Culture clash

One potential issue is spelling. I'm culturally U.S.A but I was partly educated in the U.K. Spelling confounds me.

Culture clash colors many subjects. Erotica is not immune. For example, A Scottish friend of mine couldn't understand how spying on a teenage naturist swimming alone in her backyard pool could be arousing. I guess glimpsing nude perfection is just no big deal there Nudity in genera seems to be less taboo outside the U.S.A. Even in Canada, I've seen people swim naked in motel pools without seeming self conscious. For most U.S.A men/boys, the potential to glimpse a bit of side boob as a woman sunbathes topless but laying on her stomach arouses even if the potential is never realized.

Lastly, I get ridiculous comments on my stories. Look at the comments on my "Cuckold Cal" story to be amused. Many people read the stories solely to masturbate, and if the ending spoils their mood, they get angry. In contrast, I read the stories to be entertained and aroused but wait to masturbate later.

 

[sr71plt]

Fact one is that this is predominately a U.S. site (and it's based in the United States and it uses U.S. style in it's Web site writing style--the actual Web site pages. It appears that some of its story rejection is also based on not understanding the legitimate differences between British and American technical style). Fact two is that Americans are pretty insular as a group and many just don't understand that there are separate British styles--both in technicals and in story content style.

But Fact three is that I've seen a whole lot more British snobbery about writing on these forums than American. Can't say whether that's in the story comments too, though.

It's sort of a natural thing for the uninformed and/or snobbery readers/writers to do.

 

[oggbashan]

Assholes/Arseholes are a world-wide plague.

It doesn't matter to them if you are a US-based writer, a UK-based writer, or from anywhere else.

An asshole/arsehole will use whatever insult he/she thinks will hurt most.

The only response is to shrug your shoulders and ignore them.

 

[JustaSCOUNDREL]

I have not seen anything like that directed at U.S. authors. Do remember ass holes will be ass holes and may well pick anything they can to voice their anger at who ever the author is.

Something interesting about "cantbuymy" is he has a rant on his Bio page bitching about trolls 1 bombing his stories and has turned off voting on all of his stories.

I do not know which story they were whining about, but from the comments it sounds like it was a cuckold story and those kinds of stories will always draw the haters wrath. Sadly there is nothing we authors can do about it except know it will happen if we write those kinds of stories.

I am not defending the trolls in any way, shape or form. My only comment is you can't do a single thing about it except delete those comments that bother you.

Mike

 

[Zeb_Carter]

From the content of the comments you posted I would have to say - Loving Wives.

Don't worry, the comments are exactly the same for us authors in the US, the difference is that they mention your nationality.

Loving Wives trolls, you gotta love 'em.

 

[Chiara23]

Total Confusion

Being a Canadian author I've confused the hell out of some readers. I tend to use British spellings of words (favour, colour, etc.) yet use a fair bit of American/Canadian slang. I've actually had people email me and ask where on the planet I am from as they are so thoroughly confused by my style.

If a person pans my story I leave it unless it of course is a personal attack. Maybe it's because I AM Canadian, but I don't have a problem with peoples' opinions of my work, I take what they've said and if it's a valid point I try to learn from the experience.

Ultimately, my style is mine, and since I'm not being paid to write my stories I'll continue to write the way I see fit. If people don't like it they can move on to another story at any time and I will not be harmed in the least by it.

Ciao!

 

[emap]

Oddest thing, I am currently doing a steampunk series set in Britain with the slang and nobody has commented on that. Also do related series of the Wild West with the slang of the time, and nobody comments on that.

I did have people complain when I was still using Microsoft Word so maybe that is your problem.

As has been noted putting stories in Loving Wives means you will be lambasted by everyone, they loved the story or not. I really think half of them do the lambasting because they can and not because they care if you use the wrong word at one spot or anything that you will see plenty of comments about. Loving Wives readers complain to complain, if you do exactly what they want they will complain about something else in the story, or just you because they are going to complain.

Take my view on the feedback sent. No matter what they say, they stroked hard and fast then covered their keyboard in their fluids and are feeling guilty because they got off so easily on something perverted, especially in Loving Wives, so they lash out. All the feedback is saying is simply it was so fucking hot but now I feel guilty because I got off on what you typed so I am going to blame you.

 

[Handley_Page]

I'll be the first to admit being an indifferent author (I cannot see the end of my stories; my pending file is enormous).
However, I now put "I'm British and this is in English English" , just so there can be no doubt.

 

[MSTarot]

I have not seen anything like that directed at U.S. authors.

I have gotten comments along the lines of "good story, for a southerner" "Another redneck writer"

Had one tell me he was insulted that I use the word 'y'all' to much in a story. That people from the south don't really say that to each other.

Realllllyy....

Okay.... yeah.

 

[DeYaKen]

The story was She chose me and yes it's in LW. It has polarised opinion a bit.

What I'm getting at is that these people seem to think that Brit and British are insults.

I've never seen something like "typical trigger happy Yank crap"

I don't object to the criticism. Everyone is welcome to their opinion. What I object to is using Brit or British as an adjective to describe a story they don't like. We can't all be cowboys and to be honest I don't want to be.

Did you hear about the homosexual cowboy? He rode into town and shot up the Sherrif.

Now I've really upset everyone.

Incidentally in Britain we use the term cowboy in a derogatory sense to describe unskilled tradesman who bodge jobs and generally cause more problems than they solve.

 

[sr71plt]

I did have people complain when I was still using Microsoft Word so maybe that is your problem.

That's weird. What could using Microsoft Word have to do with British/U.S. word choice? Other than screwing up the use of the Spellchecker, maybe--which would be the same in any word processing system.

 

[oggbashan]

That's weird. What could using Microsoft Word have to do with British/U.S. word choice? Other than screwing up the use of the Spellchecker, maybe--which would be the same in any word processing system.

You can set Word spell checker for US or UK usage (or French or whatever language depending on what extras you added).

 

[sr71plt]

You can set Word spell checker for US or UK usage (or French or whatever language depending on what extras you added).

True. I don't see that that responds to the question, though.

 

[lovecraft68]

The answer is....

Yes, if you want to continue to accept comments here, or no, if you want to disable comments.

If you allow for comments then yes, you are leaving yourself open to take whatever people give you, both good and bad.

You don't want the bad, disable the comments, but then you don't get any good ones either

What you also don't have to do is take it so personally.

 

[emap]

I had the grammar thingy on when I was using Word and didn't feel up to arguing with the fucking thing so commas were rather rare even though many times a comma is needed, unless you ask Word.

Don't ask me why on that but the grammar for Word isn't in English and it's for English. My early stories I got comments about how English must not be my primary language and that was because of the lack of commas along with Word couldn't figure out if to was supposed to be too or not. Several times it couldn't figure it out and kept suggesting the other.

I was using 07 Word I think, may have been 05 then updated to 10 and still it couldn't figure out much of anything, so then went to Openoffice and the grammar checker isn't there though says it is.

Also the comment about word is called a JOKE.

 

[mikoli5763]

Not just foreign authors

I have received similar comments only directed at me because I mentioned East Tennessee as the setting and used some common phrases that "Southerners" use in my prose and dialogue. Yes the stories were in LW and not all were from "Anons".
I'm not going to stop using either them or the area that I'm from in my future stories. I have found "you're damned if you do and damned if you don't" so I write for my pleasure and hope at least a few enjoy my stories too.
I read the story you were asking about and liked it so keep writing the way you are and what you want to write!

 

[redzinger]

The only time I didn't lead with a note that the story was in British English (on my second story), I had feedback saying there were loads of errors. Whether there are errors or whether it was just the UK/US difference, I've never been able to establish. Would like to have known if there are errors, but c'est la vie.

I'm really keen to find out what the publisher's editor for my forthcoming novel(s) thinks are my weaknesses compared to feedback I've had from here. (A friend-of-a-friend is with the same company and is still doing rewrites a year later.)

 

[sr71plt]

I had the grammar thingy on when I was using Word and didn't feel up to arguing with the fucking thing so commas were rather rare even though many times a comma is needed, unless you ask Word.

Don't ask me why on that but the grammar for Word isn't in English and it's for English. My early stories I got comments about how English must not be my primary language and that was because of the lack of commas along with Word couldn't figure out if to was supposed to be too or not. Several times it couldn't figure it out and kept suggesting the other.

I was using 07 Word I think, may have been 05 then updated to 10 and still it couldn't figure out much of anything, so then went to Openoffice and the grammar checker isn't there though says it is.

Also the comment about word is called a JOKE.

Word is programmed for business English. Turn everything off that thinks it's helpful when writing fiction. Run spellcheck, yes, but only as a guide to what might genuinely be wrong and was overlooked.

 

[sr71plt]

The only time I didn't lead with a note that the story was in British English (on my second story), I had feedback saying there were loads of errors. Whether there are errors or whether it was just the UK/US difference, I've never been able to establish. Would like to have known if there are errors, but c'est la vie.

I'm really keen to find out what the publisher's editor for my forthcoming novel(s) thinks are my weaknesses compared to feedback I've had from here. (A friend-of-a-friend is with the same company and is still doing rewrites a year later.)

You're likely to get loads of "errors/get an editor" comments when you are writing commercial fiction and the reader in question never went further than high school English.

Just ignore them.

 

[Bramblethorn]

The only time I didn't lead with a note that the story was in British English (on my second story), I had feedback saying there were loads of errors. Whether there are errors or whether it was just the UK/US difference, I've never been able to establish. Would like to have known if there are errors, but c'est la vie.

'Playing Up' chapter 2? I've just skimmed the first half; not a close proof-read, but certainly not "loads of errors". Might be the British English, but could also just be a reader who doesn't know as much as they think.

 

[PayDay]

C:: Two Heads

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=929773

comment attitudes ---^

+

ALSO:: check out post #24 of this thread::

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=932497

I've noticed an ability to notice the difference in an author's nationality based on cultural references or language, but if anything, I've notice'd it can improve a good story.

Bad stories are bad regardless of who wrote them.

 

[desertslave]

Trolls seem to come in all sorts of bizarre shapes and sizes. I've gotten stupid comments about being submissive (on a non-BDSM story!), identifying as BBW, having writing that's too proper, and having grammatical errors (which weren't, but the troll's comment was begging for a red pencil workout LOL). If someone wants to be negative about something, they'll find it and comment.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

It's interesting that the OP feels there is more voiced criticism about English writers here - the only thing that occurs to me is that some English writers fairly firmly place their own styles and implied attitudes into one variety or other of 'English box!' ...If I can put it that way, and people used to a contemporary common core (gasp) mentality and language may find it too eccentric, maybe. Maybe anonymous hates the British. Maybe there is a post WWII sense of superiority somewhere. Who knows.

Personally I 'think' I write along a fairly traditional kind of one of those 'English/Continental' and possibly even 'French-to-English avant garde marketing-speak' boxes, but I'm not serious about doing it; it just happens and I am not bothered by what others do by contrast.

And by far the most important thing to me is always the story and the sincerity and emotional weight of the delivery - I couldn't seriously care less about the standard of English or the type or 'dialect' in which it is written. It's got to be the tale, for me. It's harder to get good new story material and ideas, than reasonably decent written language with which the story material is conveyed.

I do engage in warmish though very frivolous arguments over the English language, but underneath it all I respect most of all, the storyteller first, and his written language second.