Author chatter

[NOIRTRASH]

AH threads often inspire me to explore ideas that arise. Like rites of passage.

 

[oggbashan]

@Ogg - My apologies! I inadvertently left you out of my "offend everyone" comment in my earlier post. I made several corrections.

No need for apologies. Some of my stories were deliberately written to offend or upset a large number of readers.

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

Tee hee hee! I am going to say something now about tags, guys. I know I missed it out in my last post - thanks for all your comments and feedback on that. I really appreciate it, and as you can see, take all your suggestions on board. (Incestuous mermaid Christmas special coming soon! thanks to the commentator who suggested I include such a character in my otherwise realist First Time story set in a Valentine's disco. Tee hee!) I love you all! tee hee hee.

Yes, GC, you

You are fucking evil.

 

[Nathan_Brazil]

Quite possibly, you've officially absorbed enough grumpiness from all of us here on the forum, that you're now officially a member of the bungalow, where authors get together to obsessively bemoan and complain about minutiae? a t.

God, I hope not.

 

[karaline]

Guilty as charged, I recently wrote an 'authors note' that was almost as long as the epilogue.

 

[redzinger]

I've found that if I don't include a pre-story note stating that I write in UK English, I'll have comments afterwards criticising the spelling/grammar. I'll sometimes list what the story contains, if there are any radical departures from the category.

And I'm guilty for doing a vote reminder at the end of the story, but only for competitions.

I think bashfullyshameless does my favourite pre-story notes.

 

[sr71plt]

I've found that if I don't include a pre-story note stating that I write in UK English, I'll have comments afterwards criticising the spelling/grammar. I'll sometimes list what the story contains, if there are any radical departures from the category.

And I'm guilty for doing a vote reminder at the end of the story, but only for competitions.

I think bashfullyshameless does my favourite pre-story notes.

I can see putting in the UK English note. We periodically get threads on how UK English shouldn't be discounted on Lit., which is true, but it sometimes is, which is reality.

I think putting the "vote for me" note on a competition piece is worse than on one not in a Lit. contest. It's asking for favoritism over other writers in the competition on a basis that doesn't just let the story speak for itself. Which is why I find plugging it on the forum distasteful too, especially on the AH, where a lot of others with stories in the contest are posting.

 

[Gorza]

Well, you know, we sometimes kick this kind of issue around as if we were the Académie bloody française. In perspective, Lit ain't a repository of high literature, and we who write it are more pixel scratcher than author.

We know those header and footer texts can detract from the beginning and ending respectively. We know that the thresholds of our scratching have to be 'good' and 'strong', like coffee or cock. The rule should be not to use them unless absolutely necessary. But then there's Star fucking Wars and its 'long ago' and 'far away'. Some talking head on my box recently described that as the greatest opening of any movie. I shouted at my telly, for, in cinematography terms, its the worst way to begin. It's all Tell and no Show. And yet it's iconic, and The People love that shit. So, I could just say rules we made to be broken, but that's far too sappy.

You, yes you, have some respect for the readers. True, some are as thick as two short ones, but that there holds for writers too. Stuff this 'it's my story' shit! Are you some kind of princess? The only objective measure of a writer's worth is in the eyes of our readers. If we were as good as we make ourselves out to be, here is where you wouldn't see us. We're here. We're pixel scratchers. We can ignore our readers, we can masturbate in the dark. We can reach out to our readers, be the dark in which they lose themselves.

That little header or footer, in which the illusionist casts off the cloak and bows can have more erotic power than some stories, even if it says 'copyright Gorza. All characters are over 18 ... I find your comments and ratings sexually arousing'.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Where's my cat? I see pigeons...

 

[NaokoSmith]

Suppose a seemingly conventional romance story ends up that the protagonists are actually gay vampire white-trash siblings who like Non-Consent and time travel to properly researched historic settings, where they only seek out condom users or rugby players as their victims? (There... I officially offended everyone... )

I have written most of those, including gay, white-trash, condom-users, properly researched historical settings and rugby players, you have offended me so much!

OK, I don't do the properly researched historical settings because I am so lazy I had rather make it all up and write a fantasy novel

You are fucking evil.

And 'in your dreams'.

 

[Handley_Page]

I've found that if I don't include a pre-story note stating that I write in UK English, I'll have comments afterwards criticising the spelling/grammar. I'll sometimes list what the story contains, if there are any radical departures from the category.

And I'm guilty for doing a vote reminder at the end of the story, but only for competitions.

I think bashfullyshameless does my favourite pre-story notes.

I also prefer the "written in UK English" and similar remarks; it makes it understood.

I can see putting in the UK English note. We periodically get threads on how UK English shouldn't be discounted on Lit., which is true, but it sometimes is, which is reality.

I think putting the "vote for me" note on a competition piece is worse than on one not in a Lit. contest. It's asking for favoritism over other writers in the competition on a basis that doesn't just let the story speak for itself. Which is why I find plugging it on the forum distasteful too, especially on the AH, where a lot of others with stories in the contest are posting.

You make it sound like a US politician.
The "voting" comments I have seen so far, are more of a reminder "if you like it, don't forget to vote", etc.. . rather than a "vote for me".

 

[redzinger]

You make it sound like a US politician.
The "voting" comments I have seen so far, are more of a reminder "if you like it, don't forget to vote", etc.. . rather than a "vote for me".

Exactly. As a reader, I sometimes forget to actually vote for a story. I don't mind a writer adding a gentle reminder at the end. But I'll decide myself what I'm going to give it.

Not favouritism at all, as you can vote for any story.

 

[lovecraft68]

My standard slug is that lit is a free site and the authors are only paid through votes and comments so if you liked or disliked the story take a minute to tell me why.

As a reader I realize that work goes into these stories and everyone writing here is nice enough to entertain me for free.

So what do you do when someone gives you something for free? You say thank you. That is manners, common courtesy, except here where the majority of readers enjoy the free, and don't vote, far fewer comment.

Which is their right, but its why I roll my eyes every time I see someone whining here that so and so didn't finish a series or someone pulled their stories or just chose not to write here anymore.

When you pay for something you have the right to bitch if you don't get it, when its free? Get what you pay for and perhaps its the cynic in me, but I am willing to bet the biggest whiners about what authors do with their work here are the ones who never vote or comment

 

[sr71plt]

Exactly. As a reader, I sometimes forget to actually vote for a story. I don't mind a writer adding a gentle reminder at the end. But I'll decide myself what I'm going to give it.

Not favouritism at all, as you can vote for any story.

I love the rationalization. You both know what you're after.

 

[lovecraft68]

I love the rationalization. You both know what you're after.

It's not rationalization, its a fact. Readers can vote for every single story in a contest if they choose, they are not limited. This isn't the baseball writers of America where each person has one ballot.

If that were the case here asking for a vote might be seen as shady, but with unlimited voting, what's the problem?

The problem is you prefer not to do it, which is your right, but as always you can't leave it at what works for you, you have to shove it at everyone that anyone who does not do as you do is wrong and less than because your way is always the right way even here in a place where nothing is really the right or wrong way.

 

[sr71plt]

Naw, it's just overweening competition on an amateur free-read story site as if it really will mean you're better than the other writers. Sort of pathetic and needy.