2 related site suggestions

[SteffiOlsen]

I love the BETA, but at the risk of being burned by torch-wielding villagers, I have a couple of [related] suggestions.

One, it would be great if there was a simple way to know ahead of time that a story isn't finished. Not every author lists their final chapter as such, and without going to the last page of the last chapter, scrolling down, and reading the comments-- risking a spoiler at the same time-- there is no way to tell. Even a line on the submission page strongly suggesting the above modification might help.

Two, I'd like to see stories that have been left unfinished for a year or more downgraded from the various Halls of Fame, which would give newer, active authors a chance at Hall of Fame-ness, and simultaneously, spare some newbs the awful agony of getting sucked into a tale, then slammed into the unhappy ending wall of NOPE--not happening. And yes, that is a self-serving suggestion, but it would also serve many, many other writers.

Sharpen your pitchforks, I'm prepared!

 

[sr71plt]

These are suggestions that would best go straight to the site owners, via PM (Laurel or Manu). One problem with the second suggestion, though, is who is to determine that a story isn't finished? (I frequently have a reader suggest one of my stories isn't finished, and they are always wrong.) I doubt whether Laurel wants to have to put any effort into figuring that out. I suppose she could establish a requirement to mark a series as ended or risk it being deleted from the Hall of Fame, as you suggest.

 

[NotWise]

Sharpen your pitchforks, I'm prepared!

Pitchforks? Hah! I'll use a broom soaked in kerosene. One swing and the whole room is in flames.

Delays in finishing a story can come up from a lot of sources; conflicts with family, from work or from other writing commitments. I have readers who pressure me into extending this story or that story and as the delays and frustrations build up their pressure just makes me want to say 'fuck it.'

So then we might go from a delayed ending to no ending at all.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Actually both suggestions are nonsense. How the hell is anyone to know if the story is done or not. I have several where everyone is screaming that it's not finished. I, the author, say it is. Guess who wins? I also have several series going that I have taken multi-year breaks before writing the next one. Who is to say it's finished or not? Well, again, that would be me.

 

[RejectReality]

No torches or pitchforks here. The first part is something I've been saying for some time. I suppose the second is an option, but I'm partial to the idea of combining chapter stories into a single entry in the toplist with an average/mean score, thus accomplishing the same thing you want to. The toplists are filled with individual chapters, and compressing them into a single entry opens up a huge amount of space for others to see their time on the list.

Step #1 is a checkbox on the submission form. Is this story finished? Authors who are posting now, and those who still visit the site will quickly discover the benefit of utilizing that checkbox. Multi-chapter stories marked complete by the author are more likely to be read.

That's also a step toward only awarding complete stories in the monthly and annual contests, rather than individual chapters. Naturally, someone could abuse it by marking something complete when it isn't, but that could very well shoot them in the foot. When people reading what is supposed to be a complete story reach the last chapter and discover it isn't, the low protest votes for the deception will likely take them out of the running for any awards.

Dealing with existing multi-chapter work by inactive authors is a whole other can of worms. There have been a lot of suggestions over the years, but that was all based upon the old infrastructure, which is probably changing dramatically with the site updates in progress.

I say deal with the active authors and new work first, then worry about the stuff on the dusty shelves later.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Step #1 is a checkbox on the submission form. Is this story finished? Authors who are posting now, and those who still visit the site will quickly discover the benefit of utilizing that checkbox. Multi-chapter stories marked complete by the author are more likely to be read.

Sometimes the writer doesn't know.

I for one have several story cycles here which were written as stand-alone pieces, where I later wrote another related but also discrete sequel. So it might be finished, it might not. But each part is complete in itself.

 

[RejectReality]

This isn't about connected stories. It's about chapter stories that require reading them all to reach a conclusion. Self-contained stories that have a beginning, middle, and end, but simply share characters/settings/etc. with other self-contained stories aren't the issue on any front.

This is a chapter story: https://www.literotica.com/s/blackhawk-hall-ch-01

Until you read all six chapters, there's no resolution.

https://www.literotica.com/s/steward-of-the-wood
https://www.literotica.com/s/daughter-of-the-wood

Those are connected stories. They share characters and a setting, but you don't have to read one to understand the story of the other.

Sometimes the writer doesn't know.

I for one have several story cycles here which were written as stand-alone pieces, where I later wrote another related but also discrete sequel. So it might be finished, it might not. But each part is complete in itself.

 

[SteffiOlsen]

I suppose the second is an option, but I'm partial to the idea of combining chapter stories into a single entry in the toplist with an average/mean score.

I like that idea a lot-- the story would still be accessible to readers that way, also. Because I absolutely don't mean to suggest the Hall of Famers don't deserve it-- they do, there are tons of great stories on the lists. I just prefer the option of not reading 150k words only to get dropped in the drink with no life-raft.

Step #1 is a checkbox on the submission form. Is this story finished? Authors who are posting now, and those who still visit the site will quickly discover the benefit of utilizing that checkbox. Multi-chapter stories marked complete by the author are more likely to be read.

This will probably sound stupid, but hell, if I didn't ask, then I'd actually BE stupid... are you suggesting the check-box, or have I been missing something? Because, yes, that's a great idea, also, and similar to what I was thinking with shuffling unfinished stories down the list-- giving the author a little more incentive to finish.

And you didn't even bring a flashlight and a billy club!

 

[SteffiOlsen]

Pitchforks? Hah! I'll use a broom soaked in kerosene. One swing and the whole room is in flames.

Delays in finishing a story can come up from a lot of sources; conflicts with family, from work or from other writing commitments. I have readers who pressure me into extending this story or that story and as the delays and frustrations build up their pressure just makes me want to say 'fuck it.'

So then we might go from a delayed ending to no ending at all.

Yes, the broom sounds much more efficient, flame-wise, than the torch, though you do miss the fun of impaling someone if you skip the pitchfork, too.

You're absolutely right about pressure making other pressures worse, and I'm absolutely NOT criticizing the authors who don't finish. I work full time and have three kids-- if you're not locked in a happy little cabin in the woods, crap happens. There are a bunch of authors on my fave-list with unfinished stories, too. I'm dying to see the next chapter, but I'm not whining while I wait. I don't think those writers should get bumped off the lists, either.

I'm just saying that, as a reader, I'd rather know up front if a story isn't finished yet and hasn't been updated in a year or two. It's like losing touch with an old friend and never knowing what happened to him/her.

Reject Reality had a better idea than mine anyway-- combining chapters into one entry on the list.

 

[RejectReality]

Yes, it's just a suggestion for now, though Manu has acknowledged it and talked about it a little, so it's on the table in the place where it could actually become a real thing.

For now, I should imagine that getting the new site tested, up, and running is the focus. Adding stuff will be after all the kinks are worked out.

I like that idea a lot-- the story would still be accessible to readers that way, also. Because I absolutely don't mean to suggest the Hall of Famers don't deserve it-- they do, there are tons of great stories on the lists. I just prefer the option of not reading 150k words only to get dropped in the drink with no life-raft.



This will probably sound stupid, but hell, if I didn't ask, then I'd actually BE stupid... are you suggesting the check-box, or have I been missing something? Because, yes, that's a great idea, also, and similar to what I was thinking with shuffling unfinished stories down the list-- giving the author a little more incentive to finish.

And you didn't even bring a flashlight and a billy club!

 

[sr71plt]

Adding stuff will be after all the kinks are worked out.

It's not really an "adding something" new in the way of suggestions to a rebuild going on. This suggestion, along with others, came up years and years ago. The last system enhancement had some very nice stuff (like the category hubs), but it didn't address suggestions that have been made for years and it didn't clean up the long-existing issues with the Web site (e.g., the buttons to e-mail the administrators not doing anything; an author search button that doesn't come up with results; such features as "Ask Fern" that haven't worked for over an decade; the misleading mire that is the volunteer editor program.) It will be interesting to see if how many existing issues and longstanding suggestions the rebuild addresses.