Have you ever played with the readers?

[JamesMiehoff]

Since most of them are not ever going to poke their nose in here, especially the smartphone only readers, it is safe to come clean.

Obviously, since I started this topic, the answer for me is YES!

I have started trying to get a feel for what gets the reader's attention and votes. I wrote a story that described the first time in very veiled and poetic terms. It is sitting below 4. I followed that up by retelling the same story in graphic details and it was just over 4.5 the last time I looked.

So I wrote one that was as close to a porn movie as I could. It had just enough plot to hang together and to mix the couples up a little. Currently at 4.65 with at least twice as many readers.

So I think I know what that means. If I want some ego stroking, I need to write as dirty as I can. If I want some satisfaction in telling a tale, don't go looking for numbers.

If you have played with the readers, spill your sordid tales. Inquiring minds want to know.

James

 

[NotWise]

My first two stories for Lit were exercises for me, and they taught me some about what the readers wanted. They were a learning experience.

I generally don't go out of my way to annoy readers, but when I wrote A Christmas Tart I was playing rough with two of the most firmly-established tropes in I/T: Daughter loves Daddy, and Mom is forever. Daughter pretty much hated Daddy, and the Mom/Son relationship changed, as it always had before.

The reception was okay, and the score is still good by most standards. I think you can mess with some of the reader's expectations. If you do it right, they won't beat you about the head and shoulders.

I tried twice to figure out what the readers wanted in Mature. I'm not going to mess with them again.

 

[A_Little_Show]

My first two stories for Lit were exercises for me, and they taught me some about what the readers wanted. They were a learning experience.

I generally don't go out of my way to annoy readers, but when I wrote A Christmas Tart I was playing rough with two of the most firmly-established tropes in I/T: Daughter loves Daddy, and Mom is forever. Daughter pretty much hated Daddy, and the Mom/Son relationship changed, as it always had before.

The reception was okay, and the score is still good by most standards. I think you can mess with some of the reader's expectations. If you do it right, they won't beat you about the head and shoulders.

I tried twice to figure out what the readers wanted in Mature. I'm not going to mess with them again.

Wow. Mature is my most successful category (at least until my most resent submissions). I find those readers to be fairly accepting of story, character development, and unusual relationship configurations. I try to explore WHY people are drawn to each other, and the sex is usually one paragraph without graphic details. I'll write something like, "He used his lips to gently nibble her nipple until she collapsed into his embrace - sated."

I HATE anything non-consent related, but I adore a degree of embarrassment, and it's odd to be embarrassed if you weren't a little reluctant. My highest rated story (until now) was in Non-consent/reluctance.

I have lately found some readers in Sci-Fi/Fantasy. The sex is almost insignificant in those stories. It's basically, "She imagined blah while she masturbated." Sometimes its not even that graphic: "The story was good, and she slept well that night."

 

[MelissaBaby]

I am not sure if this is the sort of thing you mean, but I include lots of "easter eggs", private jokes and obscure pop culture references that virtually no one ever gets.

For example, the character of Mary in my Mary and Alvin series is, I think pretty obviously, modeled after Mary Elizabeth Winstead. In one chapter, Alvin is installing an air conditioner in her apartment and tells her he needs to get some tools. They have this exchange:

"We need tools? I thought it just sat in the window."

"Well, if you plan on dropping it on somebody's head, that will do. But it's meant to have a bracket."

If you watched the Fargo TV series, you will know there is a notorious scene in which MEW's character does, in fact, drop an air conditioner on someone's head.

 

[NotWise]

I don't know what the thing is with Mature, but I'm not going back.

I have lately found some readers in Sci-Fi/Fantasy. The sex is almost insignificant in those stories. It's basically, "She imagined blah while she masturbated." Sometimes its not even that graphic: "The story was good, and she slept well that night."

My first story in SciFi was non-erotic and rated well by most standards, but the SciFi readers generate really high scores for popular stories. By their standards, it was a so-so rating. The comments are great.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I don't know what the thing is with Mature, but I'm not going back.

My best story interaction was in Mature, there's a little niche to be found there, I think. There's a bunch of women and men who seem to like the gentle nostalgia of my Floating World, with its younger women/older man theme. I suspect it's where women with daddy issues go, who don't like incest stories. Be respectful and the punters like it, I reckon .

Group is where I won't go again - a most unresponsive lot in comparison with any other category I've posted in.

 

[jomar]

If you watched the Fargo TV series, you will know there is a notorious scene in which MEW's character does, in fact, drop an air conditioner on someone's head.

At a former girlfriends house hanging out with her brother in his 2nd story room. He’s fussing with the window ac and raises the window to fix something. Needless to say we watch the ac do a slow motion drop out of the window. Funny as shit.

 

[NotWise]

My best story interaction was in Mature, there's a little niche to be found there, I think. There's a bunch of women and men who seem to like the gentle nostalgia of my Floating World, with its younger women/older man theme. I suspect it's where women with daddy issues go, who don't like incest stories. Be respectful and the punters like it, I reckon .

Group is where I won't go again - a most unresponsive lot in comparison with any other category I've posted in.

I read Mature for a while and found it to be a very divided category. Successful stories were either long, sentimental stories with an age difference or they were strokers with hot sex and an age difference. I asked here why my stories flopped, and successful authors in the category told me that my stories weren't long and sentimental enough for one reader group, and the sex scenes weren't long enough for the other.

Too complicated for me. I'll just post someplace else.

 

[KeithD]

The only playing I've done with readers has been in dropping references that connect with something in other stories I've written--or an extra little something for those reading a lot of my stories. I don't purposely poke groups/types of readers as that tends to anger them and they take it out on my fellow authors here.

 

[SimonDoom]

I don't accept the premise that you have to take the easy way out to get good reactions from readers here. Some of the most well-received stories here, in terms of both views and ratings, are long stories with strong character development.

I've only "played" with readers once, with my third story, which was intended to be a spoof of the "BTB"-type Loving Wives story. I had great fun writing it, but it's by far my lowest rated story, and it received numerous extremely savage comments. I wouldn't change anything, but I haven't written a story like that since.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I read Mature for a while and found it to be a very divided category. Successful stories were either long, sentimental stories with an age difference or they were strokers with hot sex and an age difference. I asked here why my stories flopped, and successful authors in the category told me that my stories weren't long and sentimental enough for one reader group, and the sex scenes weren't long enough for the other.

That's probably a fair summary - it's a slightly raunchier version of Romance, I think, and less disturbing for those who don't like incest yarns, coz there's no blood relationship.

 

[AlinaX]

I've written stories in reaction to comments, including a story where an aggressive Literotica commenter gets his, er, comeuppance.

But I've also taken to writing stories of 750 word length, and in a couple some of the characters are aware of the target.

 

[JamesMiehoff]

I tend to agree that it depends on the group. I wrote a 10 part series (it really was only supposed to be 4 parts, I swear) in Sci-Fi & Fantasy and it was quite successful. Seven of the ten parts were 4.8 or above. There was some sex, but it was pretty minimal.

Erotic Coupling tends to be the group I write for most and they tend to be the group that punishes low sex count stories the most. But there are exceptions. For the 750 word challenge I wrote a twisted little tale (or tail) that tweaked the expectations a little (https://www.literotica.com/s/750-word-challenge-accepted).

And I do drop obscure references and Easter eggs in some of my stories. It all depends on my mood.

James

 

[Bramblethorn]

Since most of them are not ever going to poke their nose in here, especially the smartphone only readers, it is safe to come clean.

Obviously, since I started this topic, the answer for me is YES!

I have started trying to get a feel for what gets the reader's attention and votes. I wrote a story that described the first time in very veiled and poetic terms. It is sitting below 4. I followed that up by retelling the same story in graphic details and it was just over 4.5 the last time I looked.

So I wrote one that was as close to a porn movie as I could. It had just enough plot to hang together and to mix the couples up a little. Currently at 4.65 with at least twice as many readers.

So I think I know what that means. If I want some ego stroking, I need to write as dirty as I can. If I want some satisfaction in telling a tale, don't go looking for numbers.

I haven't run any experiments of that kind, but overall I don't find that explicit sex scenes or lack of them makes a huge difference to my ratings. My lowest-rated story is similar to a lot of my higher-rated ones in terms of the sex, but I gave it a blurb that gives the impression of a quick stroke piece, which it ain't. So it gets a lot of views but some of those readers end up disappointed. Meanwhile, one with no explicit sex at all scores 0.19 higher.

Overall, aside from the usual length/chapter effects, the main thing that seems to affect my scores is people talking about feelings. Mushy relationship stuff.

But this will very likely vary for others depending on what categories you're posting to, and what kind of stories you're telling.

 

[rikimaru4]

I don't know that using readers and their ratings/reactions as a test bed necessarily qualifies as "playing" with them.

But to the crux of your post, I feel that sex stories should have sex. If I want to read to high prose, I'll read Hemingway. If I want to read smut, I'll come looking for it here (and elsewhere).

That's not to say that the two are mutually exclusive. And the best stories I like best do both. I think there is a definitive skill in writing erotica without getting explicit, and I like/highly regard writers that can get me hot and bothered without the dirty dirty; but I always feel in the end like they are missing the payout.

To my mind, the build up is super erotic and sexy and then the smut is the next escalation. And if you can do the former well, then likely (not always) you can the do the latter well too, and then the end result is epic.

Bottom line, I always want my stories to have some smut, both in what I read and write.

 

[oggbashan]

Playing...

I've written several:

https://www.literotica.com/s/breathless-stargazing

https://www.literotica.com/s/getting-nude-with-chairman-mao

https://www.literotica.com/s/gulliver-completed

https://www.literotica.com/s/just-so-elephant

https://www.literotica.com/s/lesbian-spiders

https://www.literotica.com/s/literotica-the-penalties

https://www.literotica.com/s/the-giant-squid

https://www.literotica.com/s/the-worst-chain-story-ever-ch-01

https://www.literotica.com/s/white-scut

 

[Blind_Justice]

My so far first and last attempt to play games with my readers got flagged as "story blackmail" by some illiterate or plain hostile idiot.

In this year's Geek Pride story, I hid over a dozen geeky references and invited the readers to find them. The solutions were posted on my Patreon page. Said idiot thought and/or told Laurel that the rest of the story was there, held hostage behind a paywall.

I mean, English is not my first language, sure, but that accusation required A LOT of mental gymnastics, especially since everything I ever published can be found here (and some on SOL as well). It even says so, in bold, on said Patreon page.

The story got taken down along with the follow-up chapter and I had to explain my side of the story before they were reinstated. And to add insult to insult, I got exactly zero participation in my easter egg hunt. What was meant as a bit of fun celebrating geekdom was a huge waste of sleep and for stupid reasons to boot.

 

[Hypoxia]

I may include details that cognoscenti may recognize without impeding the story flow for everyone else. Or I may post LW stuff meant to arouse trolls -- but as an .alt, so Hypoxia Smurf (me) isn't punished too much. I surely play with stereotypes and expectations; I like twists, flips, O.Henry endings, etc.

Does a surprise finale "play with readers"?? If so, then I plead guilty. Does a story provoke readers to vote, fave, or comment? Then I've successfully played and/or pleased them. But I try to let them in on the joke.

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

I am not sure if this is the sort of thing you mean, but I include lots of "easter eggs", private jokes and obscure pop culture references that virtually no one ever gets.

Same. No one gets me. In the latest chapter of No Such Thing As Time that goes live tonight, I have a line 'He kisses my neck, plays with my hair' which I swiped from one of my favorite songs. Well...sort of. In the song the lyric goes
She kisses his neck, plays with his hair.
But I read it to my daughter and she knew exactly where I got it from wonder if anyone else ever will?

But yeah I try to add easter eggs too, it's fun.

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

My so far first and last attempt to play games with my readers got flagged as "story blackmail" by some illiterate or plain hostile idiot.

In this year's Geek Pride story, I hid over a dozen geeky references and invited the readers to find them. The solutions were posted on my Patreon page. Said idiot thought and/or told Laurel that the rest of the story was there, held hostage behind a paywall.

I mean, English is not my first language, sure, but that accusation required A LOT of mental gymnastics, especially since everything I ever published can be found here (and some on SOL as well). It even says so, in bold, on said Patreon page.

The story got taken down along with the follow-up chapter and I had to explain my side of the story before they were reinstated. And to add insult to insult, I got exactly zero participation in my easter egg hunt. What was meant as a bit of fun celebrating geekdom was a huge waste of sleep and for stupid reasons to boot.

That is insanely shitty, and really sad! I'd love to play but I don't think I'm geeky at all.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

I have started trying to get a feel for what gets the reader's attention and votes. I wrote a story that described the first time in very veiled and poetic terms. It is sitting below 4. I followed that up by retelling the same story in graphic details and it was just over 4.5 the last time I looked.

So I wrote one that was as close to a porn movie as I could. It had just enough plot to hang together and to mix the couples up a little. Currently at 4.65 with at least twice as many readers.

So I think I know what that means. If I want some ego stroking, I need to write as dirty as I can. If I want some satisfaction in telling a tale, don't go looking for numbers.

If you have played with the readers, spill your sordid tales. Inquiring minds want to know.

James

If you're asking if I fuck for 5s, then absolutely not. I might take a 4 if I'm allowed to spit though.

More seriously, if you're writing and not playing with your readers, you're probably not doing it right.

Q_C

 

[MichaelGH]

I wrote a few of my Fuck Mountain installments with the intention of making fun of what certain users have commented on my stories. This one seems to have drawn the most ire: https://www.literotica.com/s/fuck-mountain-ch-05

 

[OmnislashXX]

Nah. I usually just play with myself.

 

[Blind_Justice]

If you're asking if I fuck for 5s, then absolutely not. I might take a 4 if I'm allowed to spit though.

More seriously, if you're writing and not playing with your readers, you're probably not doing it right.

Q_C

Good point. Knowing expectations and subverting them has its own rewards. Sometimes. Unless your readership knows you only for one thing and goes completely apeshit when you don't deliver.

Thankfully, my following, what little there is, should by now know to expect the unexpected. I don't do strokers, I don't do happy ends and my sex scenes are more often than not the stuff of nightmares. Looking back, it's a miracle I still have readers

 

[SamScribble]

In my younger days, I played with Kenny Ball and a few people like that. Does that count?