do you ever wonder

[TreskaNovell]

If your writing is any good? I'm going to be honest i don't like the rating system on lit. its very difficult to extrapolate data from. I think it would be cool to know if more guys or girls dig my stories, or if anyone actually even likes them at all, but shit, i don't get a lot of readership. whatever. i write for me, sure, but i like having my ego stroked like a hard cock too. thoughts?

 

[KeithD]

I did wonder until publishers started selecting it and I started placing in mainstream writing contests. After that, the question of "how good" lingers, but I'm happy with "good enough." I think, as you apparently do, that the responding system is so "iffy" at Literotica that I don't consider response here in terms of a quality check.

 

[Jada59]

I've been writing ever since I got my first typewriter. It was a hideous thing with no keys. Just painted on keys and a dial that turned. Damned hard to type on. I was 4. I couldn't spell many words. Just short ones. I didn't let that stop me.

By age 8, I was using my mom's dittos and putting out a neighborhood newspaper called "Bad". It was a take off on "Mad" magazine. I reported happenings on the block by observation and interviewing the neighbors. It was written in a comical fashion. I put out a new issue each week.

When I moved to Cape Cod, I sent letters to my mom. She brought some to work. Her coworkers loved them and asked me to write to them. It was fun to finally meet these people. I just wrote to them about my day.

When my daughter was a baby, my dad sent me a link to a USA today Haiku contest. It closed at midnight. I was down to the wire, submitting. Woke up the following day to find out that I had won.

So... No. I don't doubt my writing.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Am I a good writer? Some people say I am, others not so much. Most of the time the complaint isn't my writing, but what I write about. But that's their fault not mine.

I too, write for myself. I really don't care if I ever, I'm really old so not much time left, win anything or if some publisher picks up one of my stories for the mainstream. Not that I would turn that down, but I don't go looking.

 

[NotWise]

If your writing is any good? I'm going to be honest i don't like the rating system on lit. its very difficult to extrapolate data from. I think it would be cool to know if more guys or girls dig my stories, or if anyone actually even likes them at all, but shit, i don't get a lot of readership. whatever. i write for me, sure, but i like having my ego stroked like a hard cock too. thoughts?

Sometimes my writing is OK. Sometimes it needs help.

It is hard to get much from the rating system, especially with few views, votes or comments. You can get more interpretable results by posting a request for feedback on the Story Feedback forum. If you'd like a reader before it's published, then you can ask for an editor or beta reader on the Editor's Forum.

 

[SimonDoom]

Sure. Literotica is the only place I've ever published any fiction, so it's the only place I get feedback, and feedback here is uncommon and unreliable. I've thought about taking a creative writing class because I think that would yield a more meaningful evaluation of my writing.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Sure. Literotica is the only place I've ever published any fiction, so it's the only place I get feedback, and feedback here is uncommon and unreliable. I've thought about taking a creative writing class because I think that would yield a more meaningful evaluation of my writing.

I'm on three different sites with different degrees of feedback. I suppose that after more than a hundred stories/chapters, if I haven't been laughed off the page yet, then I must be doing okay. Not everything hits the mark that I wanted it to, but I can live with that.

Somebody a while ago advised me to take a creative writing course. Well, I can't afford to, but I see limitations to those anyway. They seem rather narrow in that only a few people are evaluating your work. It may be more useful to throw it online and see what happens.

 

[NotWise]

Somebody a while ago advised me to take a creative writing course. Well, I can't afford to, but I see limitations to those anyway. They seem rather narrow in that only a few people are evaluating your work. It may be more useful to throw it online and see what happens.

I took a creative writing class in college. We traded our clay tablets and each commented on the others cuneiform-inscribed work. It was a small group (maybe eight), and little of the commentary came from the instructor, who was the only one there who might have been considered qualified.

The class turned out to be about how to give feedback without offending the writer as much as it was about writing. I learned that I could write, but now I've learned that not everything I write is a gem.

 

[KeithD]

Somebody a while ago advised me to take a creative writing course. Well, I can't afford to, but I see limitations to those anyway. They seem rather narrow in that only a few people are evaluating your work. It may be more useful to throw it online and see what happens.

I've facilitated creative writing groups but never been in one. The group is only as good as the most experienced one with the loudest voice in the group, and each of them, while being consumed with their own work while discussing yours, knows that they are there to pick everyone else's work apart to enhance their position in the group. I don't write by committee.

 

[SyleusSnow]

In genre writing, does it matter if your writing is "good?" And by good, do you mean good prose, good plot, good premise, or good success with readers?

Fifty Shades became a massive success despite utterly terrible writing. Likewise the Twilight books. I can't stand Stephen King... his prose or his ideas, but he sells bazillions because he gives his readers the gross spooky thrills they want.

Most readers want good stories, not great literary works of art. If your writing has basic competency to not jar readers out of the story, I think that's "good enough."

Ideally, with effort writers get a little better with each story written, but readers don't seem to notice or care all that much.

 

[SamScribble]

The managing editor of the magazine that published my first few short stories invited me to go and have coffee with him. I think I was sixteen at the time. The editor seemed a bit surprised at how young I was. Nevertheless, we drank coffee and we chatted and he told me that, if I wanted to be a proper writer, I had to believe that I could write. ‘You have to believe in you,’ he said. ‘Also, if you believe that you can write, get yourself an agent. And an accountant.’

I went home and thought about what he had said. And then I wrote a radio play – my first radio play – and I sent it to an agent. The agent placed it with a network who produced it without changing a single word. About six weeks later, I received a cheque, together with a note asking what else I had.

That was many years ago. In the meantime I have written countless stories, plays and film scripts, several books, and hundreds – no, thousands – of newspaper and magazine columns. To judge from some of my scores here at Lit, I am a pretty average writer. But my words have now paid the butcher, the baker, and the wine merchant for almost 60 years.

Today, when a young writer (or even an older writer) asks me if I think they can write, I often tell them: ‘Don’t worry about what I think. What do you think?’

 

[Bramblethorn]

In genre writing, does it matter if your writing is "good?" And by good, do you mean good prose, good plot, good premise, or good success with readers?

Fifty Shades became a massive success despite utterly terrible writing. Likewise the Twilight books.

Not gonna disagree on those two, but that doesn't mean writing quality doesn't matter. It just means it's not the only thing that's important for success.

I can't stand Stephen King... his prose or his ideas, but he sells bazillions because he gives his readers the gross spooky thrills they want.

Here you're on much shakier ground. King is pretty widely acknowledged as a decent writer, and not just in the horror genre - "Shawshank Redemption" stands as evidence that his success doesn't depend purely on "gross spooky thrills". "The Green Mile" has supernatural elements but it's by no means a horror story.

His non-fiction book "On Writing" is frequently recommended to would-be writers wanting to build their skills. Having read it, I can't argue with the recommendation, though I'd caveat his advice on adverbs. "Misery" is a horror story (without supernatural elements) but it also has a lot to say about storytelling, and a little about people who sneer at "genre" fiction.

No author's going to be everybody's cup of tea (and many of King's books aren't mine) but plenty of lit-fic authors have achieved success with much worse prose and much less attention to detail.

 

[SyleusSnow]

Here you're on much shakier ground. King is pretty widely acknowledged as a decent writer, and not just in the horror genre - "Shawshank Redemption" stands as evidence that his success doesn't depend purely on "gross spooky thrills". "The Green Mile" has supernatural elements but it's by no means a horror story.

His non-fiction book "On Writing" is frequently recommended to would-be writers wanting to build their skills. Having read it, I can't argue with the recommendation, though I'd caveat his advice on adverbs. "Misery" is a horror story (without supernatural elements) but it also has a lot to say about storytelling, and a little about people who sneer at "genre" fiction.

Heh. I knew that would get a rise. I wouldn't call King's writing "widely acknowledged"... check out some of the reviews he got for his first book Carrie. Or any book, for that matter. He's not "E.L. James" terrible, but in my humble opinion crappy on so many levels.

"On Writing" keeps getting cited but is also widely criticized, especially lately. Besides the tired old "don't use adverbs" and "avoid passive voice" stuff, the only value I got from it were the lifestyle advice, like avoid distraction and finishing quickly. And of course his central message of "story above all else." I kinda tuned out when he admitted he was a pantser. Gee, never woulda guessed.

Not that it matters... like Fifty Shades, his stories sell and get made into movies regardless of the lack of quality in his prose. So by that measure, his writing is "good."

Getting back to TreskaNovell's original question: Do I ever wonder if my writing is any good? All the time. I agonise over every word, every plot point, every description- a habit I'm trying to break. But my goal is to become a better writer. If "good" for me meant popularity on Lit, I'd just plop out mom-son incest stories

 

[KeithD]

"On Writing" keeps getting cited but is also widely criticized, especially lately. Besides the tired old "don't use adverbs" and "avoid passive voice" stuff, the only value I got from it were the lifestyle advice, like avoid distraction and finishing quickly. And of course his central message of "story above all else." I kinda tuned out when he admitted he was a pantser. Gee, never woulda guessed.

That's the only King book I have read. I enjoyed it, but I found it lacking in "how/what to write" guidance. It was more "life of a writer" information, which is good, but, no, I didn't find it much use on guidance for writing.

 

[yukonnights]

If your writing is any good? I'm going to be honest i don't like the rating system on lit. its very difficult to extrapolate data from. I think it would be cool to know if more guys or girls dig my stories, or if anyone actually even likes them at all, but shit, i don't get a lot of readership. whatever. i write for me, sure, but i like having my ego stroked like a hard cock too. thoughts?

I just read your story, Glass. I'd say you have most all of the tools required to write a good story. I rarely read Sci-Fi, but your story telling kept me interested to the end. So, why not a higher rating?

There were quite a few minor typos/omitted words. But I don't think that's the main culprit. But for future stories I would suggest you find a fellow writer who could proofread your work prior to publication.

This is probably more of a personal issue, but not totally uncommon; The story action was engaging and well done. However, there is a lack of interior thought/feeling. I don't think I'm alone in wanting to better understand the character's motives, fears, doubts, desires, etc. If this resonates with you, you might want to work on weaving more of this in.

The story appears to be the first installment of a story with more to come. It would probably have encourage higher ratings if that had been made clear in a story intro. If this is to be a series, you might want to do an edit and make that clear. If it is a stand alone story, the problem would be that it isn't resolved in a satisfying way — too many threads left unanswered, etc.

Another hill you're climbing is the simple fact that you're a new writer and have very few fans/followers. For those who have been here awhile and attracted a larger following, our stories have a built in audience waiting. The way to build that following is to write more, not less.

Bottom line; It's not your storytelling that is in question IMO. I don't know if it helps or not, but it can't hurt to include an Afterword where you can speak to the readers. You can share any interesting tid-bits about the story, and let them know that their comments are important to you as you continue the story, etc. I hope you will persevere and build the following you deserve.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Heh. I knew that would get a rise. I wouldn't call King's writing "widely acknowledged"... check out some of the reviews he got for his first book Carrie. Or any book, for that matter.

Of course King gets bad reviews. Every published author does. Just yesterday I saw Pride and Prejudice savaged with "1 star. This is just about people visiting one another's houses".

But he also has enough good reviews to keep any writer happy.* Your comments here seem to boil down to "I personally don't like his style and there are others who feel the same way". That's perfectly valid as a personal preference, but it doesn't support your claim that his success comes down to gross-out or spooks - especially when some of his most successful works are the ones that rely least on those elements.

"On Writing" keeps getting cited but is also widely criticized, especially lately.

Yep! Again, there are people who vociferously dislike King's writing style. But the "keeps getting cited" part is ample evidence that plenty of people do like his writing style, which again suggests that his success might not just be for the supernatural elements that you've suggested.

*Figure of speech, of course. Many writers are incapable of being satisfied by any amount of positive feedback.

 

[SimonDoom]

Heh. I knew that would get a rise. I wouldn't call King's writing "widely acknowledged"... check out some of the reviews he got for his first book Carrie. Or any book, for that matter. He's not "E.L. James" terrible, but in my humble opinion crappy on so many levels.

I think King gets a bad rap by some. He's not a great prose stylist, but he's miles above EL James, especially his earlier work, like Salem's Lot or The Shining, or his short story collection Night Shift. Then he got famous and fell too much in love with his ideas and words and couldn't edit himself.

I believe there's a difficult-to-define medium between "taste is entirely subjective" and "works are objectively good or bad." I haven't figured out a way to really defend this position, but I believe it.

"Craft" is not necessary to achieve success, if success just means many views or sales. Mastering formula is the key to this kind of success in genre fiction, which would include erotica. Craft and formula, I would argue, are not mutually exclusive. Shakespeare's plays very plainly conform to certain formulas, but he was nothing if not a first-rate craftsman, with a great ear for the rhythm and melody of words.

 

[TreskaNovell]

Stephen king is an ok story teller. I didn't really think he's the best writer, but oddly enough, he wrote a book about writing that actually helped me immensely with my writing. its called on writing a memoir by stephen king. You can omit all the boring bullshit he goes on about in the beginning like i did because i don't care, and just study how he edits. it improved my writing by lightyears. i didn't realize how much purple prose horseshit i included or how clumsy my sentences sounded until i studied that shit.

 

[TreskaNovell]

Personally i think the book is great. if your super new to writing it can teach you alot.

 

[TreskaNovell]

I just read your story, Glass. I'd say you have most all of the tools required to write a good story. I rarely read Sci-Fi, but your story telling kept me interested to the end. So, why not a higher rating?

There were quite a few minor typos/omitted words. But I don't think that's the main culprit. But for future stories I would suggest you find a fellow writer who could proofread your work prior to publication.

This is probably more of a personal issue, but not totally uncommon; The story action was engaging and well done. However, there is a lack of interior thought/feeling. I don't think I'm alone in wanting to better understand the character's motives, fears, doubts, desires, etc. If this resonates with you, you might want to work on weaving more of this in.

The story appears to be the first installment of a story with more to come. It would probably have encourage higher ratings if that had been made clear in a story intro. If this is to be a series, you might want to do an edit and make that clear. If it is a stand alone story, the problem would be that it isn't resolved in a satisfying way — too many threads left unanswered, etc.

Another hill you're climbing is the simple fact that you're a new writer and have very few fans/followers. For those who have been here awhile and attracted a larger following, our stories have a built in audience waiting. The way to build that following is to write more, not less.

Bottom line; It's not your storytelling that is in question IMO. I don't know if it helps or not, but it can't hurt to include an Afterword where you can speak to the readers. You can share any interesting tid-bits about the story, and let them know that their comments are important to you as you continue the story, etc. I hope you will persevere and build the following you deserve.

Thank you!!! youre the first person who told me anything! i started to think the story was really horrible because no one said anything. it was just a short story but yeah, it can go on. i have a lot of trouble seeing my own mistakes when i edit, and this seems to be a common theme among many writers i know. why do we not see it? Im wonderful at editing others stuff, but very poor at my own editing, i dont understand. Maybe because we love our work? have you guys been here for a while? did it take long to build a base? is there certain things your fans like better than others?

 

[NotWise]

i have a lot of trouble seeing my own mistakes when i edit, and this seems to be a common theme among many writers i know. why do we not see it? Im wonderful at editing others stuff, but very poor at my own editing, i dont understand. Maybe because we love our work? have you guys been here for a while? did it take long to build a base? is there certain things your fans like better than others?

We all have that problem. What you see when you read your own story is what you intend, not what is actually on the page. There's been a lot of discussion on this forum about how to break that pattern to get a fresh view of your own writing. Stick around. You'll see how we deal with it -- or fail to.

 

[Reshbod]

Am I a good writer? Some people say I am, others not so much. Most of the time the complaint isn't my writing, but what I write about. But that's there fault not mine.

I too, write for myself. I really don't care if I ever, I'm really old so not much time left, win anything or if some publisher picks up one of my stories for the mainstream. Not that I would turn that down, but I don't go looking.

I'll say the same. Some like my writing, some hate it probably because of the type of stories I write. I write the stories that I want to read because I had a difficult time finding stories that fit what I wanted to see.

I started writing here for practice and am now working on a non-erotic novel. Again, it's just for me whether it ever gets good enough to publish is beside the point.

 

[TxRad]

Thank you!!! youre the first person who told me anything! i started to think the story was really horrible because no one said anything. it was just a short story but yeah, it can go on. i have a lot of trouble seeing my own mistakes when i edit, and this seems to be a common theme among many writers i know. why do we not see it? Im wonderful at editing others stuff, but very poor at my own editing, i dont understand. Maybe because we love our work? have you guys been here for a while? did it take long to build a base? is there certain things your fans like better than others?

Editing your own stuff is hard because you've been in it too long. Let it rest when you've finished. Change the font and started editing. That changes what you see in one gulp. Next, read it aloud. That will pick out flow errors and stumbles. It'll also points out some of the so called purple prose.

Building a base is easy in some categories and no so much in others. It's all according to what you want to write. I/T will get you a lot of reads quickly but is it what you want to write. What are you good at writing? Style has a lot to do with it along with a lot of stories that people will read.

Write what you want and make the stories good and they will come.

As for the original question, I do wonder about my writing from time to time but then I get a quarterly check from my publisher and all is good with the world.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Thank you!!! youre the first person who told me anything! i started to think the story was really horrible because no one said anything. it was just a short story but yeah, it can go on. i have a lot of trouble seeing my own mistakes when i edit, and this seems to be a common theme among many writers i know. why do we not see it? Im wonderful at editing others stuff, but very poor at my own editing, i dont understand. Maybe because we love our work? have you guys been here for a while? did it take long to build a base? is there certain things your fans like better than others?

I hope the above isn't an accurate reflection of your stories...

In general, people fail to see the flaws in their own work. In my field of work (civil engineering), you should always get a design review to lessen the chance of an expensive mistake slipping through.

As for your original question - I've been told my reports and technical documents are great. I write them for the target audience. Very simple for press releases, more technical when needed.

I've been here about 18 months, published 11 stories with an average score of 4.6, picked up 171 followers, and gained a few friends. I consider myself an ok writer, and that's fine. I'm not trying to write the world's greatest erotic story. I'm writing what I want, and a decent number of people like what I write. Like you, I don't get a large number of comments. My longest and best scoring story has 4 comments. I figure if nobody's commenting, nobody's offended but also no one's excited enough to add a note.

 

[Hypoxia]

No, I absolutely suck. I keep this truth in mind to remain humble.