Need Suggestions Formatting Phone "Screen Shots" for Publication

[MrPixel]

I have a story ready to go where one of the key plot points is a texting/sexting exchange between the main characters, including a photo. I think it will work best as a semi-graphical representation to reinforce the context.

I faked it with MSWord formatting, but that's not going to make it through to the web pages and may well be a rejection issue.

Ideas? Link to a story that's done something similar?

 

[MillieDynamite]

I've never seen a picture in story here. I wish we could do covers, but that is space hog so I understand the why behind the we can't.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You could do it in an Illustrated Story, but is really worth all the extra effort? You might think it "adds" to the veracity of the story telling, but will it really? I doubt it. Readers won't care, not if the story telling is good.

-- it's far simpler and quicker to designates texts using formatting and context -- Jenny typed, her fingers flittering on the phone.

-- could be right -- Jamie replied -- could be overthinking this --

Words tell stories, not pictures.

 

[MillieDynamite]

You could do it in an Illustrated Story, but is really worth all the extra effort? You might think it "adds" to the veracity of the story telling, but will it really? I doubt it. Readers won't care, not if the story telling is good.

-- it's far simpler and quicker to designates texts using formatting and context -- Jenny typed, her fingers flittering on the phone.

-- could be right -- Jamie replied -- could be overthinking this --

Words tell stories, not pictures.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, seriously, I doubt that. Maybe of a person a picture says more than words. But really, when it is left to your imagination by the writer, "She was a blonde stunner," can come alive in your mind, she can be Farha Fawcett or Marilyn Monroe to the reader. I try not to say to much about the people, some about build, hair and eye color, (usually) but not a lot of detail unless it is necessary. If you give a picture, their mind doesn't have to become involved any further than that with the character. If they happen to care of the look, you lost them.

 

[ElectricBlue]

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, seriously, I doubt that. Maybe of a person a picture says more than words. But really, when it is left to your imagination by the writer, "She was a blonde stunner," can come alive in your mind, she can be Farha Fawcett or Marilyn Monroe to the reader. I try not to say to much about the people, some about build, hair and eye color, (usually) but not a lot of detail unless it is necessary. If you give a picture, their mind doesn't have to become involved any further than that with the character. If they happen to care of the look, you lost them.

Exactly. In my Cigarette fetish story about Ruby, I sketched a word picture of her, based on a couple of pics I'd found. Not heavy on detail, just a light brush. A reader commented that the image I'd written conjured up Monica Bellucci in his mind. She was one of the pics, so I guess I wrote her well.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Exactly. In my Cigarette fetish story about Ruby, I sketched a word picture of her, based on a couple of pics I'd found. Not heavy on detail, just a light brush. A reader commented that the image I'd written conjured up Monica Bellucci in his mind. She was one of the pics, so I guess I wrote her well.

Umm one of my fantasy bitches! Along with both Meg and Tilly from their younger days, which says a lot since they were younger before I was born. I saw Tilly in the invasion of the body snatchers sequel back when I was 13 or so, her sister the same year in Bound (which I think I have mentioned before I wasn't supposed to watch) and started doing searches to find other movies they were in to watch and see them.

I try suggest my wife, Jo, in stories with tight muscled women. Not bulging muscles mind, you kind that martial arts people have not the kind boxers have. She's had red hair, blonde hair, brown hair, and green hair in different stories. Usually her eyes are blue, because they are. And she's always butch, tough, and sometimes mean.

But I digress! Yeah, Monica Bellucci is hot!

 

[SimonDoom]

To take the contrary view, Illustrated stories do extremely well with readers. Add a few photos or illustrations to an Erotic Couplings story, and you'll get many times more views. People like visuals.

 

[NotWise]

I have a story ready to go where one of the key plot points is a texting/sexting exchange between the main characters, including a photo. I think it will work best as a semi-graphical representation to reinforce the context.

I faked it with MSWord formatting, but that's not going to make it through to the web pages and may well be a rejection issue.

Ideas? Link to a story that's done something similar?

You can use some html formatting in your story to make typographical adjustments, and I think that includes left and right justification. There's a list somewhere, but I won't hunt it up, because ...

As a writer, you control what you say. At Lit you have very little control on the typography -- how it's presented. If you try to use typography to clarify what you're saying, then you're likely to be disappointed. You 're better off being clear about what you say.

If you want to include an image in your story, then that will place it in the "Illustrated" category, which has its own requirements. The posting will be delayed.

 

[rjordan]

Readers won't care, not if the story telling is good.

-- it's far simpler and quicker to designates texts using formatting and context -- Jenny typed, her fingers flittering on the phone.


Words tell stories, not pictures.

Good examples. As a reader, when I run into all that
Me: blah blah
You: blah blah blah

crap, it takes me right out of the story. Not temporarily, but permanently. I go find another story. It's tedious to read and detracts rather than adds to the story.

And if fiction needs an illustration something's wrong with the story.

rj

 

[rjordan]

A reader commented that the image I'd written conjured up Monica Bellucci in his mind. She was one of the pics, so I guess I wrote her well.

Even with the name, I have no idea who you're talking about so it makes it more work for me to formulate my own image. I think if your story depends on the reader already knowing important details like that, the story is likely to fail. And if they aren't important details, they don't belong in the story at all.

In your story, you provide the important details in your description. That ensures all readers have the necessary knowledge.

rj

 

[SimonDoom]

Even with the name, I have no idea who you're talking about so it makes it more work for me to formulate my own image. I think if your story depends on the reader already knowing important details like that, the story is likely to fail. And if they aren't important details, they don't belong in the story at all.

In your story, you provide the important details in your description. That ensures all readers have the necessary knowledge.

rj

He didn't say he used Monica Belluci's name. He said that from the description he gave the reader thought of Monica Belluci. I'd call that a success, because Monica Belluci is a gorgeous actress, and obviously EB's writing conjured up the image of an actress the reader probably liked, making the story more enjoyable to him.

 

[ElectricBlue]

To take the contrary view, Illustrated stories do extremely well with readers. Add a few photos or illustrations to an Erotic Couplings story, and you'll get many times more views. People like visuals.

Yeah, but the OP is talking about phone emojis...

 

[SimonDoom]

Yeah, but the OP is talking about phone emojis...

There's an interesting erotic idea.

 

[ElectricBlue]

There's an interesting erotic idea.

EB looked closely at Simon, then shook his head. The things the boy ran with never ceased to amaze.

"It's for his "Great Unfinished Ideas anthology," said Suzie. "He's writing to Laurel now."

 

[NotWise]

EB looked closely at Simon, then shook his head. The things the boy ran with never ceased to amaze.

"It's for his "Great Unfinished Ideas anthology," said Suzie. "He's writing to Laurel now."

Three paragraphs and and ellipses? I think we've all been there. Now, an anthology of those things (totalling at least 750 words, of course), is something that could be amusing to other writers, but not so entertaining for readers.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I don't like texting that much, and never do sexting even with Jo! It jus isn't me. The flirting here is about as close to it as I get, and that's just me being smartass!!!!

 

[Bramblethorn]

I have a story ready to go where one of the key plot points is a texting/sexting exchange between the main characters, including a photo. I think it will work best as a semi-graphical representation to reinforce the context.

I faked it with MSWord formatting, but that's not going to make it through to the web pages and may well be a rejection issue.

Ideas? Link to a story that's done something similar?

Example in text format:

https://forum.literotica.com/showpost.php?p=90583708&postcount=10

You might be able to combine that with the Illustrated Stories suggestion to add a pic, but it's a lot of micro-managing with tags.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Yeah, but the OP is talking about phone emojis...

Don't think they are, though?

 

[jsmiam]

To take the contrary view, Illustrated stories do extremely well with readers. Add a few photos or illustrations to an Erotic Couplings story, and you'll get many times more views. People like visuals.

I didn’t realize it worked like that, I thought there was an illustrated category and that was that. Are there stories with illustrations elsewhere?

Yeah, but the OP is talking about phone emojis...

I wonder how long wingdings and Webdings (fonts) would last in a story, if incorporated? I think the phone readers would lose them for sure. I’m not curious enough to try it myself, but it could be experimented with via the preview in the story submission area

 

[ElectricBlue]

Don't think they are, though?

Okay, so the OP is on about an avatar pic. Sort of proves my point though, doesn't it? This reader didn't pay it any attention. Who cares?

I reckon this is an example of chronic over-thinking. Just write the damn story. If it's good enough, a stick in sand is all you need to get the story across.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I didn’t realize it worked like that, I thought there was an illustrated category and that was that. Are there stories with illustrations elsewhere?

I think Simon is saying, put pics in a plain old Erotic Couplings story, drop it into Illustrated, and it might do better.

There's only place for illustrated stories: Illustrated Stories.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Okay, so the OP is on about an avatar pic.

I'm not seeing a mention of avatars either. OP just said "a photo". In the context of a phone text conversation, avatars wouldn't be my first guess.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

i think i put this up https://www.literotica.com/s/the-nice-bloke as a document. thing is i can't really remember the detail because it was such a ling time ago. formatting is a pain as i recall. if you want to include screenshots, submit like an illustrated scene but put a note on there for Laurel.

that's about all i can offer.

 

[jsmiam]

i think i put this up https://www.literotica.com/s/the-nice-bloke as a document. thing is i can't really remember the detail because it was such a ling time ago. formatting is a pain as i recall. if you want to include screenshots, submit like an illustrated scene but put a note on there for Laurel.

that's about all i can offer.

And that’s not in the illustrated category either. I did not know that. Cool

 

[rjordan]

He didn't say he used Monica Belluci's name. He said that from the description he gave the reader thought of Monica Belluci. I'd call that a success, because Monica Belluci is a gorgeous actress, and obviously EB's writing conjured up the image of an actress the reader probably liked, making the story more enjoyable to him.

I understood that. I meant he used Belluci's name in his post and I had no idea who he was talking about. If it was done in a story, I would just bail on the story.

Comparing characters to porn stars and movie/tv stars instead of briefly describing them is very common in Lit stories. I rarely have any idea who they are talking about.

rj