erased thread part iii

[madelinemasoch]

empty! nothing to see here

 

[RejectReality]

https://literotica.com/my/#/user/options

Select "No" on "Accept anonymous feedback."

 

[Euphony]

Thanks for making this option clear to me.

You may consider listing your works page in your AH profile.
No guarantee you won't still get quarrelsome commenters but the floor seems to skew a little higher and you'll get sympathetic fellow writer eyes.

Worth consideration.

 

[NotWise]

I think the "anonymous feedback" option applies to feedback by email. Not sure it applies to comments.

It reads like you think you should have higher scores. I have two suggestions: 1) post stories in a different category, and 2) try a different topic.

I think the reader's ratings are more about content than anything else. If your writing is good enough that it doesn't interfere with the readers' ability to follow the story and you want higher scores, then you should try different content.

 

[alohadave]

I also do not understand how and why certain stories on this site can get upwards of 4 stars, when I seem to average out at 3, unless I'm getting 1-bombed–singled out by these haters and bridge trolls.

Just because you have a low score does not necessarily mean that you are being vote bombed. Readers may just not like your stories.

 

[RejectReality]

I think the "anonymous feedback" option applies to feedback by email. Not sure it applies to comments.

It reads like you think you should have higher scores. I have two suggestions: 1) post stories in a different category, and 2) try a different topic.

I think the reader's ratings are more about content than anything else. If your writing is good enough that it doesn't interfere with the readers' ability to follow the story and you want higher scores, then you should try different content.

It's both, but it's absolute with public comments. With emails, they can put in anything structured like an email address with an @ symbol in the middle and it will send.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I think the "anonymous feedback" option applies to feedback by email. Not sure it applies to comments.

It reads like you think you should have higher scores. I have two suggestions: 1) post stories in a different category, and 2) try a different topic.

I think the reader's ratings are more about content than anything else. If your writing is good enough that it doesn't interfere with the readers' ability to follow the story and you want higher scores, then you should try different content.

You can shut off Feedback - profile page - and you can shut off Anonymous Comments - when submitting a story (and any time later, I think).

Either BDSM is going the same way as LW, with tribes; or it's the writing. Or both. To be fair to the OP, I'll go take a look...

Oh. Suffice to say, it's a hard style to get into - like the post above, the OP might want to slow down, consider shorter paragraphs, and take a step back before editing. I can't put my finger on it, but it's not an easy read.

The cuckold content of one series has pulled in the hostiles from LW, I'd say.

I didn't read any comments, but it there are comments on writing techniques rather than content, the OP would be well advised to pay attention. That's about as polite as I can be.

 

[Bramblethorn]

How do you do that? I'm new to the forums.

https://www.literotica.com/my/#/user/profile then add the link to your "Biography" section. Your story page is https://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=6409397&page=submissions. (Some authors make the mistake of linking https://www.literotica.com/my/#/works/stories/published instead, but that only works for the author, not for anybody else who follows it!)

You can also add a link to your forum signature:
https://forum.literotica.com/account/ then click on "signature" and edit as desired.

Without doing one of those, there's no convenient way for somebody to click on your profile here in the forum and get to your stories.

I am so sick and tired of getting dumb hate comments on my chapters, and I am 99% sure I'm getting 1-bombed. Hate commenters who are almost always anonymous and assuredly won't follow me here to the forums can't even seem to be able to read the actual material they're "criticizing" if one can even call it that. I have one saying "the dynamics don't make sense!" because of the inner conflict the cucks in the story have towards the femdommes earlier on in the story... something that only someone who doesn't understand that female power can exist (a misogynist) would say. I have one calling the female characters "white trailer trash" and "fat" when that's obviously not true; they're college girls (it's repeatedly mentioned throughout the story that they all go to the same university) and most of them aren't fat, they're just thick. Apparently having a fat ass means you're fat now.

For a lot of those readers, yes, it does. I'd also suggest that "but my characters aren't fat/uneducated" isn't really the point here. Nobody deserves fatphobia and snobbery, those things are just inherently shitty.

I seem to have made these anonymous haters violently angry by writing about femdom and interracial cuckoldry.

Unfortunately, yes, there's a certain contingent on this site who are very hostile to those things. From a quick look at some of your stories, another thing that's likely to be a major issue is that you have a trans woman dominating another character who's either trans female or doing a sissy/forced-feminisation thing (I haven't read closely enough to be sure of the nuance there) and I noticed chapters tagged for piss and scat fetish.

The toxic masculinity poster boys who react angrily to cuckold themes also react angrily to anything that smacks of male submission (they're not going to make a distinction between "sissy male" and "trans woman"). An interracial aspect with a black guy humiliating a white guy is likely to enrage them further.

Many readers on this site are not great fans of interracial as a fetish, likewise scat and piss play. Those topics can be popular within their specific categories (respectively, Interracial and Fetish) but when you have a whole bunch of those themes in a single story, there's no one category that's going to be welcoming to all of them. Transgender content outside TG/CD and anything seen as gay male outside GM are also likely to draw fire; not so much for lesbian, but it can happen. "Cuckoldry", unfortunately, is enough of a hot button that some of those guys will seek it out and flame it no matter where it's posted (and then quite likely come back to trash all the author's other stories too).

All in all, I think Fetish might be the best fit for your stories, but I'm not terribly familiar with the category; other authors may have better suggestions.

I agree with EB that there are some areas where the writing style could bear improvement, but you haven't asked for advice there and I don't think it's a big factor in the reaction you're getting. If you do want commentary on that side, I'd recommend posting on the Story Feedback forum.

In conclusion, I think we should have the option as writers to make the comments section limited to users with accounts, as well as the star rating system.

Limiting voting to registered users isn't viable. Even as it is, only about 1/100th of readers vote, and the small number of votes on stories makes it hard to get consistency in ratings. Reducing that number makes stories more vulnerable to trolls, because one 1-bomb has more impact on the score.

I also do not understand how and why certain stories on this site can get upwards of 4 stars, when I seem to average out at 3, unless I'm getting 1-bombed–singled out by these haters and bridge trolls. I have a solid story with characters who are actually real rather than cardboard boxes and sounding boards for the author's fantasies. There's buildup and payoff and conflicts and subplots within the overall scheme. The dynamics DO make sense, if you actually read the material. I have a third-person semi-omniscient style where each section is POV-locked to a specific character. Meanwhile, we have this site that's full of complete garbage: either too gross or too boring, shitty conversational writing styles that make it sound like the ramblings of a 50-something year old man, people taking 75 chapters to get anywhere with the story, shitty punctuation... it's just all this non-immersive, unimpressive CRAP that gets 4 stars! It makes no sense! I am demoralized and trying hard not to give the haters the ending that they want!

From what I saw of your stories, you're writing to a pretty specific niche. No matter how well you write your transgender BDSM sissification scat black-domme white-sub stories and develop those characters, that combination of descriptors is probably going to be a "nope" for 90%+ of the readership in any given category here.

This will improve to some extent as you keep writing. The readers who do like your stories will come back for more; the rest will learn that your stories aren't for them, and if they have sense they'll stop reading them and go read whatever it is they enjoy instead. (Unfortunately, not all of them have sense, and some seem addicted to reading stuff they know they won't like.) My first ever story here has risen about 0.3 points from its early ratings, AFAICT because people who liked my later stories went back and found that one.

But even without trolling, you probably can't expect to get ratings as high as authors who are aiming for a broader audience within their categories.

 

[lustychimera]

I was expecting this to be about troll comments that attack you as an author.

the dynamics don't make sense!

This sounds like valid feedback. And yet, you attack the commenter's character.

In another example, you said they had a mistaken impression of the physique of your women and that they came across as trashy. Instead of going back through to figure out how they could misconstrue your story, again, you attack their character.

Taking criticism is a skill. If you can't learn to do that, your writing will never improve. The failing isn't with the readers here. That's clear just by your contempt for them.

 

[onehitwanda]

transgender BDSM sissification scat black-domme white-sub stories

DRINK!

https://media.tenor.com/LV6GK6_I09YAAAAM/wine-drink.gif

 

[AwkwardlySet]

For a diverse person, you sure do express a stunning lack of tolerance towards another kind of diversity - age diversity in particular, which you showed in this and the other thread as well. You are also very opinionated about the quality of other stories on the website. I understand the frustration with negative feedback, but you should probably tone down the angry and disdainful approach if you expect people to enter into a serious discussion with you. Just a friendly advice.

 

[onehitwanda]

it's just all this non-immersive, unimpressive CRAP that gets 4 stars!

This is your opinion, but clearly not that of the other readers. In the same way you are welcome to your opinion, they are welcome to theirs.

 

[lc69hunter]

I am so sick and tired of getting dumb hate comments on my chapters, and I am 99% sure I'm getting 1-bombed. Hate commenters who are almost always anonymous and assuredly won't follow me here to the forums can't even seem to be able to read the actual material they're "criticizing" if one can even call it that. I have one saying "the dynamics don't make sense!" because of the inner conflict the cucks in the story have towards the femdommes earlier on in the story... something that only someone who doesn't understand that female power can exist (a misogynist) would say. I have one calling the female characters "white trailer trash" and "fat" when that's obviously not true; they're college girls (it's repeatedly mentioned throughout the story that they all go to the same university) and most of them aren't fat, they're just thick. Apparently having a fat ass means you're fat now. I seem to have made these anonymous haters violently angry by writing about femdom and interracial cuckoldry.

In conclusion, I think we should have the option as writers to make the comments section limited to users with accounts, as well as the star rating system. But no, we can either get all comments, or none at all. It's stupid. This website needs more features for authors.

I also do not understand how and why certain stories on this site can get upwards of 4 stars, when I seem to average out at 3, unless I'm getting 1-bombed–singled out by these haters and bridge trolls. I have a solid story with characters who are actually real rather than cardboard boxes and sounding boards for the author's fantasies. There's buildup and payoff and conflicts and subplots within the overall scheme. The dynamics DO make sense, if you actually read the material. I have a third-person semi-omniscient style where each section is POV-locked to a specific character. Meanwhile, we have this site that's full of complete garbage: either too gross or too boring, shitty conversational writing styles that make it sound like the ramblings of a 50-something year old man, people taking 75 chapters to get anywhere with the story, shitty punctuation... it's just all this non-immersive, unimpressive CRAP that gets 4 stars! It makes no sense! I am demoralized and trying hard not to give the haters the ending that they want!

What story in particular are you frustrated about? I want to read it.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I think the "anonymous feedback" option applies to feedback by email. Not sure it applies to comments.

It reads like you think you should have higher scores. I have two suggestions: 1) post stories in a different category, and 2) try a different topic.

I think the reader's ratings are more about content than anything else. If your writing is good enough that it doesn't interfere with the readers' ability to follow the story and you want higher scores, then you should try different content.

No - it applies to comments as well. I have it turned off.

I used to get 80% of anonymous comments being positive or at least polite (nothing says people have to like my stories), but the 20% were pretty vile, ad hominem and misogynistic / homophobic (as well as often exhibiting an unfamiliarity with grammar and spelling). It wasn’t worth it.

Nothing to be done about 1-bombs. I have clear evidence of getting cluster-bombed by either someone with alts, or a VPN switcher which lets them rate multiple times.

This will continue until the site decides that rating cannot be anonymous. Even then, you have the problem of sock puppets, but that is more manageable.

But this is never going to happen. If a troll farm wants to go after you, they can. Sometimes they get bored and move on. Sometimes they are like an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection.

Em

 

[onehitwanda]

bacterial infection.

Yeast.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Yeast.

Yeah! That too .

Em

 

[djrip]

Your notable improvement in effectively conveying meaningful subjects succinctly is truly commendable. Should you continue on this trajectory, we may have the privilege of witnessing the emergence of a literary legend.

Now that I unironically agree with.

 

[NoTalentHack]

I am so sick and tired of getting dumb hate comments on my chapters, and I am 99% sure I'm getting 1-bombed. Hate commenters who are almost always anonymous and assuredly won't follow me here to the forums can't even seem to be able to read the actual material they're "criticizing" if one can even call it that. I have one saying "the dynamics don't make sense!" because of the inner conflict the cucks in the story have towards the femdommes earlier on in the story... something that only someone who doesn't understand that female power can exist (a misogynist) would say. I have one calling the female characters "white trailer trash" and "fat" when that's obviously not true; they're college girls (it's repeatedly mentioned throughout the story that they all go to the same university) and most of them aren't fat, they're just thick. Apparently having a fat ass means you're fat now. I seem to have made these anonymous haters violently angry by writing about femdom and interracial cuckoldry.

In conclusion, I think we should have the option as writers to make the comments section limited to users with accounts, as well as the star rating system. But no, we can either get all comments, or none at all. It's stupid. This website needs more features for authors.

I also do not understand how and why certain stories on this site can get upwards of 4 stars, when I seem to average out at 3, unless I'm getting 1-bombed–singled out by these haters and bridge trolls. I have a solid story with characters who are actually real rather than cardboard boxes and sounding boards for the author's fantasies. There's buildup and payoff and conflicts and subplots within the overall scheme. The dynamics DO make sense, if you actually read the material. I have a third-person semi-omniscient style where each section is POV-locked to a specific character. Meanwhile, we have this site that's full of complete garbage: either too gross or too boring, shitty conversational writing styles that make it sound like the ramblings of a 50-something year old man, people taking 75 chapters to get anywhere with the story, shitty punctuation... it's just all this non-immersive, unimpressive CRAP that gets 4 stars! It makes no sense! I am demoralized and trying hard not to give the haters the ending that they want!

I'm asking this in the least judgmental way I can: do you want to rant, or do you want advice?

If it's the former, go off!

If it's the latter, first, read what the folks above had to say, in particular Bramblethorn. I read through a few chapters of each of your stories, and I agree with their post. You jammed together like six different fetishes and tossed it in BDSM, the category that's (arguably) the closest to vanilla of the fetish-y categories. There's a sort of tier system to the categories, in terms of what each will accept/embrace, and outside of putting incest in a non-incest category, scat outside of Fetish and heavy race-dynamics-as-kink outside of Interracial are two of the easiest ways to draw ire.

Outside of that, you wrote something provocative, and then you got surprised when people were provoked. That's... like, I get what you're saying about people not valuing technical skill, or even basic grammar/punctuation; it's irritating as hell. But you lean heavily into race (including black supremacy), femdom, extreme fetishes, trans content, and a bunch of other stuff that WILL push buttons, then clutch your pearls when buttons get pressed. That seems either naive or disingenuous.

Your writing style is fine. Good, even. A little twee at the star of Black and White when you did the color thing; it was a cute bit, but it went on too long. None of the stuff you're doing is my kink, so some of this needs to be taken with a grain of salt, but the big problem I see is that you don't give your stories time to breathe. There's little buildup and breakdown time, characters go from scene to scene with scant time to interrogate feelings or decompress, and the characters are, largely, unlikeable.

I want to explain this last bit. I don't mean the characters are "unmanly" or "domineering" or any of that; they are, but that's a feature of the genre, not a bug. This isn't a critique of femdom as a genre, but of your particular way of writing these characters. I'm going to speak mostly about B&W, since it's a more "traditional" story of D/s, but there's no sense that the domme actually likes her sub; not really. Certainly it doesn't seem like Hally loves Madison. There's no affection, no aftercare, no love. For god's sake, at one point Hally burns Madison's dick with a cigarette and laughs about it. If the genders were reversed, you'd be getting scores as bad, if not worse; this arguably belongs in NC/R with a mindbreak tag, not even BDSM.

And to go further, there's no sense of who the characters are or who they were before the story. That's not an inherently bad thing, because not all stories need that, but it seems like (at least in the first few chapters) that there's no real explanation as to why Madison not just would put up with Hally's abuse, much less embrace and encourage it. Maybe it shows up later, but I had no interest in reading through a bunch of abuse without affection to find it. And I have read femdom and cuckolding stories with interesting and realistic dynamics before, so it's not just an aversion to the genre; it's that your take just reads like abuse instead of dominance.

Your technical skills are solid, but you need to work on making your characters engaging and not just your scenes. If you want better scores, work on that; you'll still have an uphill climb because femdom and cuckolding ARE disliked by a lot of people. But there are folks that do great with them, too.

 

[onehitwanda]

https://d1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net/production/460028ec-54d2-4d1e-8fda-b9342bb53a14.png

 

[Lifestyle66]

I am so sick and tired of getting dumb hate comments on my chapters, and I am 99% sure I'm getting 1-bombed. Hate commenters who are almost always anonymous and assuredly won't follow me here to the forums ...

I also do not understand how and why certain stories on this site can get upwards of 4 stars, when I seem to average out at 3, unless I'm getting 1-bombed–singled out by these haters and bridge trolls. I have a solid story with characters who are actually real rather than cardboard boxes and sounding boards for the author's fantasies. There's buildup and payoff and conflicts and subplots within the overall scheme. The dynamics DO make sense, if you actually read the material. I have a third-person semi-omniscient style where each section is POV-locked to a specific character. Meanwhile, we have this site that's full of complete garbage: either too gross or too boring, shitty conversational writing styles that make it sound like the ramblings of a 50-something year old man, people taking 75 chapters to get anywhere with the story, shitty punctuation... it's just all this non-immersive, unimpressive CRAP that gets 4 stars! It makes no sense! I am demoralized and trying hard not to give the haters the ending that they want!

You can't assume those haters are ignoring the Author's Hangout. I wrote my story "A Gathering of Trolls" to poke fun at those we assumed were basement-dwelling incel 1-bombers. I mentioned posting that story here in the AH, and I received this as one of the comments:
******
Anonymous8 months ago
How disappointing. Here I thought this was going to be a story about the Authors Hangout.
*****

Also, there are authors who are narcissists, who vote on their own stories, probably adding anonymous votes from multiple browsers to plus up their own story rating. And IMO, those who are so enamored with their own success are possibly as likely to 1-bomb those they see as competitors. So, don't take the ratings or Red-H too seriously. They are manipulated by both the trolls and other authors.

Learn to ignore the ratings and just write to try objectively improving your own story-writing skills. Relax and take the comments both good and bad to glean what you can to help with your next story. Those trolls and narcissists aren't worth the effort to even dislike them.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Also, there are authors who are narcissists, who vote on their own stories,

The site owners have indicated that it's fine for authors to vote on their own stories (once) as far as they're concerned. Several of us have acknowledged doing so. I think it was Melissa said she wouldn't post a story if she didn't think it was worthy of a 5; my take on it is that a "honor system" where authors don't vote on their own stories only advantages the dishonorable for no good reason.

probably adding anonymous votes from multiple browsers to plus up their own story rating. And IMO, those who are so enamored with their own success are possibly as likely to 1-bomb those they see as competitors. So, don't take the ratings or Red-H too seriously. They are manipulated by both the trolls and other authors.

Also sometimes by the fans. I've seen cases where a story was getting hundreds of 5-star votes in an improbably short time, but I'm pretty sure the author wasn't to blame.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

it's just all this non-immersive, unimpressive CRAP that gets 4 stars! It makes no sense! I am demoralized and trying hard not to give the haters the ending that they want!

okay, I’m going to give you a warning (but a REALLY friendly one).

Here on AH it’s a really good place to rant (and I certainly feel your pain. I was reading a story the other day and the spelling and punctuation had me spitting nails) and usually, in fact often, we’re really sympathetic cause we know how it feels to get one-bombs or knobby comments.

But sometimes we’re really mean, sarcastic and contrary…cause we just feel like being dicks.

Good on you for catching us on a good day.

I think, to add to what others have said, not only should you try a different category but also a different style. I know for my next story (THE PROCESS) I’m going far darker than the lighter fare I usually come up with. Might be helpful to get out of your style and out of your usual headspace.

Good luck.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I want to explain this last bit. I don't mean the characters are "unmanly" or "domineering" or any of that; they are, but that's a feature of the genre, not a bug. This isn't a critique of femdom as a genre, but of your particular way of writing these characters. I'm going to speak mostly about B&W, since it's a more "traditional" story of D/s, but there's no sense that the domme actually likes her sub; not really. Certainly it doesn't seem like Hally loves Madison. There's no affection, no aftercare, no love. For god's sake, at one point Hally burns Madison's dick with a cigarette and laughs about it. If the genders were reversed, you'd be getting scores as bad, if not worse; this arguably belongs in NC/R with a mindbreak tag, not even BDSM.

And to go further, there's no sense of who the characters are or who they were before the story. That's not an inherently bad thing, because not all stories need that, but it seems like (at least in the first few chapters) that there's no real explanation as to why Madison not just would put up with Hally's abuse, much less embrace and encourage it. Maybe it shows up later, but I had no interest in reading through a bunch of abuse without affection to find it. And I have read femdom and cuckolding stories with interesting and realistic dynamics before, so it's not just an aversion to the genre; it's that your take just reads like abuse instead of dominance.

This is a good observation. I'd add that that "no affection, no aftercare, no love" etc. aspect can be very successful in certain types of BDSM story, because sometimes people just want a mustache-twirling cartoon-villain domme to push their buttons, but it doesn't play so well in a story that aspires to "characters who are actually real rather than cardboard boxes and sounding boards for the author's fantasies".

 

[MelissaBaby]

The site owners have indicated that it's fine for authors to vote on their own stories (once) as far as they're concerned. Several of us have acknowledged doing so. I think it was Melissa said she wouldn't post a story if she didn't think it was worthy of a 5; my take on it is that a "honor system" where authors don't vote on their own stories only advantages the dishonorable for no good reason.

Yeah, I probably said that. I definitely feel that way.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I was expecting this to be about troll comments that attack you as an author.



This sounds like valid feedback. And yet, you attack the commenter's character.

In another example, you said they had a mistaken impression of the physique of your women and that they came across as trashy. Instead of going back through to figure out how they could misconstrue your story, again, you attack their character.

Taking criticism is a skill. If you can't learn to do that, your writing will never improve. The failing isn't with the readers here. That's clear just by your contempt for them.

I agree with this up to a point, reader misunderstandings often signal that the writer could've communicated better, but sometimes the problem does lie with the readers. Some readers bring their own baggage to stories and there's no way for an author to pre-empt that.

For instance, Chapter One of "Anjali's Red Scarf" drew this:

It wouldn't be a lesbian erotica without all the potshots at men. Why do authors do this? It comes off as so insecure. "Haha you pathetic men. Fear me and my lesbian ways, as I treat and please women better than you ever could. I shall give her orgasms which will make the kind she had with you seem like a hiccup." We get it. Anjali is super-duper smart in a world that doesn't want her to be, and now it turns all the men into overcompensating, posturing losers.

That chapter includes a male professor who helps Anjali with advice on a difficult academic transition, a gruff and overprotective father (who probably gets more space than the other male characters combined), a mention of Anjali dating "a nice boy", and mentions the narrator dating a guy for several years without any criticism of him other than the quality of the tea he buys. I don't think any of those could reasonably be considered "overcompensating, posturing losers"; the father is something of an antagonist, and becomes more so in later chapters, but not for those reasons.

But it also features a scene where a couple of guys attempt to spike Anjali's drink at a party, and another where she creates a profile on a "sugar daddy" website and gets frustrated by men who send dick pics and/or lie about their relationship status... things that any woman with experience of online dating sites will likely tell you are extremely common experience.

If a reader chooses to forget the former group and register only the latter, and takes that as an aspersion on all mankind... well, some dudes are never going to be satisfied unless I spend the entire story cradling male egos and gently whispering "not all men, not all men". That's not something I'm inclined to spend much time on in a story that's primarily about two women, posted in the Lesbian category, and I know plenty of men managed to read that chapter without getting their dicks sprained by my misandry.

The bit about super-duper orgasms doesn't seem connected to anything in that chapter, which features exactly zero sex scenes. That feels like the reader projecting their feelings about other stories they've read onto this one. As with the rest of their comment:

It's a shame this category falls for this trope so often. All it does is demonstrate that lesbian romance can only stand on its feet by stepping on men.

I didn't advertise that story as "romance", I didn't tag it as "romance", I didn't post it in Romance, because it isn't a romance. The reader has apparently assumed it's a romance, because it starts out with a premise that's popular in romance (before ultimately taking that premise in quite a different direction).

But if a commenter is going to depend on tropes to form their assumptions about what kind of story they're reading, and at the same time complain about a story being trope-y... there's no point in chasing that commenter's approval.