750-words revisited

[SamScribble]

Now that a bit of water has flowed under the bridge - and there have probably been a couple of 'sweeps' - has anyone managed to rack up a good score against their 750-word story? Or is the very concept of a short short story beyond the pale to the majority of Lit readers? Just wondering.

 

[KeithD]

No, my scores are lower for these than my average. I didn't label them in any way (other than by keyword) as part of a restricted-wordage exercise and that might have affected the scores. The few comments I received (my stories don't receive many comments anyway) indicate the readers didn't understand that I was restricted in details that could have been given (although I hold they didn't need to be given for these to be complete stories) by a hard, low wordage count.

What the exercise did do, though, was give me a chance to throw down the marker on four story ideas in a short time and effort span that I could later--which I've done--pick up and expand to make money off in the marketplace. I was satisfied with the exercise.

And I'll note once again that it was not an exclusionary invitational event--it was open to anyone who wanted to make use of it more or less in any way they wanted to. This kind of invitational writing exercise here is not the same animal as one restricting participation to a closed, subset clique.

 

[DarkWhispers2U]

Now that a bit of water has flowed under the bridge - and there have probably been a couple of 'sweeps' - has anyone managed to rack up a good score against their 750-word story?

As a new writer to the site, I think the voters were generous to my three offerings to the 750 project.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I'm running a little writer's "bait and tease" test just to see how many readers "get it."

At the end of the 750 Word thing, the original vignette was around 4.10/140 (thereabouts, I didn't make a note) by the time it fell off the category hub. Since then I've released another four parts, slowly easing into a typical EB slow burn, each chapter slightly longer than the one before. In one chapter, the erotic content is two words - you can pick it from the list below).

Scores as of now:

1. 8k views, 4.22/177, released on 13th Feb.
2. 5k3, 4.12/115, 17th Feb.
3. 2k8, 4.00/66, 25th Feb.
4. 2k4, 4.35/62, 27th Feb.
5. 1k3, 4.28/50, 28th Feb (I predict views will catch up to parts 3 and 4, it's only been up a short time).

The reward for those with patience will be Chapter 6, which will go longer.

What's of interest, with each subsequent chapter the score for each earlier chapter improves (despite trolling from the New Story listing - chapter 4 at one point was Red H).

These are much lower results than my average. They confirm in my mind that some people, at least, can see what I'm doing, but also, how many readers are impatient.

https://literotica.com/beta/s/a-girl-on-the-bus

 

[gordo12]

Now that a bit of water has flowed under the bridge - and there have probably been a couple of 'sweeps' - has anyone managed to rack up a good score against their 750-word story? Or is the very concept of a short short story beyond the pale to the majority of Lit readers? Just wondering.

Mine landed at a lower than average score, views, votes etc. I have 4 previous efforts that did much better.

And I'll note once again that it was not an exclusionary invitational event--it was open to anyone who wanted to make use of it more or less in any way they wanted to. This kind of invitational writing exercise here is not the same animal as one restricting participation to a closed, subset clique.

Shhhh. You'll get us spanked again.

 

[DarkWhispers2U]

Shhhh. You'll get us spanked again.

And not in a fun way.

My next offerings will be longer. Just need to get motivated and not injure myself again in a way that makes typing difficult.

 

[KeithD]

Shhhh. You'll get us spanked again.

I don't give anyone that power over me.

Of my various fetishes, submitting to spanking isn't--and never was--one of them.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

None of mine have Red Hs, but two are close.
"Climbing Afton Mountain" is 4.43
"Interstate Love Song" is 4.49
"The End of the Affair" is 2.93.

The last one is in Loving Wives, and frankly I'm surprised the score is that good. Not only is it super short, the spouses of both the participants in the affair know what's happening and approve*. I wasn't deliberately trying to annoy the readers there, that just happened to be how the story came out of my brain.

I've gotten a lot of comments on it, but none of them were as blistering as I'd
expected.

ETA: as to comparisons with my averages - the first two, both in EC, are smack in the middle of my range. Make of it what you will..

I'll add this though -- I loved the challenge, and if it happens again next year, I'm on board with it.

*there's an intellectually masochistic part of my brain that wants to spin the second couple (the cheating husband and his wife) into a longer story where I flesh out their backstory (i.e. that she's getting him to sleep around as part of a power/control dynamic they have).

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I haven't checked mine, I doubt the scores have changed.

 

[Voboy]

My score is quite meh, and frankly if I were reading it I wouldn't have scored it very highly either. Not because it's ill-written or because it doesn't tell a story; it does. But I just simply wouldn't like a story that short, is all. I prefer buildup, snappy dialogue, and wit, and I had room for none of that in this one.

I'm fairly sure I won't be doing this again. It was interesting, but ultimately I don't think I got much out of it.

 

[RelentlessOnanism]

Now that a bit of water has flowed under the bridge - and there have probably been a couple of 'sweeps' - has anyone managed to rack up a good score against their 750-word story? Or is the very concept of a short short story beyond the pale to the majority of Lit readers? Just wondering.

Well, firstly I'm not sure I believe 'sweeps' actually happen. They certainly never seem to happen to me. I've not noticed any dramatic short-term changes in any of the scores.

Generally, I think my three stories did okay. They all scored more than a 4 (actually, I've just checked, and one of them has dropped down to 3.99) and the highest score for one of them has been 4.37. Not bad, but it's brought my average down. I've only published ten stories, but now half of them don't have the famous red 'H'. I know we're not supposed to obsess over such trivial matters, but I like my stories, and I'm always a little hurt when they don't score that well.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

I was very pleased with mine. The score is currently 4.52/71; it's been fluctuating on the cusp of the red H or just above it (4.48-4.52) for a quite a while. It has a little over 1,300 views, though, since it's in Humor & Satire, I'm not surprised at the low number of views. What really surprised me is that if it ever reaches 100 votes and the score stays about like it is now, it would be good enough to make the Hall of Fame in that category.

Thanks to everyone who commented on it, too.

 

[SimonDoom]

All three of my 750-word stories have scored significantly below the average of my stories. But I expected that.

The highest-rated of them has a score of 4.4, but it also has over 51,000 views and 57 favorites, so I figure that's OK. The other two haven't done as well, but I liked writing them so much I don't care.

 

[AloneTooLong]

EB - Mark me as one of the 'impatient' ones

 

[RelentlessOnanism]

Well, firstly I'm not sure I believe 'sweeps' actually happen. They certainly never seem to happen to me. I've not noticed any dramatic short-term changes in any of the scores.

Generally, I think my three stories did okay. They all scored more than a 4 (actually, I've just checked, and one of them has dropped down to 3.99) and the highest score for one of them has been 4.37. Not bad, but it's brought my average down. I've only published ten stories, but now half of them don't have the famous red 'H'. I know we're not supposed to obsess over such trivial matters, but I like my stories, and I'm always a little hurt when they don't score that well.

Having said that, it was quite a useful exercise, as I may well expand on some of these stories in the future.

 

[ElectricBlue]

EB - Mark me as one of the 'impatient' ones

If you've read anything else of mine, what can I say? Your loss .

 

[ElectricBlue]

Well, firstly I'm not sure I believe 'sweeps' actually happen. They certainly never seem to happen to me. I've not noticed any dramatic short-term changes in any of the scores.

They definitely happen. My 750 word story that ran in the Valentine's Day contest lost five or six votes at one point, and its score jumped 0.2.

 

[RelentlessOnanism]

They definitely happen. My 750 word story that ran in the Valentine's Day contest lost five or six votes at one point, and its score jumped 0.2.

I never seem to notice them. It happened once with the first story I published, which shot up suddenly, almost overnight, but I've never been aware of it since. Maybe I just don't pay close enough attention to my scores?

 

[NotWise]

I never seem to notice them. It happened once with the first story I published, which shot up suddenly, almost overnight, but I've never been aware of it since. Maybe I just don't pay close enough attention to my scores?

You wouldn't necessarily see it in your score -- especially if you have a lot of votes -- as clearly as you would see it in the number of votes on your story. The sweeps remove votes. They don't always change scores.

 

[RelentlessOnanism]

You wouldn't necessarily see it in your score -- especially if you have a lot of votes -- as clearly as you would see it in the number of votes on your story. The sweeps remove votes. They don't always change scores.

It's a riddle wrapped inside a mystery inside an enigma. Sweeps will forever be an elusive, mythic creature, prowling through the scores of this website, leaving a trail of unanswered questions in its wake...

 

[SamScribble]

Thank you, girls and boys. Interesting.

My sole entry (as opposed to my soul entry) started out in red H territory, but then tumbled to the mid 3s. Since then, it has drifted back up to 4.14 with 58 votes. Even at 4.14, I’m pretty sure that it's my all-time lowest score. Oh well …. And, given that it crashed so far with not many votes, I assume I must have gathered more than a few one-star votes.

That said, I really enjoyed writing it. But then, I’m the kid who prefers novellas to novels. If we do it again next year (and assuming that I survive that long), please count me in.

 

[NotWise]

It's a riddle wrapped inside a mystery inside an enigma. Sweeps will forever be an elusive, mythic creature, prowling through the scores of this website, leaving a trail of unanswered questions in its wake...

Nah, it's just some numbers.

 

[RelentlessOnanism]

Nah, it's just some numbers.

Damnable, cursed numbers that taunt me every minute of every day...

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

Score below my average, only 400-some views.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Score is my lowest ever, but it also has my most comments so far, which makes it clear why: it's set off the incels.

I thought I was writing a quick scene about accidental voyeurism/exhibitionism, and an arse failing to pull when actually-nice guys do, but guys are telling me that the arse hasn't done anything wrong despite being described as a rapist who calls women 'fresh meat' and tries guilting them into sex.

Bless.