Advice on Loving Wives

[AchtungNight]

I want to challenge myself by venturing into that dreaded morass at least once. Before I do it, I have some questions.

The story involves an entertainment mogul who used to sleep around with a host of women- some celebrity and some otherwise. Now he’s been rendered involuntary celibate by depression over a divorce, business challenges, and the Covid pandemic. On impulse he reconnects with a childhood crush once the pandemic ends. She’s all grown up now and very beautiful, on vacation alone at the same Lake Tahoe resort as him. He treats her to dinner, they reconnect, she’s a skilled corporate lawyer that can help with his business woes. They also share chuckles over his crush- he said he would marry her, should they stay together, but circumstances separated them- and the fact that he is now an epic Casanova type while she barely remembers knowing him. On impulse, they have a one night affair. He dumps her the next morning when he overhears her telling her actual husband about it by phone call. He didn’t know about her cheating till then.

Are the local trolls going to slam me for this? If so, I will shrug and post in Erotic Couplings or another category instead. Recommendations appreciated.

 

[dmallord]

I want to challenge myself by venturing into that dreaded morass at least once. Before I do it, I have some questions.

The story involves an entertainment mogul who used to sleep around with a host of women- some celebrity and some otherwise. Now he’s been rendered involuntary celibate by depression over a divorce, business challenges, and the Covid pandemic. On impulse he reconnects with a childhood crush once the pandemic ends. She’s all grown up now and very beautiful, on vacation alone at the same Lake Tahoe resort as him. He treats her to dinner, they reconnect, she’s a skilled corporate lawyer that can help with his business woes. They also share chuckles over his crush- he said he would marry her, should they stay together, but circumstances separated them- and the fact that he is now an epic Casanova type while she barely remembers knowing him. On impulse, they have a one night affair. He dumps her the next morning when he overhears her telling her actual husband about it by phone call. He didn’t know about her cheating till then.

Are the local trolls going to slam me for this? If so, I will shrug and post in Erotic Couplings or another category instead. Recommendations appreciated.

If a man drinks just a little water from a poisoned well, will he survive? Just don't drink the water! Don't wander into the cesspool and ask if you'll get slammed – back away quietly and post it in another category. You'll sleep better at night. Then again, if you can take the heat, go ahead, go shirtless into that pool of trolls. It's just your ego that's getting bruised, not your wallet, and if you've courage enough, you will have bravely met your personal challenge.

 

[alohadave]

Are the local trolls going to slam me for this?

They won't like the woman cheating on her husband. The man dumps her when he finds out, so they'll feel good about that.

If you want them to like the story, you'll have the man tell the husband, they get divorced, she loses her job and becomes destitute. I'm only partly joking.

You have to weigh becoming involved with the readers there at all, and do you want people who are that...passionate to filter to your other stories?

 

[yowser]

Hating Husbands (sorry, Loving Wives) gets a lot of bad press as a category, but it can be fun. Go ahead, do one, why not?

I don't know your motivations as a writer, but if treasuring high scores and dislike of brainless commentary are much factors in your writing, then don't. But I've always thought that mountains need climbing, envelopes pushed, bank balances depleted. If you get a bad experience, you'll just have material for another thread.

 

[Bamagan]

I want to challenge myself by venturing into that dreaded morass at least once. Before I do it, I have some questions.

The story involves an entertainment mogul who used to sleep around with a host of women- some celebrity and some otherwise. Now he’s been rendered involuntary celibate by depression over a divorce, business challenges, and the Covid pandemic. On impulse he reconnects with a childhood crush once the pandemic ends. She’s all grown up now and very beautiful, on vacation alone at the same Lake Tahoe resort as him. He treats her to dinner, they reconnect, she’s a skilled corporate lawyer that can help with his business woes. They also share chuckles over his crush- he said he would marry her, should they stay together, but circumstances separated them- and the fact that he is now an epic Casanova type while she barely remembers knowing him. On impulse, they have a one night affair. He dumps her the next morning when he overhears her telling her actual husband about it by phone call. He didn’t know about her cheating till then.

Are the local trolls going to slam me for this? If so, I will shrug and post in Erotic Couplings or another category instead. Recommendations appreciated.

I recall the story of Odysseus and all his macho posturing that got his crew killed and made him 19 years late for dinner.
If you choose to sail between the Scylla and Charybdis, well, that's your business. Just don't visit Circe, or your whole catalogue might get turned into pigs.

 

[8letters]

I want to challenge myself by venturing into that dreaded morass at least once. Before I do it, I have some questions.

The story involves an entertainment mogul who used to sleep around with a host of women- some celebrity and some otherwise. Now he’s been rendered involuntary celibate by depression over a divorce, business challenges, and the Covid pandemic. On impulse he reconnects with a childhood crush once the pandemic ends. She’s all grown up now and very beautiful, on vacation alone at the same Lake Tahoe resort as him. He treats her to dinner, they reconnect, she’s a skilled corporate lawyer that can help with his business woes. They also share chuckles over his crush- he said he would marry her, should they stay together, but circumstances separated them- and the fact that he is now an epic Casanova type while she barely remembers knowing him. On impulse, they have a one night affair. He dumps her the next morning when he overhears her telling her actual husband about it by phone call. He didn’t know about her cheating till then.

Are the local trolls going to slam me for this? If so, I will shrug and post in Erotic Couplings or another category instead. Recommendations appreciated.

I'm not a LW writer or reader. I occasionally will skim a story there just like I look at car wrecks when I pass them on the road. From what little I've read there, you're not understanding what LW is all about. It's about wives cheating on good husbands. The most common story type I've read is the loving husband who thinks he's happily married comes home unexpectedly and catches his wife fucking someone else. Or overhears his wife telling a friend about the incredible sex she had with someone besides her husband. Some stories start with the husband thinking his marriage is just a normal marriage, and then he discovers something that makes him suspicious of his wife. Eventually, he catches her cheating on him. The stories are about the heartbreak of a good man being betrayed by his wife.

The main male character in your story idea isn't a good husband. He's not the one being betrayed. The husband who is being cheated on seems to be fine with his wife cheating on him. My guess is that the main reaction you are going to get is "Meh".

I'm not very knowledgeable about categories outside of I/T, but my guess is that you're likely to get a "meh" response whatever category you post in it, as long as you don't post it in Romance, where it'll probably get a lot of hate.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I want to challenge myself by venturing into that dreaded morass at least once. Before I do it, I have some questions.

The story involves an entertainment mogul who used to sleep around with a host of women- some celebrity and some otherwise. Now he’s been rendered involuntary celibate by depression over a divorce, business challenges, and the Covid pandemic. On impulse he reconnects with a childhood crush once the pandemic ends. She’s all grown up now and very beautiful, on vacation alone at the same Lake Tahoe resort as him. He treats her to dinner, they reconnect, she’s a skilled corporate lawyer that can help with his business woes. They also share chuckles over his crush- he said he would marry her, should they stay together, but circumstances separated them- and the fact that he is now an epic Casanova type while she barely remembers knowing him. On impulse, they have a one night affair. He dumps her the next morning when he overhears her telling her actual husband about it by phone call. He didn’t know about her cheating till then.

Are the local trolls going to slam me for this? If so, I will shrug and post in Erotic Couplings or another category instead. Recommendations appreciated.

LW is just a section on a Lit with an unusually high number of troll commentators who often repeat themselves. They don't have machine guns! They don't even know who you really are. Just write whatever you wish. I'd guess that your score could probably be higher in, say, Erotic Couplings, so maybe that would be a better place to put it.

A true dreaded morass; the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917. The mud was so deep that some soldiers drowned in it.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/...c69e_a88f8ce4ca6d446aa61f60e64c7388f7~mv2.png

 

[Bamagan]

LW is just a section on a Lit with an unusually high number of troll commentators who often repeat themselves. They don't have machine guns!

Uh, given the likelihood of Lit readers being American... well, chances are good some of those trolls do have machine guns.

But they should still find it difficult to shoot through the internet.

 

[MajorRewrite]

LW stories told from the point of view of the “other man” can do well in ratings and earn a red H (see my two LW stories).

My concern about the effectiveness of your story is the ending, because it seems to just end with a thud. If the main character successfully enticed the woman to leave her husband, that might put a more interesting cap on the story. Obviously I can’t really judge based on your short summary.

Anyway, your story certainly can fit in LW, and may get a fine reception if you get the details right. Best wishes.

 

[MillieDynamite]

You'd be far better off tagging it as Loving Wife and avoiding the snake pit of posting there.

 

[MajorRewrite]

You'd be far better off tagging it as Loving Wife and avoiding the snake pit of posting there.

Post it in LW and it will get more views and more comments than other categories.

 

[MillieDynamite]

True, so stock up on antivenom before you venture there.

Post it in LW and it will get more views and more comments than other categories.

 

[BobbyLaker]

Maybe stick with EC...

 

[Comshaw]

LW is just a section on a Lit with an unusually high number of troll commentators who often repeat themselves. They don't have machine guns! They don't even know who you really are. Just write whatever you wish. I'd guess that your score could probably be higher in, say, Erotic Couplings, so maybe that would be a better place to put it.

A true dreaded morass; the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917. The mud was so deep that some soldiers drowned in it.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/...c69e_a88f8ce4ca6d446aa61f60e64c7388f7~mv2.png

This ▲. Your score could be higher if you post it in other categories. But you won't reach those readers who are looking in LW and might like your story for what it is. The stories I have there haven't done terribly. I do get some rather nasty "this is total shit!" comments. But I also get som rather good ones. Don't let the trolls dictate where, how and when you post a story.

Comshaw

 

[Gamblnluck]

I want to challenge myself by venturing into that dreaded morass at least once. Before I do it, I have some questions.

The story involves an entertainment mogul who used to sleep around with a host of women- some celebrity and some otherwise. Now he’s been rendered involuntary celibate by depression over a divorce, business challenges, and the Covid pandemic. On impulse he reconnects with a childhood crush once the pandemic ends. She’s all grown up now and very beautiful, on vacation alone at the same Lake Tahoe resort as him. He treats her to dinner, they reconnect, she’s a skilled corporate lawyer that can help with his business woes. They also share chuckles over his crush- he said he would marry her, should they stay together, but circumstances separated them- and the fact that he is now an epic Casanova type while she barely remembers knowing him. On impulse, they have a one night affair. He dumps her the next morning when he overhears her telling her actual husband about it by phone call. He didn’t know about her cheating till then.

Are the local trolls going to slam me for this? If so, I will shrug and post in Erotic Couplings or another category instead. Recommendations appreciated.

It all depends how you tell it. Is the woman rubbing her husband's nose in the fact she cheated on him and about to embark on a new relationship with a great man? Or making a tearful confession she messed up?. Did your MC not know she was married? If he did,why did he have sex with her. What is the MC's reason for dumping her? Guilt over having been there? What are the consequences for the cheating wife, who obviously knew what she was doing. You are going to get some grief either way you do it. But if you make an interesting enough story without too much extra psycho babble, you will still be appreciated.

 

[AchtungNight]

It all depends how you tell it. Is the woman rubbing her husband's nose in the fact she cheated on him and about to embark on a new relationship with a great man? Or making a tearful confession she messed up?. Did your MC not know she was married? If he did,why did he have sex with her. What is the MC's reason for dumping her? Guilt over having been there? What are the consequences for the cheating wife, who obviously knew what she was doing. You are going to get some grief either way you do it. But if you make an interesting enough story without too much extra psycho babble, you will still be appreciated.

Thx to all responders. This is a story that requires a bit of pondering on my part. As established previously, the FMC is alone at the resort and the MMC did not know she was married to another man. The resort is also a swinger’s haven known for casual hookups, he’s had more than a few of those in his past. Plan is for him to see that she likes him but is not deeply committed to their connection. The crush was long ago and not that strong in retrospect. She was separated from her husband, on vacation at the resort to consider things, and now she’s unsure but wants to go back to her family. MMC is also a man of honor similar to Rick from Casablanca, so he suggests Ilsa get on the plane once he sees she loves her husband more than him. Then he later gets back with someone else for whom he has stronger feelings, retaining his business relationship with the FMC for this story (we can refer to it as “Fire Woman” if necessary).

If that plot can work for Loving Wives, great. I can accept a “Meh” also, since I don’t plan to stay in the category. This will take time to write and ponder further. We’ll see how it turns out.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Uh, given the likelihood of Lit readers being American... well, chances are good some of those trolls do have machine guns.

But they should still find it difficult to shoot through the internet.

 

[lovecraft68]

You're showing a woman as being a bad person you will receive cheers and accolades from all the woman haters...so pretty much most of the category.
Now ask yourself if those are the fans you want. I'd rather get a 2.5 and a ton of abuse than a five from that crowd.

3...2....1 for NTH to come running in defending his favorite category and people.

 

[gunhilltrain]

You'd be far better off tagging it as Loving Wife and avoiding the snake pit of posting there.

So is it a snake pit or a dreaded morass? Or maybe both?

I wouldn't get out of that buggy.

 

[OverconfidentSarcasm]

You're showing a woman as being a bad person you will receive cheers and accolades from all the woman haters...so pretty much most of the category.
Now ask yourself if those are the fans you want. I'd rather get a 2.5 and a ton of abuse than a five from that crowd.

3...2....1 for NTH to come running in defending his favorite category and people.

Nono, let me! Let me!

So, here goes: You're wrong!

As far as I can see, LW has an unusually high amount of empathetic male readers who feel for the MMCs in the stories. So, if you're "showing a woman as being a bad person", you will get shat on. But if the good person gets justice, the story will fare rather well.

Now ask yourself if those readers, who actually immerse themselves emotionally into your story, are the fans you want.

 

[Gamblnluck]

MMC is also a man of honor similar to Rick from Casablanca, so he suggests Ilsa get on the plane once he sees she loves her husband more than him.

Okay, man of honor who goes to a swinging resort where cheating takes place. Then sends wife home to hubby who she loves but cheated on. What does hubby have to say about that? Is this going to be a lot of sex, a bare plot? Some love the sex and forgive no plot. Most don't. Best scenario is loving wife gets her ass handed to her for trying to have it all. You will have to explain her "separation'. Was that just her explanation for why she is off at a resort like that? Like I say HOW you deliver it is as important as what happens. Unless clueless hubby is home jerking off hoping his wife comes home to him after screwing however many men. Then your story will not pass. Most readers do not really expect flames. They expect a form of justice. Pass it on to me and I will give it some commentary. Of course my latest story there was shot down in flames mainly because I departed from the way the original author described the wife. I told it from her point of view.

 

[Gamblnluck]

You're showing a woman as being a bad person you will receive cheers and accolades from all the woman haters...so pretty much most of the category.
Now ask yourself if those are the fans you want. I'd rather get a 2.5 and a ton of abuse than a five from that crowd.

3...2....1 for NTH to come running in defending his favorite category and people.

Shows you never read enough stories there to have an idea. The main idea is CHEATING is what is hated, not women. The man who forced the or seduced or simply was available but knew the woman was married is targeted as well. The idea is justice is somehow delivered. Kids, courts, etc complicate the plots.

 

[AchtungNight]

Thx Gamblnluck. I’ll keep your advice in mind. I was going to leave it open-ended for the FMC and her husband, but yeah, certain readers might not be into that.

Regarding morality of the MMC- yeah, he’s a man of honor who goes to swinger resorts. The MMC is also a former manager of such a resort himself and he’s looking into partnership with the owner of the new resort, he’s enjoyed both polyamorous and monogamous relationships. His morality is… complicated. It’s enough for the FMC to be tempted by him as a Casanova figure and for him to accept her as sleeping with him because her marriage is in trouble. But once he learns she doesn’t want it to be in trouble… he advises her to go work things out with her husband and accept what they have as the fling it is.

 

[dmallord]

The main male character in your story idea isn't a good husband. He's not the one being betrayed. The husband who is being cheated on seems to be fine with his wife cheating on him. My guess is that the main reaction you are going to get is "Meh".

I'm not very knowledgeable about categories outside of I/T, but my guess is that you're likely to get a "meh" response whatever category you post in it, as long as you don't post it in Romance, where it'll probably get a lot of hate.

I needed this bright perspective on the Romance category, yesterday. Lit posted my story in Romance similar to this early in the wee hours today. My theme evolved into a Throuple scenario, and they lived happily ever after. However, my immediate score was 1 with 2 votes, and later 2.79 with 9 votes. So your assessment is spot on, much to my dismay.

 

[NoTalentHack]

Thx Gamblnluck. I’ll keep your advice in mind. I was going to leave it open-ended for the FMC and her husband, but yeah, certain readers might not be into that.

Regarding morality of the MMC- yeah, he’s a man of honor who goes to swinger resorts. The MMC is also a former manager of such a resort himself and he’s looking into partnership with the owner of the new resort, he’s enjoyed both polyamorous and monogamous relationships. His morality is… complicated. It’s enough for the FMC to be tempted by him as a Casanova figure and for him to accept her as sleeping with him because her marriage is in trouble. But once he learns she doesn’t want it to be in trouble… he advises her to go work things out with her husband and accept what they have as the fling it is.

It’s a very interesting take, but it may be too nuanced to score well there. I’d read it, though. I’ve seen well-written cheating stories get into the low 4s there recently, so a well-written sex-while-separated can probably do that well.