Comments, people, comments!

[OldJourno]

If you go to Lit's Main site portal you can click on the various links to stories or to the author index. You can check there to see if the username of someone you like has any stories.

Or you can browse by category or look at the newly published stuff.

Most of the members who have stories up on Lit will have a link in their profiles. Click on their user name and select "View public Profile" to go to their profile page. There'll be a link there someplace which takes you to another page which lists their stuff. Click the links there and you get that story.

And, of course, lots of us put story links in our sig lines.

Thank you.

 

[HarryHill]

Thank you.

..
You are welcome, if you tag the thread you can find it easy again through your subscriptions, enjoy

 

[CandiCame]

Ok, I read your latest.

It's not bad. It has it's moments of real interest and novelty but it needs more reality based situations/terms/etc in the dialog/narrative framework that could make it seem more lifelike.

Don't just say things like OBS, tell us about how Steve fiddles with the equipment, checking plugs and switches to get it ready to go live on OBS and data storage.

You need internal dialog to set the tone of the characters' readiness and reasoning. Steve isn't new at the cam thing but this time it's different. He should be nervous or something.

You need unintended things to happen because nothing ever goes as planned and then the characters need to visibly sort that stuff out so they can get back on track.

Where's the funny? "Woofboy" would fit so easily in there someplace.



Doing that makes them more normal and human and less wooden seeming. They're not chess pieces, they're real people who live in your imagination instead of the real world. Cry and laugh for them. And make them cry and laugh for the reader.

Describe the room, the chains, the clothes. Don't just say they're there, describe them and how the links rattle and/or glint in the bright lights as Woofboy moves because he can't ever seem to just sit still. It's like he's always in motion even when he's sleeping....

Wolf fur clogs the vacuum ya know. So them DVD's better sell well or Steve is gonna have to fix the damn vac again because duct tape doesn't seem to last all that long for some reason.

And damn, no chips and beer for after? Steve must be a real cheap bastard.

You can get more descriptive in the sexy bits. Dripping precum and bouncing erections from exertion or movement are things that happen in real life.

You see? All of that comes down to character development. Character development and motivation are the reasoning behind the characters doing what they're doing, not just the external or visible effects that are the narration in the story.

Damn, dude, you didn't have to read my shit- I don't think it's up your alley. Thanks.

Some of these suggestions show your age, though XD. OBS is screen capture software that livestreams via manycam (or other distribution software) to different camshow sites- there's not any DVDs or like... hard media. Or switches to flip. Once you start livestreaming (with a click) you're on.

I think what happened with that is I used to be a camboy, so I know how livestreaming works, and I assumed everyone else did to- I often live my life under the impression that if my dumb ass knows something then everyone else probably does too. I gotta learn to take a step back. Like, for things messing up? I can't tell you HOW MANY times I think I've hit "livestream & record" but instead just hit "record". Because I'm a dumbass.

And then the chat fills up with, "Where are you, pretty boy? I can't see you?"

And I'm like, "Oh. Well that's because I'm a dumbass. My bad, audience."

I was gonna post a screenshot to show how easy that is to do, but I guess imgur is gonna be little bitch. The button to stream and the button to record are literally right on top of each other and look exactly the same. OBS assumes their user base can read, I guess, which is AWFULLY bold of them.

Also, to be fair- Chuck did have drinks set out- he tried to get up and get them but the knot caught and Steve told him to lay back down until it went down. XD Because they didn't think the aftercare through well enough.

Also also, I can guarantee you that Steve's not nervous about working the job he does every day. Because I've done it, and you're just not. That's just not a thing. Maybe if you have this thing that I hear tell of from older people who didn't grow up in the attention-whore social-media tell-the-world-what-you-are-for-lunch lifestyle that I did, called "shame" you would be. But attention whores who were raised in a society that rewards attention whorishness don't really do that. Which is... not necessarily good because then like 5 years later you get a real job and you're like, "Well I sure hope nobody finds out I used to be an internet whore. That'll bite me in the ass. Should have thought that through a little better."

He is nervous about the wolf dick. As anyone probably should be.

...obvious self-insert is obvious but at least I don't name my self-insert OCs "Luke" when my name in the really real world is "Lucas". There's "obvious" and then there's "beating the audience over the head with it".

So when I put this in the feedback forum, I kept getting the same 2 pieces of advice, and yours is one of them- so it's really going to help me in my next story. This one, the one about how I don't have a plot or pacing, is something I really took to heart, so for the story I'm writing right now for the winter contest, it's not just a fluffy one-shot, it's gonna have those things. Like you're not the only person to tell me this, it came up a LOT.

So here's the problem I'm having now- plot, descriptive settings and real character development eat up a LOT of time. Like a LOT. Like this "short story" is gonna be like a novella. And I don't know how to fix that. So I feel like I'm gonna put it up, and people are gonna be like, "TLDR" and I'll be like, "fair enough".

But I think that the only way to learn how to moderate that is to keep doing it and keep getting feedback until you know it. Like I think it's not something that you can will yourself into, you just have to DO it.

The other feedback I kept getting was that the werewolf wasn't monstrous enough- which shocked the shit out of me because I thought that the target audience would be like... a ven diagram of "people who liked this story" and "people who own fursuits" would be a CIRCLE. So I completely misjudged my audience- so in the winter story there's going to be real monsters.

One of the good things about getting a lot of feedback, and why I think it's important, is because if you get a LOT of people saying the same thing, it lets you know that it's not just one person who didn't, idk, understand your genius or whatever (Stanley Kubrick is never gonna admit that taking out the narration hurt 2001 type of deal). I feel like it lets me tailor my stuff, and it would help people who THINK that they're good but obviously aren't break through their own ego.

Yeah, just... thanks. You really didn't have to do that and it's gonna help me a lot. I'm working on a better story using what I've learned so... fingers crossed.

 

[CandiCame]

I'm here because the GB doeant have shitty porn stories. What are you new or just plain stupid?

Someone sounds jealous that other people are honing their craft and enjoying learning a new skill.

People who shit on other people for trying to learn just want the rest of the world to be as shitty and miserable as they are.

It's a real pain in the ass looking for an authors stories through Literotica's front door so I made a back door Links to keep you from going crazy

Oh damn, dude this is awesome! Sweet! Thanks!

 

[OldJourno]

The readers here really need to step it up with their feedback if they want authors to continue to post here. It's bad. It's the only repayment we get, people! Take 2 minutes to drop a line. We took several hours to get you off.

I tried "The Boat" and almost went down with the ship. I never tried editing anything like that and I'm not going to start now.
I will note that you must be careful with homophones, which are not offered by Verizon for gay couples. Know the difference between "waste" and "waist."

 

[BlinkOneSomething]

It happens. Thanks for the read and the feedback. Not my best story.

 

[HisArpy]

Damn, dude, you didn't have to read my shit- I don't think it's up your alley. Thanks.

I read anything. I don't like reading horror (because I suffer from night terrors and don't need to relive that shit when I'm awake) but I will if there's nothing else. Your story isn't any different. It might not be my fav pasttime, but that doesn't mean I won't read it.


*snip*

So here's the problem I'm having now- plot, descriptive settings and real character development eat up a LOT of time. Like a LOT. Like this "short story" is gonna be like a novella. And I don't know how to fix that.

I use flow charts. I actually hand-draw flow charts to diagram my plot. I list the characters on the other side of the page. this keeps me on track so I don't waste time writing what I call "stream eddies". (Those interesting seeming things that don't advance the plot and eventually just die on their own leaving you stranded and no idea how to get back to the real story.)

If I want to write a short story, then I keep the plot short and sweet and the number of characters to a minimum. Then the character development depends on the depth I want to go to. For example; someone wrote a short story that earned Laurel's very coveted E that has almost no character descriptions in it. It's an account of a phone relationship with a telemarketer gone bad. Absolutely hilarious.

In any event, writing takes time. When I'm working on a new story, I can write around 2k - 3k in an 8-10 hour day at the computer. That's in addition to my regular work schedule. And I don't rush it (or try not to) because the story won't be finished until it's finished. And the length will be what it ends up being.

Final advice here: No one told Hans Christian Anderson his stories were too short or too long.


So I feel like I'm gonna put it up, and people are gonna be like, "TLDR" and I'll be like, "fair enough".

No. Write your story. If they don't have the time to read it all at once, they can bookmark it and come back later. If it's not their thing, they'll move on. But, remember, they WANT to read so a story can't be "too long" if it's interesting.

Another thing you can try is publish your story in chapters or parts to cut down on the overall length. I have a 2-part story that's somewhere in the +50K range for total word length for the 2 halves. Others have stories that are longer. I think there are a couple of stories that are over 100 chapters and still going. (which tells me that the author is hooked on the subject matter) Overall, if your story is good, length doesn't really matter. The readers want quality.

But I think that the only way to learn how to moderate that is to keep doing it and keep getting feedback until you know it. Like I think it's not something that you can will yourself into, you just have to DO it.

Get a CP (critique partner) or a beta reader who will tell you the truth and not what they think you want to hear. My betas know it won't hurt my feelings if they tell me that something is complete and utter shit and I should get rid of it. After awhile, you learn to not write those types of things or not write them in that way.

For instance, I tend to think in bullet point lists. My rough drafts have sentence fragments everywhere. My betas know this and will sometimes rewrite up to a complete paragraph to get that smoothed out. Most times they won't because they know that I'll do that on the redrafts. If on a redraft I still didn't fix it, THEN they give me shit for it. I learned to not just hand out raw drafts without warning them. We work on cleanup together because they're the coaches.

The other feedback I kept getting was that the werewolf wasn't monstrous enough- which shocked the shit out of me because I thought that the target audience would be like... a ven diagram of "people who liked this story" and "people who own fursuits" would be a CIRCLE. So I completely misjudged my audience- so in the winter story there's going to be real monsters.

This happens. Don't go overboard to compensate. The key is to write enough "visualization" into the story to bring the character to life based on your desires and needs for the plot. The monster doesn't have to be an awful monster, think Young Frankenstein vs. the original.

One of the good things about getting a lot of feedback, and why I think it's important, is because if you get a LOT of people saying the same thing, it lets you know that it's not just one person who didn't, idk, understand your genius or whatever (Stanley Kubrick is never gonna admit that taking out the narration hurt 2001 type of deal). I feel like it lets me tailor my stuff, and it would help people who THINK that they're good but obviously aren't break through their own ego.

Yeah, just... thanks. You really didn't have to do that and it's gonna help me a lot. I'm working on a better story using what I've learned so... fingers crossed.

Just write. Don't make it a chore, just write. Every story you write, if you take the time to try and write better, will in fact make you a better writer. And you won't have to feel like you need to apologize to anyone who reads your stuff. Eventually, you'll publish a story that people will favorite and then you'll get followers. (And trolls but they're inevitable here.)

Of course when your beta readers start lurking around the corner waiting to shanghai you only to start squeezing your balls and muttering threats that if you don't give them what they want, STARTING RIGHT NOW!, you gots a different problem.

You have no idea how frustrating it is to get texts from several people that only say "Where is it?" or "I'm waiting" and you haven't started on "it" yet because it's only been a week since they had your last 80K word novel in their hot & grubbies.

In the end, write what you enjoy. Give it enough details to being the universe and characters to life. Do that by adding in your own life experiences, thoughts, ideas, and awkward moments. Every character you write about, every story, every plot, is you and/or your dreams. Just tell us about you in enough detail that we can see all those parts of you in the fantasy world you created in our imaginations.

 

[mAnn_Tagonist]

Someone sounds jealous that other people are honing their craft and enjoying learning a new skill.

People who shit on other people for trying to learn just want the rest of the world to be as shitty and miserable as they are.



Oh damn, dude this is awesome! Sweet! Thanks!

Lol, either that or I think adults who write porn and take it seriously are morons. But you think what you want.

 

[HisArpy]

Lol, either that or I think adults who write porn and take it seriously are morons. But you think what you want.

Dude, did you really just shit on Laurel, in public, on her own website?

 

[HarryHill]

Lol, either that or I think adults who write porn and take it seriously are morons. But you think what you want.

..
and those of us who don't write porn and (still) post their story's here are too.

 

[BlinkOneSomething]

Sigh. Leave it to the internet. Latest story had 9 votes and was at 4.78 stars. Surely one more vote and it would get a H, right? Of course the tenth vote brings it to 4.40! What a dick! People can suck! Oh, and of course no comments on it at all. Even from the jerk who gave it a one star.

 

[HisArpy]

Sigh. Leave it to the internet. Latest story had 9 votes and was at 4.78 stars. Surely one more vote and it would get a H, right? Of course the tenth vote brings it to 4.40! What a dick! People can suck! Oh, and of course no comments on it at all. Even from the jerk who gave it a one star.

If it was doing that well, it'll get back up there. Also, don't forget about the sweeps.

 

[mAnn_Tagonist]

Dude, did you really just shit on Laurel, in public, on her own website?

If she writes shitty porn, then yes I did, but it was more directed at you stupid twats.

 

[BlinkOneSomething]

If she writes shitty porn, then yes I did, but it was more directed at you stupid twats.

Troll confirmed.