Comments that want to write your story

[ofbuttons]

I've noticed a genre of commentary that is often positive but sometimes hard to tell, where the commentator will basically just say what they think should happen next in a series (or possible sequels), or even what SHOULD have happened in the story they're commenting on. It has literally never been my impulse to try to influence an author and their work, so I genuinely don't know what the impulse is. Benign 'wouldn't it be fun if [kink] happened' is all well and good, but I will also get suggestions for character development and plot beats.

And usually, the tone is quite forceful! It tends to make me feel like I am going to disappoint one person in particular (or however many leave those comments) if I don't deliver.

Do you get many of these? Do you ever take inspiration from them, or simply view it as a form of flattery more than criticism?

 

[stickygirl]

I know zip about bdsm but from what I've overheard, they observe an accepted set of rules in an almost cultish way. Different cults will have different rules I guess. If you gauge success by comment numbers, you're doing pretty well.

 

[SyleusSnow]

Oh, it happens often enough. First time I got one of these, it wasn't pushy... just a hopeful suggestion to make the main male character bisexual.

Similarly, every. single. story. with two female characters gets at least one comment hoping to see them getting in on in future chapters, regardless of their relationship or any indication of attraction to each other, or to women in general.

One reader was veeery disappointed in the ending to If You Want It, writing two of the longest comments I've ever seen (does Lit have a limit on comment length?). But again it wasn't forceful... just a heartfelt plea for a different ending. It was flattering to see a reader so invested in the story.

I welcome this type of feedback. Or any feedback beyond "good story!" or "you suck" since it's so rare. And generally the commentors are respectful in what they hope to see.

However, there's one anonymous commentor who keeps popping up who I do mind... he forcefully insists the sex scenes need to be much longer, much more detailed, and include specifics elements in foreplay. It seems the same person frequents other author's stories too. My scenes aren't terribly graphic and don't go on for pages, and I think that works best. Erotica shouldn't be like play-by-play live action commentary of a porn shoot, IMHO. There are plenty of stories like that out there, though... the person can go read those instead.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

It happens yeah. They enjoy your story, but they would like it to go the way they want so they will sometimes ask plainly "I want you to include this and this" and sometimes they try to be subtle like "I feel this character would like to do this" or "I am sensing a change in dynamics, is that character getting submissive?" etc. My advice, careful with that rabbit hole. Don't indulge them, and write what you want to write or you will later resent yourself, and they will keep pressing for more if they see you obliging. It is your story, don't forget that.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I know zip about bdsm but from what I've overheard, they observe an accepted set of rules in an almost cultish way. Different cults will have different rules I guess. If you gauge success by comment numbers, you're doing pretty well.

Before I answer the question, Romance is sort of a cult too perhaps. They don't want a series or even a story to end with a break-up because, well, that is not romantic. One of them told me to put those in Non-erotic (assuming there are no erotic couplings or other factors involved). Anyway, that's what I usually do now.

I once followed somebody's vision of a story, months after I found his comment again. I decided to try out his idea on another site and, yep, he was right. That was a once in four years event however.

 

[Voboy]

Yeah. Those get deleted posthaste.

MY comment section is not THEIR backdoor submission window. If they want to write a story, well, there's a way to do that.

 

[lovecraft68]

I know zip about bdsm but from what I've overheard, they observe an accepted set of rules in an almost cultish way. Different cults will have different rules I guess. If you gauge success by comment numbers, you're doing pretty well.

Every category has that type, and cult is as good a word as any. I/T has readers who think there's certain rules that always need to be followed, and will tell you all about them so you know better next time.

I think in BDSM the "the cultish way" some are trying to enforce the rules is due to the fact the category should just be absorbed into NC/R because that's an ever growing issue over there.

Oops, look I just did it, kind of.

 

[Euphony]

I'd guess most of those type "commenters" are readers who have little notion of the time, efforts, and constructions required to make a whole, unified story.

They are driven by their fetishes/impulses and their "laziness" (and/or true inability though more claim it than is true) sees the quickest path from their point A to their preferred destination, through you.

It's not to say you can't find a small spark of inspiration in their musing but it is a tiny gold nugget extracted inefficiently out of an awful lot of mud.

And ultimately, I doubt you'd live up to their expectations anyway if you even remotely write in your own voice.

 

[lovecraft68]

Yeah. Those get deleted posthaste.

MY comment section is not THEIR backdoor submission window. If they want to write a story, well, there's a way to do that.

The only comments I recall deleting were people who mentioned another author in my comments, go on and on about them and toss in "check them out!"
I'm not a billboard for an author's alts and stans to advertise on.

Otherwise, have at it.

 

[ElectricBlue]

On occasion I've had people moan about something they didn't like, or the story didn't go where they wanted it to.

If they're snarky about it (what, I'm writing for you now?) I'll reply, "I'm sorry you didn't want to read the story I wrote. Here's your money back."

 

[stickygirl]

Before I answer the question, Romance is sort of a cult too perhaps. They don't want a series or even a story to end with a break-up because, well, that is not romantic. One of them told me to put those in Non-erotic (assuming there are no erotic couplings or other factors involved). Anyway, that's what I usually do now.

I once followed somebody's vision of a story, months after I found his comment again. I decided to try out his idea on another site and, yep, he was right. That was a once in four years event however.

Yeah, I've once edited/resubmitted a lesbian story based on comments to give it a happier ending, or rather gave them another sex scene. I've also had another author simply say 'Should have been in Romance' when it was in N/E. Same with transgender stories, which are not allowed to be romantic or lesbian and ought to fulfil the expectation that it should be full of abuse and anal. I don't give such comments much time.
Ya can't please em all, so I please meself

 

[lovecraft68]

Yeah, I've once edited/resubmitted a lesbian story based on comments to give it a happier ending, or rather gave them another sex scene. I've also had another author simply say 'Should have been in Romance' when it was in N/E. Same with transgender stories, which are not allowed to be romantic or lesbian and ought to fulfil the expectation that it should be full of abuse and anal. I don't give such comments much time.
Ya can't please em all, so I please meself

Is that really a popular perception in that genre? I don't know anything about it, and wasn't aware there was that type of negative connotation to it. Or is that the fetish aspect of it?

 

[stickygirl]

Is that really a popular perception in that genre? I don't know anything about it, and wasn't aware there was that type of negative connotation to it. Or is that the fetish aspect of it?

Close your eyes for a second and imagine what people expect in Trans/CD.... yup - you got it! Anal, huge dicks, lots of talk about pretty panties, jizz everywhere, sub/dom, painful sex... Sort of stuff you can't unread, but it's what's on the set menu.

 

[lovecraft68]

Close your eyes for a second and imagine what people expect in Trans/CD.... yup - you got it! Anal, huge dicks, lots of talk about pretty panties, jizz everywhere, sub/dom, painful sex... Sort of stuff you can't unread, but it's what's on the set menu.

Well on that glowing recommendation I can't believe I've been missing out on all that.

 

[stickygirl]

Well on that glowing recommendation I can't believe I've been missing out on all that.

Not all of it - I have read a few decent ones. Provided I only mention my character's trans status in passing, I can get past the stazi and have had good results in romance ... less so in lesbian ( sorry - server played up )

 

[MillieDynamite]

I get comments like "This should happen next," and I ignore them.

 

[SimonDoom]

Extremely common, sometimes annoying, but to be expected. This is erotica. Most readers come to it with an expectation to get turned on, rather than to have a great literary experience, and if you disappoint them some of them will let you know. These kinds of reactions come in all different varieties. No real mom would do that. I don't like where you went with the story. You should have written a different story. I didn't like your ending. You should have kept going. Etc., etc.

In a few cases the comments are intelligent and make me think that I could have handled the plot differently. In most cases it's just a reader who wanted a completely different story, and I don't care about that.

 

[stickygirl]

I get comments like "This should happen next," and I ignore them.

I got one that asked what happened to a very minor character, who appeared for a few lines. I was touched that they cared and I've kept the thought in my mind that I could maybe spin off another story from that. I wouldn't have thunk it without their question.

 

[lovecraft68]

I suppose these can be looked at in the positive light that you got them thinking about the story.

 

[Euphony]

Not all of it - I have read a few decent ones. Provided I only mention my character's trans status in passing, I can get past the stazi and have had good results in romance ... less so in lesbian ( sorry - server played up )

Utterly depressing.
Understand when writing a trans character it doesn't need to be an exploration of their trans-ness but being herded into avoiding that direction even in the trans category stinks.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I got one that asked what happened to a very minor character, who appeared for a few lines. I was touched that they cared and I've kept the thought in my mind that I could maybe spin off another story from that. I wouldn't have thunk it without their question.

I don't mind that kind of comment, but when they want the woman to get knocked up or the man does this or that to the woman, it's going too far. And when they say, what happens next, that's fine. I don't know what happens next, but they can ask.

 

[NoTalentHack]

My favorite are the ones that tell me that I've entirely misunderstood my own characters, and that their perception of the events that happened in my story are wrong. There was a multi-paragraph (all scrunched together in one, natch) on Spoken in Anger that said, essentially, "so, like, how did the MC know that the wife didn't get into her accident because she was so excited to run off and be with her lover? Huh? How did he know that she ran in a panic?" There are folks that really just cannot deal with any story that doesn't meet with their worldview.

 

[yukonnights]

Close your eyes for a second and imagine what people expect in Trans/CD.... yup - you got it! Anal, huge dicks, lots of talk about pretty panties, jizz everywhere, sub/dom, painful sex... Sort of stuff you can't unread, but it's what's on the set menu.

That's not been my experience — I'm sorta shocked it's been yours.

In my experience, the Trans/CD category and the Lesbian category readers have been really supportive over the years. I enjoy writing in both. FWIW, you can claim a good bit of that reader appreciation because of your help and tutelage.

I can't speak to what other authors are experiencing in those genres — I don't read many stories here on Lit. But I do tend to focus more on the emotions and also on loving relationships — with some tension and doubts sprinkled in, which may be factor in how the story is viewed?

 

[MajorRewrite]

I get lots of suggestions for what might happen next in my stories, even though all of my stories are one-shots with no intention of continuing them. So the comments are just good fun for me. Some of the ideas are clever.

Occasionally a violent revenge plot is suggested and I delete those like I do all wacko comments.

 

[ofbuttons]

Thanks for your insights, all.

How it goes is that I will ignore the super critical ones that feel like someone wandered into the wrong store and are blaming me, a merchant of cookies, for not selling them lemonade. Not useful feedback. My femdom story on the erotica website probably won't feature the man suddenly realising he hates everything that was arousing him previously and ask for a divorce, shockingly enough.

It's the ones that are enthusiastic and positive but also offer assertive opinion on where I should take the story next that kind of confound me. Surely you trusted me this far, dear reader, to provide a thing you like? But I suppose the best way to engage is to appreciate their investment and allow for inspiration if I am strongly moved, but otherwise stick to my guns.

Especially when the story I am writing is about slow escalation, and the opinions tend to be requests that I ramp it up faster. Nope, sorry, I'm setting the pace.