Comments

[CandiCame]

Why does no one leave them!?

I had 2 stories that were at 5 stars for a couple of days! I checked today and they were both down to about 3, meaning that folk had voted them down.

But there were no comments or anything, so I have no idea why! If you're gonna vote down, why not leave a comment and let us know what you didn't like?

 

[SamScribble]

Take heart, Candicame. The whole voting thing means not a lot.

There are some people who stalk Lit trashing all they can find. And there is a chap (or chapess) called Anonymous who just loves leaving comments that simply demonstrate that he or she has not actually read the story.

If you get a few good comments, enjoy them. If you get a few constructive comments, consider them. And do your best to simply ignore the rest.

Oh, and if you do want some useful and considered comments, you might want to post your link on the Story Discussion page.

Cheers, Sam

 

[estragon]

Sam is quite right, Candi. Constructive criticism is like gold--well worth the effort of finding it, but one must dig through tons of useless material to get even a little of it. Unhappily Lit is no exception.

 

[sr71plt]

There's no requirement for readers to leave comments on the stories here. You'll need to resign yourself to the fact that having them even open your stories on a voluminous site like this is flattering in itself--or live with the disappointment of having a different agenda than readers do. Most of them are here for their enjoyment, not your development--and a good many who leave comments are also doing so to puff themselves up, not you (or, more likely, to try to tear you down).

If you got published in the mainstream, far fewer readers would comment on your work than do here.

This constantly expressed need for writers here to be stroked by the readers gets a little tiresome, I'm sorry to say. That's not how the world of readers works--neither here nor in the mainstream. The compliment is in choosing to read it--and then the next one you write, if they think you've done well with the previous one.

 

[LettersFromTatyana]

Did you ask for comments? Or feedback of any kind?

Many readers (including me) won't offer feedback unless an author has specifically requested it. My default assumption is that people write stories to have fun, to rid their minds of nagging fantasies so they can get on with their real lives, to do some good old-fashioned productive procrastination, etc. I don't assume that authors are looking for instruction in Creative Writing 101 (and no, I'm not saying my critique would be worthy of CW101 ).

Besides, leaving helpful feedback takes time. Why should I waste my time and energy on someone who doesn't want feedback? Worse, why should I point out what I believe are a story's flaws if the author is using lit as an avenue for fun? I don't really want to be Tatyana the Buzzkiller, yanno?

If you want feedback, ask for it. Embrace the italicized note at the end of your story. Beg, plead, challenge, promise your first born . . . it might not work, but it can't hurt.

 

[Darkniciad]

Then again, people with names who do comment can be just as useless as the anonymous trolls.

Take , DWornock who has posted 990 comments since June 5th, most of which contain brilliant insight such as:

Old people are not sexy

1

old folks so I gave it a 1

1*

not good 1*

I did catch another one, which gives the commenter's definition of "old folks": Anything over 26, and those mid twenties are pushing it.

Been watching this and shaking my head for a couple of weeks now.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Damn, it's a good thing I don't mention the age of my charters very often as most them tend to be in their forties to sixties.

I have never gotten a comment about age of my characters...what category were you writing in Dark?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The flip-side is, authors dont respond to comments.

 

[CandiCame]

Wow, thanks for responding everyone!

I guess I got to spoiled byDeviantArt, lol.

Yeah, the subject matter does tend to lend itself to folk NOT wanting to comment- I hadn't thought about that.

And I will totally try begging for feedback next time. I don't know why I didn't think of that earlier!

 

[driphoney]

Then again, people with names who do comment can be just as useless as the anonymous trolls.

Take , DWornock who has posted 990 comments since June 5th, most of which contain brilliant insight such as:









I did catch another one, which gives the commenter's definition of "old folks": Anything over 26, and those mid twenties are pushing it.

Been watching this and shaking my head for a couple of weeks now.

Hahahaha! I'm finding that hilarious! Perhaps this poster is going to be very disappointed in the majority of his life!! (Or maybe grown up?)

Too funny. Thanks.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Hahahaha! I'm finding that hilarious! Perhaps this poster is going to be very disappointed in the majority of his life!! (Or maybe grown up?)

Too funny. Thanks.

Probably hasn't gotten laid yet.

 

[Darkniciad]

Damn, it's a good thing I don't mention the age of my charters very often as most them tend to be in their forties to sixties.

I have never gotten a comment about age of my characters...what category were you writing in Dark?

Those comments are from the comment portal -- mostly Loving Wives. There are usually 1 or 2 -- sometimes almost the full list if he's ( just to save typing he/she every damn time ) found a chapter story that contains "old hides", in which case, he'll mark every chapter 1 back to back.

I have little doubt that he's been marked by the sweeps as a problem voter, and may as well save his clicks, though.

Now that I look, he has commented on one of my LW stories, and actually had something to say... Defending the cheating woman and attacking the husband. I've noticed that as his other theme. He appears to be on an opposition campaign to the "torch the bitch" camp.

Yah, DH, he sounds like a fifteen-year-old most of the time

Oh, and the other thing he rails on is cocks over 6 inches, which he calls "impossible". So, we can reasonably assume he's sporting a cocktail weenie

 

[jomar]

If you right it they will cum...wait...or is that write and come...fuck windows grammar.

 

[jdnunyer]

I just received this very useful feedback:

"Is this serious? bc its fucked up"

That certainly tells me how to satisfy readers in the future.

I mean, 75 people went to my blog after reading an excerpt from my novel today on LIT and downloaded the full novel, and a few people seemed to really respond to my submission in a positive way, but if anonymous says "Is this serious? bc its fucked up", I must obviously be going about it all wrong. Thank you for setting me straight, anonymous!

 

[jdnunyer]

Oh, and the other thing he rails on is cocks over 6 inches, which he calls "impossible". So, we can reasonably assume he's sporting a cocktail weenie

Wow. There's something to be said for the frequency with which stories feature characters who are 11 to 13 inches, I guess. (Though not everyone is here for realism). But over 6 is "impossible"? That's just silly.

 

[SamScribble]

I just received this very useful feedback:

"Is this serious? bc its fucked up"

That certainly tells me how to satisfy readers in the future.

I mean, 75 people went to my blog after reading an excerpt from my novel today on LIT and downloaded the full novel, and a few people seemed to really respond to my submission in a positive way, but if anonymous says "Is this serious? bc its fucked up", I must obviously be going about it all wrong. Thank you for setting me straight, anonymous!

As I said earlier in this thread: 'there is a chap (or chapess) called Anonymous who just loves leaving comments that simply demonstrate that he or she has not actually read the story.' He (or she) strikes again.

 

[jdnunyer]

Yeah, or one of many who do the same.

In Real Life, I'm an academic, I'm not sure I can say that most of the reviews I get back on the research I submit to scholarly journals look like they're written by someone who read the paper. No reason to expect any different with smut.

Still fun to complain about though.

 

[Darkniciad]

Wow. There's something to be said for the frequency with which stories feature characters who are 11 to 13 inches, I guess. (Though not everyone is here for realism). But over 6 is "impossible"? That's just silly.

Behavioral scientists could save a lot of money hunting down study subjects if they'd just start monitoring the comment sections of Loving Wives stories.

More nuts than a Planter's factory

 

[jdnunyer]

Certainly sounds that way.

 

[beatrice_dreams]

The flip-side is, authors dont respond to comments.

I did wonder what the etiquette around this was. It's all well and good to add your own comment to your story to thank people or reply, but by then most people have moved on and unless perhaps the reader said something really controversial or they have nothing better to do, I somehow doubt they revisit the story to see the reaction of the author.

What does everyone else do? PM someone who gave them a great piece of feedback? Send them a thank you card? Some of the comments I've gotten were actually incredibly helpful and while I'd like to respond, I don't know them from Larry and don't want to give anyone the wrong impression...

 

[Darkniciad]

It varies, depending upon the author. I answer any comment that I catch, which leaves me the means to do so ( email or signed public comment )

I start with a standard thanks for the comment, and then go from there, depending upon the content of the comment.

Which reminds me that I have emails to answer.

Just keep it short and sweet in the beginning -- all business. I doubt anyone is going to gripe about a quick "thanks" for the comment, answering questions asked, or acknowledging criticisms posted. Just don't automatically put them on your mailing list or something.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Those comments are from the comment portal -- mostly Loving Wives. There are usually 1 or 2 -- sometimes almost the full list if he's ( just to save typing he/she every damn time ) found a chapter story that contains "old hides", in which case, he'll mark every chapter 1 back to back.

I have little doubt that he's been marked by the sweeps as a problem voter, and may as well save his clicks, though.

Now that I look, he has commented on one of my LW stories, and actually had something to say... Defending the cheating woman and attacking the husband. I've noticed that as his other theme. He appears to be on an opposition campaign to the "torch the bitch" camp.

Yah, DH, he sounds like a fifteen-year-old most of the time

Oh, and the other thing he rails on is cocks over 6 inches, which he calls "impossible". So, we can reasonably assume he's sporting a cocktail weenie

Hmmm...the stores I have in LW you just have to assume the characters are in their late forties, as they are professional people who have gone the extra mile and eight to ten years of school to obtain their degree and I never got a a complaint on age. Go figure.

Maybe it's just your stories he don't like?

 

[Zeb_Carter]

It varies, depending upon the author. I answer any comment that I catch, which leaves me the means to do so ( email or signed public comment )

I start with a standard thanks for the comment, and then go from there, depending upon the content of the comment.

Which reminds me that I have emails to answer.

Just keep it short and sweet in the beginning -- all business. I doubt anyone is going to gripe about a quick "thanks" for the comment, answering questions asked, or acknowledging criticisms posted. Just don't automatically put them on your mailing list or something.

Of course this assumes that they even check the PM's they get in answer to their comments. I think I have only received one answer to a PM I left for a reader.

I too, try to answer all comments and public and private. Just a quick thank you unless they ask a question then I try to answer the question. It's not like I'm all that busy now-a-days.

 

[oggbashan]

It varies, depending upon the author. I answer any comment that I catch, which leaves me the means to do so ( email or signed public comment )

I start with a standard thanks for the comment, and then go from there, depending upon the content of the comment.

...

I admit that I am not as good at replying to PCs as I should be. An excuse - I have so many stories posted that I can miss PCs unless I check 'Recent Activity' every day. It is an excuse and doesn't justify many of the missing responses and thanks I should have made.

It is usually pointless to respond to a PC with another PC because the person who left the comment is unlikely to return to the story. I might acknowledge a criticism that has led to an edit so that the old PC still makes sense e.g. 'Thanks to Jane Doe's PC the story has been edited to correct this'.

So many PCs are anonymous, or are from people who have their Personal Messages turned off. If I can respond to reasonable PCs, I should.

'Reasonable' is the decider. I won't respond to rants about me writing the wrong story, nor to people who read one of my fetish stories and don't like that particular fetish. I'm not going to get into extensive messaging about the state of the world, the general quality of writing on Literotica nor my personal sexual preferences. The various Literotica boards are better for those issues.

I tend to use the feedback facility to respond. I'm reluctant to do that because when I get feedback I think it is about one of my stories, not a response to one of my very infrequent PCs, but if personal messages are turned off, that is the only way of responding.

Unlike Zeb, I am busy nowadays. When I'm not being a community activist I'm helping to look after my grandchildren several days a week, dealing with builders (nearly finished the current round - the painters arrive next week to tidy up the final touches) and I'm involved with several local organisations.

If I've not replied to your PC, I'm sorry. I probably didn't see it until several months after you wrote it.

Og

 

[Darkniciad]

Hmmm...the stores I have in LW you just have to assume the characters are in their late forties, as they are professional people who have gone the extra mile and eight to ten years of school to obtain their degree and I never got a a complaint on age. Go figure.

Maybe it's just your stories he don't like?

Lemme try this again:

Those comments are from the comment portal

Now that I look, he has commented on one of my LW stories

And you're giving an awful lot of credit to someone who believes 26 is a step from the grave and 6 1/2" cocks are only found in the wild imaginings of fantasy, aren't you?

It looks like he's working his way through the alphabet, so it will be a while before he gets to any of your LW stories with comments turned on.