Discoveries & Rediscoveries

[t_h_seacrest]

I can't argue with the people who are telling you that you just need to buckle down and write, because they're probably correct, but I'll say I can sympathize because I'm a lazy and undisciplined writer and if I was even a little more disciplined I'd have twice as many stories published as I have. Try different approaches. Do whatever works for you. I find it helps to have multiple irons in the fire rather than one project I am dead set on, but that approach may not work for everyone. Good luck.

Definitely, go with femdom if that's what interests you, and don't worry about those who don't like it.

Thank you.
About people not liking a work: hey that's fine. Is to be expected, nothing new. It is also understood that any given reader is not at all obligated to tell why. But sometimes it would be helpful, if just for the sake of a suggestion on which areas to work on improving in the next one.

You know, one thing I like about the Amazon kdp setup is the 'pages read' feature. Being able see how much of a work was read in one go. If I can see it was read from front to finish... or better, if I can see 9 of 10 readers read it front to finish, okay I can at least feel confident the writing was good enough to hold a few readers' attentions. If 10 of 10 are not getting past the first few pages, okay maybe the opening sections could benefit with a bit more editing or rewrite. That might be the sum of what I've meant to get at lately.

Hm it seems the word Discipline keeps appearing.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Thank you.
About people not liking a work: hey that's fine. Is to be expected, nothing new. It is also understood that any given reader is not at all obligated to tell why. But sometimes it would be helpful, if just for the sake of a suggestion on which areas to work on improving in the next one.

Why should they? If there's something about a writer's style or content I don't like, that's not down to the writer, that's down to me as a reader. It's not my role to say, "Oh, you should do this to accommodate me," I just move on.

I'd say, focus more on your writing, less on some hypothetical reader. You're chasing the wrong side of the equation, I think.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Could be, but I don't feel comfortable diagnosing people over the Internet.

This is a good rule to live by.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

There are so many flavors of female domination. It is not just about soft and hard, there are so many nuances to it, so many different fetishes connected to it. It is always present in abundance in my stories, and no I don't plan to write any male domination, there is enough of it in the real world as it is. I haven't noticed any real backlash from the commenters so far. I always put it in the description and add appropriate tags. I did notice that some of my readers would like the switch to happen.
Either way, write what you like and what you really want to write, and don't worry yourself with those that might dislike it. There will always be plenty of those. Just put the appropriate tags and description and see those 5 stars rain.

Good luck to you and I hope to see a fellow femdom writer publish his story soon

 

[t_h_seacrest]

There are so many flavors of female domination. It is not just about soft and hard, there are so many nuances to it, so many different fetishes connected to it. It is always present in abundance in my stories, and no I don't plan to write any male domination, there is enough of it in the real world as it is. I haven't noticed any real backlash from the commenters so far. I always put it in the description and add appropriate tags. I did notice that some of my readers would like the switch to happen.
Either way, write what you like and what you really want to write, and don't worry yourself with those that might dislike it. There will always be plenty of those. Just put the appropriate tags and description and see those 5 stars rain.

Good luck to you and I hope to see a fellow femdom writer publish his story soon

It really does offer a vast fascinating spectrum to play in.
Appreciate the encouraging words.
If I get hit with a hailstorm of 1-bombs, maybe I'll message you....
or I just need to learn to shake it off. That's real issue with all this.
I might just be a couple cups of coffee away from submitting something.

ETA: while the enjoyment of imagining & trying to word those imaginings is high, there is an equally challenging aspect of setting things up: namely who & why; establishing at least a measure of plausibility. Some believable reason the potential submissive would express a little or a lot of reluctance. I find it a delicate balancing act, though a very pleasurable one.

 

[gunhilltrain]

It really does offer a vast fascinating spectrum to play in.
Appreciate the encouraging words.
If I get hit with a hailstorm of 1-bombs, maybe I'll message you....
or I just need to learn to shake it off. That's real issue with all this.
I might just be a couple cups of coffee away from submitting something.

ETA: while the enjoyment of imagining & trying to word those imaginings is high, there is an equally challenging aspect of setting things up: namely who & why; establishing at least a measure of plausibility. Some believable reason the potential submissive would express a little or a lot of reluctance. I find it a delicate balancing act, though a very pleasurable one.

All right, please inform us if and when you actually submit something. Keep in mind that it may take several days to get posted.

 

[t_h_seacrest]

All right, please inform us if and when you actually submit something. Keep in mind that it may take several days to get posted.

Well I started on the submission procedure (actually going for two works, one an oldie (slightly rewritten/edited) and another an opening chapter to a newer in-progress thing).

But we have possibly the shittiest internet connection in the universe. Frequent disconnects/timing-out. Must've hit the wrong button when the page was refreshed.

Kinda kills the mood to lose those last-minute edits and seeing where to add the perfect little details.

Maybe try again tonight or tomorrow.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Well I started on the submission procedure (actually going for two works, one an oldie (slightly rewritten/edited) and another an opening chapter to a newer in-progress thing).

But we have possibly the shittiest internet connection in the universe. Frequent disconnects/timing-out. Must've hit the wrong button when the page was refreshed.

Kinda kills the mood to lose those last-minute edits and seeing where to add the perfect little details.

Maybe try again tonight or tomorrow.

Those things are easily avoided if you don't type or copy/paste the story in the Literotica textbox when submitting the story. Just write it offline in a Word document or something similar and submit the file when you post a story. It will save you a lot of headache

 

[t_h_seacrest]

Those things are easily avoided if you don't type or copy/paste the story in the Literotica textbox when submitting the story. Just write it offline in a Word document or something similar and submit the file when you post a story. It will save you a lot of headache

Yes, I was going to add exactly that (except I had to wait for reconnection).
Lesson learned the hard way: corrections, edits, last-minute details - do these on the original document, NOT the submission text box. Bigtime buzzkill. Make a choirboy cuss like a sailor.

or if the choice of buttons comes up again, apparently it's the other one .

 

[gunhilltrain]

Well I started on the submission procedure (actually going for two works, one an oldie (slightly rewritten/edited) and another an opening chapter to a newer in-progress thing).

But we have possibly the shittiest internet connection in the universe. Frequent disconnects/timing-out. Must've hit the wrong button when the page was refreshed.

Kinda kills the mood to lose those last-minute edits and seeing where to add the perfect little details.

Maybe try again tonight or tomorrow.

I've never had an Internet problem when using Literotica, but maybe that's because I live in New York City. Seriously, who is your provider? I don't remember those kinds of problems since I was using AOL dial-up years ago.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Those things are easily avoided if you don't type or copy/paste the story in the Literotica textbox when submitting the story. Just write it offline in a Word document or something similar and submit the file when you post a story. It will save you a lot of headache

Well, it nice to be in the "editing" mode within the submission box when getting near the end. Then in the "preview" mode, it's also nice to get an approximation of what it's going to look like. But if he can't do it because of tech problems . . .

I would find it difficult to be in Word right up to the last moment before submitting.

 

[t_h_seacrest]

Well, it nice to be in the "editing" mode within the submission box when getting near the end. Then in the "preview" mode, it's also nice to get an approximation of what it's going to look like. But if he can't do it because of tech problems . . .

I would find it difficult to be in Word right up to the last moment before submitting.

Catch all kinds of stuff in Preview. Something about the eye/brain seeing it in a different format? Oops, fix that, fix that, and that. These paragraphs should be one and that paragraph could be two. Cut these words. Add a few here and here.

 

[t_h_seacrest]

I've never had an Internet problem when using Literotica, but maybe that's because I live in New York City. Seriously, who is your provider? I don't remember those kinds of problems since I was using AOL dial-up years ago.

Guess I'm in the opposite of NYC. Way way out in the boonies. Easily under 10 people per square mile kind of boonies.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Catch all kinds of stuff in Preview. Something about the eye/brain seeing it in a different format? Oops, fix that, fix that, and that. These paragraphs should be one and that paragraph could be two. Cut these words. Add a few here and here.

I catch a lot in Grammarly, or it catches them for me, which is before I insert it into the submission box. It also gives me a chance to read the whole thing through again. Then I start with the editing mode in the submissions "wizard", and then go into preview before finally submitting.

So is your connection cable based? I hope that doesn't sound like a dumb question, because I'm not that tech oriented. I'm guessing that your location has something to do with the poor service you are getting, but I'm not up on why that would be so.

Four blocks from my house:

https://www.nydailynews.com/resizer...aws.com/public/5PFHE4AAOGAWX7XLQT75LWNLTQ.jpg

 

[t_h_seacrest]

I catch a lot in Grammarly, or it catches them for me, which is before I insert it into the submission box. It also gives me a chance to read the whole thing through again. Then I start with the editing mode in the submissions "wizard", and then go into preview before finally submitting.

So is your connection cable based? I hope that doesn't sound like a dumb question, because I'm not that tech oriented. I'm guessing that your location has something to do with the poor service you are getting, but I'm not up on why that would be so.

Four blocks from my house:

https://www.nydailynews.com/resizer...aws.com/public/5PFHE4AAOGAWX7XLQT75LWNLTQ.jpg

Ah, cool picture.
I'm a bit hesitant about sharing local pics here. It would be my luck someone around here is also on Lit and... hm well I guess if they are on Lit that makes them perverts too.

 

[t_h_seacrest]

not the greatest shot, about an hour away, but typical enough:
View attachment 2178995

 

[gunhilltrain]

Ah, cool picture.
I'm a bit hesitant about sharing local pics here. It would be my luck someone around here is also on Lit and... hm well I guess if they are on Lit that makes them perverts too.

Yes, they can hardly blame you if they are here too, even as merely readers (maybe especially if they are readers; some of those people consume huge amounts of erotica.) When I check the profiles of the people who favorite me, some of them have a couple of hundred stories listed, not that I've tried to count them all.

I didn't take that photo; I found it online.

 

[gunhilltrain]

not the greatest shot, about an hour away, but typical enough:
View attachment 2178995

Is that Alaska?

 

[t_h_seacrest]

Is that Alaska?

let's tentatively call it lower-48 Alaska-lite.

Today I finish rewrite/edit of that oldie.
Interesting to look back on it, seeing where constructive criticisms were valid, now attempting to make (hopefully better) adjustments. Because the idea... the core idea buried under the admittedly not-so-hot prose....I still like it. Like it a lot. Actually, now that I remember, there were later versions because of seeing where it could be massively expanded. Dare not look at those now (they should be stashed away in a cookie jar, locked in a cabinet). Stick with this one basic shortie. For now.

A few minutes have passed as I think more about the story idea, what it wants to be become... but this happens with all of them.

First things first I suppose.

 

[t_h_seacrest]

And away we go... I shall now go hide for a month in the Yukon Territory.
Mature. I think I tended to overlook the Mature category.

 

[gunhilltrain]

let's tentatively call it lower-48 Alaska-lite.

Today I finish rewrite/edit of that oldie.
Interesting to look back on it, seeing where constructive criticisms were valid, now attempting to make (hopefully better) adjustments. Because the idea... the core idea buried under the admittedly not-so-hot prose....I still like it. Like it a lot. Actually, now that I remember, there were later versions because of seeing where it could be massively expanded. Dare not look at those now (they should be stashed away in a cookie jar, locked in a cabinet). Stick with this one basic shortie. For now.

A few minutes have passed as I think more about the story idea, what it wants to be become... but this happens with all of them.

First things first I suppose.

You are really cautious about your location. If you read my profile and open Google maps, you can tell where I live within a few blocks. (It helps to know what Anne Bancroft's hometown was, but it's not absolutely necessary. Besides, you can Google that too.)

I'm trying to figure out what you said about that story - the older one. It's not been published previously? I'm picking up some of your ambivalence about it. But if you are that close to being finished, then maybe that's a good one to go with.

You never know what will happen. Yesterday, somebody favorited seven of my older stories . (They've been up for at least a year.) I don't know what got into him.

 

[t_h_seacrest]

I'm trying to figure out what you said about that story - the older one. It's not been published previously?

Yes it was published here long ago, first time I joined Lit because of curiosity about trying my hand at writing erotic literature. Kinda fun actually to take an oldie and play with rewriting/editing.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Yes it was published here long ago, first time I joined Lit because of curiosity about trying my hand at writing erotic literature. Kinda fun actually to take an oldie and play with rewriting/editing.

Now that I think about it, I have rewritten and republished some old stories if the inspiration strikes me. I've only done it once per particular story; twice seems a bit excessive, at least so far. So, yes, it's worth doing once in a while.

 

[t_h_seacrest]

Now that I think about it, I have rewritten and republished some old stories if the inspiration strikes me. I've only done it once per particular story; twice seems a bit excessive, at least so far. So, yes, it's worth doing once in a while.

I think the big takeaway with this thread is as you mentioned earlier: you really can't know. There were times I was getting hammered in the votes/comments, letting it get to me, but then receive private feedback about how much they enjoyed the reading experience, wanting more. The only thing to do is chill out and have fun with it.

eta:
Probably isn't a bad idea to periodically do an attitude check-in and ask, "is all this really that important?"
Has it become of such importance that the fun evaporates? For fuck's sake, we don't want that.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I think the big takeaway with this thread is as you mentioned earlier: you really can't know. There were times I was getting hammered in the votes/comments, letting it get to me, but then receive private feedback about how much they enjoyed the reading experience, wanting more. The only thing to do is chill out and have fun with it.

eta:
Probably isn't a bad idea to periodically do an attitude check-in and ask, "is all this really that important?"
Has it become of such importance that the fun evaporates? For fuck's sake, we don't want that.

At least you didn't have the bad luck of a couple of unfortunate writers in Loving Wives who recently got, I believe, a 1.63 and a 1.65. I'd call that getting hammered.