Discussion on negative feedback...

[Joesephus]

I just skimmed some of the PC to your story

I'm thinking mine went too far over the top because it got bashed all to hell. The thing raised quite a stir when it came out a couple of weeks ago--very dark story about the consequences of a failed marriage. I was called some very foul names and even got a couple of death threats. The score has recently risen to a 4.12 with 14972 downloads and 157 votes. My next lowest score is 4.48 and everything else is labeled with "H".

Oops, just checked--I just got 1-bombed again. Now I have two with scores less than 4.5

So I think you are right. If you go over the top with the revenge stuff it tends to tick people off. But sometimes I think they need to be reminded that the world is not all moonlight and magnolias.

Several of those went on at length. There is another facet of LW is that if you have some in depth analysis of your work, they probably like you. You may not know it, and the score may not show it, but this story was well received. I did read your story at the time it was posted. I liked it but I didn't comment on it because most of what I would have said had already been said by some of the respected writers in that form. When Charelybear said "I liked it!" You were being given high praise.

I also saw that several posters were looking at your characters and story line with the sort of literary eye that is not common on this site.

I know that one of the men who was looking at my work with an eye toward editing it commented that it would get bombed because there wasn't any sex. I pointed him to the comments on some LW stories and what he said has stuck with me. Those are the sorts of comments you'd expect in a New Yorker literary circle. I think that's true. If you want to write a pure stroke story, LW might not be the best place to put it, especially if it involves a wife cheating.

OTOH if you want knowledgeable, passionate and insightful comments you can count on those from LW too.

 

[SweetWitch]

Several of those went on at length. There is another facet of LW is that if you have some in depth analysis of your work, they probably like you. You may not know it, and the score may not show it, but this story was well received. I did read your story at the time it was posted. I liked it but I didn't comment on it because most of what I would have said had already been said by some of the respected writers in that form. When Charelybear said "I liked it!" You were being given high praise.

I also saw that several posters were looking at your characters and story line with the sort of literary eye that is not common on this site.

I know that one of the men who was looking at my work with an eye toward editing it commented that it would get bombed because there wasn't any sex. I pointed him to the comments on some LW stories and what he said has stuck with me. Those are the sorts of comments you'd expect in a New Yorker literary circle. I think that's true. If you want to write a pure stroke story, LW might not be the best place to put it, especially if it involves a wife cheating.

OTOH if you want knowledgeable, passionate and insightful comments you can count on those from LW too.

I did find some of what was said to me useful. And I was pleasantly surprised to see how many people actually did find the story to be good work. I wrote it after a particularly harrowing day with the real-life wife from the story. The ending I gave it was far more pleasant than what really happened, leaving her and the children scarred for life. I thought that it was something that needed to be said.

 

[SweetWitch]

Several of those went on at length. There is another facet of LW is that if you have some in depth analysis of your work, they probably like you. You may not know it, and the score may not show it, but this story was well received. I did read your story at the time it was posted. I liked it but I didn't comment on it because most of what I would have said had already been said by some of the respected writers in that form. When Charelybear said "I liked it!" You were being given high praise.

I also saw that several posters were looking at your characters and story line with the sort of literary eye that is not common on this site.

I know that one of the men who was looking at my work with an eye toward editing it commented that it would get bombed because there wasn't any sex. I pointed him to the comments on some LW stories and what he said has stuck with me. Those are the sorts of comments you'd expect in a New Yorker literary circle. I think that's true. If you want to write a pure stroke story, LW might not be the best place to put it, especially if it involves a wife cheating.

OTOH if you want knowledgeable, passionate and insightful comments you can count on those from LW too.

By the way, I'm glad you liked the story. That makes my day.

 

[Joesephus]

By the way, I'm glad you liked the story. That makes my day.

Your story had depth and real characters. You didn't deal as completely with some of the issues as some LW reader would like. However, based on what people posted in you PCs if you wanted to write another serious piece about the issue, and understand that you're trying to make a case for your point I think you'll be astounded at the response. It is not a forum for double standards. Patricia51 is a... I'd say goddess but I think she's a practicing Christian... leading figure in that section and she cuts cheating husbands no slack.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that LW is a challenge but like all challenges it also carries it's own rewards.

 

[Joesephus]

At the risk of a plugging a story, I have experimented with LW recently and fully expected to be trolled. Why? Because the wife's extramarital trysts are all daydreams, not actual fucking. She never goes through with it. I put it in Loving Wives, partly because I think that the description is nebulous enough to include it. It is also partly because the woman is rather wilder and more adventurous in her sexual attitudes than her husband, at least at first. However, I know that many people will bash and one-bomb it, because the wife remains faithful to her husband. Pardon me, but isn't that more "loving" than infidelity (I don't count swinging as infidelity, since it's my own lifestyle and is based on honesty and fairness)? It's the next 2 chapters of "Stacey's Daydreams".

I just read chapter 1, and I agree with the PC that says this is very well written. It raised some flags for me and probably other LW readers. I don't think you'll get nicked for fantasy affairs and will get a lot of kudos if the character realizes that there are "consequences" to affairs. Thinking about another wife's husband without thinking about the harm to that marriage will not endear you to some of the readers.

I guess what I'm saying is that this has the potential to be a very highly rated story. If the wife acts in a moral fashion (note I'm not tying religion in here) and pays attention to her vows she will be a hero. If she stays faithful only because of lack of opportunity you might get creamed. Does this make any sense?

 

[Joesephus]

I posted a PC

At the risk of a plugging a story, I have experimented with LW recently and fully expected to be trolled. Why? Because the wife's extramarital trysts are all daydreams, not actual fucking. She never goes through with it.

I would be very interested in seeing what you get from this story. Right now you haven't had that many PCs. I don't know if you're getting many emails. I generally get about the same number of emails as I do PCs.

I don't mean to hold myself out as an Expert on LW. I'm very much a student and I'm trying to get a better feel for it. It is a topic that is close to my heart, I'm just learning how close, but one I know I still have more to learn than I know.

 

[SweetWitch]

Your story had depth and real characters. You didn't deal as completely with some of the issues as some LW reader would like. However, based on what people posted in you PCs if you wanted to write another serious piece about the issue, and understand that you're trying to make a case for your point I think you'll be astounded at the response. It is not a forum for double standards. Patricia51 is a... I'd say goddess but I think she's a practicing Christian... leading figure in that section and she cuts cheating husbands no slack.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that LW is a challenge but like all challenges it also carries it's own rewards.

Thanks for the advice. I will give it some serious thought.

SW

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Whether it's loving or not is beside the point Sev. If I read it and feel tricked (as I have in several stories) I will not rate it as highly (unless I feel like you did it honestly and cleverly). Joesephus is 100% right. I would venture to guess I've read more LW stories than anyone else on the board. Each of my three stories are on the top list (at least one chapter) and one has all three chapter there. It's not a secret or a trick how to do it. If you are going to make a claim, you just have to give the reader a good reason to buy into it. Too many authors just say, "Accept it," which will get you creamed by the critics. Some of them are unfair, but I'd say overall, most of the comments on my stories have been pretty good. Like Joesephus, I'd much rather have someone give me an honest critique of my story (even if it earns m a 3 or 4) than have everyone pat me on the back and tell me how great I am.

BTW, over the top revenge works, but it's tricky. My blackmail story has 4 murders, 3 men landing in the insane assylum, 1 confessing to the police because he believes he's about to die, and 1 turned against the others. I doubt it gets much more over the top than that.

I was actually making a play on the rather deceptive title for the category. Most of these "Loving Wives" don't seem too "loving". I also note that cheating husbands often get less slack than cheating wives in stories. Of course, I could be wrong.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

I just read chapter 1, and I agree with the PC that says this is very well written. It raised some flags for me and probably other LW readers. I don't think you'll get nicked for fantasy affairs and will get a lot of kudos if the character realizes that there are "consequences" to affairs. Thinking about another wife's husband without thinking about the harm to that marriage will not endear you to some of the readers.

I guess what I'm saying is that this has the potential to be a very highly rated story. If the wife acts in a moral fashion (note I'm not tying religion in here) and pays attention to her vows she will be a hero. If she stays faithful only because of lack of opportunity you might get creamed. Does this make any sense?

Interesting that you bring up the other man. Thanks for the comments, by the way. If you'll note, I make it clear that both Walter and Suzanne are rather neglectful to their spouses, though for different reasons. Both have broken their vows to "love and honor". However, I don't plan to have the story go in the direction it seems headed at the moment (an affair with Leo). There is a twist in Chapter 3, which oddly enough is in the works here. In fact, it's already up on a different site. That twist will begin to show a few things. Also, Leo is not what he appears to be, either. There are some surprises coming.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Also, you might say that Stacey got lucky. Although she has yielded to the temptation to make subtle advances to Leo in the past, he hasn't taken the hint or shown any apparent interest. And, after the moment of weakness has passed, she has realized that it would have been a mistake. Now she's thinking clearer and restricting it to fantasy.

 

[Joesephus]

Also, you might say that Stacey got lucky. Although she has yielded to the temptation to make subtle advances to Leo in the past, he hasn't taken the hint or shown any apparent interest. And, after the moment of weakness has passed, she has realized that it would have been a mistake. Now she's thinking clearer and restricting it to fantasy.

I look forward to it, and also the responses you get in LW

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

I look forward to it, and also the responses you get in LW

Thank you. I'm not sure what to expect.

 

[S-Des]

I was actually making a play on the rather deceptive title for the category. Most of these "Loving Wives" don't seem too "loving". I also note that cheating husbands often get less slack than cheating wives in stories. Of course, I could be wrong.

No, you're not wrong. I've noticed the guys who head up the, "Cheating wives are whores," club don't seem to have much of a problem with cheating husbands. It's hypocritical, but goes with the territory. There have been some excellent stories about cheating husbands that have handled it well (really making you feel for the wife), but it's obviously easier to identify with someone who's been through what you have (for the guys who've been cheated on). I have an idea for a story I'd like to do to test that a little, but right now I have too many irons in the fire.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

No, you're not wrong. I've noticed the guys who head up the, "Cheating wives are whores," club don't seem to have much of a problem with cheating husbands. It's hypocritical, but goes with the territory. There have been some excellent stories about cheating husbands that have handled it well (really making you feel for the wife), but it's obviously easier to identify with someone who's been through what you have (for the guys who've been cheated on). I have an idea for a story I'd like to do to test that a little, but right now I have too many irons in the fire.

Uh, I was saying that the husbands get harsher treatment, but you're right about the LW comments crowd. With them, the double standard is the other way around.

Incidentally, my score dropped to 2.88! I knew I'd get one-bombed, but DAMN!

 

[curl4ever]

Thanks for the analysis of LW!

Thanks to all who posted on this thread!

I posted my first story to LW as a newbie mistake (relying on the title "Loving Wives" ). I extricated myself as quickly as possible, but I must say that I appreciated the quantity of feedback compared to the next category I tried. Consequently, I have been trying to understand it in a back-burner way for awhile. This thread does a great job of analyzing the wildly different facets of the category and personalities of the readers. This should be required reading!

Thanks again,
-curl

 

[SweetWitch]

A perfectly gorgeous score of 5.0 and all destroyed by a herd of trolls...Yellow-bellied One-bomb Anons!

Breathing, breathing, counting...1...2...3...4...5...