Ever Been Wrong? It happened to me.

[mysterywhiteboy]

Have you ever just been confused about which stories of yours that people would like? I have never been able to predict how things will score, or what kind of comments I'll receive. Not that I've submitted a ton. Do you know which stories people will like and which ones they won't when you post them?

 

[MarlowBunny]

Have you ever just been confused about which stories of yours that people would like? I have never been able to predict how things will score, or what kind of comments I'll receive. Not that I've submitted a ton. Do you know which stories people will like and which ones they won't when you post them?

- Almost every time!

I have read tons of highly rated stories at this site. I can't see a pattern except that if the story was submitted in 2005, it's rated hot.

My wife told me that my highest rated story was my best before I submitted it, but she doesn't / won't read some categories at all, so I can't always rely on her appraisal even if it is infallible

The stories that I enjoy writing the most are ones that challenge me. Firebrain issued a challenge for a non-satirical Alpha Male who is impotent: I absolutely had to jump on that. It was a moral imperative! My attempt was http://www.literotica.com/s/danielles-alpha. At the same time, an old friend challenged be to write in the style of 19th century romance, so I wrapped that in too. It was an awesome intellectual exercise regardless of outcome.

Both the Halloween contest and the Earth Day contests stretched me. I had never given much thought to those themes before.

I like to explore less sympathetic characters, but readers don't seem to like that
I attempt intricate plot with both foreshadowing and the unexpected twist. readers don't seem to like that
I never wrote a single line of dialog before I came here. My older stories reflect that, but I think I am getting better. My characters have started to make long speeches...

By the way, doesn't it feel strange writing dialog. I never thought about it in most of the fiction I read. That probably means those authors are very skilled. I always though of the campfire story telling tradition. When somebody is verbally telling you about events, they don't quote exact words, and they seldom have omniscient insight into character's thoughts and motivations.

I have experimented with first person present tense. It is very difficult to make it feel natural, and I have to fight slipping out of the voice. If you get a chance, how did I do? http://www.literotica.com/s/wanting-impresario This one is indirectly Firebrain's fault because I wanted to write the dark side of Alpha Male after her challenge.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Not really. I never expect anyone to like anything that I have written. I wrote it for myself. I only submitted them because they were finished, not because I thought they were great.

I will say however, that my favorite of my stories is almost universally reviled

 

[sr71plt]

I think I can determine what's making up a good story. My good stories don't usually go--or stay--hot on this Web site, though. Some of my shallow strokers do quite well here.

I just don't take the Lit. readership as an index of knowing what a good story is.

 

[estragon]

The best story I have written so far has a 2.37 score at this point, although one of the technical advisers was SA Penn Lady, who just won third place in the Earth Day competition, and the story was licensed by Grand Master dweaver999, a lifetime 4.70 hitter. If either of them had told me my stuff was junk, I'd quit writing altogether. If the trolls bombed it, it has to be good.