First person confusion

[Sara_Hawkes]

OK, so most of you established and accomplished Lit authors are going to pee your pants laughing at this but as a first time newbie it's a new experience for me.

I wrote "Sara's Wishlist" in the first person for various reasons and based the lead character, Sara, loosely on me, physically more than mentally.

The location and Sara's personal circumstances are also loosely based on mine.

I'm not Sara though.

I expected, and received a few messages asking how much of the story is true. I have answered them honestly, saying that elements of fact were used but the story and characters are fictional. I have zero problem with that.

What I also have is a growing number of guys who appear to think that the story is true, that I am the character Sara and that my wishlist is hidden somewhere on Amazon!

They have drawn this conclusion without any further prompting from me, and without questioning me on its proximity to fact.

Does this happen to everyone? I'm more flattered than disturbed and I guess it's something I'll have to live with if I intend to carry on writing and submitting stories here.

 

[lovecraft68]

Its common, for readers to want to think that either your stories are real or that you will do what's in your story.

Its far worse for women as in a lot of men here are, well....they're men and they want all female erotica authors to be smoking hot wildcats that will talk dirty to them and send them nasty pics.

Women do contact male authors, but they seem to have a lit more dignity.

Because I write things from both male and female POV I've had both. On the upside I've gotten some fun flirty e-mails-and the occasional hot pic-from the ladies. On the other hand I've gotten a lot of cock pics and 'this is what I have for you."

 

[le_kitty]

OK, so most of you established and accomplished Lit authors are going to pee your pants laughing at this but as a first time newbie it's a new experience for me.

I wrote "Sara's Wishlist" in the first person for various reasons and based the lead character, Sara, loosely on me, physically more than mentally.

The location and Sara's personal circumstances are also loosely based on mine.

I'm not Sara though.

I expected, and received a few messages asking how much of the story is true. I have answered them honestly, saying that elements of fact were used but the story and characters are fictional. I have zero problem with that.

What I also have is a growing number of guys who appear to think that the story is true, that I am the character Sara and that my wishlist is hidden somewhere on Amazon!

They have drawn this conclusion without any further prompting from me, and without questioning me on its proximity to fact.

Does this happen to everyone? I'm more flattered than disturbed and I guess it's something I'll have to live with if I intend to carry on writing and submitting stories here.

I find that the details are more crisp when writing from truth and real experience. I do have one short story I did that way. It's fascinating on one level because every time we access a memory, something will change and I've deliberately gone and written the event with minor changes to things, so whilst it might have been based on a true event and real people, the story itself is completely fiction. The fascination for me is whether I can still distill clearly where I made chronological changes. There are little things quite obviously changed, one of which had made us chuckle in hindsight but no one else reading it will be any the wiser.

But to answer your question, one comment aside, it has not happened to me.

 

[lovecraft68]

I've only written one story based on real life experience and it wasn't a sexual one, in fact it was about pretty much the worst time in my life.

That eliminated any 'hey, baby' feedback.

 

[le_kitty]

I've only written one story based on real life experience and it wasn't a sexual one, in fact it was about pretty much the worst time in my life.

That eliminated any 'hey, baby' feedback.

lol, do share.

 

[meddlesome]

OK, so most of you established and accomplished Lit authors are going to pee your pants laughing at this but as a first time newbie it's a new experience for me.

I wrote "Sara's Wishlist" in the first person for various reasons and based the lead character, Sara, loosely on me, physically more than mentally.

The location and Sara's personal circumstances are also loosely based on mine.

I'm not Sara though.

I expected, and received a few messages asking how much of the story is true. I have answered them honestly, saying that elements of fact were used but the story and characters are fictional. I have zero problem with that.

What I also have is a growing number of guys who appear to think that the story is true, that I am the character Sara and that my wishlist is hidden somewhere on Amazon!

They have drawn this conclusion without any further prompting from me, and without questioning me on its proximity to fact.

Does this happen to everyone? I'm more flattered than disturbed and I guess it's something I'll have to live with if I intend to carry on writing and submitting stories here.

I've done first person stories with both male and female voices. Tons of feedback on the female ones, so I hear you. It's like leaving chum in the water.

 

[NotWise]

You may have gotten about the same reaction had you written in third person. The Lit readers seem to want to equate the author with the main character of the same (apparent) gender.

 

[lovecraft68]

Try writing from a female POV in LW and you don't get drooling dogs, you get rabid ones. I think I've received two dozen rape threats from a burn the bastard story written from female POV

And comments like this one

Angry Woman's Fantasy
11/02/12 By: JonATaylor
May your issues be resolved easier than this diatribe.

 

[NotWise]

The story doesn't need to be in 1st person to have a POV. I've been writing in 3rd person, but with limited omniscience, which gives it a POV. I'm learning that switching POV is confusing to the readers -- not to me, but then I know what's happening.

 

[lovecraft68]

The story doesn't need to be in 1st person to have a POV. I've been writing in 3rd person, but with limited omniscience, which gives it a POV. I'm learning that switching POV is confusing to the readers -- not to me, but then I know what's happening.

Its when you confuse yourself that there's a problem

 

[DwellerDark]

I always write in the first person and my main characters are all pretty much based on me. I've had a surprising number of people email me or comment asking if my stories were true and what happened afterwards. It made me feel good because I try to write believable stories, though the reality of my life is far more boring and repressed.

 

[NotWise]

I've had a surprising number of people email me or comment asking if my stories were true and what happened afterwards.

"What happens next?" seems to be a common comment. If you get your readers involved in the characters then they want the story to go on. Hence Lit has oodles of long-running chapter stories about a cast of characters without a very cohesive plot, many of which never come to a resolution.

 

[HandsInTheDark]

...
What I also have is a growing number of guys who appear to think that the story is true, that I am the character Sara and that my wishlist is hidden somewhere on Amazon! ...

Does this happen to everyone? I'm more flattered than disturbed and I guess it's something I'll have to live with if I intend to carry on writing and submitting stories here.

I write either in alternate reality, or with a female as the primary character. (One person did assume I as author was female, but most check the bio page before making contact.) So I don't face this problem directly. But a lot of people have assumed that I'm personally a believer in whatever philosophy my characters espouse, or am good with all their decisions and actions. Both assumptions are bad, but it seems very common.

Since the author and the character name match, you practically begged for people to make a strong association. And, well... let's be blunt, erotica doesn't attract the brightest and best audience. You're going to get some mouth-breathers with frighteningly low intellect roaming around; there really are a lot of people here who have trouble telling reality from fantasy. There are whole newspapers (Weekly World News, etc) to entertain them, but some of them have discovered the internet, with sometimes horrifying results.

If you want less hassle, I'd' recommend the following:

1. Mark yourself as Attached in your profile. I did this and I got significantly less flirty email.

2. DON'T name a character after yourself. It just invites comparisons and wishful thinking.

3. Don't admit to which parts of stories are fiction or true. It's no one's business and the more people think they know about you, the more free they feel to take social liberties. It may feel very natural to be open and honest with people sending you praise, but I can't suggest opening up any personal information at all on an erotica site. There are a few seriously unbalanced people who visit here.

 

[TxRad]

"What happens next?" seems to be a common comment. If you get your readers involved in the characters then they want the story to go on. Hence Lit has oodles of long-running chapter stories about a cast of characters without a very cohesive plot, many of which never come to a resolution.

The long chapter stories came from a site that had more or less all chapter stories going belly up. A lot of the writers there showed up here. Before that, there were a few chapter stories and most in Novels. Then people here noticed that the later chapters got better scores as the people who didn't like the story dropped out. Now most of the top lists are dominated by chapters.

History lesson over.

 

[Sara_Hawkes]

Thanks for all your insights.

I'm still much more flattered by it than concerned.

Back at Uni now so my visits may be less regular.

 

[HeyAll]

Sure, I sometimes get asked if any of my stories are true, or partially true.

It's understandable. There's something very naughty about reading a story and knowing that it's true. It's like the ultimate exhibitionism in many ways (without being seen).

But frankly, I haven't heard of a true story which is better than a good fictional story.

 

[lovecraft68]

Sure, I sometimes get asked if any of my stories are true, or partially true.

It's understandable. There's something very naughty about reading a story and knowing that it's true. It's like the ultimate exhibitionism in many ways (without being seen).

But frankly, I haven't heard of a true story which is better than a good fictional story.

You better get out there and start living then, because I'm sure I'm not alone when I say some of the things I've done would exceed most stories here. Remember the expression truth is stranger than fiction, and many times hotter.

 

[jomar]

Probably should have called it Rachel's Wishlist... Or maybe Evan's...

 

[NaokoSmith]

Hullo Sara
I think it may partly be the kind of stories you write - I hardly ever get naughty messages, LOL. I don't know if you also go on the other Forums but I did find I tended to pick up one or two ... strange people just by posting a few messages outside of Authors' Forum.

This is a review I wrote of a story by someone who used to write about her own adventures and who mentions that people would write to ask if they were really true stories. In this one, she writes about meeting a guy off the internet.

I get a strong impression, though, that many who send messages don't want to go any further than that. They get a buzz out of messaging with a live person but they don't necessarily want to meet you in Real Life and buy you chocolates or stuff

Little plea: If you are at uni, I would welcome any feedback you might have about my blog . I originally set it up aiming it at students, although it has become quite writerly because I think it's mainly erotica writers who read it at the moment.

 

[Sara_Hawkes]

Little plea: If you are at uni, I would welcome any feedback you might have about my blog . I originally set it up aiming it at students, although it has become quite writerly because I think it's mainly erotica writers who read it at the moment.

I certainly will read it and provide feedback.

 

[stickygirl]

Thanks for all your insights.

I'm still much more flattered by it than concerned.

Back at Uni now so my visits may be less regular.

Like you, I got quite few PMs but also some really nice comments to my stories. Once people get to know you then that'll tail off. I hope you do come back a visit when you can, though I understand your priorities

 

[NaokoSmith]

I certainly will read it and provide feedback.

Cheers!