From an anonymous commenter...

[MelissaBaby]

Do you ever gets a comment that goes straight to your heart? This really touched me.

https://i.imgur.com/pCYpST3.png?2



On Mary and Alvin Chapter 34

 

[Bramblethorn]

Do you ever gets a comment that goes straight to your heart? This really touched me.

https://i.imgur.com/pCYpST3.png?2



On Mary and Alvin Chapter 34

I've had something similar - "so rare to see somebody like myself in these stories". Gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Really makes it worth the extra effort it takes writing somebody outside my own background.

 

[Enchantment_of_Nyx]

That's a great comment and you got it for a great reason. I love seeing a reader find something meaningful, and especially so when it's something you went out of your way to do right.

 

[MelissaBaby]

That's a great comment and you got it for a great reason. I love seeing a reader find something meaningful, and especially so when it's something you went out of your way to do right.

Thanks.

Sadly, I keep getting one bombed. Right now, it has the lowest ratings in the series.

My husband just said "You write a story about a sweet white girl in a small town falling in love with an African immigrant and you don't know why it is getting down votes?"

So, a lovely comment like the one from this reader is a real balm.

 

[davion2308]

Not like that

Not exactly like that.

I had several comments from my stories, and the email ones really count for me, that thanked me for bringing up memories from good experiences.

It's always nice to hear I invoke a happy memory.

 

[Emirus]

Sadly, I keep getting one bombed. Right now, it has the lowest ratings in the series.

I didn’t realise you got I-bombed. I didn’t think it happened in Romance. But even though your stars may fall, after a sweep they will surely rise again (sorry about that but my juvenile mind couldn’t resist it.) As for your husband you did get lucky there but I’m sure he thinks the same thing.

I’ve only had two stories, both of them about 4000 words, in Romance and these are two comments about the first one.

An anonymous person took about 250 words (and what must have been a considerable amount of time) in telling me what was wrong with my first paragraph and how it should have been written. The paragraph consisted of two sentences. They finished by telling me, “If you delete this comment, save the advice for later and think it over.” They didn’t say if they had read any further.

Another comment, not anon, was “A sweet little story, telling just what needed to be. Simplicity is often best.” A comment I really appreciated because it was by an experienced writer, only my third story, and I had gone for uncomplicated. The comment was by some Australian who was probably high on eucalyptus tea at the time.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Cool! Such a lovely, thoughtful comment.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I didn’t realise you got I-bombed. I didn’t think it happened in Romance. But even though your stars may fall, after a sweep they will surely rise again (sorry about that but my juvenile mind couldn’t resist it.) As for your husband you did get lucky there but I’m sure he thinks the same thing.

I’ve only had two stories, both of them about 4000 words, in Romance and these are two comments about the first one.

An anonymous person took about 250 words (and what must have been a considerable amount of time) in telling me what was wrong with my first paragraph and how it should have been written. The paragraph consisted of two sentences. They finished by telling me, “If you delete this comment, save the advice for later and think it over.” They didn’t say if they had read any further.

Another comment, not anon, was “A sweet little story, telling just what needed to be. Simplicity is often best.” A comment I really appreciated because it was by an experienced writer, only my third story, and I had gone for uncomplicated. The comment was by some Australian who was probably high on eucalyptus tea at the time.

I get 1-bombed on every submission. Always around the same time of day..

This story has gotten more though, and it’s already been swept once. I have to think the subject matter may be a factor.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

I don't write here, just roam around and make a nuisance of myself, but my husband does, and he does get some lovely, thoughtful comments, possibly because he doesn't write overblown sweaty bonk-marathons, but relatable (for a given value of 'relate', anyway) stories that seem to occasionally resonate with his readers. This one, especially, from Big Girls Don't Cry ch2 is a good example:

by bseeker6969
08/20/13
Too close to home
You bring out emotions and feelings through your writing that I didn't know I had hidden away in my closet. I know, this is a story, but, when Lena ran to her closet to cry, I was sitting next to her doing the same thing. I never got to say that final goodbye to my dad.

Another that really caught my eye, from 'Well Met By Moonlight':

04/07/19
Reduced me to tears
I lost my girlfriend to a drunk driver in March 2018 and i spent so much time wishing she could come back and take me with her, this story is sad but with an ending i would happily die for. I think anyone who has lost the love of their life would understand.

 

[Ginlover]

We naturally tend to remember negatives before the positives but those positives are often touching and in feedback they make me want to keep writing. This comment from an anonymous reader on my first story published here - What is Power Exchange? - was excatly what I needed.

I was looking for something with hardcore BDSM in it to read to my DOM tonight since it will be virtual, but in all honesty, this is exactly how we started... it is simply perfect. Thank you!

 

[Enchantment_of_Nyx]

Thanks.

Sadly, I keep getting one bombed. Right now, it has the lowest ratings in the series.

My husband just said "You write a story about a sweet white girl in a small town falling in love with an African immigrant and you don't know why it is getting down votes?"

So, a lovely comment like the one from this reader is a real balm.

I think the bombing demonstrates the importance of having a story like that. If it's out of proportion to what you usually get, be proud of the ones attributable to the subject matter!

 

[29wordsforsnow]

A question from an inexperienced writer to all of you who got such thoughtful/emotional comments: Do you kind of reply to those comments? I sometimes see authors adding a comment themselves to put an answer in the list of comments.

Or maybe a question to those who wrote such comments, non-anonymously: Would you like a personal reply?

To be honest I sometimes return to those stories or poems that found a place in my heart to see what other people left in their comments and am always happy to find other well-considered statements.

 

[Enchantment_of_Nyx]

A question from an inexperienced writer to all of you who got such thoughtful/emotional comments: Do you kind of reply to those comments? I sometimes see authors adding a comment themselves to put an answer in the list of comments.

Or maybe a question to those who wrote such comments, non-anonymously: Would you like a personal reply?

To be honest I sometimes return to those stories or poems that found a place in my heart to see what other people left in their comments and am always happy to find other well-considered statements.

I've seen people argue that authors shouldn't respond to comments, but I wonder if what they really mean is that authors shouldn't argue with the comments. It's not a place to defend one's work.

My take on it is that if we are asking readers to take the time to leave a comment for us, it's very appropriate to respond in kind. You can always let people know at the end of the story that you do respond to comments.

I think that's just as true of comments that are anonymous as those that aren't. Even anonymous commenters may be recognizable from one story to the next. I have one reader who always includes a tagline to let me know, but even without that, you can often tell. I enjoy having a dialog of sorts with the readers, including the anonymous ones, across multiple story chapters. I just preface my comments with Dear Anonymous _______. I fill in the blank with an identifiable phrase from their comment or the title of their comment. Some readers go to the trouble of providing paragraphs of their thoughts, and I think it's appropriate to acknowledge them.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I don't write here, just roam around and make a nuisance of myself, but my husband does, and he does get some lovely, thoughtful comments, possibly because he doesn't write overblown sweaty bonk-marathons, but relatable (for a given value of 'relate', anyway) stories that seem to occasionally resonate with his readers. This one, especially, from Big Girls Don't Cry ch2 is a good example:

by bseeker6969
08/20/13
Too close to home
You bring out emotions and feelings through your writing that I didn't know I had hidden away in my closet. I know, this is a story, but, when Lena ran to her closet to cry, I was sitting next to her doing the same thing. I never got to say that final goodbye to my dad.

Another that really caught my eye, from 'Well Met By Moonlight':

04/07/19
Reduced me to tears
I lost my girlfriend to a drunk driver in March 2018 and i spent so much time wishing she could come back and take me with her, this story is sad but with an ending i would happily die for. I think anyone who has lost the love of their life would understand.

There is something really special about readers who share themselves back to you. I received this comment after Mary and Alvin's wedding chapter.

https://i.imgur.com/xsloGAz.png?1

 

[MelissaBaby]

We naturally tend to remember negatives before the positives but those positives are often touching and in feedback they make me want to keep writing. This comment from an anonymous reader on my first story published here - What is Power Exchange? - was excatly what I needed.

I was looking for something with hardcore BDSM in it to read to my DOM tonight since it will be virtual, but in all honesty, this is exactly how we started... it is simply perfect. Thank you!

Life is just like that, though, isn't it? You don't remember the waitress who gave you great service last week, but that one who dropped a plate in your lap ten years ago is indelibly etched in your mind.

(Says the waitress who has dropped many plates)

 

[MelissaBaby]

I think the bombing demonstrates the importance of having a story like that. If it's out of proportion to what you usually get, be proud of the ones attributable to the subject matter!

Thank you, that thought is much appreciated.

 

[MelissaBaby]

A question from an inexperienced writer to all of you who got such thoughtful/emotional comments: Do you kind of reply to those comments? I sometimes see authors adding a comment themselves to put an answer in the list of comments.

Or maybe a question to those who wrote such comments, non-anonymously: Would you like a personal reply?

To be honest I sometimes return to those stories or poems that found a place in my heart to see what other people left in their comments and am always happy to find other well-considered statements.

I will answer direct questions, but otherwise, I generally do not respond on posted comments. I do usually respond to email comments if a return address is given.

 

[Emirus]

A question from an inexperienced writer to all of you who got such thoughtful/emotional comments: Do you kind of reply to those comments? I sometimes see authors adding a comment themselves to put an answer in the list of comments.

I don’t reply to the comments saying the story was the best/the worst they’ve ever read. I reply to those that, in my opinion, should have a reply and they could be named or be anonymous. I appreciate most of the time the person leaving the comment won’t go back but I do it just in case. If they respond it comes up as a notification so I don’t have to check back to see.

I make comments on other writer’s stories regularly and I try and make every comment constructive. I want readers opinions so it’s only fair I give other writers my opinion and I always check back to see if the writer has responded.

“What a wild first ride for the fat little man.” I wish I’d thought of it because I would have used it as my story description.

“Nothing that could not have happened in real life. Makes it more interesting, and more provocative.” Not the same story as above, I hasten to add.

 

[roowa]

I get 1-bombed on every submission. Always around the same time of day..

I got bombed right out of the gate with my story, effectively burying it until it was off the New list for the category. But then the bombing stopped and my scores steadily climbed. UNTIL i crossed the 4.5 line. Now, literally every time the story crosses the 4.5 line, I get bombed back down with 1 & 2 votes. So it's not the same time of day for me, but I can pretty well predict when it'll happen next. I'm sitting at 4.9 now, so probably within the next 5 votes I'll get another 1 bomb.

Very frustrating and kinda makes me wish I hadn't entered the story in a contest, thinking that's somehow related. In any case, it seems that someone is dog-determined to keep the Red H off of my story. :-/

Also, I haven't seen any evidence that a sweep has ever cleaned out any of the 1- or 2-bombs I've received. I'd think the sweep process would sweep all stories, not just some. So hearing others have seen the sweeps clean things up a little just leaves me feeling more discouraged. It seems I'll be stuck with all the bombs I've gotten. And any motivation to write a chapter 2 or even another story is dying quickly. This might be unfair, but it feels like Lit's scoring model is 'troll-friendly' if that even makes sense, which in turn makes it very disheartening for a new writer.

I will answer direct questions, but otherwise, I generally do not respond on posted comments. I do usually respond to email comments if a return address is given.

I have two comments in particular that irk me a little, but haven't done anything with either.

One isn't actually negative, it's just that they claim I've referred to the key location in my story incorrectly as "Chimney Tops" when they believe it should be "Chimney Top" (singular). The problem is they're wrong. I've been there countless times and all signage, maps, websites, everything, always refers to it in the plural. But anyone else reading the comments won't know that. I've resisted the urge to politely correct them in the comments, for fear of drawing even more fire-bombing. Plus, overall, they liked the story, so I don't sound whiny when I'm actually really glad they liked the story.

The other comment came with a 1-bomb and was just a typical "I gave this a One. And I'd give it less if I could..." type of thing. Which I'm also leaving in place, for the same exact reason.

Not sure if I'm overthinking either of those scenarios or not.

Anyway, I can see how a heartwarmingly positive and personal comment like you've received can soothe the wounds of the haters. Even just the cordial ones I've received help me feel a little bit better.

 

[29wordsforsnow]

Also, I haven't seen any evidence that a sweep has ever cleaned out any of the 1- or 2-bombs I've received. I'd think the sweep process would sweep all stories, not just some.

The sweep - from what I know - will clean only those votes that came in in a short time from one person. So, if they are clever - and unfortunately some of the down-voters are - they delay their bombs. Guess, we all can tell such a story

The other comment came with a 1-bomb and was just a typical "I gave this a One. And I'd give it less if I could..." type of thing. Which I'm also leaving in place, for the same exact reason.

On my side, I haven't got one of those 'I gave it a One'-comments, probably because no troll ever thought anything of mine as good as yours and it won't be a threat to their most favorite. So, you could see it also from another perspective, if they do spent time to articulate themselves it must be a pretty good story.

And any motivation to write a chapter 2 or even another story is dying quickly.
...
Anyway, I can see how a heartwarmingly positive and personal comment like you've received can soothe the wounds of the haters. Even just the cordial ones I've received help me feel a little bit better.

How many comments would I have to add to raise enough motivation for Ch. 2 - theoretically speaking...?

 

[Enchantment_of_Nyx]

The sweep - from what I know - will clean only those votes that came in in a short time from one person. So, if they are clever - and unfortunately some of the down-voters are - they delay their bombs...

How do you know? I haven't figured out how anyone knows how the sweeps work. It seems like educated conjecture, some of it more educated than others, but conjecture none the less. I haven't seen anything authoritative anywhere about how it actually takes place.

Does anyone have a source for this?

 

[roowa]

How do you know? I haven't figured out how anyone knows how the sweeps work. It seems like educated conjecture, some of it more educated than others, but conjecture none the less. I haven't seen anything authoritative anywhere about how it actually takes place.

Does anyone have a source for this?

I think you're right EoN. I suspect 29Words' conjecture was an educated guess, but there's probably a lot more that goes into it, too. What little discussion I've seen regarding sweeps is it's intentionally kept in a black box and not discussed. I assume because the ne'er-do-well's (without whom there would be no need for sweeping in the first place) would also love to know in detail how it works.

I honestly don't care how it works, personally, and I'm glad it exists. Of course, I wish it was somehow helping clean the bombing of my story (so far, I've seen no evidence that it has).

 

[ElectricBlue]

How do you know? I haven't figured out how anyone knows how the sweeps work. It seems like educated conjecture, some of it more educated than others, but conjecture none the less. I haven't seen anything authoritative anywhere about how it actually takes place.

Does anyone have a source for this?

Don't speculate publicly about how sweeps work, and no, you won't find anything authoritative because that would be giving away the formula.

If the sweep methodology is given away, it can be gamed. I'm sure a bunch of people have made guesses as to how it works, but there's a code of silence. Sshhh, don't tell .

 

[Enchantment_of_Nyx]

Don't speculate publicly about how sweeps work, and no, you won't find anything authoritative because that would be giving away the formula.

If the sweep methodology is given away, it can be gamed. I'm sure a bunch of people have made guesses as to how it works, but there's a code of silence. Sshhh, don't tell .

Ehh... I'm skeptical. And that was kind of my point. Some of the guesses I read, including at least one commonly accepted one, are not reasonably capable of implementation in my opinion. Things that may not seem difficult from a human logic standpoint can be far less logistically feasible from a programming standpoint. I look with particular askance on the idea that Lit tracks user activity on story pages in order to determine if a score was valid, especially the notion that the validity would be determined well after the fact, which seems like it would require attaching and saving additional data with the score.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I didn’t realise you got I-bombed. I didn’t think it happened in Romance.

I'm not too familiar with the category here (my romances end up in other categories) but it wouldn't surprise me. The romance writing/fandom world has had its share of issues with racism over the years, including a major blowup last December that led to mass resignations at Romance Writers of America.

Another comment, not anon, was “A sweet little story, telling just what needed to be. Simplicity is often best.” A comment I really appreciated because it was by an experienced writer, only my third story, and I had gone for uncomplicated. The comment was by some Australian who was probably high on eucalyptus tea at the time.

Ahem. We call it "chasing the koala", thank you.