Help! How does this place really work?

[fifty5]

Hi y'all,

I've got a story I just writ. It's too short for Lit (less than 750 words) and it isn't set in Snippetsville - so it not only hasn't been, but never will be posted as a Lit story.

Nevertheless, I would like to get some informed comment - and there are lots of Lit authors who's opinion I'd respect.

So I start from, 'Story Discussion Circle: Guided author criticism of specific stories' seems clearly to be the place to go.

But...

There are 3 'stickies' here: one for stories that have already been posted (so that seems inappropriate); one for Snippetsvile (ditto); and one that looks just right - Workshop: Get feedback on stories before you submit to Literotica! - but that seems moribund, nothing significant since last year.

A couple of newbies adopted what seemed to me to be the only viable alternative: start a thread asking for feedback. However, both got short shrift from Pure!

Thus the only options seem to be 'ain't right', 'don't work', or 'do it wrong and get blasted'...

What the heck should one do here to get informed criticism on something that's not posted?

f5 (now f6)

 

[Varian P]

I'll do my best...

I'm new myself, and it can be confusing, but...

If you want your story looked at in the Story Discussion Circle Forum, the protocol is that you're supposed to participate in two critique threads before you can submit your story for critique. I'll be terribly biased and say, do this! Since my story is the one currently under discussion.

The other caveat is that you have to queu up by posting to the sticky thread "Discussion: Feedback..." and Pure lets people know when they can post their thread soliciting feedback.

An alternative is to start a thread (no prerequisites that I know of) in the "Story Feedback" forum.

Hope that's useful!

-Varian

 

[BlackShanglan]

I will second Varian's suggestion to post to the Story Feedback forum. If your story is that short, I am sure that many of us will find the time to comment. Looking forward to it -

Shanglan

 

[Black Tulip]

I hope I have answered your question in the Newbie Forum, F5.

Hope to welcome you back here, though.

 

[fifty5]

Thanks for the info, one and all.

It seems that banner titles - and subtitles - are misleading!

Anyway, the bottom line is that I think I know what I'm doing now - if nobbut just.

f5

 

[Pure]

Reposted from another thread where you asked how the Circle works?

55://I'm sure it isn't really like that, so could you help all of us who are new here by giving a little more explicit guidance about how to solicit feedback on stories that are as yet, and indeed may never be, published by Literotica?

Thanks in advance.//

-----
Pure said:
I do see the issue, in that Story Feedback is usually to officially submitted/posted stories. But in fact you may 'post' a story there or in the 'general discussion' and ask what people think.

You could also just submit as a way of getting a draft available, then later take it down and/or replace it. Of put it on your webpage, and post its address.

You could also say, in SF, "I have a draft I'll PM or email you, if you give a shout and say you're willing."

The procedure of the Circle, which I alluded to, is that those seeking critiques, *offer some critiques to others. There is a swap. Those in the loop, as it were, post their names and proposals in the "Discussion Feedback" thread (the 'sticky').

If you would post your name there, and look at the thread of existing stories (each story to be critique has its own thread), you could start participating.

I'm not sure what part of this, or the earlier post you feel is 'wrong', but I have described what happens. There a occasional folks like yetty, who, not knowing the situation, simply drop off a story for others to work on, but most of us will discourage or ignore that.

Best,
J. [end pure re-posting]

 

[fifty5]

55:// ... Thanks in advance.//
-----
Pure said:
<snip>
I'm not sure what part of this, or the earlier post you feel is 'wrong'
<snip>
Best,
J. [end pure re-posting]

And thanks after the event as well, Pure.

What I said was that the content of the posts seems wrong - due to the explanations provided. On the Feedback Forum it says that the forum is for giving feedback on Literotica stories, which implies it is not for getting feedback on unposted stories, which, by definition are not (yet) Lit stories. Again, on the Discussion thread in the Story Discussion Circle the explanation is an exact equivalent to that.

In the latter case, that contrasts with the Workshop sticky which says that it is for unpublished work - but that thread seems to be moribund.

Thus, from those descriptions, especially to a 'virgin' like Yatty (NB not 'yetty') and those who haven't much experience, like me and justlurkin, it seems obvious that the Discussion thread (and the Feedback Forum) aren't even worth opening - and that their conventions are irrelevant - while posting in the Workshop thread would be a waste of time.

I now know that the above isn't true, but it remains the implication of the descriptions. Those are what really are (rather than just seem to be) wrong.

However, unless one gets a reasonable explanation (which I now have had), the only viable option seems to be simply to open a new thread for one's self (as Yatty and justlurkin did - and I almost did).

An 18-word response that says only, 'Try the Story Feedback forum. The "Circle" here has a few established procedures and the persons 'swap' critiques.' - and not taking the trouble to get someones name right - is, in my opinion, discourteous and unhelpful.

I've had to 'shout' pretty loud to find the truth! Others may not have the brass nerve to assert themselves in that way.

Now that I have 'shouted' and got (several) helpful explanations, I'd like to bury the hatchet. I'm sure that you are a very busy person, Pure - and have confidence you didn't intend to be discourteous.

Thanks again for explaining that the situation is very different to what the thread and Forum 'explanations' indicate.

f5

(a peace offering)

 

[BlackShanglan]

I've had to 'shout' pretty loud to find the truth! Others may not have the brass nerve to assert themselves in that way.

*shrug* I found my way through to feedback and help, and did not seem to require either shouting or a metallic central nervous system. Perhaps a soupcon of patience might be called for.

Shanglan