How do "meta" stories do generally?

[sirhugs]

I've had meta elements in a few of my stories, but never a strong emphasis. Like characyers who mntion Literotica, or one MC who is identified as a (fictional) Literotica writter. So have no sense what impact making a story really "meta" would have on the reactions.
Then this morning, I made the following comment over in the AH Coffee Shop thread, in reponse to a comment made by @Candy_Kane54 :

"The Muse Was Amused" is available as an unused title. Hmmm... anybody feeling very meta?

The way my sick brain works, now obsessing over what sort of reaction that might receive.
Any thoughts?

beware though: @Rustyoznail warns :

Don't talk about Meta... You'll wind up with all sorts of crap in your feed.

I guess I'll find out...

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've had meta elements in a few of my stories, but never a strong emphasis. Like characyers who mntion Literotica, or one MC who is identified as a (fictional) Literotica writter. So have no sense what impact making a story really "meta" would have on the reactions.

Any thoughts?

Self referential stories are quite rare, I think (he says, who has written at least one that ran very well), but many writers here in the AH talk about Easter Eggs they leave in their stories, which I guess is sorta-kinda meta. I do that a fair bit, but then a lot of my story worlds are interconnected in one way or another.

 

[BeechLeaf]

I think merely mentioning Literotica is routine. I've had several characters who wrote here, or read it, but that was just them being normal people with various interests, not in-jokes.

Another author, in a recent one, had their character mention that the screwy situation was like what you'd find in a Literotica story by that author. This was very amusing, and probably didn't hurt her reputation.

My one really meta in-joke, where I told my characters about the centred scene divider bug, and they worked their way around it, well that got one uncomprehending comment that I could have just moved the * * * to the left. Okay, so admittedly this was also the one where the character kicked the fourth wall down, imitating Emma Peel, but I had fun with it even if no-one else did, and I have no reputation to worry about.

 

[MrPixel]

Barstow - Another Road Trip! Pt. 02 contains a scene (on page 2) where the MMC and his entourage encounter an IRL Literotica author at a tourist spot of mutual hobby interest. He and the MMC briefly compare notes and muse whether Laurel is going to approve his recently-submitted story.

Fairly meta, don't you think?

 

[sirhugs]

Barstow - Another Road Trip! Pt. 02 contains a scene (on page 2) where the MMC and his entourage encounter an IRL Literotica author at a tourist spot of mutual hobby interest. He and the MMC briefly compare notes and muse whether Laurel is going to approve his recently-submitted story.

Fairly meta, don't you think?

Quintessentially so. Loved the coffee shop reference. Was it an intentional easter egg?

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I've done this quite frequently, and typically received positive responses from readers.

Mentioning Literotica is only a small example. In one story, I have the main characters meeting the wife of this "famous author" whose works they are fans of, mentioning a few of my titles on this site as some of their favorites.

The wife of the author mentioned that her husband had a mild stroke but hoped to be back writing again real soon as the excuse as to why he wasn't there to meet them in person. I had more than a dozen readers write to ask me if I was okay.

 

[sirhugs]

I've done this quite frequently, and typically received positive responses from readers.

Mentioning Literotica is only a small example. In one story, I have the main characters meeting the wife of this "famous author" whose works they are fans of, mentioning a few of my titles on this site as some of their favorites.

The wife of the author mentioned that her husband had a mild stroke but hoped to be back writing again real soon as the excuse as to why he wasn't there to meet them in person. I had more than a dozen readers write to ask me if I was okay.

confusing fiction with reality?

 

[BobbyBrandt]

confusing fiction with reality?

One of my favorite techniques when writing.

Unfortunately, too many readers on this site have low cerebral clearances and a lot flies right over their heads.

 

[sirhugs]

One of my favorite techniques when writing.

Unfortunately, too many readers on this site have low cerebral clearances and a lot flies right over their heads.

"low cerebral clearance"....OMG....SO delicious!
How come I've never heard it before?

 

[SimonDoom]

I've had a few stories that had "meta" elements in that the narrator was named "Simon" and was a fictionalized version of myself. They did just fine. If I recall I had a few odd critical comments from readers who didn't like the concept. The risk of generating a few critical comments is not enough to forego writing the story, IMO.

 

[MrPixel]

Quintessentially so. Loved the coffee shop reference. Was it an intentional easter egg?

Yes it was. Sort of a meta-meta.