I got accused of plagiarism

[Grillytilly]

I've read a lot of really vile comments on my stories. I always had the ability to delete them or ignore them so it wasn't a problem. Someone can hate my story or me all they want.

But when you accuse a writer of stealing it is a big problem. So I turned all my comments off. Then I started getting hate mail. People were offended that I would actually not want to read someone accuse me of ripping off someone else's work.

People told me they would boycott my stories until I allowed them to vote and comment.

People told me I shouldn't be posting to an erotic site.

People told me I had no business trying to defend myself against an accusation of plagiarism.

People told me that because I'm a writer I have no say in any of this and if people want to post hate then I had better let them.

Well, no. I will not let them. So, if you want to boycott my work and if you insist that my work does not belong on an erotic site, then you get your wish.

I will keep comments off on all my stories here. I will not post any new stories here. The stories I have already posted will soon be taken down.

Everybody happy?

Good.

If you have anything to say to me, you can post it here.

 

[lovecraft68]

Well its your choice to turn off comments so if you're fine with doing so, don't worry about what others think.

Just curious did they tell you what story they think you stole? Was it another lit story? I had that happen once, but it was only one random comment not a slew of them

Cracks me up that readers who pay nothing to be entertained think they demand anything here.

 

[sr71plt]

These are just assertions with no discussion/evidence to back them up on the OP's part, so there's really nothing to hang on in responding either way to this.

 

[NotWise]

My gut reaction to the OP was "something's not right." Grillytilly came to the story feedback forum to make his/her first ever post and closed out their post with a suggestion that someone reading here had something to do with the problem -- none of which makes much sense on the face of it.

 

[sr71plt]

It's sort of a "why post to the forum at all?" thread. No evidence--or even defense--is given on why there wasn't plagiarism, and the OP is having everything withdrawn without giving any discussion here at all. It becomes sort of a "so what?" for anyone on the forum. It's a decision already made unaccompanied by any background.

 

[LIVINRFANTASIES]

Den

One stinkin post? I've gone way over 1000 useless posts and have 20 stories up so far. My crap is so bad no one accuses me of anything except I should put them on Facebook.
Actually that was during my intro. So far I've had some nice comments on the stories.

Sad that possibly a good writer gets fed up so easy.

 

[sr71plt]

Sad that possibly a good writer gets fed up so easy.

What's sad is making assumptions on zero evidence.

 

[Grillytilly]

My view

The way I see it is like this. This is a place to put free stuff. I had some free stuff and I was willing to make some more free stuff. So I came here and put my free stuff out for everyone to see. Some people like my free stuff and a lot of people really don't like my free stuff.

What is a completely different issue is when someone comes and says that my free stuff is stolen. I just can not understand why anyone would take that lightly. This is a very serious charge, and one that a bunch of people seemingly wanted to all jump on.

I'll say here as I said in the comments section of my story. If you have any evidence that I stole any part of any story, then produce the original. You can't do it because I didn't steal anything.

The real problem here isn't just that I was accused of stealing. Believe me, that was bad enough. The real problem here comes from the fact that I defended my integrity as a writer and the readers on this site decided that I wasn't allowed to do that.

So if people think my free stuff is stolen and I'm not allowed to say that it isn't stolen then I will take my free stuff and go. Then there will be no more problem.

 

[sr71plt]

There's nothing we can do for you here. You came here after making your decisions and erasing any evidence of anything. It's pretty much an empty rant at this point.

 

[RejectReality]

I'll take a stab and guess that one of your incest stories generated the plagiarism comment.

One thing you should know is that it's not uncommon in that category. The definition of "plagiarism" some people seem to have is, "1 or 2 plot elements that are somewhat similar to the story I really like." As soon as one makes a comment, a few more seem to screw up their courage and post their "me too"s.

I'm sure it's the same in other categories, but the exponentially larger readership in Incest means that there are more of these individuals than there are in other categories.

I was fortunate the time someone tried to pull that stunt on me, the author they were accusing me of plagiarizing showed up to comment that it was hogwash. Naturally, the accusers de-assed the area with the quickness after that.

You should know that most people don't take those accusations seriously. They've seen them often enough to take it with a grain of salt. Legitimate accusations of plagiarism include references or links to the original work, not just a "you stole this from AuthorXX" type comments. When people see the latter, most shrug and ignore it, knowing it's a load of tripe.

If it's more than you think posting is worth, that's for you to decide. I think the nuclear option is a bit much when you're only dealing with a couple of rabid fanboys, though.

 

[NotWise]

I have a hard time sympathizing with Grillytilly. I looked at his/her stories and generally they have been well-accepted. Some of them posted as recently as today, so it looks like he/she got some bad comments and suddenly blew a fuse.

I get the impression that the author has thin skin and a short temper. No matter what writing skills they have they wouldn't be here very long.

 

[Tigersman]

I read your story 'A Promise Kept' today. I can truthfully say I've not come across your storyline before. The two categories I prefer are Interracial and Incest. I do think you need to find yourself an editor but otherwise I enjoyed your story.

 

[Hypoxia]

Ignore fucktards. Or consider it an honor that you've provoked readers to respond. When you've got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.

 

[Grillytilly]

Thanks for the comments

Thank you everyone who replied.

As of now my stories are all gone. If anyone wants to get a copy of a story they liked let me know in a message and I'll see about sending you one.

In my real life I work in an industry that takes plagiarism very seriously. Every accusation has to be treated like it is 100% real. Maybe that's the wrong mindset to fit in with this community. Like I've said, I've seen a lot of really hateful comments on my stories but it never bothered me. The good usually was more than the bad. I just figured they were like youtube comments. But the plagiarism thing is just too serious for me to ignore. Perhaps it's just me and that's my weak spot.

Maybe after I've had a bit of time to think and experiment with all the options on the site I'll feel comfortable re-posting some of my stuff. I write these stories because I enjoy them and I'm happy to share if it's all in good fun.

 

[trigudis]

Don't Sweat It

I've read a lot of really vile comments on my stories. I always had the ability to delete them or ignore them so it wasn't a problem. Someone can hate my story or me all they want.

But when you accuse a writer of stealing it is a big problem. So I turned all my comments off. Then I started getting hate mail. People were offended that I would actually not want to read someone accuse me of ripping off someone else's work.

People told me they would boycott my stories until I allowed them to vote and comment.

People told me I shouldn't be posting to an erotic site.

People told me I had no business trying to defend myself against an accusation of plagiarism.

People told me that because I'm a writer I have no say in any of this and if people want to post hate then I had better let them.



Well, no. I will not let them. So, if you want to boycott my work and if you insist that my work does not belong on an erotic site, then you get your wish.

I will keep comments off on all my stories here. I will not post any new stories here. The stories I have already posted will soon be taken down.

Everybody happy?


Good.

If you have anything to say to me, you can post it here.

Are YOU happy with your decision to stop posting? Doesn't sound like it. Be honest with yourself. Are you "stealing" other writers' stories? If not, write on, guy. We writers need a thick skin. Personally, I prefer negative feedback to no feedback. I'm just grateful that people out there are taking the time to read my work.

 

[LIVINRFANTASIES]

More Stuff.

Almost nothing here on earth is new. We had electric cars almost from the start, pushbutton automatic transmisions, and many erotic stories written way before we existed.

My stories are true, written from many tiny notes, old letters, and stories from my early days. The stuff I write about is stuff my wife and I have done. But I'd bet it's the same stuff others have done and written in other stuff.

If everyone writing only wrote stuff that wasn't written long ago no new stuff would be written.

In a way, deleting your stories and hiding under a rock is admitting wrong, whether you wronged or not. Don't give up. That's what a few want.

I've never read any of your stuff yet. But I'll bet you did a good job writing stuff.

Tell those who accuse you to STUFF IT and continue writing free stuff.

 

[Grillytilly]

I know my stories aren't stolen. I knew the second the guy posted a comment saying I copied one of the key moments in a story that is was completely unjustified. The guy was just trying to be malicious. So I called him out as an asshole and let everyone not to accuse me of plagiarism.

Within seconds of posting that, commenters told me that as a writer I was not to make them mad. The logic they threw at me basically said that readers are superior to writers and that after I post something the audience owns it. They told me they had a right to say whatever they wanted and that I had to listen to it.

So I turned off voting and comments.

Then, like I said, I got mail saying they were going to boycott my stories and that I didn't belong on the site.

I have nothing to lose in all this and I have nothing to prove to anyone. I'm too busy in real life to let people give me grief.

So I pulled the stories. In time maybe I'll edit them a bit more and repost them if Literotica will even let me do that.

But if I do post more stories I'm keeping voting and comments off. I sort of feel now that people place way too much emphasis on that instead of just reading the story. Readers maybe feel like they need to exert some kind of control over writers and that's not what I signed up for when I decided to post stories here. And maybe the original plagiarism comment was just a guy grasping at straws to find something to say because they just feel they have to comment on every story. I don't know. But I do know I'm not going to deal with it.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Accusations of plagiarism

You're being more than a bit hypersensitive here. This is Literotica, asshole readers and trolls are a dime a dozen. I agree, if you're sensitive about it, get off the forum and delete your posts. Your mental health will be the better for it.

On the other hand, if you want to learn to write and improve as you go, what better place to do it? Readers will happily pick on your flaws, shed light on your incorrect grammar and plot inconsistencies, and otherwise point out what a turkey you are. With that sort of incentive, you'll get better real quick. Or die trying....

Me, I enjoy the trolls and assholes as well as the compliments and the helpful comments. The trolls give me a laugh at the end of a shift in ER where I deal with real shit going down. Very relaxing, which just goes to show, it's all in your head. Read some of the negative reviews on Amazon for books that have been published - some of those are real baaaaad.

If you really want to write, pick a new userid and start over. But whatever you do, don't look back. If you want to write, just do it.

Good luck...... Chloe

 

[Noor]

Seriously, how many variations of the same story are there on Lit? Unless you used the same purple and orange aliens tearing their antennas off and eating them as a mating ritual, you are most likely going to have some similarities with key moments in other stories.

 

[GoldenCojones]

Seriously, how many variations of the same story are there on Lit? Unless you used the same purple and orange aliens tearing their antennas off and eating them as a mating ritual, you are most likely going to have some similarities with key moments in other stories.

Hey are you stealing my purple and orange alien idea? No wait that wasn't my idea. Sorry.

 

[ColetteJulie]

I think you just cut off your nose to spite your face. That said, I don't think of myself as any kind of writer or author. I certainly don't get paid for any writing I do. And as far as writing goes, I write smut and porn, the bottom of the bottom of the sludge in genre and context to actual authors who get money writing in general and specifically in this genre. So if somebody's going to plagiarise, if they copy me, they're really reaching down, not up. Suggest they copy 50 shades woman instead.

 

[TxRad]

I know my stories aren't stolen. I knew the second the guy posted a comment saying I copied one of the key moments in a story that is was completely unjustified. The guy was just trying to be malicious. So I called him out as an asshole and let everyone not to accuse me of plagiarism.

Within seconds of posting that, commenters told me that as a writer I was not to make them mad. The logic they threw at me basically said that readers are superior to writers and that after I post something the audience owns it. They told me they had a right to say whatever they wanted and that I had to listen to it.

So I turned off voting and comments.

Then, like I said, I got mail saying they were going to boycott my stories and that I didn't belong on the site.

I have nothing to lose in all this and I have nothing to prove to anyone. I'm too busy in real life to let people give me grief.

So I pulled the stories. In time maybe I'll edit them a bit more and repost them if Literotica will even let me do that.

But if I do post more stories I'm keeping voting and comments off. I sort of feel now that people place way too much emphasis on that instead of just reading the story. Readers maybe feel like they need to exert some kind of control over writers and that's not what I signed up for when I decided to post stories here. And maybe the original plagiarism comment was just a guy grasping at straws to find something to say because they just feel they have to comment on every story. I don't know. But I do know I'm not going to deal with it.

You encountered a group of trolls that were trying to run you off and you let them do it. There are several gangs out here and they target new writers and even some old ones. I had some on one of my latest stories. I laughed at them. The stories belong to the author even if posted to Lit. You don't owe the readers anything. The stories are free and if the writers don't write, they don't read.

If you've deleted the posts then you have screwed up. Next time, PM Laurel, the site owner and give her a link to the stories and explain what is going on. She doesn't like trolls messing with the authors.

 

[ColetteJulie]

AHA! So there is a gang! Don't worry Gillytrilly, as TxRad says, you're not the only one to have been run over by them. They discovered me and really said nasty things about what I thought was a good story. I am biased of course, but not enough to call shit a cookie. It was good. I deleted their comments and they went away when they saw I wasn't going to address their comments. I make a point of it to answer readers who offer constructive criticism or compliments. The only thing left to do to the poor story is to rate it low, which they did. One of my friends here who has been writing for Lit for many years emailed me and told me that the rating would go up in a few months. But I'm certainly going to take the dirty old man's advice - sure, if I put a story up here I must be thick skinned enough to accept criticism, but there's a chasm between critique-ing someone's work and insulting them. I will definitely PM Laurel if there's a repeat performance on the next one.

 

[TxRad]

AHA! So there is a gang! Don't worry Gillytrilly, as TxRad says, you're not the only one to have been run over by them. They discovered me and really said nasty things about what I thought was a good story. I am biased of course, but not enough to call shit a cookie. It was good. I deleted their comments and they went away when they saw I wasn't going to address their comments. I make a point of it to answer readers who offer constructive criticism or compliments. The only thing left to do to the poor story is to rate it low, which they did. One of my friends here who has been writing for Lit for many years emailed me and told me that the rating would go up in a few months. But I'm certainly going to take the dirty old man's advice - sure, if I put a story up here I must be thick skinned enough to accept criticism, but there's a chasm between critique-ing someone's work and insulting them. I will definitely PM Laurel if there's a repeat performance on the next one.

Don't delete the comments before you PM Laurel. A person might be anymouse on the outside of the site but from the inside it is a different story. Also If you suspect they bombed you, PM her and request a full sweep on your stories, Make sure and include a link to your file.

 

[alank]

It sounds like the same person leaving all the negative comments. I seriously doubt there are that many people with such distasteful comments.

However, you should be the better person; negative comments can be just as helpful but you have to be strong and don't let your pride get the best of you.

Your best bet is to ignore those comments and pay attention to the negative and positive ones that will help you to become a better writer.

Just because you are "accused" does NOT mean you are guilty.

Please do not stop your writing. You have a talent that many of us can only dream of having.


SUCK UP AND DRIVE ON! And if this is a trick to get us to look at your work, it's brilliant and that is exactly what I am doing next......