Interesting Trend With Multipart Stories

[Bob Peale]

I've seen a few people talk about a decline in reads/ratings for their multipart stories.

I've experienced just the opposite.

The first chapter of my last three stories all had horrible ratings. Ironically, all three Chapter 1's had no sex. Correspondingly, the reads/ratings for the subsequent chapters were much higher (although the two later stories only have the first chapter up there right now).

Now, assuming for a moment that my writing doesn't suck (I'm going out on a limb here, I realize), it seems that, although you see on the boards that people want plot and character development, the effort is not always rewarded.

Don't get me wrong, hell, I'm glad people are reading the stuff at all, but I wonder if other writers have experienced this phenomenon?

 

[Ray Dario]

Bob, I know what you mean. The harder I try to put plot and character in my stories the lower my scores go and the less feedback I get.

Apparently those who frequent the Author Hangout either
A) don't like my writing,
B) don't send feedback,
C) don't vote or
D) all of the above

Instead the people who vote and send feedback seem to be more impressed with hot raunchy sex.

I have just about decided to seperate my writing, like I did when I first started submitting stories to Lit. When I write SF&F I'll write plot and character. When I write Erotica I'll write porn.

Writing the porn will give me a break from the hard work of writing SF&F and will give me more gratification.

Hmm if this sounds like I'm bitter, I'm not. I am tired, been up nearly sixty hours and I need to go to sleep.

Ta Ta for Now!

Ray

So long and thanks for all the fish!

 

[Guest]

Series........

I'm not sure you can really put a finger on anything in particular.
On my series "Masturbation Club"....the first four chapters did really well. They were fairly short (two full Literotica pages) and went to the hard-core stuff fairly quickly.

I had of course by this time had fun developing the characters.
And so when Chapter five came out...which actually was a three
part piece in and of itself called Masturbation Club - The Party, the excellent feedback, and voting suddenly dropped substantially. I then came back with Chapter six...more along the lines of the first four, but it too fell short. I held on as I enjoyed writing the series through chapter eleven. But by the time I had finished writing that one, the readership (following) wasn't there anymore. So perhaps sometimes too much of a good thing doesn't work. Character developement, (too much detail) at times doesn't appeal to the "average" reader. The majority of the "good" feedback I was still getting by that time was from fellow writers. But the "general-public" readers feedback simply wasn't there anymore.

So there's "my" experience with a series for you. I'm finding a good Long (not too long) story is the best bet for grabbing the readers attention and holding it. Several people have asked me to write a sequal to most of the stories I've written.

But personally....I think a GOOD sequal is a rare thing that really works and is as good as the first one.

Anyway....thats my 2 cents for ya..............


Thesandman

To sleep........perchance to dream - William Shakespear

 

[SteamyChik]

Broken Vows is my longest series on here. The chapters with a lot of sex right away seems to get the better votes and most feedback. Also, I noticed that the one chapter dealing with lesbian love didn't do near as well as the other chapters with a man and a woman (or really, the priest and the nun ).

Chapter 6 didn't get put on Lit so I have no idea how it would have done (a teensy to extreme ) but it was for a niche reader anyway. By the way, if you want Chapter 6 to Broken Vows, please email me directly and I'll send it to you.

I think the gist of it is - if the description sounds good, people will start reading the story. If the sex gets in there pretty quick, and you can squeeze some plot and character in between the sex, they will keep reading and maybe vote and give feedback!

 

[Guest]

Exactly my take as well Steamy..........A little enticement, a bit of character...and then straight to the wham-bam.

Anything outside that is writing for yourself. Though is that such a bad thing?


Thesandman

 

[SteamyChik]

Nope, not a bad thing at all. I enjoy writing the plot (ok, very little plot) but at least developing my characters. Wait, hasn't this thread been done already? There are only so many ways to put Tab A into Slot B so to make it more interesting to at least write the darn thing, I have to juice up the characters - so to speak. LOL.