Keeping it polite

[johnny955]

My first story went up this week. I've had great feedback on it, so thanks for that. A few people had stuff to say which was not constructive criticism, but offensive stuff, which I think is inexcusable. After all, no matter the quality of a story, writers put time and effort into their work, and if you haven't got something useful or constructive to say, it's better not to say it at all.

What got me, though, wasn't that these people didn't like my story, it was that their comments were just plain weird and annoying.

One person had a gripe that I used the term "mummy" to mean mother. He said you should only use that in reference to a dead ancient Egyptian. Not correct. I am am a UK writer, and in the UK "mummy" is a colloqual, correct, term, for mother. This guy may feel that everything should use American idoms and spellings. And, yes, I do call pantyhose "tights", and spell realised with an s. I am an English writer!

The other comment was fair enough "labia lips" is redundant. Labia on its own would have been correct. An oversight on my part, missed in editing. But the reader decided I thought I was just another hack who thought he could write. I've got news for that guy - I am a professional writer, having been paid many times for mainstream work, received honourable mentions in anthologies, been in print and audio, and had great reviews for some of my professional work. However, it's okay to hate the story - I have no problem with people hating it. But his remark was really out of line.

I really feel that the people who chose to gripe this way have no other outlets for their personal issues than to be offensive to people who have done them no harm.

Have other writers had to deal with this nonesense? I'd love to know. Normally I ignore crazymakers, but today I decided I've had enough of them.

This is an excellent site, and both writers and readers deserve support.

Thanks.

Johnny

 

[TxRad]

Welcome to Literotica and yes, I see, you have met our trolls and few of the nit pickers along the way.

If you really want some nasty comments, post to Loving Wives, better known as the Shark Pit.

You've posted to the internet so a thick skin is in order if you plan to stay around. By the way, you can delete any comment that you think is too over the top. Although most of us leave them up just for chuckles and grins.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Johnny, welcome to lit and the forum.

I thought your story was a neat reverse take on the standard incest line and was more interesting as a result. You sort of turned the sex into physical couplings rather than erotic fantasy, but the pantyhose/tights fetish was neat.

On an edit view, I thought you could have brought his new wife more to 3D to contrast against 'mummy' but the premise held well.

Although Lit is global, the vast majority of members/readers are in the US. I have no problem with your vocabulary but I just note that a load of UK commissioning editors advize using 'panties instead of 'knickers', avoiding 'arse' and 'loo' and 'lavatory' are just unknown across the pond.

I could have said more if you had left the critical comments up. As Tx said, if they are really objectionable, delete them, otherwise just leave them and let the readership make their judgement.

We fight here for the right to free speech. Censoring critical comments doesn't sit awfully well with that.

 

[johnny955]

Censoring critical comments

Elfin - and others, thanks for the comments.

You are right of course, censoring critical comments is not a good thing to do. Criticism in general can be a really good thing. For the future, I think I will leave comments as they are - those two, I felt just exhibited ignorance and prejudice. But, on the other hand, I am an advocate of free speech, so your point is well taken.

John

 

[ericahope]

Johnny,

We've all gotten those people commenting that are negative just for the sake of being negative. They don't really have a point. You either ignore them, delete them or laugh at them.

As for the story, I'm not a big fan of incest (it kinda icks me out). But I did like the little twist you threw in there and how an incestuous sex scene wasn't really the focus of the story. I thought the dialogue was good and characters were developed just enough. The one question I did have though is similar to his mothers... Why is he marrying this woman? He doesn't appear to find her that attractive or enjoyable to be around. She's humorless. And she doesn't appear to satisfy him in bed and sounds kind of unadventurous. So what's his attraction? Perhaps I'm just being too realistic...

Oh, and by the way, it's spelled color not colour, you idiot!!

Haha...just kidding of course

Erica

 

[alwayswantedto]

<deleted>

 

[Starscream_UK]

I wonder if that's the same person who suggested I should re-write "How I Met Your Mother" using American terminology only...

For what it's worth, I enjoyed your story - it was abit different to the norm in that area.

 

[britneyfan]

Yeah, we get this all the time. I've got a whole thread devoted to people posting their favourites - http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=641122&highlight=favourite+feedback. I never like to censor mine, I think they're quite amusing. There will always be people who don't respect the time and effort that went into creating anything and just leave nasty comments (my last story had one that just said "All That Energy and Time......WASTED!Leave writing to WRITERS in the future!", but all the other comments on that story were really glowingly positive, so that's alright I reckon). Mostly people comment like that when they don't like the content, not the skill of the writing (I never understand people reading stories if the theme of that story is not their fetish, but they do, seemingly just to leave negative comments). I too have had somebody complain about my usage of "mummy" (and the fact that I spelt it "favourite feedback" in the title of the thread!), but I don't think I'd be able to just use American English throughout as I'm sure I don't know enough American culture to not let some English idioms still slip through and end up with an unconvincing hybrid.

 

[ericahope]

If incest/taboo stories "ick" you out, why did you write one?

Just wondering if you read my story... It got thrown into the incest category without my consent. There's a tiny bit of cousin incest at the very end. Maybe it's just me, but in my mind there's a difference between Mom/Son, Dad/Daughter, etc and a woman sharing her spouse with her cousin and kinda, sort of participating in the sex... Perhaps it's a fine line, but that's how it works in my mind

Erica

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Just wondering if you read my story... It got thrown into the incest category without my consent. There's a tiny bit of cousin incest at the very end. Maybe it's just me, but in my mind there's a difference between Mom/Son, Dad/Daughter, etc and a woman sharing her spouse with her cousin and kinda, sort of participating in the sex... Perhaps it's a fine line, but that's how it works in my mind

Erica

I agree. The US goes against most global norms in considering first cousin sex as incest - other than those countries who still practice female mutilation at birth.

Also, these days with effective contraception the cousin link is a bit remote for incest.

Lit plays it safe as many US States regard cousin sex as incest. Can you blame them?

 

[Experiencedguy]

One suggestion

One suggestion that I have given a few British writers that has been well received by them when writing for a largely American audience is to let the readers know that you are British. This can be done either in the title, a brief opening note, or incorporated into the first paragraph of the story (either something for this site, or just general writing).

Fortunately, most educated readers of the English language realize the difference between American and British. You will just have to shrug off the comments of the uneducated.

 

[MzDeviancy]

Have other writers had to deal with this nonesense?

Everyone who writes anything that could possibly offend anyone will get some hardcore hate mail at some point. So, basically every single writer on here ;op

Honestly, I love the crazies. It's nice to break up all the happy, "Loved your story. Jerked off super hard!" mail with a little "Die, you perverted bitch!". Keeps things from getting monotonous. The feedback I really hate is, "This story sucked," with no further elaboration. Like you said, we put effort into our stories; I don't think it's asking too much that if you wanna call someone's story a piece of shit, you put a little effort in. Hate mail should either be constructive or the amusing rantings of a crazy person.

There used to be a thread somewhere around here where authors posted their favourite hate mail. If you can find it, you should have a browse through. That thread exemplifies the healthiest attitude toward bad feedback, IMO.

 

[_Lynn_]

Everyone who writes anything that could possibly offend anyone will get some hardcore hate mail at some point. So, basically every single writer on here ;op
I guess that means I've never written anything that could possibly offend anyone, since I've never received anything even close to hate mail.

There used to be a thread somewhere around here where authors posted their favourite hate mail. If you can find it, you should have a browse through. That thread exemplifies the healthiest attitude toward bad feedback, IMO.

Literotica's All-time Best "Worst Public Feedback" List This one began in 2007.

Worst/Favourite Feedback You've Received

Worst feedback you've ever received

 

[MzDeviancy]

I guess that means I've never written anything that could possibly offend anyone, since I've never received anything even close to hate mail.

Guess so. Congrats, but I'm pretty sure you're the exception rather than the rule. Some of the best writers on Lit have received some pretty shocking hate mail (refer to the threads you linked to) so I don't really take receiving hate mail too personally. Equally, I wouldn't take not receiving any to mean that my writing was unmatched perfection.

 

[_Lynn_]

Guess so. Congrats, but I'm pretty sure you're the exception rather than the rule. Some of the best writers on Lit have received some pretty shocking hate mail (refer to the threads you linked to) so I don't really take receiving hate mail too personally. Equally, I wouldn't take not receiving any to mean that my writing was unmatched perfection.

 

[JMaxwell69]

Consider the full panopoly of Lit members.

There are some out there just fishing for a "Thank you, sir. May I have another."

We're not all kind and adorable.