Mix fiction with reality to soften the ending and avoid the 1's?

[WickedEve]

Grounds http://literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=28960 by Manjaro received a "1" for its first vote. The score has improved drastically since then, because it's a really well-written, moving, erotic story. And it happens to be a true story. Unfortunately, real relationships don't always have fairytale endings. This one didn't, and one reader was very disappointed. He gave the story a one, but he was decent enough to email Manjaro and tell him why.

"I gave you a '1' because the story was very disappointing. The amount of love that she had for him, she could have very well wanted to get pregnant and have his baby, even tho she was married to that wife abuser."

After replying to his email and pointing out that it was a true story, which is stated at the end, the reader made this suggestion: "...in the event you ever write another story, maybe have one that has a little fiction in it."

So what do you think? If you were to write about a true experience that ended sadly, would you add some fiction to give the readers a happier ending? Or give them reality?

And to the 1 voters: A 1 should never be given, not even to a bad story. Even poorly written stories are some writer's effort-- perhaps, his or her best effort. At least give them a 2 or 3 for having the courage to share their story with thousands of strangers.

 

[P. B. Walker]

OOoooooh... tough call.

I guess if you want votes, you'd better make it an ending the average reader will feel good about. Especially since the area to vote is right down there at the end.

If you want to maintain the "realism" of the story and not give up your integrity, then keep it real. When you get those "1" votes just say to yourself, "Fuck 'em", and move on in your own merry way.

Not every story has a happy ending. Hell, if that was a requirement, we wouldn't even know who Shakespeare was. Personally, I'd leave the ending of the story as is.

Just my two cents... (damn, much more of this two cents and I'm gonna be broke.

- PBW

 

[WickedEve]

P. B.

Well, Manjaro doesn't care about the votes. Actually, he was glad that the reader had such a strong response to the story. This is the kind story where you do care about the characters. And after reading the rest of feedback on the story, it seems that everyone else loved it. I think most people can deal with a realistic ending... if you give them some good sex with it!

 

[Pen_of_Justice]

It looks to me that the "1"'s appear to be used here primarily to attack people or groups of people who perhaps don't play the game the way others want it played, or hang with the right group. I agree whole-heartedly that anyone.. that's ANYONE.. that takes the time to write a story... pours themself into it, shows the pride in their work and works up the courage to put their work out here at the mercy of everyone else... deserves at least a "2" or a "3" for at least MAKING THE EFFORT.
Just my opinion... for what it's worth.

Manjaro...I hope you continue to write what you feel... and screw the voters!!!

 

[P. B. Walker]

I agree wholeheartedly Pen_of_Justice. The "1" vote appears to be the only way some people can keep their stories on top of the lists. Pretty sad if you ask me. I guess that's the way the system works... <shrug>... what can ya do?

- PBW

 

[Couture]

Well, to an extent there is some voting fraud that occurs IMHO. Although, I think it is less than people suspect. I have had occasion where a story has been attacked when it reached #1 or #2 and all of a sudden it gets multiple one votes sending it off the lists.

However, most of the time the story just got a strong response out of someone. I knew before I posted several of my stories that I would get some one votes. When I posted chapters 10&11 of The Smell of Sex, I knew I would get one votes because some people are so PC that they are going to take it upon themselves to punish me for the colloquialisms.

When I wrote Taming the Teach, I got one votes and feedback that I should have ended with more sex. I did have some very good literary reasons for this at the time, but looking back on it, perhaps I shouldn't have sacrificed sex for story. Given enough time, I probably could have had both.

In the instance of a true story, I think the author should be true to the story. Wear the one votes with pride for breaking away from the formulas and fuck'em if they can't take a joke.

Good luck and cheers

Couture
My Stories

 

[WickedWitch]

I don't come here all that often, and I'm not sure of all that goes on. However it stikes me that scoring is flawed no matter how carefully its conducted. I wrote my story last summer as a sort of a fun challange. I was trying to see if I could do it, but I was interested in reaching a certain audience. The responses I got meant much more to me than the score. If you touch someone, and they take the time to write, isn't that better than some anonymous person just clicking on a score? I wonder if the "clickers" are on the same planet sometimes. I've looked at high scored stories and thought they were trash. Oh, well, each to his own.

 

[MaxSebastian]

I think that a '1' is a valuable entity.

I'm not saying I ever vote that particular digit, because to be honest if the story is worth a '1', I don't normally get to the bottom in order to vote at all, but if you had no '1' on the scale, where would that lead '2'?

If you got rid of '1', then people here would all be distressed because someone was voting '2' for some of their stories. So get rid of '2'? Then later on, '3' would be feeling pretty vulnerable as a voting institution... it would all end in complete travesty.

We have to accept in this democratic world of ours that some people won't connect with our stuff. I generally write two types of story - ones that focus on the story, or ones that focus on the sex. It's very disappointing that the ones focusing on the story (and hence, I feel, the ones that are better-written) get low votes and the ones that are little but sex scenes strung together get high votes, but that's the way it is with many voters. That's no reason to do away with '1' votes.

Besides, having that '1' there means that when you get a '4' or a '5', it's all the better, isn't it? Getting rid of that bottom rung will devalue the top scores.

As for spiteful voting, I'll bet it doesn't happen as much as people think it does. If you get distressed because your story gets shunted down the charts (as I'm sure everybody does), then there is one course of action: write another story to get back up to the top!

 

[KillerMuffin]

I wrote a story that pissed the readers off because it didn't end the way they wanted it to. The writing itself isn't the issue, just the content. It was one'd pretty badly and I got enough email feedback to know that it was one'd and why.

I knew when I wrote it the way that I did that it would make the people who read that category angry. I was hoping for a thousand votes and a 5.00 score, who doesn't? Realistically, when I saw 17 votes and a 1.45 or something, I was disappointed, but I knew that it was deserved. I had broken the cardinal rule in writing. Don't write to make your readers pissed off at you. I did, and I did it on purpose.

I have some people who like me and they came through and voted high enough to get this particular story out of the dumps.

Like Max says, there are spiteful voters out there, but not nearly as many as we think there are. Just as some people vote a 5 only rarely, some people vote a 1 simply because they didn't like the story. Voting doesn't mean as much to readers as it does to authors. I can't count the number of times I've gnashed my teeth because I got feedback from someone who praised a story to the high heavens, but only gave it a 3 or 4 because it didn't make them cum.

I also have to agree with him on the "1" thing. It's a must have. I think that our current voting system is flawed. However, there is no way to make a voting system that is not fraud-proof or that will satisfy authors. There is just no way of guaging reader intent from a number. Every reader has a different idea on what those numbers mean and there is no way to get them all into agreement on how to vote. They just do.

 

[alltherage]

I write and post stories for many reasons and can honestly say that the score is the least of these. What gets me is hostile feedback. I have written at least one story here as an experiment. I wanted to see if i could write something in which the female character was in control and just plain mean and vengeful. I got more than hostile feedback. I got hate mail. I can't say that after the initial shock wore off that it bothered all that much. I am not happy with the story because i know i can write better than that but i like the plot. It served whatever purpose was to be served by writting it.

I do not write for the audiance in general. I would not change the ending of a true story to please the audiance. The only reason to tell a true story is because of its truth. Changing the end makes a true story both untrue and ultimately less meaningful. Suppose i wrote a biography of Jack Kennedy. Should i change the ending because the assasination will upset the reader.

 

[MaxSebastian]

I wonder if it might be a good idea to have a genre category for true stories? It might be quite popular, and people would know what they were getting, so wouldn't be giving back feedback because of unsatisfactory endings.

 

[Couture]

If there were a category for true stories, it probably wouldn't matter one bit as far as the ultimate score you get. Either write stuff that people expect and please the masses or don't. You really have the ultimate power to determine your score.

 

[LustyLovers]

I've written several stories here and some really stank. I admit it. They were rushed, short, and I didn't put my best efforts into them. But on the flipside to that there are the one's that write themselves.


I can't honestly say I write for the reader. What I write comes from some place deep within me that reaches out and latches on to my keyboard and won't let go. I lapsed a couple times and tried the "for what I think the reader's here want" trail. It was a disaster. I won't do it again.


What is a story without a plot? I love sexy, wet, make me shake and want to run for my vibe, or my hubby, scenes as much as the next person. But when I sit down to read a story, I want a story. Not just a couple of fast get me off paragraphs.


I do get the one bandit after my hide; believe me, especially the first month or so. But surprisingly I've noticed that over time, my work starts to climb back up as people find one story then go on and read the rest. The feedback is great, and keeps me going. Sure, sometimes I just want to compromise what I feel that as an author I should write. But you know what? It's not worth it to me. I feel like I'm cheating myself, and eventually the reader as well.


This last story I've posted, for the holiday contest has really had me in a quandary. In fact I almost didn't post it. Because I KNEW that as soon as I got on the top lists I was doomed. But my partner in passion convinced me that I was doing myself a very big injustice by letting the "1" ghosts keep me from doing what I love to do.


And sure enough I have been killed out there, the first sixteen or so, perfect fives, then you go back an hour later and check and you've been hit with ten one votes. It's crazy. But what can we do but write the best we can and try not to get depressed when our work's thrashed by a bunch of people who probably haven't even given it the benefit of a doubt by reading it.


I think the serious authors out here, who know what it's like to be hammered should read each other, and support each other's efforts.


KillerMuffin, I think you are one that many of us out here should try and emulate. I don't get out on the boards much because between writing, giving my loving spouse the quality attention he very much deserves, and raising seven children, my time can be very limited. But I am going to make more of an effort. Your time and devotion here are duly noted and appreciated.


True authors care very much how their work is seen and reviewed, and we tend to let it go to our egos and our hearts deeper then maybe we really should. A bevy of one's can ruin my whole day, and discourage me from writing. That is a no, no, because then they win. And I for one. Hate to lose. So.... I'll keep on writing. And it will be the quality that I want it to be. Erotica doesn’t always just have to be a sex romp. Give it life, let it breath and who knows what you'll come up with!