Necrophiles

[Guest]

I am sorry to give such a late response to the comments about my story Necrophiles. Until today I was unaware any had been made. I appreciate the criticisms and agree with some of them. The story is, indeed choppy, and underdeveloped. My original idea was to make it much longer, but I felt I would be imposing upon the reader to do so. I am deeply sorry that the ending was a let down for most of the respondents. Most popular fiction has a 'happy' ending. Most editors demand it and so do most readers. But I was not attempting to write a popular fiction with Necrophiles. It is a 'down beat' story which intends to bring to the fore the dark side of human nature, any pretence that it doesn't exist is foolish, self-deceiving--and dangerous. H.G. Wells' Time Machine is a good illustration of what happens to a society that doesn't face reality. Thank you all for your opinions. I Appreciate them.

 

[Guest]

Gee, Keerie,
I hope you had a nice day. You sure made mine. I was peacefully ensconced in my lair, gnawing on a bone, when I felt my chain being yanked again.
Ah, well.
I won't say that your criticism is a tad arrogant, but I would like to offer that epithet to you for your private consumption.
What part of Criticism 101 did you sleep through? Had you stayed awake you might have learned that "makes no sense to me" is not a valid critical expression. It's a 'nonism' that lazy people use to avoid the effort of thinking.
My story is "choppy", but I assume (perhaps I should burn in hell for this) that the reader is not a complete imbecile and knows how to connect the dots without lengthy transitions.
As for your comment that I don't fully develop my characters, I can only say that that is not--according to the pundits--the primary function of a short story--but of a novel. However, I think every character in the story is sufficiently tagged to be recognizable.
But, listen, let's get real. What we are dealing with is Porn--not high art. I recently had a story rejected because it had, as the editor put it, "too much plot, too little fucking." Two-thirds of the story was fucking.
You can't please everybody--not even close.
If you can, you are one of the Blessed who holds the golden key and whose passage to Paradise is assured.
Tamam.

 

[Angelique]

Ok, while I'm dodging arrows over here, I'd like to point out that I feel the story certainly had merit. The disappointment I felt with it was in the last installment. I read, and re-read it, and still couldn't figure out where the new characters came from. It was like there should have been another chapter before I got to the tenth. Now, I hope that makes sense, 'cause it's been awhile since I read the story.

I realized by the title of the story that the content would be rather morbid, but once I read the first part, I was hooked. Ordinarily, I wouldn't read that type of content mixed in with erotica, but I gotta hand it to ya' Will, you ended each segment with me dangling on the edge of my seat, anxiously awaiting the next. You knew right where to stop in order to prolong the anticipation.

So there's my opinion...the good, and the not-so-good, for what it's worth.

 

[Laurel]

I recently had a story rejected because it had, as the editor put it, "too much plot, too little fucking."

Editor's Note: Willailla's story was not rejected from THIS site for having too much plot. We actually enjoy a little plot with our fucking every now and then.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Angel,
If the arrowheads are vertical with the notch they're not meant for you, but jackasses like me. I hope you, and Kerrie and any others, will continue to offer criticism. It's harder to criticize than it is to receive it. It takes a lot of courage to be honest, but it is necessary for a writer to have feedback.

 

[English Bob]

Gee Kerrie, we get the picture, Ok so you didn't like the story!

I have to confess, I too felt let down by the ending, but you know, it's sometimes tough to come up with new and exciting conclusions. I know that a lot of hard work goes into writing a story. Maybe you should write and post something yourself?

Why not give Willailla a break?

 

[Whispersecret]

Kerrie, I am thankful to see someone else other than myself giving specific criticism. If an author never receives any "negative" responses, he/she will never know that their readers were disappointed. They'll blithely go on their merry way writing stories with puzzling endings, or cliche plots, or what have you. The pats on the back are PRICELESS, but they won't help anyone improve their writing.

I disagree with Willailla. Yes, giving criticism CAN be difficult, because no one wants to hurt that person's feelings, which is why, if you ask your friends to critique your story, you often only get nice comments. No one wants to jeopardize a friendship over a story.

However, receiving it can be equally hard or harder, because you have to distance your self from your writing. You have to be prepared for other points of view. You may be forced to look long and hard at a flaw(s) in your writing that you've been ignoring. Someone may make you knock you off the pedastal that you made for yourself. That can be really tough.

It's my understanding that at Literotica, you can make your story whatever you want, with Laurel's blessing. Include as much or as little plot or sex as you like. I think she rejects stories based on non-readability more than anything else. Laurel, feel free to correct me.

I think if you tell yourself that you're only writing "non-high-art-porn", then you might just be using that as an excuse. I did that with my first story (which should be posted any day now), until my friend Wordmage kicked my ass for me and told me to stop being lazy. You should always write your best. "To thine own self, be true," as they say on Gilligan's Island. <winks to those old enough to remember that episode>

If you don't write your best, then you deserve any arrows that come your way. <shrugs>

In regard to "imposing on the reader" with a longer story, I know how you felt, Will. I felt the same way when I wrote my story. One part of me wanted to finish the damn thing so I could have a story UP. (That was the lazy part of me.) One part of me wanted to bring the story around to a satisfying ending.

In the end I wrote something far longer than I had intended to, with this attitude: "If they don't want to read the whole damn thing, then they probably only want masturbatory material and can't appreciate good writing. (That last part came from the large chunk of me still on that self-made pedestal!) OR, <sighs heavily> I didn't do my job as a writer."

Kerrie's right--if you write well, people will WANT to live in your story and won't want it to end. So just write great stuff!

I know, I know, easier said than done. <chuckles>

[This message has been edited by whispersecret (edited 05-11-2000).]

 

[Whispersecret]

<beams>

Hey, Kerrie, wanna look at some of my stuff and tell me what you think? I'd value your opinion because I know you'd be specifc and direct.

 

[Washingtonian]

I agree with English Bob. There are a few stories on the site that aren't much more than sex scenes lacking in a plot or characterization. I don't understand, Kerrie, why you've chosen to go after this story with such venom. Your "critique" was filled with inflammatory language and lacked any constructive merit. The purpose of criticism (at least as I understand it) is not to insult but to enlighten. I think the Necrofiles story (though a little rough) is more entertaining and interesting than many that are posted. Why are you seeking to lynch this author? I'm baffled.

 

[Laurel]

If you don't write your best, then you deserve any arrows that come your way. <shrugs>

I don't completely agree. I'm all for constructive criticism, but I think that two threads bagging on the same story is a bit much. I usually try to stay away from controversy, but I have to say something here.

I liked the Necrofiles. Okay, it wasn't perfect, but is there an author on this thread that claims to write flawlessly? You guys have given your input, Willailla's given his/her input on your input. Why fight about it? Okay, you guys didn't like the story... I posted that story months ago.. Perhaps it's time to find other stories to constructively criticize, rather than pummel this story into the ground. If we "lynch" (trueamerican's word) every author who's story someone doesn't like, I'm going to have precious few authors soon!

[This message has been edited by Laurel (edited 05-12-2000).]

 

[Guest]

Funny, I really enjoy the Necrophiles stories. And part of it is the way they end. I check in every day to see if there is a new chapter. =)

 

[Whispersecret]

I hope you weren't categorizing me as a member of the lynch mob. I reread my post and I don't think I was negative in any way.

I made a point about how giving AND accepting criticism is very difficult.

I argued that you should always write your best, admitting that I don't always do that.

I stated that longer stories aren't necessarily an imposition on the reader.

WTF! How is that bagging on Willailla?

In Kerrie's defense, Willailla started this thread. Perhaps Will's response should have been tagged on the original thread.

 

[Laurel]

Argh! I wasn't characterizing you as anything, whispersecret. I just think that when we post 10-20 stories a night that maybe we should use our exquisite critical talents on a few of those. I'm sure other authors would be thrilled to receive a tenth of the attention this one story has received - negative or no. Everyone's expressed their opinions, so I don't see why we need to beat each other up over it.

There's been some nastiness on both sides of the fence here. I don't believe that good criticism has to degenerate into mud-throwing any more than good debate has to degenerate into mud-throwing. Kerrie apologized, and I'm sure everyone involved (though I can't speak for others) regrets the tone of this thread. As a BB reader, I like to come to the feedback area and read story feedback, not personal arguments. I go to the General forum for those.

 

[Laurel]

And remember, the best darn erotica is LITerotica.

All because of you writers and readers... We just post 'em - you guys are what make the site what it is...