New Milestones Thread

[KittyOfSteele]

I beat my last year self.

Last year I wrote a grand total of 245646 words. This year isn't even over, and so far I've pushed 375817 words. To clarify, all I wanted is to make it 250K, not push it to a 50% extra from that.

Just this week alone I wrote 18600 words. I'm... No, no, no, I'm not going to tag him, but yes, I'm still stunned that I can output this amount, and yet I seem to not want to do it. This year was quite a rut for me, and yet I still beat my last year self.

I think I found my problem:

• Stories published in 2023: 15.
• Stories published in 2024: 6.
• Stories published in 2025: 2; both 750-word vignettes.

There is a stark contrast here that I don't like. The reason I found myself in a rut is because my own impostor syndrome decided to come back, and used excuses of the events from last year to make me stop. I don't know, I feel like I'm not performing as good as I wanted, yet the Lit game is one that I feel like it has many hidden rules that I don't know, thus my power-player tendencies tend to come up?

Whatever. It's impostor syndrome, and I guess the only way to get rid of this is by publishing again. I've been hiding myself for way too long. I don't know what milestones for publishing I'd make for me, but I'll figure that out.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Just write and publish, keep telling yourself, I'm not an imposter, and there is on place like home. I'm not an imposter, and I don't care what my folks think about my writing. I'm not an imposter, if a reader doesn't like I write, its on them not me. I'm not an imposter.

I think I found my problem:

• Stories published in 2023: 15.
• Stories published in 2024: 6.
• Stories published in 2025: 2; both 750-word vignettes.

There is a stark contrast here that I don't like. The reason I found myself in a rut is because my own impostor syndrome decided to come back, and used excuses of the events from last year to make me stop. I don't know, I feel like I'm not performing as good as I wanted, yet the Lit game is one that I feel like it has many hidden rules that I don't know, thus my power-player tendencies tend to come up?

Whatever. It's impostor syndrome, and I guess the only way to get rid of this is by publishing again. I've been hiding myself for way too long. I don't know what milestones for publishing I'd make for me, but I'll figure that out.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

I was thrilled recently to exceed 550 and 560 followers. I published 35 stories this year. I was hoping to average three per month, or 36. I have two pending but nothing really ready to post.

Now that I have a ton of extra time on my hands, now stop …. Get your mind out of my panties and the gutter, maybe a goal of 40 stories next year

 

[KittyOfSteele]

It's not my first time. Impostor syndrome never goes away, but this time it really sneaked up on me and used the excuse of me having to keep a low profile last year for being politically pursued while also going fully enraged at the machine that an unfinished story was part of those 6 publications of last year. I just thought I was justifying myself, but didn't realize it was my impostor syndrome until today.

Thankfully I have a lot of resources for that. I already made my peace knowing that 50% of people will hate my guts no matter what. The actual number is much lower, but it's a better reminder to have it quite inflated.

Thanks.

Just write and publish, keep telling yourself, I'm not an imposter, and there is on place like home. I'm not an imposter, and I don't care what my folks think about my writing. I'm not an imposter, if a reader doesn't like I write, its on them not me. I'm not an imposter.

 

[PennyThompson]

This weekend marked the one year anniversary of publishing my first story!

It was short and horny and the PoV was messy and amateurish, and I was so excited that I wrote a part two within 24 hours of getting my first couple of encouraging comments...

In the last year I have:

• Written 21 solo pieces (#22 just submitted to the queue last night)
• Co-written or contributed to four collaborative stories with two different authors (don't say a thing, Dj!)
• Beta-read 15 stories by 8 different authors
• Somehow acquired 459 followers
• Chatted with so many great readers and authors
• Turned some of them into what I now consider to be friends, though friends separated by a veil of anonymity
• Gained a ton of confidence, satisfaction, and pleasure from writing and being read

I love some of you and like most of you, and I'm so thankful that I have gotten to be part of this community

 

[onehitwanda]

Get your mind out of my panties

 

[MillieDynamite]

In the same time period, I've all but stopped publishing here. I haven't stopped writing, but not putting many works here at this time.

This weekend marked the one year anniversary of publishing my first story!

It was short and horny and the PoV was messy and amateurish, and I was so excited that I wrote a part two within 24 hours of getting my first couple of encouraging comments...

In the last year I have:

• Written 21 solo pieces (#22 just submitted to the queue last night)
• Co-written or contributed to four collaborative stories
• Beta-read 15 stories by 8 different authors
• Somehow acquired 459 followers
• Chatted with so many great readers and authors
• Turned some of them into what I now consider to be friends, though friends separated by a veil of anonymity
• Gained a ton of confidence, satisfaction, and pleasure from writing and being read

I love some of you and like most of you, and I'm so thankful that I have gotten to be part of this community

 

[PennyThompson]

In the same time period, I've all but stopped publishing here. I haven't stopped writing, but not putting many works here at this time.

I still love you though, you're scary but I like it

 

[MillieDynamite]

Who, me?

I still love you though, you're scary but I like it

 

[old_prof]

This weekend marked the one year anniversary of publishing my first story!

It always amazes me that you had only been publishing for three months when I started. You seemed like such an established figure. Today is actually exactly nine months for me, so you predate me by exactly three months.

I want to echo so many of your sentiments. I am so thankful for this community.

Chatted with so many great readers and authors

My second favorite part of starting to publish here and discovering AH.

• Turned some of them into what I now consider to be friends, though friends separated by a veil of anonymity

And this is the best part. I really dislike the veil, even if I understand its necessity.

I love some of you and like most of you, and I'm so thankful that I have gotten to be part of this community

 

[NuclearFairy]

It always amazes me that you had only been publishing for three months when I started. You seemed like such an established figure. Today is actually exactly nine months for me, so you predate me by exactly three months.

When she arrived it was like a cheerful happy whirlwind that went, "Squeeee!" It was kinda hard to not want to get to know her. =P

 

[BryanRichardson]

My first story was published a year and a month ago, but i don’t think I found AH for months after that.

How my (Lit) life might have been different if I found this forum earlier..

 

[PennyThompson]

When she arrived it was like a cheerful happy whirlwind that went, "Squeeee!" It was kinda hard to not want to get to know her. =P

Hey, I have never typed "Squeeee," here, not once! I might occasionally make that noise IRL, but I would never write it out...

 

[NuclearFairy]

Hey, I have never typed "Squeeee," here, not once! I might occasionally make that noise IRL, but I would never write it out...

Oh I know, it's just the sound I imagined you making.

Honestly though, I probably would've lost interest in the forums right around the time you showed up if you hadn't come blazing through.

Talking with people is hard, but then here came this new person drawing everyone around them into talking and laughing and making me feel like, I can talk with them too.

 

[StrentWriter]

My achievement: finally publishing the lit novel after three years writing, and over the last week watching the views and scores clock up. I wasn’t expecting many favourites either so to get 5 of them is very welcome.

You can read it here - https://www.literotica.com/s/peta-sam

I feel as if the achievement has some level of new challenge - now I need to polish this first draft after feedback.

 

[onehitwanda]

When she arrived it was like a cheerful happy whirlwind that went, "Squeeee!"

This is almost exactly how I imagine her.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

My first story was published a year and a month ago, but i don’t think I found AH for months after that.

How my (Lit) life might have been different if I found this forum earlier..

Let me second this from my perspective. As I have recently found and have started visiting the AH community, I have met some special people. And have been tested, tempted and tried as a writer.

 

[calmlikeabomb]

New personal milestone for me. Three stories are up now, and one of them even has a 'Hot' tag (yay me!)

I have been a tourist here for so long, and seeing my stories show up has been an absolutely incredible feeling.

 

[alohadave]

This isn't really a milestone, but I submitted my first story in almost exactly a year (12/6/24 was my last published).

...

Not related, but I met an Aoife recently for the first time IRL.

 

[calmlikeabomb]

New personal milestone for me. Three stories are up now, and one of them even has a 'Hot' tag (yay me!)

I have been a tourist here for so long, and seeing my stories show up has been an absolutely incredible feeling.

And the Hot tag is gone...

Ah well, the lord giveth and the lord taketh...

 

[designatedvictim]

And the Hot tag is gone...

Ah well, the lord giveth and the lord taketh...

They're fickle, they are.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

And the Hot tag is gone...

Ah well, the lord giveth and the lord taketh...

But with enough love, they return seeking more

 

[Z_TheWriter]

My first, and as yet only, story crossed 200 votes! It also seems to have stabilized somewhat at 4.84.

I'm still supremely worried that I'm a talentless hack, and that I just happened to hit 200 people with extremely specific tastes.
But maybe that's ok, if I enjoyed writing and they enjoyed reading it.

 

[calmlikeabomb]

They're fickle, they are.

Such is life. But it's ok. It's just pixels next to something I wrote start to end in one session. That is a bigger kick, that I could do something like that in one go.

But with enough love, they return seeking more

Like bees to a flower, laden with pollen, overflowing with thick, sticky nectar...

 

[calmlikeabomb]

My first, and as yet only, story crossed 200 votes! It also seems to have stabilized somewhat at 4.84.
View attachment 2579827
I'm still supremely worried that I'm a talentless hack, and that I just happened to hit 200 people with extremely specific tastes.
But maybe that's ok, if I enjoyed writing and they enjoyed reading it.

That's amazing!!!