Official Support Thread - 5th Annual 750 Word Project

[Duleigh]

How many separate account names?

Great question!
I count 170 different accounts so if we play with numbers that's an average of 1,125 words each

 

[FifthEstate]

that includes my lowest at 4.23. (Note to @FifthEstate that was my interracial entry, I think we had a side wager on that)

Was the bet higher score or more red H’s…oops I meant favs? I think I know the answer. I can pay up with the virtual beer or whenever I’m out in Dachshund land, in person. Great job! Truth be told, I’m still holding out hope a huge sweep comes through and gives my story the biggest bump in Lit history!

 

[Duleigh]

Was the bet higher score or more red H’s…? I think I know the answer. I can pay up with the virtual beer or whenever I’m out in Dachshund land, in person. Great job! Truth be told, I’m still holding out hope a huge sweep comes through and gives my story the biggest bump in Lit history!

I could use a sweep, it might help my second lowest into Hland, but some people just don't like nonconsensual lesbian bondage.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

On my phone, the first chunk of the list without scrolling includes 18 stories (I have fonts enlarged on my laptop, and only eight fit in on that screen). My story was 21st alphabetically, so it just missed an immediate eyeball-grab. I see that titles starting with numerals were relegated to the letter that would start the numeral, and in a previous year one of my 750s that I started with "60" in the title was changed to "Sixty." I guess we can't game the system by trying fo a numeral-first title.

 

[Duleigh]

On my phone, the first chunk of the list without scrolling includes 18 stories (I have fonts enlarged on my laptop, and only eight fit in on that screen). My story was 21st alphabetically, so it just missed an immediate eyeball-grab. I see that titles starting with numerals were relegated to the letter that would start the numeral, and in a previous year one of my 750s that I started with "60" in the title was changed to "Sixty." I guess we can't game the system by trying fo a numeral-first title.

Nope, I titled my 750-1 through 750-5 and they were listed under S
I did that for my tracking however, in my spreadsheet they're listed separately from other stories because the nature of them is so different. In my stories the narrative is the thing, in a 750 story the narrative takes second place to word count.

 

[PapaRomantic]

Got my rejection notice on my 750 word story. Supposedly 759 words, though the count on Word said 750. It was officially submitted over a week ago. Would have liked to had a chance to fix it. Not much reason to resubmit it now.

 

[Duleigh]

Got my rejection notice on my 750 word story. Supposedly 759 words, though the count on Word said 750. It was officially submitted over a week ago. Would have liked to had a chance to fix it. Not much reason to resubmit it now.

What was it rejected for? Review your story carefully then send a polite message to Laurel explaining your issue. We've had another issue like this that is being corrected.

 

[PapaRomantic]

What was it rejected for? Review your story carefully then send a polite message to Laurel explaining your issue. We've had another issue like this that is being corrected.

Hello, and thank you for sharing your work! This story is fine for the site, but at 759 words it is ineligible for the 750 Word Project. Please either make the story exactly 750 words and also please place the words "750 Word Project" in the Notes field so we can process this in a timely manner. Thank you.

I don't mind the rejection as much as the delay in being notified so I could fix it. Does the title count in the word count if it's not in the body of the story? I will check my word count again.

 

[Duleigh]

Hello, and thank you for sharing your work! This story is fine for the site, but at 759 words it is ineligible for the 750 Word Project. Please either make the story exactly 750 words and also please place the words "750 Word Project" in the Notes field so we can process this in a timely manner. Thank you.

I don't mind the rejection as much as the delay in being notified so I could fix it. Does the title count in the word count if it's not in the body of the story?

That's weird, because all of my entries had this intro which pushed the total word count to 770 -

Content Note: This is a little story for the 2023 750 Word Project. Beneath this line are exactly 750 words

Sudden thought - make sure you don't have anything to divide parts of the story. Some people will use things like this:

+ + + + + + + + +

Laurel's "Post-It" machine sees that as nine words right there.

 

[MrPixel]

Yes - even em dashes - "--" - will count as a word.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Hello, and thank you for sharing your work! This story is fine for the site, but at 759 words it is ineligible for the 750 Word Project. Please either make the story exactly 750 words and also please place the words "750 Word Project" in the Notes field so we can process this in a timely manner. Thank you.

That might be your problem - if you omitted the note. I forgot to do that on my last Part, and it went to ground for a week. I PMd Laurel, she asked that same question. I added the note, the story went live two days later.

The * * * * concern is irrelevant - my word count, with the introductory sentence and two section breaks, was 770 words, and the story went through.

 

[KeithD]

Yes - even em dashes - "--" - will count as a word.

Not if you do them correctly. There shouldn't be any spaces around an em dash.

 

[KeithD]

Have you noticed if Lit, in that case, counts two words (each on one side of the dash) as one?

No, I haven't gauged the Lit. count. We were permitted to go with the Word count (including only the body text minus any author's slug), and Word counts two words connected with an em dash as two words--no count for the em dash, if you don't leave spaces. The not leaving spaces around an em dash is a publishing industry rule.

 

[TheRedChamber]

This event has lead me to another new first...a sub 3 score! Yay. Apparently a lot of readers just didn't get it and said so very clearly and tetchily. Luckily it was only a mornings work, so I'm not too gutted.

My other work got 3.5 but I was kind of expecting that as it was something of a downer piece with no sex.

 

[PapaRomantic]

That might be your problem - if you omitted the note. I forgot to do that on my last Part, and it went to ground for a week. I PMd Laurel, she asked that same question. I added the note, the story went live two days later.

The * * * * concern is irrelevant - my word count, with the introductory sentence and two section breaks, was 770 words, and the story went through.

Actually I took that to mean two different things. I think I was being told when I sent it back in to include that in the note so they would expedite it.

 

[Rustyoznail]

A Public Service Announcement - Check this list to make sure all your stories are there.

https://www.literotica.com/s/the-750-word-project-2023-the-stories

One of mine was there earlier, and now has gone missing. I've sent Laurel a PM.

 

[PapaRomantic]

Not if you do them correctly. There shouldn't be any spaces around an em dash.

That's weird, because all of my entries had this intro which pushed the total word count to 770 -

Content Note: This is a little story for the 2023 750 Word Project. Beneath this line are exactly 750 words

Sudden thought - make sure you don't have anything to divide parts of the story. Some people will use things like this:

+ + + + + + + + +

Laurel's "Post-It" machine sees that as nine words right there.

Yes - even em dashes - "--" - will count as a word.

Not if you do them correctly. There shouldn't be any spaces around an em dash.

I think it's the dashes. I've always put a space before and after and used it as a slight pause, plus I think it looks better. It may not be grammatically correct, but I like it that way. And now it's cost me! Thanks for your comments - I really appreciate it!

 

[Duleigh]

I think it's the dashes. I've always put a space before and after and used it as a slight pause, plus I think it looks better. It may not be grammatically correct, but I like it that way. And now it's cost me! Thanks for your comments - I really appreciate it!

Aaahhh! I see what you did there!

That's the challenge of the 750 word challenge. Your entire style has to change to fit the rules of the game. It's almost like going to a new bowling alley and finding that they only allow left had bowling. Just to keep myself on track I wrote my first story in first person perspective (I haven't done that since 2008) and my second story in second person perspective (I had never done that before, it was like fishing with my wrists tied together) then I had to keep in mind what someone told me - the website here counts differently than MS word or Google docs

Next year I think I'm going to put out a FAQ and a standard introduction line to put on your story.

Thanks for giving it a try!

 

[Omenainen]

One reader got my story:

by Anonymous user on yesterday

mwahaHaHaHAHAHAHAHahahaha!

5 stars at least!

Also thank you to all you fellow writers who have read it and left nice comments. I appreciate it

 

[MillieDynamite]

One reader got my story:



Also thank you to all you fellow writers who have read it and left nice comments. I appreciate it

A sloppy wet kiss from a fan. You might ought to get tested for all kinds of things.

 

[Trionyx]

I have read the majority of the stories and a couple of thoughts come to mind. 1) It is obviously difficult to write a good, captivating story with only 750 words. 2) Many of the stories seem to me to be good starting points for longer, more involved stories. 3) There appear to be an inordinate number of Loving Wives stories which raises the question 'why'? (I certainly understand how a romance would be hard to pull off in 750 words but most of the other categories should be fairly easy. Then why so many LWs?)
I had never written a 750 word story but as I was thinking about it some more, I came up with a gem of an idea. 750 quick words later I have a completed story ready for next year. Just my luck they'll cancel it.

 

[Duleigh]

If I'm still around we'll have it next year

And you're right many of the stories are seeds for bigger tales, my first one was submitted a few hours ago.

 

[Series 6]

I have one that is actually my highest rated story currently at 4.61

 

[ElectricBlue]

I have one that is actually my highest rated story currently at 4.61

Three of mine (cheats really, since I had four x sequential parts, but each worked as a standalone) pulled in Red Hs, which is unusual for 750 worders.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I have one that is actually my highest rated story currently at 4.61

Outstanding! I thought by doing an I/T story, I'd be able to pull in the readers, but alas. I've managed to scrape together a 4.38. BUT, I'm super happy with it in any case. I think it's sexy and fun. We'll see what I can come up with next year.