Rant on SOL

[Stultus]

Does anyone understand Laz's Score system for authors at Storiesonline? I've just about given up trying. I think it's so buggy that it have virtually no meaning now whatsover. Stuff with 8.8.8 range voting and 2k downloads will end up with a score of over 8.0. Other stories, get better raw voting (9's & 10's) and higher download numbers, but end with a final Score in the 7's (or even 6's).

Drives me nuts sometimes. Grrr. I write for the joy of it, but sometimes it's the little small sh*t that sucks the joy right out of you and I then find 1000 other things to do other than sit down and write.

Also what's with all of the pedo there lately? Don't even get me started on that....

I think it's time I got off of my lazy ass and get my last thirty of so stories posted up here.

 

[S-Des]

There is no understanding the voting there. They changed it so they could declare anyone they wanted the winner. I had a top ten story there for months, then they changed scoring and I dropped out of the top 100, and have never gone higher. That's why you shouldn't put too much stock in vote scores. Even here it's a bunch of crap. Lit once did a sweep and took 250 votes off of one of my stories (coincidentally the same one that did well at SOL). Two years later the votes have slowly returned, but I'm sure some day Lit will do another sweep and will "discover" that the votes have been fraudulent for all this time.

I put more stock in the comments and emails I receive on my stories. It's nice to have highly rated ones as well, but unless you're going to try to publish, it's just writing for fun anyway.

 

[slyc_willie]

Also what's with all of the pedo there lately? Don't even get me started on that....

That's why I don't post stories there. I had SOL pointed out to me after I first started posting here back in 2006. I put up a couple of stories there, but after seeing an "editor's choice" story that featured a very underage girl becoming a prostitute, I pulled everything.

I get more than enough exposure here. Plus, I like Lit's community.

Welcome aboard, Stultus.

 

[slyc_willie]

. . . it's just writing for fun anyway.

It should always be writing for fun.

 

[S-Des]

It should always be writing for fun.

Yes, but you know there's at least a smidge of ego-gratification in there as well. Heck, do you think we musicians really learned how to play for the love of the instrument?

 

[slyc_willie]

Yes, but you know there's at least a smidge of ego-gratification in there as well. Heck, do you think we musicians really learned how to play for the love of the instrument?

Lol. Oh, I'm not disagreeing with you. There are no larger egos than those involved when creating something.

Besides, I thought all you musicians got into the gig to get laid by hot little groupie chicks.

 

[S-Des]

Besides, I thought all you musicians got into the gig to get laid by hot little groupie chicks.

Got it in one.

 

[slyc_willie]

Got it in one.

I refer to People's Exhibit A: Trent Reznor.

Without talent, that guy would be a forty-year-old virgin.

 

[S-Des]

I refer to People's Exhibit A: Trent Reznor.

Without talent, that guy would be a forty-year-old virgin.

I have a friend who met Reznor before he was anybody and was invited back to his place. Trent played some of his stuff for him and asked if he'd be interested, but my friend thought he was nuts. Years later when retelling the story, he made sure to mention what an idiot he was for passing up that chance.

 

[slyc_willie]

I have a friend who met Reznor before he was anybody and was invited back to his place. Trent played some of his stuff for him and asked if he'd be interested, but my friend thought he was nuts. Years later when retelling the story, he made sure to mention what an idiot he was for passing up that chance.

I don't doubt he spent a few years kicking himself.

Think I've told this story before, but I remember going to see Stevie Ray Vaughan in the late eighties at the Gruene Music Hall just outside San Antonio. There was this kid sitting on one of the speakers while Stevie was playing, strumming a guitar almost as big as he was. I remember I got the kid a root beer at one point during a break in the play. He told me he was "gonna be famous one day."

At the time, I just chuckled and nodded. "Sure you will."

Several years later, that kid came out with an album of his own. His name was Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

"Aberdeen" is still one of my favorite songs.

 

[S-Des]

Several years later, that kid came out with an album of his own. His name was Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

"Aberdeen" is still one of my favorite songs.

You've told the story, and yes, he's awesome. My friend wound up playing in some very big bands (International), but he never got the big break. He got aced out on several world tours by a pretty famous stand-in for a band everybody knows. It had to be incredibly frustrating.

 

[DesertPirate]

You've told the story, and yes, he's awesome. My friend wound up playing in some very big bands (International), but he never got the big break. He got aced out on several world tours by a pretty famous stand-in for a band everybody knows. It had to be incredibly frustrating.

Back when I lived in Taos, NM (86-88) there was a local guy who came to Church a few times a month. One day he had a guest with him. Imagine teying to follow the choir while Michael Martin Murphy and Willie Nelson are joining in.