Reader behavior I don't understand

[lovecraft68]

I must be mentally retarded then. I was 20.

I was 13 and I'm still an idiot, so I don't think getting laid early helps.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I have been writing about an interracial couple for over a year, he's white, she's Asian. The stories rate pretty high, but my most recent story I labeled it as "Interracial" simply because I've never used that category before and the story got HAMMERED. I am tending to doubt that the voters never really read it.

I have a story where I used the Interracial tag because it's a white woman and an Asian (British Bangladeshi) man. It did pretty well at first (Laurel put it in Fetish) with lots of views, but after the first couple weeks the score started sliding down and down - because the IR readers were finding it and not liking that. Or not liking the gay man, or the woman with a strap-on, or the lack of penetrative sex - who knows?

 

[Athalia]

1. The ones who are genuinely trying to help you improve your craft as a writer.

For those, I would agree with Jehoram that these comments would best be sent to the writer as a PM rather than a public comment posted after the story.

The best comments I found, excluding the "attaboys" (or in my case "attagirls"), are the ones where the reader specified something that they related to in the story. It's that connection I look for as a writer.

 

[I_Must_Channel_These_Energies]

I have a story where I used the Interracial tag because it's a white woman and an Asian (British Bangladeshi) man. It did pretty well at first (Laurel put it in Fetish) with lots of views, but after the first couple weeks the score started sliding down and down - because the IR readers were finding it and not liking that. Or not liking the gay man, or the woman with a strap-on, or the lack of penetrative sex - who knows?

That sucks.

I've actually had an idea for a gay interracial story for quite some time. Now I'm halfway tempted to get started on it just out of spite.

 

[Duleigh]

For those, I would agree with Jehoram that these comments would best be sent to the writer as a PM rather than a public comment posted after the story.

The best comments I found, excluding the "attaboys" (or in my case "attagirls"), are the ones where the reader specified something that they related to in the story. It's that connection I look for as a writer.

In one series of stories, I exposed my MC's Battle induced PTSD and the issues he was having with it. This was not the central theme to the series, it was just part of this character and it eventually came to a head in one episode forcing the MC to seek professional help. I didn't drop it, there were still references to his PTSD as the series progressed. I received a LOT of comments from veterans with PTSD who shared their experiences with me, some of it was heartbreaking.

I wrote another story about a blind guy who pulled a prank on his girlfriend, I received quite a few comments from blind readers of [Lit] thanking me for showing that blind people are not some poor souls to be sat in a corner and pitied, they're real people who can't see.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

One thing that always baffles me -- and I've seen this happen to other writers a lot, and to me a couple of times in the past:

An author will clearly post a foreword saying "this story contains X and Y, if you do not like those elements then please don't read on"

And then you'll get to the comments and there's one or two anons complaining about the things that were clearly listed at the beginning.

Like, do these people just not read the first sentence or two of the story? Do they somehow forget? Are they just masochists who like reading things they hate? Or is it just an opportunity to scold someone for not catering to their personal preference?

It's just weird to me.

This is arguably the meanest comment I got on part 3 of a 5 part story.

“It is written that Andy loves Kate. I like stories with imperfect people. But Andy is written a a moron that should be required to live in a home for the mentally handicapped with adult supervision and as a 14 year old that is so easily distracted by the various sex playrooms. I found each room boring to read. Especially the Newlywed Room.”

I can’t say if it would be distracting but I imagine walking round orgy rooms would be pretty f’king distracting.

“In the original Kate and Andy traveled a dark path with potential to hurt their marriage. This story began with great potential. The revelations about Tara, Jesse, Brian and Vanessa’s part 3 years ago was presented as if everyone could read everyone’s minds.”

I literally created a drug that allowed people to see clearly as a narrative device and it literally mentions that in part 2.

“That said the revelations should have detonated a nuclear rage in Andy and driven him to find Kate. As written to this point I hope Kate enjoys the party, continues to grow emotionally more open accepting of sexual fun and moves on from Andy. I don’t like T his version of Andy.”

Andy literally comes to this conclusion about Kate at the beginning of PART FECKING FOUR!

Really annoying but that’s what sone readers are like.