Reader behavior I don't understand

[gunhilltrain]

A look at the AH forum 25 years from now

"Can I have under aged characters in my story?"
"What's the ideal story length?"
"So sick of the one bombs!"
"Do you respond to comments?"
"The 150th author sponsored challenge thread"
"Story rejected for no reason."
"Why are the people in LW crazy?"

Why don't Manu Jr or Laurel's daughter Lauren respond to my e-mails

Not in 25 years, but maybe 50 or 75, Lit may be moderated by AI. It may even be written by AI. The rest of us will be sitting in bathtubs as human batteries for The Matrix while erotic stories are fed into our brains by electrodes. Actually, they may not even need cables; it will all be wireless.

 

[Lovecraft_Lore]

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"

Yeah, those people are strange. Or the title is 'Were-wolves having group sex' whole story is were-wolves having group sex, all the tags are Were-wolves and group sex, it is listed as a group sex story. And then people comment that they hate were-wolves and group sex. Then why did they read it.

 

[alohadave]

Yeah, those people are strange. Or the title is 'Were-wolves having group sex' whole story is were-wolves having group sex, all the tags are Were-wolves and group sex, it is listed as a group sex story. And then people comment that they hate were-wolves and group sex. Then why did they read it.

 

[Cali_Love]

I turned off comments. Liberating. Oh, constructive criticism is welcome you ask? No such thing in this day and age. Tear down and mudraking I don’t need so I simply turn it off. Criticism makes me better maybe? Fuck you, anons. I make me better. Oops. Did I reveal a struck nerve?

 

[KeithD]

Yeah, those people are strange. Or the title is 'Were-wolves having group sex' whole story is were-wolves having group sex, all the tags are Were-wolves and group sex, it is listed as a group sex story. And then people comment that they hate were-wolves and group sex. Then why did they read it.

I already posted why I think they do it. They are prone to doing it to register they don't want the material on the site. All it means to them that you've warned them off of reading what they don't want to read is that you've helped to point them to it so they can register they don't want to see it here at all.

I really don't see why folks have trouble understanding this reality. They are sort of doing the same thing as they are complaining about. We go around and around on this question.

 

[Lovecraft_Lore]

I already posted why I think they do it. They are prone to doing it to register they don't want the material on the site. All it means to them that you've warned them off of reading what they don't want to read is that you've helped to point them to it so they can register they don't want to see it here at all.

I really don't see why folks have trouble understanding this reality. They are sort of doing the same thing as they are complaining about. We go around and around on this question.

If they hated Were-wolves having group sex ch.1, then they will hate Were-wolves having group sex ch.2 even more. Their hate makes me strong. If they hated the werewolves, they can really hate it now that I got Wookies and bigfoots added to the group fucking.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

I have one critic who I think has made it his life's mission to dump on whatever I write. He's the one that couldn't believe I'd put a ghost in a Halloween story. Before I even read his comment, I know it's going to be bad. Some stories, I've gotten nothing but positive comments, except for his of course. I imagine he gets some perverse sense of satisfaction in telling me that I suck, and that everyone else that's read the story and enjoyed it is stupid.

Which naturally makes me wonder, if the twit doesn't enjoy what I write, then why the hell does he bother to take the time to read it right to the end, especially some that go on for 30,000 words.

I guess some people are just strange, and there's no way of knowing what makes them tick.

 

[KeithD]

If they hated Were-wolves having group sex ch.1, then they will hate Were-wolves having group sex ch.2 even more. Their hate makes me strong. If they hated the werewolves, they can really hate it now that I got Wookies and bigfoots added to the group fucking.

Well, sure. But this is about not understanding why they would do that. There's every reason to understand why they do it. And once it's understood that it's natural they would do it, there's no need to post or echo thread # 3,654 wondering why they do it.

 

[KeithD]

I have one critic who I think has made it his life's mission to dump on whatever I write. He's the one that couldn't believe I'd put a ghost in a Halloween story. Before I even read his comment, I know it's going to be bad. Some stories, I've gotten nothing but positive comments, except for his of course. I imagine he gets some perverse sense of satisfaction in telling me that I suck, and that everyone else that's read the story and enjoyed it is stupid.

Which naturally makes me wonder, if the twit doesn't enjoy what I write, then why the hell does he bother to take the time to read it right to the end, especially some that go on for 30,000 words.

I guess some people are just strange, and there's no way of knowing what makes them tick.

And if he reads you posting about it on the discussion thread, that will give him a real thrill of ownership.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

And if he reads you posting about it on the discussion thread, that will give him a real thrill of ownership.

I'm sure it will. But I guess I'm just sharing on this thread how ludicrous some people really are.

 

[onehitwanda]

I have one critic who I think has made it his life's mission to dump on whatever I write. He's the one that couldn't believe I'd put a ghost in a Halloween story. Before I even read his comment, I know it's going to be bad. Some stories, I've gotten nothing but positive comments, except for his of course. I imagine he gets some perverse sense of satisfaction in telling me that I suck, and that everyone else that's read the story and enjoyed it is stupid.

Which naturally makes me wonder, if the twit doesn't enjoy what I write, then why the hell does he bother to take the time to read it right to the end, especially some that go on for 30,000 words.

I guess some people are just strange, and there's no way of knowing what makes them tick.

Belittling you clearly plugs some hole in his existence. Embrace his comments; become one with his comments. See them not as a hurtful run on string of ungrammatical and anatomically-improbably nonsense, but rather as a badge of honour - something you did irritated him enough that you now squat rent-free in his conscious.

You're his small pokey bit in an otherwise comfortable pair of shoes; you're the loose thread that he can't pull without unraveling his favorite jumper. Enjoy your newfound power ;-)

 

[Smuttyandfun]

Belittling you clearly plugs some hole in his existence. Embrace his comments; become one with his comments. See them not as a hurtful run on string of ungrammatical and anatomically-improbably nonsense, but rather as a badge of honour - something you did irritated him enough that you now squat rent-free in his conscious.

You're his small pokey bit in an otherwise comfortable pair of shoes; you're the loose thread that he can't pull without unraveling his favorite jumper. Enjoy your newfound power ;-)

Surprisingly, he's actually quite articulate.

I agree, I should just let his comments roll off my back. Though I doubt I'll ever feel honored about his ramblings. But when he seems to delight in picking apart almost everything I write, it does get a little tedious.

I keep wondering why he doesn't get a life, if all he does his dump on everyone else's efforts, since he doesn't have any submissions of his own.

Like I said, some people are just strange and pretty much impossible to understand.

 

[onehitwanda]

he doesn't have any submissions of his own.

It's easy to destroy a watch; anyone can do that.

To build one takes years of training and incredibly steady hands.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Surprisingly, he's actually quite articulate.

I agree, I should just let his comments roll off my back. Though I doubt I'll ever feel honored about his ramblings. But when he seems to delight in picking apart almost everything I write, it does get a little tedious.

I keep wondering why he doesn't get a life, if all he does his dump on everyone else's efforts, since he doesn't have any submissions of his own.

Like I said, some people are just strange and pretty much impossible to understand.

Sadly - trigger warning - there's a good chance that you are his life. Knowing he can 'cause pain' for somebody else is probably what gets your troll out of bed on dark mornings.

And, just like that, you've become a support system for a troll.

OK, maybe not quite that bad, but it's a sad commentary on the reality that some have no way of feeling good other than trying to make others feel bad.

 

[jehoram]

Or is he trying to modify the author's list of acceptable subjects? In which case, he really likes your writing and wants to read it unpolluted with his particular turnoff. But I don't write to please any particular reader, but cast my net wider.

That actually happened to me when the last chapter of "The Yearbook Girl" was published. It had an incident where the girl fucked her father (it was her idea, BTW), and two readers commented that it ruined the story for them.

Those comments seemed to me to illustrate one of the defects of the site, where a writer is forced to categorize a story in such a way that it excludes other elements. One way to repair this defect would be to publish the story tags right at the top of the story itself when it's loaded, just under the title. That way, if there's an element that the reader might dislike, they are free to skip the story. But if you are forewarned, still read the story, and then comment that you didn't like that element, then you'd be better off PMing the author rather than leaving a public comment.

 

[DarkCosmos]

I've just recently submitted my first story for publishing, so I really can't comment on literotica. But oh boy have I felt this frustration on other sites. From everything I've gathered, after posting multiple stories in multiple genres to multiple different websites, what I've learned is that you can essentially boil down most comment section critics into one of two categories.

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

2. The ones who, for whatever reason, be it an agenda or their own amusement, just want you to stop publishing your work entirely.

Now, I've received some very harsh criticisms of my writing style in the past, and I took every single one of them to heart because they were fair. They were honest critiques, and I genuinely feel like I've improved as a writer because of them. I'm much more aware of the subject material I write and how I portray it. Honest feedback, no matter how critical it may seem, will do nothing but improve your writing style. I've always believed that.

That second group, however? There is nothing at all remotely helpful about anything they have to say. And they should just be ignored.

That's always been my go-to policy. Ignore them. As my dad liked to tell me, don't engage. They have their own agenda, and it's got nothing to do with you or your work. Frustrating as it may be to see those types of responses congesting your comments section, they're ultimately just hot air. And the less you engage with them directly, the more the people who genuinely do enjoy your work will see just that.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Sadly - trigger warning - there's a good chance that you are his life. Knowing he can 'cause pain' for somebody else is probably what gets your troll out of bed on dark mornings.

And, just like that, you've become a support system for a troll.

OK, maybe not quite that bad, but it's a sad commentary on the reality that some have no way of feeling good other than trying to make others feel bad.

It's not common, fortunately, but it can really get out of hand.

 

[SimonDoom]

Well, sure. But this is about not understanding why they would do that. There's every reason to understand why they do it. And once it's understood that it's natural they would do it, there's no need to post or echo thread # 3,654 wondering why they do it.

I agree. I think we overthink this. In the real world, people react to entertainment--stories, music, movies, TV--on a very gut level. "I like it." "I hate it." They don't comment because they want to help you to become a better writer. That's the furthest thing from their mind. And it doesn't necessarily mean they're bad people. If they think your story sucks, they want to tell you. That's the way it is.

If you're a new standup comedian and you go up and stage, the audience isn't going to pull for you and try to help you along. If they think you suck, they will let you know. They'll boo you and heckle you. You'll feel terrible. That's the way it is. It's not much different when you publish stories. I've engaged in a variety of different public speaking activities. I've had good moments and bad moments, and there is nothing worse than standing up on a stage and sucking, and you know it and the audience knows it. You want to disappear under the ground. Nothing that one can experience at Literotica as an author is remotely close to that awful.

 

[mantonrichards]

I have the same problem. After part 4 of my story, now up to about 75,000 words is published, getting comments about how much anal sex is in the story - when it's been there from the beginning. They obviously liked it enough to read the other 3 parts.

Then I got told how my characters must and must not behave as though I'm in the employ of the readers. It's bizarre.

 

[Zootonius]

It's easy to destroy a watch; anyone can do that.

To build one takes years of training and incredibly steady hands.

Every art critic is a failed artist.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I have one critic who I think has made it his life's mission to dump on whatever I write. He's the one that couldn't believe I'd put a ghost in a Halloween story. Before I even read his comment, I know it's going to be bad. Some stories, I've gotten nothing but positive comments, except for his of course. I imagine he gets some perverse sense of satisfaction in telling me that I suck, and that everyone else that's read the story and enjoyed it is stupid.

Which naturally makes me wonder, if the twit doesn't enjoy what I write, then why the hell does he bother to take the time to read it right to the end, especially some that go on for 30,000 words.

I guess some people are just strange, and there's no way of knowing what makes them tick.

Usually, or at least the one time I had something like that - I think it was the same person based on their content/style - they will go away if no response it given to their comments. Obviously, there are readers who have gone beyond that point.

 

[Duleigh]

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.

 

[Pabiporffor]

I've just had one troll tell me he's given me one star because my characters are adults and anyone who's a virgin over 15 is mentally retarded.

Paedotrolls are the worst trolls.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I have one critic who I think has made it his life's mission to dump on whatever I write. He's the one that couldn't believe I'd put a ghost in a Halloween story. Before I even read his comment, I know it's going to be bad. Some stories, I've gotten nothing but positive comments, except for his of course. I imagine he gets some perverse sense of satisfaction in telling me that I suck, and that everyone else that's read the story and enjoyed it is stupid.

Which naturally makes me wonder, if the twit doesn't enjoy what I write, then why the hell does he bother to take the time to read it right to the end, especially some that go on for 30,000 words.

I guess some people are just strange, and there's no way of knowing what makes them tick.

Maybe it's his fetish. He's at home reading your latest work, jacking his dick, calling himself a big, important man, and how he's going to tell you what-for. Dudes probably a 4chan, or Reddit user.

 

[alohadave]

I've just had one troll tell me he's given me one star because my characters are adults and anyone who's a virgin over 15 is mentally retarded.

Paedotrolls are the worst trolls.

I must be mentally retarded then. I was 20.