Reader Suggestions

[shutterpsb]

I tend to ignore reader suggestions like "He should've got her pregnant" or "Son should've fucked dad in the ass." But I do consider it when readers ask me to write a sequel or to carry a story on with another chapter. I haven't done it yet, as I generally conducer a story done once it's posted. So the question: How often do you make a story longer when readers suggest it?

 

[NotWise]

I tend to ignore reader suggestions like "He should've got her pregnant" or "Son should've fucked dad in the ass." But I do consider it when readers ask me to write a sequel or to carry a story on with another chapter. I haven't done it yet, as I generally conducer a story done once it's posted. So the question: How often do you make a story longer when readers suggest it?

I've done it twice and regretted it both times.

 

[KeithD]

I've done it a couple of times, but when I've agreed that it would be kicky to do it--often when I've thought of twisting the original, which wasn't what the one asking for a extension meant at all. I haven't regretted doing it.

My most memorable example was in the mainstream with a six-novel espionage/international crime series. My mother took umbrage that I killed off a character in one novel. I contemplated it and saw where I could rationalize the character not really having been killed. I brought her back in the next novel--and killed her again a couple of chapters later. My mother was not amused.

 

[lovecraft68]

I tend to ignore reader suggestions like "He should've got her pregnant" or "Son should've fucked dad in the ass." But I do consider it when readers ask me to write a sequel or to carry a story on with another chapter. I haven't done it yet, as I generally conducer a story done once it's posted. So the question: How often do you make a story longer when readers suggest it?

Never. If I don't feel there should be more, I don't do it.

And I think if I did, it just wouldn't have whatever feel the original did.

Thing is to, what do they mean by sequel? You used a couple of incest examples so going with that, I've seen series where every chapter is just "This time Bill fucks mom in the pool" there is no story advancement, its just sex between existing characters.

In that case every story can be a sequel, but for me, I write stories where the sex, no matter what genre, has some conflict and build up. Once that's broken, I lose excitement for the characters, so how could I make it exciting for a reader?

I suppose if you can advance the story, and you feel you want to, then its no issue, but unless you're getting paid, writing is something you should do based on your desires not another.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Some stories lend themselves more to it than others. I have left a couple of stories endings open enough that a sequel worked for one of them. Actually, it did better than #1.

In general though, I figure that I’ve said what needs saying and once the hero and heroine ride off into the sunset, you have to ride really, really hard to catch up with them.

 

[BiscuitHammer]

In the Alexaverse, I've done two stories that continued it thus far, Mike & Karen, and Freja & Jeanie. I'd intended to do both anyway, but readers actually messaged me and told me they enjoyed the couples so much that they wanted them to have their own stories. Not surprising, since Mike and Karen are the ultimate power couple, whereas Freja and Jeanie are just complete lunatics.

It's validating to hear your readers voice ideas that you yourself has already been learning towards. And they were right, these are both turning into amazing stories. I'm very pleased.

 

[RejectReality]

I only do it when either something a reader says sparks my muse, or the idea comes to me when reading back through a piece later, which I do on a fairly regular basis. In this name, it's only happened twice with "Jerk" and "One Incredible Costume".

Simply adding a chapter or follow-up of more sex isn't enough to engage me. I need a hook if I'm going to finish it.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I wrote a second part to my Rope and Veil story, encouraged by reader reaction. It's my fourth highest ranked story, the third part my sixth highest rated. I have a fourth part in my head, but Amelia won't let me write it yet, and I'm not ready.

 

[Voboy]

Never have I ever changed a story based on a reader's suggestions.

Nor would I. If their suggestions had merit, they'd have written the story themselves. No?

 

[SimonDoom]

NotWise is wise: don't do it. I've done it. I'm not sure I regretted it, because in that case I had an idea I liked for a sequel, but don't write a sequel just because your readers want you to.

Getting asked by a reader to write a sequel is common for popular stories, especially for those that are "genre" stories, like mom-son incest stories.

None of this is to say you shouldn't write a sequel if you feel the impulse to do so, apart from what your readers want.

If your readers like your stories, then you may know what they want better than they do. Better to stay true to your creative muse and keep writing new stories.

 

[shutterpsb]

Thanks for y'all's thoughts. Kind of validated what I was thinking. Happy writing to each and every one of you.

 

[Salacious_Scribe]

I did it once and it was nowhere near the quality of the original.

the first comment I got was complaining that I took the story too far too fast and in rereading it I had to agree.

The second comment was that I should not have added dad and sis to a mother-son story.

Unlikely I'll do it again, unless my fickle bitch cunt of a muse decides to fuck with me and inspires me to write one.

 

[RejectReality]

The key is not to do it just because the readers want you to. If you're not passionate about it, it's going to show in anything you try to present. You need to want to do it because you have another story to tell.

Even then, there are some gems that you look at and know you can never do justice to in a second run, even with an idea that excites you. You caught lightning in a bottle, and the odds of doing it again...

Some of them you just need to leave the fuck alone. LOL

 

[SamScribble]

I think the problem with bowing to reader suggestions is that the readers are usually suggesting how you can make a story - or a character - conform more to the suggesting reader's particular kink or kinks. If they really want me to write something to their particular spec, please ensure that the appropriate funds are first transferred into my bank account. Other wise ... no.

 

[lovecraft68]

The second comment was that I should not have added dad and sis to a mother-son story.

Ah, one of the incest factions hath spoken!

But one of them

In every taboo story I have written, regardless of pairing there are comments to either add more family members or in the case of sibling stuff, a boyfriend or girlfriend.

But for every one of those there is the "No, keep it just between them because it makes it special

But the third faction in this...is you, and you do what you want.

 

[Voboy]

I think the problem with bowing to reader suggestions is that the readers are usually suggesting how you can make a story - or a character - conform more to the suggesting reader's particular kink or kinks. If they really want me to write something to their particular spec, please ensure that the appropriate funds are first transferred into my bank account. Other wise ... no.

Well said.

 

[RejectReality]

Wow... There's a little more "fuck 'em" here than I would have expected.

"Ebon Genesis" as Dark emerged entirely from a reader suggestion. It wasn't a story I had ever considered telling until he pointed out that Zoraster had a lot of weird, conflicting kinks, and some strange triggers for rage. He thought the story explaining that would be fascinating.

To me, that's just because he's frikkin' insane. Brief backstory, the prestige class of Archmage was nearly impossible to roll up in our game, and I was the only one to pull it off. People were a little irritated and grumbly about it, so I handicapped him by making him insane. He was sometimes subject to a die roll that made him do just completely apeshit things that could have very well gotten him killed. There were trigger words and situations that caused it, and those carried over into the written character — slightly modified.

That reader suggestion got me to thinking, and a new, far richer backstory developed for him. The result was Ebon Genesis, and to this day, the reaction to that one is still among those that tickle me the most. When you make people feel empathy for an insane, sadistic, murderous piece of shit, it's oh so satisfying.

The relationship with that reader began in "Blackhawk Hall". I can't remember what chapter it was, but I got some detailed anonymous feedback, and attached to it was a "challenge word" to work into the next chapter, if I was interested in communicating directly. It wasn't that difficult to work into the next chapter, so I put it in there.

( I was still writing and posting as I finished chapters back then. Foolish thing to try, by the way )

The challenge words continued for the rest of the story, and ended up sparking some new, interesting locations/scenes that made the story a lot richer and more fun. The fundamental story didn't change — just a few set pieces along the way. It ended exactly as I had planned in the beginning.

When a reader's wishes and suggestions line up with your own muse, the result can be a thoroughly enjoyable experience for everyone.

 

[lovecraft68]

Wow... There's a little more "fuck 'em" here than I would have expected.

"Ebon Genesis" as Dark emerged entirely from a reader suggestion. It wasn't a story I had ever considered telling until he pointed out that Zoraster had a lot of weird, conflicting kinks, and some strange triggers for rage. He thought the story explaining that would be fascinating.

To me, that's just because he's frikkin' insane. Brief backstory, the prestige class of Archmage was nearly impossible to roll up in our game, and I was the only one to pull it off. People were a little irritated and grumbly about it, so I handicapped him by making him insane. He was sometimes subject to a die roll that made him do just completely apeshit things that could have very well gotten him killed. There were trigger words and situations that caused it, and those carried over into the written character — slightly modified.

That reader suggestion got me to thinking, and a new, far richer backstory developed for him. The result was Ebon Genesis, and to this day, the reaction to that one is still among those that tickle me the most. When you make people feel empathy for an insane, sadistic, murderous piece of shit, it's oh so satisfying.

The relationship with that reader began in "Blackhawk Hall". I can't remember what chapter it was, but I got some detailed anonymous feedback, and attached to it was a "challenge word" to work into the next chapter, if I was interested in communicating directly. It wasn't that difficult to work into the next chapter, so I put it in there.

( I was still writing and posting as I finished chapters back then. Foolish thing to try, by the way )

The challenge words continued for the rest of the story, and ended up sparking some new, interesting locations/scenes that made the story a lot richer and more fun. The fundamental story didn't change — just a few set pieces along the way. It ended exactly as I had planned in the beginning.

When a reader's wishes and suggestions line up with your own muse, the result can be a thoroughly enjoyable experience for everyone.

To be clear, my attitude isn't fuck the readers, without them where would we be. My attitude, and what I suggest to anyone asking this question, is simply if you don't feel it should be written don't, unless its a case of the muse is dry and maybe you think writing something familiar can help, but otherwise you write based on what you want to write.

I had a 40 chapter series that wrapped up every story line running through it and had what I consider a definitive ending, and yet I still got more more more.

You'll always get that and the author has to decide when the end is.

And although it doesn't quite apply on lit, the previous comment of if they're going to pay then that becomes a different story.

 

[RejectReality]

And although it doesn't quite apply on lit, the previous comment of if they're going to pay then that becomes a different story.

Not really to me, which is why I'll never be a professional. I wouldn't be able to sit down to write the sequel to that wildly popular offering to continue feeding my bottom line or fulfill a contract. If it's there, it's there. If it's not, it's not.

======

A lot of the "More!" feedback on Lit is something of a generic "Loved it!" response as well. I'm sure they'd be tickled by a sequel, but it's not necessarily an expectation when they leave that comment.

 

[lovecraft68]

Not really to me, which is why I'll never be a professional. I wouldn't be able to sit down to write the sequel to that wildly popular offering to continue feeding my bottom line or fulfill a contract. If it's there, it's there. If it's not, it's not.

======

A lot of the "More!" feedback on Lit is something of a generic "Loved it!" response as well. I'm sure they'd be tickled by a sequel, but it's not necessarily an expectation when they leave that comment.

I get people asking for commissions here, and also through my website. The thing is for me I have to feel the story. More often than not I lose out on some money because I won't force a story-and don't need the money bad enough to try-but I have done a couple because the idea struck a chord with me.

I agree on more, I refer to people who specifically say "sequel" or "What if you come back and jump to the future and now.."

I'll add that there are also people who comment "No sequel needed this is great as is" in response to those

I've been here awhile now, but one thing that never gets old is seeing comments that respond to other comments with different takes on the story.

In closing I will say....just because I sell my stuff does not make me a professional

 

[RejectReality]

In closing I will say....just because I sell my stuff does not make me a professional

I can't even force myself to go that far. I've got a large enough catalog of existing work that I could reasonably make a few dollars with a long period of consistent releases, but every time I think about it, I balk before I get very far.

The closest I've ever gotten is signing up at Smashwords and asking a few questions regarding publishing work that had already been available on free sites. That was years ago now.

I've said it before, but when I start thinking about publishing for pay, it starts feeling like a job instead of a hobby, and I sour on it in a hurry.

 

[lovecraft68]

I can't even force myself to go that far. I've got a large enough catalog of existing work that I could reasonably make a few dollars with a long period of consistent releases, but every time I think about it, I balk before I get very far.

The closest I've ever gotten is signing up at Smashwords and asking a few questions regarding publishing work that had already been available on free sites. That was years ago now.

I've said it before, but when I start thinking about publishing for pay, it starts feeling like a job instead of a hobby, and I sour on it in a hurry.

Your Milf stuff would be really well on amazon and SW.

SW doesn't care if you've posted for free, Amazon does in the sense of their policy a story can't be available anywhere else for less...and free is less. But they rarely seem to check and a title change from lit to the published version is enough to subvert their half ass search.

The fact we have so many people lifting lit stories and putting them on amazon shows how strict they are

I haven't found smut to be work. Sometimes its harder than you think to find a good cover image, and formatting can present occasional headaches to me(I'm sure not you though, you're way more techy)

I am however. at the its work stage with my erotic horror series I've put into paperback. Book four is proving to be the definition of met my match.

 

[RejectReality]

The cover images are my primary excuse now that I've been forced to get a Paypal account for other reasons. LOL

I put a lot of thought and effort into them, even though they're just bling to catch eyes for freely available stories. I'd have much more difficulty finding elements to compose a cover that would meet my standards of representing the story, catching eyes, meeting distributor requirements, and not eating up every dime ( or more ) of anything they might make in the marketplace.

Rationalization that the effort is not worth the reward complete, I once again shelve the idea and ignore it for months upon end.

 

[VermillionVenusian]

I hate to hijack the thread, but since you brought it up, how do you get your cover images, RejectReality? They kind of look like manipulations of actual photos... or something done in a digital modeling program? I’m not gonna lie, my sig and my covers were heavily inspired by your stuff.

 

[Salacious_Scribe]

I don't think it's fuck 'em more like...

My work here is done, hi ho silver away.

Once the bad guy is dead, the bank's money returned the cute school marm kissed, it's time to ride off to the next town and start again.

no point in writing more chapters if the desire is not there. I mean how many sequels were as good as the original? T2 is the only one that comes to mind. Though I must admit Back to the Future 3 is imo the best of the trilogy, but I like the old west.