Request for (short) feedback: Why did this need to be downgraded from "Hot"?

[WeShallUnclench]

Sorry for the somewhat provocative title; my actual question is rather plain, and the reason I am asking is that I'd like to do some course correction if possible, especially since some of my more recent stories have rapidly accumulated bad ratings.
It might also help me understand Literotica and the audience better.

This is about my story 'One Last Lesson For The Emperor', the first I posted on Literotica,

https://literotica.com/s/one-last-lesson-for-the-emperor

It got excellent ratings for the longest time, a warm welcome with 5/5 and then remained solid "Hot" for weeks. Then, of the 36 votes received in total, the last 5 or so quickly pushed it below 4.5.

So my question for you, if you could make some time, would be this - not a detailled review, but if you could have a quick look:

1) Do you think the (as of time of writing) 4.47 rating accurately reflects the merit of the story in an "Almost Hot" manner?
If so, can you point to what is (especially) holding it back?

2) Do you rather think the rating could actually stand to be lower still (the previous "Hot" rating was a fluke), and if yes, what is the more fundamental issue?

To be clear, I am looking for honest feedback, not comfort, because I genuinely want to learn.

-

(A little sample, picked at random, in case it helps finding the issue immediately)

"Go on, your majesty,“ she teased. "It's okay. Familiarize yourself."

It was cute how awkward he was. Awkward, but gentle. And so curious. So eager. Still, he was hesitating, unsure how far he could go.

Time for Ruthe to show him.

She pulled his hand towards her crotch, inviting him to grab her plentiful pubic hair. Ruthe could hear him inhale sharply. He obviously liked the coarseness, contrasting with her soft skin.

"Now,“ Ruthe said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "You might want to remember that next part, your majesty..."

 

[alohadave]

Don't try to second guess scoring. There is no logic to it and people vote low for all kinds of reasons. It doesn't matter how worthy we think it is, someone will come along and downvote it just because the score is high.

The best insulation against the one bombers is to have a lot of votes so they have less impact. With 36 votes, the score is highly variable with any votes you do get.

 

[WeShallUnclench]

Don't try to second guess scoring. There is no logic to it and people vote low for all kinds of reasons. It doesn't matter how worthy we think it is, someone will come along and downvote it just because the score is high.

The best insulation against the one bombers is to have a lot of votes so they have less impact. With 36 votes, the score is highly variable with any votes you do get.

Thank you. I know one shouldn't obsess about scores too much. (One of my favorite stories from another person scores lower than the one I asked about here).

However, clearly a lot of people (including people who are site newcomers as well) do manage to get excellent scores and hold them.

Not only that, but they also instantly get a high participation (people who vote). As you said, lots of votes give a better picture - but if you don't get lots of votes, that's kinda indicative too, isn't it? I'd speculate for ever downgrader you get ca. 10 people too polite to do that.

In another thread, a site veteran argued if your story is no longer "new", you basically got your final score, so I don't really expect more votes anyway.

Anyway, general musings aside, I'd still appreciate all pointers as to what might make my story and/or writing here underwhelming!

 

[StillStunned]

It happens. Just this evening, one of my stories that had been up for four months, sitting pretty on 4.5 from 50 ratings, got hit with a 1. It's frustrating, it's hurtful, but there's nothing you can do about it except hope it gets removed in one of the sweeps. And tell yourself it has more to do with the reader than with your story.

 

[AlinaX]

My most read story has sat very consistently at 4.47 since very early in its life. It's a short story and interesting rather than particularly good, and its sequels have done notably better (in rating, that is). I don't know whether it deserves that score but that's what it has.

It would be nice if it had an H, but... really can't complain.

It's a sweet thrill when the first few votes are all 5s, or if the score stays above 4.8 for days/weeks/months, but until you have at least 50 votes, that score can't really be trusted to hold.

It's a little frustrating when you write a story you think is good and it doesn't get any comments or the score you feel it deserves. Especially when you look at the Hall of Fame and it's full of chapters from the same stories and, worse, you try reading them and wonder why the score is so high. (Well, tastes differ, and long series can score highly with their niche readership.)

Anyway, keep on reading, keep on writing.

 

[Comentarista82]

Sorry for the somewhat provocative title; my actual question is rather plain, and the reason I am asking is that I'd like to do some course correction if possible, especially since some of my more recent stories have rapidly accumulated bad ratings.
It might also help me understand Literotica and the audience better.

This is about my story 'One Last Lesson For The Emperor', the first I posted on Literotica,

https://literotica.com/s/one-last-lesson-for-the-emperor

It got excellent ratings for the longest time, a warm welcome with 5/5 and then remained solid "Hot" for weeks. Then, of the 36 votes received in total, the last 5 or so quickly pushed it below 4.5.

So my question for you, if you could make some time, would be this - not a detailled review, but if you could have a quick look:

1) Do you think the (as of time of writing) 4.47 rating accurately reflects the merit of the story in an "Almost Hot" manner?
If so, can you point to what is (especially) holding it back?

2) Do you rather think the rating could actually stand to be lower still (the previous "Hot" rating was a fluke), and if yes, what is the more fundamental issue?

To be clear, I am looking for honest feedback, not comfort, because I genuinely want to learn.

-

(A little sample, picked at random, in case it helps finding the issue immediately)

"Go on, your majesty,“ she teased. "It's okay. Familiarize yourself."

It was cute how awkward he was. Awkward, but gentle. And so curious. So eager. Still, he was hesitating, unsure how far he could go.

Time for Ruthe to show him.

She pulled his hand towards her crotch, inviting him to grab her plentiful pubic hair. Ruthe could hear him inhale sharply. He obviously liked the coarseness, contrasting with her soft skin.

"Now,“ Ruthe said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "You might want to remember that next part, your majesty..."

This is a topic many debated in the past, and actually still debate a little bit today, because somebody actually posted a thread about this one author not giving a s*** about his scores, although that author should, because they're so low and because the author clearly does not write with the purpose of actually creating a quality output. While I admit that author is very much an outlier even in Lit, the scoring system is sometimes very subjective: some people will rate strictly on how the story makes them feel, and that's very one-dimensional. Others will rate the story down because of one little thing wrong and that's unjustifiable too. I would say probably the middle-of-the-road voter is probably not going to dig too deeply into your story, so that's why I would not necessarily take the scoring as an indicative of the quality, unless you can get other proof. The loss of the H just means the score fell below 4.5, and I've already explained why that could happen. I tell you what I will do in your case: I'll go ahead and give your story a read, and then I will leave you detailed feedback, in part because I like to do it but also because I believe if something is good or bad there should be proof with it and certainly, a way to fix it if needed. So I'll check it out, but otherwise try not to stress too much about it.

 

[Comentarista82]

You now have a new comment on your story, which I hope you find helpful and encouraging.

 

[TheRedChamber]

The thing to remember about a score of 4.47 is that either
1) Everyone gave it either 4s or 5s in about equal measure. OR
2) For every six to seven people who gave it a 5, one person gave it a 1.
Or somewhere inbetween those two.

The thing about H's is that, because of the 7 to 1 rule, they are more about making sure no-one is unhappy as much as they are about making everyone happy.
You posted your story in First Time and it's a historical/fantasy type of thing rather than the more usual tales of everyday defloration. You also have a downer ending which I've found definitely drags you story down. I think those two facts above anything else might be why an otherwise good story is hovering around the line.

I don't have time now, but if you want proper full feedback later, I can look it closely. With the cavaet though that my advice isn't necessarily going to improve the score any.

 

[WeShallUnclench]

You posted your story in First Time and it's a historical/fantasy type of thing rather than the more usual tales of everyday defloration.

Thank you for your useful feedback, as well!

One interesting quirk though - somebody posted an overview for the average rating in each category by page number (the "true neutral" rating) and my story is above average in 'First Time', but would be 'Below Average' in Sci-Fi. Not sure what to make of that

 

[WeShallUnclench]

You now have a new comment on your story, which I hope you find helpful and encouraging.

Thank you so much! I haven't read it yet (gonna pour me a nice glass of scotch first) but even if you have torn me to shreds, I appreciate you taking the time!

 

[HordHolm]

This is a topic many debated in the past, and actually still debate a little bit today, because somebody actually posted a thread about this one author not giving a s*** about his scores, although that author should, because they're so low and because the author clearly does not write with the purpose of actually creating a quality output.

I'm going to play Devil's advocate here.

Why should said author give a s*** about his scores? Just as there are many reasons that readers choose to come to this site, there are many reasons why authors choose to write. The particular author has had many years to alter his approach, so perhaps what he is doing is fulfilling his particular aims. In the final analysis, if the author is content with low scores (and he appears to be, after all this time and he's still got a solid output) then why should any of us care? If he is satisfied, then that is enough. It certainly isn't up to any of us to dictate to him.

The flip side of this is the argument that many authors care too much about scores, that some only write tick-box stories that hit the particular notes that almost guarantee a high score in the relevant category.

 

[WeShallUnclench]

some only write tick-box stories that hit the particular notes that almost guarantee a high score in the relevant category.

Uuuuuuh and pray tell, what are those notes?


Both kidding and genuinely interested:

Kidding, because I know I will always write my own weird shit (one of my stories has a super low rating and in THAT specific case, I find it hilarious). That's kinda the whole point.

Genuinely interested, because I believe finding out what other people like and expect feels important to help me grow (maybe a bit of the "know the rules before you break the rules" deal).

 

[HordHolm]

Uuuuuuh and pray tell, what are those notes?
View attachment 2304022

Both kidding and genuinely interested:

Kidding, because I know I will always write my own weird shit (one of my stories has a super low rating and in THAT specific case, I find it hilarious). That's kinda the whole point.

Genuinely interested, because I believe finding out what other people like and expect feels important to help me grow (maybe a bit of the "know the rules before you break the rules" deal).

Very much depends on category. For example, Romance readers, by and large, are looking for Happy Ever After (HEA), and stories that don't hit that are likely to suffer, scores wise. So, to put together a story with a better chance of a high score, make sure there's an obstacle to overcome, and ensure the main characters get that HEA ending. Obviously, there's more to it than that, and well written stories with HEA will do better (probably) than poorly written ones. And kink or fetish heavy stories probably won't fly well there, either.

Then there is BDSM, which these days seems to have a readership who are very much focussed on getting the right structure of a D/s relationship outlined in the story, who appreciate the negotiation, and following 'best practice'.

Apparently, Incest and Taboo readers get a major ick factor from Anal (I only know from other authors - I neither write nor read I/T). So, fucking mom is ok, just don't do her up the arse...

Or there is the 'interesting location' that is Loving Wives. Here, there is a vocal minority (or it appears to be a minority) who very much want to see infidelity punished. Write a BTB (burn the bitch) story, and those readers will applaud, appeased, and vote accordingly.

This doesn't mean that all the readership in these categories have these views or desires, but a noticeable chunk seem to. Write to their expectations, tick their boxes, and they'll be happy.

 

[Comentarista82]

I'm going to play Devil's advocate here.

Why should said author give a s*** about his scores? Just as there are many reasons that readers choose to come to this site, there are many reasons why authors choose to write. The particular author has had many years to alter his approach, so perhaps what he is doing is fulfilling his particular aims. In the final analysis, if the author is content with low scores (and he appears to be, after all this time and he's still got a solid output) then why should any of us care? If he is satisfied, then that is enough. It certainly isn't up to any of us to dictate to him.

The flip side of this is the argument that many authors care too much about scores, that some only write tick-box stories that hit the particular notes that almost guarantee a high score in the relevant category.

Well I can appreciate you playing devil's advocate, the problem is that author has never altered his approach, and isn't an author. The reason is basically the place name is changed, the race of the characters is changed, and it's just cut and paste. The aim is strictly to piss people off, and that's kind of counterintuitive in a place like this. Most people will point-blank tell him look this is cut and paste, try to at least you know give us something because I'm sure you picked up something, hey can you at least try to do something original because surely you've got enough life experience to share to inject something into the story that will be your own that we can relate to. So he hasn't altered his approach, he hasn't changed the thing, and he's not really an author. There are stories from teenagers that would be far a better reads, and score far higher than what that so-called writer does. It would be totally different if the author were really trying to do something novel, because I suspect there's something there, or at least more there...I would be among one of the first to read high quality output from that author --IF the "author" were willing to try.
***
I can respect the authors here that sometimes do agonize over their scores, because that's their barometer in most cases to gauge what their audience- - their target audience - - is rating their stories as. Now, we can debate how informed that audience is, which in many cases rates strictly on one item.. which is very one-dimensional and largely useless for providing feedback to the author that submitted a work in good faith. Most people that I've read stories from on the site really do try to put out a quality product, and there's very few with the exception of that one guy I mentioned, that don't care to improve their craft. All you have to do is scroll through threads and topics and posts in the authors hangout on which person they should use in telling a story, how they should describe certain situations, etc. That's the mark of an author that's really trying to improve the experience for others, and that's really why I'm glad as one example the site owners created a comment policy and FAQ, because at least now there's some kind of guideline for readers to go by, so authors can have a little bit more of an idea, since it's clear the average person reading here is looking for one thing depending on who they are. So while both extremes are counterproductive- - namely agonizing excessively over a story score or not caring if the story scores well or not-- I will always respect any author that both tries to write a quality product, as much as the author that's trying to score as high as possible, because what that tells me is a reader is that it matters to that person that it's their best effort. That should be the whole point without exception. Sure if people want to try something out see if it works or not for them, they can try. However if they're not in it to see if they can do better or improve... do the right thing, move on, and find something that you are better at and you can do in a more capable manner.

 

[Comentarista82]

Thank you so much! I haven't read it yet (gonna pour me a nice glass of scotch first) but even if you have torn me to shreds, I appreciate you taking the time!

Hey, it's no problem. I'm just glad I can help because I had the time available to do it also. The only time I would tear somebody to shreds is if I've given them chance after chance, and they're not listening to what I had to say, because I do have all the tools to analyze a story, break it down, deconstruct it, and I've been a beta reader in both academic and informal writings, so I know exactly what to do and I've been trained in exactly what to do. But I think you should be encouraged, because you wrote a quality piece and I thank you for sharing it with us because with only very small tweaks that story can easily be a five on its own merits.

 

[Priscilla_June]

Hey I’ve been stomping around for 2 years now here. Ill give you what I have honestly just come to terms with. Dont as a new comer focus so much on getting Hs. Get feedback, work on your writing, but most of all enjoy writing without the pressure of the red H.

Im a fan of the middle road between saying F the scores and caring about the scores. I think in that same thread someone said something profound: Write like you are the only one reading it.

Because honestly what you want to tell is what matters. The rest will come with experience.

 

[HordHolm]

Well I can appreciate you playing devil's advocate, the problem is that author has never altered his approach, and isn't an author. The reason is basically the place name is changed, the race of the characters is changed, and it's just cut and paste. The aim is strictly to piss people off, and that's kind of counterintuitive in a place like this. Most people will point-blank tell him look this is cut and paste, try to at least you know give us something because I'm sure you picked up something, hey can you at least try to do something original because surely you've got enough life experience to share to inject something into the story that will be your own that we can relate to. So he hasn't altered his approach, he hasn't changed the thing, and he's not really an author. There are stories from teenagers that would be far a better reads, and score far higher than what that so-called writer does. It would be totally different if the author were really trying to do something novel, because I suspect there's something there, or at least more there...I would be among one of the first to read high quality output from that author --IF the "author" were willing to try.
***
I can respect the authors here that sometimes do agonize over their scores, because that's their barometer in most cases to gauge what their audience- - their target audience - - is rating their stories as. Now, we can debate how informed that audience is, which in many cases rates strictly on one item.. which is very one-dimensional and largely useless for providing feedback to the author that submitted a work in good faith. Most people that I've read stories from on the site really do try to put out a quality product, and there's very few with the exception of that one guy I mentioned, that don't care to improve their craft. All you have to do is scroll through threads and topics and posts in the authors hangout on which person they should use in telling a story, how they should describe certain situations, etc. That's the mark of an author that's really trying to improve the experience for others, and that's really why I'm glad as one example the site owners created a comment policy and FAQ, because at least now there's some kind of guideline for readers to go by, so authors can have a little bit more of an idea, since it's clear the average person reading here is looking for one thing depending on who they are. So while both extremes are counterproductive- - namely agonizing excessively over a story score or not caring if the story scores well or not-- I will always respect any author that both tries to write a quality product, as much as the author that's trying to score as high as possible, because what that tells me is a reader is that it matters to that person that it's their best effort. That should be the whole point without exception. Sure if people want to try something out see if it works or not for them, they can try. However if they're not in it to see if they can do better or improve... do the right thing, move on, and find something that you are better at and you can do in a more capable manner.

I think the problem here is that you may well be at cross-purposes with the author. You hope that an author is on a particular journey, one of self-awareness, improvement, reaching (or at least attempting to reach) some literary goal. But this particular author may not give a flying damn about said journey, or what anyone else thinks. And really, that is absolutely his right. If he chooses not to care, what anyone else says or thinks about his work is pretty much irrelevant and your point about his approach being counterproductive is moot.

It's not as if there's a high bar to entry on Literotica, anyway. If there were a higher bar (or, let's face it, any meaningful bar at all), then yes, his approach would be counterproductive because he would (probably) fall below a level at which his work would be accepted for publication. And maybe at that point he would take on board the need to improve. But that isn't the case: he is able to publish, and as he continues to do so despite the negative opinions we have to assume that he is achieving what he desires.

Therefore, as far as we can tell, this author is perfectly happy doing what he is doing. If that pisses off a section of the readership, well, that might be his aim and thus, success. This author might be perfectly aware of what he is doing, and the last thing he might be interested in doing is changing in any way. I'm using a lot of modals here because, of course, this author doesn't engage. We have no idea what his objectives are, and whether he has met them or not. He might be sitting in his basement eating cheetos and laughing at us. He might be agonising over his 'unappreciated genius' in his lonely garret. All is speculation.

Lastly, this may seem harsh, but when you write that,

if they're not in it to see if they can do better or improve... do the right thing, move on, and find something that you are better at and you can do in a more capable manner.

Sorry, but who are you, or any of us, to impose this viewpoint on people creating content for free? If said content genuinely plagiarises, or breaks Literotica's well-known content rules, then yes, such content needs to be removed and repeated transgressions may mean that a contributor should move on, but otherwise? There is a deluge of content on Literotica that I have no interest in examining, that might, for example, turn my stomach. But that content has its readership, and on a site as broad as Literotica I can comfortably avoid content I don't wish to view. Furthermore, I have no right to dictate to the other authors on matters of quality or subject. In the final analysis, if an author is doing their thing, creating what they want, how they want, they are perfectly at liberty to continue even if their scores are a solid 1 and they have a readership of, basically, nobody. Seeing the abysmal scores their stories are receiving, readers are unlikely to encounter their work, and are thus unlikely to be offended by either the poor quality of the work or its subject matter. Alternatively, they please their niche, their niche is happy, and everyone else can go hang.

To be blunt, your viewpoint is merely one of, potentially, many, and it has no greater validity than that of the

audience [...], which in many cases rates strictly on one item.. which is very one-dimensional and largely useless

Of course, you are at perfect liberty to enjoy your viewpoint, and I wouldn't dream of suggesting you shouldn't. But there is the other side of that, the side that says, 'you can say what you want, and I don't care,' and on Literotica authors are equally at liberty to enjoy that viewpoint, too, without someone imposing their own value set on them.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

what is the more fundamental issue?

A couple of pointers completely unrelated to the quality of the referenced story:

1. It is harder to get a higher score with shorter stories. The longer your story, the more charitable the readers tend to be. Your stories are on the short side.

2. The category can make or break your story's score. This guide provides a pretty good primer for how to think about selecting your category. My advice would be to read all the top scorers in the milieu of your story to see what readers of that category want. As others have mentioned, your referenced story does not hit the readers in their kink for the category it is in (first time).

3. Your story scores are probably going to fluctuate wildly until you get enough ratings. Be patient and wait at least until you get a large enough sample size before you start chewing on your fingernails. Another thing you may want to consider is thinking of ways you can generate readership in the future. Look at what tags the most popular stories in your category use and consider using those tags. Make your title and your description more enticing - again, see how the most popular stories do it. Use what works. *Note that most popular does not necessarily = top rated.

Just a couple things you can think about while you're also working on improving your craft

 

[Comentarista82]

"The longer your story, the more charitable the readers tend to be."

A longer story won't necessarily garner a higher score.. because it really depends on the content. If for example the author uses that extra space to explain a major thread or premise and wraps it up well, then readers likely will award it a higher score... but I've actually seen three stories in the last week that several commenters said was way too long and they were going to rate it down a star--strictly because they thought it was too long (but failed to justify a concrete reason for such an action). I can also recall one story that was a few pages longer than it should have been, and commenters rightfully said the story could have been finished without the extra two pages.. and they were absolutely correct, as somehow the author continued the story without anything meaningful being done in that space--and it was clearly unnecessary.

 

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

"The longer your story, the more charitable the readers tend to be."

A longer story won't necessarily garner a higher score.. because it really depends on the content. If for example the author uses that extra space to explain a major thread or premise and wraps it up well, then readers likely will award it a higher score... but I've actually seen three stories in the last week that several commenters said was way too long and they were going to rate it down a star--strictly because they thought it was too long (but failed to justify a concrete reason for such an action). I can also recall one story that was a few pages longer than it should have been, and commenters rightfully said the story could have been finished without the extra two pages.. and they were absolutely correct, as somehow the author continued the story without anything meaningful being done in that space--and it was clearly unnecessary.

 

I never said a higher score is guaranteed by simply writing more. Craft is obviously the most important aspect, but all things being equal longer stories generally rate better.

 

[Bramblethorn]

With 36 votes, you can expect random "noise" to account for about +/- 0.1 in your score, so the difference between 4.47 and 4.50 isn't very meaningful.

I read your story and that borderline H is about what I'd expect. A few considerations:

The technical side is overall good but there are a few glitches like this:

"Ironically, it were her skill and her ambition that ultimately got in her way." - should be "it was", since "it" is singular.
"Even if with a head as red as a beet." - if we're describing embarrassment, we'd normally talk about the face being red, not the entire head.

He refers to her as "master", which is usually a specifically male honorific; "mistress" would be normal here. Especially if you're gendering things like "giantess" - it's not wrong but that gendered form is kind of old-fashioned, most people would just use "giant" these days.

Speech punctuation: you have dashes before some but not all of your dialogue, e.g.:

"I'm an educator," Ruthe said, taking another sip. "Comes with the territory."

-"Mhm. It's a miracle you haven't completely ruined me, you little monster."

"Ruin you completely, your majesty...?" she said with narrow eyes. "Just say the word. There's still time."

I couldn't get a good feel for the setting. Some aspects of the story feel like you're aiming for somewhere around the 18th century or even earlier: "aristocrats dressed in silk", "tea from a far-away land", and of course guillotines. But then she's wearing zippers, which only appeared around the 1920s.

Similarly, some of the dialogue is jarringly modern: "bummer" in the sense used here first appeared around 1968; "chickened out" and "comes with the territory" somewhere around 1945. "Butt" as slang for the human buttocks seems to be from about the 1860s and primarily American English for a while after that.

I presume it's a fictional place, but even so, it's helpful to set some consistent tone, especially in a short story where you don't have enough space for world-building.

Similarly, Ruthe's character felt inconsistent. She's introduced as tough and fearless:

"Ruthe never once raised her voice or used gross insults. And yet, when she wanted to, she found she could discipline or even humiliate people without mercy... No one else dared to challenge her. ... That imperial caterpillar could have her executed at the drop of a hat, if her teaching methods displeased him. Still, Ruthe decided that she would work on him as mercilessly as she had on all of her other students, and if that got her killed, she would die as a martyr."

But through most of the scene with the Emperor, and the follow-up scene with the Empress, she feels a lot softer and more vulnerable, e.g.:

"She absolutely hated how small she felt. The Empress, to put it mildly, never made her feel like a giantess."

There are a couple of mentions of her ruthlessness in conversation with the Emperor, but it felt more like teasing than serious.

And then right at the end... maybe she returns to man-eater? It's not clear whether she's an instigator of the revolution or just there to get one last look before the execution.

Of course, a character can have more than one side to them, and the contrasts between those sides can be great material for a story. But they didn't feel like they hung together here.

In many times and places it wouldn't be at all unusual for an emperor to have a mistress, especially one without the kind of noble origins that might give her political power. If the Empress is aware of Ruthe's drive as described in the opening of the story, it's plausible that she might still see her as a threat and want to remove the possibility of Ruthe influencing her son. But when she's pregnant with his child? ("Somehow, the Empress always found out.") The Emperor's oldest child, even if female and illegitimate? There are many ways somebody in the Empress's position might deal with that situation, but it seems unlikely that she'd just leave that child in the care of a ruthless woman who has reason to resent her.

In terms of the voting, though, I think the major issues are likely to be that it's a fairly short story (as already mentioned, long stories tend to score higher, all else being equal) and that it doesn't fit category expectations. First Time stories don't usually end with one of the lovers getting executed; I'd guess most readers in that category are looking for a happier ending.

 

[Comentarista82]

It happens. Just this evening, one of my stories that had been up for four months, sitting pretty on 4.5 from 50 ratings, got hit with a 1. It's frustrating, it's hurtful, but there's nothing you can do about it except hope it gets removed in one of the sweeps. And tell yourself it has more to do with the reader than with your story.

Did whomever leaving the 1 also comment as to why?

 

[Comentarista82]

"...and if yes, what is the more fundamental issue?"

I just had a terrible thought: is it possible the ratings dipped slightly because readers thought you implied a pun, in that because his mother forced his dance instructor to leave...that he became RUTHEless??????

 

[StillStunned]

Did whomever leaving the 1 also comment as to why?

Beyond the implied suggestion that the story sucks, no they didn't.

 

[Comentarista82]

Beyond the implied suggestion that the story sucks, no they didn't.

Yeah, that's a low blow. Hopefully sweeps will eliminate it.

Which story was it? If it's in a category I normally read, I'll make time for it later.