Silly Emails

[LadyDaisy]

Usually, I receive nice emails. Aside from the infrequent "Add me on some fetish site" or "Send nudes," most are polite, deserving, and thoughtful.

How does one describe this e-mail, though?

I'm not going to post it here. When I put it into a document, it came out to around 12 pages in SMALL font. For comparison, the Wikipedia summary for A Dance with Dragons, the longest Game of Thrones book, is only around four. Basically, this guy (he says he's Spanish, but this is really no excuse) says he has a story idea, or "brushstrokes" for me. Fine. At this point, though, he proceeds to type out basically the entire detailed summary of the story he wants. He begins by describing all the characters. It's late, I don't have time to make sense of any of it. I can't anyway. The plot, I think, is that our main hero/heroine is forced into a ABDL/BDSM (two things that should NOT go together) relationship by an older lady/gentleman. He provides various "suggestions" (really detailed descriptions) about routines and rituals she/he should do to him/her, based around those two subcultures. His ex-girlfriend shows up at some point, and does some other graphic shit to him that I don't really care about.

I have no clue about how I should respond to this. If it's a joke, then good job. But if they're serious, then I'm totally lost. I mean, obviously, this took a long time to write out, so I wouldn't want to send back a simple "No thank you." But I just wouldn't be interested in this. I don't think anything I've written would suggest I'd enjoy writing it. I don't understand why he can't just write it himself though...

I'll keep you posted!
-LadyDaisy

 

[Green_Knight]

Usually, I receive nice emails. Aside from the infrequent "Add me on some fetish site" or "Send nudes," most are polite, deserving, and thoughtful.

How does one describe this e-mail, though?

I'm not going to post it here. When I put it into a document, it came out to around 12 pages in SMALL font. For comparison, the Wikipedia summary for A Dance with Dragons, the longest Game of Thrones book, is only around four. Basically, this guy (he says he's Spanish, but this is really no excuse) says he has a story idea, or "brushstrokes" for me. Fine. At this point, though, he proceeds to type out basically the entire detailed summary of the story he wants. He begins by describing all the characters. It's late, I don't have time to make sense of any of it. I can't anyway. The plot, I think, is that our main hero/heroine is forced into a ABDL/BDSM (two things that should NOT go together) relationship by an older lady/gentleman. He provides various "suggestions" (really detailed descriptions) about routines and rituals she/he should do to him/her, based around those two subcultures. His ex-girlfriend shows up at some point, and does some other graphic shit to him that I don't really care about.

I have no clue about how I should respond to this. If it's a joke, then good job. But if they're serious, then I'm totally lost. I mean, obviously, this took a long time to write out, so I wouldn't want to send back a simple "No thank you." But I just wouldn't be interested in this. I don't think anything I've written would suggest I'd enjoy writing it. I don't understand why he can't just write it himself though...

I'll keep you posted!
-LadyDaisy

I think that in your final line you've answered your own question, LadyD.

Given the considerable effort he's gone to, I can't really see it being a joke unless he's copied it from elsewhere and/or there's somebody you've really upset. Of course, he may really fancy you and this is his way of chatting you up.

A simple publisher's-type rejection: sorry, this is not really the kind of stuff I write about, already have a lot of stories in development, limited time available. Obviously thought very deeply about this story - why don't you write it yourself -if you need help, editors available on Lit.

PS: please send nudes.

 

[Handley_Page]

Usually, I receive nice emails. Aside from the infrequent "Add me on some fetish site" or "Send nudes," most are polite, deserving, and thoughtful.

How does one describe this e-mail, though?

I'm not going to post it here. When I put it into a document, it came out to around 12 pages in SMALL font. For comparison, the Wikipedia summary for A Dance with Dragons, the longest Game of Thrones book, is only around four. Basically, this guy (he says he's Spanish, but this is really no excuse) says he has a story idea, or "brushstrokes" for me. Fine. At this point, though, he proceeds to type out basically the entire detailed summary of the story he wants. He begins by describing all the characters. It's late, I don't have time to make sense of any of it. I can't anyway. The plot, I think, is that our main hero/heroine is forced into a ABDL/BDSM (two things that should NOT go together) relationship by an older lady/gentleman. He provides various "suggestions" (really detailed descriptions) about routines and rituals she/he should do to him/her, based around those two subcultures. His ex-girlfriend shows up at some point, and does some other graphic shit to him that I don't really care about.

I have no clue about how I should respond to this. If it's a joke, then good job. But if they're serious, then I'm totally lost. I mean, obviously, this took a long time to write out, so I wouldn't want to send back a simple "No thank you." But I just wouldn't be interested in this. I don't think anything I've written would suggest I'd enjoy writing it. I don't understand why he can't just write it himself though...

I'll keep you posted!
-LadyDaisy

Dear [sender]

Your highly detailed e-mail makes me wonder why you don't try and write your story yourself (it's not my scene).
You can get lots of help from Lit authors if you feel, shall we say, nervous or inexperienced about it.
Good Luck
Lady Daisy

 

[where_is_RUTH]

honesty is the best policy?

. x

Actually that doesn't work for guys. if you are nice then they linger. use the band-aid approach. "thanks but no thanks"

 

[Bramblethorn]

Advice above is good.

Another quite effective way of making people go away is to start talking prices - "okay, I can do you a commission, my rates start at 10c/word". Just make sure to set the price high enough that you won't mind if they do accept. (And ask for money up front.)

 

[werdsmith]

I feel so bad for the ladies here, but the above "sorry, don't have time" sounds like a good compromise.

-W

 

[OliviaM]

. x

Actually that doesn't work for guys. if you are nice then they linger. use the band-aid approach. "thanks but no thanks"

Sometimes a simple ignore/delete is the only correct response. There are guys who will take any response, no matter how straightforward, as a sign that you are willing to engage with them.

 

[ChloeTzang]

. x

Actually that doesn't work for guys. if you are nice then they linger. use the band-aid approach. "thanks but no thanks"

If they linger after that first polite brushoff, what seems to work best is to delete and never ever reply to anything they send and if they comment on your stories, delete the comments. That's worked for me with a couple that got out of line.

 

[TxRad]

Years back, I got an e-mail like that. After an edit with notes on holes in the story and a format, i sent the whole thing back to the lady. She now has over 40 stories posted here. Sometimes a little encouragement and a gentle push or two works a whole lot better than a shove.