Stories you are proud of

[Duleigh]

I'd have to go with my 14-part series Mrs. Cheng Pays the Debt"
https://www.literotica.com/s/mrs-cheng-pays-the-debt

I have had Asian women tell me that it is very realistic and not far from the reality of what some Asian women have experienced in real life. It is also not full of stereotypical dialogue and gives the heroine some agency, all of which has been praised -- Not bad for a middle-aged white boy!

I'm doing the same thing in "We're A Wonderful Wife" and I'm waiting (in terror) for the feedback

 

[Phantom300]

Proud of is such an odd thing to think about for me. I have stories I like more than others, ones that I think are better stories & Stories I think I could have done a better job at. I like all of them for different reasons to differing degrees.

I am proud that Jackin Jacks got the high ratings is has despite having no penetrative or oral sex between the 2 main characters in the story.

I am proud of the next one coming up, It is much longer than anything else I have written ( over twice as many words ) and took so much time to get out.

I am proud that my First story is one of my higher rated despite the terrible title.

 

[Zootonius]

My second series, A Lucky Flat Tire. I admit I liked my characters and wanted them to have plenty of good sex. The ratings implied many liked it despite my poor proof reading skills.

 

[Duleigh]

My second series, A Lucky Flat Tire. I admit I liked my characters and wanted them to have plenty of good sex. The ratings implied many liked it despite my poor proof reading skills.

Believe me, I'm with you on the proof reading. I wish the volunteer editor program still existed.

 

[Wark2002]

Certainly my NonErotic series “Silken Banners” is my overall proudest work. https://literotica.com/s/silken-banners-pt-01
I regret that none in the series received enough votes to make it eligible for monthly mention, being, of course, in that category (for those who don’t go there often there are some GREAT stories there). Those who read it have been very complimentary.
In the other sections, I am very happy with my work but I keep coming back to the story “Northern Lights,” my first published work here. https://literotica.com/s/northern-lights-4
It’s more or less autobiographical and I feel I kind of nailed the setting, the adolescent insecurity, and the experience.

 

[Blind_Justice]

Easy - every single one.

If I had to pick just one, I'd choose "Mud & Magic". It's a 340,000 word monstrosity which took three years to complete. Those who like it call it a fine example of the "Hero's Journey" format, and compliment my well-rounded characters.

Those who hate it got triggered by my usual brand of very open-minded sex and call it "a senseless descent into perversion and debauchery". That quote came from a StoriesOnline reader and feels rather tone deaf considering some of the sick shit that can be found there. That same guy complained that Rhys is a horrible person without telling me which of his failings made him so mad.

I try to find positives even in that kind of abuse. I kept him reading for 14 of 15 chapters and he left leaving an epic tantrum. So I at least caused him to feel something - even if it meant wading through a rather abusive comment in the end.

"No redeeming qualities?" That's a very nihilistic point of view. Last I checked, Rhys willingly threw himself into harm's way to save his friends at least three times. He stood by a deranged friend until it was irrefutable she had fallen to evil. He didn't discriminate anyone for race, gender, sexual habits or being undead. Over the course of the story, he went from sickly, abused farm boy to confident sorcerer and well-liked team player. He's not a chosen one or superhero able to single-handedly solve every problem. There's an abundance of those out there already and thanks to recent trends, they have been run into the ground from fucking orbit.

Yeah, I AM proud of "Mud and Magic", even if sub-arcs like the mad cleric Celeste have rubbed people the wrong way. No, that was not a spontaneous idea, the seeds had been planted as early as chapter 2 and her arc won't resolve until well into the next story. I'm no George RR Martin, but as a game master for D&D with around 30 years of experience, I have learned a few lessons in long-term storytelling.

 

[lovecraft68]

Story I'm most proud of:

The Next one. On lit, in the pay market, for people who share the same mind set as me, you're only as good as your last story.
A few seconds of satisfaction after typing "The End" the words "What's next?" follow. My wife argues that's not a great way to look at it, I should be thrilled to have another story, bask in the glow, enjoy the moment, etc...

For those that works for, that's great, enjoy. But regardless of what it is I've accomplished in life, its all about the thrill of the kill, and who's the next victim? Guess you could look at it like an addiction, that was a great rush, but it wears off quick and another fix is needed.

 

[YDB95]

Out of 120 stories to date:

My greatest hit, Grand Island, was a big surprise to me. With only two fairly vanilla sex scenes and an old-time setting in an era that wasn't very romantic in most respects, I wasn't expecting it to strike a chord with anyone here. I did put a lot of research into getting the historical details right (there really wasn't much snow in Chicago in December 1906, for example), but writing it didn't really feel fundamentally different from anything else I've written. It was just an idea I came up with on a very hot day when I was trying to think cold. But it was a huge hit, still gets a few favorites every month nearly a decade later, and I've had readers tell me they make a point of reading it every Christmas.

Another, earlier Christmas story, Three Kisses, One Past, got a lot of very touching feedback from bullying survivors. Having put up with a lot of that myself as a kid (some of which found its way into the story), I was - and still am - equal parts sorry there are so many others like me out there, and glad to know I'm not alone, and that the story meant so much to others. For years afterward I meant to write a sequel where Jack found true love, but it's never materialized. Maybe someday.

Last but not least, Chemistry of Love was a rare case where I really felt like I had something special even as I was writing it. (Readers agreed - it took second place in the April Fool's contest.) Rereading it now, I'm not even sure how I came up with all those interlocking twists and turns. Regardless, I remain very proud of it.

 

[jaykaythree]

So far, it's a tie between...

* https://literotica.com/s/naples-missouri It's my first one; it's got the best following of any of mine so far; and as I mentioned in an earlier discussion, it's somewhat loosely based on my wife and myself. So there's that.

* An NC/R story I currently have in the works. It's on pace to be my longest stand-alone, non-series story; It may even pass their combined length. Now I'm not one of those "quantity is quality" people, either in terms of word count or of incidences of sex detailed in the story; however, in this particular story, the sexual encounters are (or so I believe) central to the plot and to the characters. Time and publication will tell, I guess.

 

[BronzePlaceWriter]

I've got a bit of an interesting one. A story that I am somewhat proud of is Rebecca's New Life (https://literotica.com/s/rebeccas-new-life, for those interested.)

it's actually the third lowest story that I have published here at a rating of 4.42 and the only stories I have which are lower are short stories that I didn't really expect to make a big splash. Rebecca's New Life didn't really get the reception I wanted it too, and it ended up under performing a bit compared to what I would have expected.

Yet at the same time, I am very proud of that work. It was a commissioned piece, and the commissioner had very specific ideas about what he wanted. It went against my usual writing style, which is more about build up for most of a story culminating in only a few detailed sex scenes. In this case, the guy wanted to have a lot more sexual content which minimised the amount of buildup I could do. At first, I was worried that the sheer amount of stuff would reduce the quality - not so much in the first chapter, but certainly in parts 2 and 3.

It was a real challenge to me to try and fit everything in along with a coherent narrative and just generally make it all work smoothly and well. The commissioner was really cool too, and we ended up throwing a ton of ideas back and forth to get it to work.

I've done a fair few commissions now, but this is probably one of the ones which pushed me hardest and after I finished all three chapters, I burned out for a while, not gonna lie. Having so many sex scenes so close together forced me to vary my descriptions more, to address problems in my writing style which usually didn't matter but which became more apparent as they showed up in rapid succession. Ultimately, it made me sit back and deliberately change my writing style to account for what the commissioner wanted.

I can see why it didn't get the reception I would have wanted. It's still a very packed work, and that can put people off. If you're looking for plot over porn, it can feel like it's spinning its wheels and the subject matter too has put some people off. (I had one person say that it was terrifying xD)

Yeah, I wish it had gotten better attention. An''H'' would have been nice, but I am satisfied with it, with the effort that went into it, and with the product I eventually produced. I think it's one of the few works where you can look at them and say ''Yes, I was a better writer by the end of this.''

 

[Duleigh]

I've got a bit of an interesting one. A story that I am somewhat proud of is Rebecca's New Life (https://literotica.com/s/rebeccas-new-life, for those interested.)

it's actually the third lowest story that I have published here at a rating of 4.42 and the only stories I have which are lower are short stories that I didn't really expect to make a big splash. Rebecca's New Life didn't really get the reception I wanted it too, and it ended up under performing a bit compared to what I would have expected.

Yet at the same time, I am very proud of that work. It was a commissioned piece, and the commissioner had very specific ideas about what he wanted. It went against my usual writing style, which is more about build up for most of a story culminating in only a few detailed sex scenes. In this case, the guy wanted to have a lot more sexual content which minimised the amount of buildup I could do. At first, I was worried that the sheer amount of stuff would reduce the quality - not so much in the first chapter, but certainly in parts 2 and 3.

It was a real challenge to me to try and fit everything in along with a coherent narrative and just generally make it all work smoothly and well. The commissioner was really cool too, and we ended up throwing a ton of ideas back and forth to get it to work.

I've done a fair few commissions now, but this is probably one of the ones which pushed me hardest and after I finished all three chapters, I burned out for a while, not gonna lie. Having so many sex scenes so close together forced me to vary my descriptions more, to address problems in my writing style which usually didn't matter but which became more apparent as they showed up in rapid succession. Ultimately, it made me sit back and deliberately change my writing style to account for what the commissioner wanted.

I can see why it didn't get the reception I would have wanted. It's still a very packed work, and that can put people off. If you're looking for plot over porn, it can feel like it's spinning its wheels and the subject matter too has put some people off. (I had one person say that it was terrifying xD)

Yeah, I wish it had gotten better attention. An''H'' would have been nice, but I am satisfied with it, with the effort that went into it, and with the product I eventually produced. I think it's one of the few works where you can look at them and say ''Yes, I was a better writer by the end of this.''

Reception can be so weird here. I did my first NC/R story for the On the Job event The Private Photographer, I ended up hating it because it didn't go where I wanted it to go, (my characters did not cooperate). It's the lowest rated story I have, 4.34, yet at the same time it's got the most reads of any story I've published post 2008.

 

[NotWise]

I like a lot of my own stories. Big surprise, right?

That said, "The Third Ring" is the story I'm most proud of, and it isn't even entirely original. I read Loomis', "The Man Who Married the Moon" several years ago. It's the earliest telling I know of, of Native American stories from the US southwest. Loomis couches the stories in a very Victorian perspective.

I came up with the idea of retelling the title story of Loomis' book in a science fiction setting, and it took two years for my version to gel. What came out bears only a slight resemblance to the original. It came out with almost no erotic content, but I posted it to Lit anyway.

"The Third Ring" is a fairly short epic tragedy with an unusual telling. Writing it left me with a sense that I'd reached beyond my ability, and its few readers have mostly appreciated it despite its challenges.

 

[Phantom300]

Reception can be so weird here. I did my first NC/R story for the On the Job event The Private Photographer, I ended up hating it because it didn't go where I wanted it to go, (my characters did not cooperate). It's the lowest rated story I have, 4.34, yet at the same time it's got the most reads of any story I've published post 2008.

They say contest stories get way more views. My lowest rated one is a contest entry, but it is only one of three to have crossed the 100K views barrier. I know it is not my best work by far, and don't dispute its ranking in that regard but the score started out significantly higher in the first two days, then slid by 3 tenths a point in the first week before settling to where it remains today. I think the increased number of views might expose it to a more than normal share of sandbaggers, people voting it down to keep the number low for the contest.

Just a theory. And Not one that will discourage me from trying another contest should the inspiration strike.

 

[ElectricBlue]

They say contest stories get way more views. My lowest rated one is a contest entry, but it is only one of three to have crossed the 100K views barrier. I know it is not my best work by far, and don't dispute its ranking in that regard but the score started out significantly higher in the first two days, then slid by 3 tenths a point in the first week before settling to where it remains today. I think the increased number of views might expose it to a more than normal share of sandbaggers, people voting it down to keep the number low for the contest.

Just a theory. And Not one that will discourage me from trying another contest should the inspiration strike.

From my not very scientific analysis of the few contest stories I've submitted, I reckon being in the contest list brings maybe an additional ten per cent views, once the story goes off its category page and gets some more traffic from the contest list. Not much more than that.

And yes, I've seen a fairly significant downgrade in score from that last ten percent, which I put down to people wandering out of their usual category and getting all hissy when they read something they don't like. I don't think it's deliberate low voting to affect the contest ranking, I think it's more fucktards not being able to read tags and moaning because they've been squicked. They need to pay more attention.

 

[Duleigh]

They say contest stories get way more views. My lowest rated one is a contest entry, but it is only one of three to have crossed the 100K views barrier. I know it is not my best work by far, and don't dispute its ranking in that regard but the score started out significantly higher in the first two days, then slid by 3 tenths a point in the first week before settling to where it remains today. I think the increased number of views might expose it to a more than normal share of sandbaggers, people voting it down to keep the number low for the contest.

Just a theory. And Not one that will discourage me from trying another contest should the inspiration strike.

There's a difference between views and votes. My lowest rated story is racking up views at an astounding rate, it was part of an event, not a contest. I was disappointed with the Nude Day contest, my first ever, It appeared that there were childish agents out there that saw the clearest path to victory was down voting competition. I doubt they were authors doing that, but you never know...

 

[Athalia]

I have not one, but two:

"Summertime Sex Ed" was about how a girl lost her virginity in the best way possible. It has received good ratings and even a commentary on somebody's blog about how good stories should be told.

https://www.literotica.com/s/summertime-sex-ed

"Daughters of Priapus" was about a woman who went back to her sorority house forty years after she graduated and revived an initiation rite that involved having sex with a stone statue. Oddly, although I always thought it was the strongest story of the three main ones in the series, it holds the lowest score.

https://www.literotica.com/s/daughters-of-priapus

 

[MelissaBaby]

From my not very scientific analysis of the few contest stories I've submitted, I reckon being in the contest list brings maybe an additional ten per cent views, once the story goes off its category page and gets some more traffic from the contest list. Not much more than that.

And yes, I've seen a fairly significant downgrade in score from that last ten percent, which I put down to people wandering out of their usual category and getting all hissy when they read something they don't like. I don't think it's deliberate low voting to affect the contest ranking, I think it's more fucktards not being able to read tags and moaning because they've been squicked. They need to pay more attention.

I would say from my experience with contest winners/nominees, that you are right.

If you look at the Top Lists, you will see very few contest winners high on the list. I don't think that's about one bombing, but, as you said, winning draws attention of a different audience than the one that voted it so high. Both of my contest winners had scores around 4.95 when they won. They are now at 4.86 and 4.89.

Too bad, I already spent the prize money.

 

[Northstar4695]

I can't touch the records of the impressive writers here, but I am the most pleased with my most recent story.

The Way Back to the Sea

Of the few stories I have written it is the longest and with the least sex, but I was really excited about the way it came out. I got good feedback, but not very many reads. Such as it goes!

 

[Djmac1031]

Lots of interesting stories I'll definitely have to check out.

I'm proud of all of mine but if I have to choose one it would be The White Room.

https://literotica.com/s/the-white-room-4

It's, to date, the most complex one shot story I've ever attempted.

While technically a Sci fi story, it's more about what can happen when one's inhibitions are removed and you can explore yourself without guilt or shame.

 

[OtherwisePrint6210]

Proud of is such an odd thing to think about for me. I have stories I like more than others, ones that I think are better stories & Stories I think I could have done a better job at. I like all of them for different reasons to differing degrees.

I am proud that Jackin Jacks got the high ratings is has despite having no penetrative or oral sex between the 2 main characters in the story.

I am proud of the next one coming up, It is much longer than anything else I have written ( over twice as many words ) and took so much time to get out.

I am proud that my First story is one of my higher rated despite the terrible title.

Yep, I liked the start of First story.

 

[txblush]

I'm proud of my first story after a long dry spell of writing what I wasn't sure would come across as an authentic representation of a first BDSM encounter. I nailed it!