The AI Rejection Conversation Matters

[scbolder]

If you don't want to read another post about AI rejection then move on. However, I think this adds to the conversation based on everything I have read on here. Warning, it is quite long when you include the four versions of my story intro (explained below).

I know many are dismissive about the importance of having conversations with people who have been rejected for using AI. Getting a story blocked from publishing on Lit might not be a huge deal, but as this article (https://www.fastcompany.com/91074029/can-using-grammarly-set-off-ai-detection-software_) shows, there are real consequences for getting it wrong.

I have my personal story (below), but at the very least, I think Literotica needs a clear and straightforward AI policy. If using Grammarly or others to edit spelling and grammar will trigger the AI detection, SAY THAT, don't pretend that it is okay, and then accuse writers of largely composing their stories using AI.

I cannot speak for anyone but myself, and I know many will not believe what I say here or find reasons to pick at my story, but I think it is important to share how I found myself getting rejected for "using" AI.

I started publishing on Lit in 2020 and have been reading stories here for almost as long as it has existed. My first stories were rough, with me struggling to self-edit (as many do). I quickly sought out volunteer editors, but after using four of them, long waits, ghosting, and unsatisfactory results discouraged me from continuing to use VE's. I turned to Grammarly, which, at the time, no one seemed to have any issue with on Lit.

Was it perfect? Of course not, but I was happier with the results of my work when I used it. I re-edited many of my stories using it and published an unfinished nine-part series under a different pen name using it and several stories under this one. I was happy, my readers seemed happy, and there were no problems getting anything published when I stopped publishing on Lit in late 2022. I recently returned to Lit and published two stories with no issues using the same editing process.

To be clear, my use of Grammarly has not changed over the years. I tend to write my first draft in Pages with spelling and grammar check turned off. I write faster this way and can get into a good flow. However, I make a lot of typos, misuse homophones, leave out entire words, and my comma usage becomes erratic at best. Needless to say, it is not publishable at this point.

I then turn on the crappy spelling and grammar check in Pages and do a read-through, correcting what I see and what is marked (that I agree with) by the program. This draft is usually better, but only slightly, because I truly do suck at proofreading my own work without it being pointed out.

My next step is to load it into the free web version of Grammarly and correct or ignore everything with a red underline. I will then give a final read-through, taking note of the yellow "premium suggestions" as areas to focus on. Now, for those that don't know, these are only marked on the free version, and there are no suggestions for fixing the issue, only that there might be an issue. What this does for me is let me focus on those spots for further examination and determine if I want to change them myself. For me, most of these are a result of passive voice or comma usage. I fix the ones I want and leave the others.

This is usually when I am happy enough to publish. At most, I will give another read-through to make sure.

Please note, that at no point in the process have I selected the "Generative AI" function or used any suggestions from Grammarly other than things like "peek not peak," "self-edit not self-edit," "inset comma," "remove comma," and run of the mill spelling that slipped through Pages inadequate spell check.

So, it is no surprise that I am confused when I see this message in my rejected story:

"Are you using Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Quillbot or similar software? Many modern writing packages incorporate AI. If you are using a grammar check program sparingly (as a spellcheck, to fix punctuation, review grammar, and/or occasionally as a thesaurus), that should be fine. If you are allowing a grammar check program to “rewrite” your words, that may cross the line into AI generated text/stories. Please see this FAQ for more information: https://literotica.com/faq/publishing/publishing-ai"

I read through the FAQ and came to the conclusion that I am not violating the AI terms. Especially since I have not changed my editing habits since before Grammarly introduced the new "AI" features. I promptly read through my story to see if anything stood out and resubmitted it with a few edits and a note:

"I am resubmitting this story because it was rejected for suspected use of AI. I have made some minor edits, as I decided to reread to see if anything stood out, but I can assure you that while I use the free version of Grammarly for spelling, punctuation, and other grammatical issues, I do not and have never used the generative AI function to create text for me. I have had the same editing process since at least my Late Night Truth or Dare series, including my two recent submissions. Thank you."

I should also point out that the story that was rejected, was the first part of the series I had previously published in 2022 under a different pen name and since removed.

I had two more stories in the queue, both of which were also rejected, as well as my resubmission of the first rejection, this time with a comment in response to my note of:

"Hello! We appreciate the effort you put into your work. In recent months, Grammarly has added generative AI to its product - so while previous works may have been not affected, any works you processed through Grammarly post-AI may introduce generative AI with its rephrasing features. We've checked this work several times and it is still coming back as being composed largely of AI-generated prose. Please see this FAQ for more information: https://literotica.com/faq/publishing/publishing-ai"

This is when I became angry. Not only were my assertions being dismissed, it was being blatantly stated that my work was "composed largely of AI-generated prose," by the AI that is reviewing for AI. I could understand if Literotica is taking a zero-tolerance approach and blocking anything that passed through Grammarly (which they are not saying), but to accuse me of using work generated by an AI, not just edited, makes me feel like I am being dismissed and tossed aside without being heard. I write my own stories.

It should be noted that a week prior to this second rejection of my story, I messaged @Laurel explaining my situation and providing the first 2500 characters of my new story in three different edits. I hadn't edited it before getting the rejection and reaching out allowing me to do this (I have deleted the first drafts of my other stories).

For those of you who doubt my story or think it is a matter of my "style." Please, read the four versions (I added one more than I sent to Laurel) of my intro below (unedited, edited in Pages, Only the red underlines in Grammarly, final Grammarly edit as described above). I know I am no great author, but I hope you can see that this can't be AI, if only because of the copious mistakes in the first draft and the lack of major changes in the last. Be honest, and think about whether this should be banned or not. I have not submitted it yet, but it is 100% representative of what I have done in writing and editing three banned stories and numerous published ones before those.

I have taken to time and risk to expose my writing process, showing the flaws of my early drafts, and if you choose to read them, I hope you take the time to think about the impact of the Literotica AI policies as they currently stand.

I have no influence on the workings of Lit, and I don't know if any of you do, but what I know is that when I read the threads about AI rejections I see many dismissive or downright mean comments towards people who are frustrated by being excluded from a system that has been so welcoming for so long. Is everyone telling the truth about their AI usage? I have no idea, but I am, and I am willing to bet most people are. There really is no reason to lie. In all honesty, there is no reason to try and publish AI-generated writing on Lit in my opinion (although I don't doubt it is being done). We are not making money and most of us simply want an audience and feedback. I am happy that people (mostly) like my stories, and I wouldn't get the same feeling if I had not written them myself.

I honestly don't know if I will respond to or even read the responses to this. I am tired, have other issues going on in my life, and just want to write as an escape. Literotica is no longer a happy place for me. I just wanted to say my piece and give the doubters of those struggling to figure out what's going on something more to think about. I think we deserve that.


For context, this is the start of Chapter 8 of a previously abandoned series of mine. The graduation being referred to is college, not high school, and of course, everyone is over eighteen, not that there is any sex in this part.

 

[scbolder]

Unedited

“Should we have a party for your brother’s graduation?” Jennifer asked her daughter as they ate breakfest, both only in oersized t-shirts.

When Jennifer’s divorce had finalized with Sarah and Bobby’s father, she had moved near her daughter, buying a house on a few acres outside of Scottsdale. Sarah had moved in despite the longer commute, as she’d grown tired of living in the dorms. Ashley, still lived in the dorms, but spent most of her time in the house as she felt more comfortable there. The longer the school year drug on, the less she wanted to sleep on a twin bed. The three women were happy and often had fun together, but non of them had fucked a guy since winter break.

Jennifer had given in to her feelings for Sarah’s half brother, and her husbands love child, Ian and despite his pleas for her to get out and experience other men, she was saving herself for him. Sure, she’d fooled around with Ashley and Sarah, but she didn’t count that as they all realized they came as some sort of weird package. If you bought into one you got everyone for the same price, whether you liked it or not.

Sarah, for much the same reasons, was saving herself for her brother Bobby. She’d tried fucking around her first semester, but nothing felt right and in the end, she decided she’d just wait for Bobby to graduate and move in with her and their mom. It would be crowded with Ashley in the house, but they were all going to be family once Ashley popped out Bobby’s child in a month. She knew the neighbors would give them all weird looks, but no one knew the true relationships, so there was no fear of being condermed for incest, just run of the mill polyamory.

Ashley, for her part, had continued to sleep with as many guys as she could until they stopped wanting to. The faucet turned off for her early in the second semester. Guys she’d been fuck buddies with no longer wanted to hang out. New recruits were often turned off by her. She’d gained some weight, but utltimate she just chaulked it up to them still being boys. She needed a man. She needed a soon to be college graduate. She needed Bobby.

“For sure, we have to through him a party,” Sarah replied with an enormice smile. “I know he’s going to be tired, but if we can invite all the girls and Ian, then I’m sure he’ll perk up and have a great time.”

“If he doesn’t, then we can have fun without him,” Jennifer replied, “I’ve been dying to see Ian. I can’t believe he couldn’t take spring break because of Baseball. I can’t wait to get him inside me again.”

“Why don’t you just go down there and visit him like you did at halloween?”

“I’ve thought about it, but he’s in college. I want him to be having fun fucking girls his age. I don’t want him to spend his entire time thinking about me and not having fun. If he chooses me in the end, then we can have fun for the rest of our lives. But I want to make sure he chooses me after he’s had a selection of what is out there.”

“I guess that makes sense, but it’s not like you are going out an trying on new men after you left dad. Nor am I fucking all the guys I can. I’m just waiting for Bobby, and you seem okay with that.”

“I am. You’re doing everything all right. But men are different. They want to sow their oats, and I just want to make sure the Ian feels like her can without me looking over his shoulder and questionign each girl he ends up fucking,” Jennifer grimized. “And with you, your brother will be here in a month. It’s not like he has another three years before he graduates.”

“Okay. I see your point, but I am sure Ian is just as excited to see you as you are him,” Sarah smiled as she placed he hand on her mothers thigh, rubbing gently as she inched under the hem of her night shirt.


Edited in Pages

“Should we have a party for your brother’s graduation?” Jennifer asked Sarah as they ate breakfast, both only in oversized t-shirts, their pussies peaking out from a low angle, and their breasts swaying freely as they shifted in their seats, albeit, Jennifer’s much ore than her daughters.

When Jennifer’s divorce had finalized with Sarah and Bobby’s father, she had moved near her daughter, buying a house on a few acres outside of Scottsdale. Sarah had moved in despite the longer commute, as she’d grown tired of living in the dorms and the party scene in Tempe.

Ashley, who’d gone to college with Sarah, still lived in the dorms, but spent most of her time in Jennifer’s house as she felt more comfortable there. The longer the school year drug on, the less she wanted to sleep on a twin bed, opting to share a queen with Sarah most nights. Occasionally, they’d both sleep with Jennifer in the master. The three women were happy and often had fun together, but non of them had fucked a guy since winter break.

Jennifer had given in to her feelings for Sarah’s half brother, and her husband’s love child, Ian, and despite his pleas for her to get out and experience other men, she was saving herself for him. Sure, she’d fooled around with Ashley and Sarah, but she didn’t count that as they all realized they came as some sort of weird package. If you bought into one you got everyone for the same price, whether you liked it or not.

Sarah, for much the same reasons, was saving herself for her brother Bobby. She’d tried fucking around her first semester, but nothing felt right and in the end, she decided she’d just wait for Bobby to graduate and move in with her and their mom. It would be crowded with Ashley in the house, but they were all going to be family, lovers, and roommates, depending on how you looked at it. She knew the neighbors would give them weird looks, but no one knew the true relationships, so there was no fear of being condemned for incest, just run of the mill polyamory.

Ashley, for her part, had continued to sleep with as many guys as she could until they stopped wanting to. The faucet turned off for her early in the second semester. Guys she’d been fuck buddies with no longer wanted to hang out. New recruits were often turned off by her. She’d gained some weight, but ultimately she just chalked it up to them still being boys. Once she started to look at them differently, they treated her in kind. She needed a man. She needed a soon to be college graduate. She needed Bobby.

“For sure, we have to throw him a party,” Sarah replied with an enormous smile. “I know he’s going to be tired, but if we can invite all the girls and Ian, then I’m sure he’ll perk up and have a great time.”

“If he doesn’t, then we can have fun without him,” Jennifer replied, “I’ve been dying to see Ian. I can’t believe he couldn’t take spring break because of Baseball. I can’t wait to get him inside me again.”

“Why don’t you just go down there and visit him like you did at halloween?”

“I’ve thought about it, but he’s in college. I want him to be having fun fucking girls his age. I don’t want him to spend his entire time thinking about me. If he chooses me in the end, then we can have fun for the rest of our lives. But I want to make sure he chooses me after he’s had a selection of what’s out there.”

“I guess that makes sense, but it’s not like you’re going out and trying on new men after you left dad. Nor am I fucking all the guys I can. I’m just waiting for Bobby, and you seem okay with that.”

“I am. You’re doing everything all right. But men are different. They want to sow their oats, and I just want to make sure the Ian feels like he can without me looking over his shoulder and questioning each girl he ends up fucking,” Jennifer grimaced. “And with you, your brother will be here in a month. It’s not like he has another three years before he graduates.”

“Okay. I see your point, but I’m sure Ian’s just as excited to see you as you are him,” Sarah smiled as she placed he hand on her mothers thigh, rubbing gently as she inched under the hem of her night shirt.

 

[scbolder]

Grammarly "Red Underlines" Edit

"Should we have a party for your brother's graduation?" Jennifer asked Sarah as they ate breakfast, both only in oversized t-shirts, their pussies peeking out from a low angle, and their breasts swaying freely as they shifted in their seats, albeit, Jennifer's much more than her daughters.

When Jennifer's divorce had finalized with Sarah and Bobby's father, she had moved near her daughter, buying a house on a few acres outside of Scottsdale. Sarah had moved in despite the longer commute, as she'd grown tired of living in the dorms and the party scene in Tempe.

Ashley, who'd gone to college with Sarah, still lived in the dorms but spent most of her time in Jennifer's house as she felt more comfortable there. The longer the school year drug on, the less she wanted to sleep on a twin bed, opting to share a queen with Sarah most nights. Occasionally, they'd both sleep with Jennifer in the master. The three women were happy and often had fun together, but none of them had fucked a guy since winter break.

Jennifer had given in to her feelings for Sarah's half-brother, and her husband's love child, Ian, and despite his pleas for her to get out and experience other men, she was saving herself for him. Sure, she'd fooled around with Ashley and Sarah, but she didn't count that as they all realized they came as some sort of weird package. If you bought into one you got everyone for the same price, whether you liked it or not.

Sarah, for much the same reasons, was saving herself for her brother Bobby. She'd tried fucking around her first semester, but nothing felt right and in the end, she decided she'd just wait for Bobby to graduate and move in with her and their mom. It would be crowded with Ashley in the house, but they were all going to be family, lovers, and roommates, depending on how you looked at it. She knew the neighbors would give them weird looks, but no one knew the true relationships, so there was no fear of being condemned for incest, just run-of-the-mill polyamory.

Ashley, for her part, had continued to sleep with as many guys as she could until they stopped wanting to. The faucet turned off for her early in the second semester. Guys she'd been fuck buddies with no longer wanted to hang out. New recruits were often turned off by her. She'd gained some weight, but ultimately she just chalked it up to them still being boys. Once she started to look at them differently, they treated her in kind. She needed a man. She needed a soon-to-be college graduate. She needed Bobby.

"For sure, we have to throw him a party," Sarah replied with an enormous smile. "I know he's going to be tired, but if we can invite all the girls and Ian, then I'm sure he'll perk up and have a great time."

"If he doesn't, then we can have fun without him," Jennifer replied, "I've been dying to see Ian. I can't believe he couldn't take spring break because of Baseball. I can't wait to get him inside me again."

"Why don't you just go down there and visit him like you did at Halloween?"

"I've thought about it, but he's in college. I want him to be having fun fucking girls his age. I don't want him to spend his entire time thinking about me. If he chooses me in the end, then we can have fun for the rest of our lives. But I want to make sure he chooses me after he's had a selection of what's out there."

"I guess that makes sense, but it's not like you're going out and trying on new men after you left Dad. Nor am I fucking all the guys I can. I'm just waiting for Bobby, and you seem okay with that."

"I am. You're doing everything all right. But men are different. They want to sow their oats, and I just want to make sure Ian feels like he can without me looking over his shoulder and questioning each girl he ends up fucking," Jennifer grimaced. "And with you, your brother will be here in a month. It's not like he has another three years before he graduates."

"Okay. I see your point, but I'm sure Ian's just as excited to see you as you are him," Sarah smiled as she placed he hand on her mother's thigh, rubbing gently as she inched under the hem of her nightshirt.


Final Edit

“Should we have a party for your brother’s graduation?” Jennifer asked Sarah as they ate breakfast, both only wearing oversized t-shirts, their pussies peeking out from a low angle and their breasts swaying freely as they shifted in their seats, albeit Jennifer’s much more than her daughters.

When Jennifer’s divorce had finalized with Sarah and Bobby’s father, she had moved near her daughter, buying a house on a few acres outside of Scottsdale. Sarah had moved in despite the longer commute, as she’d grown tired of living in the dorms and the party scene in Tempe.

Ashley, who’d moved to college with Sarah, still lived in the dorms but spent most of her time at Jennifer’s house as she felt more comfortable there. The longer the school year drug on, the less she wanted to sleep alone in a twin bed, opting to share a queen with Sarah most nights. Occasionally, they’d both sleep with Jennifer in the master. The three women were happy and often had fun together, but none of them had fucked a guy since winter break.

Jennifer had given in to her feelings for Sarah’s half-brother and her husband’s love child, Ian, and despite his pleas for her to get out and experience other men, she was saving herself for him. Sure, she’d fooled around with Ashley and Sarah, but she didn’t count that as they all realized they came as some sort of weird package. If you bought into one, you got everyone for the same price, whether you liked it or not.

Sarah, for much the same reasons, was saving herself for her brother Bobby. She’d tried fucking around her first semester, but nothing felt right, and in the end, she decided she’d just wait for Bobby to graduate and move in with her and their mom. It would be crowded with Ashley in the house, but they would all be family, lovers, and roommates, depending on how you viewed it. She knew the neighbors would give them weird looks but no one knew their blood relations, so there was no fear of being condemned for incest, just run-of-the-mill polyamory.

Ashley, for her part, had continued to sleep with as many guys as she could until they stopped wanting to. The faucet turned off for her early in the second semester. Guys she’d been fuck buddies with no longer wanted to hang out. New recruits were often turned off by her. She’d gained some weight, but ultimately, she just chalked it up to them still being boys. Once she started to look at them differently, they treated her in kind. She needed a man. She needed a soon-to-be college graduate. She needed Bobby. They were not Bobby.

“For sure, we have to throw him a party,” Sarah replied with an enormous smile. “I know he’s going to be tired, but if we can invite all the girls and Ian, then I’m sure he’ll perk up and have a great time.”

“If he doesn’t, then we can have fun without him,” Jennifer replied, “I’ve been dying to see Ian. I can’t believe he couldn’t take spring break because of Baseball. I can’t wait to get him inside me again.”

“Why don’t you just go down there and visit him like you did at Halloween?”

“I’ve thought about it, but he’s in college. I want him to be having fun fucking girls his age. I don’t want him to spend his entire time thinking about me. If he chooses me in the end, then we can have fun for the rest of our lives. But I want to make sure he chooses me after he’s had a selection of what’s out there.”

“I guess that makes sense, but it’s not like you’re going out and trying on new men after you left Dad. Nor am I fucking all the guys I can. I’m just waiting for Bobby, and you seem okay with that.”

“I am. You’re doing everything right. But men are different. They want to sow their oats, and I just want to make sure Ian feels like he can without me looking over his shoulder and questioning each girl he ends up fucking,” Jennifer grimaced. “And with you, your brother will be here in a month. It’s not like he has another three years before he graduates.”

“I see your point, but I’m sure Ian’s just as excited to see you as you are him,” Sarah smiled as she placed he hand on her mother's thigh, rubbing gently, as she inched under the hem of her nightshirt.



**Edit: Adding Bold**

 

[MillieDynamite]

For publishing my work for sale, neither I nor my editor checks for AI-like structure. But when the work has run its course in the sales stream, we both go back through them to check on at least two separate platforms for flagged sentences. The problem is that it's counterproductive to pour effort into something you've already made money for so you can put it here without fear of being accused of using AI. If you don't write for the paying public, you write your own work and publish it here for the joy of writing and sharing, the act of sanitizing it of something that can be similar to AI; you're doing a lot of extra work to share your efforts here.

Those checkers flag commonly used sentences as AI just because they are commonly used. Perhaps doing so makes all your work more original. But again, you aren't making a dime on the effort.

Meanwhile, the site managers spend money and time checking for AI-like writing even though those checkers are, at best, inaccurate to a large degree. I don't see any evidence of diminished postings. Jo doesn't see any overall improvement in writing quality on the site. (Yes, I don't read as much here as I should)

I'm wondering what all the fuss really is about.

That's my humble opinion.

 

[StillStunned]

Honestly, in every version you'll have lost me as a reader with the very first sentence.

“Should we have a party for your brother’s graduation?” Jennifer asked her daughter as they ate breakfest, both only in oersized t-shirts.

“Should we have a party for your brother’s graduation?” Jennifer asked Sarah as they ate breakfast, both only in oversized t-shirts, their pussies peaking out from a low angle, and their breasts swaying freely as they shifted in their seats, albeit, Jennifer’s much ore than her daughters.

"Should we have a party for your brother's graduation?" Jennifer asked Sarah as they ate breakfast, both only in oversized t-shirts, their pussies peeking out from a low angle, and their breasts swaying freely as they shifted in their seats, albeit, Jennifer's much more than her daughters.

“Should we have a party for your brother’s graduation?” Jennifer asked Sarah as they ate breakfast, both only wearing oversized t-shirts, their pussies peeking out from a low angle and their breasts swaying freely as they shifted in their seats, albeit Jennifer’s much more than her daughters.

Not only are they too long in every version after the first, there's too much information that doesn't belong in the same sentence. I've not made a detailed study of AI texts, but one thing I've noticed is an inability break the information up into logical portions.

Compare your final edit with this:

“Should we have a party for your brother’s graduation?” Jennifer asked Sarah as they ate their breakfast. Both were wearing only oversized t-shirts, their pussies peeking out from a low angle. Their breasts swayed freely each time they shifted in their seats, albeit Jennifer’s much more than her daughter's.

Even then, I'd suggest a new paragraph to describe their clothes, and something to explain why: it's a hot day, for instance, or they'd only just got out of bed. And I'm not sure how to interpret "their pussies peeking out from a low angle".

So:

“Should we have a party for your brother’s graduation?” Jennifer asked Sarah as they ate their breakfast.

The day promised to be another scorcher, and they wore only t-shirts that were too short to prevent their pussies from peeking out. Their breasts swayed freely each time they shifted in their seats, albeit Jennifer’s much more than her daughter's.

 

[SimonDoom]

Final Edit

“Should we have a party for your brother’s graduation?” Jennifer asked Sarah as they ate breakfast, both only wearing oversized t-shirts, their pussies peeking out from a low angle and their breasts swaying freely as they shifted in their seats, albeit Jennifer’s much more than her daughters.

When Jennifer’s divorce had finalized with Sarah and Bobby’s father, she had moved near her daughter, buying a house on a few acres outside of Scottsdale. Sarah had moved in despite the longer commute, as she’d grown tired of living in the dorms and the party scene in Tempe.

Ashley, who’d moved to college with Sarah, still lived in the dorms but spent most of her time at Jennifer’s house as she felt more comfortable there. The longer the school year drug on, the less she wanted to sleep alone in a twin bed, opting to share a queen with Sarah most nights. Occasionally, they’d both sleep with Jennifer in the master. The three women were happy and often had fun together, but none of them had fucked a guy since winter break.

Jennifer had given in to her feelings for Sarah’s half-brother and her husband’s love child, Ian, and despite his pleas for her to get out and experience other men, she was saving herself for him. Sure, she’d fooled around with Ashley and Sarah, but she didn’t count that as they all realized they came as some sort of weird package. If you bought into one, you got everyone for the same price, whether you liked it or not.

Sarah, for much the same reasons, was saving herself for her brother Bobby. She’d tried fucking around her first semester, but nothing felt right, and in the end, she decided she’d just wait for Bobby to graduate and move in with her and their mom. It would be crowded with Ashley in the house, but they would all be family, lovers, and roommates, depending on how you viewed it. She knew the neighbors would give them weird looks but no one knew their blood relations, so there was no fear of being condemned for incest, just run-of-the-mill polyamory.

Ashley, for her part, had continued to sleep with as many guys as she could until they stopped wanting to. The faucet turned off for her early in the second semester. Guys she’d been fuck buddies with no longer wanted to hang out. New recruits were often turned off by her. She’d gained some weight, but ultimately, she just chalked it up to them still being boys. Once she started to look at them differently, they treated her in kind. She needed a man. She needed a soon-to-be college graduate. She needed Bobby. They were not Bobby.

“For sure, we have to throw him a party,” Sarah replied with an enormous smile. “I know he’s going to be tired, but if we can invite all the girls and Ian, then I’m sure he’ll perk up and have a great time.”

“If he doesn’t, then we can have fun without him,” Jennifer replied, “I’ve been dying to see Ian. I can’t believe he couldn’t take spring break because of Baseball. I can’t wait to get him inside me again.”

“Why don’t you just go down there and visit him like you did at Halloween?”

“I’ve thought about it, but he’s in college. I want him to be having fun fucking girls his age. I don’t want him to spend his entire time thinking about me. If he chooses me in the end, then we can have fun for the rest of our lives. But I want to make sure he chooses me after he’s had a selection of what’s out there.”

“I guess that makes sense, but it’s not like you’re going out and trying on new men after you left Dad. Nor am I fucking all the guys I can. I’m just waiting for Bobby, and you seem okay with that.”

“I am. You’re doing everything right. But men are different. They want to sow their oats, and I just want to make sure Ian feels like he can without me looking over his shoulder and questioning each girl he ends up fucking,” Jennifer grimaced. “And with you, your brother will be here in a month. It’s not like he has another three years before he graduates.”

“I see your point, but I’m sure Ian’s just as excited to see you as you are him,” Sarah smiled as she placed he hand on her mother's thigh, rubbing gently, as she inched under the hem of her nightshirt.



**Edit: Adding Bold**

I'm sorry you are having this problem with the Site. I believe your story. But having read the portions of your story in various versions, I think I understand why the Site is doing what it's doing. To me, your story reads like it's AI-generated. Your sentences are repetitively over-long, for one, with too many phrases and clauses strung together. Mix long sentences with short ones. You put phrases and clauses together that don't quite make sense to me, such as in the very first paragraph, as StillStunned pointed out. There's too much explanation. It doesn't feel quite right.

I agree with all of StillStunned's comments on your text.

The dialogue reads funny to me. The sentences are too long, and people do not speak in the real world in long sentences with perfect grammar. Insert errors into the dialogue. Make sentences shorter and more staccato. Add human filler words like "like" and "you know" into the dialogue.


This makes me wonder if what's happening is that AI is influencing what people think is "correct" prose, and people are starting to emulate it. Those of us who wrote before AI don't write in AI style and may not be having the problem to the same degree.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I understand your frustration, even though I've never had any story rejected for AI. In my opinion, the approach Lit is taking towards AI is somewhat resembling the way they are doing some other things as well. Lack of communication with authors and arbitrary way (from our perspective) of dealing with story submissions. We have no way of knowing or testing if some story will get rejected by the mystery tool they are using. The generic rejection info doesn't help much either, as far as I have seen. This is just one more problem that could be vastly reduced by proper communication from the website owners/admins but they seem to be adamant in their silence.

 

[StillStunned]

This makes me wonder if what's happening is that AI is influencing what people think is "correct" prose, and people are starting to emulate it. Those of us who wrote before AI don't write in AI style and may not be having the problem to the same degree.

This could very well be a factor, combined with modern ways of communication that barely require any writing. The gap between writing-to-communicate and writing-to-entertain or writing-to-inform has never been greater. Anyone who makes an effort to make their writing sound "proper" could easily base their style on the same informative prose that seems to be used to feed AI generators.

 

[ElectricBlue]

This makes me wonder if what's happening is that AI is influencing what people think is "correct" prose, and people are starting to emulate it. Those of us who wrote before AI don't write in AI style and may not be having the problem to the same degree.

I wonder what the data would show if you took an age slice of those affected by the AI allegations and those who don't have problems getting stories published. I reckon there'd be a skew towards younger writers coming unstuck.

 

[SimonDoom]

I wonder what the data would show if you took an age slice of those affected by the AI allegations and those who don't have problems getting stories published. I reckon there'd be a skew towards younger writers coming unstuck.

I'd be curious to hear from the youngsters here. I think the middle-aged and older among us are over-represented in this forum.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I'd be curious to hear from the youngsters here. I think the middle-aged and older among us are over-represented in this forum.

Not sure that I qualify as a youngster anymore, but I’m not that much older than - to pick an AI-related example @Portly_Penguin - I don’t use Grammarly at all.

Emily

 

[SimonDoom]

Not sure that I qualify as a youngster anymore, but I’m not that much older than - to pick an AI-related example @Portly_Penguin - I don’t use Grammarly at all.

Emily

Have you ever had an AI rejection problem? I'm guessing not. From what I've read of your stories, you have a distinctive style. For instance, you use many fragments in place of complete sentences. I would guess that's a very non-AI thing to do.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Have you ever had an AI rejection problem? I'm guessing not. From what I've read of your stories, you have a distinctive style. For instance, you use many fragments in place of complete sentences. I would guess that's a very non-AI thing to do.

No - I’ve had rejections, but not for AI.

Emily

 

[EmilyMiller]

Have you ever had an AI rejection problem? I'm guessing not. From what I've read of your stories, you have a distinctive style. For instance, you use many fragments in place of complete sentences. I would guess that's a very non-AI thing to do.

I’ve even experimented with writing in a more traditional style. Still went through fine.

Emily

 

[lustychimera]

This makes me wonder if what's happening is that AI is influencing what people think is "correct" prose, and people are starting to emulate it

Sounds like that's what they're doing:

I will then give a final read-through, taking note of the yellow "premium suggestions" as areas to focus on.

Even though it's in their own words, they're rewriting the portions that the AI points out to make the AI happy.

Lit's policy is this:

With the proliferation of “smart” writing software and spelling/grammar apps in the last few years, questions arise about whether a story using these tools should be considered AI generated or human written. If blocks of text are being generated by a machine, that’s clearly AI writing. If software helps correct spelling and grammar in text that a human author has written, that’s probably not an AI generated story.

While the guy may be technically within those guidelines, it's certainly understandable how, if that's Lit's stance, that this guy's writing could often trigger AI detection if they're rewriting the parts that AI tells them to.

The reoccurring theme in these posts is that spelling is okay, but grammar rewrites-- even just the markups--is where it starts to get iffy.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I'm sorry you are having this problem with the Site. I believe your story. But having read the portions of your story in various versions, I think I understand why the Site is doing what it's doing. To me, your story reads like it's AI-generated. Your sentences are repetitively over-long, for one, with too many phrases and clauses strung together. Mix long sentences with short ones. You put phrases and clauses together that don't quite make sense to me, such as in the very first paragraph, as StillStunned pointed out. There's too much explanation. It doesn't feel quite right.

I agree with all of StillStunned's comments on your text.

The dialogue reads funny to me. The sentences are too long, and people do not speak in the real world in long sentences with perfect grammar. Insert errors into the dialogue. Make sentences shorter and more staccato. Add human filler words like "like" and "you know" into the dialogue.


This makes me wonder if what's happening is that AI is influencing what people think is "correct" prose, and people are starting to emulate it. Those of us who wrote before AI don't write in AI style and may not be having the problem to the same degree.

We are once again back to the narrative that authors should adjust their writing to pass some arbitrary AI tool test.
There is validity in your advice, but as far as I understood, the OP didn't post those four versions so we could point out the problems in his writing. He posted them to show how little adjustment he makes due to Grammarly suggestions concerning his grammar, spelling, and punctuation. If bad writing was a cause for AI rejection then at least half of the daily submissions to this website would never get published.
There needs to be some consistency and rationale behind the rejection beyond the "The tool we use (which we won't name) decided it was written by AI."

 

[scbolder]

Honestly, in every version you'll have lost me as a reader with the very first sentence.







Not only are they too long in every version after the first, there's too much information that doesn't belong in the same sentence. I've not made a detailed study of AI texts, but one thing I've noticed is an inability break the information up into logical portions.

Compare your final edit with this:

Even then, I'd suggest a new paragraph to describe their clothes, and something to explain why: it's a hot day, for instance, or they'd only just got out of bed. And I'm not sure how to interpret "their pussies peeking out from a low angle".

So:

I appreciate the advice and agree that I should split that into a new paragraph. I know I have a lot to learn and improve on in my writing. However, if this is what is tripping up the AI detectors then basically I am not a good enough writer to publish on Lit anymore, which is ironic since I am publishing here to try and get better.

 

[scbolder]

I'm sorry you are having this problem with the Site. I believe your story. But having read the portions of your story in various versions, I think I understand why the Site is doing what it's doing. To me, your story reads like it's AI-generated. Your sentences are repetitively over-long, for one, with too many phrases and clauses strung together. Mix long sentences with short ones. You put phrases and clauses together that don't quite make sense to me, such as in the very first paragraph, as StillStunned pointed out. There's too much explanation. It doesn't feel quite right.

Thank you for your feedback.

It's funny, because when I first started publishing on Lit (before I heard of Grammarly), I was getting feedback from the VE's I used that I had too many fragments and short sentences. I've been trying to write longer sentences since then, but not because of Grammarly.

I know I am not a great fiction writer, but as I told StillStunned, it is a little ironic that it seems like I am not good enough to pass the AI detection and therefore am loosing the outlet that motivates me to write more and get better. I'll go through and edit this piece with your advice, and hopefully it works, but otherwise it sounds like I have to spend a lot of time writing stories that I can't publish to get good enough to publish (despite having over 4.5 ratings for all my works so far).

 

[scbolder]

Sounds like that's what they're doing:



Even though it's in their own words, they're rewriting the portions that the AI points out to make the AI happy.

Lit's policy is this:



While the guy may be technically within those guidelines, it's certainly understandable how, if that's Lit's stance, that this guy's writing could often trigger AI detection if they're rewriting the parts that AI tells them to.

The reoccurring theme in these posts is that spelling is okay, but grammar rewrites-- even just the markups--is where it starts to get iffy.

I get what you are saying, but I don't agree that I should be flagged because I saw a yellow mark under some text and then realized myself that it was in passive voice and then changed it myself. If I had used a human editor that pointed out it was in passive voice and I changed it then no one would have an issue. I get there is a professional issue with displacing editors, but since I would not pay anyone to edit my work for Lit I don't think this applies here. So, my question is, how is this AI usage? If it isn't, then I shouldn't be banned from publishing because I did this.

Also, from other commenters, it sounds like I just write like and AI, which I just find weird to comprehend as a reason to not be able to publish on Lit.

 

[scbolder]

We are once again back to the narrative that authors should adjust their writing to pass some arbitrary AI tool test.
There is validity in your advice, but as far as I understood, the OP didn't post those four versions so we could point out the problems in his writing. He posted them to show how little adjustment he makes due to Grammarly suggestions concerning his grammar, spelling, and punctuation. If bad writing was a cause for AI rejection then at least half of the daily submissions to this website would never get published.
There needs to be some consistency and rationale behind the rejection beyond the "The tool we use (which we won't name) decided it was written by AI."

Thank you. That is exactly why I posted the edits, although I don't mind the feedback about my writing as I am trying to get better. Ironically, I publish to Lit to motivate me and get feedback about my writing, and if I can't do that because I am not good enough and therefore write like AI then I probably won't write nearly as much, leading me to not get good enough to publish on Lit.

 

[SimonDoom]

Thank you for your feedback.

It's funny, because when I first started publishing on Lit (before I heard of Grammarly), I was getting feedback from the VE's I used that I had too many fragments and short sentences. I've been trying to write longer sentences since then, but not because of Grammarly.

I know I am not a great fiction writer, but as I told StillStunned, it is a little ironic that it seems like I am not good enough to pass the AI detection and therefore am loosing the outlet that motivates me to write more and get better. I'll go through and edit this piece with your advice, and hopefully it works, but otherwise it sounds like I have to spend a lot of time writing stories that I can't publish to get good enough to publish (despite having over 4.5 ratings for all my works so far).

I can appreciate how that would be frustrating. Keep at it and I think you will acquire the perspective that enables you to walk the right balance without as much trouble.

 

[lustychimera]

I get what you are saying, but I don't agree that I should be flagged because I saw a yellow mark under some text and then realized myself that it was in passive voice and then changed it myself. If I had used a human editor that pointed out it was in passive voice and I changed it then no one would have an issue.

I'm not saying that you should be flagged, but I can understand why this may possibly be an issue.

It's a valid point you made about the software essentially functioning as a human editor. However, that's also missing the bigger issue that you are not using a human editor. You are specifically filtering for an AI's suggestions, and correcting in exactly the places where it tells you to.

I don't think it has anything to do with displacing human editors. It's about taking enough of that human touch out of the your revisions that the detection software flags it.

About the only way to know if that's the issue is to wholly edit a story yourself then edit a copy of that initial rough draft again based on an AI's suggestions, and run both through detection software and compare the percentages.

Depending on how much variance you have in the percentages, you'll have a better idea whether you are correct when you say that AI is exactly the same thing as a human editor.

But definitely seems to me that if the detection software is looking for parts that an AI might edit, and you're editing based on an AIs suggestions of where edits are needed, that it could be an issue, even if those edits are in your own words.

 

[scbolder]

You are specifically filtering for an AI's suggestions, and correcting in exactly the places where it tells you to.

I get what you are saying, but I don't think I am, at least not to the extent that you are implying. Yes, I edit some of the yellow marked sections, but I also don't edit others, and I edit things that are not marked at all (I take "that" fairly often). Ultimately it is still me that is making the choice and writing the words on the page, and I am producing the final product that I want, AI is just helping me see the things I want to change.

I think it comes down to where one sees the human touch in writing, or at least where to draw the line. At this point, everyone is okay with a basic spell check. No one is going to complain that a machine (AI or not) pointed out that you typed "dont'" instead of "don't." Likewise, one might ignore a correction of "doncha" because they did it on purpose. For me, I see this as about the same as a machine flagging something like, "Tommy's dick was sucked by Jill," and me looking at it and thinking it would read better if it was, "Jill sucked Tommy's dick." I could have left the first, but I was taught to avoid passive voice back in the day, and would have changed it if I saw it first. Grammarly is just making it easier for me to see. Would I have caught it without AI on successive read throughs? Maybe, maybe not, but it is my choice to make the change, not some AI.

If this is what is triggering the AI detection then clearly I need to change how I edit if I am going to publish to Lit. Although, I am not sure if I can reedit the chapters I have already completed in a way that is going to remove whatever is triggering the AI detection. I guess that is what I get for not posting for a few years whlie continuing to write on and off.

 

[scbolder]

I can appreciate how that would be frustrating. Keep at it and I think you will acquire the perspective that enables you to walk the right balance without as much trouble.

I am hesitant to put in a lot of work to not be able to publish. At least with my new chapter I kept the old edits so I can go back to those and see if they pass. Unfortunately, I have a bunch of stories I did not publish over the last two years, plus the previously published nine-part series that I am not sure I will be able to "fix" to get past the AI detection.

 

[MillieDynamite]

In one of Flannery O'Connors's letters, I don't remember to whom, there is a one-sentence paragraph imitating a teenager who worked for. It is 250 words long, and you're out of breath by the time you get through it, just like the girl was, and whoever listened to her ramble from one subject to another, rushing through the words as they formed in her head. Of course, Grammarly or ProWritingAid would hate it, but I loved it. It was how teenagers often talk.

That's a reality of life, and AI can't do that right.