venting -- when terrible writing is praised

[caleb35]

This thread is me ranting and raving, so if anyone just wants to pass on by, I don't blame you. Also, I'm not complaining about anyone or anything on Literotica or AH, you're all fantastic, truly.

I know that all taste is subjective. I know about different strokes for different folks. I know everyone likes different things. I know I should just put my head down and focus solely on improving my own craft and enjoy the kudos I've received.

With all that said, when you see a written work elsewhere -- a work that has bad plotting, unbelievable characters, a thin (or thick) veneer of misogyny, over-the-top elements, poor grammar, and/or possible hints of LLM use -- when you see such a work getting high praise from multiple other people -- does that piss off anyone else or is it just me?

 

[Erozetta]

This thread is me ranting and raving, so if anyone just wants to pass on by, I don't blame you. Also, I'm not complaining about anyone or anything on Literotica or AH, you're all fantastic, truly.

I know that all taste is subjective. I know about different strokes for different folks. I know everyone likes different things. I know I should just put my head down and focus solely on improving my own craft and enjoy the kudos I've received.

With all that said, when you see a written work elsewhere -- a work that has bad plotting, unbelievable characters, a thin (or thick) veneer of misogyny, over-the-top elements, poor grammar, and/or possible hints of LLM use -- when you see such a work getting high praise from multiple other people -- does that piss off anyone else or is it just me?

It doesn't really piss me off, it just sets a standard in my mind that I would be incredibly disappointed if those same people ever praised my work.

 

[StillStunned]

It can be annoying, but I remind myself that not everyone shares my tastes. Whoever wrote it, they're probably just as proud of their works as I am of mine.

And if it's a published work, well, that's just successful marketing. Who am I to complain about that, when the most I do is brag here in the AH and maybe post a link or two on Bluesky?

 

[ElectricBlue]

It doesn't really piss me off, it just sets a standard in my mind that I would be incredibly disappointed if those same people ever praised my work.

Pretty much this. It can be depressing how low the bar can be, and how some readers will talk up junk.

 

[AwkwardMD]

This is why it's important to have some assholes and bitches around.

 

[cw5523729]

This thread is me ranting and raving, so if anyone just wants to pass on by, I don't blame you. Also, I'm not complaining about anyone or anything on Literotica or AH, you're all fantastic, truly.

I know that all taste is subjective. I know about different strokes for different folks. I know everyone likes different things. I know I should just put my head down and focus solely on improving my own craft and enjoy the kudos I've received.

With all that said, when you see a written work elsewhere -- a work that has bad plotting, unbelievable characters, a thin (or thick) veneer of misogyny, over-the-top elements, poor grammar, and/or possible hints of LLM use -- when you see such a work getting high praise from multiple other people -- does that piss off anyone else or is it just me?

It doesn't upset me.

One thing you need to keep in mind is that as an author, you take a keen notice of writing quality. The average reader, on the other hand, only cares about the story and how it makes them feel. With erotica in particular, if the story "pushes all the right buttons" for them, regardless of writing quality, it's going to get 5 stars. And honestly, there's nothing wrong with that. Making them happy is exactly what the story is supposed to do. If it does that job written poorly, then it still did its job.

 

[YmaOHyd]

does that piss off anyone else or is it just me?

Not just you. Pisses me off as well.

 

[Omenainen]

It doesn't really piss me off, it just sets a standard in my mind that I would be incredibly disappointed if those same people ever praised my work.

Haha, this has happened to me. I’ve had nice comments before and been all happy with myself, then seen the same commentators tooting same praise for some absolute shite works and been like… maybe I wasn’t all that after all

 

[AwkwardlySet]

It's just a truth of life.

Many, likely even most, people enjoy consuming garbage, whether that's books, movies, music, politics, religion, sports, or Lit stories.
Venting is okay. Ranting is okay. But being angry because of this fundamental "flaw" in the world isn't. The world is never going to change, so you make sure you put on ignore all the irritating stuff and enjoy what makes you happy.

 

[ChuckWolf]

Nope.

 

[EmilyMiller]

This thread is me ranting and raving, so if anyone just wants to pass on by, I don't blame you. Also, I'm not complaining about anyone or anything on Literotica or AH, you're all fantastic, truly.

I know that all taste is subjective. I know about different strokes for different folks. I know everyone likes different things. I know I should just put my head down and focus solely on improving my own craft and enjoy the kudos I've received.

With all that said, when you see a written work elsewhere -- a work that has bad plotting, unbelievable characters, a thin (or thick) veneer of misogyny, over-the-top elements, poor grammar, and/or possible hints of LLM use -- when you see such a work getting high praise from multiple other people -- does that piss off anyone else or is it just me?

It’s life. There is no other type of life available to us, so best just to find a way to cope without going crazy.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

This thread is me ranting and raving, so if anyone just wants to pass on by, I don't blame you. Also, I'm not complaining about anyone or anything on Literotica or AH, you're all fantastic, truly.

I know that all taste is subjective. I know about different strokes for different folks. I know everyone likes different things. I know I should just put my head down and focus solely on improving my own craft and enjoy the kudos I've received.

With all that said, when you see a written work elsewhere -- a work that has bad plotting, unbelievable characters, a thin (or thick) veneer of misogyny, over-the-top elements, poor grammar, and/or possible hints of LLM use -- when you see such a work getting high praise from multiple other people -- does that piss off anyone else or is it just me?

Just look at the music world, plenty of shit music on the radio while a gal with twice the talent is playing at some tiny club and working a day job.

Talent is a small part of the battle.

 

[Voboy]

Life's too short to worry about things that are out of our control. I've got enough to worry about as it is.

If some knuckle-dragger likes a piece written by another knuckle-dragger, I suppose that's between those two knuckle-draggers. It's got nothing to do with me, so I cordially ignore it. All I can affect is my own stuff, not someone else's.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

This thread is me ranting and raving, so if anyone just wants to pass on by, I don't blame you. Also, I'm not complaining about anyone or anything on Literotica or AH, you're all fantastic, truly.

I know that all taste is subjective. I know about different strokes for different folks. I know everyone likes different things. I know I should just put my head down and focus solely on improving my own craft and enjoy the kudos I've received.

With all that said, when you see a written work elsewhere -- a work that has bad plotting, unbelievable characters, a thin (or thick) veneer of misogyny, over-the-top elements, poor grammar, and/or possible hints of LLM use -- when you see such a work getting high praise from multiple other people -- does that piss off anyone else or is it just me?

I see it all the time in stories I read here. Ones I can't even finish seem to have a slew of fives.

Main reason I don't place any value on vote counts or ratings any more.

 

[CalBishForNow]

If I thought they were wrong on some factual matter, I might correct them. If I thought they were likely to actually cause harm to someone and saw a way I could prevent it, I might do so. That's easier said than done, I don't have any particular megaphone and am very unlikely to have a personal connection to someone like that, but I hope I'd try.

All that being said, if we're just talking about aesthetic tastes...

 

[EmilyMiller]

Life's too short to worry about things that are out of our control. I've got enough to worry about as it is.

If some knuckle-dragger likes a piece written by another knuckle-dragger, I suppose that's between those two knuckle-draggers. It's got nothing to do with me, so I cordially ignore it. All I can affect is my own stuff, not someone else's.

This, 200% this

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I see it all the time in stories I read here. Ones I can't even finish seem to have a slew of fives.

Main reason I don't place any value on vote counts or ratings any more.

And people raving about how great it is.

 

[cw5523729]

And people raving about how great it is.

Hey, hey, if there weren't people willing to give 5 star ratings to a total piece of shit, I'd never get a score above a 3.

So thank you anonymous voters with low standards.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

And people raving about how great it is.

Part of it is just me. I've tried to read contest winners and backed out because they didn't make any sense to me.

I have issues with concentration and understanding. Even some forum posts get 'too long' for me to read.

 

[crookedletter]

If there weren't people out there who like shitty things, who would the rest of have to feel superior to?

 

[AG31]

That's never happened to me. I can't imagine reading even a whole Lit page of such a work, and certainly not all the way to the end to see the comments.

 

[cw5523729]

That's never happened to me. I can't imagine reading even a whole Lit page of such a work, and certainly not all the way to the end to see the comments.

I always skip to the end to find out who dunit

 

[crookedletter]

I always skip to the end to find out who dunit

In my experience on Lit, almost everybody dunit by the end.

 

[cw5523729]

In my experience on Lit, almost everybody dunit by the end.

And often IN the end

 

[TheLobster]

And often IN the end

Inn-u-endo, and in their end-o.