What makes a story hot?

[thomas1965]

Some stories have a red H behind the title, marking them hot.
I wonder what makes a story hot. Is it the rating, number of views, number of views favourites or sth. else?

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

Stories with a rating of 4.5 and above get the red H.

 

[thomas1965]

OK, thanks.

 

[Rustyoznail]

The formula on how to get that magic number is a mystery. I've got a few hot stories but they're all very different, so buggered if I know.

 

[TheRedChamber]

The other thing is you need to have at least 10 votes before you get that H.

 

[oggbashan]

I have several stories with NO sex that are 'Hot'.

It means that at least ten readers liked the story - nothing more.

 

[Lincsguy1968]

What makes a story hot....... the build up, the sexual tension, the touching, the teasing, the flirting, the chatter or conversation, the actual sex whilst important is secondary

 

[Defluer]

Depending on the category and the whims of fate when it also had the Yellow N beside it has lots to do with it too.

I would say that they should put in a sliding scale depending on category but the LW trolls would just knock those stories down further if the Red H came at 4.1 in that category.

 

[PennameWombat]

The objective[1] hot, the (red) H, is a rating of 4.5 or higher with at least 10 votes. There’s been much discussion in this Forum about the fairness of it, whether it’s really an indicator of quality, whether it should be a sliding scale, whether it should apply to chapters, etc. Different categories certainly have different characteristics on this. A story can lose the (red) H if the rating drops and regain it if it rises again. As a note, a (green) E denotes a story is an “Editor’s Choice,” chosen by (according to the FAQ), a moderator. A (blue) W denotes a contest winner (monthly, yearly and special contests.)

The subjective “hot” is up to the reader. Whatever a reader thinks is “hot,” is hot to them. To some degree, that’s why the Categories exist. There are Categories here that I neither read nor submit to, generally because I lack interest in the characteristics that ‘define’ those categories (and thus, will lead to being “hot” for their readers.)

Now, if you write a subjectively “hot” story it’s very likely to be listed as an objectively (red) H story.

If I knew how to guarantee that every story I wrote would be both… I’d probably be making money off my writing. Or, I’d be making money running seminars telling all of you how to do it.

[1] Yeah, I’m using the word ’objective’ here, because it’s simply based on arithmetic. Now… the actual ratings that readers give stories are, yes, subjective, so my phrasing is a bit of a misnomer. But I wanted a way to differentiate in my discussion.

 

[ElectricBlue]

The formula on how to get that magic number is a mystery. I've got a few hot stories but they're all very different, so buggered if I know.

At least ten votes with an average 4.5 +

If you've got a higher score but no Red H, you don't have the ten votes.

 

[lovecraft68]

Depending on the category and the whims of fate when it also had the Yellow N beside it has lots to do with it too.

I would say that they should put in a sliding scale depending on category but the LW trolls would just knock those stories down further if the Red H came at 4.1 in that category.

I think lit should get a sense of humor and give all cheating wife stories a Red A instead of an H.
The humor would be in how few of the cretins there would now what it meant and get the joke.

 

[oggbashan]

I have had comments (usually but not always from anon) that one of my stories marked HOT has no sex and is, therefore, inappropriate for Literotica.

It is fairly difficult to achieve and it has to be a good story to get HOT without sex.

My Christmas Truce is marked HOT with a blue W as well but the hero has lost his penis!

 

[lovecraft68]

As a note, a (green) E denotes a story is an “Editor’s Choice,” chosen by (according to the FAQ), a moderator.

There is only one moderator, Laurel gives out the Green E which simply means she liked the story and has the same issues with it an H does, was it a quality story, a hot story, or just to her it was.

The Green E is a tough thing because it makes the story a bullseye for one bombers.

But back to how meaningless it is, Keith D has several from years ago, but after he ran afoul of Laurel who branded him a troll because he and I called out how the site was cheating monthly contest winners out of money, he has never seen another one. Has his writing changed? No, just another example of the childish manner things are often run here.

The trifecta is a story with a WHE and off the top of my head, I know I've seen two, but only remember Paco Fear has one of them, I never recall the other for some reason.

 

[Defluer]

I think lit should get a sense of humor and give all cheating wife stories a Red A instead of an H.
The humor would be in how few of the cretins there would now what it meant and get the joke.

It might be exactly what we'd need. They'd work so hard trying to downvote the stories that it would melt their brains. Or... Maybe they'd approve and just masturbate to those stories in silence, feeling good that the site has seen them and understood their feelings. As they cum all over themselves to cheating wives getting pounded, secretly imagining themselves as the husbands who are forced to sit and watch.

 

[lovecraft68]

It might be exactly what we'd need. They'd work so hard trying to downvote the stories that it would melt their brains. Or... Maybe they'd approve and just masturbate to those stories in silence, feeling good that the site has seen them and understood their feelings. As they cum all over themselves to cheating wives getting pounded, secretly imagining themselves as the husbands who are forced to sit and watch.

Jokes aside, I do see that as the majority of the trolls there, but you left out that after they get done getting off they immediately leave nasty hate filled comments condemning those awful stories.

 

[Defluer]

Jokes aside, I do see that as the majority of the trolls there, but you left out that after they get done getting off they immediately leave nasty hate filled comments condemning those awful stories.

I always wanted to end a LW story with something like, "And before you comment complaining about every last detail of the story, just realize that that gives you away. You read it from beginning to end and then left a comment. It turned you on. Complain all you want to but we know it gave you a boner and that makes you a sick hypocritical fuck!"

 

[lovecraft68]

I always wanted to end a LW story with something like, "And before you comment complaining about every last detail of the story, just realize that that gives you away. You read it from beginning to end and then left a comment. It turned you on. Complain all you want to but we know it gave you a boner and that makes you a sick hypocritical fuck!"

That's it. I've been planning on putting something there and I'm doing a version of that in my closing author's note
"Jerk off now, project later"

 

[HeyAll]

Length matters a lot.

You could be Cormac Mcarthy, but if your story is 2,000 words, it's almost impossible that you'd get a score of above 4.5 (red h)

However, if your writing is basic quality, plays it safe, hits all the right notes, and is 6,000+ words, then the chances of getting a red H are much higher.

Longer means higher chances, if you play it safe. There are some landminds, like cheating or any crazy plot points or fetishes.

If it's long enough, only people who love it will be there at the end, voting on it.

 

[000zing]

But back to how meaningless it is, Keith D has several from years ago, but after he ran afoul of Laurel who branded him a troll because he and I called out how the site was cheating monthly contest winners out of money, he has never seen another one. Has his writing changed? No, just another example of the childish manner things are often run here.

Interesting. I hadn't heard that before and it illuminates much. Can't say that I'm totally shocked, judging by what I've seen going on here in general.

Yes, meaningless is what the arbitrary "score" opinion of one individual is. "Hot" is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[lovecraft68]

Interesting. I hadn't heard that before and it illuminates much. Can't say that I'm totally shocked, judging by what I've seen going on here in general.

Yes, meaningless is what the arbitrary "score" opinion of one individual is. "Hot" is in the eye of the beholder.

Agreed and a contest win the same because different categories, different types of voters, not voting on pure writing vs yeah, it was hot.

The only stat I like here is favorites if x-amount have bookmarked your story its safe to say its been a success. Again. not based so much on writing merit in the technical sense, but in the people enjoyed it since. When a story can get over a 1000 favs that's a lot of 'subjective' as opposed to the opinion of one person for the E.

Here's another good E story. A poster here that was very unpopular on the boards here because of his anti-pc posting and refusing to coddle people, began posting stories which were all universally trashed despite several here admiring the quality and style of the writing

That person created an alt pen name, posted a few stories with much better scores and one a green E. They would have never gotten that had the site known who that author really was.

Quick edit to say Keithd was writing and posting under SRPLT71 at the time he received the Green E's

 

[MillieDynamite]

A story being hot or not has nothing to do with the red H. The red H only means it's well liked.

 

[oggbashan]

I slightly disagree with HeyAll about story length. I have several very short stories with a Red H. Yes, if a reader has the stamina to read to the end of a longer story they may well vote higher, but it isn't a requirement to get a red H.

I even have Red Hs for sets of fifty-word stories (15 x 50) = 750 words.

 

[000zing]

Here's another good E story. A poster here that was very unpopular on the boards here because of his anti-pc posting and refusing to coddle people, began posting stories which were all universally trashed despite several here admiring the quality and style of the writing

That person created an alt pen name, posted a few stories with much better scores and one a green E. They would have never gotten that had the site known who that author really was.

Quick edit to say Keithd was writing and posting under SRPLT71 at the time he received the Green E's

As if one didn't know that cliquery abounds here. Loads of people trying to run with the self-appointed "cool kids".

 

[lovecraft68]

As if one didn't know that cliquery abounds here. Loads of people trying to run with the self-appointed "cool kids".

With the owner the top cool kid using the other cool kids for their means. People who spent time in the General Board back when she was active there got to see that to the nth degree. There is was outright attacks on the posters, on the story side its an attack on the work rather than on the boards.

 

[Handley_Page]

Some stories have a red H behind the title, marking them hot.
I wonder what makes a story hot. Is it the rating, number of views, number of views favourites or sth. else?

I'd say it's "the reader".