What would you do?

[Guest]

Hello fellow authors,

I finished my “Modern College” series with a sad ending. I was aware that this would probably subject me to scorn from my readers, but you have to write what you feel Correct?

Due to overwhelming response and some hate mail, I was wondering if it is possible to delete the last chapter and submit a different one?

Any Ideas about this, or would you just let it stand and start a new story?

Thanks for your response in advance,

Jmt

 

[Wicked-N-Erotic]

It's your story, if you are pleased with the end result and truly wrote it the way you felt it should have ended then let it stand. I submitted a story recently that had a sad ending and didn't think it would do well. To my surprise it was just the opposite. If you are worried about ratings and how the other chapters will be accepted then maybe you could write a 2nd happier version of the ending and tag it as an alternative ending. Over all it's your story and you need to be the one happy about what is posted.


Wicked

 

[openthighs_sarah]

Due to overwhelming response and some hate mail, I was wondering if it is possible to delete the last chapter and submit a different one?

Okay... I know it is possible to change a submission. If I recall, you just resubmit the story with the exact same title, followed by the word "EDITED" (in the title), and it will replace the current one. It goes through the same process as any other submission, so it'll take a few days to post.

That said, my feelings about this are mixed. Sad endings are never wrong in and of themselves, even in erotica. I don't think you should be changing content simply because a reader (or even millions of readers) complain about it. If the complaints cause you to reevaluate the story, then yes, a change might make sense. But if you really feel that the ending fits, dramatically and psychologically, then you have to remain true to it -- to the story and to your characters, as a matter of integrity.

Thinking that, I went and read the last chapter of your story, to see if I could understand what was going on. And I don't know what to say, exactly...

The fact that you use a terrorist event to bring a resolution to the story isn't itself a terrible thing. But consider this: after the September 11 attacks, many things changed in Hollywood. A lot of movies slated for distribution were pulled (at least temporarily), out of fear of a public backlash. And even though in many respects Hollywood has reverted back to its earlier ways, there still have been very few "dramatizations" of the kinds of things that happened. Rightly or wrongly, a lot of people would perceive it as cashing in on a very real and very powerful emotional vulnerability.

Engaging a reader's emotions is fine and something to always strive for. But maybe... some things shouldn't be touched -- not because it's so hard to do it and draw an emotional response, but because it's too easy. It's like putting your hand against an open wound and saying, "This really hurts, doesn't it...?" Of course it hurts, and people will resent you for hitting such an easy target. The things that happened on September 11 changed any rational and sensitive person forever, and some things are simply too powerful and upsetting to approach head-on like this, and can only be approached peripherally, if at all. We all experienced it on a profoundly personal level -- which may seem strange because it was such a public tragedy, but it's true. What happened may be public domain, in a sense -- but in every meaningful sense, it was private and unique to every individual. (And this doesn't even begin to touch on the people who actually lost a loved one.) Sharing a personal account of one's reaction to what *really* happened may be okay because we would recognize the attempt to understand and maybe to facilitate a catharsis of some kind... but fiction is different.

That's just my take on it. And I don't mean to suggest that you were "cashing in" on the tragedy -- this is less a criticism than an attempt to explain why people may be upset by the story. If you don't agree with the reasons why people don't like it, you shouldn't pull the story.

 

[KillerMuffin]

I seriously doubt that you'll have to worry about Annie Wilkes popping up.

That's the story and that's the way you wrote it. Changing the content can happen, but the odds of them seeing it are slim because they'll never know you did it unless they go back and re-read the story. It doesn't hit the new lists.

Before you rewrite the story to please a few people, you should probably ask yourself if that will actually do any good. Would it improve the story? Is it going to make people like you more?

Writing for people doesn't mean that you compromise your story. It means that you write in a way that makes them want to read the content you choose to write.

I wouldn't change it, personally. In fact, I didn't when it happened to me. If you ever want to piss off the mind control fans, turn the mind control hero into a serial killer. They don't like that.

 

[pop_54]

Hi

I can only agree with KM, don't alter it to suite a few, and as she says not much point they won't know, nobody re-reads a story they objected to, they only re-read one that pleased them.

We all write our stories, post them on the board, then wish we hadn't a bit later, we all see something we should have spotted in editing but didn't, but what's done is done.

If you are happy with the story in your mind, leave it as it is.
Sept 11 was a tragic and vile act and all of our sympathies and thoughts are with the victims, but the world must go on, and banning the mention of terrorism in fiction won't change a thing.

Here in UK we've had the mad paddy's trying to blow us up for years, there have been hundreds of fictional TV series, films, and written tales about the IRA and terror acts all the time it's been going on, a few people have objected, but the majority see the hidden messages of sympathy and dare I say entertainment value of such stories as long as they're well written.

pops............

 

[karmadog]

If everybody hated it, I might go back and look again at how I wrote it, but I doubt I'd change the storyline. Perhaps what you did seems like deus ex machina.

I haven't read it, jmt, as I don't have the time to get into a whole series, so I'm not accusing you of anything.

If you feel you must please your readers, why don't you submit an alternate ending and instead of giving the exact same title, you could call it 'Modern College (or whatever) : Alternate Ending'?

 

[Guest]

Thank You!

Thanks to everyone for your input.

I ponder the way my story sort of wrote itself, and wonder how it turned out the way it did. I find it interesting how the mind works sometimes. I was tired of the series and wanted to end it, this is true.

The events of war breaking out and the possible ramifications influenced me to write what I did. Growing up with the Vietnam War on T.V. everyday and then joining the U.S. Army no doubt had something to do with the outcome of this particular story.

I wanted to send a message so people would stop and think a little bit, about the ones who gave us the rights of free speech that makes this website possible.

In my need to bring to light the sacrifice’s made in our behalf, I forgot that some people read the stories posted here to forget about the problems of everyday life.

I wanted to give credit to women who join the military and have a much harder time because they are women.
Perhaps these feelings should be left out of my writing on a “Stoke Factor” type-site.

I’m still not sure of what to do about it, because I have also received positive feedback from a lot of readers.

I may just mark it down to experience and press on.

Thanks again, it means a lot to a “Newbie” like me, that you would take the time to help me out.

Jmt