What's with thin-skinned authors and hyper-aggressive commenters?

[adverbly]

I recently made the jump from reading and commenting anonymously to making a slightly less anonymous profile for saving favorite stories and commenting. I'm already regretting taking the chance. The second feedback I posted under the profile drew me a condescending message from the author and the ire of two other commenters who were compelled to address my feedback in multiple entries to the story's feedback section.

My feedback was almost verbatim, "I found the first two sentences awkward and distracting. I don't think they work well.

'I always thought, since I was little, that good was the first word of a candy package.' Which is it? Is that something you've always thought or only since you were little? They aren't the same thing, and if they were, stating both would be redundant.

'I never thought it might apply to my next-door neighbor, Veronica.' It looks like you're trying for smooth and clever, but those two statements together are clunky and awkward, so much so that I couldn't get past the second paragraph."

Because, you know, sometimes you get a a taste of an author's writing and if you find it to be clunky and awkward you're put off on reading a whole piece if you think you have more of that to look forward to. Whether my feedback is considered positive or negative by the author, I do attempt to make the tone neutral and not aggressively insulting. It's not like I wrote, "Here's one star, douche bag." I put thought into it. I don't even think I rated it at that time.

"Hi Adverbly,
I see you're new to Literotica. Thank you for your comment on my story "The Girl Next Door." The candy is Good and Plenty. I've been told that my writing has improved over the last few years but alas, clearly not enough to meet your standards. You did the right thing to stop reading, although had you overridden your good sense and continued, you might have ended up enjoying the story. I'd like to imagine it to be so. I guess we'll never know. Look, take some Xanax and lighten up a bit, why don't you? Yours, <author name>"

I don't care if authors respond to feedback. It's certainly not expected, but I can honestly say my remarks were made in good faith that I was saying something potentially helpful (if the author so chooses. Again, no great expectations from me.) His whole message was self-serving and dripping with false humility. He completely ignored my very specific points in favor of mansplaining a different point to me and tried to invalidate my opinion because he's been writing on the site longer than the age of my profile. Telling someone to lighten up because they don't share the same opinion as you goes over as smoothly as telling someone to calm down. Who is going to go out of their way to read stories by an author who goes out of his way to insult them?

I revisited the feedback section to see if anyone else had feedback similar to mine in case I was off the mark. Normally I would potentially give the story a second chance.

"aggressive wackadoo
A most delightful tale. Five stars. Note to adverbly: You are the grammatical genius. Check the punctuation and work it out. Too bad you suffer from anal-cranial inversion. You missed a great story. It's your loss."

I responded almost verbatim with, "I'm not looking for praise, but thank you. You are too kind. Your observation was quite alarming. I hope you'll be glad to know I examined my parts, and they are properly verted. Phew!"

"anonymous wackadoo
Adverbly obviously didn't enjoy growing up. This is a great story...I for one never worry about descriptions of situations or people. It's much more fun and satisfying to find out on your own. This is a story....It's too bad...he missed a great story and probably a lot of fun in his personal life, by letting some talk (or verbiage) get in the way."

That's just outright stupid.

I thought the aggressive wackadoo's comment toward me was unnecessary and a little unhinged, but I responded humorously and borderline kindly in an effort to be like, "Keep it cool, dude," but he did not like that and showed me what unhinged really looks like.

"aggressive wackadoo
Note to both adverbly and dou1t2 - There are those that write to entertain us and those that can produce nothing but criticism. Why don't you try contributing something more entertaining than complaints about grammar that has no effect on the entertainment value of the story? I'll be surprised to see anything useful from either of you. I doubt you have the guts to bare your writing skills to us. And your refusal to get into the story reveals you are both quitters. Please do the author a favor and never click on another of this author's works. We've heard plenty from people like you, and none of it is good."

It wasn't even his story. My feedback was critical, but it was very specific, not, "This story sucks. You suck. Go die now." He wanted something more entertaining so...

"<aggressive wackadoo>, pull yourself together, man. That's a lot of mess right there. It's like the drunk, angry rambling of a middle school-aged boy filled to the brim with righteous indignation because he was forced to accept crinkle fries instead of tater tots at lunch, except it didn't happen to him but someone he fangirls over and makes even less sense -- unless you're also <author name here> which would be an absurd and grim plot twist. I'm acquainted with pre-schoolers with better emotional regulation and who, except in extreme cases of didn't take a nap, don't verbally assault unsuspecting passerby.

Armchair Analysis Anonymous, this applies to you too. Use all the words you want to tell other readers their opinions are wrong. Each one of them makes you look foolish."

I responded to the author via feedback and admittedly had a little fun at his expense too. He deleted my responses (I'm not dumb, I half expected it from the narrow-minded and humorless jerk) and I wouldn't have cared, except he also deleted both critical feedbacks (he overlooked a third agreeing with the points the other person and I made), left up the comments that attacked me and the other commenter by name, and he claimed it was to keep the feedback section inducive to enjoyment by the readers. >Insert exaggerated open-mouth winky face with the thumb to finger okay sign.< I certainly did not enjoy... most of whatever all that was. And I can't imagine those aggressive and divisive comments leave very many people feeling comfortable providing feedback to this guy in the future when he condones such blatant assholery against them.

All this to ask what the fuck is up with creepy, thin-skinned authors who can't handle honest feedback on stories they post to a public pornography website with feedback enabled and the hyper-aggressive commenters that go after other commenters? I get people are protective of their work and can be sensitive about anything that's not praise, but being vulnerable is a choice you make when you publicly post and allow feedback. A brief look into the really aggressive commenter's profile makes him look a circlejerking fanboy, but even that doesn't account for his behavior. These guys are more delicate than a virgin's asshole and a lot less fun.

I've been on the internet, so no welcomes necessary. I know there are wackjobs everywhere, it can suck sometimes, and attempts at interaction can go sideways for no good reason, but I try to be mindful. I've read over in the authors forum section about their thoughts on reader feedback and scoring. I leave less critical comments, glowing praise too, with detail, and give four and five stars, but this thing has totally put me off. At first I was annoyed but tried to make it amusing and not so negative. Then I just got mad. If I continue reading on this site, I'm probably going back to anonymous, and definitely will make no attempt at interaction, but as of right now I feel totally repulsed by the experience so far. Seriously, who the fuck attacks the readership and condones those doing the same?!

This is... a lot. To anyone who actually reads this, you're a saint. I'm realistic though and not holding my breath.

 

[adverbly]

For shits and giggles - what the author didn't find amusing. It's all out there now. I feel relieved.

"Alas, the author does not have the good sense to accept that some readers may not enjoy their writing as much as they do, nor the good sense (or reading comprehension) to not passive-aggressively and unnecessarily explain the name of the candy that begins with 'good' that was never in question (while ignoring the only two specific points the reader detailed) via e-mail in which it's suggested the reader indulge in pharmies in order to be able to consume and appreciate their exquisite piece of erotic literature properly.

Alas, assuming a commenter is new to the site because they are commenting from a young account and contrasting that with the lengthy time you have considered yourself to be an author on the same site in order to invalidate their opinion is foolhardy, in poor taste, and is an incorrect assumption. A reader's opinion is not invalidated by the length of time you've been writing, and the length of time you've been writing is not an equivalent to the quality of your work. (And that opens the argument that a writer's opinion of their own work can be invalidated by the reader when the reader has been reading longer than the writer's been writing, which means in this case my opinion would invalidate yours were I to have an ego the size of yours.) Arrogance and insults do not inspire readership. That insult shows how little you think of the people reading, or trying to read, your work.

Alas, the author used alas in this communiqué, blind to their further contribution of poor word choice.

Alas, an author of such long-standing and esteem (on a public pornography site no less) has such thin skin so as to lash out in defense of their podsnappery.

Alas, dear author could have simply written, 'Your opinion is wrong,' and upon seeing such a hubristic statement, simply not said anything at all... should they have put thought before action. Alas, they did not...

Alas, I don't usually dispense medical advice in the same manner as our peerless author, and clearly I'm having a bit of fun here, so perhaps the author should take their own advice to dose up on Xanax and 'lighten up a bit.'"

 

[Parhelical]

Some people are trying to improve and may welcome critique. Others just want to write stories for fun.

In the case of the former constructive critique may be welcomed; in the case of the latter you're just being mean to someone who wanted to create something and share it with other people.

Nobody likes a self-appointed critic who smashes away at hobbyists. It's not warranted unless someone asks. You haven't paid for anything and are not entitled to anything.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Unless the writer has expressly asked for feedback by starting a thread in the Feedback Forum, or by asking for it in a story note (which some writers do) I think it's out of order to provide unsolicited critique.

You have no idea why a writer writes, and you have no idea how your feedback, however well intentioned, might be received. I've known fragile souls (not, please note, thin skinned - there is a huge difference) be devastated by critique of their work, to the extent that they stop writing altogether. Good job, unwanted critic.

As an aside, when folk do offer un-asked for commentary, and take a high horse approach as you have done here in this thread, the first thing I do is that curiosity look-see at their body of work, and...

no surprise, nothing to be seen.

Put yourself out there as a writer first, to be measured by your peers. You might get a better idea what it's like, to receive something you didn't ask for.

I did note the phrase, "arrogance and insults do not inspire readership". You might want to think about those words, because... well, your whole post seemed a little arrogant and insulting to me.

 

[Bazzle]

I have one regular anonymous critical follower who loves to shred my English apart.

When asking for feedback, I am thinking about characters, plots and various other things. Whether my sentences run long is to me a small thing?

I am just having fun putting some words together that people may find interesting. Some see it that I should be writing perfection.

Hey ho.

B

 

[adverbly]

Some people are trying to improve and may welcome critique. Others just want to write stories for fun.

In the case of the former constructive critique may be welcomed; in the case of the latter you're just being mean to someone who wanted to create something and share it with other people.

So no, nobody likes a self-appointed critic who gets a kick out of smashing away at hobbyists. Keep quiet unless someone asks. You haven't paid for anything and are not entitled to anything.

I suppose I had the impression that writers with feedback enabled welcome feedback and that most writers strive to improve their writing regardless of their primary motivation. If that's not true, how is a person supposed to know if the writer with feedback and rating enabled genuinely welcome feedback? In this case, I had no way of knowing that, or if they would consider critique as negative, positive, or didn't care altogether.

When we are given the opportunity to provide feedback, doesn't that potentially make all of us self-appointed critics? I mean, isn't that the point? Critiques aren't all positive or all negative, and again we have no way of knowing how the writer will interpret critiques.

My critique certainly didn't "smash away" at a hobbyist or whatever the author considers himself to be. Painting my initial comment as such and telling someone else to keep quiet basically until spoken to is aggressive and rude as hell. We're all supposed to be adults here. Whether I paid for something or not, I expect if I show even a modicum of respect to a writer, they should do the same in return. I only lost respect for the writer after his condescending message and after taking a few hits of crazy from a couple of insane random. After those, I have no problem with returning in kind. You haven't even addressed the problem with the unhinged commenters.

In addition, I had the expectation that someone with as much experience as the writer to behave better all around regarding critiques. He made the choice to be an asshole when he replied to my feedback. Nobody made that choice for him. He also made the choice to censor legitimate critiques that he didn't like but keep the garbage postings. Those two things say pretty much all you need to know about a person's integrity and motivations.

 

[LdyHoneybee]

I have one regular anonymous critical follower who loves to shred my English apart.

When asking for feedback, I am thinking about characters, plots and various other things. Whether my sentences run long is to me a small thing?

I am just having fun putting some words together that people may find interesting. Some see it that I should be writing perfection.

Hey ho.

B

When you KNOW English, you almost always find if you have troubled to proofread that people who lack the insight and expertise to offer anything but a grammar and spelling critique do not know nearly as much about grammar and spelling as they think. Chances are they just imitating comments they have gotten without really having understood the error.

 

[Parhelical]

It sounds like you're the sort of person who just enjoys ranting at people.

telling someone else to keep quiet basically until spoken to is aggressive and rude as hell

It's basic human politeness. Do you comment negatively on people's appearances without them asking for an honest take? No, of course not. Your initial comment was effectively: "this story isn't good enough, i checked out at paragraph two." Rude as hell.

 

[Bazzle]

When you KNOW English, you almost always find if you have troubled to proofread that people who lack the insight and expertise to offer anything but a grammar and spelling critique do not know nearly as much about grammar and spelling as they think. Chances are they just imitating comments they have gotten without really having understood the error.

I write smoking fetish stories. I know they are niche. I am not expecting thousands of peeps to read them. But to be shredded only on language, is disheartening. However I have listened to it. Editing some of my stories to assist. But they have moved on shredding other technical stuff, that I can't remember from school.

I try and focus on the positive responses, and hold on to them!

 

[adverbly]

Unless the writer has expressly asked for feedback by starting a thread in the Feedback Forum, or by asking for it in a story note (which some writers do) I think it's out of order to provide unsolicited critique.

You have no idea why a writer writes, and you have no idea how your feedback, however well intentioned, might be received. I've known fragile souls (not, please note, thin skinned - there is a huge difference) be devastated by critique of their work, to the extent that they stop writing altogether. Good job, unwanted critic.

As an aside, when folk do offer un-asked for commentary, and take a high horse approach as you have done here in this thread, the first thing I do is that curiosity look-see at their body of work, and...

no surprise, nothing to be seen.

Put yourself out there as a writer first, to be measured by your peers. You might get a better idea what it's like, to receive something you didn't ask for.

I did note the phrase, "arrogance and insults do not inspire readership". You might want to think about those words, because... well, your whole post seemed a little arrogant and insulting to me.

It's not a surprise. I have no intention on writing stories. I did not realise that's a requirement for offering critiques. Is that a requirement for offering feedback? Do writers not actually want to know what their readers think?

So good or bad, praise or not, neutral or not, well intentioned or not, feedback is not desired even when feedback and comments are enabled? What's that even for then? That seems entirely counter-intuitive.

You bet your ass I took an arrogant and definitely insulting tone after receiving those kinds of comments. That was a whole lot of uncalled for bullshit. If other people are going to go out of their way to act like that, even after taking the assumption that the person offering feedback is new and not yet schooled on the unspoken rules, they shouldn't be surprised to get the exact same in kind. It's straight-up assholery. It's naive, obtuse, and definitely thin-skinned to think otherwise and then be sensitive about it.

You haven't said anything about the overly personal randos. Their feedback still stand despite the author not requesting feedback.

In contrast to what I've read elsewhere on the site I'm getting the impression that feedback and ratings are pointless and the default setting for readers better be a praise circle jerk or be a ghost, that this site is writers for writers, not writers for readers including those that are also writers. Clarification, please.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I suppose I had the impression that writers with feedback enabled welcome feedback and that most writers strive to improve their writing regardless of their primary motivation. If that's not true, how is a person supposed to know if the writer with feedback and rating enabled genuinely welcome feedback?

If writers want critical feedback, they'll ask for it. It really is that simple.

 

[LdyHoneybee]

I suppose I had the impression that writers with feedback enabled welcome feedback and that most writers strive to improve their writing regardless of their primary motivation. If that's not true, how is a person supposed to know if the writer with feedback and rating enabled genuinely welcome feedback? In this case, I had no way of knowing that, or if they would consider critique as negative, positive, or didn't care altogether.

When we are given the opportunity to provide feedback, doesn't that potentially make all of us self-appointed critics? I mean, isn't that the point? Critiques aren't all positive or all negative, and again we have no way of knowing how the writer will interpret critiques.

My critique certainly didn't "smash away" at a hobbyist or whatever the author considers himself to be. Painting my initial comment as such and telling someone else to keep quiet basically until spoken to is aggressive and rude as hell. We're all supposed to be adults here. Whether I paid for something or not, I expect if I show even a modicum of respect to a writer, they should do the same in return. I only lost respect for the writer after his condescending message and after taking a few hits of crazy from a couple of insane random. After those, I have no problem with returning in kind. You haven't even addressed the problem with the unhinged commenters.

In addition, I had the expectation that someone with as much experience as the writer to behave better all around regarding critiques. He made the choice to be an asshole when he replied to my feedback. Nobody made that choice for him. He also made the choice to censor legitimate critiques that he didn't like but keep the garbage postings. Those two things say pretty much all you need to know about a person's integrity and motivations.

What are you trying to accomplish here? If you like to comment on stories, that’s fine. there are lots of writers of various experience who ask for critiques on this board. I didn’t ask for a pretty long time because I thought asking was like begging for compliments, but I finally figured out since i am interested in improving that no one was offering comments because i was not asking. There are very experienced readers and writers here who can and do offer extensive helpful critiques to other writers that are both honest and courteous. I suggest you just write the problem off to “being new.”

Keep in mind that a critique is just a reaction on the part of one individual. It is passive. The writer’s role is active to consider and to accept or reject.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You bet your ass I took an arrogant and definitely insulting tone after receiving those kinds of comments. That was a whole lot of uncalled for bullshit. If other people are going to go out of their way to act like that, even after taking the assumption that the person offering feedback is new and not yet schooled on the unspoken rules, they shouldn't be surprised to get the exact same in kind.

Just a guess here, but if a whole bunch of people weighed in on you, I'm thinking, just maybe, your "critique" was delivered the same way you're projecting yourself here.

Look at it this way - if one person disagrees with you, they're disagreeing with you. If a dozen people disagree with you, it might be because you're being disagreeable. Sure, it might be a pile on, but if your critique was anything like your posts in this thread, I'm inclined to think, maybe not.

To address your comment, "Do you need to be a writer to comment?" No, you don't, but it helps, especially when you are giving advice how to write "better", because then you're putting your money where your mouth is.

But it helps, above all else, to be courteous.

 

[adverbly]

I have one regular anonymous critical follower who loves to shred my English apart.

When asking for feedback, I am thinking about characters, plots and various other things. Whether my sentences run long is to me a small thing?

I am just having fun putting some words together that people may find interesting. Some see it that I should be writing perfection.

Hey ho.

B

I see what you're saying. Thank you for being the first to reply to me with a shred of decency and not automatically on the defense. From what the other two have said, I gather I'm confused about who's allowed to do or say what and when, when all I wanna do is enjoy some fun stories and potentially provide helpful feedback in the pursuit of more enjoyable stories. I honestly didn't think that was wrong, but maybe I have no clue what this site is about because apparently infantile attempts to take down fellow commenters is not only okay but encouraged and feedback relevant to the story is not unless you're a fellow writer but even then maybe not as well. Truly, if you have the time and inclination, any other insights you're willing to share would be most appreciated, cuz obviously I need them.

 

[adverbly]

I write smoking fetish stories. I know they are niche. I am not expecting thousands of peeps to read them. But to be shredded only on language, is disheartening. However I have listened to it. Editing some of my stories to assist. But they have moved on shredding other technical stuff, that I can't remember from school.

I try and focus on the positive responses, and hold on to them!

This helpful too. Thank you.

 

[Bazzle]

To address your comment, "Do you need to be a writer to comment?" No, you don't, but it helps, especially when you are giving advice how to write "better", because then you're putting your money where your mouth is.

But it helps, above all else, to be courteous.

I literally started writing, because there was so much "rubbish" out there, I could not be critical unless I tried myself to write.

Its hard. Hours and hours of thinking, typing, deleting, and retyping.

A story could take months to write. I maybe an awful writer. But at least I try to improve each time.

What I find other writers and even myself sometimes is :- they imagine the world that their protagonist exists in, but they don't write it. Things jump because to the author its obvious what is happening, but to the reader its not explained.

I genuinely try to give the reader the eyes of the protagonist. What are they looking, smelling or touching. I think that helps? However I use a comma rather than a full stop too many times!

B

 

[adverbly]

It sounds like you're the sort of person who just enjoys ranting at people.



It's basic human politeness. Do you comment negatively on people's appearances without them asking for an honest take? No, of course not. Your initial comment was effectively: "this story isn't good enough, i checked out at paragraph two." Rude as hell.

Astute observations. You seem like the kind of person who just likes to take jabs at people. Maybe I should also throw in some shade with regard to the age of your profile. Both of those are rude as hell. It's basic human politeness to, you know, not do that. The author and I disagreed on those points.

This is mirroring the author's actions. You still haven't remarked on the unhinged randos and haven't provided any useful insight overall. This part of the thread is going nowhere.

Yes, that was unasked for feedback.

 

[adverbly]

When you KNOW English, you almost always find if you have troubled to proofread that people who lack the insight and expertise to offer anything but a grammar and spelling critique do not know nearly as much about grammar and spelling as they think. Chances are they just imitating comments they have gotten without really having understood the error.

This is interesting insight. Thank you.

 

[Bazzle]

@adverbly have a chew on this stuff. https://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=6326072&page=submissions its mine. Its all fetish based, its "awful" topic to many, in my "awful" English. But hey when when your dyslexic sometimes how ever many times you proof read its still wrong.

 

[mmarfox]

I’ve recently submitted my first story for literotica. I received some harsh but fair criticism in the comments section, enough to make me take the story down, revise it, and resubmit it with those critiques in mind. The criticism did hurt a lot, but looking at it objectively, I think it was fair and was able to react accordingly. Not everyone will take that same approach. Constructive criticism can be very useful, but poking holes in someone’s work when they’re just writing for fun can be discouraging. I’d recommend only pointing out the absolute most necessary things to critique and to do it a polite manner. Any authors that rebuke that criticism, just move on. It’s not worth the time and energy to fight someone over something so arbitrary.

 

[SyleusSnow]

Well, I welcome unsolicited feedback. Ravenous for it, actually, since my goal is to improve as a writer.

But as Bazzle said, I'm more interested in comments about plot, characters, flow, tension and higher level things.

There are nick-pickers who enjoy finding errors in spelling, punctuation and other low-hanging fruit. Don't want to hear about those. Technical errors always find ways to creep in. I also don't care much about phrasing and word choices when they're only personal preference.

If particular wording is jarringly ambiguous or extremely awkward, I'd welcome suggested improvements. With specific examples, not just the usual "that sucks".

Halfway through one story I accidently changed a character's name. No one, including me, noticed for over a year. I was very glad when a reader pointed it out so I could submit a correction. In another, I was lazy and tried to skip over months in the character's development. Readers rightfully called me out on it and I did a big rewrite. Years later that story still gets favorited more often that any other.

It's natural for writers to get defense about our literary babies, though. If the goal really is help the writer, private feedback is better received than public comments. Even then, tone matters. Online, tone tends to come across as way more harsh that the exact same words would spoken face-to-face.

 

[LdyHoneybee]

I’ve recently submitted my first story for literotica. I received some harsh but fair criticism in the comments section, enough to make me take the story down, revise it, and resubmit it with those critiques in mind. The criticism did hurt a lot, but looking at it objectively, I think it was fair and was able to react accordingly. Not everyone will take that same approach. Constructive criticism can be very useful, but poking holes in someone’s work when they’re just writing for fun can be discouraging. I’d recommend only pointing out the absolute most necessary things to critique and to do it a polite manner. Any authors that rebuke that criticism, just move on. It’s not worth the time and energy to fight someone over something so arbitrary.

Exactly.

 

[adverbly]

What are you trying to accomplish here? If you like to comment on stories, that’s fine. there are lots of writers of various experience who ask for critiques on this board. I didn’t ask for a pretty long time because I thought asking was like begging for compliments, but I finally figured out since i am interested in improving that no one was offering comments because i was not asking. There are very experienced readers and writers here who can and do offer extensive helpful critiques to other writers that are both honest and courteous. I suggest you just write the problem off to “being new.”

Keep in mind that a critique is just a reaction on the part of one individual. It is passive. The writer’s role is active to consider and to accept or reject.

I'm here to have fun reading enjoyable stories and I thought potentially provide helpful and when possible encouraging feedback in the pursuit of more enjoyable stories. Like I said, I always attempted a neutral tone regardless of the specific feedback I left. Most of my feedback as anonymous was outright encouraging. I had never before spent a lot of time in the comments sections, so I didn't pick up on the apparent unspoken rules of leaving feedback. As far as I know I never got replies from the writers or other commenters, but I didn't expect to, especially from other commenters. I mean, come on. That's just weird, right? Commenting on feedback in a personal way when it's not even their story? No one is addressing that.

I appreciate your thoughtful response. It's helpful. I will definitely keep it in mind.

 

[Bazzle]

Well, I welcome unsolicited feedback. Ravenous for it, actually, since my goal is to improve as a writer.

It's natural for writers to get defense about our literary babies, though. If the goal really is help the writer, private feedback is better received than public comments. Even then, tone matters. Online, tone tends to come across as way more harsh that the exact same words would spoken face-to-face.

As a writer we all crave "positive" feedback. I know exactly what you are saying. Feedback is a drug. To tell you that your amazing.
However as you say some critical feedback is good. Spotting the obvious mistakes.
I have been publishing my stories elsewhere for a while. Got lots of "thanks" but no actual feed back.

I did get one complaint in here that I wrong in English English which I found amusing. Complaining I was putting extra vowels in words...

Overall coming here has helped me. I know in a small way what I have been doing wrong. Which is good.

 

[LdyHoneybee]

As far as the comment section is concerned, i have gotten all of two, both anonymous. One was just “hello.” The other one was very sweetly complimentary. Reader reactions are registered with numbers. I much appreciated the sweet comment but could also assess that not everyone rated what i wrote as a 5 (highest). So since all 5s would naturally be the goal, I wondered why whoever gave it less than 5 did so. Was it something I was doing “wrong,” some goal that I was trying to accomplish that fell short, or just that they did not like some detail or how the story was labeled or something I said on a board that had nothing to do with the story. I take all comments seriously, evaluating how they apply to what I have done and what I planned.