Winter Holiday Support Thread

[sophia jane]

I would have entered no matter what the prize was because I enjoy the contests. And they are a great way to get reader exposure and get to know some of the other writers. I never had any illusions about winning this one, so it's all just fun for me.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Morning fellow troll-bait.

My poor, wittle womance got the hell beat out of it by--well, in light of recent posts, I shall not point a finger at the usual suspects, single-digit IQ, no-talent, no-life trolls. However, I will say that due to the actions of some, if not all, of the last sixteen voters (the story has a total of 39 votes), the score went down a full half-a-point.

It was like watching the German army roll over Luxembourg. If this keeps up, there won't be any competition for last place, it'll be MINE!

In a way it's kind of fun. Now there's no way of telling what a story's actual (post-sweep) score may be. The only thing that bugs me is--with the score now way below the H line, the story will probably attract even fewer views and votes.

Oh, woe is I.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Morning fellow troll-bait.

My poor, wittle womance got the hell beat out of it by--well, in light of recent posts, I shall not point a finger at the usual suspects, single-digit IQ, no-talent, no-life trolls. However, I will say that due to the actions of some, if not all, of the last sixteen voters (the story has a total of 39 votes), the score went down a full half-a-point.

It was like watching the German army roll over Luxembourg. If this keeps up, there won't be any competition for last place, it'll be MINE!

In a way it's kind of fun. Now there's no way of telling what a story's actual (post-sweep) score may be. The only thing that bugs me is--with the score now way below the H line, the story will probably attract even fewer views and votes.

Oh, woe is I.

Rumple Foreskin

Yes, the "German Army's" trolls have also rolled throught the Ardennes - the unstated location of my Shy Virgin’s Fear Becomes Joy (aka “Love and Intimacy – Denise’s Joyful Holiday Discoveries”), in a replay of the Battle of the Bulge. Appropriately enough, for the first one began 61 years ago on or about this very date.
(No offence to German readers, - Ve are allies now, und das ist gut. I make no assumption regarding the nationality of the little creatures who live under bridges.)
PS. They also trampled down my steamy Susan's College Girl-Lust Ch. 02

 

[scouries]

What’s all the whining about?

Dudes!

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Scouries,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts but, IMHO, you may be just a bit off base with some of them. On the other hand, that is just, MHO. For all I know, you might be right on target.

This is a support thread. It's where writers can meet to discuss problems with the process, ask for help, and by this point in a contest, compare notes. While the latter may sound like wihining to you, to other's it's just venting frustrations.

This falls under, "for what little it's worth," but I like the contest as is. For starters IT'S FREE. There are no entry fees. The only obligation concerns winners who are asked to leave their stories on Lit for a year or so and make them available for possible anthology use, but only if they accept the prize money.

I also like the fact storis are judged by both the "aveage" Lit reader and other AH folks, who for the most part, are interested in literature and/or becoming better writers.

Anyway, welcome to the AH and the Winter contest support thread. I haven't read your stories, but I'll be sure to give 'em a look.

Rumple Foreskin

ps: You might want to add links to your entries in your sig line. It's so easy even I can do it. rf

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Stop whining? But it's FUN!

For all the angst and anxiety, mostly this is all just great fun! So much so that I am here writing these words instead of doing my job. Enough - Bye!

 

[scouries]

Contests?

xxxxx

 

[Alex756]

Sorry, have no idea what IMHO or MHO are.
As to the sig business, haven't mastered it yet, my one attempt was a failure.

I have to take some exception to your line "I also like the fact storis are judged by both the 'aveage' Lit reader...". Reading the thread its pretty clear most of you have no desire to be judged by others outside your circle.

Howdies thought I'd try explaining some

first IMHO is in my humble opinion and MHO is my huble opinion

As to the rest. Being a relative outsider to here I can definately see how alot of this can be interpretted two ways.

What I -think- the majority of people mean, I would bet money this is true in RF's case, is that simply there is a community of friends or at least aquaintinces on the AH here. Just like offline we care more what out friends think of say our shirt than random people, its because they are our friends, not that there is any superiority.

What I really enjoy personally about the lit contests is the wide number of readers you do get.

For example my story has 455 votes! 18 PCs and I got over 20 private feedbacks via email. My score is definately middle of the road, but *shrug* In all honesty I skipped corners on it and it's probbaly a better score than it deserves.

Most of the catagories I write in get very few reads, and few votes, and thats kinda a bummer to me. But I don't write in them because they don;t get alot of reads, just because its what I wanted to write.

~Alex

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Alex, you done did good.

Scories,

About links in sig lines. Here a copy of one of mine. I had to add the space between ([) and (/url) to keep the sucker from working.

EXCHANGING PRESENTS[ /url] Holiday reunion Romance

Replace the url to my story with the one to yours, then do the same with the title, and finally the tag line. If you're in a contrary mood, do it in the reverse order.

Click on User CP at the top of the page, then Sig line on the left side of the next page. Copy the link/url you've created and paste it where it'll do the most good. There's a preview feature that will let you tinker. Good luck.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Alex De Kok]

< ... Big snip ... >
For example my story has 455 votes! 18 PCs and I got over 20 private feedbacks via email. < ... and another snip ... >
~Alex

I thought I was doing well with 199 votes and 16 PCs! (But no feedback emails) (56 and 118 votes on the other two)

Scouries,

for sigs and things, have you looked here?

On voting, I'm happy to be judged by anyone who votes honestly and fairly, Hangout regular or not. I've never seen more than about thirty or so people around the Hangout, so the rest of my votes must be from elsewhere.

Alex

 

[English Lady]

My second entry still only has 15 votes...so it's not looking like it'll qualify right now -so if anyone's reading AH'ers stuff, please read "Once more through the wardrobe door" for me -thank you

 

[Alex756]

I thought I was doing well with 199 votes and 16 PCs! (But no feedback emails) (56 and 118 votes on the other two)

Alex

Evidently no plot, 95% sex, 1 page incest stories get alot of votes

I was freakishly stunned at the votes on this since my TOTAL votes for my other stories are
53-70-121-48-16 = 308 or less votes than the winter one got in 2 days.

~Alex

 

[Boxlicker101]

Evidently no plot, 95% sex, 1 page incest stories get alot of votes

I was freakishly stunned at the votes on this since my TOTAL votes for my other stories are
53-70-121-48-16 = 308 or less votes than the winter one got in 2 days.

~Alex

It looks like most people get more response than I do. My story is Group Sex, 93% smut (setting the scene took up 7% of the wordage), 16,228 views, 62 votes for an average of 4.32 and 15 PC. No emails about this story.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

It looks like most people get more response than I do. My story is Group Sex, 93% smut (setting the scene took up 7% of the wordage), 16,228 views, 62 votes for an average of 4.32 and 15 PC. No emails about this story.

It's that damn 7% that killed you, Box.

Either that, or it's my having posted my X-travaganza first. Reading it, probably left many so stunned and reeling from the assault on good taste and English letters they were unable, maybe even, unfit, to vote for your prodigious pile of peerless porn.

Since you've shown us yours, I'll show you mine
(the figures for my Group Sex story, that is).

Six long Lit pages containing,

99 44/100 pure smut. It now has:

33500 views,

96 votes,

20 PC"s.

and one, shaky, H.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Alex De Kok]

Evidently no plot, 95% sex, 1 page incest stories get alot of votes

~Alex

You may just have a point there!

My main moan is the number of readers that don't vote. I accept freely the fact that not every recorded view is a read right through. Inevitable, I think. But even if only 5% of those views are reads, the votes would still only be 10% of the reads. Or, in other words, about 0.5% of the recorded 'views'. (That's based on my figures, as someone who has been posting stories here since mid-2000.) Ah, well . . .

Of course, if anyone wants really low figures, post poetry! I have six posted, and only three of those have reached the 10 votes mark. The highest only has 15 votes, and that one is illustrated! With a nude! I have one posted in July 2004 that still only has 3 votes. Still, I don't consider myself a poet (despite my avatar, and the first quote in my sig below) and I stay away from the poetry forum.

Alex

 

[oggbashan]

I agree with Alex de Kok - poetry is a sure fire way to low scores.

Not that I claim to be a poet. My seasonal offering of so-called poetry - see sigline - has 3 votes and one PC.

I'm not in the running for the prizes with my 'story' either. Non-erotic is a good way NOT to get votes. I am grateful for the PCs but votes?

For Valentine's Day I think I should do incest.

Og

 

[Unsung Muse]

I'm not in the running for the prizes with my 'story' either. Non-erotic is a good way NOT to get votes. I am grateful for the PCs but votes? For Valentine's Day I think I should do incest. Og

Likewise, I've discovered a sure fire way to cripple a score is submitting
a sad 'downer' of a tale & putting it in the 'romance' category...

I do think I am in the running for lowest score though!

Is Valentines the next contest? If so, me thinks I should get to work on
an uplifting-action-packed-BDSM-anal-incest-humorous-smut-fest now!!

 

[sack]

a learning experience....

I see these contests as just one big learning experience. Here's what I have learned this go around:

1. I have developed a new appreciation for Sophia Jane, being totally impressed by her willingness to accept criticism, her outsized heart, and her overall inner beauty!

2. I have a wonderful new "internet friend", that being the astonishingly gifted Daniellekitten. Besides being an extremely talented writer, she is so sensitive and helpful, despite having had a less than perfect life. Truly, she is a "jewel beyond price."

3. I continue to be blown away by Cloudy's lovely writing. She is clearly a one-in-a-million person.

4. Roxanne Appleby is a superb talent and bears watching, as does Aurora Black. I marvel at their effortless craft, and read their stories over and over again.

5. I can now appreciate Boxlicker as a fierce, but fair critic, who clearly doesn't like misunderstandings. His smut stories deserve to be higher rated, as he is on par with my favorite smut writer, Slickman.

6. English Lady has emerged as a kind, sweet soul, capable of penning delightful tales that are just suitably naughty without being overdone.

7. Rumple continues to amaze with the extraordinary breadth of his writing, his versatility, and kind vision for us all.

8. Hugo Sam is so compassionate, so forgiving of others' foibles, that I want to cry.

9. Selenakittyn is a force to be reckoned with. Her Christmas Stalkings marked a departure toward even more professional writing, and since that point her candle is burning brighter still.

10. Abstreuse will always be an enigma, even to herself. But how can anyone not respond to such a gifted, fertile, creative mind? Her stories are otherwordly, capable only of someone who has been to hell and back!


And I could go on and on. All of this is much more important to me than a dubiously accurate rating on something I know in my heart is well written. (or not!)
I don't mind saying I work very hard at my two jobs, and don't really need any extra money at this time. Any monetary winnings I may get would go to the local food bank in my town, which provides turkeys at Thanksgiving, and nourishment at other times to families in need.

Thank you all for the inspiration....

Sack

 

[Boxlicker101]

I agree with Alex de Kok - poetry is a sure fire way to low scores.

Not that I claim to be a poet. My seasonal offering of so-called poetry - see sigline - has 3 votes and one PC.

I'm not in the running for the prizes with my 'story' either. Non-erotic is a good way NOT to get votes. I am grateful for the PCs but votes?

For Valentine's Day I think I should do incest.

Og

Do they even accept poetry for a contest? I have written quite a few poems and some of them have views in the hundreds, even after a year or more.

 

[Alex De Kok]

Do they even accept poetry for a contest? I have written quite a few poems and some of them have views in the hundreds, even after a year or more.

I submitted 'Sonnet for National Nude Day' in 2004, and although Laurel posted it overnight, it was never listed in the Nude Day contest entries. So the answer is probably 'no'.

Alex

PS: My poems have views, even the least-viewed has over 700 views, it's votes they don't have!

 

[Boxlicker101]

I submitted 'Sonnet for National Nude Day' in 2004, and although Laurel posted it overnight, it was never listed in the Nude Day contest entries. So the answer is probably 'no'.

Alex

PS: My poems have views, even the least-viewed has over 700 views, it's votes they don't have!

Judging from what I have written, poems do get posted quite quickly, usually the day after submission. In that way, they compare to contest entries.

I exaggerated earlier about the small number of views that poems get. I have some that have been posted for six months and have fewer than 1,000 views, which is far fewer than my stories attract. I believe that everything posted last year or earlier have over more than 1,000 views. Even an E/C story will have more than that in the first day. Non-erotic of Sci Fi might not have, but most categories do.

Most of my poems are basically jokes told in rhyme and meter and they get a higher percentage of votes than my stories do. I average about .2% of votes per view for stories and at least three times that much for most poems.

 

[scouries]

Contest

xxxxx

 

[cloudy]

Finally to one and all – Everyone seems to love denigrating ‘stroke stories’. The only reason Literotica exists is stroke stories; they’re what draw the 100,000+ people here every day. A good, well written story is just that – no matter the category, the length, the style, the number of strokes, the grammar, the speeling…

Have a nice evening

I beg to differ.

Sure, stroke stories are the norm, but non-erotic does okay, too, as long as it's well-written. My holiday story isn't the least bit erotic, neither is Abs, or one of Rumples, etc., etc.

There are some who simply want to write good stroke. That's fine and dandy if that's their goal. More power to 'em.

There are those of us, however, who aspire to do more than that, and we shouldn't be denigrated for it.

I resent your implications...the ones you've been pushing forward in each of your posts that we think we're "superior," etc.

I'm very welcoming to new folks, but if you think so little of us, then why the hell are you here?

 

[MnRider]

Newbie

I'm pretty new here so don't really have much of a history to talk about, but so far I have 27 votes on just over 7600 "hits." It'd be fun to have some idea on many people did read the story. But I'm sure there is no way to track that!

I have been impressed with how friendly the anonymous comments have been through Email, but my story is in EC with pretty straight forward sex. There is some anal which prompted a very polite, mild negative statement.

What really surprised me was how many people voted on one of my poems, I think it has less than 150 views, but 15 people took the time to vote and three commented.

I've also found the writers in the contest to be very friendly!! Sack, Arurora Black, DanielleKitten all had nice things to say about the story. For a new writer it was wonderful to read the kind words.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Speaking of Non-Erotic stories, check out the TOPS list for that category. There's a large number of NE contest entries that are not just doing well, they're kicking ass and taking names. Who'd a thunk it?

Rumple Foreskin