Winter Holiday Support Thread

[sophia jane]

Yep, pretty much...but the thing to remember is if you are being trolled, you must have written something good.

I'm not gonna think about that cuz I didn't get trolled.

 

[Guest]

Yep, pretty much...but the thing to remember is if you are being trolled, you must have written something good.

Good thing to note...I'll write it on my calendar, if I want one of my stories to win the contests, make sure they suck.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

I'm not gonna think about that cuz I didn't get trolled.

I'll one bomb you if you like?

 

[Guest]

I'll one bomb you if you like?

That's the nicest thing about Abs, she's always so willing to help out.

 

[sophia jane]

Good thing to note...I'll write it on my calendar, if I want one of my stories to win the contests, make sure they suck.

Nah, the troll votes all get deleted by the end of the contest, and the winners are all good stories. And I'm not just saying that cuz I have a little W (cuz on that contest it really was a matter of who didn't piss people off getting ahead).

 

[ABSTRUSE]

That's the nicest thing about Abs, she's always so willing to help out.

It's a gift.

 

[Guest]

Nah, the troll votes all get deleted by the end of the contest, and the winners are all good stories. And I'm not just saying that cuz I have a little W (cuz on that contest it really was a matter of who didn't piss people off getting ahead).

My problem is I want that little W more than I want the money, now isn't that strange. Maybe I should just buy a sticker and put it on my computer screen instead of worrying about it...

 

[sophia jane]

My problem is I want that little W more than I want the money, now isn't that strange. Maybe I should just buy a sticker and put it on my computer screen instead of worrying about it...

You get little W's for monthly contests and readers choice, too.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

My problem is I want that little W more than I want the money, now isn't that strange. Maybe I should just buy a sticker and put it on my computer screen instead of worrying about it...

That's the joy of competition but for me the goal is to please myself. If people like what a write...then that's a bonus.

 

[Guest]

That's the joy of competition but for me the goal is to please myself. If people like what a write...then that's a bonus.

Two of the stories that I wrote for the contests were actually Christmas presents. One for my mom and the other for my boyfriend. And since they both loved them, I don't care if I win or not.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Two of the stories that I wrote for the contests were actually Christmas presents. One for my mom and the other for my boyfriend. And since they both loved them, I don't care if I win or not.

That is one of the best gifts you can give someone.

 

[sophia jane]

That is one of the best gifts you can give someone.

Porn?

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Porn?

That too.

 

[Guest]

That too.

yeah, my mom loved it...lol.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

For all you authors who have been here for a while, I have a question, if I might. Has it always been like this, with the trolls and the nastiness? Is it just because of the money? This is turning me off to the whole experience of contests and somewhat of Literotica itself.

Danielle (and everybody) -
When I posted my first story here in August it shot to the top 10 of the toplist, got lots of views, votes and comments, and naturally I became really excited and thought, "Damn, I'm going to be the 'readers choice- lesbian' for the month.” Then the trolls struck, and probably the story's high profile drew some more discriminating readers and voters, and while I did not realize it the story had a very serious problem (since fixed). Bottom line, the score came down a lot (but is still very high). I was bitter, and did not know about trolls, so suspected malice at every turn.

The experience left a bad taste in my mouth. In hindsight I would have been happier if the story had just quietly qualified for an "H," elicited the same nice comments and e-mails, and never appeared to be a contender for “official” recognition.

OK, I post the next story, and it too soars. I told myself at the start not to get excited, it would probably get knocked down, but like Charlie Brown invited to kick that football I could not help myself, and of course the same thing happened. It happened again with chapter two of that story, which was in second place on the lesbian toplist for a while (and is at least five votes short of qualifying for November “readers choice” in the category - hint, hint: Susan's College Girl-Lust Ch. 02), and then it got knocked down also.

So then my holiday story goes in (Shy Virgin’s Fear Becomes Joy). It is a sweet but steamy story, better than the others, but still I am flabbergasted by the number of votes and comments, and it has a very high score at first too, but of course it then gets pounded – even lower than the others.

But - Charlie Brown is learning to take this in stride. I feel more wry than bitter now at this particular aspect of the Lit experience, and meanwhile the generous comments and emails and vote totals have kept me on cloud nine for the past two weeks (and interfered with my real work!)

On balance, it’s been a very rewarding and enriching experience.

Roxanne Appleby

PS. The money would be nice, but it's really the recognition that motivates me. And of course the pure joy of creation.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

For all you authors who have been here for a while, I have a question, if I might. Has it always been like this, with the trolls and the nastiness? Is it just because of the money? This is turning me off to the whole experience of contests and somewhat of Literotica itself.

What Abs said.

Most of us have had stories start high, then get bombed, have the score pop back up after a sweep, and finally settle down somewhere between 4.25 and 4.75. And while it's a familiar pattern. it's always a bit frustrating. Sometimes it can get "next" to you. Support threads help by giving contestents a place to ventilate, letting them share "war stories" with others who are going through the same thing.

And in conclusion, let me propose that the motto for all entrants should be:

Non illigitamus carborundum
Don't let the bastards grind you down​

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Guest]

Roxanne (et al.)

I too think I wrote some of my best work for this contest. My last entry, Endless, was something that came from my heart and was written for a loved one. I've gotten so many comments and emails on it, all from people telling me that I made them cry, or laugh, or brought some emotion out in them that they hadn't expected to feel.

It was a treat to hear, a big ego stroke, and of course, as I said before, it was a Christmas present and he loves it.

I have the same problem with that damn football, I can't help but be excited when something I write does well, even though I know that Literotica isn't the New York Times book review. Now there is where I'd like to see my name. I just wish people would vote with their hearts and their feelings, not with their wallets.

Good luck all, as someone else said, this contest has brought out a huge amount of fantastic work. I think we all need a big pat on the shoulders and a W in our story pages.

Danielle

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Fuck! I missed this contest!

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Fuck! I missed this contest!

Well, there are those who think the former is more fun than the latter. So what's your problem?

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Alex De Kok]

< ... some snippin' ... >
And in conclusion, let me propose that the motto for all entrants should be:

Non illigitamus carborundum
Don't let the bastards grind you down​

Rumple Foreskin

Amen, Reverend!

Alex

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Amen, Reverend!

Alex

Bless you, Brother Alex.

Joy, I say, JOY, unto the serenity of the stroke.

The Right Rev. Rumple Foreskin

 

[scouries]

Free Speech Contest Winner 2005???

xxxesq.

 

[cloudy]

Miss Cloudy, [sorry I didn’t respond earlier to your post but didn’t see it immediately and was away from the computer all day]

Is the person who just scant months ago won the prize for her eloquent defense of free speech the same person who now imperiously demands, much as Nazis and dictators have demanded throughout history, “Why the hell are you here?”

Why the hell am I here Miss Cloudy? I happen to be a Literotica member and writer (in good standing I believe), a writer who naively entered two stories in the Winter Holiday Contest. An author who had hoped for recognition from the reading public, plaudits from his peers and finally a great, green W accompanied by large cash awards. And what did I find Miss Cloudy?

CORRUPTION MISS CLOUDY. A small clique of people engaged in ballot stuffing, vote trading and underhand deals, on a scale so large that it would make even a tin pot Banana Republic dictator blush. And the people doing it are so brazen about it they don’t even hide their actions, so used now to these patently unfair actions, actions that undermine other authors efforts, that they don’t even comprehend their moral bankruptcy.

Since Literotica claims these contests are ‘Reader’s Choice’ awards, maybe a good first step would be to disallow any author who’s published a story in the previous six months from voting in any contest. Oh, I understand that people would try to cheat, but at least those that did cheat couldn’t pretend that they were acting fairly.

As to your comments re: stroke stories vs. non-erotic stories. I agree 100% with you that non-erotic stories are perfectly OK. Every writer should write what he likes. However, in my quick scanning of the contest world here at Lit I’ve noticed a couple of things.

One, contests bring out a disproportionate number of stories from categories not usually heard much from. It’s pretty obvious certain authors pick categories based on their belief (based on experience) that their chances of winning will be much better. Defying logic, in a contest which purports to reward popularity with the reading public, the categories chosen (romance, non-erotic, humor, sci-fi, fetish etc.) are categories that aren’t generally popular with readers (or at least much less so than others).

Two, in looking quickly at the monthly prize winners this year (Jan-Sept, I couldn’t find October) plus the two other contests (Valentines and Earth Day), I found that out of the 33 prize winners, not one winner came from the big six categories – Erotic Coupling, Incest, BDSM, Group, Loving Wives, Exhibitionism. I call them the big six only based on the number of stories that are shown published beside each. These categories make up 60% of the stories produced and I’d guess at more than 80% of the reads on the site and yet they’ve been shut out this year.

This almost statistical impossibility can only be only explained by the fact that the contest is rigged to favor others. The greatest beneficiaries are Romance stories, a small category (maybe 4% of all stories) that this year has won about 55% of the prizes, and Novels, another small category, which has won 20% of the prizes. But even Sci-Fi, Humor, Mind Control, Mature and Non-Human have all won prizes, all while the most viewed and voted on stories at Literotica, stories from Erotic, Group and Incest are ignored.

It is simply time to adjust the rules so that award winners do reflect the ‘Readers Choice’.

Finally, your comment, ‘There are those of us, however, who aspire to do more than that’, strangely seems to eloquently support my implication that you do feel you’re superior…

If you aspire to be better Miss Cloudy, a simple thought - stop cheating, stop vote swapping, stop making deals, stop demanding of others what they’re doing here…. We could soon be calling you Lesscloudy or Partlysuuny or …..

As you can see, I don’t post much so you’re unlikely to hear much more from me. I also regularly sweep the old posts away, so don’t fear, these comments will soon disappear like the wind.

Good surfing today. Have a nice evening
J R Scouries esq.

I'm all for free speech. You certainly have the right to post whatever/wherever you like, just as I have the right to call you on your bullshit. I simply asked why, if your opinion is so low of us, you choose to post here. I notice you didn't bother to answer.

Don't accuse me of anything, okay? I'm trying very hard to be nice...make it easy on both of us. Where, pray tell, have I cheated, asshole?

edited to add: I'm going to beat our new resident asshole to the punch....sent him/her the following PM (y'all, please excuse me, but this pisses me off no end):

How dare you accuse me of cheating? Just what have you based that on?

Show me....or better, show the whole damn forum how I've cheated.

I couldn't give a rats ass about what you think, mr. perfection, but I resent you implying that I cheat. If you'll notice, I haven't even posted in that thread more than a handful of times.

And, yes, I've won a couple of times but they were won fairly, and if you've bothered to even READ anything I've written, I have a fair amount of skill.

Shove your implications up your ass.

 

[davidwatts]

Don't you think that many of the categories you list as being under represented or not represented in contest winners are those that do not necessarily lend themselves to stories that would cover holidays?

When most people think of Valentine's Day or Christmas, their thoughts would tend to gravitate to Romantic settings, or thoughts of loved ones past or present. Very few would think back to that day when dear old Dad snuck into their room to bugger them.

The Incest/Loving Wives/BDSM and some of the other cats you mention are also very difficult to score well in. For example, loving Wives separates into the people that hate cheating wives and the others that revel in that very same thing. You will always tick somebody off and the scores reflect it.

People should be voting on the quality of the stories, not whether they approve of the activity the story describes, but you can't force people to read stories that they find disgusting.

I think your argument would be better directed at the management, and to suggest another contest that would reward stories more on the cutting edge or more adventurous in theme. I think that a contest that was geared toward stories off the beaten path, or breaking new ground would be an interesting idea, and might encourage writers to expand their horizons.

I have no problem with writers not being allowed to vote in contests they are involved in, and have said that in past posts. I'm not sure what you refer to regarding vote swapping, and while I'm sure that their are those that have relationships that provide the quid pro quo you refer to, you should also know that people who post here also make enemies. Those people are likely to take their revenge out on those very same people by voting low, so I have a hunch that things may end up being a wash.

Just my opinion.

 

[sack]

Mr. Scouries....

(who, in all fairness wrote a darn good Holiday Contest story)

I believe I can explain why the big six categories rarely get monthly prizes. Yes, in general stories in these categories do indeed get more votes. However, more votes does not necessarily mean more HIGH votes. On the other hand, a story in the Romance category may be read by only a tiny fraction of readers that frequent Incest, but this small dedicated faction is more likely to give "5's" . The same is true for Non-Erotic, Fetish, etc. The biggest problem is for the story in these categories to get the requisite 50 votes to qualify for the monthly contests.

Another reason, and I'm treading on controversial thin ice here, is that many really well written stories are completely non-erotic or "soft porn" at best. Thus, we have Abstruse's Reformation, David Watt's Thanks For The Days, my own The Little Candle Girl, etc., stories that have been at or above 4.85 for at least a year. Frankly, it's difficult to write a real standout, exceptional story with a lot of sex in it unless you are a genius, like dr._mabeuse or Aurora Black. So, the typical sex romp in a contest rarely wins...perhaps the general readership wants something a little more sophisticated, as Cloudy was saying.

Speaking of which, Cloudy certainly doesn't need my help, but I find her to be one of the most honorable people on Literotica. She would withdraw her story from the contest if she found out it won via "cheating." That really was most unfair to say those outright lies about a gifted writer and outstanding person.

So much for my 2 cents....

Sack