Winter Holiday Support Thread

[davidwatts]

Just as a matter of record, I was fortunate to win minor honors in the Valentine's Day contest earlier this year. At that time I don't think I had posted here more than a few dozen times, so I doubt very much whether I gained any great advantage from the few times I had visited here. To the contrary, I know of at least one person who was a definite non-fan. So be it.

I too am more likely to read stories from writers I am familiar with, and am also more likely to read stories written by people who were kind enough to read and comment on my stuff. That does not mean I give automatic 5's to those people, nor am I involved in any great conspiracy either.

I stand by my oft-repeated mantra that if a writer is in a contest, he or she should not vote if they feel a competitors story is not worthy of a 5. Voting lower is simply not fair as it gives you a competitive edge.

Voting totals should be kept secret until the competition is completed also, and that would eliminate a lot of this friction and baseless accusations, but I've sung that song before as well.

 

[Guest]

Just as a matter of record, I was fortunate to win minor honors in the Valentine's Day contest earlier this year. At that time I don't think I had posted here more than a few dozen times, so I doubt very much whether I gained any great advantage from the few times I had visited here. To the contrary, I know of at least one person who was a definite non-fan. So be it.

I too am more likely to read stories from writers I am familiar with, and am also more likely to read stories written by people who were kind enough to read and comment on my stuff. That does not mean I give automatic 5's to those people, nor am I involved in any great conspiracy either.

I stand by my oft-repeated mantra that if a writer is in a contest, he or she should not vote if they feel a competitors story is not worthy of a 5. Voting lower is simply not fair as it gives you a competitive edge.

Voting totals should be kept secret until the competition is completed also, and that would eliminate a lot of this friction and baseless accusations, but I've sung that song before as well.

Here here...on keeping the scores quiet until the end. That would probably have stopped this whole thing, except, I know some people share scores and ratings between themselves.

I loved your story David, and the title made it really interesting.

 

[cookiejar]

 

[davidwatts]

You sing? Cool...us upstaters can do anything.

You might have heard me already and mistaken me for a frisky feral cat.

We are something aren't we?

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

He loved it too Roxanne, although I did cut down on the sex in Christmas Blessings for my mom.

She asked me once for the link to this site and I said..No way in hell, Mom.

And Happy Day off of work then. LOL.

Dear Danielle's Mom:

The site is at Literotica.com. The wonderful stories your lovely daughter has written are here, and the valuable comments and insights she provides to the community can be found here.

Merry Christmas!

 

[davidwatts]

You sing? Cool...us upstaters can do anything.

and by the way... button that blouse. Don't want you to catch cold.

 

[cookiejar]

 

[davidwatts]

Here here...on keeping the scores quiet until the end. That would probably have stopped this whole thing, except, I know some people share scores and ratings between themselves.

I loved your story David, and the title made it really interesting.

Kitties attract other kitties. Makes me glad that I changed the title from Clem the Snake.

 

[davidwatts]

Holy hell, you're my dad!

I made that post in a moment of weakness as I heard church bells in the distance. I meant to say unbutton the rest of it and I'll be over with some Vicks Vapo Rub (do they still make that?)

 

[oggbashan]

Support

This is the Winter Holiday Story Contest support thread.

Why do we need a support thread?

Because the authors brave enough to enter their stories in this competition are likely to be attacked by trolls, anonymous PCs and e-mails and dubious voting practices. That applies to all entrants, not just those of us who are frequently in the AH.

Some of us need support and encouragement to enter; some need support when their stories are attacked or downrated; some find the whole process demeaning - but any contest entry gets far more attention (for its category) than any normally submitted story.

Some readers forget that this is a free site. They don't pay to read any story however good or bad. If it is good then it is courteous to say so and vote accordingly. If it is bad, the reasonable thing to do is to send an email or PM suggesting what is wrong and NOT to comment in public.

If it is a good story but does nothing for you because the subject or sexual practice isn't attractive or acceptable to you - just back click and leave it.

I wish that anonymous could appreciate how much of an author's soul goes into producing a story and how much hurt an insensitive criticism can do - but if anonymous could realise that - they wouldn't be anonymous.

Congratulations to all those who entered this contest, AH regulars or not. By entering the contests you help to make Literotica the exciting place it is. The trolls and anonymous add to the excitement, however much we wish they wouldn't.

Soon the results will be announced and most of us can say 'Well Done!' to the winners and 'If only' to each other.

Then there is the next contest and most of us will put ourselves through the mental torture AGAIN.

Og

 

[cloudy]

I love you, Og.

 

[Guest]

Dear Danielle's Mom:

The site is at Literotica.com. The wonderful stories your lovely daughter has written are here, and the valuable comments and insights she provides to the community can be found here.

Merry Christmas!

Okay okay, now I'm grounded...

 

[Guest]

This is the Winter Holiday Story Contest support thread.

Why do we need a support thread?

Because the authors brave enough to enter their stories in this competition are likely to be attacked by trolls, anonymous PCs and e-mails and dubious voting practices. That applies to all entrants, not just those of us who are frequently in the AH.

Some of us need support and encouragement to enter; some need support when their stories are attacked or downrated; some find the whole process demeaning - but any contest entry gets far more attention (for its category) than any normally submitted story.

Some readers forget that this is a free site. They don't pay to read any story however good or bad. If it is good then it is courteous to say so and vote accordingly. If it is bad, the reasonable thing to do is to send an email or PM suggesting what is wrong and NOT to comment in public.

If it is a good story but does nothing for you because the subject or sexual practice isn't attractive or acceptable to you - just back click and leave it.

I wish that anonymous could appreciate how much of an author's soul goes into producing a story and how much hurt an insensitive criticism can do - but if anonymous could realise that - they wouldn't be anonymous.

Congratulations to all those who entered this contest, AH regulars or not. By entering the contests you help to make Literotica the exciting place it is. The trolls and anonymous add to the excitement, however much we wish they wouldn't.

Soon the results will be announced and most of us can say 'Well Done!' to the winners and 'If only' to each other.

Then there is the next contest and most of us will put ourselves through the mental torture AGAIN.

Og

Very nicely said Og.

 

[Guest]

Hey Og....

*gives him a cheeky grin*

When you gonna post the valentines day support thread?

*doubles over laughing knowing what she posted in this thread the first day it was up*

 

[cookiejar]

 

[My Erotic Trail]

Yes, they still make it, I have some actually. I'm off to write on my story; it's all in longhand. The oddest thing is I try typing it at the computer and I draw a blank. I write it on paper and it flows. Never had that happen before.

Hey sweetie...I know what you mean I landed in the hospital and I haven't wriiten a word on paper in a long time but the creative flow is a tad different yet success...<grin...I am better and obviously back to typing...my book seems to only grow when I sit late at night quiet on the puter and it flows from me like water but sit with a pad in hand and I get writers block???

 

[cookiejar]

 

[My Erotic Trail]

Is that you Art? And if so why the name change? Either way I hope you are well on your way to better health.

my fourth year and name Art Ramble

...my erotic tail ...was the second year
My Erotic Tale was a hoot of learning and filled my list so high that it takes ten minutes to open the long list of poems and tales...
so My fourth year will hopefully be filled with much better writes and more serious focus ....kind of like high school ...I guess this year I graduate ?<grin>

hello sweet lady I have to say I am glad to see you writing again <grin>

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

So when does Valentine's contest start?

I can't believe this thead had slipped off the first page of AH threads.

I have a story idea that could be VD related, or not. Anyone know about when Valentine's entries will start posting? thanks,
Roxanne

 

[scouries]

Responses

xxxxx

 

[davidwatts]

Management

Mr. Scouries,

In literotica land, management would be either Laurel or Manu. Laurel would be the likely person to deal with regarding suggestions for contests. She can be reached via a PM to her, and she has a sticky at the very top of the AH entry page. I have found them very responsive in the few times I have needed their assistance, and I think that if you have ideas or suggestions they would be the people to speak to. Hope this is of help.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I can't believe this thead had slipped off the first page of AH threads.

I have a story idea that could be VD related, or not. Anyone know about when Valentine's entries will start posting? thanks,
Roxanne

Please don't abbreviate Valentine's Day like that.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

Please don't abbreviate Valentine's Day like that.

I'm sorry. Again, does anyone know about when we can post stories dedicated to the holiday represented by one of those cute fat little baby angels who wields a bow-and-arrow?

 

[sophia jane]

I'm sorry. Again, does anyone know about when we can post stories dedicated to the holiday represented by one of those cute fat little baby angels who wields a bow-and-arrow?

Starts Jan 20.

 

[Belegon]

Mr. Belegon

Re your comment - ‘Did I read & vote on them partially because I know who they are? Frankly yes’ – Of course it’s not cheating Mr. B! But it’s unfair and is what my point has been all along. You’re simply not a fair judge and shouldn’t vote. Miss S Kitten’s comment ‘I think he would argue that the return on your investment was *also* the benefit of a group of authors who vote for your stories….’ Is simply another way of saying the same thing.

However Mr. B, I just wish you hadn’t used the term Return on Investment in this charged atmosphere – I never suggested the votes were actually bought and sold. Surely things haven’t got this…

If you and Miss C ever change your minds and decide to read my work, ignore my Xmas entries and go directly to ‘Gayle’s Dad’, it’s my best according to the general public.

But it’s unfair

No. It is not. Not unless you feel that the only person who should be allowed to vote on ANY story is one who has read EVERY story. Those authors did not earn my votes via friendship or anything else. They DID earn my READS. Through the sweat equity and creative output of their past performance. It is no more unfair than it is that when U2 releases their next album I will buy it without hearing it first, despite the fact that I will not buy every other artist's CD on the rack.

‘I think he would argue that the return on your investment was *also* the benefit of a group of authors who vote for your stories….’ Is simply another way of saying the same thing.

&
I never suggested the votes were actually bought and sold.

I'm sorry, but I felt you suggested exactly that. You just suggested that the coin used was goodwill and vote exchange rather then financial gain. Barter is still trade. A small clique of people engaged in ballot stuffing, vote trading and underhand deals, Your words sir. Pretty harsh ones too. Which was exactly what provoked my equally harsh response. Ask around. I am not generally reactionary. I am usually very calm and very rarely have anything but kind words for anyone. I am not normally given to outbursts of negative emotion.

Competitions are not always perfectly fair...nor will they ever be. I will not refrain from reading, voting or commenting on a new piece by an author I like simply because it is in a competition. I appreciate that I have friends and even fans who would vote for me in a contest. I also would expect them to vote me anywhere from a 1-5 depending on how they felt I performed. I would be truly and deeply offended if I ever discovered that someone who called themselves my supporter had voted me an undeserved 5 just because they did not want to hurt me. How the hell am I supposed to get better then?

BTW, just for the record...see a story under my name in this competition? How about in the Halloween contest? Go to my page...the last story I entered in a competition was San Diego Sunset. See a red H next to it? So how did I benefit from my unfair voting? For the record, no story under my name has ever won a financial reward from Lit. ( My W is for reader's choice, which is more important to me anyway.)

I did not feel your original post was terribly harsh. I didn't feel Cloudy's response was nasty either. However, your follow-up to her response was VERY aggressive and nasty. That was when I got upset. But it was at least honest indignation, if not necessarily well thought out....

I will try to remember "Gayle's Dad" for a time when I am more likely to read it without bias...