Write a controversial opinion

[Statius]

I don't partake in the contests, I know what kind of writer I am and I can't write under pressure. However I find the support threads entertaining, Interesting, and sometimes I learn things about writing as well.

 

[PennyThompson]

I'm going to disagree on this:

1) You would expect that each support thread would reflect the personal style of the volunteer running it. The volunteers on Lit often have vivid personas. So what? Bland is boring.

2) Right now, Lit seems to be trying to recover from a crisis that was particularly visible to authors, although less so to the general users. An intense, fun-centred effort around a contest is a good way to get things back on track just when many authors would be unsure about whether to bother. Judging on the number of stories published so far, it's working. You could argue, of course, that a support thread makes no difference, but in that case, why have them?

We can probably wait until a year's passed and we see the results on ratemyliteroticasupportthread.com to see how it's gone, but right now I'm on the side of #notajoke.

But what if I think that my style of engagement is superior to other authors' style of engagement, and they make me inexplicably angry just by existing??

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I'm going to disagree on this:

1) You would expect that each support thread would reflect the personal style of the volunteer running it. The volunteers on Lit often have vivid personas. So what? Bland is boring.

2) Right now, Lit seems to be trying to recover from a crisis that was particularly visible to authors, although less so to the general users. An intense, fun-centred effort around a contest is a good way to get things back on track just when many authors would be unsure about whether to bother. Judging on the number of stories published so far, it's working. You could argue, of course, that a support thread makes no difference, but in that case, why have them?

We can probably wait until a year's passed and we see the results on ratemyliteroticasupportthread.com to see how it's gone, but right now I'm on the side of #notajoke.

"I wasn't going to write a contest story, but then there was this banging contest support thread, so I did," said no one, ever.

 

[PennyThompson]

"I wasn't going to write a contest story, but then there was this banging contest support thread, so I did," said no one, ever.

I mean, literally yes, the friendly and supportive thread for the Summer contest is what ultimately convinced me to submit something for it

 

[TheRedChamber]

Excuse me, which contest thread are we talking about in parricular. I'd hate to have to read all of them, get myself enraged and then discover the thread I was enraged about wasnt the same one everyone else was enraged about.

 

[PennyThompson]

Excuse me, which contest thread are we talking about in parricular. I'd hate to have to read all of them, get myself enraged and then discover the thread I was enraged about wasnt the same one everyone else was enraged about.

You mean you don't subscribe to Lovecraft's "What I'm Mad About Today" newsletter? It's only $5/mo, it's a good value!

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I mean, literally yes, the friendly and supportive thread for the Summer contest is what ultimately convinced me to submit something for it

 

[NuclearFairy]

"I wasn't going to write a contest story, but then there was this banging contest support thread, so I did," said no one, ever.

Well, kinda?

I wrote story. I thought, "Story is kinda Halloweenish." I saw support thread. I asked others if they thought it would go good in contest. I entered story in contest.

 

[Britva415]

Right now, Lit seems to be trying to recover from a crisis that was particularly visible to authors, although less so to the general users.

Eh? What crisis? And what does the recovery effort look like?

 

[Actingup]

View attachment 2570973

I'm going to pull out the Monty Python argument sketch if this keeps going!

Similar to @NuclearFairy's anecodote - my choices and entries have definitely been influenced by support threads, and the threads are appreciated, for all their twists and turns.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Eh? What crisis? And what does the recovery effort look like?

People who were used to getting stories published in three days suddenly didn't. Crisis is a VERY relative term.

 

[Britva415]

People who were used to getting stories published in three days suddenly didn't

There's a recovery effort?

 

[Actingup]

People who were used to getting stories published in three days suddenly didn't. Crisis is a VERY relative term.

Whether you noticed depended on how you were affected. There are stories entered for the Crime and Punishment event last month that are still lost in the queue (including one of mine). It doesn't threaten world peace, but it affects how people approach time-limited events and the level of trust authors have in the process, and ultimately the income that the site receives through stories.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

There's a recovery effort?

Not as far as anyone can actually tell. The site is as opaque as it always is.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Whether you noticed depended on how you were affected. There are stories entered for the Crime and Punishment event last month that are still lost in the queue (including one of mine). It doesn't threaten world peace, but it affects how people approach time-limited events and the level of trust authors have in the process, and ultimately the income that the site receives through stories.

So a small group of people. Not exactly a crisis. And since the "support threads" are the usual suspects every time, there isn't much evidence that they are helping win back trust. Especially since the issue is ongoing, and no one who has anything to do with the support thread has any control over it, or inside knowledge or anything else.
If people want to sit in a drum circle and sing Kumbaya great. But let's not pretend it's really changing anything.

 

[SimonDoom]

So a small group of people. Not exactly a crisis. And since the "support threads" are the usual suspects every time, there isn't much evidence that they are helping win back trust. Especially since the issue is ongoing, and no one who has anything to do with the support thread has any control over it, or inside knowledge or anything else.
If people want to sit in a drum circle and sing Kumbaya great. But let's not pretend it's really changing anything.

Can we sing "Puff the magic dragon" instead?

 

[TheRedChamber]

Can we sing "Puff the magic dragon" instead?

Doubtful, a quick scan of the lyrics reveals underage frolicking.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

Can we sing "Puff the magic dragon" instead?

Only if you promise not to mess up the rotation.

Puff, puff, give man!

 

[Actingup]

Doubtful, a quick scan of the lyrics reveals underage frolicking.

There's a history there. Difficult as it may seem to believe, people sometimes read more into lyrics than are actually there, particularly for famous artists. Peter, Paul and Mary were accused of promoting marijuana use through 'Puff', and the dirt stuck despite their protests. I saw an interview where Peter Yarrow described how he wrote the song when he was at a university where they'd never heard of drugs and the worst thing that the students got up to were 'panty raids' (!)

RIP Peter Yarrow and Mary Travers - Noel Paul Stookey is the only one still alive.

 

[StillStunned]

 

[NaughteeDragon]

Gemini is a much better writer than ChatGPT.
As an experiment I ran the the ran same 3 story ideas through both programs. Gemini's stories were more nuanced, and corrective guidance was applied much more smoothly. Fortunately, neither of them write erotica since it is a "violation of community guidelines."

 

[TheLobster]

There's a recovery effort?

The UN is paradropping fresh plot bunnies as we speak.

 

[kreemi_pi]

My writer's block is permanent.

 

[Musinginspace]

I'm a morning person, and I rock.

Me too as I sit checking out posts here at 3:15 in the morning

 

[DryRottingHusk]

Is it considered controversial to talk about my fiancée being with other men?