Sometimes you just need to jump into the deep water. Did you post here or at sexstories.com? You won't get many comments over there but they do have the voting. You can't let the +/- get you too much.
Some of it is luck, getting noticed quickly that keeps your story nearer the top of the list of new ones. Other times a quick negative can bury it and it won't get a chance to shine. And most people don't vote at all. Of course I'm happy when I see a high score, but what I really like to see is a good number of people (views) reading the story.

 

I do get suspicious when the current top stories all have lower than usual scores. Looking at my more recent ones it does seem than there's been an effort to vote down stories. Why people bother, I don't know. I suppose some think it'll get their own noticed. Others may have an ax to grind with the author. I notice that they tend not to vote while signed in. The worst part is that it tends to depress views.

 

I have noticed that most of my negatives come in the first weeks or so of posting. I have to accept that my usual theme will attract some haters who probably take it upon themselves to neg every story that they find threatening. Eventually, with enough votes, a single vote either way won't have the dramatic effect that it does at the outset. It can definitely kill a story, unfortunately. I have a few stories that consistently ride high in the Gay niche and some that I think are just as good which sank without trace and have never climbed out of the cellar. You just have to live with it.

 

It's wonderful to be back on here, even with the downsides of the voting system. I love seeing different 'generations' of writers and I'm struck by the passion and dedication of the current usual suspects popping up in the writing community of this site. Well done to all writers here.

 

This new voting system is kind of interesting. Not mad at it. That's all. Carry-on.

 

Quick question: Does story point of view have an affect on readers enjoyment? Are there any inherent advantages to first person versus third person POV? Do you write primarily in one POV or do you switch it up? Is there anything about a story that makes one POV better than another?
Okay, that was more than one quick question. Sorry.

 

Nice to see you again, @BashfulScribe!

 

Nevermind.

 

Ignore previous post. I went on a rant and then thought better of it. I edited it, but couldn't delete it.

 

The voting of these latest stories have been cutthroat. Someone pissed someone off because I've never seen the first page like this. Even the authors that usually write well-written stories are getting the axe.

Wow!

 

Cool and smart

 

Hi, folks. Some questions for the regular denizens, or anyone else with some insight into this. Is it better to save your work as a Rich Text File (I believe that's the format used by the onsite text editor, right?) instead of, say, MS Word? I ask because I do, in fact, save my stuff as a Word file but when I do the Copy/Paste boogie, the formatting and any italics-highlighted words or phrases go Poof! Does anyone know how to stop that? Adjusting the spacing or what-have-you isn't too big a pain in the butt, but inserting italics is clunky and time-consuming and makes me drink more. Cuss more, too.

Another question I have is why is the word 'description' in stories a no-no? In both of my stories, Unusual Business and the Part 2 of that, I used the word once and, in each instance, it was censored. It's not context related, I'm pretty sure. In neither story did the word have any suggestive or taboo connotations. It's more amusing than pesky, it just makes me curious. Are there other forbidden words/phrases y'all have run across?

Thanks in advance, and Happy Scribbling to ya!

 

Thank you, very much. That would never have occurred to me in a million years, BashfulScribe.

 

I had asked this in a comment but would like to ask for other's thoughts on it.
I'm thinking of writing a short story using 1st person and sometimes switch to 3rd, say maybe a chapter in one and the next chapter in the other...anyone have experience using both persons?

 

One of the most helpful pieces of advice I was ever blessed with was a reaction to a flowery passage that, at the time, I believed was literary nirvana: "Goof, show us, don't tell us."

Regardless of the POV, if your audience is propelled to desire more, you nailed it. POV is a sophisticated tool that you should experiment with to your heart's delighted content. If it engages your audience, it worked. If not, well, practice makes perfect, right?

 

Nutz. Sorry for the inadvertent 2x, y'all.

 

Good stuff. Better than usual command of phrasing and word usage. You paint a pretty picture, partner.

This commentary should not make you cringe; in the vernacular of my environs, "Ya done good, Dude." What struck me is something I've posted elsewhere in the Forum, so forgive the redundancy: Tell us don't show us. Use that same creativity to build a 'scene' and not a description. Ex. 'April fingered herself to an astonishing orgasm. vs. "April growled as her pointy, black-tipped nails pierced the coral pink folds of ...'

The other thing I'd offer is, if the writing does not propel your narrative intent forward, more simply, if it's window dressing, consider replacing or removing it. Essentially, tighter editing, with the goal being 'Did this make my audience react? Anticipate? Shrug? Groan? Cum!?'

Overall? Yeah, I'm going to read it again in a bit. Good stuff.

 

Does anyone know why my story isn't getting published on sexstories? I've posted it over a day ago and it still hasn't shown up in the feed and the status is still in "Edit Mode"

 

I was told last week that the spammer issue was resolved and the ratings would correct themselves. I'm not seeing that so I think I'll delete those stories. I'm not sure what that'll do but they're not 74% stories. I've got ideas for a couple of shorter tales, but I don't know if I can trust this site to be fair.

 

Yeah, my newest story got shitcanned, I presume by spammers. Three negative ratings in the first hour. Three days later, only one more negative, the rest positive. Just not enough to lift me from the 70s%. I agree with NCfan I'm not writing a 77% story, I land consistently in the 90's. It's discouraging, but it is not like I am trying to feed a family with my writing.

I don't want to bother anyone who has explained ad nauseam, but is there somewhere where the new voting system is explained?