All Comments on 'A Reader Comments'

Yes I agree with you on voting and leaving comments. I have some of my story's posted here on lit. I like when the reader takes the time to leave a comment and takes the extra second to vote. Good or bad, comments and voting tell us how our story has made the reader feel.

No Comment

Loved your analogies! Like you I have often pondered the necessity of a 1 or a 2 - it seems designed to enable a critic to bomb an author's score - because really, if it's that bad, I'm outta there and onto the next!

Maybe it is time for the readers to step outside of the star and post a "star" with an explanation. It wouldn't count against the stories over all rating but would give the writer some feedback. As in: Star 1: "I couldn't get past the opening. I don't understand why, it just is". However being open to that sort of comment, the reader has to have some sense of why a comment is appreciated.

I’ve been an Anonymous reader since I found this site in 2003. I am not a writer. I have neither the talent nor imagination to even begin to write. Now and then I will comment on a story. Most of my comments are directed to writers that have a good story line but really need the help of an editor. I realize that English is not the first language of all the writers here on Lit so I don’t comment on the “your/you’re” type of mistakes.

My biggest complaint is on the Voting choices. Why should I pop a writer’s balloon because their well-written Sci-Fy/Nonhuman story had gay scenes in it and I personally don’t read the gay/lesbian stories? Should I vote #1-I hated it or #2-I didn’t like it much? It is not the writer’s problem that my preference excludes the gay/lesbian stories. With these voting choices I leave the story without casting a vote.

What is the possibility of changing the #1 and #2 Voting reasons?

#1-“I hated it” could be #1-“Not my type”. (Opps, I clicked on this story by mistake; was misled by the title; etc.).

#2-“I didn’t like it much” could be #2-“Needs lots of work”. (Speaks for it’s self).

Just a thought from an avid reader.

Like a lot of literotica writers (or so I imagine!) I feel like a bit of an attention whore when it comes to comments-- inevitably wondering what sorts of juicy things people will have to tell me, good or bad. Sometimes nobody tells me anything, occasionally I hear a good deal. It's definitely fun to get the feedback.

But, as I think you get at here, there's a sort of dilemma to the desire. I'm not really fantasizing about making "lots of friends" or winning the Pulitzer (at least, not with these, probably!)-- but what then? I suppose, as you say, the idea that I've moved people, entered their fantasies, that we've shared the same dream for the time they spent reading it and then they can tell me, 'yeah that bit was neat' or 'where did that suddenly come from?'

But what business do I have to want this from readers? I'm just as guilty as any-- plenty of times I've put fingers to keypad to say *something* and then thought, eeehhh, I don't really know what/have anything to say, do I?

And frankly, I haven't exactly hunted down all my commenters to send them 'thank you's either. That too, sometimes, I've started to do and then-- eeehhh, they've probably moved on from jilling off two months ago, haven't they? . . . lol

This essay does a very nice job of surveying all these questions, & it's very satisfying to have them mulled over like this. Also, you cleverly inserted a sort of mini-erotic tale with the Story Romance, kudos for that!

You bring up points that mirror what I think and why I don't tend to comment. If I'm really impressed, I might rate a 5, but if I'm not so impressed, I don't want to spend the time thinking about why and rating it according to my personal criteria for erotica. I would rather back out and find a different story that I do like.

and too rambling and self-focused for the topic to be interesting. Gave up on it less than half-way though.

Very intriguing, well written essay.

I vote in much the same way as you. If I do not make it to the end of the story, then I do not vote. That eliminates nearly all of the 1s and 2s that I would otherwise submit. I feel that it is not fair to the author if I give a 1 or 2, even though I did not make it to the end. Something in the part I skipped may have elevated the score, if I had only read all of it.

I almost never use a "1" as a rating - if I truly hate something it isn't likely that I will get through to the end. "2" is something else; I stick with a lot of stories that aren't much good because I hope (usually without much reason) that they'll get better. Sometimes, not often, they do.

Usually I try to explain what I think is wrong with their story. Most often it has to do with an almost complete lack of originality. I am almost sure to give any good twist on even an oldest story line a 4. Add in character development and a plot, and you get a 5. Unfortunately, those are not common - but I guess ERWA spoils one.

i never give a 1 or 2...if i dont like a story i will either try to struggle through it(if im in a good mood), to give some type of positive feedback to the author, or i back out of the story entirely. if i back out, i will not vote at all. I only comment on stories that have inspired emotion...if i dont feel anything, what is there to say?

I can understand and agree with the idea that comments are good for the soul and for the author. It is indeed like the book report--I the reader need to think about both the story and my own reactions.

I am not so sure though about the "right" I have to comment. The likes and dislikes, are they mine to comment on or is that in the realm of the author? To me the later. If I do have that type of comments, I would send that to the author, not publish it as comment.

There seem to be little reason at all to publish (or vote below 3) at all--that is more to say: sorry it is not in my taste. Why should I say that?

English is not my native language, so some of those kind of remarks, I feel less competent to issue.

Most or all authors I do send a personal comment to responds though.

I must say I appreciate the effort from all the authors and I guess that is the point of the comment....

Some respond if their dick starts stiffening, or their cunt starts moistening, others if these things DON'T happen, and yet others if their education leads them to appreciate the elegance of the author's language, or the stucture of the composition. As a University teacher for over 40 years in three continents, I think I am of the last group [though surely there are more groups than these]. Whether or not I like a story, any response I send ends with gratitude to all Internet authors for going to so much trouble to provide interesting and entertaining reading to give the rest of us so much pleasure. I have often sent comments to this page, and sometimes directly to the author, but I have never given a 'score' assessment, because I do not think it is right that I should have a say in whether the story was gradable between 0 and 5. I have the right to say how well or badly I received it, but not to say how good or bad it is. Let me end this comment with a reinforcement of what I have written above. Thanks to all you internet story tellers for providing so much pleasure for us less creative peasants. I am especially grateful being an expatriate Brit in a foreign land where entertaining reading in English is not only hard to come by, but - being imported - is always bloody expensive.

Freddy, the British nut in Brazil

I read your comment on my story about voting and comments and had to read yours. Really good. And it's good to hear that someone else when through an "Edgar Rice B." phase. Heck, I even liked the movie, even it it wasn't close to the original. Thanks for writing this and letting me know it was here.