Another Perfect Loving Wives Tale

4kin perfect! Got that one nailed down.

Can't disagree with a word of it, including the fact that yes, trolls can and do anger me. Sure, I also pity them, as you say, yet I can't help but be angered over the inequity. They can trash something, and because they do so anonymously, they risk nothing. There is no accountability for such cowards. They don't write stories themselves, they don't put themselves out there, and they're free to wallow.<p>

Btw, how did you ever come to find this story, this late in the game? Thank you for reading it, and for leaving a real comment.

The question is: What is the definition of "art?" and it applies to all forms of artistic expression, not just writing. Does 'art' occur when an individual creates something (like writing a story) or when somebody else experiences that creation (reading the story)? As the writer/artist you can only control the story you produce. If you open yourself up to public scrutiny, then you're going to have to accept that your product WILL BE perceived in ways that you never intended and in ways that are actually the opposite of what you wrote. All these perceptions will be filtered through whatever personal agendas may be operating. Since you have little or no control over how your product is received, my personal belief is that you should write the stories that give YOU the most satisfaction and not worry so much about how others react to it. Look for the honest critiques and ignore the flamers. It is unfortunate that so many of us are so eager to assail stories, available to us at no cost, offered up for our enjoyment. Perhaps it might help to consider the situation of those who trash your stories without reading them. How sad is it that they feel the need to resort to these behaviors to find purpose and fulfillment in their lives? Though they may have earned your anger, they deserve your pity because they have revealed how small they really are. I enjoyed your story, thank you for sharing it.

"Damn the torpedoes! Full steam ahead." - US Adm. David Farragut.

Hon, you know why you write, and who you're actually writing for. Please, continue. This was hilarious, and those who can't see how ridiculous all the scenarios in the story are, well they over-populate the world anyway. Honestly, Pollyanna herself had a running commentary on the silliness of it all. Keep your sense of humor in place.

This is a detailed, imaginative, skilled piece of erotic text, but its also hilarious.

I love it well done.

I was in stitches at this. It's hilarious. :)

This was by far the most unusual story that I have ever read. It was delightful and I thought original.

Good job.

-Joe-

...of what you describe for yourself. The vast majority of my stories receive very little comment. I've had stories receive a cumulative 4.85 score with over a hundred votes...but only two comments. (This was before my stories routinely began getting targeted and sabotaged with slews of horrible scores.) By and large people just don't comment on my stories; even my most popular ones. Those few stories of mine which received more than a few comments? That was mostly the result of my own participation in conversations going back and forth, such as we're doing now. Take away my own comments and there wouldn't be much in the way of comments following any of my stories.<p>

My stories only average three or four comments apiece, with quite a few receiving only one or two. No idea why that is either, considering some of my most popular stories are the ones to receive the fewest comments. I don't know why people never have commented much on my stories. It's a mystery to me.<p>

I have discovered though that I'm fairly rare in that I respond all the time to public comments...in the public comments section. I've noticed that most other writers here don't do that.<p>

Another area where I think you and I may differ is I've discovered that often times people don't actually read my stories. They vote on 'em, sure, and sometimes they even comment on 'em, but often times it's apparent that they haven't actually read the story. This has become more and more obvious to me of late.<p>

The first tip off was when I noticed that my stories were starting to get ripped literally within minutes of appearing on the site.<p>

For example, I've had six page stories receive a slew of zero scores ten minutes into their initial posting.<p>

I'm a reasonably rapid reader but there's simply no way I could get through one of my six page stories in under ten minutes. Nonetheless a half dozen people apparently managed to "read" my most recent six page story in under ten minutes. More remarkably, after "reading" an hour and a half long story in under ten minutes they all come to the same conclusion that the story was utterly worthless and deserving of a zero score.<p>

That's what I mean. I've got people automatically killing my stories. They don't even read them.<p>

I received a different form of evidence of this today, from a reader named Marcus. He's actually the "Anonymous" guy in this public comments section; the guy who says I have a problem with letting this crap diminish my enthusiasm for writing. He enjoys my stories. In fact, he had me write one for him, "Susan: There And Back Again."<p>

That was his request story. So, suffice it to say he's not one of the people who automatically trashes any story I submit.<P>

In an e-mail today though he said something to me that pretty much summed up the situation I have here of people not even reading my stories before passing judgement on both me and my stories...<p>

He was attempting to tell me to keep my chin up, to ignore the bashers and to keep writing. In the interest of fairness and full disclosure though he added that he does find himself often agreeing with the Morality Police here. He said that while he enjoys my writing he shares the Morality Police's distate for all my "cheating wives" stories.<P>

Apparently I'm known as a "cheating wives" story writer, even by people who enjoy my writing.<p>

This blew me away. See, out of all the stories I've written there have only been TWO cheating wives. One was Pollyanna, in this satire story. Her cheating was intentionally vague and unclear and she was merely a comic book character anyway. She's just a parody. The other was Jill, and that was a request story. I had no choice there. That's what the the woman requested and I agreed to give her what she wanted.<p>

Even there though I wrote it so that the character divorced her husband just as soon as she began to cheat on him. She wouldn't lie to him and mistreat him. I added that on my own.<P>

Summer also cheated, in the original "Summer" series, but she wasn't married and she only cheated on her boyfriend after first discovering that he'd been cheating on her.<P>

So, that's it: two cheating wives, in all my stories. One was a request and the other was a joke.<p>

Regardless, I've somehow become known as a writer of "cheating wives" stories. The Morality Police automatically attack my stories with that brand label in mind.<p>

Long story short, the point is that people just aren't reading my stories! They're passing judgement on them based on erroneous assumptions, without ever having read the damn things.<p>

So, no, it doesn't seem that you and I have quite the same situation. You're right though, I'd be okay with this if I were in your shoes. I'd take the crappy scores if I at least knew people had actually read the story. That's not my situation. I'm still getting the crappy scores now, sure, but that's it. I'm not getting the satisfaction you have of knowing people at least read the story.<p>

It's a really strange situation.

I feel for you. I have exactly the same sort of response from the same group of people all the time, plus of course the annon. group who won't put their name to anything.

I'm afraid humour in the loving wives section just doesn't seem to work --- I've tried it, but there are too many over serious readers with no tangable sense of humour.

I've learned to live with it (as has GWB, who also suffers, like me, for being a Brit). I take the attitude that if they can be bothered to read it, and comment on it, then at least I've reached them in some way.

In fact for me, it is more important and rewarding to get loads and loads of comments, than a high score. I average over four, but I'm maybe never going to get an 'H', whereas my stories are virtually always first or second in the comments mark in the feedback portal, and I'm quite sure this one of yours will be to.

Take heart, and enjoy what you do.

Thats exactly what I meant ...you allow others opinions to affect your enthusiasm to write !!!!

Your actual writing ...no problems its excellent !

Well my opinion is ...your probably the best new writer Lit has seen for several years ... hope that perks you up enough to get summer heat flowing through your fingers ;-)