What I Don't Understand

DIZ STORIEZ IS TEH SUXORZ

OMG I MEN WTF Y WUD U PUT SOMTING LIK DIS ON TEH WEBSIT ITS NAWT HAWT ND SUX U SUK 2 ND NOW DAT I HAF CONTRIBUTED 2 DIS CONVERSATION ND MADE LITEROTICA A BETTER PLAZ IM DON

RIght on target

Thank you for a lucid and quite sorely needed statement. I too find the number and nature of vitriolic comments puzzling.

There's nothing extraordinary about a reader failing to find a story entertaining; but why bother wasting his own and others' time posting a worthless rant about it that offers nothing the author might find constructive? It is particularly silly, and sometimes amusing, to see someone's gripe about the time lost reading the story. They never explain why they don't miss the time lost writing and posting their bitch about it.

No writer owes any particular reader what the reader happens to like. Sexuality is a nebulous and very individual force, not logical, not predictable and certainly, not universal. Nobody can write anything that will please everybody.

I fear that we are preaching to the choir here. The malcontents we're talking about are not motivated by what they claim to be. There's something else underlying that, some burr under their saddles that drives their vitriol. Still, maybe there are a few who will take your message to heart. I hope so.

Thanks for your contribution.

A note: I haven't yet read any of your stories. I did glance over the list, and by the titles and descriptions they look quite interesting, and rather in line with my own tastes. Although I'm most definitely an XY, and a straight one, I often find erotic writings by women to be superior. In general, women seem to put more heart into their work. It is my position that, overall, there is too much anatomy and not enough humanity in this field. Maybe I'll post my own words on that in this area sometime.

interracial

Undoubtebly many of the people making comments regarding interracial storys are "full" racists, but another possibility is that they're only tolerant of some types of these stories. For example I've heard that many younger white supremists have no problem with asians ( with the obvious implication that they have no problem with white/asian relationships).

You are a fantastic writer.

I'm a bit younger than you and an asian female as well, so it's nice to know I am not the only non-"depraved" young girl who finds these fantasies to be appealing. Also, after reading many of your posts (especially the Reviews/Essays) you're intelligence is quite obvious in the way you voice your thoughts. Thanks for the amazing stories and since you mentioned this... "..positive feedback makes me incredibly motivated to write more..." I wanna be the one to say please please keep it up!

Hell yeah!

I know what turns me on and so I search out those stories, and I know what I don't like and avoid those types. I think authors on Lit are amazingly brave!

Good Review

There are a lot of stupid people online, and a lot of people who like to get attention because they're either bored, friend-less, or both. Some just like to start up trouble, thinking they'll get away with it because they're anonymous online, they can put any mask on the Internet.


In brief, the Internet has the mentality of a five year old. My best advise, ignore those who give you mean, racist, or otherwise offensive or uncomfortable comments.


- Timmy

Keep it Up!

Forgive me for I have sinned -not getting to your stories as much as I vow to do that, and I will. But I have no problem responding to your strong essay. People crave the safety of the Anonymous messages to vent trigger compensate project and I could go on and on through all the psychological subconscious needs which are satisfied by spewing gabage at the authors. You could justifably complain and rationalize your own pain but it would pass above the heads of most who do that. It's like complaining about storms and earth quakes. they eist and we have to be prepared and endure it. Whether you and other authors serve a good purpose by opening a safe harmless valve for many disfunctional people to vent -it's still debatable.
My strongest advice, try to quickly skip forward when you see such messages. They are pathological not literary.
Instead refocus on all the good you do so many pleasurable hours of reading all in the best modality I know of -the grass root form! Cheers!

Spot on...

Your writing is alway interesting and these comments are spot on..Walk tall and be proud...*s*

Just a thought

Dear Lady:I know this was written long ago and perhaps by now you've achieved some sort of peace and/or resolution with your dilemma. These are just my thoughts.We all are anonymous here. Oh, with the acquisition of a "handle" one is identifiable as a particular anonymous person, but still he/she remains anonymous just the same. One may know me here from my designation above, but certainly wouldn't recognize me if we were to meet on the street. A bio can mean very little. I could post anything there. How would you know what to be true and what not?I can and empathize with you regarding the mean-spirited and consequently meaningless responses you and other writers have had to suffer. I'm not a psychologist and have nothing other than my life's lessons to guide me, but my take is that those who post such remarks as you have mentioned have issues with themselves. I've read excellently composed and presented stories in which the male protagonist reconciled with his spouse only to witness the writer meet with derision because of such a resolution. I've also read embarrassingly poorly constructed stories which drew copious amounts of praise simply because the male protagonist "threw the bitch out." Apparently some folks, mostly males I'm sure, feel threatened and offended by anything which doesn't conform to their perceptions of how one is supposed to act in a particular situation. The bravado that is so often posted is mostly laughable, and most often quite illiterate. I would think that these responses would provide you with more information regarding the originators of such comments than any bio's ever could. I hope by now you have attached to these remarks the amount of worth they deserve. Also, I am sure there are those in having their responses listed liken it to "seeing their names in lights." Unfortunately I also believe there are some contributors whose only intention is not to provide a literate effort but simply to bait these folks. I find that as inexcusable as I do the narrow minded, bigoted, racist responses you have described. Their pouring gasoline on the fire will never ease this problem. Why do some folks read stories they initially know they won't like? Simply, because they can. They smell blood. They are in attack mode. They relish the opportunity to foist upon the writer and the rest of us their understanding, their definition, their opinion of what manhood, maleness, masculinity actually is. Most of these descriptions seem not to include someone so evolved as to possessing an opposable thumb. Be that as it may, comments from these folks should not ever be abridged, personal attacks upon writers or other folks commenting excepted. To censure these folks would repress all who contribute comments here. As has been suggested to these folks that they need not read stories they realize that will inflame their sensibilities, we too should heed this suggestion regarding the 'Feedback Portal.' Regardless of intent and content, we all should have access to this forum.All my best, Philip

Go girl!

You go girl! That is all.

Stiff upper lip and all

OK, so I am one of those people who leave Anon comments but I will say that I only leave positive ones. As you have said, I only click on stories that I think I will like or where the subject matter interests me. Yes, I have stumbled across stories that I didn't like and promptly went in search of others. My point here is that a good story teller to one may not be so great to another, and I agree that people should be leaving either positive comments to help encourage those authors they want to see more from or not leave any at all...you choose to click the link and there are no guarentees that you will like anything you click. If you think you can do a better job, then start writting. I for one have enjoyed many of Goldeniangels stories, only attempting to read what I think I will like.

With this article, I have decided to become a member so my comments are no longer Anon...Keep writting because I for one couldn't do it as well as you do.

Hell Yeah!

I write with my wife in the "Loving Wife" genre. Holy Crap, we weren't ready for the initial comments we got! It's always the early comments that are mean and degrading. It's like they watch for new stories and want to be the first to shit all over them. After the first few, they get a lot better and some people are fantastic in what they say. I've gotten less focused on the junk and just delete without reading them completely, also delete any anonymous mean public comments. I premis each story saying it involves sex out of wedlock and will still get whiners talking specifics, that indicate they read the entire story. I will never understand. I appreciate the read and although this was the first of your works I've read, I plan to check out others. Thanks!

Hell yeah. Thanks for writing this, I can relate.

Amen!!!!

I totally agree, I don't mind constructive critisim at all, but if you just need to bash it momma always said, "I you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

I'm not a writer but I can definately see where your coming from....

Personally I have been quite astounded at the high level of writing and general story-making that I have enjoyed from so many talented authors on this site. I have certainly enjoyed many happy hours reading into the wee small hours!. Don't let the bastards get you down! :)

Small minded idiots

Hell, yeah! I do not understand why people read stories in categories they do not like, then complain. I think it is because they cannot admit that they are "perverted", too. Hey, we are all perverted in our own way and it is usually a good way.

I was directed to you by another lady author who calls you her favorite. I am glad I came here. After reading this article and one story I realize that you will be one of my favorites, too. Good work, lady.

clay.dodd@yahoo.com

I can see your point

I really can see your point but always remember the comment tells you more about the commentator than it tells you about you or the stories you wrote.
I've never read one of your stories but will start now.
Your article made me curious.
And my advice is leave the stupid comments there where they belong with the stupid commentators!!!!!!

Marlam5

my commenting habbits

I generaly don't comment. I read on a smartphone so a story has to really strike me in order to take the time to type out a response, and this generaly only happens when something comes out as wrong to me. Usally a character does somethigh against their nature or I am just confused about what is happening. If I do come across something that I find offensive I will just skip it and move on. For me that is insest, rape for pleasure (not as a plot device), or REALLY graphic scenes, however I would never comment about it. Few stories are perfect and if any comment I make causes an author to double check something they overlooked then I don't see a problem with a negitive comment on a good story.

And no I have not written anything for this site, but I do read a lot (2+ hrs a day). I don't think you need to be a writer (or speller/typer) to recognise when a story breaks down. I almost never leave a purely negitive comment, every story has something good about it. Had the story sucked, I wouldn't have cared enough to notice my problem with it anyways

Hell yeah Goldeniangel

You submitted this a while ago, so who knows whether you're even still checking the comments. Still, if you don't mind my reviewing your review :-) ... Very well-written and persuasive without getting uncomfortably emotional. I haven't written nearly as much as you, but it's nice that there's your article to refer back to from time to time as a reminder of what to expect from some of the readers (and also a reminder to just shrug and keep going).

I Like Stories

I like stories, I have enjoyed several of your stories for which I thank you. I have noticed that you DO at least try and spell correctly, which adds to the enjoyment (not having to decipher a word first.) so many of the writers on this site cannot spell or do not bother to use a spell checker.


Mick

Never get away

There are dickheads, idiots and trolls in every community everywhere, even more so on the internet. Most people will pass by without even commenting, having simply enjoyed the read, but without anything interesting or will have passed without or will have avoided it because it doesn't suit them. The a fore mentioned types, however, find it funny, clever or just don't understand, that marking something down for subjective reasons isn't a choice. So few people know the difference between subjective opinion and objective fact. I would have to say you're probably my favourite author that I've read, but mostly because a lot of your work really hits the spot for me between romance and bdsm, something I struggle to find (I'm very picky). I realise that's personal to me, but I can also see that you're very descriptive about details I wouldn't even think of. Unfortunately, you will never get away from the comments like that, I'm sure this work was mostly for venting, but I for one enjoy your work, and hope to read more from you in the future.

I've only read a few of your stories, but i'd like to make the generalization that you are a fantastic author!

People are strange

Others have already pretty much covered what I think, but I will say that you should carry on regardless and just shrug your shoulders when you get abusive comments.

You write well and get me aroused, so I'm impressed, as I know how difficult writing is. I particularly like the way you judge what a good length is for a story. Many go on for too long and I am prone to this too.

Trolls

The troll stories by MarshAlien and SweetWitch offer an excellent counterpoint to this phenomenon.

I write and I read

Often I use a different user name for reading because some of the things I like to read are not the things I like to write and vice versa.

Since I've been writing more and reading less I tend to leave more comments because as a writer the voting system is great but I really want to know why I deserved those 5 stars or why it was you only gave me 1 star, was it my writing style, the length, the subject matter?

I also post on another site and realised that the ratings between the two can vary wildly.

If I were you I'd concentrate on the positive feedback, and by positive I mean genuine constructive comments on how to improve, and ignore people who just plain don't like the story. You can't please everyone all the time.

Lexi

You covered it

I had been planning to write a similar essay, but you pretty well covered the ground. I suppose one should not feel as if one is the only one to feel the jabs. It has surprised me that I feel nervous each time I submit another story. After all, we are basically Anonymous as writers despite a contact name. The strangest aspect in my efforts is that the stories truest to life are ridiculed for being unlikely. Ah well, I have learned something of life.

/agree

I know I have made some people irritated by comments like this, but I firmly believe that the majority of good and useful comments come from people who have written their own stories. There are exceptions as I have seen in my own story comments. But the vast majority of troll comments are anonymous. Some people get off on picking on others and can't even identify themselves. It's an internet commonality. This site is a way for authors to learn better techniques, to show off their goods, lubricate their talents, and finish off with some degree of satisfaction, whether glamorous or messy...Oh yes and enjoy reading too.

I love your writing

LOL what you are saying here rings true. People who needlessly distress themselves over sex, politics, religion (etc, etc, etc...) because they purposely expose themselves to topics they find abhorrent, and then lend their own opinions abusively, are a little odd (to say the least) If I disagree with or dislike something, I just steer well clear, making it really easy to NOT get upset ;-)

I love your writing, you are my favorite author on here, your prose, grammar and attention to detail are excellent, and its awesome to have such an unashamedly female voice exploring so many facets of this very kinky world we live in.

Thanks

Great review

I agree completely. It really pisses me off and I find it so pathetic that some people will write lame reviews for a story that they had no business reading. For example, I'm not into Anal, therefore I don't read anything in that category, no matter how much I may like a particular author. It just seems like common sense.

Crap, do people even "think" about the website they're on??!! How can someone say that a story is sexually sick when they are surfing an erotic literature website. Yeah, there are a lot of non-erotic stories, but again, look at the title of the website!

The only point I don't agree with (and maybe I'm misinterpreting this) is the comment about a negative reviewer not having written a story themselves and therefore can't understand the difficulties. I can't create a story but it does bother/distract me when I try to read a story with poor spelling or confusing sentence structure. For me though, I just move on.

I think it's disrespectful to leave cruel public comments but people are people so nothing surprises me anymore. It's funny to note that recipe sites such as Epicurious has similar problems. Someone will write a nasty recipe review saying that they swapped 3 items and left out others, then go on to say that the end product was horrible.

Anyway, to end my essay, I basically wanted to give you and all the writers kudos for writing anything at all. Most of us are extremely grateful to find so many fantastic adult-themed stories.

Love your writing

I just wanted to thank you for the many erotic hours you've provided me, and, from the ratings, I must assume many others. I've given up reading online comments for the most part because of the derisive nature of many of them. I agree with you, why read something you know will offend you? And why bother commenting on such a story if you do read it? I don't get it myself. I won't say I've liked each and every one of your stories, you probably don't yourself, but I appreciate the time and effort you put into it for little or no reward. And I fully understand that a story that doesn't rock my boat today may make me croon tomorrow, much as songs on an album. I can't name how many cds I've bought for one particular song, not caring for the rest, only to find, six months out, that it is one of the songs I hadn't liked that was now the one I couldn't hear often enough. If you check my profile you will see that I am not a story contributor, and only occasionally post comments, but I only post positive comments. If I don't like a story I just don't vote or comment on it. I figure the author will get plenty of negative feedback, deserved or not, and that my comments are not needed, whereas in the case of positive feedback, I know that none of us gets enough of that.

However, I might add, that because of writers such as yourself, this is one of the few adult sites that I might consider paying for if it were required.

Can relate

Especially to how stories seem to be received in the inverse to what I expect. And how people don't check to see what my gender is. In short: Hell yeah :)

hell yeah!!

I very much hope you keep on writing and don´t let people that critizise unjustly stop you. you are my all time favourite author on literotica and if i could buy your work for my kindle i would jump at the opportunity to do so.
liebe grüße, Nicole

I agree...

I have to agree with Foolishdancer, I love almost all of your writings, and if I was to have a problem with one of them I wouldn't be leaving a comment about it. I just leave the story and go on to the next one. Please don't stop writing do to the people whom leave those comments. Those of us who do like them would lose out on more of your stories. ;-)

Please Keep Writing

I have read some, not all but some, of your stories. I think that you are a wonderful wwriter. With your stories, it is not all about the sex; you have an amazing gift to be able to convey the emtions as well. Please keep writing, you have a wonderful gift.

Enjoy

I do enjoy most of your stories. I think this entry makes a lot of sense. Thanks for your thoughts

hell yeah

I am just a reader at this time not having posted anything yet myself. I have enjoyed the stories that you have written that I have read. I don't read from categories I'm not interested in and if I venture forth into them it's my bad not yours. I really wish people wouldn't be so negative. Get this people...where else can you find some really good stuff to read for free, all because some writers are willing to share their ideas and fantasies with us? Who cares if the spelling and grammar need editing? Some stories transcend the need to be perfect when they are awesomely written. Just my humble opinion!

You are my new favorite writer. Do you have any favorites that have more dialog (more teasing)before sex.?

Keep rockin p's I don't have a sign on anmy seems faster

Check out

More dialogue before sex? Um... If I understand correctly what you're asking for then I'd recommend "Tricked With a Treat" or "Chris Hemsworth: Sex God". If that's not what you're looking for then leave a comment again and I'll get back to you =)

I gotcha

I see your point about the mindlessness of comments. Some people are just assholes, and to do it well, have also decided to be stupid. I also understand the frustration with anonymity(and recognize the irony in this sentence). But I think disregarding people's negative comments because they've never written anything themselves may be a little off-base. Generally speaking, areas in which ideas are social tend to develop faster. If four people predict the coordinates of a tree, odds are each is a little off, but if you average their predictions together, the result will almost surely be more accurate. My point is that, when somebody posts something negative, they represent a certain point of view, one that should not be disregarded. If they are not just trolling or condemning you, they are simply letting you know that there was something they didn't like in that story. Over years and years, this will, in theory, lead to the general betterment of erotic stories. It's a process. It may suck now, but down the road it will pay off--if not for you, for your horny grandchildren. May the Literotica the wonder into be a better one.

One Previous Psyche Patient Personal Insight

I live in chronic pain now with memories of pain all the way back to age 2, 14, 34, & 46+. With all that pain comes rage & depression -> several 3-day, 30 day & even a 6 month stay at psyche hospitals when the pain interrupts sleep for too long a period of time. I saw a lot of destructive behavior, some of it from with-in myself. Those who seek out writings to attack are seeking control or destroy it both. They may seek to stop you from writing about subjects either because:
They want control over the subject and only their views count
They truly hate the subject and want to stop / destroy any “infectious ideas”
Fear subjects – see themselves as victims & need control
Fear their emotions / dark side being exposed
Or simple like to enrage others for their own entertainment
People want control in their lives to feel safe.
Some need / want to control everything to feel safe (including your writings).
Others want someone stronger to keep them safe.
Most realize that they can’t control everything – and just work with what they can control.

I agree

Also, I've noticed a few people even make profiles but virtually every comment they make is hateful and non-constructive. I've noticed this especially with Femdom stories, but I'm sure similar things happen with lots of catagories. My fear is that a new author will see something like that and then stop writing, then it ruins things for the rest of us.

I do love your work, and I'm glad you don't let those bad comments hit you too hard. I do have a bit of a theory regarding the whole categories thing. Often, I'll try to find stories to read using tags, rather than categories, and then I'm paying less attention to the actual category. Though really, I don't think that would really explain it...

I haven't read all your stuff and I probably won't end up doing so. Some of what you write will inevitably squick me a little and I won't enjoy it as much as I would like. Still, I know that what you write is well written and tastefully erotic, which is why I'll keep reading it.

Yeah, but

"Don't criticse if you haven't written yourself" is fundmentally invalid and kinda puts me off listening to the rest of what you have to say. Don't use that argument....it's such a load of bollocks.

Interesting Category

My first foray into Review and Essays. Quite interesting for an author to rail against the commenters. Yes of course many are just plain stupid and ignorant. Some of us however have a specific reason to be on this site. Considering when I accidentally stumbled here and by reading a few tales made me discover the truth about my own life, I use tales as therapy to help me cope with my demons. I will write eventually as I have many ideas rolling around in my head.
As for reading tales hated and bashing the author, personally I know a tale which I WILL NOT read as I know I will find it extremely distasteful. However when I like the subject and the result of the tale I let it be known through my comment which is normally not very forgiving to the kind of people I despise.
I'm ranting so I'll stop. This seems to be more of a discussion I should have in a group setting than a comment on a story.
I'll end by saying ignore the haters and welcome the critique whether good or bad. You can learn from both.

Just my opinion, for what it's worth.

I agree.

I've recently written a loving wives fantasy and was met with lots of criticism. Especially those who read the story and didn't like the fact that yes, it involved cheating, like the genre entails. This article sums up how I feel about those people.

Two answers

1. Simple answer: The LW has two main groups of readers and the Literotica's owners do not want to divide the LW into two hubs. The two groups prefer other type stories and this is a difficult thing for some authors. The majorities of the stories are a common selection atribute, whether the husbands like their wives have extramarital activity or not. The Literotica's owner should divide this hub according the husbands (fiances) behavioral with the extramarital activity of the wives. So the two reader groups with the two author groups could decrease the encounters each other.
2. Eleborated answer: The sociological survays of the extramarital activity show a huge shift in the last 100 years. The husband's extramarital activity remained similar, but the extramarital activity of the wives changed significantly. The minimum 1 extramarital event for lifetime (prostitute usage is cheating too) is about 60% in the Western Culture among husbands. Naturally this statistic figures contain such thing, that somebody was cheater in the first marriage only, one occasion in drunken state in all his/her life, et.
However the women statistical figures are very interesting to the light of the 100 years difference. The minimum 1 extramarital activity for lifetime increased to 55% from the 25%. during 100 years. The before 100 years the women cheating was correspond with the husband's behavioral. The homosexuality was a hidden thing and many wives looked for happiness extramarital way beside open homo husbands, the alcoholic, violance husbands, serial cheater, whorehouse/prostitute customer husbands, impotents and the lack of any sperm bank for improduct not impotens husbands, when the family wanted children. I think a thinking tolerated human can say the half of the extramarital activity for woman was understanble 100 years ago and the other half activity was connected to the mistake of the wives. A good husband rarly met a serial cheater wife 100 years ago against the nowdays status. I think that absolut faithful 40% and 20% relative fidelity husbands (relative fidelity husbands, who had extramarital activity only in their first marriages, only once was an accidental affair (in drunken state, with an unstoppable slut, etc.) in their life time) very often meet serial cheater and slut wives and fienceés. IronDragon (an author fellow) wrote he got rid of his fianceé before their wedding, because the "kind" lady planned bastard children to him in their future marriage. 100 years ago to be betrayed husbands were very rarly and it was connected to be wrong husbands. This today not right and good husbands (fiances) become betrayed by wives (fianceés). The court system and the family laws in the Western World do not followed the change in the marriage status, so the innocent ex-husbands got extrem punishment too several times. The turn has started slowy in the USA, for example the bastard child is below 4 years the ex-husband does not pay child support and he could start his life with new wife and his own geneticaly children without children support in some USA states (unfortunatally not the all 50 states). In some USA states the ex-husband can start lawsuit against the biological father to pay 18 years money settlement for raising up bastards. This is dream in the most countries in the Western Culture that the Modern Sciences arrive to the family law (DNA test), but the Hungarian family law does not know the spousal alimoney (ex-wife must go to work).
So one part of the readers are very sensitive to the extramarital stories in the LW hub, because they experienced the negative effect of the cheating or their friend, relatives, children, parents, collegues told their negativity effects against being good husbands. If the 100 years ago 25% statistic figures had been the authors would have gotten better echo..............................However at 55%.............

I enjoyed that the first anonymous post I read on this article was someone illustrating your point perfectly. Great article.

what i dont understand

is why some people favorite then unfavorite a story or author, sometimes repeatedly

here's your HELL YEAH!!

I do know how incredibly difficult it can be to write erotic stories, hell ANY stories for that matter, I've tried and failed. Then again I've never let anyone read the things I write because I'm my own worst critic and I'm convinced that everything I write sounds like crap. So my kudos to every single author on this site and any other for being brave enough to show your work and share it with us all!

It's baffled me to no end why people read stuff in a category they clearly don't like and instead of just leaving the page, they feel the need to leave a comment to express their displeasure at what they read as if they lack the ability to do the smart thing and just go away.

Anyway, bravo to you and this essay/comment/concern/question :D

p.s. keep writing!! I for one enjoy your work and varied you are with it :-)

Excellent Points

You had some excellent points, one and all. I guess great minds do think alike ;-)

Anyway, as one sick bastard to another, I like your stories. At least the ones I have read and I must admit, not all the subject matter descriptions attract me, in which case I don't read them.

Personally, I have written quite a few stories, I am just a little shy about posting them, probably a lot because of the potential for comments like you mention here. Anyway, good luck and I look forward to some more stories. One of my favs you wrote was Gifts of the Goddess series. I would love to see more of that.

-=zg=-