Exposing yourself in writting

[sweetmamajama]

Hi! I saw this thread on Gay Authors .org in the forums and I found it really interesting so I wanted to bring it to AFF!

I'm not sure If I did this properly cause I couldn't wait for the admins to answer me! So sorry if I fucked up! Clovey said to blame her so...blame her!

Anyway these are the questions asked in the thread:

 

“When you write, do you ever feel self conscious about it?

Do you feel like maybe you are giving away too much?

People go through all sorts of changes in their life. If you are the same person at 20,30 and 40, you are doing it wrong.

Do you feel like there are lines that shouldn't be crossed?

Can you go too far?

Maybe you should.”

 

Let me know what you think and how you would answer these questions.

Link to the original:

https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/42868-exposing-yourself-in-text/#comment-696825

[sweetmamajama]

My answers (also in the original):

When you write, do you ever feel self conscious about it?

 

Sometimes. There is a certain feeling of vulnerability in sharing your art with others. I used to feel really self conscious about my writing when I was younger and I often censored myself because I didn't want ppl to see my sick twisted little mind. But I think I kinda surpassed that, at least somewhat. Being anonymous on the internet helps. I try and remind myself that it’s not really worth dwelling too much on what other people think.

 

Do you feel like maybe you are giving away too much?

 

Again sometimes. It is quite easy to learn something about a person from their writing if you only look for it. Of course it depends on what type of a story it is and it varies from person to person.

But usually I think that it’s worth it. In order to receive you must give. Writing from emotion and being vulnerable can create amassing art. It creates a connection on a deeper level between the reader and a writer. And it gives the story a certain uniqueness. Like when you learn something about lives of famous authors you see their stories in a new light and you can see the personal connections with their art. I felt way more emotional about reading Kafka after I learned about his life and his abusive father. It put a lot of things in context and made his stories even more tragic in a certain sense because you could see the real man behind all the weird and abstract.

I believe that art is just another form of communication. Some people use writing as therapy, which is really fascinating to me. It’s kinda like dreaming. Our brain creates scenarios in which we can test our reactions and practice for real life. I think a lot of writers do this too, whether or not they're aware of it. It is also an exercise in empathy. You can write a character that you would find disgusting in real life and relate to them on a very deep level. It makes you question people around you, makes you wonder what their internal monologue looks like and why they say and do certain things.

idk where I was going with this...next!

 

People go through all sorts of changes in their life. If you are the same person at 20,30 and 40, you are doing it wrong.

 

Is that a question? This is really subjective. What is a right and a wrong way to live. Sometimes change isn't always for the better. Sometimes ppl change for the worse and destroy their lives and cause harm to others. Would that be more right than staying the same? Change for changes sake is not really what life is all about. But yeah it’s usually a good thing when ppl grow and mature and all that shit. Though you're not always in the right just because you're older. This really annoys me (from real life), ppl thinking they know better just because they're older than me. I'm all for hearing ppl out and all of that, but when somebody starts lecturing you about something they clearly know nothing about and think you're an idiot just because you're young I wanna choke a bitch!

Sorry...rambling again...I do that a lot

 

Do you feel like there are lines that shouldn't be crossed? Can you go too far?

 

Hmm idk... Well I guess. But as long as you're not hurting anyone I think you're good. Doesn't mean ppl are gonna like it, they might hate it. But that doesn't mean you should pander to them. If you don't like it, don't read it. I don't think it’s right to censor ppl. Somebody above already talked about this and I think they said it way better than me so I’ll just leave it at that.

But let’s get more personal. I do have lines I don't wanna cross, because I don't want too. But that being said I already crossed a lot of lines...  My mind is a fucked up place and sometimes you gotta let em demons loose! A crazy idea pops into my head every now and again (and by that I mean all the time) but I'm not impulsive (or fast enough) to do all of them. So I sift through and way them and pick what I like and what fits. And sometimes my mind comes up with something so fucked up that I just have to do it! Like in one of my stories (that I haven't written yet and even if I did I couldn't post it here) the main character (underage, around 14) gets raped by his father, he's married to his sister who tries to murder one of her children (that is a product of rape by some other guy) and his mother made him disembowel a dog when he was a little kid in some weird ritual.

I often wonder wtfs wrong with me too...

Like what does this say about me? What would ppl think? Would they think I'm crazy? Would they think I'm a sadistic pedophile? Would they think I have daddy issues? I mean I am not even sure what that says about me! Shit just happens! The story just gets outta hand!

 

Wow these questions could be applied to my answers too... Do you feel self conscious? Yes! Do you feel like maybe you are giving away too much? Yes!

 

Maybe you should.

 

Maybe...maybe not...

I'm not doing scat, damn it!

Edited May 29, 2017 by sweetmamajama

[CloverReef]

4 minutes ago, sweetmamajama said:

Hi! I saw this thread on Gay Authors .org in the forums and I found it really interesting so I wanted to bring it to AFF!

I'm not sure If I did this properly cause I couldn't wait for the admins to answer me! So sorry if I fucked up! Clovey said to blame her so...blame her!

Anyway these are the questions asked in the thread:

 

“When you write, do you ever feel self conscious about it?

Do you feel like maybe you are giving away too much?

People go through all sorts of changes in their life. If you are the same person at 20,30 and 40, you are doing it wrong.

Do you feel like there are lines that shouldn't be crossed?

Can you go too far?

Maybe you should.”

 

Let me know what you think and how you would answer these questions.

Link to the original:

https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/42868-exposing-yourself-in-text/#comment-696825

I like getting credit for encouraging people. Blame counts as credit! 

As for the questions, I definitely always feel self-conscious about my writing, though not necessarily for the same reasons as the topic on the original post. Personally, I think the last time I actually felt like I was exposing myself, was the first time I ever wrote smut. People made fun of my story on the forum I posted it on (it was god awful, but thanks to their mocking I avoided posting smut for another year after that.) But other than that one time, I can’t say I’ve ever actually felt like I was exposing myself… But I have felt like I’ve been at the reader’s mercy. They sound like one in the same, but for some reason they’re entirely different issues in my head. Like, I’m afraid people won’t like what I wrote or they’ll ridicule it, but I’m never worried about what they’ll think the content says about me as a person?

I don’t feel like I’m giving too much. Sometimes I worry I’m not giving enough of myself. Those are usually the times I’ll delete the entirety of a chapter a dozen times and rewrite. That’s part of the reason I don’t post things often. Spend too much time agonizing over every little word, wondering how I can thrust more personality into it, and I never post until I’m sure. Sometimes I don’t even write until I’m sure. Definitely something I personally need to overcome. 

Not going to touch the changes topic. I think you already addressed it perfectly. 

Can lines be crossed? Fuck yes. Some lines need to be crossed. Some lines shouldn’t be crossed. My personal lines, content-wise, are with stories with minors. That’s something I won’t likely cross, but don’t fault others for crossing it. And there are lines I don’t think -anyone- should cross. Like using a story as a platform to advocate or support the oppression/abuse or the removal of basic human rights from individuals or whole groups of people. If your story makes a whole group of people in general feel attacked, or unsafe, or fearing for their lives, I’d definitely say that’s crossing a line that should not be crossed. 

[sweetmamajama]

7 minutes ago, CloverReef said:

People made fun of my story on the forum I posted it on (it was god awful, but thanks to their mocking I avoided posting smut for another year after that.)

Aww bubeleh! How dare these fucks make fun of my clovey! Fuck em!

8 minutes ago, CloverReef said:

I don’t feel like I’m giving too much. Sometimes I worry I’m not giving enough of myself. Those are usually the times I’ll delete the entirety of a chapter a dozen times and rewrite.

Maybe you should try working on that if you feel unsatisfied? Experiment with putting more of yourself into your writing? Have you ever heard of “dangerous writing”? Its great stuff. You can try it as an exercise, it might help you. If you're looking for help that is…

16 minutes ago, CloverReef said:

Can lines be crossed? Fuck yes. Some lines need to be crossed. Some lines shouldn’t be crossed. My personal lines, content-wise, are with stories with minors. That’s something I won’t likely cross, but don’t fault others for crossing it. And there are lines I don’t think -anyone- should cross.

There are definitely differences between more objective and subjective lines. Like yours is minors, mine is scat (and other things too), thats subjective. But if you’re harming someone like slandering another person in your story with their real name without their consent or the example you used that yeah that is hurting someone and Id say that's objectively wrong and a line not to be crossed.

[Desiderius Price]

When you write, do you ever feel self conscious about it?   Do you feel like maybe you are giving away too much?

Yes.  Dreams, mannerisms, fetishes, biases, those things of the mind, you can’t help but let those out onto the paper, because the work is a product of your mind.  Sure, you can deliberately write from a different POV, write a different form of smut, still, your personality will bleed into the prose.  It can’t be helped.

Having a pen name helps, really helps, in letting me let loose, to separate fiction from reality when I hit that submit button.

Crossing Lines?

Lines are made to be crossed  

- DP

 

[BronxWench]

“When you write, do you ever feel self conscious about it?

Do you feel like maybe you are giving away too much?

People go through all sorts of changes in their life. If you are the same person at 20,30 and 40, you are doing it wrong.

Do you feel like there are lines that shouldn't be crossed?

Can you go too far?

Maybe you should.”

 

Okay, wow. Absolutely interesting questions!

I think I’ll always feel self conscious about writing. I suppose it’s largely a product of my upbringing, where your success/worth was measured by your financial success, in which case, as a writer, I’m not even close to making the grade as an abysmal failure.  On the other hand, I don’t measure my success as a writer by that benchmark, because, realistically, we’re not all going to be Names Who Earn Millions. The vast majority of published writers aren’t getting rich beyond the dreams of avarice, and lots have day jobs. What matters more, for me, anyway, is that I get past the self conscious part and put my words out there, for people to read. So, yes, I feel self conscious, every damned time, but I do it anyway.

Now, do I give away too much? I don’t know. I’ve never looked at my writing as some sort of peek into my soul. Given some of what I’ve written, I actually hope it’s not the case, but then again, if any darkness comes out only in my writing, that might not be such a bad thing.

I am most assuredly not the same person I was at 20, or 30, or even 40. In my case, this is a good thing.

When it comes to writing, I’m not sure I can say there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed. I believe it is the role of art, including writing, to expose the truths about us, and I don’t think you do that by not crossing lines. It doesn’t mean we need to go out and imitate what we read, or write, for that matter, but if what we write opens someone’s eyes, it’s not a bad thing.

Can it go too far? Of course, if we decide to live some of the things we write. Absolutely. But as far as the writing of those line-crossing words goes, I think we should do it. It is imperative in some cases for us to do it, to expose the darkness and bring it into the open.

[Desiderius Price]

And my dirty mind is shortening the topic title to “Exposing yourself” ….

[sweetmamajama]

[Tcr]

Okay <cracks fingers>, let’s get started.  <Cowers in corner> Do I have to let people know about my writing process?  Is it done?

When you write, do you ever feel self conscious about it?

To be honest, I doubt that anyone ever experiences a clean lack of self-conscious.  Always something creeps into the words.  Worries that something’s not right, not perfect, that it needs this, or that one forget something.  In my case, there’s a lot of questions about ‘Is this good enough’ (...CR can definitely attest to the levels of self-doubt that flows in), which then leads to, ‘is there too much of me in there’.  Am I rambling and not answering the question?  Maybe I am...

Do you feel like maybe you are giving away too much?

Always.  There’s that nagging sensation that eats away, causes doubts…  CR’s been good at slapping me upside the head and reminding me when I’ve given too much away (like a good Beta), although I do see it even when I’m not having her Beta. 

People go through all sorts of changes in their life. If you are the same person at 20,30 and 40, you are doing it wrong.

Well, I’m not the same writer I was at twenty, nor twenty five, nor two years ago.  Experiences change perspective, perspective changes writing and characterizations.  At twenty, I wouldn’t have thought about coming onto AFF.  At twenty-two, I almost died.  At twenty five, I challenged myself to start writing outside the comfort zone.  Two years ago, I first wrote in a character that I had never thought to include, due largely to my challenge.  Last year, I started posting on AFF. 

Do you feel like there are lines that shouldn't be crossed?

On a personal level, yes.  Always.  Robbing a bank, murder, turning the country into a totalitarian dictatorship…  Writing wise, yes, but only on my own personal side.  Writing characters who rob banks, commit murder, turn a country into a totalitarian dictatorship is fine within the confines of the written word.  Indeed, they are present in reality, so why should they not be present in the world created by an author?  I won’t write a minor1/minor2, that’s my personal line that won’t be crossed, but in the world of writing, if it fits into the narrative, then go for it.

Can you go too far?

Strangely enough, I’ve seen this question paraphrased on several writing sites and even arguments while trying to find details with regards to writing BaH and CHHW.  Can you go too far…  This bears with it a question more of person preference than of overarching finality.  I guess the answer for me is yes, you can.  Can that rape scene be cut without any loss to the over all narrative?  Can that disembowelment scene be cut down a little because it goes on too long?  (There might have been some of that on my part, too, so…  lol).  But that is preference more than a strict guideline, in my opinion.  As I continue to work on BaH and CHHW, the boundaries I once thought as ‘too far’ have shifted backwards, further and further back, (mostly due to Blood and Honour) and I find myself looking back and wondering how far ‘too far’ is now.

Maybe you should

I feel one should definitely push their boundaries of comfort.  But that may just be me.

[mastershakeme]

Yeah! I love this post!!! 

When you write, do you ever feel self conscious about it?

YES!!! I have to agree with @BronxWench. My upbringing wasn’t hellish or anything, but I’ve suffered a lot of social anxiety and had a lot of pressure at home to succeed. The parents put me through college and I had no clue what I wanted to do. But yes I did! I wanted to write! I’ve been hiding and covering up my true passion for years and now that I’m finally telling people about what I do all day in Microsoft Word, they….. want to see what I’m working on. I’m afraid honestly, I don’t know how honest I should be about what I write. I just don’t want automatic rejection… Thank god for the internet and for the specific tags, so that people can find what they want and stay away from stuff they don’t. It’s not that easy in real life. 

Do you feel like maybe you are giving away too much?

Yes, all the time. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing necessarily. You can add realism to your stories and possibly connect with readers if you write from the heart. Are you willing to bleed for your work? Lol

People go through all sorts of changes in their life. If you are the same person at 20,30 and 40, you are doing it wrong.

Yep! I’ve definitely changed. I’m still in my 20s, but I’ve already seen significant changes in both myself and writing. I hid a lot as a teenager. I was scared of people. I still am today in my late 20s, but I HAVE to interact with people on a daily basis now. I put some of the more interesting occurrences I have in writing, or they are inspired by real things I’ve gone through. I can’t wait to change more as a person and see it reflect in my writing. Yeah, I’m being optimistic, but so what! Yay! Change is good!

Do you feel like there are lines that shouldn't be crossed?

Honestly… I dunno. I hate censorship… as long as the person reading isn’t mentally disturbed, I don’t see any topics that couldn’t somehow be put into writing… Hate speech, like @CloverReef mentioned, is hate speech. We’re talking fiction, right? I wouldn’t mind reading a fictional story about the person who wrote that hate speech thou, because as an eternal student of psychology, I’m very interested to know why and how he came to possess those distorted views. 

Can you go too far?

Nope! I think I could put a spin on any topic. I swear, I’m a little insane myself. The deeper I see into the mind of protagonist, the more understanding I have for them (not forgiveness, ok! understanding) I believe in Karma… It’s a hideous crime to murder living things and to steal and manipulate and to rape and molest children. Shit like that is definitely wrong, blah blah blah, but we all know that already. I like to get into the minds of different people, see what they see, walk in their shoes, because otherwise, I only know my perspective and that’s boring. That’s why we read. Live a little! See what’s on the other side :-P Why does everything have to be censored and safe? I don’t like it. I hate censorship

 

[mastershakeme]

27 minutes ago, Tcr said:

Always.  There’s that nagging sensation that eats away, causes doubts…  CR’s been good at slapping me upside the head and reminding me when I’ve given too much away (like a good Beta), although I do see it even when I’m not having her Beta.

It’s a little embarrassing, isn’t it? Lol! I didn’t set out to write myself, but maybe my main character was me all along...

[Tcr]

3 minutes ago, mastershakeme said:

It’s a little embarrassing, isn’t it? Lol! I didn’t set out to write myself, but maybe my main character was me all along...

No, not so much embarrassing, but more scary in my case.  All my characters are, in some wild and weird extension, me…  All the main characters of mine carry with them probably a lot more of myself in them then what I would have wanted…  That’s the scary part ;).

[mastershakeme]

Just now, Tcr said:

No, not so much embarrassing, but more scary in my case.  All my characters are, in some wild and weird extension, me…  All the main characters of mine carry with them probably a lot more of myself in them then what I would have wanted…  That’s the scary part ;).

Writing is therapeutic…. We don’t always have time or have the resources to do what we really want in real life, but hopefully in our stories we cope with the issues of life through our characters, the extensions of us. I swear, one day I’ll live my own happy ending and find peace...

[Desiderius Price]

8 minutes ago, Tcr said:

No, not so much embarrassing, but more scary in my case.  All my characters are, in some wild and weird extension, me…  All the main characters of mine carry with them probably a lot more of myself in them then what I would have wanted…  That’s the scary part ;).

I second the “scary” because of the fetishes, etc, that are likely buried within my writing.  Or, readers deciding you have a fetish when you don’t…. 

[mastershakeme]

1 minute ago, Desiderius Price said:

I second the “scary” because of the fetishes, etc, that are likely buried within my writing.  Or, readers deciding you have a fetish when you don’t…. 

The part that sucks is when an angry reviewer calls you out on it… or a beta. Lol. I deleted an old story of mine, I don’t know how I forgot, but a good quarter of the reviews were stuff like “This is the final straw for me!” and “What’s wrong with you! I quit!” lol!!!! What can you do. I didn’t let it affect me, I forgot about it. I was more interested in the reviews that said “The ending was rushed” and “I don’t believe they ended up together”… That stuck with me and I’m going to rewrite it so the couple is more plausible and realistic. Screw the crying babies about the rough sex and shit, boooo hoooo!

[Tcr]

4 minutes ago, Desiderius Price said:

I second the “scary” because of the fetishes, etc, that are likely buried within my writing.  Or, readers deciding you have a fetish when you don’t…. 

Or think something completely out in left field because of lines the characters say or things they do…  (Not here, but on a different one I have posted on, been asked about some seriously buried, questionable thoughts on NeoNazism, then accused of having it out for anyone non-Aryan…  Because of BaH…  lol)

[Tcr]

2 minutes ago, mastershakeme said:

The part that sucks is when an angry reviewer calls you out on it… or a beta. Lol. I deleted an old story of mine, I don’t know how I forgot, but a good quarter of the reviews were stuff like “This is the final straw for me!” and “What’s wrong with you! I quit!” lol!!!! What can you do. I didn’t let it affect me, I forgot about it. I was more interested in the reviews that said “The ending was rushed” and “I don’t believe they ended up together”… That stuck with me and I’m going to rewrite it so the couple is more plausible and realistic. Screw the crying babies about the rough sex and shit, boooo hoooo!

Yeah.  The worst part about writing is finally putting it out there, the story you want, the way you want it written, and then being bombarded with ‘Well, that was terrible, that sucked, et cetera’ and then questioning everything that you have within.  It always sticks with you no matter what has been said and how much someone else says they love it.  Unless you revel in disturbing people…  Because then it becomes a feast… 

[mastershakeme]

3 minutes ago, Tcr said:

Yeah.  The worst part about writing is finally putting it out there, the story you want, the way you want it written, and then being bombarded with ‘Well, that was terrible, that sucked, et cetera’ and then questioning everything that you have within.  It always sticks with you no matter what has been said and how much someone else says they love it.  Unless you revel in disturbing people…  Because then it becomes a feast… 

Well, I’m trying to create a brand for myself I guess. I would like to be known for something consistent, or else I’d just have a ton of different pseudonyms. Writing, like everything else in life, is something that is developed through a thickening of your skin… Imo a good writer seeks criticism. but an even better one, knows how to weave around the haters and find the few helpful gems in pile of shit reviews. Because people who put themselves out there have to learn how to face criticism, because screw reality, but it would be unrealistic to think you will always get applause…. But screw those haters on my story! I had a SUPER long disclaimer warning them about the unfolding terrors. Whiny little bitches  

[Desiderius Price]

23 minutes ago, mastershakeme said:

The part that sucks is when an angry reviewer calls you out on it… or a beta. Lol. I deleted an old story of mine, I don’t know how I forgot, but a good quarter of the reviews were stuff like “This is the final straw for me!” and “What’s wrong with you! I quit!” lol!!!! What can you do. I didn’t let it affect me, I forgot about it. I was more interested in the reviews that said “The ending was rushed” and “I don’t believe they ended up together”… That stuck with me and I’m going to rewrite it so the couple is more plausible and realistic. Screw the crying babies about the rough sex and shit, boooo hoooo!

I do accept that what I write isn’t everybody’s cup of tea.  (The stories would be likely be quite boring if nobody were offended...)   Though, yeah, some feedback can be downright cruel (or, back when we had the ratings, insta-downvote w/o a review immediately following a chapter post, that was very discouraging).    Now, reviews along the lines of “The ending was rushed” and “I don’t believe they ended up together” would be definitely more useful, because that tells you something to help improve the story.

My stories don’t get a lot of views, likely because they’re in originals, and I stick a lot of warning tags on them as CYA.    But, I’m fine with that, and fine with people not wanting to read something because of the warnings, as that’s what the tags are for.  The tags can be a bit blunt, though, and I overly cautious with tags, so I can explain in more detail, when asked, what the tag is actually covering.

21 minutes ago, mastershakeme said:

Well, I’m trying to create a brand for myself I guess. I would like to be known for something consistent, or else I’d just have a ton of different pseudonyms. Writing, like everything else in life, is something that is developed through a thickening of your skin… Imo a good writer seeks criticism. but an even better one, knows how to weave around the haters and find the few helpful gems in pile of shit reviews. Because people who put themselves out there have to learn how to face criticism, because screw reality, but it would be unrealistic to think you will always get applause…. But screw those haters on my story! I had a SUPER long disclaimer warning them about the unfolding terrors. Whiny little bitches  

I do want to grow a core/consistent base of readers, because they can help with pointing out issues/mistakes/etc, or spot as a beta reader when needed.

 

32 minutes ago, Tcr said:

Yeah.  The worst part about writing is finally putting it out there, the story you want, the way you want it written, and then being bombarded with ‘Well, that was terrible, that sucked, et cetera’ and then questioning everything that you have within.  It always sticks with you no matter what has been said and how much someone else says they love it.  Unless you revel in disturbing people…  Because then it becomes a feast… 

On occasion, when I see a story that has good promise but does need some attention, I’ve tried to make it a habit to contain the suggested “fixes” in a direct PM instead.  It’s kinda like laundry, I’d rather put the clean stuff up on the line, and advise if I see anything that’s dirty.  Of course, as I’ve been on AFF more, I figure everyday is laundry day and the clothes do better staying off me.

 

[mastershakeme]

26 minutes ago, Desiderius Price said:

I do accept that what I write isn’t everybody’s cup of tea.  (The stories would be likely be quite boring if nobody were offended...)   Though, yeah, some feedback can be downright cruel (or, back when we had the ratings, insta-downvote w/o a review immediately following a chapter post, that was very discouraging).    Now, reviews along the lines of “The ending was rushed” and “I don’t believe they ended up together” would be definitely more useful, because that tells you something to help improve the story.

My stories don’t get a lot of views, likely because they’re in originals, and I stick a lot of warning tags on them as CYA.    But, I’m fine with that, and fine with people not wanting to read something because of the warnings, as that’s what the tags are for.  The tags can be a bit blunt, though, and I overly cautious with tags, so I can explain in more detail, when asked, what the tag is actually covering.

Personally, I like to be surprised, no matter what. I’ve been known to watch 5 seconds of a movie trailer before turning it off. They drew me in! Ok! I’ll see it! DON’T GIVE ANY SPOILERS! It’s so much harder to do that in writing with the ‘helpful’ tags… Imo, I honestly think people are becoming incredibly soft and are unused to experiencing things they don’t agree with. Is this the Middle Ages? “No book but the Bible may be read!” but i digress…

I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been with the ratings system…. I assume those downvotes were from some crazy embittered people!

By the way, I glanced at your writing just to see what was so crazy about those tags, lol! I’m intrigued by this Baby Shark idea… wtf? I’ll check it out when I’ve got a little more time, but it’s super weird, dude! Love it!

[Desiderius Price]

24 minutes ago, mastershakeme said:

Personally, I like to be surprised, no matter what. I’ve been known to watch 5 seconds of a movie trailer before turning it off. They drew me in! Ok! I’ll see it! DON’T GIVE ANY SPOILERS! It’s so much harder to do that in writing with the ‘helpful’ tags… Imo, I honestly think people are becoming incredibly soft and are unused to experiencing things they don’t agree with. Is this the Middle Ages? “No book but the Bible may be read!” but i digress…

I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been with the ratings system…. I assume those downvotes were from some crazy embittered people!

By the way, I glanced at your writing just to see what was so crazy about those tags, lol! I’m intrigued by this Baby Shark idea… wtf? I’ll check it out when I’ve got a little more time, but it’s super weird, dude! Love it!

I’ve been on both sides of the fence with tags, because they can be spoilers and very wide labels.  However, you do have survivors where these things can trigger nasty flashbacks, etc.  Or, just as a filter for things that they’re not going to be interested in slash or hetro relationships.  Once nice thing about having tossed in so many tags is that I’ve got the flexibility for the characters to do what they want to do – if they really have an urge to take a dump on the windshield of a police car, they can do so.  (Well, the cop might disagree...)

I had somebody pissed, don’t know who, they might have even rigged up a bot to do the downvote.  I’d post a chapter, and within a minute, I’d get the downvote.  It was pretty discouraging because the hits weren’t there and the downvote being the only feedback.

Dale’s Game is the one I’m actively writing.  Originally, it started out as a oneshot, intended for my Christmas story, then it grew … btw, the 2016 Christmas story is the prequel, oneshot, fast read.  The others, I’ll return to once I finish with Dale’s Game.  Alaska Trekkers is complete, though its in need of a minor touchup now that several characters also feature in Dale’s Game (and DG is chronologically before AT).

Edited June 1, 2017 by Desiderius Price

[mastershakeme]

29 minutes ago, Desiderius Price said:

I’ve been on both sides of the fence with tags, because they can be spoilers and very wide labels.  However, you do have survivors where these things can trigger nasty flashbacks, etc.  Or, just as a filter for things that they’re not going to be interested in slash or hetro relationships.  Once nice thing about having tossed in so many tags is that I’ve got the flexibility for the characters to do what they want to do – if they really have an urge to take a dump on the windshield of a police car, they can do so.  (Well, the cop might disagree...)

I had somebody pissed, don’t know who, they might have even rigged up a bot to do the downvote.  I’d post a chapter, and within a minute, I’d get the downvote.  It was pretty discouraging because the hits weren’t there and the downvote being the only feedback.

Dale’s Game is the one I’m actively writing.  Originally, it started out as a oneshot, intended for my Christmas story, then it grew … btw, the 2016 Christmas story is the prequel, oneshot, fast read.  The others, I’ll return to once I finish with Dale’s Game.  Alaska Trekkers is complete, though its in need of a minor touchup now that several characters also feature in Dale’s Game (and DG is chronologically before AT).

I know! I saw the note about the one-shot, so I figured I’d check it out first! 

And I hope I didn’t sound to terribly mean about my aversion to spoilers. That’s all it is. Just my personal aversion. And tags can always be helpful. Yep, I typically go for one type of pairing and I usually look for romance, so… as much as I think I’m ready for a surprise, am I really? 

As a writer, it’s good to expose yourself to different things all the time, and that’s another reason I’m here and a reason I’ll check out your story later! I checking out stories and topics and plots that are very different from the norm (in my case anyway!) and that is 1000% positive! I suppose it’s different for a reader who is simply here for entertainment, but to each their own and live and let live!

Well, I guess AFF has a lot of history I was unaware of (wow, Duh!) But that’s an interesting story about the bitter downvote bot! It also explains the changes I’ve seen on the archive over the years. I’ve popped in and out as a reader and a writer…. But this is my first time on the forums. Nice to meet ya DP!!!

[Desiderius Price]

33 minutes ago, mastershakeme said:

I know! I saw the note about the one-shot, so I figured I’d check it out first! 

And I hope I didn’t sound to terribly mean about my aversion to spoilers. That’s all it is. Just my personal aversion. And tags can always be helpful. Yep, I typically go for one type of pairing and I usually look for romance, so… as much as I think I’m ready for a surprise, am I really? 

As a writer, it’s good to expose yourself to different things all the time, and that’s another reason I’m here and a reason I’ll check out your story later! I checking out stories and topics and plots that are very different from the norm (in my case anyway!) and that is 1000% positive! I suppose it’s different for a reader who is simply here for entertainment, but to each their own and live and let live!

Well, I guess AFF has a lot of history I was unaware of (wow, Duh!) But that’s an interesting story about the bitter downvote bot! It also explains the changes I’ve seen on the archive over the years. I’ve popped in and out as a reader and a writer…. But this is my first time on the forums. Nice to meet ya DP!!!

Why did I get a shiver like someone went through my mind?    I do have a topic for discussing my stories in more detail.  http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/topic/59549-jaimies-campfire-starrebels/

Welcome to the forums.  We’re generally friendly, not too many biters, unless you’re into that sort of thing.

- DP

[Tcr]

10 minutes ago, Desiderius Price said:

Welcome to the forums.  We’re generally friendly, not too many biters, unless you’re into that sort of thing.

Forgot weird, crazy, little nuts, strange, hermit….  Wait, that’s just writers… 

[Anesor]

6 hours ago, Tcr said:

No, not so much embarrassing, but more scary in my case.  All my characters are, in some wild and weird extension, me…  All the main characters of mine carry with them probably a lot more of myself in them then what I would have wanted…  That’s the scary part ;).

Yeah, my major characters used to be like ‘baseball caps’ I’d put on for their chapters. (I usually do rotating 1^st person POV, and find 3^rd/omniscient difficult) More recent characters are not as delimited and I hope to regain those voices. It was really weird when two fantasy characters were amicably bickering about a local historical church. One mocking and the other seeing the beauty. All my POV characters are part of me, their reactions are created or reveal by my thoughts, after all.  I have a great difficulty doing villains that way as 1) I don’t want their plans revealed to readers before other characters, that’s just spoilign your own story. and 2) I find it hard to sustain the mindset of the villains, with whatever drives them: power, wealth, cruelty, destruction… I wouldn’t mind a but more wealth, but not enough to sacrifice morals, ethics, or the smallest fuzzy pet. All my characters are me to a degree and I don’t want to encourage that dead end mind set in myself.

5 hours ago, Desiderius Price said:

I do accept that what I write isn’t everybody’s cup of tea.  (The stories would be likely be quite boring if nobody were offended...)   Though, yeah, some feedback can be downright cruel (or, back when we had the ratings, insta-downvote w/o a review immediately following a chapter post, that was very discouraging).    Now, reviews along the lines of “The ending was rushed” and “I don’t believe they ended up together” would be definitely more useful, because that tells you something to help improve the story.

 

[snip]

On occasion, when I see a story that has good promise but does need some attention, I’ve tried to make it a habit to contain the suggested “fixes” in a direct PM instead.  It’s kinda like laundry, I’d rather put the clean stuff up on the line, and advise if I see anything that’s dirty.  Of course, as I’ve been on AFF more, I figure everyday is laundry day and the clothes do better staying off me.

 

I haven’t gotten bad reviews much lately, but some have been helpful like where someone misunderstood a ‘them.’ I only wished the one who objected would have let me know if the fix helped. I will include a question about a char or confluct in my comments, along with any particularly bad typos. But I cut back as some people go ballistic even on typo and major grammar confusions, whether PM or public comment.

---

Then of course are the occasional reviews, where you wonder if they read your story at all. Like when they beg in chapter three that you don’t kill the character who canon died in chapter one. And then are the comments that just plain do not make sense, like four sentences chopped apart, and three random pieces glued together. I end up picking a few key words and hope i answered to what interested them. A good review is like a breath of cool clean air.