Sprite's Pet Peeves - writers should check this out before submitting stories - it's just go

Quote by sprite
ok, so, i love you guys, the writers. i do, even when you drive me insane, which you do, sometimes. so i'm going to drop little bits of advice in here from time to time that i think is important. not following it won't stop you from being published, but follow it will probably get more people to read you. so here goes.

1) NEVER DO THE LAUNDRY LIST.

this is the laundry list: Hi, my name is Pat. I'm 5 foot 5 inches tall, weigh 130 pounds, have blue eyes, blonde hair, and 34C boobs,etc, etc.

at this point most reader fall asleep or skip to the next story.

2) multiple chapter stories. it's a proven fact that mutli chapter stories suffer from diminishing returns. 1000 people read chapter one, about half of that come back to read more, and each time, a little less (unless Dancing Doll writes 'em, then all bets are off).

SO... if you're story is so long that you need to break it up, as in it's over 10k words, do it. If you're breaking up a 5k story into 6 chapters, 800 words each, you are screwing yourself. write the whole damn thing, don't get impatient, and then send it in as one freaking story. BOOM.

3) proof read and edit. YOU don't want to put yourself out there with mistakes nor do you want to get rejected for them. we don't want that either, so make sure it's as close to perfect as possible when you send it in. yes, i will fix typos or little mistakes, but i'm not going to re-write the thing for you (i actually did that one, taking a straight story into a lesbian love fest - i spent a month on the bench for that one - oops!).

word of advice - i've been doing this for a long time and i know who you are if you're sending in stories - that means i know who sends in clean stories (Hi Master Jonathon!) that i can get up really fast (thanks to those of you who do, and you know who you are), and i know who sends in stories that i have to constantly send back. so do the other mods. at some point, they see you in the que and go 'fuck that, it's going to be another nightmare, i'm skipping over them). sorry, but that's how it happens - you make this harder then it needs to be for us, you go to the back of the line. simple as that.

4) we appreciate thank yous. we get a lot of them. sometimes i'll even form friendships cause of those. don't be shy, it's super easy to do. i almost always respond to those with at least a smile, too (hi Kornslayer!).

5) if you have an issue or a question about a rejection, an edit, anything, PM me or one of the other senior mods. as some of our writers can tell you, i will bend over backwards to make you happy and fix or explain the issue as long as you do your best to be patient and respectful. i have no illusions about what we do here - it's called Lush Stories for a reason. you guys, the writers, make it work. the other stuff is just extra that everyone enjoys, but yeah, we like to make the writers happy.

that's it for now. feel free to comment, ask questions, or just be silly and like i said, i do try to respond to everything as much as possible - in fact, my personal PMs often get put on hold in favor of "house business" (hi Kiera! sorry! )

xo
rachel

Quote by sprite
i will bend over backwards to make you happy

Quote by sprite
i will bend over backwards to make you happy

Quote by sprite
ok, so, i love you guys, the writers. i do, even when you drive me insane, which you do, sometimes. so i'm going to drop little bits of advice in here from time to time that i think is important. not following it won't stop you from being published, but follow it will probably get more people to read you. so here goes.

1) NEVER DO THE LAUNDRY LIST.

this is the laundry list: Hi, my name is Pat. I'm 5 foot 5 inches tall, weigh 130 pounds, have blue eyes, blonde hair, and 34C boobs,etc, etc.

at this point most reader fall asleep or skip to the next story.

2) multiple chapter stories. it's a proven fact that mutli chapter stories suffer from diminishing returns. 1000 people read chapter one, about half of that come back to read more, and each time, a little less (unless Dancing Doll writes 'em, then all bets are off).

SO... if you're story is so long that you need to break it up, as in it's over 10k words, do it. If you're breaking up a 5k story into 6 chapters, 800 words each, you are screwing yourself. write the whole damn thing, don't get impatient, and then send it in as one freaking story. BOOM.

3) proof read and edit. YOU don't want to put yourself out there with mistakes nor do you want to get rejected for them. we don't want that either, so make sure it's as close to perfect as possible when you send it in. yes, i will fix typos or little mistakes, but i'm not going to re-write the thing for you (i actually did that one, taking a straight story into a lesbian love fest - i spent a month on the bench for that one - oops!).

word of advice - i've been doing this for a long time and i know who you are if you're sending in stories - that means i know who sends in clean stories (Hi Master Jonathon!) that i can get up really fast (thanks to those of you who do, and you know who you are), and i know who sends in stories that i have to constantly send back. so do the other mods. at some point, they see you in the que and go 'fuck that, it's going to be another nightmare, i'm skipping over them). sorry, but that's how it happens - you make this harder then it needs to be for us, you go to the back of the line. simple as that.

4) we appreciate thank yous. we get a lot of them. sometimes i'll even form friendships cause of those. don't be shy, it's super easy to do. i almost always respond to those with at least a smile, too (hi Kornslayer!).

5) if you have an issue or a question about a rejection, an edit, anything, PM me or one of the other senior mods. as some of our writers can tell you, i will bend over backwards to make you happy and fix or explain the issue as long as you do your best to be patient and respectful. i have no illusions about what we do here - it's called Lush Stories for a reason. you guys, the writers, make it work. the other stuff is just extra that everyone enjoys, but yeah, we like to make the writers happy.

that's it for now. feel free to comment, ask questions, or just be silly and like i said, i do try to respond to everything as much as possible - in fact, my personal PMs often get put on hold in favor of "house business" (hi Kiera! sorry! )

xo
rachel

Quote by mranonymous7


4) thanks you would be more forth coming if it was easier to respond back when we receive a rejection/acceptance notice. I appreciate even the rejection notice because they are usually accompanied by good advice.

5) I'm not sure how to PM but I'll make a point to find out because I do have questions. for instance I just wrote a story where one guy plied another with alcohol so he could get in his pants. is that an acceptable scenario on lush? now when I have a question I can PM you.

I've saved this post for future reference

Quote by mranonymous7


1) I'm guilty of this. mostly because the description allows me to see the lady or guy in my mind & therefore write better about them. but I'm going to try to do better and just say tall...or firm medium size boobs...etc. instead of the laundry list. it a 15 year old habit so it'll be hard to break. most of the time the girl I'm describing is a real person.

....

3) I'm one of the guilty ones here but not by choice...I'm dyslectic & no matter how many time I proof read...I see it the way its suppose to be rather than how it is...UNTIL you point it out. then I can see it wrong & correct it. I have a friend that when he has time edits my stuff & eliminates part of my problems. But alas not all. so since for me its a medical thing over which I have no control I hope you can forgive me.

....

Quote by sprite
oh, another one.

Poetry.

unless you're e.e. cummings, please please please, don't try to make poems into shapes, or get fancy with the formatting - it messes up the publishing process at best and it just looks... funny.

left edge, people!

THIS:

Mary had a little lamb
it's fleece was white as snow
and everywhere that Mary went
the lamb was sure to go

NOT this:

Mary
had
a
little lamb

it's fleece was
w
h
i
t
e

as snow...'


you get the picture. it's writing, not creative design. thanks

xo
cranky rachel

Quote by oceanrunner


A friend pointed out that lush's font is likely different from the one I use to compose, and that just the fact that it looks different may make it easier to spot things on a second or third reading.

Now one thing I do is to convert my entire first draft into a very different font visually from my composition font once I'm ready to start editing closely, and I do find that it helps me find the odd blooper.

Quote by MadMartigan


I am now considering sending you a poem from my HS creative writing class that depicts a sword fight that's drowned in metaphors about life's struggles. It is arranged in sword form on the page.

I ended with the correct meter to boot. Or so seyz my old teacher.

Quote by sprite
ok, so, i love you guys, the writers. i do, even when you drive me insane, which you do, sometimes. so i'm going to drop little bits of advice in here from time to time that i think is important.
xo
rachel

Quote by sprite


you're aware that i have a voodoo doll of you and a whole lotta pins?

Quote by sprite
ok, so, i love you guys, the writers. i do, even when you drive me insane, which you do, sometimes. so i'm going to drop little bits of advice in here from time to time that i think is important. not following it won't stop you from being published, but follow it will probably get more people to read you. so here goes.

1) NEVER DO THE LAUNDRY LIST.

this is the laundry list: Hi, my name is Pat. I'm 5 foot 5 inches tall, weigh 130 pounds, have blue eyes, blonde hair, and 34C boobs,etc, etc.

at this point most reader fall asleep or skip to the next story.

2) multiple chapter stories. it's a proven fact that mutli chapter stories suffer from diminishing returns. 1000 people read chapter one, about half of that come back to read more, and each time, a little less (unless Dancing Doll writes 'em, then all bets are off).

SO... if you're story is so long that you need to break it up, as in it's over 10k words, do it. If you're breaking up a 5k story into 6 chapters, 800 words each, you are screwing yourself. write the whole damn thing, don't get impatient, and then send it in as one freaking story. BOOM.

3) proof read and edit. YOU don't want to put yourself out there with mistakes nor do you want to get rejected for them. we don't want that either, so make sure it's as close to perfect as possible when you send it in. yes, i will fix typos or little mistakes, but i'm not going to re-write the thing for you (i actually did that one, taking a straight story into a lesbian love fest - i spent a month on the bench for that one - oops!).

word of advice - i've been doing this for a long time and i know who you are if you're sending in stories - that means i know who sends in clean stories (Hi Master Jonathon!) that i can get up really fast (thanks to those of you who do, and you know who you are), and i know who sends in stories that i have to constantly send back. so do the other mods. at some point, they see you in the que and go 'fuck that, it's going to be another nightmare, i'm skipping over them). sorry, but that's how it happens - you make this harder then it needs to be for us, you go to the back of the line. simple as that.

4) we appreciate thank yous. we get a lot of them. sometimes i'll even form friendships cause of those. don't be shy, it's super easy to do. i almost always respond to those with at least a smile, too (hi Kornslayer!).

5) if you have an issue or a question about a rejection, an edit, anything, PM me or one of the other senior mods. as some of our writers can tell you, i will bend over backwards to make you happy and fix or explain the issue as long as you do your best to be patient and respectful. i have no illusions about what we do here - it's called Lush Stories for a reason. you guys, the writers, make it work. the other stuff is just extra that everyone enjoys, but yeah, we like to make the writers happy.

that's it for now. feel free to comment, ask questions, or just be silly and like i said, i do try to respond to everything as much as possible - in fact, my personal PMs often get put on hold in favor of "house business" (hi Kiera! sorry! )

xo
rachel

Quote by sprite
If you're breaking up a 5k story into 6 chapters, 800 words each, you are screwing yourself. write the whole damn thing, don't get impatient, and then send it in as one freaking story. BOOM.

Quote by Magical_felix
Hemingway wouldn't have given a fuck about the pet peeves of other writers.

Quote by RumpleForeskin
Sprite is right, as usual. Read, remember, and write accordingly.

Adding to Mike's suggestion about changing fonts before editing, you might also change the size of the type, say from 12 to 14. Doing both should insure a different appearance which is the goal.

Quote by Burquette


If it helps at all, sometimes, I write my laundry list in a separate file, just to get the description solid in my head. Then as I'm working on my story, I try to hint at the idea that she's a blonde haired, blue-eyed, hundred-pound kick-boxer through the action. Tossing a blonde braid. Needing a step-stool to reach top shelves. Things like that.

I fight with dyslexia, too. The second pair of eyes is the most useful thing but if I don't have that (as I often don't for my erotica drafts) putting my story down overnight usually makes the errors easier to see when I pick it back up again.

Quote by Just_A_Guy_You_Know

This is a pet peeve of mine as well, and I've said this same thing in some other threads. Not only is it a pain in the ass to read a multi-part story from the beginning (if you can find it), but also waiting for the next installment kind of kills any excitement. Besides, there's no guarantee that the author will actually see their story through to completion. Many seem to simply lose interest as their readership declines. And all these little fragments of story just clutter up the site.

Quote by sprite


Hemingway, imo, was a crap writer.

Quote by Magical_felix


This explains a lot.

Quote by sprite


About that time i pegged you or about that time i feminized you? or both?