Read other people's stuff. Works for me.

Quote by MC1982
Wife-lovers, cheating and cuckold could all be united under 'Infidelity'.

Well, yes and no. They are similar, but Wife Lovers and Cuckold are usually with the knowledge of both parties. Cheating, not necessarily. So people who are after one particular flavour might not find what they want if they are all together.

We also have to consider search volume. The word "infidelity" is all well and good, but who Googles for "infidelity stories" compared to "cheating stories" or "cuckold stories". I can almost guarantee the search volumes for the latter two are greater. We can't (and shouldn't) foist our internal naming convention on the outside world because it will hurt SERPS and traffic.

Some argue categorisation is pointless. And I tend to agree. Tagging—with the first tag being the dominant theme—would be more flexible but we currently limit tags to 10 (historically for aesthetics and performance; less so now) and the order of tags is system-defined, not user-defined. If those situations were to change, categories could become less of a thing. Barring the Omnium badge, which is a nice stretch goal for authors who want a challenge. Lack of category does, however, assume that everyone who submits a story knows that the first tag (or the earlier listed tags) are the ones that carry the most weight.

What would have been better, with the benefit of hindsight, is perhaps a category tree. So we could do what you suggest and house Cuckold, Wife Lovers and Cheating under an "Infidelity" parent. That gives us one more search term, separation for people searching for specifics, and a nice hierarchy to show the relationship between the terms. Similarly for other genres.

As for the Novel category itself, my main beef is it isn't a genre and people don't often look for "erotic novels in any genre". Search results will certainly consider keywords inside a story when returning matches but thematic content (e.g. supernatural) is harder to detect by search alone without specific markers.

Sure, AI searches allege to make semantic links from content, but it's computationally expensive (environmental impact too) and I've seen little evidence they're accurate yet. Having a category that the author states "this is what this chapter contains"—a bit like the ratings warning on Netflix shows that lists the themes—is a more weighted indicator that search tools can sink their teeth into and help people discover content they're interested in.

Quote by Blindfoldedntied
Is there a way for users to volunteer to become moderators?

No, sorry. We curate potential people based on various factors including writing skill, availability, and thickness of skin. Trust me, for a volunteer role, it can be brutal.

Quote by Hughtheman

Is securing your place in hell that bad? I hear the parties never end, meaning you’ll never forget them

Well, yeah. If the place is anything like Angel discovered then I'm all in.

I'm pretty sure I have a reservation already, right next to the DJ booth and stand selling fireproof snacks.

I'm working on a Mature piece which I hope is a bit of a departure from the older guy and young woman fare. Also a Dan Brown-style (but better written, obvs) Cuckold story that, if it works out the way it's heading, will secure my place in hell.

Lush readers beware!

Not always, but yes it happens, probably more often than not. I put it down to focusing on other sensations 😁 but the physiological reason sounds more likely.

Thanks for another thought provoking challenge, Kimmi.

While I'm deliberating, can you please ask that girl near the bonfire to take a step back before her dress or bouquet goes up in flames. Thanks.

#HealthAndSafetyInSmut

Some good suggestions here, thank you. I'll point the dev team at this thread and see if there's anything they can add to the development roadmap.

Quote by ChainMale
perhaps the solution might be to not allow new members ( until maybe they've been here for a week or 2, or 4

That's certainly one avenue that has been considered.

Looking around the web at various ways sites have tackled this kind of thing, the common thread is that spam always finds a way, and all we can do is slow it down or make it more annoying so they go elsewhere.

If we say you can't create groups for N weeks, they'll create an account and wait N weeks then come back.

If we say you need to make X posts before being allowed to create groups, they'll just create X one-word posts.

If we say you can't post links, they will make links like h ttps://spamsite.com which will still automatically get made into actual links (like that) or at the very least get the domain name posted in many places to attract link juice/SERPS.

If we say you must post a story, they'll scrape one off another site and push it here.

Everything quantity-based that we would try to implement would backfire in some way or piss off members who want to create an account and start sharing legit content quickly.

It'll probably come down to implementing some sensible limits - like a bunch of hurdles - but quite what they would be and how we would use them to differentiate real users Vs people who just want to spam others is difficult to gauge.

Having just attempted the Trans category that I dreaded, and was pleased with how Takemi came out, I'm returning to the story I began a few months ago to tick off the Toys category. It's going well so far.

Us mods and various panel members use it now and again for discussing site matters. I don't know about usage among other members.

Oops, got sidetracked remixing a track last night and forgot to post. I'm honoured to be sharing the podium with Genny's superb winning entry. Loved it.

Having started from the bottom and mostly worked my way up the entry list, I somehow managed to miss Rowan's piece but I shall make amends, and also try to check out the remaining few top 13-ers I haven't yet reached.

It's great to see so many new faces entering. It can be nerve wracking, so congratulations to everyone who submitted. Lush competitions are always a hotbed of talent - both from authors and the tireless moderators, shortlisters, judges, site owners and maintainers that keep the site running. Thank you all for keeping the spirit of Lush alive and to the members who take time to read, comment and encourage the incredible writers we have here.

Surely there can be no earthly reason for delaying the results any longer. Other than to retain the air of mystery. Water way to end this contest. Someone should get fired.

😎

Quote by Pauline53

Where can I see the results

A separate thread in this forum will be created when the judges have finished deliberating.

Quote by BeaInTheBuff

I do get notifications of a new story (which disappear immediately).

If you go to your Reading Queue, any stories they've published since you started following them appear there too.

Oooh another one in the prestigious club. Yay, congratulations on this achievement.

Didn't even know EPCOT was still a thing. I figured they'd have levelled it when hardly any of the future inventions came to fruition. Unless they've updated the park since I was last there in, like, 1997.

Fond memories of riding the Skyway Of Tomorrow and rocketing around Space Mountain in the dark.

Quote by PierceAmor
My fan fiction

Sadly won't be publishable here since we don't accept fanfic.

Quote by JustForYou
what she did to wear her thumb away completely

Reminds me of that joke about the two nuns in a bath...

Quote by Mit
What a waste of time and brain cells for the story mods weeding out the wannabe writers!

It is a ballache we could do without, and the more people who help us encourage fellow authors to explore their own voice the better. I'd like to see the site evolve to make AI stories an unwelcome guest, offering them accommodation on a dingy, stained mattress in the basement with no windows and a single locked door before we herd them towards the shredder in the corner. We're getting there.

As a team, we're becoming really good at spotting AI—as you'd expect when we have seen thousands upon thousands of identikit stories in the exact same voice, battering the queue for the last year or so.

P.S. I don't want to derail this comp thread into another AI discussion so this is just informational.

Quote by Mit

the site's only not-a-wannabe WannabeWordsmith of course 😉

Hehe, too kind. Thank you.

Quote by Shyexhibitionist

Is that not fewer than normal?

We have probably rejected nearly half that number of AI entries.

At a House Party. To someone already engaged. And here's how.

Quote by techgoddess
my main focus right now has been a story about... well, I don't want to give it away

A redhead in a hot situation? 😁

(hope that's not a spoiler lol)

Quote by CarltonStJames
RDJ says Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is the best movie he's ever done. How many people even know about that film?

I agree. It's amazing. Also, Shane Black writer/director so it was in good hands from the start.

Quote by Mandapanda2025
This generator has a gallery (scroll down) if you see an image that is simular you can get the prompt used to create it.

That's really handy to see the sort of prompts other people use, thanks for sharing. And there are some impressive photos there, though I see many people struggle (as I do) to make the engine actually do what it's asked. Like when it insists on putting things in the wrong hands to those you specified, or uses the wrong aesthetic. Or, in this case, the prompt states:

an 18-year-old anime girl (extremely girlish cute face, blue eyes), closing one eye, sideways peace sign near her eyes, sticking out tongue a bit at the corner of her mouth, with innocent cheeky tongue-out smile. Focusing on her beautiful blue eye, world-class masterpiece, 4k, best quality... an aesthetically pleasing anime art with impeccable attention to detail

Yes, attention to detail like making sure the model has one eye closed like asked. And her tongue peeks from the corner of her mouth. And she has the correct number of fingers. And her finger ends haven't been mangled by a bacon slicer.

But y'know... details matter 🤣

Feeling frisky? Got a camera nearby? Grab it and head over to the Challenge Erotica group. It's free to join. In there, you can either:

A) Post an arty photo of yourself or an arty photo you found online as a "Challenge" to other Lushies.

B) Reply to any challenge with your own posed version, as close as you can to the original (or some interpretation of it).

Or you could do both!

I've posted a few challenges as a starter. Feel free to add your own challenges or reply to any posted by Lushies in this (Public) Group.

Have fun 😃

Quote by JustForYou
Not everyone has the type of personality to talk about their "best".

Totally. My "best" changes fairly frequently as I evolve my writing. I thought my first story here was my best work once. How things change!

Story length no doubt plays a part. Some of my most character-driven writing is 5k+ but few have the spare time to invest to read it. For the ones that do, I'm so grateful. Especially with comments, as you say.

Splitting stories up into chunks seems like a win-win to keep readers, but viewership almost always tails off in later chapters, so that tactic risks people not reaching the end.

Quote by KimmiBeGood
I try not to worry about the votes, etc and count one happy reader as important as fifty.

Oh absolutely. This isn't necessarily just about votes but also overall impression. The piece I singled out above has got some amazing, lengthy comments and I treasure every one because they mean people resonated with the writing. Each one counts for about fifty Likes in my head!

I find it interesting that I've put out stories I think are run-of-the-mill concepts (albeit done well, imo) and been blown away by how many people leave "great story, loved it" or even longer comments, when I expected to fight for five reads and a single comment given it was "just" a story about girl meets boy and they bonk.

Category plays an important part, I'm sure. And many drive-by readers are probably looking for a quick story to get off, and then go do something else. So titles with rude words in them, or those that "explain" the plot in the title (e.g. "My hot cousin visits and fucks the pool boy") are going to do better than the more abstract titles with that demographic.

As I says it fascinates me.

Glad I'm not alone in that disconnect between my expectations and those of readers.

Okay then, I'll start. I still think the piece that shows off my greatest depth of writing is When Yesterdays Fade. But, maybe because people think it's going to be a heavy slog or an uncomfortable subject, it's relatively uncharted by readers. Of those that do take the plunge, it's very well revered and that makes me all warm and fuzzy because it took aeons to write and perfect. [It's meant to be an uplifting celebration of a life well-lived and how that sentiment is passed on through generations].

However, in terms of sheer ratings and apparent satisfaction, that's tied between Blank Canvas and my Pink series. Both in the category. Is it because that category is more travelled, or do those pieces represent a more accessible and acceptable level of pornage that readers are here to enjoy than the heavy-going, emotional journey I consider my best work?

Intriguing.

This is one of those topics that fascinates me so I'm curious how other authors feel.

We all have our favourite stories that we write - ones we think represent our "best" (at the time) work that we're proud of writing. And yet these are not always the stories that evoke the greatest reaction (views, likes, comments, ...) from readers.

My questions are therefore simple:

1. What do you consider your best work (and, briefly why)?

2. Do readers agree, or has another piece you've written surprised you and resonated more with them?