Salmon pouch-baked with leeks, shallots and white wine. Turmeric jasmine rice with toasted almonds.

It's been a few days and it still makes no real sense.

"Will" by ladyblue69 from 19 Oct 2020 has been the leader for days. It has no new likes or comments, and only two new reads in that time. There are just two recent offerings on the banner, though a number in the story list deserve to be. Everything else is history and from what I can tell, just random picks out of the vast hat. Most have been up there for a week or two.
If this is all it's going to be, then I'd vote to get rid of it entirely. It's doing little to encourage the old, and even less to bolster the new.

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

I'm reliably informed that the trending calculation has been tweaked. See how it fares now, please.

The Micro banner looks pretty much the same. Three from the last few weeks and the rest going back in time to 2020. A number of resents pieces with many likes/comments/reads are nowhere to be seen.
We'll have to give it while, I guess.

Elsewhere and far away -- really, what did you expect me to say?

Still behind the curtain, but I'm getting some interesting photographs from there.

gnocchi with a caper/garlic/lemon sauce. New recipe and excellent.

Quote by darkroot50

My wife is a basil fanatic, but she'd never heard of African blue basil. Now she's on a hunt for it at local garden stores.

I hope she can find it. It is a new one for me and I highly recommend it. Long stemmed, medium leaf with nice licorice flavor notes, and beautiful lilac blue flowers.

Now, now, class. Settle down. We've all had a good giggle at the video, but it's time to move on. Who would like to point out to the gentleman the errors of his ways? Yes, you in the back with the blue hair...

Quote by Katherine
Also, to not confuse anyone reading, Kistin isn't talking about a real story of a billion micro chapters, just linking all her micros together so a micro person might chase all her micro stories quickly.

Thank you for that -- I should have made it clear that it is a "series" functioning as an index and nothing more.

I have been adding some stories to my Actual Micro series. The newer ones go live right after I hit publish. Older ones (2020-2022) are sent back for re-moderation, though I have done nothing else to them. They got okay'd right away, but I don't want to bother you busy folks with my triviality.

And now the top trender is a story from February 2024, with all the rest marching back in time to 2020.

I guess they're telling us we just aren't writing them like they used to.

Quote by simplyjohn

Goodness me. Does that come with ketchup?

We have a Menstruation category now? 😲

Okay, so here you go. I have been doing battle with OCD and social anxiety since forever. Aside from my father's gay cadre and a variety of cats, I basically lived as a self-accepting recluse growing up. I pretty much still do. During all that time, writing was my solace, a way to fight back against the black dogs, as my father used to call them. The stories I conjure, then and now, seldom have a connection to what's going on inside me at the time. It's the simple act of creation that is the antidote for me. It is one of the reasons I write everything longhand. It feels outside myself, more alive.

Anyway, one of my witch doctors suggested finding an on-line writer's group as a way of interacting and sharing. I'm pretty sure Lush is not what she had in mind, but I found it the most welcoming, least judgmental of those I tried. So here I am, seven years later, for better or worse.

Scoring and ranking bothers me far more than it should, but I'm clinically OCD, remember? I recognize it is in large part a popularity contest rather than strictly a measure of quality. Some people are very good at the social part and sometimes the writing part, too. I am immodest enough to think I have some talent as a story teller, but that's as far as it goes. I lack the sparkle. It's just not in my nature, though I have tried. So in the end, I accept what I get and wish I had done a better job of it. Perhaps it will happen next time, but I feel less and less motivation to see if it does. It certainly won't stop me from writing.

I'm going to go eat a pickle now.

This is a very interesting question, Kimmi. I have had similar nibbling thoughts for a long time, but I really need to give it a good think before attempting a coherent answer.

Just made a nice batch of pesto, if that counts -- Italian big leaf, African blue, and Thai sweet.

Every single time. I hate you all.
Yes, especially you, with your charm and clever talents.

This is now trending while so many recent stories languish.
https://www.lushstories.com/stories/microfiction/will

No offence to the author at all, but I am well and truly baffled.

Quote by PrincessC
They don’t deserve to be employed if they are that stupid.

But they don't appear to be that stupid to those that employ them. Surely, that is the bigger concern.

Nearly every day. I write things out longhand and there is a stack of filled steno pads on my desk. It is finally getting cold enough to warrant an evening fire and they'll be useful lighting it.

Thank you to the Rumpies who have read my little scribble, In The Name Of The Cause

The next will take me to 200 official stories here. Very worrisome. Don't hold your breathe.

Quote by Jen

There's probably an element of views and interactions built in too, as there is with most things on the site. So someone with a popular profile probably generates more views on their work etc. I don't know the exact metrics, but it won't just just be based on likes, I wouldn't imagine.

But that doesn't really explain why a very small group of older works continue to take the last 5 or 6 spots on the banner, week after week after week. As was pointed out, they show no new likes or comments over that time. Are they truly getting so many new reads a day to justify it? Or does having your profile visited count, too? And why should it?
There are around 2000 Micro stories to choose from. I can't imagine they are the only ones still getting read like that.

This is what originally caught my eye. It was doing this, with slight variations in order, for a good while before I started this thread. With more than 2000 published micros to choose from, you would think the joy could be spread a little wider.

Quote by sprite

I'm feeling really good about this one. Can I have my prize in bitcoins?

Yes, even if you don't win. I've got bags full.

I have promoted and interacted all along. I think it is more my limitations as a writer. The narrowness of creative vision doesn't do much good either. Dill pickles do help, but in the end, I give what I can give and get what I get.

In case anyone is interested, the Trending banner for Microfiction now has a single recent story and nine that are more than two years old. Most have been on for more than a week and six of those have likes/comments far below new stories. Since the "read" is basically hidden, there is no telling if they are actually getting seen or if they are simply being favored as plump authors. My sorrow goes out to those who are trying against the game.

Quote by sprite

prefiero la crema (es el que huele a atun)

La señorita Pixel está de acuerdo

Quote by sprite

Ese debe ser el cono que pedi

¿La con salsa extra agregada? Mejor echa un poco de leche

KimmiBeGood, DonnaCupcake, AvidlyCurious, Kee, CumGirl, to name but a few. They are all award-winning talents.

I primarily write lesbian inspired stories, but they are neither personal experiences nor purely masturbation aides, so I can be safely skipped over.

Quote by Jen

El gato está en la puerta. Ten miedo. Ten mucho miedo.