Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Absolutely. Sorry Jeff! My apologies!

Jeff's first-prize story on Blue is Fire and Ice. You can find it with that link!

i have an idea for the Mardi Gras comp...

Quote by Ensorceled

This stuff runs in your blood. Some of us have to work at it. Stories seem to show up in your head fully formed.

well, to be blunt, i do sort of work them out in my head before i write them down. or just write them down and hope for the best lol

Quote by Ensorceled

You don't need to spell everything out, or even very much. But I need some indication you've actually thought this shit through, and aren't just making it all up as you go along.

umm... just making it up as you go along just described about 90% of my stories here, ya know.

for those interested, i did a comp thing https://www.lushstories.com/stories/bdsm/ellie-2

Quote by Myrrhhhhhh

let there be coins for mods so they won't be "lazy"

not gonna disagree

Quote by Twisted_Skald

Rachel darling, you're not weird. You're a beautiful, unique spark of the Eternal Beauty of the Goddess.

blushing now (btw, nothing wrong with being a little weird. weird is beautiful in it's own way imo

Quote by Twisted_Skald

Goodness the Bear is back, Carl is back, and Ape is with us again.

May the Goddess shine Her Light on all my beloved Rumpie family.

You're all very dear to me, and always in my prayers.

I see there's a new competition too, I'm sure the Rumps contingent will pick up the challenge and bring their best to the contest.

i just submitted mine. it's kind of weird. like me. lol

Quote by CarltonStJames

I finished a draft of 1900+ words last night and I am amazed at the dog shit I wrote, lol. Oh my God, editing this for it to make logical sense is going to be a pain in the focking arse.

But I missed the last 2 official comps, so no backing down...ugh.

lol half way through mine i started losing the plot and had to take a step back and figure out where it was going and how it was going to get there.

Quote by Myrrhhhhhh

I'm excited to read the final piece.

submitted, so as soon as those lazy story mods get off their asses and do some work, it'll be up (just guaranteed that it'll probably languish in story queue hell for days now ).

Quote by Seeker4

Are you my long-lost sister or something? 🤣 I can't tell you how many times I have had to sacrifice some beautifully written paragraph of backstory on the altar of length.😋

funny thing is, i edited the story to the point of being able to put it back in, but it really had nothing to do with the story, really- i just liked it, so i left it out.

Quote by Seeker4

I pretty much always overshoot and then edit like crazy. You'll be fine. And you're further along than me. I had an idea come to me in the wee hours this morning. Not fond of it, but I had one that could fit.

i need to trim 47 word. not so many, but it seems like an impossible task. I did go off on a tangent talking about a wrist watch's origin, so i think that's going to have to go... lol

Quote by CuriousAnnie

That's perfect, Rachel, 621 words: just add To Be Continued and hit submit.

Odds are you'll be fine, there's one mod who gets a bit grumpy but it will be worth it for the coin.

I'm front of the queue to tip large for this.

lol that genuinely made me laugh. oh, and updated to 1885 words. getting concerned about the 2500 limit now, since i just started in on the sex scene... fyi, this one's not as dark at Tick Tock. I think? btw, I AM expecting an entry from you. please.

Quote by Seeker4

Could I write about Uncle Valentine instead? 😳😲🤣

Hey, it's getting late and I've had a busy week at work. That's my excuse and I am sticking to it. 😇

who the heck is Uncle Valentine? lol i mean, if there's a twist, yeah, sure? (btw, i have 621 words so far and i have no idea how it's going to end lol)

And... story started. i'm in as long as this one doesn't derail like that last one. lol

Quote by CuriousAnnie
Our pleasure, the absence of a Taser is appreciated.

sadly, i've updated - after a couple of very real real-life death threats (i partly blame my wife - seriously. she's been actively engaging in politics lately) and as a response to some of the anti-lgbtq+ violence in these, our united states, i bought a gun and am putting my CCL to good use (technically, that is - i have yet to actually take it out of the safe and carry it - i just find the entire thing distasteful, but at least i have the option now. yay me. ).

btw, Curious Annie came up with a great question that i couldn't answer - how do we treat collaborative stories? does the tip get split up between writers? honor system (here's your half - thanks for writing with me!) the tough luck system (fuck you, it's mine, neener neener?

Quote by kiteares

I'm not doubting that many hours have been put into it, I also don't know what questions have been asked and what haven't. I thought that the more people that ask questions, even those that have been answered behind the scenes the more chance of catching something that had not been thought of before it goes live.

As for it being a scheme, I would hope that it would be a scheme, at least as I understand it and from yours and Jen's statements that it has been worked on for a long time, it very much seems to be a scheme to me. I would suggest that our understanding of the word is very different.

Scheme:

I was referring to the noun:

BRITISH

a large-scale systematic plan or arrangement for attaining a particular object or putting a particular idea into effect.

I definitely was NOT referring to the verb (at least the 2nd part of it):

make plans, especially in a devious way or with intent to do something illegal or wrong.

Just in case I wasn't clear, I am not anti this, I would love to see this succeed. I think in-house currencies can be a great idea and for those that are even mediumly (??) successful with it, it might buy them their annual renewal or enable them to gift membership to people (this would be something I would be aiming to do with the coins, it would be cool to gift a couple of memberships every so often just because people appreciated my contributions enough).

"scheme" always sounds unsavory to me - like something out of a Jame's Bond movie uttered by GoldPinkie or something. lol that's just me - don't take it personally. thanks for your support, btw - i'm a little cranky today, so i'm reacting a bit to some of the comments in here in a less than spritely manner. i'll try to keep it in check.

Quote by CuriousAnnie
Great story this, I remember it well. But of course it leads me to ask ... how do coins work for collaborations, does a tip at the end of this story get shared between the two of you or is there a default in the algorithm that says: 'Pay Rachel.'

yeah, i was just thinking the same thing. honestly, i don't know. i will inquire. good question. sadly, we can't tip for good questions, but once the new system is implemented i can tip for great stories.

(to be blunt. Verbal's a bastard so i doubt he'll share. fortunately i know some very ruthless lawyers who will advocate for me...

Quote by Verbal

My interest in kitty ears is purely literary, I assure you (https://www.lushstories.com/stories/fetish/purr).

i like your bits. your partner is kind of crap, though. i wouldn't share any tips you get with her.

Quote by CallmeJayne

Offering "a quality writer" the possibility that the story they are uploading for free, might receive remuneration via tips at some time in the future, isn't much of an incentive. Particularly as the story would then be deemed to have been published and therefore of no interest to another publisher. Unless, I suppose, the "quality writer" had an absolutely stellar reputation.

The comment you didn't understand simply means that story moderators could award 'coins' in much the way they award a Recommended Read.

ps - as a member i can think of quite a few authors i'd like to tip - some stories that have stuck with me through the years. and i will probably do so. people like Ensorcled and Jaymal and Lizzy and Dancing Doll and Jen and Evie and Curious Annie and several others. THAT I can do, but yeah, not a moderation thing.

Quote by CallmeJayne

Offering "a quality writer" the possibility that the story they are uploading for free, might receive remuneration via tips at some time in the future, isn't much of an incentive. Particularly as the story would then be deemed to have been published and therefore of no interest to another publisher. Unless, I suppose, the "quality writer" had an absolutely stellar reputation.

The comment you didn't understand simply means that story moderators could award 'coins' in much the way they award a Recommended Read.

well, speaking as a "quality writer" who has been uploading their stories for years for free, the thought that i might get a bit a bit of mad money for doing it is kind of nice. is it an incentive for me to write more? no. i'd do that anyway, but, imho, it's a nice gesture to all the people who have been sharing their stories on our site simply because they love writing and they like the site. not everyone here writes as a living. personally, i'm fine with the status quo. not looking to put out a book or have my name on a best sellers list. that's me. a lot of people here feel the same. they just want to write and share their stories and this is a good place to do it. this is a gift to them. a thank you, so to speak. that's the intention. no one is going to get rich off the system. (if they do, i want to know their secret, btw!)

being published outside of lush doesn't make you a quality write, btw. i can think of a lot of people here who are better than some published authors - they just don't want to make it their career. for whatever reason, this is how they like to express themselves.

and, since coins need to be purchased, you're suggesting that my volunteer (meaning they don't get paid) buy coins and award people for writing stories? Umm... sure. i'll suggest that in the next mod meeting. i'm sure i won't have powder donuts bounced off my face for that... AND since we get reamed constantly for only awarding EPs and RRs to other mods, well, can you imagine what's going to happen next? YOU'RE ONLY GIVING COINS TO OTHER MODS. seriously, look me in the eye and say that's not gonna happen.

here's the thing from my POV. we thought of a way to say thanks to our writers and give them something nice that is actually useful (nice as RRs are, they won't buy you a single egg, let alone a dozen) and people are already complaining before the system is set into place. and you possibly understand how demoralizing and demotivating that is? if you prick us, do we not bleed? honestly, i kind of expected something along the lines of my reaction which was "cool! show me the money!" (not my actual reaction, but close enough. my memory is not what it used to be). funny, people wonder why i'm kind of bitchy sometimes. funny that they have to ask. i mean, just read the freaking forums and maybe y'all will get it.

so, to sum it all up... you're welcome.

Quote by Ensorceled

suddenly alert Did somebody say something?

perv

Quote by Seeker4

Look, I've made it clear that I am not shooting down the idea. I am just not going to give it unqualified support at this point. I hope it works out. Probably it will. But if you need a "happy happy this is great" endorsement from me, you won't get it. I'm a pragmatist who generally doesn't get excited about stuff like this until I see it in operation.

Now, let's have some fun. My favorite rock band led by my favorite singer dropped a new video of their cover arrangement of one of my favorite songs from a musical.

Nightwish first covered the song in 2002 but dropped it from their setlists in 2005 after parting ways with their original lead singer. They brought it back for recent concerts in Amsterdam because it became a hit for current lead singer Floor Jansen and Dutch stage star Henk Poort after they sang it together on the Dutch TV show Beste Zangers.

not looking for a happy this is great endorsment from anyone. just worn down by the constant negativity that we get hit with here. (not aimed at you, btw, just need to rant for a bit) frankly, it wears me down. it's like... LushStorie: dudes! we figured out a way to pay you for writing! Dudes: FUCK YOU! IT'S A SCHEME! thankfully, some people have actually sent little 'thank you' notes, which makes it all worth it, but honestly? i'm really tired of putting a shit load of work into doing something positive for people and getting shit on for it. this is one of the reasons i stepped down and stopped being as involved as i used to be. after a while it's fucking demoralizing.

thanks for letting me get that offa my b-cups. lol thing is, fuck you - you're going to make some money for doing exactly nothing that you weren't doing before. take it and be goddamned happy. or not.

Quote by Ensorceled

<in best Jeremy Irons imitation> "You have no idea."

i think i do, actually. tick tock, baby.

Quote by Seeker4

This. Keeping an open mind means being open to the idea succeeding, but also some healthy skepticism. I am not a fan of "gamification" which this definitely falls under. All too often, the game becomes the focus, not what it was meant to encourage. They say this will benefit authors, but will it benefit all authors equally, or favour those who play the game by, say, writing to an audience they know will reward them with coins. Will the readership for those who opt out of the game suffer? Lush claims it is optional but will social pressure make it mandatory? I can see a lot that can go wrong here. I hope I am wrong.

And they are bringing it in on blue, too. Which raises questions about their plans for that site given that the system assumes the existence of paid memberships.

not like all those points you brought up didn't already exist - they were just focused on getting votes before. now, it's lush coins, and guess what? if you write, you are potentially getting paid for doing it. how that's seen as a negative is beyond me - Lance and i and several others have been talking this idea out for a while as a way to reward writers (like me, who has put a LOT of quality stories up, doesn't publish anywhere else, and doesn't make a cent off of what i do) for their work. don't know about anyone else, but i'm not so rich that i wouldn't welcome even a small income coming my way after 10+ years and 200+ stories written for Lush.

so what if others game the system? that doesn't take away from me in anyway. remember Mysteria? she totally games the vote system. she was good at it, too. so what? i am sure she put a lot of time and effort into doing it, so good for her. personally, i will probably not change - i'll still be the same snarky ass bitch that people either love or hate and still write stories when i feel like it and not worry about getting rich, but hey, if i can buy a new set of kitty ears or a new vibe funded by lush every once in a while? yay me. remember, what i do here? i don't get paid for it. and trust me, at one point in time, it was a full time job. now, i sort of skate and make Jen do all the work.

your friendly neighborhood lush volunteer, Sprite

Quote by JamesLlewellyn

Have they changed the font for the site? Everything looks different.

Either that or my eyes have gone funny!

we did change the lush logo up in the top left-hand corner.

Quote by kistinspencil

My pencil may not be too sharp, but it ain't an etc. Feeling so hurt

jesus h christ on a bike, do i have to list everything? not like i don't have other things to do, woman! lol

Quote by john456berry

Quote by john456berry

I have a question, which might be a bit of a strange one, but I came up with what I think might be a good twist on the dark valentines, with a bit of humor and a different approach. Darker stuff isn't my forte but I feel it's good to try at least to develop myself in writing. So my question is this, is necrophilia out of bounds for a story like this? - many apologies if I'm way off course in advance...

I thought there was likely a hard NO looming for the story idea, I had a scenario around a guy who could not get his ideal girlfriend and so "makes one" every valentine (in a Frankenstein kind of way) and the story would have been his warped confession, hey ho, back to staring at that blank page. But thanks for confirming it now, and not 2500 words later

necrophillia is not allowed. nor is snuff. that said, sex with a "frankenstein" monster, ie, a dead body brought back to life? i don't really see a problem with that as long as the sex happens while the monster "lives". hope that helps?

Quote by CuriousAnnie

Lol, channel how you felt writing forum posts on other threads and you will be fine. Any rate what about Tick Tock?

That's what i use in the ring while kickboxing. tick tock wasn't really all that dark and twisted... well... maybe a bit? lol