Quote by Seeker4

Hm. Coffee and tea are made. And there's white hairs. Bear dropped in. Good morning.

No polar bear sightings where I am but it sure looks and feels polar. With my SS comp entry up, I am back to flailing about for a story that engages my interest. Something will bite eventually.

Well, I am meant to be writing the last chapter of my novel "The Three of Us" but just got waylaid by a hot cross bun and a cup of tea.

Seeker4, have some Dorset Apple Cake on me. It's our local cake recipe... and yes, it is as sweet as it looks. 🙄😀

Quote by utterchaos

Ah ha, there's a few of us Brits here 🤗 I'm very fortunate to have both Rochester Castle and Rochester Cathedral almost on my doorstep. Was particularly handy when I wanted edgy, gothic profile pics in the earlier social media days and feel cool hanging out in the crypt with my friends 😅

I always wanted to visit Rochester Castle, perhaps one day. 😊 Alas, Oliver Crowell visited the castle nearest to where I live; hence, there is very little of it left. 😳

Quote by KimmiBeGood

A really really really hard last 3 weeks. Today, Dad’s moved into the advanced care floor for Alzheimer’s patients. My sis and I are exhausted but relieved he’s somewhere safe. I have to return to work tmrw.

Hit me with a stiff drink or three, please…

A big hug from me too, Kimmi. ❤️

I lost my mum to the awful disease three years ago almost to the day. Though in many ways I lost her ten years before that. I know caring for someone with it is no fun, as I watched my father struggle. I hope you now find more time in your life for yourself and, with it, a new energy charge. 😘

First time in the cyber bar, having just crossed the Atlantic to be here. 🙄

Maybe you all know this, but the castle on the "Legendary Stories" header is Corfe Castle in Dorset. It is a place not far away from where I live. I have attached a photo, and yes, the Greyhound is another pub, and yes, it is one I have been in!

🙄😎

Quote by JamesMerton1960

Probably only of interest to my British Friends? But,

Ticketmaster - Oasis tickets.

Thames Water - Fucking thieves

The referee at this afternoon's Arsenal v Brighton game.

On that last point; the ref on the reverse fixture was no better!

I admit it, I wasn't going to enter this competition with poetry not being my thing. 🙄

However, after reading a few of Elliot's poems and seeing that he had amassed nearly 500 stories, I felt compelled to give it a go... So here is my competition entry: Sleep

Quote by sprite

after once more being accused of mod favoritism, I have decided not to enter this or any future comps. thanks very much for finding a way to fuck up my day. sincerely, Rachel.

Rachel, I am so sorry to hear this happened. It is unfair and not correct.

You are a fantastic writer, and you know how I feel about the Anti Valentine winner, "Ellie." IMHO the single best competition story I have read here. That story's structure has inspired me on more than one occasion, the twist being so unexpected and yes, weird. 😳

Then there was your 2nd placed "Glitch," which was excellent too; just reread my review.

As some know, for the last few story competitions, I have read and commented on every story entered. What they might not know is that privately, I also give a mark to each story, and I can tell you (in my personal results) that "Glitch" was right up there with the winner and WW's. This has nothing to do with Lush; it is nothing to do with anyone being a moderator... it is just me having a little fun and enjoying reading good stories.

Please don't stop doing competitions, Rachel... We/I will miss reading your entries. 😘

Single Story (10,000 words): The Baskerville Hall Murder (Whodunnit)

I have written 5 books on LushStories, "The Alpha Man in Me" (84K Words), "Bonding" (91K Words), "Crete" (106K Words), "Clare" (112K Words), and "The Three of Us" which is a WIP but will be around (130K words) before I split it in two at a later date. 😊

A wonderful competition idea... 😊

I hope to use this feature in the future, Thankyou for letting us know it back up and running. 🙂

Congratulations to WW for winning, to the podium finishers, and to all 15 stories that were placed. 😊

Like a few others, I did read and comment on every entry. So I do know that the quantity and standard for this competition were in particular very high. So I want to say also congratulations to all who entered, read, liked, and commented on the stories. 😊

I have liked all the recent changes, including this one. 😊

However, I wouldn't mind a page at a time 'remove from my reading queue button.' I have 57 pages backed up, and I will never get time to read all those stories! 😕🙄

CuriousAnnie/Piquet: Sorry, I missed it today.

I did log into the chat room for (just about) my first time there, at 12.20 (ish) GMT but was just too late. 😕🙄😢

Happy Birthday, Kisten! 😊🎂

I may not have known you, but I have read a few of your many stories. You were a talented writer. RIP Paul.

Quote by CarltonStJames

I think I will keep doing the 10000 words weekly thing til end of January

10,000 Words!!! 😳

If I wrote 10,000 words in a week, I would be rewriting most of them because they are all in the wrong order! 🙄🤣

As we enter 2025, my goals are:

First to finish publishing my fifth novel here. I am around 2/3rds of the way to completing this.

Second, complete my Omnium badge. I have so far written in 37 genres, with the aim to write in all the others by the end of the year.

Third, compete in all the competitions. However, this year, this will be a lower priority for me this year, having competed in the last nine.

I guess we see how I have done this time next year! 🙄😊

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

That's surely down to writing confidence and structure?

Actually, it is neither. Writing confidence and story structure are two of my better abilities, even if I say so myself! 😳🤣

The main reason I rewrite is grammar. The original novel was written four years ago (2021), and the grammar was simply poor, even if the story and its structure were strong and fairly original in terms of erotica novels.

It is true to say that writing on LushStories has greatly improved my writing skills. People even read my stories now and I have followers! 🙄😊

Another reason that I rewrote, apart from quality, was that many of my original chapters were over 10,000 words long. I have shortened them into scenes, added a few new ones, and tried to keep each chapter under 5,000 words as views drop off above that number. That is why I have many chapters in several parts and often in different genres.

Thank you for taking the time to comment on my feedback, WW. It was only how I felt as I wrote it and then read it, and I have known to be wrong many times.

I am currently adapting my 5th book for LushStories and trying my hardest not to use the novels genre and just use the novels tag as is being suggested for the future. With 15 chapters published, I have two observations...

1). With each chapter, I find myself changing the original storyline to mould it to fit a genre, which is not always possible. Of the 15 published, 2 had to stay in the novels genre as there wasn't one they fit directly into.

2). In comparison to the first 4 novels, to me, this novel feels like it is being chopped up into a series of short stories within the longer one because of the need to fit each chapter into a genre. I honestly don't know if that is good or bad, only the readers can decide on that.

I would like to add my congratulations to the winners and send a big THANK YOU to Kimmi for organising. 😊😘

I would like to point out once again that, based on counting the number of stories posted on LushStories in October 2024, the novel genre ranked the 22nd (out of the 54) most popular story genres. I discounted micro, flash, and the two poetry genres.

I can understand why some authors might want it removed from the Omniun badge, but to remove it altogether on what is an erotic story site... I think that is a step too far and unnecessary.

If there is a genuine need to reduce genres, why not remove the bottom five? In October, that was Facesitting, Strap-on sex, Uniform, Steampunk and Medical.

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

A further note on this: there's not much point using a tag that's exactly the same as the genre/category of your story.

I am enjoying having the suggested stories come up. Yes, it did bring back memories. 😊

However, because of the possible demise of the novel genre, I have slowly been adding a novel tag to my many novel genre chapters. As previously suggested to me.

With the above quote in mind... How can I be assured the novel tag appears in the searches? Could it be a super tag overriding others?

BTW: There doesn't seem to be a way to orderly arrange tags (I have tried many times).

“Wait! As the clock strikes midnight, it is a new beginning.”

It was New Year’s Eve; they had talked, fucked, each being the other's first.

Her orgasm brought cries of ecstasy that still lingered within her.

His, that she was the one.

The young lovers held each other’s hands and counted down, “Three, two, one…”

Out of the window and into the unknown.

They had eloped, the world waiting beyond. 

Just like a few others, I have now finished reading all of the 118 Festive Flash entries, and I would like to congratulate all who took part, read, liked, and commented on the stories. There are a few 1,000-word crackers in there. 😊

Quote by techgoddess

I really wanted to enter this one. Had a story started and everything. Planned to finish it last night. But then I slipped and fell on the ice on the steps of my son’s house and spent majority of last night on the couch barely moving. I can’t win lately. Just glad I didn’t break anything. I am looking forward to reading them all.

So sorry to hear, Kat. I hope you make a quick recovery and are back in your writing chair soon! 😘

Yes, a bit of self-promotion, but will you work out who is cumming in my "Festive Flash" story?

"Merry Christmas Darling"

Congratulations, BNW 😊

Quote by techgoddess

As long as you resubmit the same story with whatever edits you do, your story keeps all of its stats. 😎

On my old stories from 2 years ago, I am looking to add cover photos and a very few basic edits (mainly moving the copyright from the author's note).

With the recent upgrades on the site, does techgoddess reply still hold true before I unpublish?

Quote by KimmiBeGood

Update: 3 reads and one comment. Thanks, Bear!

Another update: 4 reads, two comments (my first over there!) Also my first in the cyber bar! 🙄😊

Over 70 entries now and counting... 😳😊