How to judge a story

I think the front page has a lot to do with how many reads a story will get and thus more comments an favorites will follow. I have noticed if one of my stories stays on the front say for one day or if a get a comment on the story which stays on the front page then number of views goes up.

I sometimes wish the listing for the front was a little longer then the current 10, on a weekend around 30 stories can be submitted and if yours is on the bottom of the listing it stands to be read a lot less then those on the front. It's the old story of "it pays to advertise" and that is what the front page does for every story that manages to stay on it for a longer period of time. If you look at the current stories which have stayed now for several days their readership is excellent, which just proves my point.

I think each author has friends who are regular readers of that particular gendre, some days comments a and favourites are numerous and some days not so much. I have noticed that some stories that seem in general to be loathed by many get a lot of comments but the negativity is the reason why, and I am not so sure if some authors appreciate it (and I can understand why they would not).

I judge a story by how I feel after I read it, I comment on a lot that I read and have only 1 favourite, but that does not mean I don't re-read. I have spent considerable time on Lucky Dip looking for old stories with no comment and try to comment on them, it may be late but at least the author knows someone commented. Some of my comments may indicate whether I like the story but most are aimed at showing appreciation for the effort put forward, regardless of whether a story was within my own tastes.

Judging a spanking story has to do with personal tastes. I like stories, where the woman is spanked. Spanked on her bare bottom. Spanked by a cane. I prefer that she wear garter-belt and stockings, before I take her panties, or knickers down. I prefer that she be a mature woman. I wish her to get 'six or more strokes upon her naked rear end. As one can see my preference is quite spercific. How many of these preferances will be in any spanking story written by a 'spanko' writer. That is how I judge whether I like a spanking story.

There are probably two basic ways to judge a spanking story: You can look at it as a piece of literature or you can see how sexually excited it makes you. I think we all have to admit that we are not here exclusively for the first reason; there are actually more and better stories available outside the doors of this library. sixofthebest has indicated a clear preference for the second approach; he is primarily looking for stories that fit his fetish, and his preferences are clear and narrow. I think most fetishes are like that — there are certain things (words, expressions, implements, situations, clothes etc) that turn us on, and other, very similar things that leave us cold. I, e.g., am not the least interested in garter belts and stockings, I much prefer the jeans of the girl-next-door!

I must admit there are horribly written stories I look up again and again because they fit my fetish perfectly. Still I would like to make an argument for the literary approach. There are stories in here that are among my absolute favorites although they do not satisfy any of my "basic needs" — persons of the wrong gender are spanked in the wrong clothes with the wrong implements for the wrong reason. They are still among my favorites because they are beautifully written, have a good plot, show psychological insight, ask important questions, or are just plain fun.

One of the things that struck me when I really started to explore this library a few months ago, is the low percentage of primarily erotic and pornographic stories compared to most other sites (I count a story as erotic/pornographic according to its intention regardless of whether it contains "ordinary" sex or not). It seems to me that the strong interaction between writers here are driving us on to explore new themes and new possibilities. As I want to learn and understand as much as I want to be entertained and aroused, this to me is definitely a good thing.

The number of replies on this thread proves just how unpredictable members' reactions can be.

My original post was just a reply on another thread and Febs moved it here to start a new topic. Now it's attracted 22 replies and some of them quite lengthy.

No he didn't... I did

But yes it has got people talking and that can only be a good thing I say

Sorry pink! I assumed that Febs had done that.

It must be a welcome change for her NOT being accused of something she DID do!

Alef
Yep, can't really deny that can I


S'ok, I was just being awkward... as you know it's a female and particularly an angel thing

Don't go soft and mushy Alef! You will be feeling SORRY for her next!!! If you blame Her Pinkness every time something goes wrong you find you are 99 per cent right!

blimp
I have to go soft on Her Angelness until I get myself out of this jury duty. (Why does something try to tell me that this is not the right way to go about it?)