Ex pupils and mothers seeing the Headmaster for the cane

Thank you so much, Patron. Thank you too, Pembridge06.

Yours is a very interesting and though-provoking response, Patron. I do agree with much of what you say, and it's fully appreciated, I can assure you.

'Whether or not the premise is "hackneyed" is irrelevant, because originality isn't the goal. Satisfaction is the goal, you say. I do see that and I only wish I could provide satisfaction!!

But surely originality makes a pleasant change? Or variation on a theme? But, as I say. your response was cheering. Thank you. However, I'm sitting here wondering why I'm writing so many flops that don't appeal. Writers like to please readers; all of us do. Writers like feedback and it's nice to get encouragement. I'm clearly failing in that department and and I'm losing confidence in my ability to write.

I thought my latest three parter (Two added so far) would be a winner. Something different from 'school' plots, which don't generally do well, either. And it hardly inspires me to write part three. It'd be good if we had a critique facility here. I'm sure we did have such a thing at one time. I'd be happy to have my work looked at. It'd be very welcome. For I want to improve and develop as a CP writer.

Yes, it's Paul Jackson, by the way. Thank you for asking. Best wishes to you.

Also, thank you to Pembridge06- Your words are truly inspirational. I love the comparison! YES! LOL! Pembridge03, you have lifted my fagging spirits. Hey! And what you have said, coupled with your kind comment costs nothing. I'm framing it as speak!!! I wish more would do this.

Now- get me that Big Mac with fries, please.......I fancy putting on a bit of weight!!!

Cheers to the both of you.

Paul Jackson.

spurs1

I do agree that a critical space would be useful for some writers. I get that for most, criticism is discouraging and would lessen the story output. Story volume is more important than story quality, holistically speaking. Still, an opt-in critic section would serve those who wish to improve.

Some notes in response to your post.
-Satisfaction: this is simple but not always easy. There's what you want as the writer and what the audience wants. There's some level of overlap. Sometimes that overlap is a large portion of the audience, sometimes it's a smaller portion. Whatever the portion is, identifying the elements contained in that overlapping interest and sticking that landing is most important.

-Originality: this is one of the most misunderstood and overrated concepts in storytelling. There are heaps of proof that the audience wants the opposite. How many police, law, crime and romantic comedy shows are there? How many original shows? People want the same thing over and over, they just want it done well without asking too much of them. They want a burger with an interesting topping but they'd do just as well to have the same old normal burger cooked well. In stories, it's not because people are stupid, it's because the human experience is common and they want it dressed up in a way that is a window, not a mirror, but a window to a scene that they can see themselves in. They can approach the window safely, prepared to observe and judge the characters in the scene, knowing that if they look through the window long enough they'll realize they're looking at themselves. The journey from observation to reflection is the Hero's Journey in and of itself and a price the audience is willing to pay because it's for their own good.

-Originality(2): Most things that people think are original, aren't original. A great many "original" works are actually ripped off, but from a different medium and including a juxtaposition that makes it feel much newer than it is. Most people can't read a story in terms of archetypes and symbols, so it's easy to change the surface of the story and adopt a costume of originality on top of the same old actor. For most creators, the need to be original is tied to the ego. They need to "own" the story in a superficial way that proves their own intellectual or creative existence. The thing is, once you write a story, that has happened anyway. It's just a matter of proximity to the next closest thing that gives us more or less of a feeling of this ownership and egotistic satisfaction.

-If you're still interested, I'll send you a private critique.

Patron
Your comments are very interesting and enlightening.
I had always worried about thematic originality. No more thanks to your comment.
My and my wife's viewing and reading habits conform to what you say, we have many common interests that we come back to again and again but a few topics we differ on. (war, transport: hospital fiction and rom -coms.) I suspect most of the readers on LSF conform to this pattern.
I have come to writing from a science/business background, honing whatever writing skill I have from writing reports and proposals, and legalistic applications. I had a fairly rigorous English lang and lit education up till O level which included invariably being selected as the female lead to read aloud many of Shakespeare's plays-(Oh joy ). However apart from a rather eccentric "Use of English exam "the powers that be decided we scientists should do in the sixth form, my language studies ended at 16- 60 years ago. (We thought it was a waste of time and very soon the administrators agreed.)
From your very erudite comments I suspect you come from an "arts" background.
Anyway many thanks for your comments.
Due to health improvements I have been thinking about writing a few more of "my silly spanking stories" I think your comments have encouraged me further
Thankyou Jimi

jimisim
When it comes to writing, I agree with Stephen King on this score: writers focus too much on writing and language. It's storytelling and the readers first want a reason to know what happens, then they want to know what happens.

In spanking stories, like any genre, life is simpler if the writers and readers agree that they enjoy it. Pretending we need it to be refined and tailored is a waste of time. If you care to refine and tailor a genre story, have at it and have fun, but let's not make that necessary. What's necessary is that the trappings of the genre are served.

For example, a cowboy story: "Douglass McCraw is the most ruthless outlaw in Oklahoma's short, dusty history. Even the sheriff is afraid of him, though he pretends otherwise. By week's end, I aim to kill him."
Start with that and fulfill that promise and most fans of a good cowboy killin' are going to be thoroughly satisfied. Can we layer that with a deconstruction of how early US gov't created outlaws in the shift from individual frontiersmen to corporate oil barons? Sure, have at it. Maybe that makes it better. Maybe not. But as a writer we always need to understand that the people show up for cowboy killin'.

Same goes for spanking stories. Butts are getting smacked. Whose butt is getting smacked? Why? Did they like it? Did they hate it? Did they fear it before it happened? Who knows it happened? Will it happen again?

This is what most readers of spanking stories care about. Nail that and the prose is just window dressing.

My personal theory is that the most important thing in a spanking story is the dynamic between spanker and spankee. Bending over to have one's bottom slapped for an extended period for a specific reason is high drama. There's a big journey from being fully clothed and concerned about life's day-to-day events, to partially or unclothed and in the middle of a full on spanking. It is likely the most extraordinary and intimate thing that has happened that day, especially in "first spanking" stories. The tension and build up to the moment is almost built in to the moment itself. This is something spanking stories share with the genres of action, horror, crime etc. They all promise an event that you're unlikely to see in a normal day.

This is a principal, not a rule and I'm endlessly entertained by writers who can craft worlds where spanking is part of the norm, yet they retain the allure of the event.
"Didn't expect you to turn up to gym late."
"Stupid prefect caught me running in the hall and gave me the slipper. Six!"

Doesn't take much. Just gotta trust that people like spanking and you like spanking and since you have that in common, if you focus on what you like, you're probably focusing on what they like and everyone will have a good time. If you want clever sentences and subtextual nuance, that's all well and good but we writers have to remember that it's our hang up, not theirs.

Hello, Patron,

Thank you so much
Yes, I'd be happy for you to conduct a critique. I'd welcome it. Many, many thanks

Best wishes,

Paul Jackson

I had wanted to do a story where a private school hosts a "Bring Your Mom To School Day", where women have the option of donning an official school uniform , to blend in more, if they so wish. Of course Mom's in uniform are expected to comport themselves properly, or face the consequences, and the Headmaster actually has to bring in help to deal with all the "misbehaving" mom's curious about the strap and cane.

Hi I'mreadonly2
Sounds fun. Please go ahead.
I wrote a story inspired by a Sue Thomas/ Old Tom story (with their blessing), where curious Mums could both sample a caning and donate to school funds in return. Pure silly fantasy , but I enjoyed writing it.

Hi
I’mreadonly2
Nice idea. Possible additional thought that mothers in school uniform take part in an auction whereby they get a caning and raise huge sums for school’s charity? Just a thought!

Thanks Patron for your erudite thoughts on this subject. I think that I agree with all you say.

Whilst some readers really enjoy the character development, world building, tension and occasional lyrical beauty, at the end they are still wanting to see a bottom smacked. After all, they've showed up in the Library of Spanking Fiction what did you think they wanted? There are plenty of other stories around, albeit variants on the same few themes which have been subject to attempts at codification from time to time.

I read another variant on this theme recently.
A heavily subscribed girls sixth form college famous for its excellent results and University placings.
College was very strict and didn't bother with lines, detentions or suspensions, it was either the cane or expulsion.
Mothers and daughters had to sample a caning before they signed consent forms.
It wasn't on LSF and I might flesh it out in my style, now I'm back to writing.