Marius6: Blog

Limophile blogged about Shaming and Down Voting better than I.

However, the subject is so important that I feel the need to Echo it.

What is posted on SOL is the WORK of Writers who provide Free Content for no compensation, or at least no cash (we can earn a limited Premium Membership; although many Purchase a Premium Membership to support this in many ways unique site).

If Writers are discouraged there will be Less Content!

"1 Bombing" is maddening and pathetic!

There are many stories I skip over based upon Tags such as Snuff, Scat, Beastiality, Analingus, and most M/m.

Elements of my writing probably don't "turn on" or even disgust some readers (Interracial, Prostitution, and Violence not part of the sex).

Just skip over stories that have a "Squick" for you.

I would not "demand" that Lazeez change the Voting system.

I do Urge that people consider their Votes. I almost never awarded a 10, and I believe the lowest I have voted is a 3.

I Down Vote (as in a 3 or 4) stories for excessive misspelled words, no paragraph breaks, difficult to read/understand sentences, missused words,, and poor grammar.

To me a 1 would have to be utterly incomprehensible, a single run on sentence resulting in a wall of text, and so many misspelled words and absence of grammar that I am no longer sure what language it is written in.

There are many ways to Find or Avoid stories on SOL, Score is only one. Tags, Reviews, and sections of the Forums.

Vote your conscious, however, please save the 1s and 2s for things that are really poorly written, displaying no effort to check spelling, nor to make it readable.

If you don't want to read the content, skip it, don't down vote without reading it.

We enjoy Content here because people post their stories for us to read for Free! Of course, I urge people to purchase a Premium Membership, and to purchase stories on Bookapy 😉

I have read all of the Stupid Boy and Better Man books.

I think today's update November 3rd 2022, is one of the best.

It portrays a number of gifted individuals, determined to succeed, and learning from each other how to become better.

What I like about these stories is that no matter how accomplished any character is, they can and do make mistakes. The more clever characters continue to Learn.

I enjoy multiple aspects of these stories. Improbable? Yes. I can't think of any one person who has done all that; certainly not in High School and College.

NFL Quarterbacks Tom Brady, John Elway, and perhaps Russell Wilson and Warren Moon have displayed aspects of the MC.

Steve Largent, an NFL Wide Receiver, Congressman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, also has aspects (and may be where the character is going).

Pat Tillman, if he had lived, might have done some of the things the Better Man might.

What I find realistic about these stories is how and why individuals succeed.

HARD WORK!

That is what is often depicted in this series.

Not all of the characters are as gifted. They do achieve more than they might because they become more determined to work harder and improve.

I found this to often be true in the USA Armed Forces. Improving oneself by working Smarter and Harder, often resulting in success!

I know men bigger, tougher, faster, smarter, etc. than myself, Quit! I achieved things they did not, because I persevered!

Today's update of a Better Man provides some more examples of characters striving to be better.

Most of us won't have fantastical success. However, we could Achieve More, if we continue to Learn and Strive!

I have become a better writer because of things I have learned from folks on SOL!

I have brought this story into Public, from behind the Paywall.

I will keep it Public through Veterans Day.

Thank you for (most) of the responses I got for my new short story: A Girl In An Alley. I have gotten one request to continue working on a sequel.

I have gotten a lot of advice, as well as some snarky comments about LO (Libre Office) and what format(s) to use on SOL. No, I did Not know that LO's ODT format was not docx. I do now. Did anyone notice any issues with my using HTML format? Reading my story from my phone I only noticed one formatting issue. I had intended the "Author's Statement" after the end of the story to be in Blue to make clear it is not part of the story. (I also noticed four spelling errors and one missing word.)

I have made the corrections on my master document. It will probably be at least two weeks before I can get to the internet with my laptop. I anticipate several other corrections will also be submitted during that time. I will submit the corrections using the Word365/docx format, and hope it doesn't screw up the HTML document I posted. I believe that SOL converts everything, so, there shouldn't be any issues. I hope.

I have decided to keep writing using the LO ODT format. When I am ready to post to SOL, I will create a separate document in Word365/docx format (or HTML if I have issues).

Thanks to the folks that have read my story and commented. Thanks also to the folks who have offered suggestions. I will continue responding to PMs, and reading stories and the Forum using my phone. I hope to get out of assisted living and back into my own apartment. That was supposed to be happening in October, but that fell through. Much of my life moves at "government speed" so "it is what it is."

I have posted a new short story. I am re-writing my main story "A Sixth Generation Cowboy and a Third Generation Whore" but I have a new issue. Following some suggestions in the Forums, I am using LO (Libre Office) on my "new" (used) laptop. However, when I tried to post A Girl In An Alley, I discovered that SOL does not accept ODT documents.

I had to convert A Girl In An Alley to HTML but got a warning: "Some formatting my not be the same in this format" (or something like that). So, now I will be re-re-writing all of my documents. I may have to remove existing stories and replace them.

It is my goal to Not post a story to SOL until it is complete (or at least that "book" is complete). So, I may be posting more short stories before I post (or re-post) my multi-chapter stories. Some of my short stories are related, or have at least some of the same characters.

My plans to move into an apartment, and finally leave "assisted living" fell through. Until I get an apartment I will have no access to the internet for my laptop, and little access by my phone.

I am writing without an editor or proofreader, but I am trying to self-edit as much as possible. Please PM me about the many errors I anticipate, especially with the change to HTML at the last minute. I will respond to PMs using my phone ASAP. Corrections, or rather the Posting of a corrected document may take weeks.