Mike McGifford: Blog

I've decided it's pretty clear to everyone that a story's score is the loosest possible measure of the quality of a story.

It drops due to the genre and compared to authors who are actually great writers with excellent editors - unlike me who can't even get an editor. Then of course it's affected by the day and time new stories drop... so screw it.

I've turned scoring back on because I think it has something to do with making the story more visible to new readers as well.

Have a great day everyone!!

I posted 6 chapters of a new story, Spank you for the Memories, thinking that by the time anyone got to the last of the 30,000-odd words I sweated over and posted, a reader might rank the story and possibly provide constructive feedback for me so I can improve my storytelling.

Nope.

Within 5 minutes I had my first score and a minute later, my second. The average gave me a score of 4 point something. So two people read maybe most of one chapter then and skipped to the end to vote their displeasure.

Duh to me for turning scoring on. I guess I'll just turn it off again and hope those who actually care to provide useful feedback and add value to this site, will leave comments.

This site is for perverted men and women. Ghost voting is childish, people!

Happy Memorial weekend to everyone in the US and since I can't personally thank the Union soldiers that helped free our nation, thank you to the Vets that have kept it free!!

On Monday, I plan to release the first 6 chapters of a story I'm writing in a genre I have had a little experience with *wink*. Some would see it as a step backwards for me, but I think of it as a leap forward into the abyss once more.

There are two major contributing factors in the project I'm going to unleash upon you and both are writers. I personally know one writer who began a story about the lives of a mother and daughter, Amber and Emily - he didn't finish it because he was merely staying with me for a while and headed back to his regular life on the other side of the world... in Aaron Adams words, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas (even though I don't live on that side of the country).

He offered to let me continue it and we have a very similar style since we grew up together - so it would have been easy - but I ultimately chose not to. I already had the first chapter written when I made that decision, so I chose instead to make one of the characters a tributary one and just changed their name. That story has blasted itself onto my screen as if it couldn't contain itself.

The other contributing factor/author is someone I had a rocky beginning with. I made assumptions that were false, trusting that I knew more than I do about people. Eddie Davidson politely responded when I blasted him for being someone I abhor, even as I was astounded at his imagination and writing ability. I played along but finally had to admit that this guy couldn't be anyone other than just a really nice and inspired author.

He says he writes at a third grade level but BOY is that not true!! His help with (really a CRAP TON OF HELP) this project has absolutely doubled the enjoyment factor for me and if I hadn't reigned myself in, I wouldn't have a product nearly as exciting as I think this is going to be, or even close to it's size even now - because I'd be drooling as I awaited Eddie's own next chapters instead of writing, myself.

I want to read through the whole thing again from beginning to current and make final edits, then I have to give it a name. That's why I wont post it until Monday. Hopefully that gives me enough time what with everything else that's going on in my life.

If anyone who reads this happens to have an idea for a title based on Aaron Adams story, "Amber and Emily Saved", which provides the genre for this one - also a mom and daughter - I look forward to hearing it. Sorry, "Mean Girls" has already been taken.

Well I have the three versions uploaded... thank you to everyone who replied to my request! Hopefully enough will really enjoy one version enough to want to know what happens next!

I've just finished the rough draft of a new story that's based on a reader suggestion. What happens when the World Community Government attacks the moochers and layabouts of the world?

My story has one first chapter and 3 versions of a second. One of those 3 second chapters contains sex. Should I post all 4 together with a title that explains their relationship or just the first chapter for right now and wait a day before releasing each subsequent version of chapter 2?

I want to save confusion as much as possible yet share what I had so much fun creating.