Ok, I'm fishing for something new to read. It's been my general experience that any story with a score in the low 6-somethings, or lower, is not something I'm going to be able to enjoy reading. In fact, when I do category searches, I usually set parameters to reject scores below 6.5.
I'm sure there are probably exceptions to my rule. I'm looking for those. Do you have a favorite story that everyone else scored low, but you really enjoy? Please share a link. :D
I am going to answer your question another way, one I have had some success with. First review all the stories by authors whose stories you liked. Then look at the stories those authors recommend on their story page. Check other stories by those authors. Once you have gone down the tree of recommended stories and authors and still need ideas what to read look at reviewers who have favorably reviewed stories you like. See what stories they have reviewed and check other stories by those authors, and ones those authors have suggested. Its like having dozens of friends making recommendations.
The difference between a 6.49 rated story and one rated 6.50 is negligible. All stores rated over 6.0 are better than average. Maybe not by much, and you need to read the story description and the tags and think about how long it is and all the other items that might affect how much you might like it, compared to the average SOL reader who votes.
Another source is the various top 50 story lists on the SOL home page. There are two search approaches on the home page. One of these days someone will discuss what the non-premier reader can do with them. Experiment and see if any approach works for you. If all else fails, start with the authors listing and a letter of the alphabet you think is lucky. G is the 7th letter in the alphabet, look at all stories written by authors whose pen names start with G. Read the story descriptions and tags and look at how long it is. Maybe the author talks about what he or she is trying to do and that interests you. There are blogs, sometimes. Look at them and see if you want to see what this author has written.
Check out Fine Stories, there are another 800 or so stories there. Look at the names of authors who post information on the forum. Try some of their stories. Making your decision on the number being 6.5 or higher is not logical. Mr. Spock would agree, use all the information available.
Well, that's not quite what I'm looking for. I've been a premier member of SOL for years and have read hundreds (thousands?) of stories. I've even posted a couple of my own. I'm looking for personal favorites that someone likes, but otherwise has received a low score from everyone else. call it 6.0 or lower, if you wish. My personal general rule of thumb is 6.5 or greater, based on my own experiences, but I have found a few stories with lower scores I liked.
A SOL rating represents an average opinion of a story. Perhaps there's a need for a representation of spread, equivalent to a variance. A poorly rated story with a large variance would show that readers were very polarised in their opinions, and if the story codes didn't contain anything to deter you, it might well be the sort of story you're looking for.
I'd love to see some sort of score distribution. I have stories rated more or less evenly 1 through 10. I have others with clusters at the high and low end. These stories all get about the same average 5.5, which would be the same as if everyone voted it a five or six, but obviously some liked it a lot and others hated it.
I'd love to see some sort of score distribution. I have stories rated more or less evenly 1 through 10. I have others with clusters at the high and low end.
If you can see that, you're seeing a score distribution.
These stories all get about the same average 5.5, which would be the same as if everyone voted it a five or six, but obviously some liked it a lot and others hated it.
One reason why your scores aren't a little higher is because your stories tend to be short to very short. Here on SOL size matters, apparently that includes story size :D
because your stories tend to be short to very short. Here on SOL size matters,
I agree in general, but my 6th highest scoring story is flash fiction at 4K (I think it's 780 words total). It's even an author favorite.
What are your squicks?
Stories that are well written but score poorly tend to be a bit more extreme.
I'm willing to overlook my personal squicks for the purposes of this experiment.
Sso search for older transgender stories, with M/M sex, possibly some msub throw in some rape (via GHB so the rape code dont apply
I would go with what are your go-to categories.
So a search on that and open up the scoring to a 5 or higher. Some older stories scored lower if there was too much sex or too into their particular category.
Within categories, there are writers that specialize in that category but cannot 'write well' but they bring the 'heat' if that category is your thing -- I.e. Mind control & incest categories have some stories not rated highly that do handle their category very well.
I've searched just about every possible combination you can imagine - preferences on and off, with & without a low score limit. That pretty much brings up the entirety of the SOL library eventually. What I'm looking for is someone to say "This got a really sucky score, but I liked it anyway..." followed by a link. That's what I'm looking for. :)
I have yet to come across a story that was scored poorly that I enjoyed anyway. In my experience most stories are actually scored within 1 point, plus or minus, of where I would vote.
Another issue with looking for stories with scores of a particular value, or higher just occurred to me. There are a set of stories by authors that have rejected rating. Some of those stories are pretty good.
I think setting the bar at 6.5 is a little high, depending on your squicks and reading style. Mine is 5.5 though I dont filter, just choose.
I just read 'Need a Little Company', a fanfic first posting by HeatandChills.
https://storiesonline.net/s/12801:i
It's based on the 2002 scareflick: 'Cabin Fever'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303816/
I enjoyed it a lot despite I dont generally like fanfic and I dont care too much for heavily flawed lead characters.
A summary, to some, MIGHT be 'Self Centered Manipulative Bitches need Loving too.' I would be more sympathetic.
- And of course the male protagonist, having otherwise good intentions, really doesnt like her at all but she is one fine piece of ass, and he's drawn into her web.
The attraction of the story itself is the honesty of the author in the character depiction. She treats the personalities as well as the relationship between the survivors realistically. In the end, you're left to draw your own conclusions as to how it turns out.
I would bet she has a considerable number of under 5 rates.
I gave her a 9, solely for believability, combined with readability.
The explicit sex wasnt really all that much a turn on as it would have been if it were a typical romantic stroker.
Without saying so, she points out the 'urge to breed' invoked by an apocalyptic experience.
Your view may vary on it.
Some of my stories that I think of as my "better" stories actually have scores down near your threshold. Escape! is a good example. Oh well.
Interesting how much discussion is being added to a 5 year old post.
On a sex story site? We must abandon this thread an come back when it's at least 14 years old. :)
A five year old thread isn't old enough to be a grandfather.
but one of those involved in the original discussion could be.
Interesting how much discussion is being added to a 5 year old post.
Mat Twassel, other-wise known as the :change to gravely voice: 'Necromancer'... LOL
It would be an appropriate handle for him... he went silent for 13 years and then shows up again, more than tripling his previous story count from 25 to 83 stories, in less than a month.
He sure brought that account back to life!
I wonder how to look at author's story page for stories that the author recommends? I can't find it, is it only for premier members? If so i think i'll get one, quite liking this site so far.
Go to "Authors" and then click the letter of the alphabet where the author is. The rightmost column for each author on that page is "Favorites" which are that author's favorites. If you don't see the column, it's a Premier feature.
Not quite.
The reason he may not be finding it is he may be looking only at authors who haven't set up a favorites list. It's not that widely utilized.
Apples and Oranges:
On the Author page that makavely109 asked about may or may not have a favorites link as stated by bk69.
Switch is talking about the authors list as opposed to the author's page. Going to the list of Authors you will see links to favorites for those authors using that feature. It will also give you an idea of the percentage of authors doing so.
For those authors who use the feature it is a great resource for their readers and also allows the author to give his favorites a quick review / explanation of what they liked in the stories recommended.
I wonder how to look at author's story page for stories that the author recommends?
My account has a favorites list.
https://storiesonline.net/a/robin-lovell
On the very left there is a 'Favorites'.
clicking on that you will see three stories, each of them the first of an ongoing series.
Some author's favorites are fairly old stories. He or she may have only added stories when his or her account was first established. I haven't seen authors updating their favorites whenever they read a story they can recommend. It is a good feature, but there tends to be a lot of similarity to the list. Or maybe most of the authors only like older stories.
Many authors don't amend their favourites too often - usually they forget about them or are busy with other things of a higher priority.
busy with other things of a higher priority
You clearly are a busy man. I looked at your 9 favorite stories and they date from 2008 or earlier.
You clearly are a busy man.
Ayep, since then I moved house a few times, and also spent 5 years playing shuttle from home to the local court (110 km each way) every other day, then trying to recover my health after 5 years of harassment. And that's all before I get to writing and editing stories.
This is not quite what you were asking, but it is a lot closer than most of the responses you've had.
I'm an author, and here are some of MY stories that I think are underrated.
Many of them range from short to quite short.
Bottle
Seed Grain
Forever
Youth House
The Sneeze
Without You
Life Sentence
Prone is not Synonymous With Supine, (or Let me Put that to you not quite what you were asking, but it is a lot closer than most of the responses you've had.
I'm an author, and here are some of MY stories that I think are underated.
Many of them range from short to quite short.
Another Way.)
He Doesn't Love Her Like I Do
Some of these were meant to be humorous, and tastes in humor vary even more than tastes in writing. The next to the last title is truncated on the site by the software.