Why doesn't Eddie Post as Often?
The simple answer is the user community doesn't make it very fun or engaging. I rarely if ever get a constructive response to my stories. I had to turn off comments because it's usually someone named "redman71" who failed to read story codes complaining that he didn't like the story because it includes (something in the codes), and other nasty grams that discourage me.
What could be an opportunity to engage with an author, offer constructive feedback etc. is mostly for those few who read the story for free, shit on it, and then fly away like a seagull to repeat it across the Internet.
Voting
What could be a constructive and objective way to rank stories, so that you know if they may be worth your time, is largely an exercise is frustration for anyone who is new/trying to do something different.
I usually write a note of encouragement to EVERY new author that I see trying to write anything with femdom/Female led relationship stories. I know that they will have been hassled, down-voted, etc because it happens to anyone who takes a chance.
The insecure downvoters don't read blogs, so we can just say it; They are incel man-babies. The idea of an empowered woman or a man making a conscious choice to submit scares the shit out of them. To them, submission = weakness. They don't understand the strength it takes to serve others and put your needs aside.
They aren't voting to tell you the story is poorly crafted or poorly edited. They are telling you that it contains some element that scares them shitless and makes them insecure.
Girl Scout Cookies
I spent a lot of time with my friend OmegaPet (who hates embarrassed nude female stories, and is kind enough to help me edit anyway), writing this story. It's definitely ***NOT*** Femdom/FLR, in fact it's quite a bit opposite. It's the story of a slightly alternative universe where women's equality never took hold, and "Traditional Girl Scouting" reinforces the idea of gender norms where women are not equal.
They don't beat up on women, or relegate them to slaves/pets. However, it's a bit like it was 200 years ago in that it was unheard of for a woman to be a landlord, hold a professional job, hold political office, vote, go to college, etc. It would be scandalous and the women who spoke up about those issues were seen as rabble-rousers and bitches.
The women growing up in that system, largely thought it was fair because it was all they knew. It was the society they were born into.
I had a lot of fun writing the main character. I wanted to reflect her journaling so I did take a chance on something a little different. I wrote in excerpts of the Girl Scout Handbook in place of exposition.
Rather than have the character say "Girl Scouts can't wear shorts or jeans", I included a little excerpt of the uniform code. I enjoy that sort of stuff in stories.
I took a RATION of shit so large that you could never eat it in a year for just adding the N.I.S. rules to the third chapter of the N.I.S. Breeder story from the short-attention span brigade. I enjoy world building through things like that.
As an author, I usually keep a story bible that has all that sort of information so I can refer back to it anyway. Tolkien had his maps and languages. I like to write in some details about the structure of the organization and expectations. This is especially useful for people new to N.I.S. or who are old hands who don't know how MY version is going to work by including a parent, for instance.
This time, I decided to sprinkle it through the story in smaller increments, and usually include a visual as well. I took a lot of time to create nuanced AI images- added tons through paint.net, upscaling, etc to make them interesting - sort of like they were illustrations in the handbook that went along with the excerpt.
21 Down Votes in 24 hours
I don't know if there is a "Hate Eddie Brigade" or its just 1-2 people with many accounts. I like to ask politely that people wait until the 7th chapter before judging my story. I do the same courtesy. If I am going to judge a story -the cover or the first few pages is not enough to go on.
However, like Mary Christmas, I got an immediate 21 downvotes that crush the will of the author as a punitive measure.
They killed Mary Christmas. I handed it off unfinished to my friend Omega Pet, and he wrote the other half as a non-embarrassed nude female story to at least keep it alive. Which was a very kind gesture. I lost interest in writing it because of the negative trolling and so at least it got to live on that way. It's almost like two stories for the price of one, given the change of author tone/voice/theme.
I am taking down the Girl Scout Cookies story. It was supposed to be light hearted and fun like Twatmas. I may re-visit it. However, trolls once again win, in a system of voting that rewards trolls and not authors by relegating their stories to 5.0 out of 10 based on subjective popularity contests.
I've seen a story with less than 600 words get tons of positive votes as well - and it's about something I'd never read. Votes mean nothing, and I get that. However, you can't argue with the fact that it still stings to see that many in such a short time when you literally asked not to vote. I didn't demand - but sheesh.
I think one great option would be if we could as authors select "Turn on voting on chapter 7" - to me, that's the time to do it. My chapters are relatively long by most people's standards, but not by book standards. Authors can't turn on and off voting as they please any longer.
It tells me that this group of people would certainly crush a new author's spirit if they can crush mine.
I enjoy writing it. it's cathartic.
The main character is not a Mary Sue. You all probably know what one is;
She's the opposite of a "Mary Sue"
A Mary Sue is a fictional character who is unrealistically perfect and lacks flaws.
You've all seen the stories, she is the most popular girl, olympic level soccer player, everyone loves her, perfect appearance, speaks seven languages, because why not.
I put that up there with bad Star Trek fan fiction as a trope. In lieu of a nuanced personality; "His name was Jim. His parents were Admirals/Researchers (take your pick or both) on a research station that was destroyed when he was a kid. He was raised by [i](alternate culture, so he gets to have all that culture plus be human)[/i], and is Half Klingon-Half-Romulan-Half-Vulcan-Half-Ferrengi-Half-Cyborg, so he has all the best of those races as well, but none of the limitations.
My main character Hailey is a C student, believes strongly in the modesty aspects of Girl Scouts, and doing what she is told, isn't a rebel, isn't snarkily laughing as an outsider at the way things are, isn't secretly a genius - she's just someone who lives in this world. She isn't inherently bad, or good - she isn't a bitch who deserves humiliation, but she also believes (like her mother) that humiliation is actually a humane form of discipline compared to physical spanking.
She admits she doesn't get certain jokes. She admits she doesn't know everything - she can be vulnerable in the story without being an airhead. I want the reader to care about her journey, but also enjoy her humiliation/the salacious nature of the world that she lives in because she embraces it.
Not because it turns her on, but because this is the how this world is.
Which is the central point of this story. I will be honest - i don't know where this one is going. If I plan an epic it's never an epic, and it feels like work. I am just letting the character tell me where to go. It'll probably end up at a Girl Scout Jamboree, but outside of that I have no idea.
I will take it down - and it may return. Why don't I post every day?
I have several stories in progress. There are some that seem beloved like Twatmas and the New Foal.
There are some red headed step-children that never get attention but a few people really enjoy (Visiting Aunt Scarlet)
I have a dozen near complete or completed stories on my hard drive that are waiting publishing.
The reason I don't engage is quite simply that it feels like work here. People are generally apathetic about my work (at best), so when you get hit with negativity like the 21 vote salute within 24 hours after asking people nicely to hold off on voting?
It's even harder.
I sometimes get an email like "Hey, decent job" or "I like the pics" but rarely does anyone send me something constructive. I don't charge a dime for my work and never intend to do so. I could definitely use money, but I set out with one goal in writing;
To give back, and to inspire someone to write the way that authors like Vulgus and Hooked6 inspired me to write.
I am not inspiring anyone here to write stories like me. It's hard to get excited to finish or complete stories when I know that. I think some of the down-voters genuinely are people who are just angry that I didn't focus on their favorite stories - and to them - I say, well, you definitely aren't going to make me move faster that way, kid.
I'll post the continuation of those stories when I think they are ready, not a moment before. If I am not inspired to write a chapter, I don't. It'll turn out drek. If I am too inspired by something new to focus on editing, I ride the wave of inspiration and edit later. I definitely have them on my radar - but editing can also be a real slog. Almost all of Visiting Aunt Scarlet's next 15 chapters are done. I have entire stories ready to post. I just don't want to start too many at once when I have existing stories out there.