Story forum - RIP?

[suikoden]

“We are here today to pay tribute to the fiction forum of the TMF…”

It was the stories that originally brought me to the TMF over 10 years ago. There was a limited amount of artwork available and there were very few commercial clips sites and certainly no ‘clips4sale’. I read stuff from TQLR, ShadowTklr, Dave2112 among many others. I eventually participated myself and wrote and posted a bunch of stories over the years. Stories would garner two or three pages of responses and discussion but over the last couple of years this seems to have died. There will always be a turnover of members who are motivated to write but the story forum has become quite lacklustre of late and this is a crying shame.

I think this is in large part due to the lack of participation from readers. It used to be cool to check back and read reviews and comments. If you go to the forum today most stories get less than 5 replies with most responses running from one to three words (sorry Love Feet but I really am looking at you here.) Ironically, the threads with the most comments are those from established writers soliciting story requests. If I like a story by a new I leave a comment and try to send them a PM for encouragement. A number of times the eventual response I get is that they were disheartened by the general lack of response and lost the motivation to make the effort to write/post anything new. They can see their stories racking up hundreds of views but if no-one is responding then surely they just don’t like the stories. Right? Unlike clip and comic producers, the writers in the fiction forum don’t get paid and the only compensation/reward they get is feedback from the readers.

Secondly, I wonder if it’s just the case that people aren’t patient enough to sit down and read a story anymore. When you can view full length clips in seconds and other media almost instantly, are people really going to click on stories to read anything from a few paragraphs to a novella which might or might not float their boat? I suppose it goes against the grain of our ‘instant gratification’ society. Or maybe it's the stories we post up these days. They don't hit the spot.

Without stories like Tickling on the Road, Asylum Seven, Cloak and Feather and many others, I would never have discovered the tickle fetish world and I used to be proud of the active fiction forum we had here. So what’s the deal? No love for the stories anymore?

 

[justatickler]

I view those forums as kind of a library, and I can't walk into a library and say storytelling and writing is resting in peace. Authors come and go, hobbies come and go, but there's plenty of content. Stories really don't age and I know I haven't read them all. There's still some great stuff among those many pages. 🙂

 

[mysterio123]

I feel that it's a development of a few things you mentioned. One of them being the evolution of video based media, and the second being most people will read based on the author (because there's sort of a "given" when you read these stories).

As a reader, it helps the author if you can provide feedback as much as possible. This way, the author can understand his/her faults, improve upon his writing skills, and deliver even better stories. I'm sure the great authors of this site thrived on those multiple page discussions, simply because he/she can pick up on the critiques or emotions that the readers were feeling.

The lack of reader feedback is not so much disheartening to the author, but it gives them no way to improve. I know I would sound like a hypocrite and say that I don't post much in the threads, but i do my best to contact the author directly and have discussions with them.

So, to anyone and everyone, you don't have to write a five-paragraph review of the story at hand. Just do your best to write out a small excerpt on what intrigued you about the story without the typical "Nice" or "Hope the victim gets revenge".

Save the story section of TMF!

 

[ticklehound]

I'm sorry you feel that way. I have always enjoyed the story section here. I go through kicks where I will mainly watch vids for a while, then really get absorbed in the artwork, and then can't get enough of the story section. If anything, I always thought more stories were being written, and it took time to find really great pieces, a lot from great writers here.

Hell, I even got off the snide & wrote my first story! I was excited to do it, in large part for my satisfaction. I hoped everyone would enjoy it here, and so far, I've gotten almost all positive responses. I didn't need pages of responses; if I got a handful of people who really enjoyed the story, I was satisfied. And I even got some criticism, which is what I really wanted, since I'm not a polished writer. I was gonna write another story, but all the feedback I got was to continue the one I wrote. And so I will, in time. I learned it really takes a lot of work.

If you think about the rest of the forum, just think about how many people download video samples here and compare that to the relatively few people who reply with comments about said clip. I think they're pretty comparable to the story section.

Personally, I would hold off on the shovel and not bury it just yet...

 

[Phineas]

I used to enjoy the stories as much as, if not more than, the other media. I've long since migrated away from the Stories forum.

There are two reasons. The first is that I don't particularly enjoy sexually explicit work, or BDSM themes. So, that cuts down on my available reading material by about 95%. The second? Well, to put it politely, the vast majority of story-writers simply can't fucking write. Thing is, you can't offer feedback on that kind of material without coming across as an ass. It's simply much easier to stop reading after a paragraph and drift away than to sit there and figure out how to phrase "Get a dictionary, learn to spell, and take a creative writing class because 'spew' does not equal 'story'" - and that's on the assumption that the author would even listen.

I don't see anything wrong with telling someone you enjoyed their story, though - even if it is just a "Nice story, thanks for posting." (*waves at Milagros*) Expecting everyone who enjoyed it to write you a full-blown review, however, is a little much. And honestly, if you're just doing it for the kudos, you're probably going about it the wrong way.

Seriously, would you rather have it like the Artwork forum, where a crappy sketch or a bad cut-and-paste celebrity "fake" garners two dozen pages of "wow, love it!"? I know I wouldn't. It already does a disservice to the people who don't know what they're doing to kiss their asses. That's why there's a "The Decorum of Constructive Criticism" sticky at the top. Not that anyone bothers...

 

[desdemona]

I was discussing this with another forum member the other day. We were both sharing disappointment that we have to wind our way through pages of entries to find anything worth reading. I visit the story forum more regularly than I do any other area and like Suikoden eloquently said, it's one of the reasons I discovered my interest was not unique. I'm not a writer so I really have no content to offer, but I do try offer words of encouragement for those works that impress me. I'm not one to critique others unless they openly ask for such input, but I can see where for new writers where such feedback would help them to decide to continue or abandon their creative pursuits. I do hope we haven't let our short attention spans and demand for instant gratification dictate that we aren't willing to put in the extra time and effort to show appreciation for others' efforts.

 

[Myriads]

A decade ago when I was writing my WoW series, it was not uncommon for a post I made to garner only a few answers. And this was in the hay-day of the Story forum by the OP's opinion.

Now my stuff has never been the best, but it was longer form and more character based, so it invited comment. Little came.

So I don't think that is the basis of the change.

Posting there is just as steady as it ever has been. Things move at the same rate.

I think that the OP is seeing a lack of material that they like. And the reasons are many. Some of the classic writers don't have the time. Others have moved over to MTJ to get some coin for the work. And yes, some gave up do to lack of feedback, which is the only payment that ones sees for writing for free there. It's un-motivational to write into a silent well.

The story forum is hardly dead, it's just moving along its normal cycle of up and down.

Myriads

 

[ticklehound]

I think the Tzar hit it on the head - the really talented story writers (along with comic artists_) have been plucked away to do their work for pay at MTJpub and other outlets. So that might explain some of it. We should still encourage new talent and see what can develop

Regarding feedback, I think even at the risk of coming across like an ass, we should criticize shoddy work - things like poor grammar, syntax and spelling should not be something we should be dealing with in the story section. We can do it constructively, "Next time, re-read your story," "Next time, use a dictionary," "Next time, use better words and use them more often."

I mean, I stressed over my story for an extra day to weed out any silly errors and make sure it read as well as it sounded in my head...

 

[WriterOfSin]

I must admit that as a newcomer to fetish writing that I'm surprised by the lack of feedback from readers in the story section. But, that doesn't necessarily equate to it dying.

 

[P[a]pi]

I was into stories for a short time a long while ago. Only true stories though, and that was when TT was more active, so I was over there more. Maybe deviantart.com has some tickling stories, writers and fans.

 

[Coda]

I was originally attracted to the Forum because of the Post Stories section too, and I can tell that it still brings a lot of enjoyment to a lot of its members.

When you step back, though… the TMF has a rich exchange of photos, videos, links, conversation, and even personal information. It allows users to share their writing freely, but it doesn't exist to promote and encourage growth in that area. The archives and occasional awards have been slightly helpful mechanisms, but it's still possible for some of the greatest stories to become buried among hundreds of other posts with no particular way to find them, and there isn't any form of quality control, so great stories are sometimes few and far between. There are other sites whose builders love writing in particular, and it shows –*searching for great material doesn't feel so much like mining for gemstones.

I'm grateful for what the TMF has, though; I just recognize that it has a broader mission. If we're really concerned about it, the best thing to do would be to keep contributing and sharing material because we love it.

 

[suikoden]

Thanks for all the replies. I am glad this has kicked off a bit of discussion.

I agree with Phineas - there are a lot of stories which just aren't that good I'm afraid. A story posted as a block of text with no paragraph or line breaks is a pet peeve of mine, as are lines and lines of "hahahahahaha...." to denote laughter. Really? Bang, bang, bang went the guns....vroom vroom vroom went the cars. OK, I am venting a little here. Ticklehound has the right of it too. It wouldn't hurt to point some of this out, as long as we stick to the decorum of constructive criticism.

Here's a suggestion. Obviously everyone who has posted here cares enough about the story forum to comment on this subject so how about we each decide to make a constructive comment on one new story per week. It doesn't have to be a full review but at least a sentence or two to give the writer a little feedback, encouragement, direction etc.

Mysterio - I do think it can be a little disheartening to spend time creating something and not get any feedback for it. If nothing else we let the author know that someone out there is listening.

Not too much to ask and it might just breathe a little life back into the forum and get some of the energy back that used to be there.

OK, I am off to lead by example and comment on some stories. 😀

 

[WriterOfSin]

That's a great idea Suikoden! Count me in.

 

[primetime]

I feel you Suikoden.. The story forum just seems.....different. I don't mean to knock any authors, but some of the stories in there are not that good. There are others that are good, but I miss the days of the classic authors. Guys like Dave 2112, TQLR, and others. There are some good authors still out there, but the frequency of the stories have dwindled.

I do like the fact that people post stories. Stories (to me) can be better than videos. Why? I LOVE scenarios. Most clips, granted they can be entertaining, are all the same. Strap different pretty girl down, tickle her. That's it. Nothing more. Or maybe make her cum. Don't get me wrong, I like the clips, but I like using my imagination better. Stories give people a situation where things can take place, that isn't easy to translate into video. I believe fantasy can be better than reality sometimes. Stories provide that fantasy.

Hopefully more quality stories can be written. But I understand why the "classic" authors don't post stories. Time. It takes a great deal of time to write a really good story. Life has a funny way of taking time away to write. I should know, it has happened to me. Hopefully more authors can come in and write classics.

I feel you on the replies Suikoden. You write some long story full of story and energy and maybe get a reply or two. But, what I always remember is, whoever posted likes my story and expressed that satisfaction. For example, my wrestling series barely, and I mean barely got any replies and didn't get as many views as my other stories. But what kept me going are those guys who did post a response. These were posters who NEVER posted elsewhere, but they would post in my story thread. That was such a rush and I kept going because of those guys and the fact that I enjoyed writing the stories. Sometimes all it takes is a response, even if it is one, to get you going.

I do want to give a shot out to a few writers. Suikdone, your stuff has always been great to read. I am really enjoying jerseytickler's stuff. Ticklishscribe has some good ones. TickeMantis is amazing. BOH666 has some great stuff. The authors who have archives generally have some of the greatest tickle fiction pieces ever.

To those who are "newbies" at writing on this forum, keep writing. I look at views like movie tickets. Look at it this way, millions of people watch movies. Out of all the millions who watch movies, how many really comment on the movie? You have the critics and the academies and some fans, but the large percentage do not comment where the makers of the movie would hear or see it. They look at how many tickets were sold. That's how our stories are measured I guess. If you keep churning out stories and your views are minimal, that would indicate to me that people don't like you. But when you consistently have over several hundred views each and everytime, that means people like your stuff, they just don't say anything. Make sense?

 

[ElFewja]

I want to open by defending Love feet because, well obviously I like the guy, but that love feet (or anyone for that matter, but in this case specifically love feet) takes the time to respond at all to a story is miles beyond what most people do. If, for example, something I posted gets, iunno, 100 reads... love feet might be the only person to respond and say "I enjoyed this." And I really appreciate that. At the very least it makes me feel like my work isn't just there and gone.

I've let him know that I appreciate that he takes the time to respond in the past but I wanted to defend him and others that only write a few words. On the rare occasion that I do read another person's work I don't typically leave much more than an "I enjoyed this or these aspects of your story," but there are times I will leave a more detailed post. However, I can't do that for everything. And I certainly don't expect it of others.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw that out there really quick. If it came out as overly... mean toned... my bad. Not the intent.

Now as for the actual topic at hand.

From a reader perspective I have found that I don't read as many tickling stories as I used to. I used to read a fair amount of them, but not by the authors mentioned. Green feather is the one I recall. As for the stories.. I did partake a bit in the nylon dungeon series for a while. Enjoyed a great story that took place in the legend of zelda world (one thing that made it great was that it wasn't reliant upon zelda or the zelda world).. there was a series about a young woman living with an aunt and uncle (seven stories long) which was good.

But digressing. I've moved away from reading tickling fiction, at first because I began writing my own specifically because I wanted to have the scenes that turned me on out there. But today for example I looked at the story forum, as I always do and.. well, there's a lot of celebrity stuff out there now. I don't like that. There's also a large emphasis on XXXXXXX/X tickling these days which just strikes me as a cluster fuck more than anything else. Iunno.

As an author: I wouldn't say that I feel my work is under appreciated simply because I can't compare it without bias. Anyway I don't know if it's better or worse. It's not even that the community response can cause one to feel that way, but rather that a work is so quickly overshadowed and forgotten. Someone had once said that by the time a story hits page two it's dead and though I don't necessarily agree there's some truth to it. That plays into it, that something I've spent a significant amount of time on quickly becomes forgotten. That part sucks but whatever, something you've got to accept. Beyond that there's always comparison. Dave2112 is someone I see listed a lot and it.. irks me though not by any fault of his/his writing's. Largely I get the impression that, when such comparisons are inevitably made between a few of the big names from years ago and the mass of nameless writers.. hm. Well, I'm part of that mass, I'm largely unknown and it just kind of hurts a bit to have my unread works likened as horrible/generic things, then be compared with authors that seem to gather all of their respect from nostalgia.. have I made my point? Bleh, this entire post reads off as a rant. Mostly I just wanted to allude that such inevitable comparisons, while not personal attacks against me (and the comparisons probably don't include me), really damage my self esteem by asserting that either my writing is no bueno or else just entirely forgotten.. and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Which is what I was trying to get across but I think I made it more personal than I intended. Oh dear.

Anyway I wouldn't say the TMF story section is dead but perhaps the golden idea of what we once considered it to be is? That, rather than the times we enjoyed, it has grown and evolved into something entirely new, so that the original ideas of what we considered the story section are metaphorically dead. But the current TMF story section is still active and thriving so it's hard to say that it's dead? Iunno.

My bad if I came off as overly antagonistic. Really not trying to point fingers/blame or start a fight with my response.

 

[Abellytickler1980]

The problem I have with the stories now is that there are too many that turn into sex (I know some like that, but it's not my kind of thing). They also mostly focus on feet. If there was more a variety of stories that were not sexual in nature and focused more on the upperbody, you could get more people reading and commenting.

But, that's just me.

 

[LadyNerd]

As a writer, my first stop upon signing up on forums used to be the fiction section. However, this was early on in my time around the forums, when I didn't know better. As of now, I've been writing for almost twelve years, and the vast majority of stories are, quite simply, rather terrible. The grammar, the plot, rather the lack thereof, even the fetish material itself is full of flat laughter and boring bondage matter where it's involved. Then it immediately turns to both characters being turned on with no real development and bad sex following suit. Saying as much, I'm not against molestation or sex in stories as long as it's done well. It's usually the "done well" portion a lot of the story-tellers have a problem with in the forum, however.

 

[WriterOfSin]

As a writer, my first stop upon signing up on forums used to be the fiction section. However, this was early on in my time around the forums, when I didn't know better. As of now, I've been writing for almost twelve years, and the vast majority of stories are, quite simply, rather terrible. The grammar, the plot, rather the lack thereof, even the fetish material itself is full of flat laughter and boring bondage matter where it's involved. Then it immediately turns to both characters being turned on with no real development and bad sex following suit. Saying as much, I'm not against molestation or sex in stories as long as it's done well. It's usually the "done well" portion a lot of the story-tellers have a problem with in the forum, however.

If people posted stuff like this on stories they've read, then the writers would probably realise this. But if nobody tells them, how will they learn?

 

[LadyNerd]

If people posted stuff like this on stories they've read, then the writers would probably realise this. But if nobody tells them, how will they learn?

Even when those writers are told how to improve, most of them take offense to constructive criticism and immediately become defensive. It's fairly difficult to figure out which will take what they're given and improve off of it, which halts the motivation to bother with most of them as well.

 

[jmills]

I don’t necessarily agree that the story forum is “dead,” and I think Justatickler put it well when they described it (and the other forums) as a “library.”

The story forum is still the first place I check out when I visit, but — full confession time — I am one of those “lurkers” who signed up on the TMF years ago (’05? ’06?) and can count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually posted a response to one of the many, many stories I’ve read and enjoyed over the years.

And… I’ve also never told any of the authors I like how much I admire their work. A few weeks ago, an old TQLR story got a “bump” in the story forum from someone who had stumbled over it, and I thought how I almost envy anyone discovering TQLR’s work for the first time. When I stumbled on his work 7 or 8 years ago, it blew my mind; some of his stuff seemed to tap directly into many of my fantasies. I realized I still check the forums in hopes of some new stories from him. (he’s like the George RR Martin of tickle fiction — “I’ve been waiting 5 years for part 3 of ‘Tommy’s Summer’ dammit!!!’” Actually, I’m totally joking; he’s contributed so much it’s rude to ask for more. I don’t know why he hasn’t contributed anything, but as far as I’m concerned, TQLR deserves a long rest on his laurels. And I hope he enjoys that rest on his laurels — and by “his laurels” I mean the prodigious bosom of some beautiful red-haired amazon whose outwardly conservative appearance masks a smoldering sensuality… but I digress)

But TQLR isn’t the only one… there are many other writers I admire, and I’ve rarely commented. To make my crime worse… I write tickling fiction myself. I’ve never posted any, since I wrote it not intending to “share” it with anyone and I’d be a little self-conscious. But I should know that there’s no bigger downer for a writer to work hard on something, put it out… and get no response at all.

Well, I’ve gone on… This is all to say that this discussion has inspired me to post comments in the story section every now and then. If I read something I like, I’m going to let the author know, even if it’s only a brief “great work! Loved it!”

Okay. I’m done. Sorry.

 

[suikoden]

Great comments everyone. It's a relief to see I am not the only passionate about the story forum.

Prime - I see you as a fellow traveller in these parts. I think we were at our most prolific as writers at about the same time and we clearly like and were influenced by the same people.

Elfewja - I applaud your defence of Love Feet. I wasn't having a real pop at him. As you say, he responds when thousands don't but once in a while I would like to see what he liked about a story.

Ladynerd - To dovetail with your comment, I think telling writers what you liked and what you didn't like is important so they know what they are doing right and what they are getting wrong.

Belly - I feel ya. Foot tickling is not the be all and end all for me so I make sure everything from lips to hips gets in on the action too and there are a few who like to have all over tickles in their work but it's definitely a better place for the foot fans.

jmills - Thanks - you get it and you've got it. 😉

It's true, a lot of stories are set up for sex. Hell I've done that myself and since tickling turns us on in some way (I assume that's why we're all here?) it's a natural progression. I must admit I immediately lose heart if a story begins with a female character waking up tied up and naked while a couple of other girls come in and tickle her and it all turns into a big lesbian sex fest. Nothing wrong with that but a bit of set up and characterisation makes all the difference. Otherwise it's the TMF equivalent of starting a story with, "It was a dark and stormy night...." 😀

OK, pushed for time here but I am encouraged by the discussion. I knew we still rocked!

 

[Phineas]

As of now, I've been writing for almost twelve years, and the vast majority of stories are, quite simply, rather terrible.

I'm probably going to catch flak for this, but I'm seeing it(typos, bad grammar, etc.) quite often in the "professional" stuff from MTJ, as well. Not to call anyone out, specifically, but everything I buy from them has an editor listed in the credits. Isn't catching typos what an editor does?

 

[Jagermeistered]

Why does a author have to receive accommodation? The problem with authors - is the egoism! When I posted my stories; my elation came from views! And, the lack of criticism. I do not care about the size of my following(or, readership). I enjoyed writing a story for people who enjoyed my market of fetish!

 

[ElFewja]

In response to that sentiment, Phineas, editing is difficult work. It's one of those things where no matter how many times you go over something it'll never be perfect. I spent probably around 40 hours hardcore editing a small collection of works I compiled a while back, only about 100k words. Each read through I would find some new, small error. My goal was to get through a full, thorough reading while finding only ten or less mistakes.. and that's where I would call it decent. I'll be damned if that didn't take ten or fifteen re-readings. Thorough readings, mind you. On stuff that had previously been individually edited. It's just.. it's tough. You read over it so many times and even if you're putting a large amount of effort into it you still glaze over things because you have this mental image of what it is (perfection) and have a hard time seeing the reality in front of you. Or you'll just read it wrong, or something.

The worthy anecdote is that I spent at least 3-4 hours editing a very small 400 word flash fiction piece in the past. And I still caught one or two minor minor things when I put it in that compilation word document.

But then I guess the majority of my changes weren't really typos or punctuation but rather rewordings or drastic changes to the punctuation I had used. Flow related issues.

Anyway, yeah, missing things happens. Editing is rough.

 

[WriterOfSin]

Why does a author have to receive accommodation? The problem with authors - is the egoism! When I posted my stories; my elation came from views! And, the lack of criticism. I do not care about the size of my following(or, readership). I enjoyed writing a story for people who enjoyed my market of fetish!

I love seeing my view count clock up too, but it's not as personal as someone just posting a 'hey, I really liked your story.' That can make all the difference for some writers I think.