So I thought I'd just try to see what people might think for future updates. I've done some very long stories, I've done some not as long ones, never any "short" ones, at least by my standard of short. I'm just wondering if people have preferences. I'm writing as fast as I'm able, that will happen no matter how long or short any individual piece is. However, as I'm sure some have noticed, that's gotten a little slower than it was in summer, my schedule has been getting more busy leaving me with unfortunately less time to write.
So I guess what I'm asking, would you prefer smaller stories with less waiting between updates, or longer ones with perhaps more downtime in between? I'll put a poll at the top, but otherwise open discussion, anyone have preferences?
I really like the length they are now because it makes the stories feel special and makes you get all excited when you see a new story posted up
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoy all of your stories. I look forward to them in whichever length you are able to make them. The longer stories have more details and make you feel like you are more of a part of the story. I hope you continue
ReplyDeleteI enjoy longer updates, even if we need to wait longer inbetween. A longer story allows for a better sense of immersion, and easier tracking of the action, specially with various characters. And in my opinion, shorter chapters would feel lacking, since your writing style favours longer pieces of story, with a somewhat self-contained string of events, and a definite (even if with a cliffhanger type) ending.
ReplyDeleteIf you are concerned about the lull between chapters, you can try putting up any kind of concepts you've come up with, either regarding the story setting, or simply bondage positions, or items/ technology that you have some deeper lore, even if not directly related to the story or even the setting, like you did at the beginning.
Either way, keep up the writing, it's good enough to have "forced" me into commenting a story - instead of anonymously rating it - for the very first time!
That's an interesting idea. I make sure to add a "meet the characters" with each chapter but other than that I kind of have slowed down on some of the "bonus lore."
DeleteI will absolutly keep writing, you don't have any worry on that account. I was asking this partly because I don't like having such long gaps. But the other, larger part is because like how Part 9 and Part 10 had different "sections," I'm wondering if I should be saving up enough of these sections for the kind of length I usually do or if I should be releasing shorter sections more frequently. It seems the feedback though is overwhelmingly stay as it is or get even longer.
So maybe I should just think of small extra bits to deepen story or add details or what not. Don't think I've had one of those since part 8.
Completely agree with Lisbon. I will happily wait for your stories written the way you intend them.
ReplyDeleteWell Jess, I think you know my opinion - longer stories suit you and tend to include more details; not just the trials one of the girls is going through, but the personal interactions between two or more of them. As much as I enjoy the darker side of what the girls are going through or being put through, it's also the personal times like all four girls had in the first chapter, Andrea & Lea being at the cabin & now Andrea & Zainab's time together. Your writing pulls me into the scenes & I enjoy that. So longer stories; the characters & your writing are well worth any wait between chapters.
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking that my short releases over on the keysong blog are simply not long enough for a reader to get into the tale. And so, I had been thinking that I was going to try for longer posts. I was thinking 3000 - 5000 words. (My last post was ~1300). I like Lisbon's suggestion to post extras to fill in the gaps - I was thinking recommendations of other things to read.
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Definitely long. For me, something like 3000 words is the benchmark. Any shorter than that, I won't read it.
ReplyDeleteI seriously enjoy your stories, I'm here probably every week. I'm a little disappointed when there are big gaps but if that is what it takes I understand. Not a lot of people are writing at your level right now so I'll take what I can get.
One criticism I will give you is I think you've drifted a little from your roots. Earlier this was a story about a computer domme. That's a really fresh and interesting concept. Lately you've slipped into more of a standard BDSM story with the technology in the background. I'll keep ready if that's the way you want to go, but I think your universe has the potential for new kinds of stories.
I have thought about taking a crack at doing my own writing in a scifi vein like this, since I enjoy it and so few write it. I'm not sure I have the time right now though.
Glad you've enjoyed it!
DeleteAs for the technology, I certainly understand that it is drifting from that as the center of attention. With Lea sent where she is there should still be an avenue for a lot of that, but after Hannah I have a hard time picturing any kind of virtual dom especially making its way into the story. If you have any ideas please feel free to share, I love exchanging ideas!
And, after all, this is a story made up of people. They started very simple and archetypal to me, just puppets to put through the scenarios I dreamed up. Now I don't quite see them that same way, and so that's probably a big part of why it seems more standard BDSM now than before.
That, and to me Sci-fi isn't just about the tech, it's about a speculative future. And that future is still I think very prominent in what I write, if for no other reason than the new focus on employment contracts. The stuff I'm trying to get away with would never fly in today's world, and so it has to be a future world. A world of extreme wealth inequality, mass automation has drastically cut demand for labor, yet a guaranteed minimum income so that no one in the first world starves even if jobs become rare and less well regulated. It might not be spaceships and androids but it's not nothing either.
But if you want to talk about any of this or anything else privatly, my email address is jessbbaby34[at]gmail.com
I'm glad to see you re-affirm the importance of the contracts, as for me they are fascinating; I like slavery stories, but this is richer, I think. Historically, when a slave could not do the work demanded the owner could sell, free or kill the slave, or give them a new job. And the slave had no rights at all. Simple, and boring?! However, it appears that under her contract Sophia (and Lea too?) cannot be re-assigned away from sex work, nor freed, and presumably not killed, so what will happen as Sophia gets old, or if the casino fails etc? Is there perhaps a general get-out for being incapable of performing the contracted service (this would cover illness, injury etc. as well as age)? I presume too that the contract holder has an absolute duty of care, too so if a “slave” falls ill it would be very expensive.
ReplyDeleteOther thoughts: can the contract holder require a “slave” to bear a child (his own or another's)? If so, what is the legal status of the child? How far can he mutilate her? (already Sophia will have scars from crucifixion, and maybe Lea's tattoo is permanent?) And lastly, you've set out the penal consequences for the employee/slave of a broken contract, but what would be the penalty for the employer?
I'm glad you find the contract aspect so interesting. I can't say I have all the answers, or that they will make a lot of sense, but I'll try my best.
DeleteThey way I see it, what exists is not designed to be slavery from the start, it has only evolved into something close to that over time. So people under contract are still people. They aren't property like slaves were. Any restrictions on them, such as limitations on movement or actions, are seen as limitations they agreed to place on themselves when they signed the contract for however long the contract lasts.
Then, what the person can be made to do affects the "level" the contract gets. If the contract is for a standard retail sails job for example, 40h work week, lunch breaks etc, with no restrictions outside of work, that would be a level 1 contract. No sexual acts can be expected from anyone below a level 7. To get the "total immersion" where they can't go home and can't regularly communicate you need to go up to a level 8. To get into torture, heavy bondage, and things like that which could leave marks, it gets into level 9. Major alterations, like Puppet had in Part 8, or forcing someone to bare children, that's getting into level 10 depending on the level of severity. Level 11 does exist, but only in the form of penal contracts, and is possibly as close to true slavery as this system gets.
Sophia is at level 9, so she can be marked but not majorly altered or made to bare children. And if she ever did have a child, the child is simply a person, just like Sophia. Unlike Sophia, the child though would not be under any form of contract as they could not agree to such a contract. Whether Sophia could retain custody would depend upon the living situation of the child.
My thought was that if employers break a contract, they would be put into a penal contract themselves. It is therefore important that anyone who makes the contract makes sure they don't break it either. Also remember, Sophia's contract is to Felix personally, he's just been lending her to the Casino. But if Felix was responsible for breaking the contract he would find himself put into a penal contract worse than the contract he was responsible for breaking. With those contracted to a company, it would be the responsibility of the CEO unless the violation came from a specific staff member's own volition who would then be responsible. So Felix has got as much to fear from the ICB as Sophia does.
Hopefully this seems to follow a kind of logic to someone other than just me. Not all of this may come up in the actual stories but this is about how I see things.