Is the Story Hour Forum on Life Support?

[megamania]

It has my support for now, just keep it civil (as you all always do), and keep your pimping of your SH down to a minimum. (I don't want to hear the same "complaints" I'm getting now about individual threads being pimped.)

Also since you have that thread I think people should stop pimping there story hour in THIS thread, lets leave this one to solving the issues that’s troubling alot of you.

sigh fine

 

[el-remmen]

You know, I really don't understand all this griping about new and "lesser known" story hours not getting a chance.

I think there is too much emphasis on the number of people you have reading your story hour and making comments about them only if they are bumps, and a lot of what just seems lile grousing about other people's popularity.

I have always felt my own story has fallen into the middle of the pack in terms of the amount of people I have posting to it. I mean, there has never been nearly the kind of enthusiastic community of people having conversations in my threads or speculating about the future, etc. . like someone like, PirateCat (for example) has had (and this not to disparage my regular readers in any way, I certainly appreciate your comments when you make them). . . Is that somehow Piratecat's fault? Or Sepulchrave's fault? Or Sagiro's? I don't think so.

It is just how the level of interest in my story hour that has developed for better or for worse. It does not reflect on my campaign, my ability to DM, my players, or even my skill as a writer (I think). It just is.

Ultimately, story hours are labors of love that have to be done, just for that, the love (and to have a neat record of a campaign - I wish I had one for some of my previous ones). Not to become famous or to have people clamouring for more.

Pimp your story hour, heck I do it too (check my sig). It feels good to have the ego stroked, but don't talk about "fair" because it really only comes off as sour grapes.

 

[Mortepierre]

I think there is too much emphasis on the number of people you have reading your story hour and making comments about them only if they are bumps, and a lot of what just seems lile grousing about other people's popularity.

I have always felt my own story has fallen into the middle of the pack in terms of the amount of people I have posting to it. I mean, there has never been nearly the kind of enthusiastic community of people having conversations in my threads or speculating about the future, etc. . like someone like, PirateCat (for example) has had (and this not to disparage my regular readers in any way, I certainly appreciate your comments when you make them). . . Is that somehow Piratecat's fault? Or Sepulchrave's fault? Or Sagiro's? I don't think so.

And I don't recall anyone ever blaming it on them. This debate isn't about "Sep/PC/... have too many readers and we don't". I think everyone who posted in this thread so far concurs that these authors have justly deserved their fame for the outstanding quality of their SH.

Nor is it about "my ego needs more attention" (or something to that effect). The debate is about giving the rest of the crowd a chance to see their own SH read by more than their own players & pals. I suppose that IF you're writing a SH AND are posting it here, it's because you hope it will be read by people outside your gaming team, correct?

Well, I can recall several instances of people stating on this very board that they had so little time to devote to reading that they usually check out ONLY SH appearing on the FIRST page. Ergo, if you're pushed back to page 2 (and beyond) almost instantly, your chances drop drastically.

Ultimately, story hours are labors of love that have to be done, just for that, the love (and to have a neat record of a campaign - I wish I had one for some of my previous ones). Not to become famous or to have people clamouring for more.

Yes and no. I doubt many (if any) of us are writing our SH in the vain hope of garnering celebrity. That said, if you're doing it only to have a record of your gaming sessions, or to provide your players with a true account of what was going on behind the scene, then why post it here? Simply send them a weekly report via email.

Posting it here means you're trying to share your gaming experience, your ideas, or whatever, with other gamers & DM all around the world. Be it to inspire them, to make them smile, laugh, cry or any other goal that motivates you to keep on doing it.

Pimp your story hour, heck I do it too (check my sig). It feels good to have the ego stroked, but don't talk about "fair" because it really only comes off as sour grapes.

Fair is fair. The argument isn't about sour grapes. It's about certain SH being pimped 24/7 with posts that have little to nothing to do with the SH they are supposed to uphold.

Bumping a SH that had fallen beyond page 1 because you think it's too good not to stay there, yes.

Bumping said SH constantly so that it doesn't leave the first five lines of page 1, no.

There is pimping and then there is pimping.

I would go as far as saying that such an attitude is actually detrimental to the SH. Frankly, if you saw a SH that never left page 1, and finally checked it only to discover that the last few pages were made exclusively of bumps, would that encourage you to go back further and read it?

So, yes, we're talking about "fair", and with good reasons methink.

But, hey, that's only my two copper pieces

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

You know... I've been looking around and almost constantly the oldest thread on this page is 73 hours old...

If you want your story to stay on the “front page” all you got to do is update it every 3 days and I know it can be done cause AMG rights a full page word document darn near every night.

 

[Crothian]

Well, my forray into PbP ended so gloriously :\ I think I'll try my hand again at the Story Hour. You have been warned, not that my last attemtps at this were any good.....

 

[Wisdom Penalty]

i think nemmerle and mortipierre make great points. im not so sure they contradict one another, despite what it may look like.

if we look at the more popular story hours, i think we see the problems with multiple pimpings just aren't founded.

piratecat - yes, multiple pimps
sepulchrave - yes, multiple pimps

those are the only two that seem to have constant, continuous discussion on them. sometimes these deals with the SH, sometimes they don't. sep's readers (of which im one) seem to have transcended the SH. in a way, it's become a little online community that converses with one another in that thread. annoying to some? perhaps. but i dont think it's detrimental to other SH authors.

to continue our analysis:

destan - most posts seem to have some meat, rampant bumping is rare
sagiro - just started up again (?)
wulf - story hour's been dead (unfortunately)

so that means only two of the top tier seem to constantly be kicked and pushed to the top of the page 1. that's only two threads. that leaves plenty of room for the other story hours, i think. as others have said, the success and readership the aforementioned story hours have produced have - directly or indirectly - benefitted all SH authors as a whole.

people who would otherwise have never forayed into this thread may come to see what all the hubbub is about sep's wyre. or maybe they're amazed at the longevity and post count of PC's. or someone hears about destan or blackdirge being published due, in some measure, to their great success on these boards. these are just examples, but i think it illustrates how THEIR success is OUR success.

for me, i think this forum is one of the best at en world, if not the best. and those five authors, with all of us as a supporting cast, have made it that way.

W.P.

 

[Mortepierre]

for me, i think this forum is one of the best at en world, if not the best. and those five authors, with all of us as a supporting cast, have made it that way.

W.P.

I can agree at least to that. Couldn't have said it any better

If you want your story to stay on the “front page” all you got to do is update it every 3 days and I know it can be done cause AMG rights a full page word document darn near every night.

With respect, I must disagree. If that was so easy, don't you think Sep (just an example) would have updated a dozen times since last November?

Writing is easy. Writing something worth reading isn't. At least, to me. Of course, authors are usually their worst critics, so.. :\

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

With respect, I must disagree. If that was so easy, don't you think Sep (just an example) would have updated a dozen times since last November?

Well that's certainly your right I just think everyone’s time would be better spent if they worked on their story hours than venting in what I precise to be frustration. (Which is also your right and I'm more than willing to listen but I'm not sure what I can do to help.)

Writing is easy. Writing something worth reading isn't. At least, to me. Of course, authors are usually their worst critics, so.. :\

So your saying that AMG's story hour is junk cause he updates it daily?

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

So your saying that AMG's story hour is junk cause he updates it daily?

More likely that I'm insane. And I'll agree to it, but forcing myself to write at least a page a day(at 10 font, no less) really helps my own writing and also makes my SH immune to falling off the first page.

Of course, again, its insane, and I don't recommend it to anyone else. But since I can do it, and enjoy doing it, its no problem for me.

Honestly, I think the only 'problem', if you can call it that, with the SH forum is not that certain threads get too much attention(which they deserve, of course), its that many people only have the time to read one, and usually pick the big name ones because everyone says they should. I'm generalizing, but that's how its always seemed to be to me, and its not something thats going to change.

Sure, I'd love a huge amount of attention for mine, but I've got a solid group of readers at this point, and they're all clamouring for more everyday. Really, I can't ask for more than that. Star Wars has its own audience, and though mine is kind of outside the mold, the name still sticks.

My best suggestion is just to keep writing, and stick to a determined schedule. If you say you're going to update once a week. DO IT. The best way to get readers is to update on a schedule that people can keep up with and doesn't leave them guessing.

 

[Mortepierre]

So your saying that AMG's story hour is junk cause he updates it daily?

No, just that he must be an alien to manage that feat
(but an alien who writes darn good SH, so we'll overlook the fact )