Microfiction Category, Story Rejection, and Mod Edits Clarification/Discussion

Hiya,

Firstly let me say I hope this thread can be a respectful point of clarification and discussion between authors and mods on the topics in the title.

We should all treat the mods (who freely give their time for us) with respect at all times! ❤️

Microfiction

I’ve grown confused about this category. In my opinion, poetry is kind of any “anything goes” category here, just requiring poems don’t violate Lush rules on age, consent, etc. and contains some erotic elements. With free verse, I’m sure it’s hard to judge for quality since poetry is very subjective. That said, I’m wondering if we’ve reached that point with microfiction.

The category write-up says it must tell a story and not just be an erotic thought. In my opinion, most published are erotic scenes, which readers obviously love. I don’t see many that tell a beginning, middle, and end of a story. So, when newbies try to write one, I tell them they should try to write a complete story, but they see something else.

And 100 words, like poetry, I feel needs relaxed structure. One-word sentences. Fragments. Very powerful in a micro. Some choose to write 100 words in a single paragraph, while others write short sentences. I see everything in-between published here, so should anyone be rejected for structure? And I sometimes want to tell a story as a micro and a full-length story. Is that allowed or not? The micro is not part of a series and it’s a condensed version of the longer story, not an introduction.

Is there anything we can do to give authors and mods clearer boundaries (or remove boundaries) on what’s now publishable in microfiction?

Story Rejection/Mod Editing

Firstly, are we ever going to get the capability back to see mod changes? It’s frustrating to me because if I reread after publishing and see a comma where I don’t like it, I don’t know whether to pull and fix or if mod had changed it to what it is.

Commas brings up another point of discussion. I understand Lush has set rules on age, content, consent, etc. I wonder if relaxing some edits like comma placement (except like obvious set rules in dialogue), paragraphing choices, other style choices would save time for everyone. Grammarly likes commas a set way, but as creative writers, we all know moving commas around creates a very different impression to the reader. I think using commas as pauses shouldn’t be messed with during story approval. Same as hyphens and ellipses. I’m using Jaymal as an example of an author who gives readers a powerful story with hyphens as just one of his writing devices. WannabeWordsmith is my example of using one-word sentences and fragments in an impactful way. Both these authors are award-winning and their stories would not be the same if all Grammarly edits were followed. I see published authors writing outside Grammarly rules all the time as far as some formatting, fragment, and comma choices. Thoughts?

Last item is mod editing on competition entries. Is editing allowed by the mod? I’ve received a few welcome edits by a mod on some and been rejected for a typo on another, citing the mod couldn’t edit a comp entry. What is the standard on this?

***

I love writing here! Appreciate everyone involved with this site. I’m hoping to be able to write more and wanted clarification on a few points of confusion for me. ❤️

I can answer one thing, the question of mod edits. Right now the only way to see them is to use a text comparison program. There are several of them. Just search and pick one you like. You need to save a copy of your submission and then compare that to the published version. You copy and paste them into the comparison program and it will show any changes made.

Quote by KimmiBeGood
And 100 words, like poetry, I feel needs relaxed structure. One-word sentences. Fragments. Very powerful in a micro. Some choose to write 100 words in a single paragraph, while others write short sentences. I see everything in-between published here, so should anyone be rejected for structure?

One word or short sentences are fine for micros. You need to be inventive with just 100 words. I'd only reject a micro for structure if it was bad grammar, or has turned into unintelligible word salad because someone tried to condense it so much by removing words that it no longer makes sense.

Quote by KimmiBeGood
And I sometimes want to tell a story as a micro and a full-length story. Is that allowed or not? The micro is not part of a series and it’s a condensed version of the longer story, not an introduction.

Again, fine. We just don't want a part 1, part 2 etc situation, where someone tells a much longer story by breaking it up and publishing it in 100 word pieces.

Quote by KimmiBeGood
Commas brings up another point of discussion. I understand Lush has set rules on age, content, consent, etc. I wonder if relaxing some edits like comma placement (except like obvious set rules in dialogue), paragraphing choices, other style choices would save time for everyone. Grammarly likes commas a set way, but as creative writers, we all know moving commas around creates a very different impression to the reader. I think using commas as pauses shouldn’t be messed with during story approval. Same as hyphens and ellipses. I’m using Jaymal as an example of an author who gives readers a powerful story with hyphens as just one of his writing devices. WannabeWordsmith is my example of using one-word sentences and fragments in an impactful way. Both these authors are award-winning and their stories would not be the same if all Grammarly edits were followed.

Quite simply, mods shouldn't be moving, removing, or adding commas unless they're glaringly wrong, and this is emphasised in the guides we have for story mods. We can't even agree on them among ourselves, which is fine. We're from all over the world, and all speak differently. Changing commas changes an author's voice, and we shouldn't be doing that.

I use hyphens a lot. Ellipses are fine too, but as a tool they should be used sparingly, otherwise they just lose their punch. Anyone who has speech trailing off throughout their story should take a moment to assess if anyone in the real world actually speaks that way. Spoiler alert, they probably don't, lol.

Quote by KimmiBeGood
I see published authors writing outside Grammarly rules all the time as far as some formatting, fragment, and comma choices. Thoughts?

I hate grammarly. It's a useful tool for learning, but personally I don't think it should be necessary to use it to mod stories, although some other mods like using it. So long as it's just correcting mistakes and not changing the voice of a story though, I'm fine with it.

Quote by KimmiBeGood
Last item is mod editing on competition entries. Is editing allowed by the mod? I’ve received a few welcome edits by a mod on some and been rejected for a typo on another, citing the mod couldn’t edit a comp entry. What is the standard on this?

Yes, small edits are fine. This should be for obvious typos, or maybe to correct the odd dialogue punctuation errors. Anything more than that will go back to the author to correct, and no edits should be made to content.

I've stickied this guidance which was created not long after we brought the micro category in.

Thank you, Kee and Jen!

Your responses are very helpful! And I’m more comfortable referring a mod to your answers about these things in this thread, if some of these things occur when publishing.

I feel the micro section has lost its way and is pretty much anything goes, which is sad as it used to be a challenge to tell a story in so few words.

Quote by deviantsusie

I feel the micro section has lost its way and is prety much anything goes, which is sad as it used to be a challenge to tell a story in so few words.

Agree. I hate it, too. That’s why I wondered if directive to tell a full story should be removed. I feel silly if newbies ask and I tell them to have a beg, mid, end and then they see something else in the category. With just 100 words, obviously it will have more sex if authors don’t use part of words to tell a story, but just write a sexual act with all the words. And readers seem to love the sex scenes.

Excellent points, this is a great post! Thank you, Kimmi for bringing this up.

I think the key to micros is what lies between the lines, the background story.

Both writers and readers fill in those missing pieces with perhaps relatable experiences, memories, wishful thinking or whatever. This is what makes it so tricky, because in doing so, we can see a full story even if it's not there, since we have completed it in our minds.
If all I read is the description of a distinct moment or act without any background, however hot it is, that is a scene, not a story.

About the other points in your post, can't add to what Jen has so eloquently said.

I agree with AC and thank you, too, Kimmi

I have been watching this trend in Micros for some time. It is no longer what it was and that's a good part of why I haven't been publishing anything of late. I have always taken the 'story' requirement to heart and spent a lot of time trying to get there, with some measure of success, I think. Now it feels a wasted effort, honestly, against the sex scenic stuff that garners all the applause.

That said, I do understand the Lush side of things. The relaxed guidelines make the stories quick and easy, so far more writers are participating. They are obviously getting Lush a lot more page traffic than my muddles ever did, which is the bottom line. As a reader once messaged me "You're a good writer, but you need less story and more fucking. That's what we're here for." Which is true enough, but in Micro's embrace of this desire, I regret the loss of stricture that made the category unique and challenging.

Quote by kistinspencil
Now it feels a wasted effort, honestly, against the sex scenic stuff that garners all the applause.

I think it should be the other way round!
Maybe because I've always been a misfit, but I rarely surf the trendy waves. If authors only wrote what people wanted to read, there would be maybe three or four categories.

I wish you didn't feel disheartened but rather motivated to show people how good it should be!

Kistin is one of the few authors whom I think handle microfiction well. For the most part, however, I agree that the category is a haven for bad writers who struggle to string together more than a handful of sentences while maintaining any sense of narrative coherence. On the bright side, I guess if you're going to write drivel, it's better to get it done and over with in 100 words or less.

Quote by AvidlyCurious
I wish you didn't feel disheartened but rather motivated to show people how good it should be!

I've tried 162 times already. I'm not sure what more I can do, but I'll think about it.

With my purist hat on, which sadly also makes me sound like an elitist twat, I'd say circa 80% of the micros we've published should be axed on the grounds that they aren't Microfiction. A sex snippet with no subtext or cleverness or elements that make readers think about the characters and how they got there or where they're going is just a lifeless scene and not in the spirit of Microfiction.

Unfortunately, like poetry, it's very subjective and what I think is unworthy, others would argue the opposite. And therein lies the rub: with a team of twenty-plus volunteers, one of us is likely to see something in a micro that none of the others do.

Quote by WannabeWordsmith
... I'd say circa 80% of the micros we've published should be axed on the grounds that they aren't Microfiction.

And there's another rub. In that mix are some of the highest like/favorite/read stories in the category. Even a few RRs, it could be argued. They are obviously answering the appetite, even if it is with take-away food. Perhaps they should just be moved to Flash and the Micro criteria given a sterner judgement in future?

But, as you say, who shall be the judge?

Suggestion: Like there is for poetry, why not have two microfiction categories, one for "pure microfiction" and one for authors who want to have a go at writing 100 words?

Some thought would need to be made about how you split the two categories.

It's just an idea I throw out there. 😊

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

With my purist hat on, which sadly also makes me sound like an elitist twat

elitist twat … this triggered a story idea, WW. “Twat” is so underused. Thank you.

Quote by KimmiBeGood

elitist twat … this triggered a story idea, WW. “Twat” is so underused. Thank you.

Should I change his forum rank when he's not looking? 🤭

Quote by Jen

Should I change his forum rank when he's not looking? 🤭

🤣🤣🤣 yes!!!

I laugh in the face of comma splices... This is not true, I dread them, they are like cracks in the wall, getting wider and threatening to collapse my story into a rubble of syllables. English is not French, they use grammar.

As for Grammarly, it is a necessary evil as if Camus and De Beauvoir had a lovechild... that is the result.

As for Micros... (pronounced, MeeeKro), they are very, very difficult, and I would welcome any latitude... except the commas.