(No) more illustrations in stories?

As a reader - have not had the courage to write a story yet - I would like throw in my two cents and say, personally, I enjoy the pictures and illustrations. It is interesting to think how the author imagines and compare it to what you imagine the characters to look like. But, I also do think it depends on the rhythm of the story. No major insight just my preference. Thanks for letting post. And, thank all of you for your stupendous stories, and sometimes
the incredible on target insight into my head.

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I look forward to reading a story from you, with or without pictures. It’s a rush! :grin: @ed2you2

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For me it feels right to wrap up my part of the discussion and come to a conclusion for me. I am grateful to all who reacted.

This same text I also sent to @Corin. He asked me to reconsider, and I have done so. This is the outcome for whoever is interested.

I conclude that I cannot write English in a way that native English speakers understand my point and not the opposite of what I want to say or be. That is up to me as a foreigner, it is not due to the site, forum or respondents.
I will step back from English to express myself in stories and complicated matters. And certainly, leave the ambition to tell stories or take part in discussions. My English is not fit for that. That is my conclusion and I will now gladly explain it.

My limited language skills are essential, but cultural differences also play a big role.
Portugal has a Latin-Mediterranean culture where pride and respect indeed are prominent, but which also shows tightly woven social structures such as the crucial family and (in)formal (internet) communities. Individualism has no place here. So when I enter a community like yours, and I like to try a different approach (using illustrations with a sole layout purpose), I contact the community and ask if it is OK. And I also let it be known beforehand that I am conforming to the community mores.
For me that is out of respect for you guys.
That was my approach, and that’s how the forums in my country work. But it is evident that I have done that in such a clumsy way that the discussion is about functional illustrations, not about illustrations that only have meaning in the atmosphere of a story and in making the text visually accessible. (Hence the photo of Le Monde without layout).
In my own language, I would have made that clear easily.
Moreover, instead of appropriate behavior for a newcomer, my post is perceived as inappropriate and aggressive. What I intend as compliance is interpreted as a threat. That is precisely the opposite of what I meant. In my language, the right words would easily flow out of my pen. My English, however, falls short and expresses the opposite of what I want to bring forward.
I am (also) a writer by profession and I hold the strong opinion that a language (also a foreign one) should be approached with respect. It carries a culture inside of it. I do not intend to offend anyone by using inadequate English.
And my English clearly proves to be inadequate.
Let me try to explain some things that I could not make clear. Martin urges me not to be on the tour that only my view is right, while there are so many possible opinions, so many shades of grey.
I intended not express any personal position on illustrations. Nor did I intend to present a thread or be aggressive. But obviously, my words took another course.
Resulting in a false image of me and my countrymen. Portuguese people are very tolerant of opinions and do not act aggressively (neither do I). Portugal is among the four most peace-loving countries in the world (according to Wiki Global Peace Index). More peaceful still than the US-State of Maine. We deliver the UNO secretary-general. I don’t want to praise my country (it’s poor and bad enough here for gays), but try to convince anyone that I’m not the aggressive or nasty person that emerges from my texts. (Scum was just the (wrong) word that came up in the dictionary for that).
Here 98% of the people over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated against Covid. Because no one obstructs a joint project. We tend to think more as a collective than an individual. And set the individual back, in favour of the collective. So ‘do what what you feel right’ or ‘who gives a shit what others think’, is not how I feel comfortable. I respect what is here in this site and the opinion of the elders. Writing this good intention down in my English made it sound inappropriate and as a thread. It is not my personality to be (passively) aggressive or oppose anyone who has a different opinion than mine. This emphasizes how much my English is inadequate to use in severe matters as stories and discussions. Actually, I only asked for an opinion, I did not give any myself, nor did I disqualify anyone. Well, I did not intend to do so. But written down in my English, I can only conclude that it did.
As I discussed with Martin I had several stories in mind and one already here under way. But stories require language skills that need native English. I feel very insecure about that now. In my country, I am valued as a writer (among other things). So, I can write, but most certainly not in English. Dozens of new stories complete this site every week, mine are not missed and it gives me no pleasure to write in English when I feel so uncertain about the effects of words or tone of voice that I apply. I have overestimated myself. Therefor Martin will take off the first three completed chapters (well, I asked him that). An introduction has no function without a sequel and I distance myself from these two chapters.

Since I am unsure: all what I wrote now, is not intended as a criticism to anyone, or conceit, or aggression, or back-slapping, or whatever it may look like to native readers. It is about a writer understanding himself better. It also has nothing to do with illustrations or anything else. The only link with this topic in the forum is that it opened my eyes to how easy the English grammar and vocabulary are, is and how difficult the English language is.

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Thank you @Norismo
You are kind. But a writer must write in his own native language. As I do. And not have the ambition to do so in a languages that he does not own. I will probably publish in French, that is much closer to me. But I will gladly link you to my photo site. Photo’s speak an international language after all.

Thank you @ed2you2 . I am warned that you have not replied in more than six months. But I assume that I still can react. Honestly, I even appreciate it more that you gave your preference here. And I join you in your appreciation of all the stupendous stories posted here via @Corin. You know, a story really can hit you on that special spot inside your head. Just as you say. And I sometimes have the same feeling …

Thanks. For your response. Love it. I tend to be Just a little shy.

Hi Leo,

thank you for reaching out and explaining things to us.

Emotions and actual meanings are definitely very difficult to transport, especially using text only. And even more so in a foreign language, I couldn’t agree more on that. I struggle with that all the time.

I can only recommend one thing that served me best over all these years when dealing with people here or on our Discord: Always assume the best intention on the other side of the line. Always ask yourself if the other person could mean it in a less offensive way than I initially felt when I read whatever that person wrote.

It’s not that I didn’t fall into this trap myself (I’m still haunted by that one unjustified ban I made), but I try my best. And I think this approach could help here, too. Even though people are sceptical and critical about what you suggested, it doesn’t mean that they’re totally against it or even in anyway against you or your stories.

So I hope you’ll stay around here, Leo, and share some of your ideas and stories with us.

BTW, I don’t think that this is so much a cultural thing with Portuguese or other people. I’ve learned that even though there certainly ARE cultural differences in all of the countries on the world, one should never assume to know the other person just because of the place he originated from. People are WAY too diverse to simplify their personality to such a single property like heritage.

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Not to go completely off topic but, in reading all of the thread, I had a question. Does this site post stories in foreign languages? I’m going to assume that it has, and it should, a worldwide readership. I’m also assuming that, because the stories are in English, that your readership is fluent or at least has a passing knowledge of the language. Still, I wondered about the issue that I just asked? This is not a criticism everyone, it’s just an inquiry. Thanks
Cracker

We have some stories in Spanish and German on the site. There are also specific tags to denote this stories, so you can find them easily.

I’m not opposed at all to stories in any language on GSS. I would love to publish stories in German myself, because that would be way easier for me, obviously. However, as an author, I’d restrict the possible number of readers significantly, which is the only reason I don’t do that.

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Thanks for the reply. Not a criticism. I was just curious and thought I’d ask. Again to the readers of this thread, I was not criticizing. I was just asking a question. :slight_smile:

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Thank you @Corin. You speak wise words. My problem is just a notch different. I am not upset with member swho are critical on what I suggest. I am upset about myself that when I phrase a question, I am criticized for the opposite of what I wanted to say. That means that I fall short in communicating a question, for communicating emotions and story nuances, it must be even worse. and for sure feelings for that matter. Your English is perfect, you perhaps lived there once. For me, writing a story and feeling unsure about being (mis)understood is, no fun. And it is about fun after all. Withdrawing the stories still is the best.
I have been thinking a lot these days, really. Writing stories is about subtleties. A kinky story does not need to be only themed around just fucking and sucking and magic power. It is an ideal area for humor, tongue in cheek turns and double layers. Kinky also is not synonymous with vulgar and your site proves all that. But then it must be written by those who can make themselves perfectly understood in English. And not someone like me who gives an opposite impression of what I want to express. A word oriented site is a native speakers domain.
My problem is that I am no native speaker and when I try to speak English it can sound aggressive to some. I fully accept what you say that these respondents wanted to help and not offend. What remains is that I created an image that is the opposite of what I intended.
It understrikes my conclusion that good stories require native speakers.
My research shows something else.
For every 10 English native speakers, there are 6 Portuguese native speakers and 3 German native speakers. (data Word Economic Forum). So I see your point about ‘the market’ for you as a German. And your English is perfect. But for me it is less dramatic to stick to my own language. And I stay closer to my culture.
Sadly the gay kinky segment of society is far smaller than in the USA/Canada where every gay schoolkid can be himself. I admire that. Yet in my language I am understood. There is no website like this, but we could develop a Portuguese version and lessen the irritation of my English speaking friends.
The suggestion of @Cracker also is sympathetic, since many who speak Portuguese, have some understanding of English, like me. But they won’t navigate here, but stick to their Brazilian and Portuguese sites.
I like to end with Cracker’s disclaimer that I don’t want to offend or criticize anyone with what I wrote here.

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@cracker, we indeed extend the topic. But it is interesting. I agree that this site deserves a worldwide audience. I assume that @Corin can tell about the reality. In the consumer side I can imagine so.
About participating in the forum and writing stories, foreigners might experience what I do: it is hard to be understood and not invoke wrong impressions. The advantage of Martin’s German is that Germans are alert to misunderstandings when foreigners speak their language. English is the third most spoken language in the world so its speakers don’t need such antenna’s.
With this I don’t intend to say anything bad about Americans. I have (pre-Covid) spoken several of them face to face and Americans are nice. But face-to-face communication is much more complete. The rising of an eyebrow, confusion in the eye’s, a puff in the mouth, all can be indications to rephrase or check the understanding. But behind the keyboard on a word oriented site like yours, proper communication for a non-native speaker from another culture, feels next to impossible as this thread illustrates.

I’ve had a (weak) reading knowledge of German for years. But because I know opera and Lieder (which depends on poetry), I know that German is very capable of certain complex moods and “internal ideas” which do not normally work in English. The closest equivalents I can think of usually works in poetry, for example, the surrealist imagery of “Kubla Khan” or the kind of edge-of-your-seat writing of “Rime of the Ancient Marriner.”

I keep hoping someone will contribute a story in poetic meter.

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Italian has the reputation, but German can be unbelievable poetic. Nevertheless also chilling harsh when commands are shouted in German. And it all cannot be translated in the same intensity in English.

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I’ve written tons of lyrics in my time. I’ve considered a story in meter forever, just haven’t found the right vehicle…

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If anything makes a great combination, it is a picture that catches the mood of the picture or vise versa. There are some great sites for that, but not gay, nor kinky.

There once was a boy from Kent.

Who went out on a date with a gent.

My honor, he said.

As he raised his legs on the bed.

Is subject to reasonable rent

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Do it, @absman420 !

In college, I took a wonderful humorous writing workshop. On the first day of class, our professor, the very dry Dr. Aal, wrote the most famous limerick of all on the white board. We’ve all heard the beginning, but I didn’t know the whole thing:

There once was a man from Nantucket
Whose dick was so long he could suck it
He said with a grin
As he wiped off his chin
“If my nose were a cunt, I could fuck it.”

We spent the class dissecting this and writing our own. I loved that class!

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You know, I have a story that’s entirely in verse, “Transformation Market”. My latest series, “Fire Island Summer,” also features lots of mind-controlling song lyrics. Not up to Absman420’s professional standards, I’m sure, but I had fun writing them as I imagined the jazzy musical accompaniment in my head.

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