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As I sit here, trying to confound and astound my readers with further adventures, I wonder if I am always on the right track.
By this, I am constantly trying to balance what I like to write with what my readers like to read. I hate being stuck in a pigeon hole, so I tend to write on different subjects, time spans, ages etc. I would hate to think that people see my name and think, ‘Oh here is a typical Sue Brown story.’
What does worry me a bit is that someone might see my name on a story, think that said story might be for them and then find that the story isn’t a cuddly , ‘ah, isn’t that lovely,’ type story but one full of angst, horror, mind games and other less than cuddly subjects.
‘Ah ha,’ I hear some of the Wise Ones who frequent the site. ‘You should read the descriptions, contents and details before delving into a story.’ Well, if others are anything like me, I don’t like to do that as it might spoil the surprise of said story.
A few readers get upset over certain subject matter, perhaps hitting close to home and perhaps they are the ones who should be careful of what they read, lest they get upset. I have lost count of the number of comments that say ‘Oh, I’m uncomfortable with this,’ and suchlike.
I worry for these people because I feel to blame for making them uncomfortable. Then I go back to my previous comment about not reading the description, at the top of each story myself and can understand if readers want, like me to be surprised at what they read.
I don’t think that there is an easy answer, but I want apologise in advance for any upset that I might cause as a result of one my stories pressing the wrong buttons.
Hugs
Sue
Comments
My buttons are about ME!
I actually have told a couple authors that I could not continue with their stories because it was too hard for me. "Deception of Choice" was very painful for me at first, but I later gathered my skirts about me and continued with it. My final opinion of the story, was I wish that Fleury would write more like it. :)
So, there always is the posibility that as we distance ourselves from our own trauma, we can return to read something which we once found too painful.
I don't think that you can assume the responsibility for anyones' feeling beside yours.
I always find your stories engaging. More please?
Much Peace
Khadijah Gwen
Apology accepted :)
But haven't you already apologised in advance for what could arguably be said to be your most controversial tale to date - The Chosen?
IIRC, you even went to the trouble of asking your readership in advance for permission to post.
But as for "What's a typical Sue Brown story?"
Err... let's see what you've scribbled down recently:
Changes - TG discovers wife cheating, escapes to a new life in the country and falls in love with an intersexed girl.
Football Girl - TG professional footballer discovers he is actually intersexed girl, FA allow her to play on men's team.
The Chosen - government policy forcibly changes some boys into fertile girls - but things are much darker than they seem...
The Green Fog - mysterious green fog kills most humans, leaves animals and girls on O2 alone but transforms boys on O2 into fertile girls. Survivors go on a roadtrip North to (hopefully) outrun fog and meet (alive) parents.
Can't see much similarity between the plotlines of those four, apart from perhaps the protagonist ages in Chosen and Green Fog!
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
He's right you know
You don't have a "Typical" story - all your stories are unique and refreshing...
For example, one of Halloween 'scribbles' is your Fancy a Bite - where a guy gets accidentally bitten in the wrong place by a ditzy girl vamp. There we learn why it was such a cult of medieval medicine to draw blood! :)
Besides, I'm still disappointed you never made a continuation on that one, hint hint. ;)
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
The Chosen.
I don't understand how "The Chosen" would be traumatic to readers. Of course my buttons are not your buttons. I think that if Women suddenly stopped being born, it would be poetic justice for the bastards who have murdered us down through the ages.
"So, there you evil Bastards. You mistreated us for eons, so not we'll just stop "coming"!" LOL
Actually from what I read, we are in greater danger of men stopping being born. I've seen some research that shows that the "Y" cromi is becoming increasingly unstable Hmmmmm.
I think that if either gender were to stop coming, humanity would be jumping through their collective asses, to figure out something, to include exactly what Sue has written.
It's all jolly good I believe.
Much Peace
Khadijah Gwen
Actually, that IS...
one of my buttons. FORCE. I hate being "Forced" to be a guy (okay, I'm trying to do something about that), so I can't accept a guy being forced to best a girl. Even if it's for everyone else's benefit. I understand the story's premise. And, can understand it. I just can't read it.
That said, I've still been able to read a few stories with aspects of force in them... But, for me, the "force" needs to be a not central to the story. Some, it's been the "stick" that got the story started, others... (Two examples: Angharad's lock picking expert and Camp K. - I had to be convinced to take that story back up) The more the force is central to the story line, the harder I have with it. This is ME, and my button. It wasn't my button three or four years ago. I've changed in that time. My buttons have changed.
As Sue said, we each have our buttons. It's important that we recognize them. We shouldn't blame the author, if he/she writes a story that happens to hit one of our buttons. It's not OUR story, as much as we try to make it our own. I know I've written stories (or at least one story) that hits some reader's buttons and/or are in a universe where some aspect of the universe hits their button. While I'd LOVE to have everyone love my stories (or attempts) I recognize that it's likely to be a small percentage of people that visit BCTS even look at them.
Ann
P.S. I also hope I'm not "pidgen holed" on the "type" of story I write... LOL
Whatever made you think that the "Y" cromi was ever stable? ;)
As always, so much to read, so little time and only one of me :)
The English Teacher
So much to read, so little time and only one of me :)
The English Teacher
Ah, but there is one.
There is an easy answer, dear girl. Go where your heart takes you. That's what I do. If the story is good, readers will follow you. Not all readers, mind you, but enough to justify your efforts.
As to your concerns over pushing the wrong buttons, again don't worry. Just make sure you push the appropriate ones, the buttons that give your stories meaning and feeling.
Nancy Cole
"You may be what you resolve to be."
T.J. Jackson
When I see ....
When I see a Sue Brown story on the front page I know, for myself that I'm going
to be reading a well written, entertaining and often thought provoking tale.
I have never read one of your stories and been upset by what I have read. I've found
some a little hard to believe (Home Alone springs to mind) but never upset.
Personally I feel if people choose not to read the tags that the author has given
the story and then get upset by it they have no one to blame but themselves, After
all that is why the tags are there just like films have age ratings, I mean me
personally I don't read any Fem/Dom or Sissy stories for the simple reason I don't
like them, I do like stories in the pre-teen to collage age-range which I read voraciously.
So Sue if you keep writing them, I'll keep reading them. :D
Well that's my 2p's worth (if it's worth that :P)
Hugs
Sammi
Sue, you are a wonderful writer
(Kris.rev.2.2 I'm sorry to use your subject line. I didn't copy it or steal it, honest. I just hadn't read that far down before I decided I must comment.)
Some authors, and I'm not knocking them, choose to write story after story that are in the same universe and follow the same characters through new ploy after older one because they have found that there is a readership that will buy their stories knowing the background and wanting to see the background grow along with the storyline. I follow many of these story sets in mysteries, action, western, science fiction, fantasy and here.
Other authors write every story as a new stand-alone story, but still with the same general feel to them. I read many of them, too.
Still others write with a lot of variation in genre, age of their characters, background, etc. I'll read many of their stories, too. But, I am more likely to put down an occasional story without finishing it in this last group. However, that does not mean I dislike the author or most of the writer's stories, just that I could not get into THAT story. Other readers may love that story, and hate the ones I like.
I have found stories by my three favorite Science Fiction writers that I did not feel were nearly up to their average, and in one case, there are stories have not read in a series, or, that I did not buy, because I did not like the early works in the series.
That sort of decision belongs to the readers. Not everyone likes every story, but that does not mean that everyone hates a story, either.
Write what YOU want to write, and if the hits are low, but you still get readers reading it, and even a few positive comments, pat yourself on the back for writing a story that some readers HAVE liked.
I haven't read all of your stories, though I am working on it. There are too many stories on here for me to find time to read them all, or even all of the stories by my favorite writers. But that does not mean that I dislike all of those I have not read, either.
Keep writing your well-crafted stories, dear.
To quote SamanthaK
"When I see a Sue Brown story on the front page I know, for myself that I'm going
to be reading a well written, entertaining and often thought provoking tale."
And that goes for a lot of the authors here. This is a wonderful place to find a wide variety of stories for many different tastes.
Holly
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Holly
Sue, your're a wonderful writer
Sue, you're a wonderful writer, and when I see your name on a story, it's a mark of quality.
While it's nice sometimes to read fiction that's comfortable and comforting, I also like to read works that challenge me to think. That might mean thinking about difficult or uncomfortable issues or subjects, but when I do so, I grow.
Just keep being yourself, and writing what you want to write, not what some imagined reader might want to read. The only thing that's "typical" about a Sue Brown story, is that it's typically among the very best of BCTS.
Kris
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
What's the worst that could happen?
You press the wrong buttons and I'll end up on a different floor. Like Gwen said, we're responsible for our feelings, and it's quite clear that all of your stories, while having your mark on them as the author, are decidedly different. Vive la difference dear heart. No apologies necessary. Thanks for blessing me with your work.
She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Con grande amore e di affetto, Andrea Lena
Love, Andrea Lena
Keep on entertaining us, please
Dear Sue,
At first I was a little confused because of the first of Pennamaris, but then I learned to love your language, and the nice way you have with describing things.I read all of your series and do long for the next chapeter every day. I had some minor problem to follow the Gren Cloud on my map, but that will be delt with in another message.
But most of all: Please continue to inform us of what happens to all those that have become as close as living relatives to me, and I believe to many other readers as well.
Your
Ginnie
GinnieG
I figure it this way...
If I'm not pushing somebody's buttons without even trying, then I'm doing something wrong. I'll grant there are times when I've actually tried to push a view buttons, and by so doing, I've probably turned a few potential readers away. C'est la vie.
You can't walk through a crowd without stepping on somebody's toes, even if you try.
All the same, you do tread lightly on said toes.
I have to say I don't really see a "Typical" Sue Brown story either, unless you count being uniformly excellent as typical.
Abby
Well . . .
There may not be a 'typical' Sue Brown story, but my first exposure to your stuff was "Working Girl", so I tend to weigh anything you do to that standard.
Regarding this: "‘Ah ha,’ I hear some of the Wise Ones who frequent the site. ‘You should read the descriptions, contents and details before delving into a story.’ Well, if others are anything like me, I don’t like to do that as it might spoil the surprise of said story." I'm one of those people who reread a story multiple times. How can I reread a story, when according to the above logic there is no surprise? Well, when a story is well-crafted and entertaining it's always worth rereading. I don't throw out a record after playing it once, I don't dispose of a book or a story after the first read.
I know I have buttons, and I'm pretty much aware of what is going to push them. If I start a story that contains button-pushing subjects that the author has chosen not to label, then I'm going to be upset. In my mind, if some keywords and a decent synopsis/teaser can ruin the story, then it wasn't much of a story to begin with. As I PM'd an author the other day, a story with just a couple of keywords and a terse or non-existent teaser will get a skip from me.
I want to be surprised by the quality of the writing and the characters, not by the type of story. I carefully look over a book before buying it in a bookstore, if I buy a book online it is generally one I have already read, or one I have plenty of knowledge about through reviews and recommendations.
Karen J.
"Being a girl is wonderful and to torture someone into that would be like the exact opposite of what it's like. I don’t know how anyone could act that way." College Girl - poetheather
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
I venture to summarize that
... your readership agrees that they should buck up and grow up and recognize that everybody has their discomforts and likes and if they can't stand the heat then get out of the kitchen.
There is no bloody way to please everybody. If it is 'too sweet' it turns off some folks, too little sex and it turns off another segment ( wanna make them happier? Yes, very tongue and cheek, I'm being ) ), too much sex and another voice from the peanut gallery.
You are a sweet and considerate person but take all 'advice' with a huge grain of salt and stop thinking you have to apologize for anything.
Kim
Yikes!
You had me worried there, Kimmie. For a second I thought you were going to advise poor Sue to grow something. That's some serious regression in oh so many ways, none of which I consider to be health or advisable.
No doubt Sue's got the message is is more than likely steeling herself to pitch head long into another wonderful adventure.
Nancy Cole
"You may be what you resolve to be."
T.J. Jackson
Never allow anyone to dictate your muse.
Some folks may not like whatever subject you are currently putting forth and by the same token, there are just as many that are interested in the subject. So it is always a win for the author (especially one of you caliber) and besides that there is always the stimulating comments either for or against you work or is it your love. I for one am of sound enough mind (whatever that means) that I will read it and not judge it for an uncomfortable subject matter. I read your muse because they are examples of an outstanding author in this form of media. I only wish I had some of your talent, so never let them tell you what to write.
For those that are… uncomfortable with some of Sue’s work, I say write it yourself that way you will not have to step outside your comfort zone.
As always, so much to read, so little time and only one of me :)
The English Teacher
So much to read, so little time and only one of me :)
The English Teacher
Surprise Me
I like what you write, Sue. Sweet or disturbing, science fiction or real world, I haven't run across one of yours yet I didn't enjoy. To totally alienate me as a reader I think you'd have to be a different person, coming from a whole different attitude, treating your characters like flies that you pluck the wings off of for no reason except you enjoyed it. Dark isn't bad, except when it's a celebration of darkness and negativity, then it's a little too much for me. So do a western, a detective story, an epic fantasy, historical- surprise me! There's nothing like a little variety in TG fiction...
~~~hugs, Laika
"You can either fly Over the Rainbow or Under the Radar but you can do both..."