The stories have all been great so far.  i'm terrible at figuring out who the authors are, but i do like surprises!

20 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

The stories have all been great so far.  i'm terrible at figuring out who the authors are, but i do like surprises!

I also haven't a clue.  They are all so well written and quite unique.  I haven't been able to see any connections to the many writers I have read.  Of course, like all good anthologies here, I suspect many of my favorite authors may use this anthology to experiment with their style, genre or content.  Just finished the last entry and was amazed once again.  

I'm also at a loss to decide which ones I like more than the others.  

Some amazing stories so far. I think I've figured out 2 possibly 3 of the authors.

5 hours ago, chris191070 said:

Some amazing stories so far. I think I've figured out 2 possibly 3 of the authors.

Your vast experience does help. I hope I get there someday.

I haven't got a clue as to who wrote what, but I know I've enjoyed reading every story posted. It has even got me to read genres that I usually wouldn't and I've enjoyed those too. It's a great way to discover other genres to read.

I kinda have the impression it's de rigueur not to post any criticism into story comments and I have followed this practice I think, at least for the most part, perhaps adding one or two mildly critical observations occasionally.

Concerning these secret author stories, I have read, or at least opened, all of them. There is a wide variety  and a wide margin of quality. Of the eight stories so far, I found two to be very good, one rather immature, and didn't bother with the rest, not liking the genre or the explicit sex.

I'm commenting here on my personal choices because there is no way these authors, excepting the two I liked, would ever know I read their stories, just one more notched up view and page views don't count for much.

The concept of publishing with the author hidden is a great idea, but I wonder if the authors would have welcomed some kind of poll as feedback at the end of each story? Polls can ask for anonymous votes on pertinent points, as an example: did you read this story, if yes: was the writing good, did you like plot, would you read more by this author, did you abandon and not finish the story. Some polled questions and answers might give feedback to the secret authors they wouldn't otherwise receive.

The positive point to the posting of these secret stories is discovering new authors and there are two whom I would definitely read more from. So congratulations on the concept it was a great idea, whoever came up with it.

19 hours ago, Hero said:

I kinda have the impression it's de rigueur not to post any criticism into story comments and I have followed this practice I think, at least for the most part, perhaps adding one or two mildly critical observations occasionally.

Concerning these secret author stories, I have read, or at least opened, all of them. There is a wide variety  and a wide margin of quality. Of the eight stories so far, I found two to be very good, one rather immature, and didn't bother with the rest, not liking the genre or the explicit sex.

I'm commenting here on my personal choices because there is no way these authors, excepting the two I liked, would ever know I read their stories, just one more notched up view and page views don't count for much.

The concept of publishing with the author hidden is a great idea, but I wonder if the authors would have welcomed some kind of poll as feedback at the end of each story? Polls can ask for anonymous votes on pertinent points, as an example: did you read this story, if yes: was the writing good, did you like plot, would you read more by this author, did you abandon and not finish the story. Some polled questions and answers might give feedback to the secret authors they wouldn't otherwise receive.

The positive point to the posting of these secret stories is discovering new authors and there are two whom I would definitely read more from. So congratulations on the concept it was a great idea, whoever came up with it.

There is a perception that it is better to keep biting criticism to the Private messenger system, sure. But, if you feel that you have some criticism to offer don't be afraid to say it. Authors shouldn't be afraid to read it, growth is important and no writer or piece of writing is perfect or immune. I would be aware of tone, usage, and such when offering criticism. Obviously stating: "I found the writing immature and I didn't finish this story," - isn't all that constructive as it doesn't explain why you thought the writing was immature. So, if you're not willing to be critical in that way, then yes, I would keep it to the Messenger system. I personally don't mind criticism in either place. I do like when people do a sort of in-depth or open discussion critical assessment of my writing to use the PM system, because I can more easily come back to it without noting the chapter, sifting through other comments to find it, etc. Also, if I found a lot of value in the criticism, I may do follow-up questions or commentaries with the reader if they are still actively reading. 

Or you can always wait until the Authors are revealed to do a critical follow-up wherever you feel most comfortable. Most people do feel more comfortable giving critical assessments privately as well. Some Authors only want critical assessments done privately, so knowing the author does help and waiting may help you decide which tools you'd like to use. I suggest keeping a document, if you want to hold off on your criticism until after the event is over so all your thoughts and assessments remain fresh and you're not attempting to rehash it all from memory. 

----

Oh... and this isn't me outing myself as one of these current authors or authors still to come.  I may or may not have participated. 

5 hours ago, Krista said:

Some Authors only want critical assessments done privately,

Krista is right, privately is the best way if you don't know someone. It's what i've done in the past. Some authors here only write for fun as a hobby and want to tell their story their way. They may or may not want to hear criticism or see an error that's been noticed posted for all time in the comments.  A PM to someone is thoughtful and civilized.

i came from a site where reviews and criticism were done, so i was a bit surprised not to see that here on GA.  However, it was all about improving people's writing and stories. 

I've come to see GA as a melting pot. There are people from everywhere, with all levels of education, people whose first language may not be English, authors who only write for fun and those who want to publish, and we are all here for the love of writing and a strong supportive community (including beta readers and editors who give their time freely).

Now, i really only stopped in to find my way to the next story ...

2 minutes ago, Mikiesboy said:

Krista is right, privately is the best way if you don't know someone. It's what i've done in the past. Some authors here only write for fun as a hobby and want to tell their story their way. They may or may not want to hear criticism or see an error that's been noticed posted for all time in the comments.  A PM to someone is thoughtful and civilized.

i came from a site where reviews and criticism were done, so i was a bit surprised not to see that here on GA.  However, it was all about improving people's writing and stories. 

I've come to see GA as a melting pot. There are people from everywhere, with all levels of education, people whose first language may not be English, authors who only write for fun and those who want to publish, and we are all here for the love of writing and a strong supportive community (including beta readers and editors who give their time freely).

Now, i really only stopped in to find my way to the next story ...

I always prefer to PM an Author if I notice anything wrong with a story, whatever it may be. These authors write for fun and our enjoyment at the same time. They should be encouraged not ridiculed in public or they will just stop writing.

16 hours ago, Krista said:

 

Oh... and this isn't me outing myself as one of these current authors or authors still to come.  I may or may not have participated. 

You may or may NOT have participated?

Girrrrllll! You can't just drop that and sign off! 😄

On 7/12/2023 at 10:55 AM, Hero said:

I kinda have the impression it's de rigueur not to post any criticism into story comments and I have followed this practice I think, at least for the most part, perhaps adding one or two mildly critical observations occasionally.

Concerning these secret author stories, I have read, or at least opened, all of them. There is a wide variety  and a wide margin of quality. Of the eight stories so far, I found two to be very good, one rather immature, and didn't bother with the rest, not liking the genre or the explicit sex.

I'm commenting here on my personal choices because there is no way these authors, excepting the two I liked, would ever know I read their stories, just one more notched up view and page views don't count for much.

The concept of publishing with the author hidden is a great idea, but I wonder if the authors would have welcomed some kind of poll as feedback at the end of each story? Polls can ask for anonymous votes on pertinent points, as an example: did you read this story, if yes: was the writing good, did you like plot, would you read more by this author, did you abandon and not finish the story. Some polled questions and answers might give feedback to the secret authors they wouldn't otherwise receive.

The positive point to the posting of these secret stories is discovering new authors and there are two whom I would definitely read more from. So congratulations on the concept it was a great idea, whoever came up with it.

I'm a writer who would prefer to receive some constructive criticism, rather than have readers keep silent on things that haven't worked for them so I end up making the same mistakes over and over again. The sort of criticisms I find most useful are points that go (directly or indirectly) to my technique in a more general sense, which I can take into account to help improve my efforts the next time I write a story.

Criticism that suggests changes to something I've already published is of less value because, once a story is finished enough for me to begin publishing it, I'm unlikely to make significant changes - other than to fix obvious errors (there have been one or two exceptions to this but, generally, that's how I approach it.).

I've noticed that it's rare at GA for a review to award less than 5 stars. People who haven't wholeheartedly loved a story seem to hold back from posting at all for fear of discouraging the writer and, because that seems to be the culture here, I've been guilty of the same thing myself. However, in another life, I have had some experience of reviewing things critically. I feel the middle of a scoring schema (in GA's case, 3 stars) should really mean 'average' in the true, non-critical sense of the word, and that 3 stars should be a solid foundation to build on, not a failing grade. After all, if everything's always given 5 stars, where's the room for improvement?

As far as this secret author contest goes, I'm afraid I'm incredibly behind on my reading due to a shortage of time lately. If I were to give honest ratings for what I have read so far, they would probably vary from 2 to 5 stars; but like @Hero said above, it's partly because some of the genres have not been to my taste.

I might hope to catch up on my reading in time for voting, but realistically I'm not sure I will. Nonetheless, I thank Cia and all the participants for their efforts. It's been a fun event.