Request thread tuneup/critiques.

[Revelations]

Henlo fine people of BMR.

So I tend to have okay success rates on my RTs, for a few reasons - but I also feel they simply put, aren't very great. They're too long, some of the titles of my RTs are generic, and in general I know I lack a panache that other request threads certainly possess.

So I'm kinda putting a thread up here to see what I could be doing better, because I feel I could be doing better. I don't intend for one person alone to look at all my RTs, but they all follow a similar 'vibe' in the sense that they kind of flow the same way.

First off, is my generic males request thread.
Second up is a NSFW monster girl and fandom request thread
Finally is my NSFW nonbinary request thread.

Some things I feel I can do already to improve the threads

• Punch up the request thread names
• Probably sanitize/remove the NSFW elements of my NSFW threads - though I feel this is one I am less likely to do.
• Make some of my RTs more concise, ideas wise.
• Flesh out certain plots while keeping them open to partner interpretation and expansion

The rub is in finding out the best ways to do some of the above, as well as see the angle other people might view my threads from and let me see what I'm not.

So TLDR, you wanna tell an admin his threads suck butt? Now's the chance! But for real I'd appreciate any and all feedback about my threads in general.

 

[Sync]

Hey Admin! Your RTs suck butt! (Well...you gave us clearance to say that, so... )

To be up-front: I only looked in-depth at the generic MxF RT; I did quickly look over the other two to know that they are largely the same by structure & layout. Also, I'm approaching this from the perspective of a person who likes things simple and clean and succinct - just give me the info, no need to dress it up.

The About Me section - short, sweet, list-form, to the point. For me, it works.

No About You section - while I realise that you may have chosen to omit such a section to not risk excluding anyone, by its very absence you are encouraging anyone to respond, which then risks you receiving people who may not (or do not) fit what you're actually wanting in a writing partner. To me, there's nothing wrong with outlining just a little of what you seek in and from a partner.

The Plots - for mine, way too many of them, such that it could be overwhelming to some (and I found the occasional inconsistent spacing between plots to be a little distracting - mostly you have a single line spacing between plots, but there is the occasional two-line spacing between plots, and the larger gap draws they eye away). Sure, you may have lots and lots of ideas, but can you really entertain all of them at once? I'd be inclined to suggest that you pick your top half-dozen or ten to keep active, and maybe slip the remainder into an "Old but open to consideration" Spoiler area.

In the Monster Girl RT...possibly over-the-top with the number of linked images. Sure, you've found lots of things that serve to highlight what you mean, but all those hyperlinks... Just my impression, though. I do understand other will appreciate them.

I do also appreciate the separation of genres with your plots, and the inclusion of writing samples is handy.

 

[Revelations]

To be up-front: I only looked in-depth at the generic MxF RT; I did quickly look over the other two to know that they are largely the same by structure & layout. Also, I'm approaching this from the perspective of a person who likes things simple and clean and succinct - just give me the info, no need to dress it up.

That's fine. I don't anticipate anyone looking at all 3 and judging each individually, but I felt it pertinent to link all 3 regardless.

About Me

I try not to overload on info about me, it is admittedly a bit of a balancing act as to what is too much vs too little but I am glad it seems I have balanced these scaled.

About You

You're right, I should do an 'About you' section. It's not something I thought on heavily, but I could draft one up for my RTs. In general I'm pretty Laissez-faire about people who approach me and I don't want anyone feeling excluded. But I am sure this too is an act that can be balanced.

The Plots

I fully agree! And the sad thing is I already cut a lot of plots out. I need to just get the chainsaw and make the agonizing decision on what needs to stay and what needs to get gone. Sometimes having a lot of plots feels great! You'll have so many for a partner to choose from but in reality, people just go 'I'm not reading all of that... Or half of it, or any of it.' and nope out.

Monster Girl

Personally I prefer an abundance of links so people can get the idea & inspiration/vibe I'm looking for from that thread. I wouldn't anticipate anyone clicking every link, but I can see how that could be informational overload? Like, I'm sure it's intimated a few people.

This isn't to naysay your critiques of course, as I agree with a few of them for sure! I appreciate anyone weighing in, and just explaining where my thoughts come from and maybe finding a way to hone the edge of these critiques into a scalpel.

 

[bodman54]

I know for me, looking at your NB RT, I've always had a hard time understanding what exactly you wanted to play in the ideas you've posted. Either because the idea is really only setting out what you want out of the world, or because you've set up potential characters but haven't made it clear which one you are leaning towards. So maybe clear up the ideas a bit more so it's more clear to potential partners what you're looking to play and what you're hoping they'll play.

 

[Revelations]

I know for me, looking at your NB RT, I've always had a hard time understanding what exactly you wanted to play in the ideas you've posted. Either because the idea is really only setting out what you want out of the world, or because you've set up potential characters but haven't made it clear which one you are leaning towards. So maybe clear up the ideas a bit more so it's more clear to potential partners what you're looking to play and what you're hoping they'll play.

Yep! My ideas tend to be very open ended, to a point where I can argue it's probably too open ended! I'll probably do a deep dive on these ideas as I trim them down to hone them as well. I generally feel being too specific can be equally as troublesome, but, there's a balance to be had.

 

[bodman54]

Yeah, it's one thing I've struggled with. People laying out ideas/settings but not plots. And I struggle to figure out how to reach out because I'm unsure what exactly they are looking for. But then people with plots will have them so tailored that I feel like I can't put my own ideas forward.

 

[Siph]

Some general comments on the general comments you already made yourself:

Punch up the request thread names

This is something I say in pretty much all feedback threads, but the title is quite literally everything. I think the monster girl title is fine as is, though you might benefit from mentioning some of your favourite monster types. Likewise, though I understand fandoms aren't the focus of this RT, I recommend putting some of your favourite fandoms in the title if you're craving more fandom stuff later down the line.

The other two . . . Don't tell me much about what you're looking for. It helps to mention some of the plot elements and themes you're interested in, and specific kinks if you're after something smut/kink-heavy. The update date can be useful, but it might also look silly if you haven't updated your thread in a while and it says "last updated half a year ago".

I never did a double-blind experiment in a controlled environment, but I've found I'm most successful if I regularly (e.g. once a week) edit the title, even though the contents themselves remain the same. It gives you a feel for what works what doesn't, and the new title might attract people that weren't attracted by the previous.

Probably sanitize/remove the NSFW elements of my NSFW threads - though I feel this is one I am less likely to do.

I agree with Sync that the number of links in the monster girl list is overkill, I'd suggest keeping it to one link per species. Instead of just linking all of them, it's also worth putting some pictures throughout the post, in between headers (and formatted in such a way they don't take up the whole screen). Again, this is wholly anecdotal, but if a good title is the #1 factor behind a thread's success, then putting in an image (even just one) is #2.

Said image(s) being NSFW will be liked by some, disliked by others. I suppose it helps to align them with what you're looking for, i.e. use NSFW/suggestive images if you're looking for smut-oriented stuff, and keep it SFW if you prefer a greater focus on the plot.

Looking at the monster girl thread up close (since that's the one I'm most likely to click), I think there's the right amount of information in the introductory section, but you could make it slightly easier to find things. Simply putting the important bits in bold already helps a lot:

• I tend to respond every 2-3 days to an RP. I might get super into an RP and try to lavish it with love, but I have noticed doing so too often can lead to burnout. I don't like getting burned out on a fun RP, so I try to keep myself from that happening. I'm also in the EST time zone, and I don't generally post during any specific time. I can post just after waking up, or maybe right before bed. But I'm usually online from 9AM to 1 AM in some capacity.
  . . .
• I am spicy vanilla kink wise. My slightly out of date kink list is here, so check it out! I like a healthy mix of smut and story, and can lean in one direction or the other with it depending on the story, my partner, my mood, etc. It's all mercurial.

I'm sure there's even clearer ways to format it, but that'll require some coding or creativity.

Personally I prefer it when there's a concise kink list in the thread itself, with a short blurb about how/why you enjoy that kink. You already have a few custom kinks in your F-list, so you could put those in your thread and refer to the F-list for a more comprehensive list.

Lastly, after the monster list the thread trails off somewhat chaotically, so I'd suggest putting headers above your plot ideas and writing samples. Think of it as you first listing the ingredients (monster species) you like, and then describing what you'd like to cook with them. Alternatively, if you get concrete plot ideas for other species, you could put the ideas right after you list the species.

Lastly lastly, in the intro section you said "I can send a writing sample on request", but there's samples of both types at the bottom anyway. Maybe that line is redundant?

I hope that helps!

 

[Revelations]

but the title is quite literally everything

Definitely something I agree with. Names are hard, and I suck really bad at them. However there's no better way to improve than practicing. So this is something I'll probably take to the cleaners tonight and see about improving the names as best I can. A generic RP request thread can always be pretty hard to make relevant, but I am sure there are ways.

I agree with Sync that the links in the monster girl list is overkill, I'd suggest keeping it to one link per species. Instead of just linking all of them, it's also worth putting some pictures throughout the post, in between headers (and formatted in such a way they don't take up the whole screen). Again, this is wholly anecdotal, but if a good title is the #1 factor behind a thread's success, then putting in an image (even just one) is #2.

Said image(s) being NSFW will be liked by some, disliked by others. I suppose it helps to align them with what you're looking for, i.e. use NSFW/suggestive images if you're looking for smut-oriented stuff, and keep it SFW if you prefer a greater focus on the plot.

I generally look for more steamy stories with monster girls,so the thread is meant to be a bit in that direction, hence the NSFW focus. Now, that being said - let's see... I think it would certainly behoove me then to trim up the image links there and make things a bit less of a grab bag.

Looking at the monster girl thread up close (since that's the one I'm most likely to click), I think there's the right amount of information in the introductory section, but you could make it slightly easier to find things. Simply putting the important bits in bold already helps a lot:

Bold does make emphasizing even more easy. I might take my About Me section to the cleaners and work on making them a bit less train of thought, and more orderly if such a thing exists.

Personally I prefer it when there's a concise kink list in the thread itself, with a short blurb about how/why you enjoy that kink. You already have a few custom kinks in your F-list, so you could put those in your thread and refer to the F-list for a more comprehensive list.

Good idea, I just ponder if being too heavy on the kinks might make the thread too long? Not that it's short by any means I suppose.

Lastly, after the monster list the thread trails off somewhat chaotically, so I'd suggest putting headers above your plot ideas and writing samples. Think of it as you first listing the ingredients (monster species) you like, and then describing what you'd like to cook with them. Alternatively, if you get concrete plot ideas for other species, you could put the ideas right after you list the species.

Yeah. Ideas are hard, but, I am sure I can craft up some relevant scenarios, even if just a bullein list.

Lastly lastly, in the intro section you said "I can send a writing sample on request", but there's samples of both types at the bottom anyway. Maybe that line is redundant?

The writing samples are a today addition and as such a bit slapdash, so that's a good catch. Thank you!

 

[Siph]

Glad I could help!

Good idea, I just ponder if being too heavy on the kinks might make the thread too long?

I usually put my kinks inside spoilers (separate ones for favourites and limits, and usually some form of "maybe"). That way they're readily available but tucked away nicely, so that the thread doesn't "feel" much longer.

 

[bodman54]

I usually put my kinks inside spoilers (separate ones for favourites and limits, and usually some form of "maybe"). That way they're readily available but tucked away nicely, so that the thread doesn't "feel" much longer.

I did that too, along with writing samples and plot ideas, and it makes the thread feel so much cleaner

 

[Sync]

This isn't to naysay your critiques of course, as I agree with a few of them for sure! I appreciate anyone weighing in, and just explaining where my thoughts come from and maybe finding a way to hone the edge of these critiques into a scalpel.

Glad you were able to accept my opinion for what it was: my opinion! As with all other opinions offered in this thread, you are free to act on any offered advice or suggestions with any degree that suits you.

Plus as Siph said:
* better-organising your sections with clearer definitions & headings will not hurt
* better use of spoiler sections can help with avoiding the overwhelming walls of text
* revamping your thread titles will give the reader a better idea of what you're looking for before they dive in
* you probably don't need your name in the thread title (unless you want to come across like those 90s-era bands who felt it was a good idea to include the band/group name in their song lyrics... >.> )

 

[Revelations]

Alright, it's by no means finished, but I do have a new look for my first post in my NSFW monster girl/fandom thread, as well as a new title for it which I hope is a bit more indicative.

Things I did

• Gave the thread a new, succinct title
• Redid my about me section
• Added an 'About you' section
• Added favored and 'no' kinks in spoilers
• Vastly trimmed down the image list
• provided a shorter list of monster girls with possible bullet point starters for each

Things I think I could do

• Spruce it up with a spicy image in the opening post
• Possibly work on a better title?
• Post #2/fandom post needs to be redone
• Possibly tidy up thread further?

I don't know if it's better but I made an effort to do that.

 

[Sync]

Alright, it's by no means finished, but I do have a new look for my first post in my NSFW monster girl/fandom thread, as well as a new title for it which I hope is a bit more indicative.

Rev: I updated the first post in my thread!
Also Rev: links to the post that contains an image of a giant nude cat-girl.

But the first post does look a lot better - better organised, easier to read and follow, clearer in what you're wanting for yourself and from your partner.

 

[Revelations]

Rev: I updated the first post in my thread!
Also Rev: links to the post that contains an image of a giant nude cat-girl.

But the first post does look a lot better - better organised, easier to read and follow, clearer in what you're wanting for yourself and from your partner.

My bad, I didn't delette the part of the URL that redirectes Though in my defense I at least included NSFW