User blog:CharminglyShallow/What Works and What Doesn't?

I initially thought of using this blog piece as a place to put my 'UPDATES' from my front page, since it seemed a better place to hold them, but then it also dawned on me it would be an excellent place to take a moment and just look and see how the tales I've written so far have fared once 'released into the wild' :

 My first and only really 'short' story, of which I'm still rather proud. It sits largely ignored, which is a shame since I really rather like it.
 * The Cold Shoulder

 My second story, and the first time I came across the situation where I'd been treading the ground of an existing creepypasta and not knowing it (I was still new to creepypastas at the time). Rightfully then it was refused entry, although I might come back and rewrite it with a new twist since I did like the premise.
 * Something in the Garden

 The third story, and the first one to make it through onto creepypasta.com. Happy about that since it was also the story which included my daughter's names in an effort to impress them. Learnt from my eldest daughter she always gives my stories the lowest mark she can on creepypasta.com, which still makes me laugh.
 * Support Call ID: 100156-03

Two versions of this on YouTube so far, which was also my first introduction to people reading Creepypasta's on there.

 'Dave' is the love/hate member of the group so far, originating as a joke story name between my daughters and me. It made it onto creepypasta.com, but an awful lot of hate appears to be reserved for it. Some of that is probably fair, since it does ramble a bit and could do with a rewrite to make it tighter, but then I wonder if I should since why shouldn't a ouija board with a consciousness ramble like we do? It does have it's fans however, and was nominated for Pasta of the Month on here, so I'll probably leave well enough alone. The black sheep of the family.
 * Dave the Ouija Board

 An experiment, which judging by the distinct lack of either positives or negative reactions, I'll probably have to deem a failure. The general idea was of a script writer finishing off a godawful script for a godawful teen slasher movie, but where the characters begin to take on a life of their own and strike back. I'm left with the conclusion that neither the plot, characters nor format worked. The current 'deformed twin' of the family left in the attic and ignored.
 * A Scripted Existence

 The unexpected success story I suppose. Got through onto creepypasta.com and with a current rating of 9.1, Pasta of the Month here for December 2014, second prize in ImGonnaBeThatGuy's excellent writing competition, and currently on YouTube in three different versions. In all honesty, I think it benefited from one of those sudden flashes of creativity we all sometimes get, leading to the title, opening and closing paragraphs just appearing in my head. The journey to fill the blanks in inbetween took longer though, but helped by how I could see and hear Ben Glover (unofficial Sysadmin of Earth) and Mark interact like I was watching a movie. Very odd but very natural. Lots of discussions on whether it was creepy or not.
 * When Gods Blink

There might be a follow on story. The ideas are there, but I'm trying to pin down the direction it will take, or whether I should do it at all.

 <p style="color:rgb(212,212,213);">A journal type entry, starting from a comment made by my youngest daughter. A trip from normality into a nightmare, with what I hoped was some amusement along the way. My first story to make it onto the crappypasta.com site which I was surprised by, but which I also found very funny.
 * Unwanted Gifts

<p style="color:rgb(212,212,213);"> <p style="color:rgb(212,212,213);">My first foray into horror poetry. In all truth, I suddenly remembered a story I had written many, many years ago which my daughters asked me to read to them when I found it again recently. Whilst I still liked the ideas behind it, the writing was embarrassing. Thinking about it though, I wondered if I could convert it into a poem. Some of the lines I'm very proud of, some...not so much. :)
 * A Promise of the Heart

<p style="color:rgb(212,212,213);">It made it onto creepypasta.com though, and has two YouTube versions made so far.

<p style="color:rgb(212,212,213);"> <p style="color:rgb(212,212,213);">Another experiment I suppose, and another question of what people deem as creepy. I wanted to see if a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' book could tell you as much about the reader as the story itself.
 * A Twisted Path

<p style="color:rgb(212,212,213);"> <p style="color:rgb(212,212,213);">It started off as a stream of consciousness as I lay in bed one night, which I remembered when I woke up. On a side note, insomnia has never been a problem for members of my family, though sleepwalking has. Some very odd situations have resulted from this in fact, but that's a tale for another time.
 * Have You Ever Wondered At The Mystery of Sleep?

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<p style="color:rgb(212,212,213);">That's about it for now, though I'll use this blog page to put updates on the stories, and any others I create, as time goes by.

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<p style="color:rgb(212,212,213);">Best regards,

<p style="color:rgb(212,212,213);">CS