Great to see these clarifications. Given that I've been using multiple images in my stories, I'm really bummed that you decided that it's now frowned upon. I disagree that they are distracting. I think they enhance the narrative in ways not possible before. But this is your house, and these are your rules. 👍
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Hi @litguru! I just saw this note. Oh gosh, it's not a rule. Please do as you like. The reason for the suggestion is because we want writers to hone their writing craft. Though it is not the case for all (and it is certainly not the case for you), images can be used as a crutch — standing in for storytelling. But the main thing is that some writers feel they must populate their stories with images, which may or may not actually help to tell the story. (One example: A love story that has multiple images of couples, none of them the same. How does that help to tell the story of the couple depicted in the tale?) That is when they become distracting. I hope that helps to clarify. And for the record, we love your images.
Thank for the clarification @jayna! It does make sense, particularly when one thinks of traditional story telling. I come from a school of thought that believes story telling is evolving as the digital landscape changes. The use of multi-media and even cybernetic wearable technology has been prominent in my past work, so seeing video or images in a story is fairly normal. It is something that, as you might've guessed, I'm currently exploring thanks to AI.
I think that here we have to look at the intent of the author. Is he (or she) trying to add a new layer of meaning to the story or just trying to pad the story for clicks or something else? I understand that as a reader and moderator, you have your work cut out for you because you cannot possibly guess anyone's intent (plus the extra effort involved in assessing images), so more streamlined guidelines are necessary. It is good to hear that there's a bit of wiggle room. 😊