Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[RokofAges75]

It's funny how we've all written those parts that make us wonder if we took things too far, but the readers never seem to think so.  Has anyone ever written a part like that that DID get a negative reaction from readers who think they went too far?

What's the most extreme, "Oh no you di-in't!" type part you've ever written?

What extreme scenes have shocked you in other people's stories?

[mare]

Was there ever a story or a chapter of a story you were afraid to post because of the reaction it might get?
There have been a few. When I first started posting Mizpah, I was worried that it would come off as just a cheap imitation of Ground Zero, plus since I was a brand new I had NO idea if people would even read it in the first place.

I was afraid to start posting It Stays with You because of the intensely dark nature of that one. I was worried I'd come off as a freak, but then kind of relieved to know that everyone enjoyed it, so freaks unite!  

Then finally for Whatever the Night May Bring, I was worried how people would perceive the whole doppelganger storyline. I didn't want people to roll their eyes and say I jumped the shark or something lol  Also in that one, killing one of them for the first time and in turn letting people know I was done writing novels, was kind of scary for me.

Which story were you most pleased with the reactions you received for a particular scene or plot that maybe either no one saw coming or you had hoped for tears or anger etc...?
All my twists and turns in my suspense stories have given me the most pleasure in particular It Stays, Protect & Serve, Shadow Woods, Whatever the Night and What Lurks. It seemed for those five more so than the others, no one was able to see what was really coming and when those big reveals did happen, I got the exact reactions I wanted! I don't want to say what they are in case people haven't read and want to.  

Were you ever disappointed with the reaction you got from your readers for a particular scene or character?
I would have to agree with both Steph and Julie and say it was from lack of reviews or quick response on chapters I was way too excited to post! It seemed like whenever I posted a pivotal chapter the reviews were very slow to come. I'm sure maybe that was just impatience on my part, but seriously, I would get immediate responses except when I wanted them! I can't complain about lack of reviews though, for me it was more the speed of them. lol

[RokofAges75]

I was worried I'd come off as a freak, but then kind of relieved to know that everyone enjoyed it, so freaks unite!   

LOL This should be our motto.  Freaks unite!

I know what you mean about the speed of reviews, too.  I hate when you post a chapter you're eager to get a reaction on and just sit there waiting for reviews.  I like to update and then go take a shower or eat dinner or do something to keep me occupied for a little while, long enough to give people time to read.  But then it's disappointing if I come back an hour later and don't have any reviews yet.  I tend to update at weird times, though, so I have to remember that other people are asleep or at work or out doing more important things than reading my story LOL.

[RokofAges75]

Since we're on the topic of reviews...

On average, how many reviews do you get per update?

How has the amount of feedback you receive changed over the years you've been writing?

Which do you prefer when it comes to reviews, quality or quantity?

Do you remember the first piece of feedback you got for a fanfic?

What was the first story you posted that surprised you with the amount of feedback it got?

[mare]

Has anyone ever written a part like that that DID get a negative reaction from readers who think they went too far?
I have been lucky and for the most part, no. I think the only story that got kind of a negative reaction was the whole baby killer thing in Protect and Serve. A lot of people mentioned they stayed away from it initially because of the first chapter and yeah the fact that I was killing children perhaps lol

What's the most extreme, "Oh no you di-in't!" type part you've ever written?
MINE lol enough said!

What extreme scenes have shocked you in other people's stories?
Probably Steph's botfly scene in Save a Prayer. I didn't know she had it in her! LOL  and The last Swollen story when Nick dies after all of that! MEAN!! Truthfully there have been others but they are also from stories I ended up NOT liking at all or stopped reading after some of those scenes. I know I write disturbing stuff but I am not a fan of gore and gross at all unless it's really well written and involves a soon to be dead New Kid! LMAO

[mare]

LOL This should be our motto.  Freaks unite!

I know what you mean about the speed of reviews, too.  I hate when you post a chapter you're eager to get a reaction on and just sit there waiting for reviews.  I like to update and then go take a shower or eat dinner or do something to keep me occupied for a little while, long enough to give people time to read.  But then it's disappointing if I come back an hour later and don't have any reviews yet.  I tend to update at weird times, though, so I have to remember that other people are asleep or at work or out doing more important things than reading my story LOL.

I know! I used to do the same thing. It's like we want that IMMEDIATE reaction! Forget about people and their lives!! We probably sound so pompous because there are people who don't get any reviews for anything which sucks But I also remember that time as well!

[RokofAges75]

I know! I used to do the same thing. It's like we want that IMMEDIATE reaction! Forget about people and their lives!! We probably sound so pompous because there are people who don't get any reviews for anything which sucks But I also remember that time as well!

Yep, we've all been there.  Then we got spoiled by the Tracys and Stephs of the world who read and review everything and usually do it quickly, too!  Tracy has probably set the record for fastest reviewer! LOL

[mare]

On average, how many reviews do you get per update?
It really depends, but I would say when I was steadily writing my novels I would get at least 5 - 7 per chapter. For my short stories I usually average 10 - 15. I would consider a story successful review wise as long as it had however many chapters the story had times 3 in reviews. So, if my story was 30 chapters long, I wanted to get at least 90 reviews. Yeah, that was setting high expectations but for the most part, my goals were achieved.

How has the amount of feedback you receive changed over the years you've been writing?
I used to get a lot more when I was writing a lot more! There were days when I used to churn out two to three chapters at a time or three different stories all at once. This was also back before reviews on the site and getting them via emails. It's funny because I see other people doing that now and I think "Those were the days." LOL

When I came back after taking a little hiatus, I found it harder to get those reviews. A lot of the people who used to read my stuff had disappeared and I felt like I had to find a new base of readers which did happen, eventually but never to the degree it was before I had stopped. What I did notice though, even though the reviews slowed, the quality of the reviews intensified.

Which do you prefer when it comes to reviews, quality or quantity?
Quality! I would much rather a nice detailed review then just an "UPDATE!!" although they are both important in that they let me know people are reading and enjoying.

Do you remember the first piece of feedback you got for a fanfic?
I wish I could say yes to this, but I don't! I think my very first feedback was kind of generic, like a "that was good, please update!" or something. I do remember the first time I ever got feedback from a name I recognized and that's when Swenglish and then Jenna wrote they loved my stuff. I remember that giving me warm fuzzies because it was Swollen Issues and Ground Zero that inspired me to write in the first place.

What was the first story you posted that surprised you with the amount of feedback it got?
I would say I was surprised by the amount of feedback I got for Why I'd Do it All Again and It Stays. Why because I felt like it was kind of a boring story actually. I didn't even really enjoy writing it at first so I was kind of taken back with how well received it was. It Stays because it was a Brian centered story and I generally have a hard time writing a realistic Brian plus because of how dark it was, I didn't think many people would read it. Turns out those two have been the ones I'm most known for. LOL go figure!

[mare]

Yep, we've all been there.  Then we got spoiled by the Tracys and Stephs of the world who read and review everything and usually do it quickly, too!  Tracy has probably set the record for fastest reviewer! LOL

I agree! I swear Tracy posts her reviews before I even hit send! lmao

[RokofAges75]

I agree! I swear Tracy posts her reviews before I even hit send! lmao

I know!  That's impressive anyway, but considering she does her reading and reviewing from her phone (right, Tracy?), it's even more impressive!!

[usako]

On average, how many reviews do you get per update?
Not too many, I'm lucky if I get one review.

How has the amount of feedback you receive changed over the years you've been writing?
No, it is always the same.

Which do you prefer when it comes to reviews, quality or quantity?
Quality. I prefer receive only one but good revew instead than a dozen full of "please update!".

Do you remember the first piece of feedback you got for a fanfic?
Yes, especially the first feedback that came from someone who wasn't my best friend.

What was the first story you posted that surprised you with the amount of feedback it got?
"Love Story". In the Italian archive, I think it's the story that has received the most reviews, 180. I was really surprised because I didn't think that many people would love an AU and slash.

[mare]

Oh, I forgot to also mention my newest little novella as one of the things I was anxious to post and excited at the same time just to see what people would think of me writing romance. lol

[julilly]

Was there ever a story or a chapter of a story you were afraid to post because of the reaction it might get?
There have been a few. When I first started posting Mizpah, I was worried that it would come off as just a cheap imitation of Ground Zero, plus since I was a brand new I had NO idea if people would even read it in the first place.

I think there was all of ten ppl on the site then lol random sidebar but I was chatting with Hannah the other day and ended up looking through my reviews (that I've left) on my account. SO MANY of them are on your stories... A DECADE AGO. I was like omg AC really is ten years old lol That was three years before we even became mods!

[Sakabelle]

Has anyone ever written a part like that that DID get a negative reaction from readers who think they went too far?
I don't think I have!

What's the most extreme, "Oh no you di-in't!" type part you've ever written?
Purely on reaction, Nick's death in Forever Like This. But it wasn't that extreme, he just died in his sleep lol.

Honestly, the most extreme thing I feel I wrote was Niall overdosing on cocaine and then Liam and Louis finding him unconscious in his own vomit. Also, I wrote that in a Starbucks so if anyone had looked at my screen they probably would have thought I was nuts lol.

What extreme scenes have shocked you in other people's stories?
The scene that sticks out the most in my mind is Lauren's death in Tracy's Figured You Out. I wasn't expecting that and she wrote the build up to it so well that I'm sure I actually gasped when it happened.

On average, how many reviews do you get per update?
I think usually about 1-3. There are some stories that have gotten a few more.

How has the amount of feedback you receive changed over the years you've been writing?
Now that I post mostly on Ao3 instead of AC I get less reviews and more "kudos" instead of actual comments. Those are nice so I at least know people enjoyed what they read!

Which do you prefer when it comes to reviews, quality or quantity?

Quality, definitely.

Do you remember the first piece of feedback you got for a fanfic?

I don't remember the first specific piece, but when someone left a message on my guestbook on my old angelfire site I was pretty excited, lol.

What was the first story you posted that surprised you with the amount of feedback it got?

In Pieces got like 6 reviews per chapter, I think. I remember being really excited about that because authors I looked up to were reading it and that was really cool.

[emilo]

On average, how many reviews do you get per update?
One or two, usually.  Though, it's hard to give an average because I have very few stories.

How has the amount of feedback you receive changed over the years you've been writing?
My second story got a lot more than the (still in progress) first one-- more like 5 reviews per chapter.  It looks like my third will end up being "middle of the road" between the two.

Which do you prefer when it comes to reviews, quality or quantity?
I think both are important.  I love all reviews, because it lets me know that people are reading and appreciating my work.  But, the reviews that only say "good job, can't wait for more" can get a little annoying.  I want to know what was good about, and even what was bad about it!

Do you remember the first piece of feedback you got for a fanfic?
I don't remember the very first, but I do remember my first consistent reviewer for Forever, and it seems she has disappeared now that I'm writing on it again!

What was the first story you posted that surprised you with the amount of feedback it got?
Definitely "Falling in Love Again."  It was one of the most popular stories on the site when it was being posted, and I was completely overwhelmed by the response that one got!

 
  New question: Do you do any writing in "real life" outside of fanfic?
I was actually really torn between going English major in college vs. science major (which I actually did).  I loved both, which is probably weird to most people.  I ended up working as a writing center tutor in college, and I currently write my department's newsletter that is distributed to the entire hospital staff where I work.  I've been working on it at home this morning, which is what made me decide to ask the question.  I'm also kind of the "go-to" person for my co-workers who work on having their research published.  I'm not research-oriented, but I'm a good proofreader, so I do like being utilized for that.