I feel this way sometimes too, but I guess that's a good thing! It's nice to be at a place where you can look back at your own work and enjoy and appreciate it without cringing or wishing it could be better. That's not to say it couldn't be better; I know I'm not perfect. But these days, I'm generally happy with everything I write that gets to the point of posting, even if no one else reads it.
I often tell myself that if I don't post things, no one is able to read them at all, so it's important to be our own biggest cheerleaders.
I think we're all meticulous enough in at least some aspects that we don't just post willy nilly anymore. I will stop generalizing. I've become more meticulous and no longer post willy nilly. Heck, the last chapter I posted went through 3-4 versions before it got to this one. I am tired of editing and writing today and words are hard, lol.
Very true! I've had friends and readers tell me that they used to feel very nervous giving feedback. They didn't know what to say besides "Great story!" or how to put their thoughts into words. While there are probably some writers who don't care about comments that just say "Great story!" I think most of us would rather hear that than nothing at all. Obviously more detailed comments are preferable, but I'm just happy knowing someone read and liked my story, even if that's all they say. But I guess it's probably easier to craft detailed feedback when you're a writer yourself.
Even writing, I know that I have moments where I don't know how to put my thoughts into words and have said "I don't have anything to say, but I swear this isn't a you thing, it's a me thing. I need to process, but wanted to make sure you knew I was here," lol. Same, any old comment would be awesome, the detailed ones are just extra great.
That's also true about what kind of feedback we're all hoping for. Some writers really want concrit, and others are not ready for it. I think that comes with experience and maturity. I don't leave concrit unless I'm asked directly or it's to a good friend who I know won't get offended by it. And of course I always sandwich it between compliments.
I guess for me, there's varying levels of concrit. I've usually mentioned something if it feels like a clarity issue like "I am confused who is the POV here in this thought, xyz general solution may help (like a new paragraph or a "dialogue" tag)" or "I see an 'aroused' that is probably supposed to be 'roused,' but I guess 'aroused' could work..." (Who has made both of these mistakes in the past? Me, obviously, lol.) I always figure the last thing I want is for anyone reading something of mine to be confused, so if I have a confusion moment, I do like to mention it. For creative things, sandwiching is probably better than the "big 'ol face of meat" version. I like concrit wraps for things like I mentioned, doesn't get lost in the bread, lol. I wouldn't give any concrit like "I skimmed this part on the first read and here's a possible reason why" or something without being asked though. Story structure, plot, and character development are much larger pieces of a work than spelling/grammatical errors or formatting issues and deserve some more care and discussion that starts with an ask. I'll call the spelling/grammar/formatting ones a 2-minute concrit. Can it be fixed in two minutes or less? Worth mentioning.
I think concrit is like most change. If you're trying to give it to someone that doesn't want it, it won't be acknowledged until they're ready.
One of the best things we did here when the forum was more active was the summer reading challenge. It ran a few years in a row before it fizzled out due to lack of participation. People would sign up to read a story they hadn't read and give feedback, and in return, someone would read one of their stories and give feedback. Concrit was allowed and expected; we all know that going in, so it was easier to give and receive it.
That sounds super fun! And a great way to improve something when you're ready as an author. I wonder if there's some way to revive the summer reading challenge in a looser format. Like the summer read-a-thons kids do. Was the lack of participation exacerbated by slower forum participation in general? Obviously it wouldn't be a concrit thing if the people having their stories read didn't know we were doing it, but encouraging some reading would be fun.
I think the reading challenge was the best thing we ever did on this forum.
I loved that reading challenge. It was a lot of fun.
It seems like enjoying it in the days of yore is a universal opinion.
I could definitely see that too. In the early days of fanfic, I remember assuming the "popular" fanfic authors got so much feedback, they wouldn't even see or have time to reply to my emails, so I didn't bother. Once I finally had a "popular" story myself, I realized that wasn't the case. At my peak, I would get maybe ten pieces of feedback per chapter on average? Certainly nothing unmanageable. I happily read, replied to, and saved every one. Obviously it's different if you're JK Rowling LOL. But even successful published authors appreciate hearing from readers. I once tweeted a picture of my collection of Lurlene McDaniel novels with a comment about how much they influenced my writing, and I tagged her, and she actually replied to me! I was over the moon. (I just went to look up this tweet and saw that her Twitter account is suspended... whoops! LOL She is one of those Bible belt Trumpsters... so disappointing, but not entirely surprising. 
) Anyway, I never would have even thought to try contacting her directly. I don't usually tweet or tag the Boys either. I have met them quite a few times by now, and I still get nervous and never know what to say to them LOL. So I get the intimidation factor.
I thought that in my initial ventures into reading fanfic, but after writing I figured there's no point in publishing something if you're not wanting people to read it and interact with you in some way. When it's online, the interaction piece is simpler. I'm sure there are plenty of authors that don't really respond to feedback/comments, but I don't know that that has anything to do with popularity of the story. Again, unless it's Harry Potter or something, then the sheer volume of feedback really would be an issue.
That's so awesome/sweet that she replied to you! I can bet you were absolutely over the moon! I'm really excited for you, even though I feel like this happened a while ago. I only did it on my pumpkin an "I made this, it's yours to enjoy" type thought (Howie liked it and I nearly died.) I'm less inclined on a photo, though they share those to their instagram stories all the time, so what do I know? lol I've mentioned this pumpkin and never posted it, I think out of the hope someone would be like "It's January, but show us your pumpkin." So, it's June, but here's my
pumpkin, lol (different angles and draft on paper available if you like details).
I read other comments that are already there, but I don't typically go back and look at comments on other people's stories after the fact. The only time I do is if it's for a chapter with a really shocking or pivotal moment; then I do like to see how everyone else reacted.
That's another good point about people not wanting to comment if they feel they have nothing new to say. But again, I would prefer five comments from different people that say exactly the same thing or "I agree" to just one. Agree away!
I do like the kudos feature on AO3 because it's an easy way to acknowledge that read and enjoyed a story without actually having to say anything. You can even do it without an account. As someone would would rather just like/react on Facebook than actually leave a comment, I get the appeal of that.
I think I only go back if I'm still reading the story and there's something that was foreshadowed. I like to see who caught it. If it's before I've left a review, I will definitely look at what other people have to say.
In the spirit of agreeing, I agree with this sentiment, lol.
I figure a kudos is the same as a heart on twitter or instagram. I am very liberal with my hearts. As a social media lurker, I totally understand the appeal. I do wish that there was a "work kudos" and "chapter kudos" though, then there would be a way to know if silent people were reading along and enjoying.
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Topic: Writing & Thread (aka The Writing Thread 4) (Read 352403 times)