Writers! - Do those of us that Review/Post - help or hinder?

[Emmy]

Eeeeek - scary! Starting a new topic! Not done this before!


I was just wondering. A few of my favourite stories updated last night/today & I wondered those of us that eagerly await an update & gush in your threads & in our reviews.

Does it add pressure and therefore hinder your writing & creative juices?
Or does it motivate you - knowing that people really care about your tale?

I could see how it could be either.
& I worry how on some stories, partic if the author is trying to work something difficult out or has a block - that it could be additional stress....

& I would hate that to ever happen.
What are others honest thoughts on this?


Thanks!

[xparawhorextwerdx]

I find reviews helpful, unless they're really bad flames. They encourage me, and it makes me glad to see that people feel strongly enough about my stories to take the time to review.
If people actually posted in my threads, I'd be happy.

[xparawhorextwerdx]

I find reviews helpful, unless they're really bad flames. They encourage me, and it makes me glad to see that people feel strongly enough about my stories to take the time to review.
If people actually posted in my threads, I'd be happy.

[ninapolitan]

Eeeeek - scary! Starting a new topic! Not done this before!


I was just wondering. A few of my favourite stories updated last night/today & I wondered those of us that eagerly await an update & gush in your threads & in our reviews.

Does it add pressure and therefore hinder your writing & creative juices?
Or does it motivate you - knowing that people really care about your tale?

I could see how it could be either.
& I worry how on some stories, partic if the author is trying to work something difficult out or has a block - that it could be additional stress....

& I would hate that to ever happen.
What are others honest thoughts on this?


Thanks!

To me, my dear Emmy, it doesn't add pressure if anything it relieves it, especially when I notice the same names over and over during the reviewing process, it makes me so happy that someone has stuck with me.

I try to review to everything I read, sometimes if I'm just starting a multi-chapter story, I'll admit I forget when I can just click next to see what happens, but I do try, hoping that I can convey something to the author.

The threads to me are just a reiteration of how much you like the story or if you have specific question, so I do like that people take the time to check the threads out.

I know there are timing issues too though and not everyone can do both or either, I take what I get and appreciate the hell out of it.

Just my opinion though. Great topic btw.

[pixieyow]

Reviews and posts in my thread go both ways for me. When ppl tell me that they enjoy my story it really motivates me to continue writing, but it also puts pressure on me...but I like the pressure. It's a good kind of pressure. Because when I feel really pressured to write a good chapter I'm SUPER nervous to post it...and then after I post it and get good reviews~it's a wonderful feeling...and then the pressure starts again.....it's a cycle, but a really really good one. And i like questions because they force me to evaluate what I'm writing and they show me areas where I may not have been clear in my writing

Um, so my answer may not have made sense...but there you are!

pixie

[GreekBee]

Personally, I get motivated.

People saying 'another chappie!' adds a bitof pressue, but like pixieyow says, it's a good pressure.

[autumn dreamer]

Does it add pressure and therefore hinder your writing & creative juices?
Or does it motivate you - knowing that people really care about your tale?

So far, from my little experience, reviews help. Reviews let me know that people are indeed enjoying what I'm doing. If I had tons of hits but no reviews I'd just give up because what the heck is the point? If no one is letting you know that they enjoy your story, then why continue? Professional authors have book sales to kind of gauge their readers. As a fanfiction author I can't put a lot of stake in my hit counts because they are so freakin' odd. The first chapter of my story may have 3,000 hits alone but all the others are 500 to 800, which is a big gap.

Okay, I rambled on that one. I think only my first two sentences make any damn sense now.

To me, my dear Emmy, it doesn't add pressure if anything it relieves it, especially when I notice the same names over and over during the reviewing process, it makes me so happy that someone has stuck with me.

I try to review to everything I read, sometimes if I'm just starting a multi-chapter story, I'll admit I forget when I can just click next to see what happens, but I do try, hoping that I can convey something to the author.

Oh, it puts a smile on my face when I see the same names over and over again. I love that someone has stuck with me and is still enjoying what I'm doing. I look for their names to pop up in reviews. I think I take more stock in their opinion because I know they've been with me from the beginning and take the time to comment.

If I'm starting a story that is already established and I'm catching up on it, a lot of times I will wait until I'm caught up to comment. I will tell the author that I just found their story, read all the chapters in X amount of time and have been enjoying it. I will also try to comment on something specific. If something really moves me in the story during a chapter that is not at the end, then I will do all of that earlier. If I find a story that has just started and read it from the very beginning, I often comment on every chapter unless I get behind and then I comment all at once.

So, to sum all my babblings up, reviews make me squee and smile and be all happy and shit.

[that_writr]

Oh, they definitely help me.

At first, just getting ANYthing was a thrill. I'd never tried writing anything that was fiction (and long) before. I'd written little pieces here and there, but I'm a journalist. Even "human interest" pieces aren't fiction. I'd written editorials, news stories, interest pieces, and speeches. So I was very used to using words, writing for (relatively) easy understanding in addition to writing academic stuff -- plus how to evoke emotion with words.

But making the leap to FICTION was a bit different, especially a long piece. I felt pretty confident I could write something that made sense, and handle dialogue, etc. But PLOTTING? That was SCARY.

Fortunately, I had some help and hand-holding from a friend who's been publishing (fiction) for years, but I had no idea how it would be received ... if anybody would even be the least interested because my story challenged a lot of sort of stock elements of B/E fiction: Bella was a lot older, she'd been married (and happily so), she'd found her grrl power (ha), she was in a wheelchair, and she wasn't at all happy to see Edward again. Moreover, I split up the Cullens! (Shock!)

So I did some radical things, and I kinda, sorta expected rotten tomatoes. Ha!

Ergo, I was really pleased when people wrote to (mostly) say they liked it ... both the ideas and even the writing.

Now, knowing there are readers out there actually -- wow! -- waiting for a new chapter is definitely inspiration not to just quit when I've been dragged under the surface by real-life concerns. People asking about the story is quite nice.

That said, there is one thing I DON'T like ...

"Demanding" reviews. Fortunately, most people are NOT like that at all -- quite the opposite. They're really sweet and wish me luck if I mention in notes that I've got papers to grade or something. But sometimes, there's a brusque review (more often on ff.net than here) that says something like, "Really good, but update SOON!" ... on a chapter where I SAID in the notes at the bottom that it might be a few weeks until the next update. That really *annoys* me because it seems like all the reviewer cares about is getting more of the story, never mind how busy the author might be with things that actually make money. So I tend to assume those reviewers are spoiled little brats. Ha. There are better ways to express excitement or (flattering) impatience. "I can hardly wait for an update!" for instance. That doesn't make that author feel like the reader doesn't care.

So yeah ... most people are wonderful and have been really encouraging. Only a few are douchebags. Ha.

~Katie

[xparawhorextwerdx]

Yeah, when reviewers mention something that you've written in the A.N. it's pretty cool that they actually care about what you're writing. When I posted on my birthday, I mentioned it in the A.N. Partially because it was a chapter that I thought would give me flames, but I digress. (tip for everyone, NEVER have Alice/Edward unless you prefer getting flamed) I did get the flames, but most people didn't, and only 3 reviewers didn't say happy birthday.
But when I say that I mightn't be able to update for a while, and then get reviews saying update soon, I wonder is there a point.

[dreaming]

I agree - knowing that somebody out there cares enough to actually tell you is AMAZING motivation. Personally, when i write for myself, I just drift along - I haven't written any of one story for months. But if there's someone out there, anywhere in the world (which is pretty cool, btw, to get a review from someone in America/Mexico/Australia saying they liked something little me in England wrote) I'm actually likely to write more.

In addition, my fic Shattered Sunrise is the first extended story I've ever actually finished - because I knew people were reading and liking it. The reviews helped a LOT.

Even though I finished that back in July (two days before BD came out lol!) I still occasionally get reviews for it, and it makes me so happy! Picture *happydances*, *squees*, *massive stupid grins*...

*cough* anyway. I also know that it's fairly demoralizing when you've put so much of yourself into writing something, and it seems like nobody can be bothered to give any feedback at all.

Wow. That was one epic post. I got a load of birthday wishes too, Cíara! And it was awesome

So, to sum all my babblings up, reviews make me squee and smile and be all happy and shit.

^^ this is so true.