NEW MESSAGE BOARD TOPIC!

[Comicality]

I'd be lying if I said that I could keep on writing and enjoying what I do completely if it weren't for the wonderful feedback that I've gotten for my stories online. That's one of the main things that inspires me to keep writing. Whether it's one flattering email or one hundred, it helps.

 

However, it's hard to write JUST for an audience, too. The old addage is very true...'you can't please all of the people all of the time'. Sometimes, the feedback you get has to be taken with a grain of salt, and sometimes it should be taken to heart. And when you don't get ANY concerning a certain story...it can make you feel like it wasn't worth the time. It's difficult to know what to think sometimes.

 

So this week's question is:

 

=What are your opinions on feedback?=

 

How do you get people to write to you? How does a lack of feedback affect your inspiration to write? How does negative feedback or 'flames' affect your work? And how can you tell 'constructive' criticism from harsh judgement? Whether good or bad, the masses of people reading our 'craft' truly have an impact on what it is we write in the future. How involved do you allow them to be in your creative process?

 

That's it! The board is open!

[Frank Aiden Ryan]

Oh, I love getting feedback. I can still remember waking up after publishing a story online and at Nifty, and having around thirty new e-mails in my inbox, hehehe!

 

Still though, the majority of feedback, however positive, isn't all that constructive. Most would simply say they loved the story and ask when the next one would come out. An understandable reaction, sure, but for me, it's like the reward of a long time of working, and I sort of want to revel in it. So I'm not exactly thinking of the next part *just yet*

 

Sometimes, though, I receive a lengthy and very sincere email thanking me for a wonderful story. I usually mail back instantly and ask what in particular they liked, because as an author I'm more interested in very particular feedback, not really general impressions, although those are okay. I much more value feedback that says what DID work and why, or WHAT was likeable (what scene, character) etcetera. That is the sort of feedback that reall makes me smille. Since I try to write with a sense of humor, I also try to ask readers what jokes they can remember and so on. If you're doing standup comedy, you can hear people laugh. Here, it's hard to gauge. If a person says the jokes were funny, that's good, but I'd still want to know which ones in particular

 

I've had many wonderful e-mail conversations with intelligent and kind persons who I'd always single out for proofreading or playtesting my stories, and the feedback I got from them was the feedback I most valued. I also used to converse with a fellow writer friend of mine (who's no longer active) what worked and what not, and we were able to really help eachother that way. For me, feedback is unmissable, and if I were to publish a story and would not get a single or too little replies, I'd consider it a failure and it would probably discourage me very quickly. I always left my e-mail addy at the end of a story, and would just ask my readers for feedback. Since I don't receive any compensation for the stories I write, getting feedback is the only reward.

[Myr]

I love feedback, especially the detailed kind. I tend to have a problem giving it myself, unless I'm asked specific questions.

 

However, I have been building up a nice collection of authors and editors for the Private Workshop here. We've been prodding each other into better writing

 

I too have had many conversations on the various messenger services. It's fun talking to fans.

[TheEggman]

Feedback? It's too rare to rely on. Back in 1999 I received at least 20 e-mails a day. That hasn't been the case for a long while now. I write what I want when I want. My only proof that people still read the stories are the occasional e-mails from new Nifty readers and my site's NedStats counter.

[Dabeagle]

I know when I first started, I too got a lot of email. Now I get more mail for home mortgages, herbal viagra and penis pumps in one day than I get reader mail in a week.

 

Does it make you wonder? Well, it gets to me sometimes. In my blacker moments I think of just dumping it all together. OSm estories I have written I really loved, and was saddened to see little or no reaction from people.

 

I have become one of those sites that carry more than one author, so it does help to keep new blood flowing, though it's nice to see some feedback too. I enjoy the friendships that develop, the chance to help people sometimes or just to have fun.

 

So, what am I saying here? Does it affect me? Yeah, it does. Is there a cure? Sure, I'll change my name to Comicality and get tons of email.

 

Then again, maybe he woudln't appreciate that....lol

[BillM]

I've only just started writing and I loooooove the feedback I've gotten so far. It spurs me on to continue writing but I do have one dude that emails me pointing out every spelling and grammatical error with quotes. It's like he's my English teacher and that can get very annoying! :wacko:

[underthehoodster]

This is my first contribution to your forum. I only have a single story on the net. It's called Perry and Jesse and is posted at Nifty in the high school section. I have been posting for about a year now. I don't know about other authors, but I write my story completely in secret from anyone in my 'real' life. The feedback I get through emails and my livejournal forum have not only been a great source of encouragement in the continuing of the story, but have also opened a whole world to me I never knew existed. I have heard from readers from ages thirteen to seventy six--yes, one guy has been sharing with me his youthful sexual experiences from WWII! Most are gay, some bi-, some are like myself: bi-curious. it seems that I have heard from every corner of the globe from Canada to Australia, to India, South Korea, Portugal, Iceland, Denmark and even Singapore.

 

I very much enjoy getting into long continuing correspondences, and learning about peoples' lives in these different parts of the world, especially in regards to how homosexuality is perceived and tolerated (or not tolerated). Being a Christian myself, it has been especially disappointing to come to the realization that religion is one of the chief culprits in keeping gays from being able to walk freely and proudly in society.

 

I have heard from many Nifty writers who are fans of my story, and feel bad that I rarely have time to reciprocate. Whatever time I have available for this secret part of my life, is mostly taken up in working on my story and corresponding with its readers. I have also received many pieces of writing from individuals through email. I have even managed to encourage a few guys to post their own stories at Nifty or elsewhere, in turn opening whole new worlds up to them.

 

As far as how feedback affects my actual writing, it has very little influence on the plot. I write well in advance of what I post, so anything that the readers see has been in at least rough draft form for anywhere from three to four months. On the other hand, it is great fun to read all the various specualtions about what's going to happen next--even if they're almost always wrong!

 

To sum up, the feedback I have received from posting my story on the internet has enriched my life in ways I never would have imagined. I have never received a flame, but do occasionally get criticised for various plot twists or character motivations. I don't mind it as long as the criticism is constructive.

 

I want to add that the reason I even began writing Perry and Jesse, and finally got the nerve to post it was because I was so taken with the stories of Comicality. I had never read stories like his before, with so much romance and passion (and sex!), and if he reads this post, I want him to know that he inspired me to take a huge chance by posting a homoerotic story on the internet. It has turned out to be one of the most gratifying experiences of my entire life.