Motivation and Feedback - Authors, Choose Best Answers

[Mikiesboy]

3 hours ago, Mawgrim said:

You have to start bang in the middle of the action

Always. Grab them by the throat. It can be harder with some stories, but do it whenever you can.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Mikiesboy

[Kitt]

On 4/26/2021 at 6:38 PM, Myr said:

Though I heard from @C James, The Cliffhanger, that if you write a cliffhanger and leave them waiting awhile, you can really generate some heat...

 

 

On 4/27/2021 at 1:48 AM, Mrsgnomie said:

Ah, so this is the secret sauce? Good to know .

Good God! Don't encourage them!

 

4 hours ago, Aditus said:

@Tim Hobson

You seem to expect that readers aren't satisfied with your writing. What, if they simply enjoyed reading the story and liked it and they let you know by using the reaction buttons? Not everyone is a book critic or does want to be one. 

I used to comment religiously on just about everything I read, until a comment about an unexpected plot twist was met with a huge amount of animosity. I stopped commenting altogether for a long time when the author told me ( in open forum) how horrible I was to make that comment. I had just started to comment again on stories from authors I had little interaction with when another reader chewed me out ( again publicaly) for leading the thread off topic. Makes wanting to comment unpalatable. 

I am a big proponent of praise publicly criticize privately.  Not going to be nice? Say it in private. That's what messaging is for! The two individuals that were nasty with me have caused many  authors to get nothing but a like or other reaction icon from me. I simply don't feel like being a target. I will hold my comments for authors I know will take my comments as intended.

[Carlos Hazday]

35 minutes ago, Kitt said:

Good God! Don't encourage them!

Come on, Kitt! If CJ says we should let cliffies percolate for a while, who am I to disagree with the goat? It's a novel idea I may have to try.

 

[Mrsgnomie]

Just now, Carlos Hazday said:

Come on, Kitt! If CJ says we should let cliffies percolate for a while, who am I to disagree with the goat? It's a novel idea I may have to try.

 

Cliffies give me actual anxiety lol. Sometimes it's hard to tell if the readers are outraged because they're engaged or outraged because they're deranged. Should I expect death threats? Is the pitch fork mob a figurative statement or should I sleep with one eye open? I mean, @kbois is still alive, so...

[Carlos Hazday]

57 minutes ago, Kitt said:

I am a big proponent of praise publicly criticize privately.  Not going to be nice? Say it in private. That's what messaging is for! The two individuals that were nasty with me have caused many  authors to get nothing but a like or other reaction icon from me. I simply don't feel like being a target. I will hold my comments for authors I know will take my comments as intended.

Unfortunately, even when done privately, animosity is a possibility. I made a mistake in criticizing something and the author rightfully pointed out I was a dumb ass. I was also told not to bother reading anything else by them. A little touchy, I think. But it also proves many of those people asking for commentary are probably looking for adulation.

 

Edited April 28, 2022 by Carlos Hazday

[Carlos Hazday]

6 minutes ago, Mrsgnomie said:

Cliffies give me actual anxiety lol. Sometimes it's hard to tell if the readers are outraged because they're engaged or outraged because they're deranged. Should I expect death threats? Is the pitch fork mob a figurative statement or should I sleep with one eye open? I mean, @kbois is still alive, so...

There are death threats sprinkled through comments on my stuff. LOL

Cliffies are fun, but CJames took it to a level I thought was too much. I don't like every chapter ending in one. Or so it felt.

I've written a few, and followed his advice about waiting to uncliff.

My first story ended with the MC arrested, family friends involved in a car crash, his cop neighbor being shot, and his doctor breaking up with his boyfriend. Fortunately, book 2 was already written so there was little time to get the torches lit.

I ended a music competition story without revealing the winner, I dragged out revealing what someone's death bed request was for two books, and I had a TV reporter mention something had taken place some 20 years before the comment was made. Readers have been hounding me since to find out what happened. I think that was 2 or 3 years ago. They'll find out at the end of May. LOL

[Mrsgnomie]

3 minutes ago, Carlos Hazday said:

There are death threats sprinkled through comments on my stuff. LOL

Cliffies are fun, but CJames took it to a level I thought was too much. I don't like every chapter ending in one. Or so it felt.

I've written a few, and followed his advice about waiting to uncliff.

My first story ended with the MC arrested, family friends involved in a car crash, his cop neighbor being shot, and his doctor breaking up with his boyfriend. Fortunately, book 2 was already written so there was little time to get the torches lit.

I ended a music competition story without revealing the winner, I dragged out revealing what someone's death bed request was for two books, and I had a TV reporter mention something had taken place some 20 years before the comment was made. Readers have been hounding me since to find out what happened. I think that was 2 or 3 years ago. They'll find out at the end of May. LOL

Now you're giving me anxiety. I'm not cut out for this life lol

[Mrsgnomie]

6 minutes ago, Carlos Hazday said:

Readers have been hounding me since to find out what happened. I think that was 2 or 3 years ago. They'll find out at the end of May. LOL

[Carlos Hazday]

Just now, Mrsgnomie said:

Now you're giving me anxiety. I'm not cut out for this life lol

I write for fun. MY fun LOL So I keep trying out new things all the time. My current story so far has included a Russian spy, exploration of Maya ruins, and a weekend trip to Miami for a concert. I need to keep a few more things secret for now, but my point's that as authors we can do anything we want, even join disparate events in one tale. Or limit readers' instant gratification.

Relax and have a coffee machine blow up in a football player's face or something. Then wait a couple of chapters to let us know he survived.

 

[Kitt]

8 minutes ago, Mrsgnomie said:

Now you're giving me anxiety. I'm not cut out for this life lol

In my case, I only threaten those I love with pitchforks and torches.  Ask Carlos! I am usually leading the charge if he left us on a big cliff edge.

[Kitt]

7 minutes ago, Carlos Hazday said:

Relax and have a coffee machine blow up in a football player's face or something. Then wait a couple of chapters to let us know he survived.

 

See what I mean? You authors get plenty of ideas all by yourself. You guys don't NEED comments from thr peanut gallery!

[astone2292]

20 minutes ago, Kitt said:

In my case, I only threaten those I love with pitchforks and torches.  Ask Carlos! I am usually leading the charge if he left us on a big cliff edge.

This is true. I've seen them once, and they inspired other commenters to grab rope, along with other things. I didn't pay attention because I was running away. 

14 minutes ago, Kitt said:

 

See what I mean? You authors get plenty of ideas all by yourself. You guys don't NEED comments from thr peanut gallery!

Oh, that's not true! We authors always need inspiration. Cernunnos came from a reader's comment, and I thank @CincyKris every chance I get!

[Tim Hobson]

5 hours ago, Mawgrim said:

Selling books through a publisher is a whole different ballgame. First of all you need to find a publisher who is interested in your genre and see if they are currently accepting unsolicited submissions. Then follow their guidelines, send off what they require and wait... and wait... and wait. You may be lucky, you may not be. Generally if the first few paragraphs doesn't grab them, then they won't read any more.

I went on a writing course last week and the general advice was to keep on trying. It can be of benefit to get an author who already has published books in the same genre to critique what you have written first. I had two published authors look at the first chapter of the mystery novel I am currently writing and their comments have led me to a total re-writing frenzy! Basically, I hadn't started in the right place. You have to start bang in the middle of the action and leave exposition for later. 

People on GA are generally kind with their comments and most are just interested in a good read. They are not professional critics. I have tried posting chapters on sites such as critique circle, but most of the crits are from other unpublished writers, so you will get a wide variety of different comments, only some of which might help you. Getting feedback from two authors who know the industry has been far more useful.

Hope this helps you.

Thank you, and this does help.

[kbois]

55 minutes ago, Mrsgnomie said:

Cliffies give me actual anxiety lol. Sometimes it's hard to tell if the readers are outraged because they're engaged or outraged because they're deranged. Should I expect death threats? Is the pitch fork mob a figurative statement or should I sleep with one eye open? I mean, @kbois is still alive, so...

CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! 

YAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

[Kitt]

1 minute ago, kbois said:

CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! CLIFFHANGER! 

YAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!

Looks like she is at it again!

[CassieQ]

On 4/28/2022 at 1:28 PM, Mrsgnomie said:

Cliffies give me actual anxiety lol. Sometimes it's hard to tell if the readers are outraged because they're engaged or outraged because they're deranged. 

If you leave a chapter on a cliffie and the readers are outraged, i generally consider it to be a good thing.

[Krista]

There are types of stories that lends themselves more seamlessly to Cliffhangers though. Slow moving romances that I write, don't tend to warrant them. I mean, I guess they could, but I've never felt like the lives of my characters ever got up to much that would require one. They're usually better suited for Adventure, Mystery, Dramatic stories.

Faster paced romances can have them sprinkled in every now and then. I'm also of the mind that overusing them does take a lot of the bite out of their true intention as well. If they're just 'there' to get a visceral reaction from a reader, but feels a bit withdrawn from the pace and plot of the story, I don't think it should be a go to tool.

Not trying to take the wind out of sails though, you do you. I just don't use them often, but I think that's more my own head telling me, that the story I'm writing just doesn't need them. 

[Kitt]

I've found that a goodly number of the authors I enjoy reading tend to leave things teetering on an edge frequently. Some chapters it's a 6" step, others it's a 6000' cliff, but either way it leaves me shouting "POST SOONER"

Edited May 12, 2022 by Kitt

[Krista]

9 hours ago, Kitt said:

I've found that a goodly number of the authors I enjoy reading tend to leave things teetering on an edge frequently. Some chapters it's a 6" step, others it's a 6000' cliff, but either way it leaves me shouting "POST SOONER"

I think my poor readers have found out that tactic doesn't work with me. Lol. I do feel sorry for them the poor dears.  

[Luca E]

I'm new here (just found the club) so my opinion doesn't count for much, anyway here it is: there are a few gay story sites, some give nothing they just publish your story, some give page views, and some like this site give, page views, likes, comments, and reviews. I don't think you could ask for more.

Of course you have to join up to like, comment, etc. and probably for every reader who is a member there are ten others who are not. To my way of thinking, if you get one like on a chapter or story, you've got ten in reality, because all those readers who can't like it are still reading it.

Everybody takes and only a few give, that I guess is how life is.

[Mikiesboy]

1 hour ago, Luca E said:

I'm new here (just found the club) so my opinion doesn't count for much

Sometimes, a new fresh thought is just the thing someone needs to hear, so your opinion and your thoughts are just as meaningful and welcome as anyone's.    

Edited July 7, 2022 by Mikiesboy

[Kitt]

1 minute ago, Mikiesboy said:

Sometimes, a new fresh thought is just the thing someone needs to hear, so your opinion and your thoughts are just as meaningful and welcome as anyone's.    

Quite true. Differing perspectives flip switches in authors heads.

[Myr]

10 hours ago, Kitt said:

Quite true. Differing perspectives flip switches in authors heads.

One of the reasons I periodically ask questions such as this post.

 

10 hours ago, Mikiesboy said:

Sometimes, a new fresh thought is just the thing someone needs to hear, so your opinion and your thoughts are just as meaningful and welcome as anyone's.    

Yup

12 hours ago, Luca E said:

Of course you have to join up to like, comment, etc. and probably for every reader who is a member there are ten others who are not

This is an accurate assessment.  The reading stat functions for an author help with seeing those views over time too. 

[BigBen]

I suppose it would be a real pain to program it, but knowing how many readers come back to re-read a story might also be useful.  There are some stories that one is simply drawn back to from time to time, and kudos to an author who can write such a story.

Though if I were programming such a feature, I wouldn't count re-readings of, say, two or three chapters before the newest-posted one, because when several months go by between postings, some of us have to go back to pick up the threads of the story before reading the newest chapter.

[Brayon]

Everyone likes to have their ego stroked. I typically will write for an audience of one: Me, Myself, and I. For the past few years, I put the pen down, cause I lost the passion for a bit. A death in the family and an Asshat trashing my babies, and I couldn't take it and had to step back. I'm just now getting back into the passion of writing, but work, school, and family is taking up a large amount of my time. Feedback from readers is great, it lets me know that people are interested in what I'm writing. And with my time constraints, knowing that people want to read what I have written, makes it easier for me to not play SIMS 4, or ESO, and write a paragraph or three.