Message Board Topic For 5/7

[Topaz]

It's no secret that getting feedback from the people who read your stories online is the ONLY true reward that an online author gets for the time and effort he puts into every project they take on. Without it, writing can be a very tedious and thankless process. Hehehe, it's the truth, no way around it.

 

It seems, many times, that some authors get more support than others. More emails, more feedback, more fans. And it's not just a matter of 'writing a good story', because I've read a LOT of tremendously great stories that didn't get the same reaction, or the recognition that the story truly deserved. Is there a secret to it? Is that the result of planning, or just a freak occurrence in the author's favor?

 

The question this week, for readers and writers, is...do you think there's a way to write a story that actually INSPIRES feedback? Is there a trick to getting your readers to actually sit down and write that magic email that says, "Wow, I really loved what you wrote?" Is it the romance you write into a story? Is it the heartwrenching drama? Maybe it's the graphic and extremely hot sex scenes? Is it the careful use of cliffhangers, witty dialogue and humor, the frequency of newly posted chapters? What is it about certain stories that makes you want to respond? Let us know!

 

If you're a writer, what do you use? If you're a reader, what doyou look for? There's gotta be something there, right? Give us your opinion!

[Graeme]

I don't know the answer to the question, but I believe it's simple mathematics -- the more readers, the more feedback. Only a small percentage of readers respond to an author, so you need a lot more readers if you want more emails.

 

This means that you have to write something broadly appealing. The 40 chapter story about gay unicorns with a leather fetish isn't likely to do it. Stories that readers can relate to are the best bet, and that tends to mean young characters (14-25) in a contemporary setting.

 

Once you have that, you then need to attract readers. Word of mouth is a good way to attract new readers -- a person is more likely to read something if it is recommended by others. This means that forums like the ones here at GA are useful -- if someone sees a story that has attracted a large number of comments, they are more likely to become interested in reading it themselves.

 

There is a thread on attracting readers in the Writer's Corner here at GA.

 

As to what makes a story attractive to readers, that's tougher. Ultimately, it has to be well written. A reader should find themselves lost in the story, imagining that the characters are real people and maybe even finding themselves inside the story as it unfolds. There isn't a formula for that. All of the elements suggested can be in a story that is well written -- or none of them. It's not the elements that make up the answer -- it's the sum of the parts.

 

This isn't really a satisfactory answer to the question, but I don't think there is one. Sorry.

[Topaz]

You know, it's really hard to create something that will inspire feedback. I do agree with that, wholehartedly. Sometimes you write something that you're really proud of, and you don't get so much as a whisper from your readers. And other times, you write something thatyou're not entirely happy with...and those same people go absolutely apeshit over it. There's no real formula to it. No predictable design to it all. Not as far as I have seen.

 

I've learned, over time, that I can only write stories for 'me' and nobody else, and that's where the actual joy of writing comes from. But I always want it to be entertaining. I always want people to feel something, or smile, or cry. Whatever he emotion..I want it to have some EFFECT! So there are plnty of times when I might leave a story hanging with JUST enough suspense to make them want to read the next chapter. Or I might introduce a conflict where readers are stuck in a dilemma as to which way the story is going to go. Plus I love to have characters that (even though they're a huge problem for our main romance) aren't really 'bad guys'. People who you love to hate and hate to love, but end up not knowing which side you're going to be on from one chapter to the next. (Like Chris in "Class", or Tyler in "New Kid")

 

Basically, there's no real way to get people to send you emails and tell you whether or not they liked what you worked so hard on. But I've come to find that if the story is involving enough, and readers can find a true attachment to what's going on, with a desire to know what's going to happen next...then you've got a better chance of getting more feedback. Good feedback! Pull them in, get them involved, and always leave them wanting more.

 

Hehehe...sorry readers! Yep, I did it. And I'll do it again. Watch....