How do you deal with reader feedback?

[MissEmmEss]

Them?



Or me?

Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I definitely meant them! I should have specified. Definitely not you <3

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Everybody else here on the AH would have said Me.

 

[EmilyMiller]

If they say something nice, I thank them,

If they ask a question, I try to answer it.

If they have constructive criticism to offer, I consider whether or not it’s well founded and act accordingly. This will probably lead to a reply either way.

If they are being an ass, I ignore and move on to the next comment. Often the best critique of such stuff is to leave it in place for others to point and laugh at.

If they are being truly brainless, sometimes I can’t resist pointing that out.

If a comment is truly vile, I delete it and move on. I think I might have done that no more than three or four times over the course of three years.

 

[talemestories]

I received reader feedback about my short story, Ice Cream, along the lines of “Big words make cock shrink, ug!”

My totally adult way of dealing with this was to write a 750 word story consisting entirely of monosyllables.

Funny thing is I was thinking of doing the same featuring one of my 'interesting' commentator's names in a story but haven't yet.

 

[FrancesScott]

Funny thing is I was thinking of doing the same featuring one of my 'interesting' commentator's names in a story but haven't yet.

I don’t recommend being as childish as I was. I’m old enough to know better.

 

[talemestories]

I don’t recommend being as childish as I was. I’m old enough to know better.

I am old enough, too. That's why I haven't written it ... yet.

Hahahaha.

 

[FrancesScott]

I am old enough, too. That's why I haven't written it ... yet.

Hahahaha.

I had no such restraint.

 

[talemestories]

I had no such restraint.

I believe he will have a cameo at some point. I was thinking about doing that with a number of regular commenters just for fun. The idea is enticing.

 

[Djmac1031]

Do you incorporate the feedback in the continuation of the story

No.

Or do you stick to your initial vision?

Yes.

Now, the less simple answer. Readers will invariably form ideas of what THEY think should happen next, especially if you're writing a chaptered series.

And sometimes they may even hit on an idea that you agree might be interesting. Or at the very least maybe their idea is along the same lines of what you were planning anyway.

If you like their idea, or are inspired by them towards a certain direction, by all means, nothing wrong with that, especially if it helps move the story forward.

BUT...MOST times? Readers ideas / suggestions are totally going to clash with yours. In that case you are absolutely under no obligation to appease them by changing your story. Stick to your guns and write what works for YOU.

 

[UnexpectedLuggage]

Hi all!

I'm very new here and still trying to figure out how this community works and what I want to get from writing stories.

I'm very interested in how more seasoned writers deal with reader feedback. Specifically, I received some comments on my stories with what readers expect to happen next and it wasn't where I saw the story going. It's not necessarily a bad direction, just one I hadn't thought of.

So my question is, how do you guys deal with this? Do you incorporate the feedback in the continuation of the story, give the public what they want? Or do you stick to your initial vision?

I'm not necessarily looking for advice, just curious what you did.

Thanks,
A.

I always take feedback with a grain of salt, especially feedback about what should have happened or what should happen in the next part (which considering I tend to focus on one-off stories is always sort of a moot point).

People are free to leave whatever feedback they want, and sometimes they point out a silly mistake I made and managed to overlook during editing. Other times it's just someone complaining that I didn't change the course of my story to meet their specific fetishes.

Write for you, and if others like it, then great.

 

[iwatchus]

So my question is, how do you guys deal with this? Do you incorporate the feedback in the continuation of the story, give the public what they want? Or do you stick to your initial vision?

I do not think this is an absolutely black and white answer. My vision for a story changes all the time, for lots of different reasons. It does not mean I am invalidating that vision I see it as refining it. If a reader suggested something that I liked, I would not reject it because it was offered by a reader. The story stays true to the characters, but my expectation about where the story will go is not etched in stone.

 

[hardbiker82]

I’ve learned it’s just better turn off comments. I had some critical (almost to the point of rude), that I just decided to leave my comments off. “Sorry, if you don’t like my story, but it was a pleasure for me to write it and others seem to enjoy it” kind of attitude. I use the ‘username added to favorites’ to judge if the story was well received.

 

[MillieDynamite]

If they are rude, and personal attacks, delete them. If, like many such comments, they are showing the poster's prejudiced ass, leave them so others can get a good laugh.

I’ve learned it’s just better turn off comments. I had some critical (almost to the point of rude), that I just decided to leave my comments off. “Sorry, if you don’t like my story, but it was a pleasure for me to write it and others seem to enjoy it” kind of attitude. I use the ‘username added to favorites’ to judge if the story was well received.

 

[hardbiker82]

If they are rude, and personal attacks, delete them. If, like many such comments, they are showing the poster's prejudiced ass, leave them so others can get a good laugh.

Hmmm. I guess I didn’t know I could delete them. I will look that up — thanks for the tip.