Flattery or insult?

[Blind_Justice]

Sooooo, Today I received a comment on my most recent story which went live sixteen days ago. Ancient history in Internet time, I know. Here's what the person had to say:

I'm not sure if you are even still writing, but I would like to know if there is a conclusion to the Mud and Magic series. I'm enjoying all of it. The sex scenes are fine, but I really was enjoying the story line and where you were with it. I'm curious, where it goes from here!!! Please advise if you finished it as something else, or if you just never got around to it. Thanks for the wonderful writing and the sexy stuff was good too....

I mean, I am blind, but even I can check publishing dates. Are two weeks and change now reason enough to unleash the "are you even still writing?" phrase? I would understand if I had gone radio silent for a year or so, but from a cursory glance at my story list it's obvious that I have released a new chapter roughly each month. Info on my progress can easily be found too since I have to put up updates for my Patrons anyway.

Sigh. Am I a victim of the Twitter age? Is this the new normal? I'm flattered, but highly irritated at the same time. I think I understand how KeithD feels.

 

[NotWise]

Sigh. Am I a victim of the Twitter age? Is this the new normal? I'm flattered, but highly irritated at the same time. I think I understand how KeithD feels.

It sounds to me like you had an over-excited fan.

Maybe you could start tweeting out stories in 25-word bites.

 

[Hypoxia]

Sigh. Am I a victim of the Twitter age? Is this the new normal?

Yes and yes, but wait, there's more! People often misjudge times. One reader of Gift Box criticized me for copying another story, even though mine posted two weeks earlier. Sigh.

We can expect readers to be smart / dumb / careless / insightful / insane / etc. Our assumptions will not be disappointed. Readers have been like that for many centuries. I guess being muddled is part of the Human Condition. Yikes.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Hard to take that as an insult, even if it is perhaps an unrealistic expectation. Smile, post a ‘thanks-but-patience’ reply and get writing.

 

[AllAmericanMale]

Sooooo, Today I received a comment on my most recent story which went live sixteen days ago. Ancient history in Internet time, I know. Here's what the person had to say:



I mean, I am blind, but even I can check publishing dates. Are two weeks and change now reason enough to unleash the "are you even still writing?" phrase? I would understand if I had gone radio silent for a year or so, but from a cursory glance at my story list it's obvious that I have released a new chapter roughly each month. Info on my progress can easily be found too since I have to put up updates for my Patrons anyway.

Sigh. Am I a victim of the Twitter age? Is this the new normal? I'm flattered, but highly irritated at the same time. I think I understand how KeithD feels.

Definitely an appreciative fan. Meant as a compliment, no doubt. He's just excited about your writing and is insatiable. Chalk it up to slightly overzealous.

 

[Misshotndeep]

Sooooo, Today I received a comment on my most recent story which went live sixteen days ago. Ancient history in Internet time, I know. Here's what the person had to say:



I mean, I am blind, but even I can check publishing dates. Are two weeks and change now reason enough to unleash the "are you even still writing?" phrase? I would understand if I had gone radio silent for a year or so, but from a cursory glance at my story list it's obvious that I have released a new chapter roughly each month. Info on my progress can easily be found too since I have to put up updates for my Patrons anyway.

Sigh. Am I a victim of the Twitter age? Is this the new normal? I'm flattered, but highly irritated at the same time. I think I understand how KeithD feels.

That is flattery. He is so excited about your story he wants more. It’s probably the highest complement a writer can get in my opinion.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Is it possible they didn't notice the dates and just stumbled across this story without realising it was new?

I am so lucky with my readers. I've been shockingly bad at posting regular updates on my current series, and yet they're all sweet and hardly ever get impatient with me.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Sigh. Am I a victim of the Twitter age? Is this the new normal? I'm flattered, but highly irritated at the same time. I think I understand how KeithD feels.

That's a fan, I reckon, who maybe has only just found your latest chapter and is all joy and bliss because they've discovered you're still going with that series, when they thought you weren't.

I think perhaps that you're reading their comment from the wrong direction. I don't think they're nagging after two weeks. I think they're excited after whatever amount of time passed since the chapter before.

 

[Blind_Justice]

It sounds to me like you had an over-excited fan.

Maybe you could start tweeting out stories in 25-word bites.

Interesting idea, but considering my "chapters" clock in at 20k words on average, that would take years. Time much better spent writing the next one.

Thanks for your input, everyone. I've put away the knives and picked up the quill instead.

I know there are writers out there able to put out prodigious amounts of work in a short time. I tip my hat to them, but I don't belong to that elusive circle. One chapter a month is fast for me - and that's only because I've stopped deliberating over each and every sentence or plot point. Before, I was happy to let my stories gestate for months on end until I was happy with every little phrase, but that's not conducive for cultivating a steady fan base. But seeing that this accelerated pace didn't tank my scores, it's okay I guess. Considering I have to do thrice the work a sighted author has to do - making sure my descriptions are not utter bollocks and trying not to butcher the foreign language I'm using, one chapter a month feels plenty. Having a reader moan about "will you ever finish the story" ruffled my feathers the wrong way.

 

[BuckyDuckman]

Cool that you have such an eager fan. I wouldn't expect most readers to notice publishing dates.

I don't post many series. In my pre-Lit days, I did, but it was a real burden if I got bored with a story, wanted to abandon it, and I had readers insisting on an ending. If I wanted to post a series, I would feel an obligation to make sure I had written the ending of it before posting it. With my limited writing time, it would be unfair to readers for me to be otherwise.

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

I'm thinking they just didn't check the dates.

You got an amazing compliment!