Anonymous comments?

[thambok]

I just received my first anonymous comment, that asked a question about the story. Is there a method to respond to public comments, or do I just leave the question to linger?

Any ideas?

 

[MissBri]

 

[TheEarl]

You can leave your own public comment, if you like.

The Earl

 

[kendo1]

It's not a bad comment, just a personal view.
I'd leave it. It's not worth a reply.

It's also not worth deleting- you may receive a more terse reply from him/her.

Wear it as a badge of honour!






Scotland 22
England 16

 

[thambok]

It's not a bad comment, just a personal view.
I'd leave it. It's not worth a reply.

It's also not worth deleting- you may receive a more terse reply from him/her.

Wear it as a badge of honour!

I don't think its a bad reply, and I definitely wouldn't delete it. I would prefer to answer it, and explain the bond of trust and the level of dedication the main character felt.

I guess I should have made that more clear in the story.

 

[3113]

I guess I should have made that more clear in the story.

Ah! If you really feel the comment is correct and you should have done this, then you can do one better. You can edit the story.

You lose none of your votes or comments. You just rewrite and re-submit it with "-EDITED" at the end of the title and a quick word to the editor.

I got a very apt anonymous comment on one of my stories pointing out something rather embarassing that I'd flubbed on...I edited the story, problem solved.

From FAQ:
I've re-edited my story and want to replace the posted version with my new edited one. How do I do this?

No problem! Simply submit the new version as you submitted the old one, only adding the word "EDITED" to the title (ex. "My Sexy Firefighter Ch. 03 - EDITED") so that we know to replace the old text with the new text. We will then replace the original text with the new text. Your story will retain its previous voting score and views.

 

[MissBri]

 

[thambok]

I will have to consider that option.

I personally think that the story says it implicitly. However, if the message doesn't get to the reader, it does no good. I need to sit back and wait for my own obsessive fixation on this story wear off, so that I can reread it objectively.

Had this been an email, I would have had no qualms about responding. However, being an anonymous comment, it just seems.... different.

 

[kendo1]

Do you know how to do so when your title is already as long as allowed in that field on the form?
[/jack]

PM Laurel and explain tthe situation.
She is very helpful and normally replies within a day or two- bearing in mind that there are 500000 members!

 

[kendo1]

I will have to consider that option.

I personally think that the story says it implicitly. However, if the message doesn't get to the reader, it does no good. I need to sit back and wait for my own obsessive fixation on this story wear off, so that I can reread it objectively.

Had this been an email, I would have had no qualms about responding. However, being an anonymous comment, it just seems.... different.

If you do that, you will be editing and resubmitting till the end of time.

 

[MissBri]

 

[3113]

Do you know how to do so when your title is already as long as allowed in that field on the form?
[/jack]

Ah. I had that VERY problem myself having gone overboard with my title on one story.

The title was: Fancy Man & The Black Lion's Mark
NO room for the word "Edited" after that.

So what I did was I titled my edited version: Fancy Man & Black Lion--EDITED

THEN, in the message box I said:
FANCY MAN & THE BLACK LION'S MARK
Editor, this is a new, edited version of this story. Please retain the original title of this story: "Fancy Man & the Black Lion's Mark."

Essentially, I repeated it a couple of times to emphasize that this was the title and that they should ignore the "edited" title in the title box. Worked out fine. They really are wonderfully attentive to messages in that message box.

 

[carsonshepherd]

They really are wonderfully attentive to messages in that message box.

'Cept when you ask for italics. *grumble*

 

[Guest]

I just received my first anonymous comment, that asked a question about the story. Is there a method to respond to public comments, or do I just leave the question to linger?

Any ideas?

I always try to respond to reader comments, either on the board or via email, depending on how I get them. But that's just my personal opinion, and way of dealing with things. Still, I hope it helps.

 

[3113]

If you do that, you will be editing and resubmitting till the end of time.

But if they don't then the story might not be the best it can be. I grant you that a writer can edit a story to death and ruin it in that way. Believe me, I've had to bash some people over the head now and then to get them to STOP EDITING! because they were removing the heart out of the story.

But on the opposite side is that we have here a medium which allows us to make our stories better when they need to be.

I don't subscribe to obsessing over every word, every sentence. But if the comment is valid, if what the author INTENDED didn't come across, then editing it is valid and shouldn't be discouraged.

 

[3113]

'Cept when you ask for italics. *grumble*

To get italics you have to put these symbols on either end of the italicized text: <i>These words would be italicized</i>. If you put the "i" in arrows and "/i" in arrows before and after what you want italicized, then it will be italicized. You'll see it in the preview copy.

Pain in the ass, but that's what the computer program recognizes. I just naturally do it now as I'm writing up the story.

 

[MissBri]

 

[kendo1]

But if they don't then the story might not be the best it can be. I grant you that a writer can edit a story to death and ruin in that way. Believe me, I've had to bash some people over the head now and then to STOP EDITING! because they're removing the heart out of the story. But on the opposite side is that we have her a medium which allows us to make our stories better when they need to be.

I don't subscribe to obsessing over every word, every sentence. But if the comment is valid, if what the author INTENDED didn't come across, then editing it is a valid as well and shouldn't be discouraged.

You are assuming Anonymous is intelligent.
Sometimes readers do not always read well, sometimes they do.
It is up to the writer to decide if the comment is justified and edit if necessary, preferably getting someone else to read through the story and comment before submitting.

 

[carsonshepherd]

To get italics you have to put these symbols on either end of the italicized text: <i>These words would be italicized</i>. If you put the "i" in arrows and "/i" in arrows before and after what you want italicized, then it will be italicized. You'll see it in the preview copy.

Pain in the ass, but that's what the computer program recognizes. I just naturally do it now as I'm writing up the story.

Well, I didn't know that when I submitted the work and I'm too far past it to worry about it now. I just had to grumble.

 

[thambok]

You are assuming Anonymous is intelligent.
Sometimes readers do not always read well, sometimes they do.
It is up to the writer to decide if the comment is justified and edit if necessary, preferably getting someone else to read through the story and comment before submitting.

That is why I haven't edited it, and why I don't think answering a public comment is a wise course of action. Perhaps the comment is justified, but I am too involved in the story right now, to really determine whether the comment has merit. I am going to just sit and wait a few more days until I can read it without having "FIRST SUBMISSION!!!!" plaguing my every thought.

 

[carsonshepherd]

The best thing I ever learned from writing on this site - told to me by another author, Rhys - was that once I've finished a work, to put it out there and let it go. Be done with it and put my heart and soul and passion into to the next thing.

I don't know if that will help you, but it did me. It helped me let go of a story that I couldn't make work and was sucking all the joy out of writing for me. There's always another idea, another story waiting to be told, and in this case I was being held back from it by holding on to a story that couldn't be a success. Once I let go of it, I was able to move on into writing two novels.

It's hard not to obsess over our perceived mistakes, but it's better to learn from an anonymous comment like that and put what you've learned into the next story than to let it keep you tied to something you've already finished.

 

[3113]

It is up to the writer to decide if the comment is justified and edit if necessary, preferably getting someone else to read through the story and comment before submitting.

Of course. That's EXACTLY what I orignally said. That IF the writer thinks anonymous has a valid point they CAN edit if they like.

You, however, seem to be discoraging this option just because some writers are perfectionists. And I think that's unfair. As I said, one such comment and a quick edit saved me embarassment and made my story better. So I don't think having and using the edit option is a bad thing at all. I wish to God MORE writers on this forum would take advantage of it.

Sometimes those comments are dead wrong. Sometimes they're flat out stupid. But sometimes they are very, very on the mark, whether or not the author's ego want to admit it. And in such cases, a wise writer edits...because making the story the best that it can be SHOULD be paramount to any writer.

 

[thambok]

I feed off of the comments and feedback. It inspires me to write more.

What can I say? I'm a glory whore.

 

[3113]

I feed off of the comments and feedback. It inspires me to write more.

What can I say? I'm a glory whore.

Believe me, you're not the only one. Having instant feedback is the best way to make a writer feel like writing (assuming it's generally positive). It tells you that you can write...which is the one thing ALL writers doubt when they're alone and writing in a vacuum.

 

[Aurora Black]

Bump...

...and that's all the contribution that I can lend to this issue! I don't get many Anonymous PCs, especially "intelligent" ones that pose actual questions.