are you "swayed" by your reader's requests?

[kristydoll]

How much do you listen to the feedback of your readers - especially in the requests for another chapter/part, etc?

I have a story that will not die. The first part was an experiment but as a "story" received good feedback and many requests to continue it. Because of the number of requests, I felt almost "obligated" to continue it - and did.

Unfortunately, once again, I hung the end. Again, the requests to continue. Although my main character is one I would like to "use" again - I really don't wish to continue with this story line.

I guess my question is - what to do? Give the readers what they want (Part 3)? or leave it (as was my intention after the first)? What do you do? How much are you, as writers, swayed by your reader's requests?

kristy

 

[BigTexan]

Kristy,

I too am in this dilemma. After much thought though, I believe I will not be sayed by readers asking for a sequel.

I have too many story ideas in my head that I would rather write.

BigTexan

 

[Pookie]

I have felt the same pressure from readers with my stories. If you feel inspired to write a sequel, then I would do it. But if you are ready to move on to another story idea, you probably will find that the quality of writing another part to the original story will suffer because of your lack of interest.

Write the next story for the same reason you wrote the last. For your enjoyment.

 

[eroslit]

Ask yourself who you are writing for: yourself or your audience? If the answer is yourself, don't get hung up on feedback requests. If the answer is your audience, you may as well meet their demands. We all want to write stories people will like, but what are the chances of doing that if we're "forced" into writing stories we aren't into?

 

[Guest]

lives of their own

Unfortunately, once again, I hung the end. Again, the requests to continue. Although my main character is one I would like to "use" again - I really don't wish to continue with this story line.

Tough one! It seems like some readers "claim" the persona of one of the characters and believe they know what that character should do next.

I have gone into denial and just put off writing another piece... enough suggestions have floated in that I am conflicted on what MY characters will do....

I am no help for you...

We all want to write stories people will like, but what are the chances of doing that if we're "forced" into writing stories we aren't into?

eroslit asks a great question....

I remember being very angry at an author who had "my" character do something that I didn't think she would ever do... I understand the readers' desires, I just am queasy about changing what I think MY characters should/would do.

And, ultimately, if I am not excited about writing I just don't do it.

 

[Chicklet]

Sometimes...

Sometimes my readers inspire me. They have good ideas for my characters, and I try to work them in *when I like them*

If I don't want to finish the story, I usually write back and tell the reader so, so they arne't sitting on the edge of their seat all concerned. When I like the ideas, I tell them too.

If a story is doomed, then I won't continue it. But if it's not, then readers are welcome to have their say.

Chicklet

 

[Sillyman]

I work with requests occasionally. I'm not one for serial stories though.

 

[wildsweetone]

interesting thread kristy

i have had a fair amount of feedback from stories. usually, the 'hotter' they are, the more feedback i get.

i have delved into areas i've not personally experienced, i wrote about them because i wanted to 'try' them out to see if i could write them.

when i received feedback from readers asking me to continue them and to write more along similar lines, i was bowled over.

when i receive feedback suggesting how the next part of a story could go, i kind of have a mind balk. i don't like being given 'boundaries' like that on stories. i prefer doing my own thing with them. when somebody suggests a complete plot for me, i tend to feel 'cornered' and i don't write as well as i could.

a thought for you
if you don't want to receive any more 'encouraging the next sequel' feedback, then take the bull by the horns and simply end the story.

otherwise, simply accept that people enjoyed the story/series so much that they want more. tv programs do that to me all the time. i looooooathe it when left with a cliffhanger. when it happens with a book i read, i am forced to hunt out other books by the same author.

it's a wonderful compliment to your writing.

 

[Madame Manga]

I've run across this a lot in my fan fiction career. I like somewhat-open endings, so I get a lot of requests for sequels. However, most of the time, I've said my piece and I don't have any intention of sewing up the loose ends.

I gave permission to a couple of other writers to do sequels to stories of mine--those actually turned out fairly well, I thought. Since I had let go of the situation, seeing what another person made of it was very interesting. Yes, they did things I hadn't thought of and wouldn't have done myself, but to my mind that was the point of the exercise.

On the other hand, I have sometimes written a story and discovered halfway through the process that I was going to have to do a sequel. Then I could build in the foundation of the next story as I went. Those sequels were painless to plot, since so much backstory had already been established.

On another note, I have sometimes posted a multi-chaptered story and had a lot of responses asking for the story to go a particular way. Sometimes I was heading in that direction anyway, so no problem. But I recall one in which I was going to stay away from the romantic solution, and every single respondent begged me for romance. Arrgh. I had conniptions over that one. Please my audience, or do what the story required?

I tried an exercise. I wrote out that romantic scene and contemplated it in context. Then I threw it away and wrote the ending I had in mind, because the romance burst the bubble, as I had known it would. I just had to prove it to myself.

Do what you need to to do as a writer. If you always fulfill the reader's expectations, you will never surprise or challenge them, and no matter how much they say they want a certain thing, they have a kind of contempt for an author who always follows their commands.

MM

http://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=146334

 

[Weird Harold]

Because of the number of requests, I felt almost "obligated" to continue it - and did.

Unfortunately, once again, I hung the end. Again, the requests to continue. Although my main character is one I would like to "use" again - I really don't wish to continue with this story line.

If you plan to use the character again, then write the sequel as a segue to the story you'd like to use the character in.

Since you left the story hanging, you should write part three to wrap up the loose ends of the current story line.

 

[Couture]

I depends. I get reader requests to continue stories all the time. However, if I've written an ending . . . adeeba adeeba that's all folks.

It's hard enough writing a satisfactory beginning and conclusion for a story. I couldn't imagine having to write another beginning and end to the same story.

I do other reader requests though. Sometimes someone will say, "I've always wanted to read a story about (blank)."

I will be inspired and write such a story. However, if there's no inspiration, then there's no story.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Ask yourself who you are writing for: yourself or your audience? If the answer is yourself, don't get hung up on feedback requests. If the answer is your audience, you may as well meet their demands. We all want to write stories people will like, but what are the chances of doing that if we're "forced" into writing stories we aren't into?

I think this is an interesting viewpoint. It's not one that I thought of in conjunction with this. I hadn't considered this a write for yourselv vs. writer for audience thing. I'll have to think about that.

I write for my audience--otherwise I wouldn't post here--but I rarely, if ever, comply with their requests. I look at it this way, there's a thousand clicks on the story and one person wants me to, oh, make Character A pregnant. Sorry, not happening.

I can write for the purpose of having my audience enjoy my writing, but that doesn't mean they get it their way. I'm not Burger King and they aren't paying me by the whopper. If someone is desperate enough to have me--specifically--write the story of their dreams to their specifications, they can pay me for it.

Stories have lives of their own. Characters have lives of their own. They behave and do things in certain ways just like real people do. That's the way the story should go. If I'm reading the "hung" part correctly, you stopped before it was finished. If you can't work up the interest to write a final chapter in the series, then don't do it. Leave it for a while. If you can, the write a final chapter the way you think it should be written. Your audience will like it much better.

You know that Stephen King doesn't write to please individual requests from fans. Why should you? Unless of course you actively solicited the "how do you want this to go" or "I'll finish here if I don't hear from you" feedback.

 

[kristydoll]

Lots of good feedback here and many good points to consider. Thank you.

I gave permission to a couple of other writers to do sequels to stories of mine--those actually turned out fairly well, I thought. Since I had let go of the situation, seeing what another person made of it was very interesting. Yes, they did things I hadn't thought of and wouldn't have done myself, but to my mind that was the point of the exercise.

I like this idea, and if it wasn't this particular character, it would be something to consider.

Weird Harold and Killer Muffin - both of you have valid points to the "hung" aspect. Personally, I think that it is not so much "unfinished", rather readers want the detailed account of what happened. I think I will leave it to their imaginations.

Thanks to everyone who posted with their experiences. It has put new perspectives on this issue for me. *smiles*

kristy

 

[millieteases]

I write erotica primarily for myself and am thrilled when others like it. I also pretty much follow the Pirandello idea - the characters are in search of an author - I'm just their conduit.

If others provide ideas, I pick and choose what works for the characters - in my mind.

If the characters want a sequel, they get it. One of my stories is working this way. Others aren't. They'll be done when they are done - one story or fifty.

Most of all, I write erotica for entertainment and relaxation - so I don't spend an enormous amount of time worrying about tailoring it for a particular audience.

In real life I write to the audience-that's what I get paid to do.

 

[Whispersecret]

Someone once wrote me, "Oh, I'd really love it if Fiona was gangbanged by a bunch of black guys. Could you write that?" While I'm flattered that they liked the story enough to see more of it, I didn't take their suggestion. That type of scenario just didn't *"jive" with the type of story I wrote.

On the other hand, someone else wrote me asking why Rockwell never did Fiona in the ass, like he had promised in the story. Now, that DID catch my attention, and I did end up writing a story in which Rockwell does Fiona in the ass. The Holiday Story Contest came up last year, and I wanted to submit something, so I killed two birds with one stone.

So, to sum up, I'll honor reader requests if
--they keep within the boundaries of the characters as I have written them
--the story is inside of me and I want to write it.

If you leave the ending of a series open, then you risk people feeling dissatisfied or frustrated. I think that in the future you should consider giving a series a definite ending, so that readers will understand that you're done with that. That way you can then add something epiloguish later if you feel the urge, which would be a win-win situation.

*By the way, THAT is a pun. "Jive" as in, "fit," and "jive" as in the slang term that was used by black people in the seventies. Those of you who read Mike's thread in which we discussed puns will know why this explanation is here.

 

[Sabledrake]

I have written a lot of naughty fanfic as well as original tales, and have lost track of how many times I've gotten requests for sequels to certain stories. Sometimes, the requests are very specific (not to mention out of character or downright scary <g>).

Most of the time, I already have an idea of what I plan to do next, if anything, and am not looking for suggestions. But knowing what readers liked, as well as what they didn't, provides me a good framework.

Sometimes, though, someone will weigh in with an idea that's too intriguing to pass up, or that touches on a point in the story I may have forgotten or overlooked.

I prefer to leave endings more or less open, because you never know when a brilliant idea will pop up. That's the same reason I dislike killing off characters. Hate to waste a potential resource!

Sabledrake

 

[Guest]

I give a lot of thought to what my readers like

Hi Kristydoll.......

Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents here. I've quite often taking some of the suggestions I've received through my feedback. For example, my series Ya Ya Dildohood. I've received numerous feedback emails on this from people who've told me its been like an erotic soap opera. They've started to identify with the characters so much that I get emails asking me if so and so is going to do this...or do that. Or make suggestions wanting to see this person do something with that person etc. Occasionally I like the idea...and then explore it and often end up writing something along those lines.

One thing I've learned in the year I've been writing on Lit...it pays to listen to the readers, and entertain them. If you give them what they like...want to see, hear and read....then you end up with a lot of really great people to talk too!

So yes....write for yourself first and foremost, but listen to what it is the people want to read, and chances are your stories will improve in the number of people reading them....as well as "word spreads" And that's always nice too!

I remain,

 

[deliciously_naughty]

I do feel pressure. I wanted to leave chapter 5 as the end of wesley's woman. However, a lot of people have asked for more and I feel like I should write some more. Some of my other stories have gotten requests for more parts as well. However right now I'm working on something different and that's all I'm ready to think about.