Ever find yourself letting comments drive your story?

[Dicknstreet]

I'll just say right up front, I'm a rank amateur when it comes to writing fiction. I'm working on a multi-part series, getting a few (very few) comments. I've written pages and pages of complete crap before I realize I've been catering to one or two comments. I'm talking completely unusable crap, as opposed to the partial crap that I end up submitting.

I hate it when that happens.

It's like I start ignoring the story I see in my head, and start making shit up, if that makes any sense at all.

I'm just making an observation here, not really needing advice, but I welcome any comments.

 

[sr71plt]

Comments have occasionally sparked me to write a sequel or prequel, but other than that, nope.

 

[lovecraft68]

Can't say that they have. I appreciate the nice ones. I try to learn from the constructive ones and laugh at the "fuck you, you asshole" ones.

But I can't say any of them have affected my writing one way or another.

 

[latinplayer]

Don't let the negative comments get you down. Don't let them influence you either, or you'll end up muddying up your own train of thought with somebody else's. Read stories, figure out what you like or don't like about them, and write what you want to write.

Personally, and recently too as I've had some stories up for several years now, I've been getting people jumping down my throat over my loving wives stories. One of my characters is a married chick who takes a good while to figure out that what she wants isn't sex, but genuine love, over the course of 3 novels. I've got 10 chapters of the first novel posted on Lit, but when people get to her story, they're like oh, no, she cheated, she's a slut and you're a shit writer. I'm guessing I struck a nerve with some of my recent female readers, but you know what, fuck 'em, because I'm not changing the course of 3 novels over something that may have happened to some readers in real life.

It's just words a screen!

 

[49greg]

As has been said, Don't let the bad comments get to you. Much easier said than done. Every comment, good bad or indifferent makes me start thinking about what I should do to make that person happy. Especially with the comments asking for sequels. Usually I calm down in a few days but not always.

My first story here was meant to be a one-off. An email feedback asking for the rest of the story got me to think about it, and now it's six chapters and still not done. I haven't posted to that series in two years, but a recent comment asking me to continue got me so worked up I actually started a thread about it.

I'm always amazed at how much I am affected on my initial reading of a comment or feedback. I think if I had completely planned out a story ahead of time I wouldn't be as influenced by comments.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Not unless they found a boo-boo that I need to correct. Any personnel slanders I just ignore and have a good laugh at the posters expense.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

On the third or fourth story I submitted to Lit, I accidentally switched from third to first person near the end of a chapter. If not for comments, I never would have known.

I still have not fixed it, because I'm a piece of shit.

 

[49greg]

Not unless they found a boo-boo that I need to correct. Any personnel slanders I just ignore and have a good laugh at the posters expense.

Yes, and the lord knows that I make more than my share of boo boos, especially in my early stuff.

On the third or fourth story I submitted to Lit, I accidentally switched from third to first person near the end of a chapter. If not for comments, I never would have known.

I still have not fixed it, because I'm a piece of shit.

I was half way through a story I was writing, about a Lit page worth, when I saw that I was writing in first person, and the previous chapter was in third. I nearly let it go, it was harder than I thought to change it back.

 

[sr71plt]

My editor finds this in my third-person work regularly. I'm intentionally writing in third person but get so identified with the protagonist, that I go off into first person. This usually happens when I've broken away from the writing and have come back to it later. My natural tendency is to write first person.

 

[rjordan]

I still have not fixed it, because I'm a piece of shit.

At least you didn't chastise yourself in the third person.

rj

 

[lovecraft68]

Yes, and the lord knows that I make more than my share of boo boos, especially in my early stuff.



I was half way through a story I was writing, about a Lit page worth, when I saw that I was writing in first person, and the previous chapter was in third. I nearly let it go, it was harder than I thought to change it back.

I'm struggling with this now. Normally I have no issue staying with first or third, but I am doing a sequel to SWB and that entire 50 chapter first series was done in first.

I picked third for this because there are a lot of other characters involved too many "I" to keep straight.

But I keep slipping into first with "Megan" because I wrote about 700k from her as I four years ago and she seems to want to be an I.

Last time I simply let it go because it was flowing then went back and converted it to third. Lot of work, but less annoying then the stopping and starting

 

[PervOtaku]

I've written pages and pages of complete crap before I realize I've been catering to one or two comments. I'm talking completely unusable crap, as opposed to the partial crap that I end up submitting.

I hate it when that happens.

It's like I start ignoring the story I see in my head, and start making shit up, if that makes any sense at all.

Yet another advantage to having the entire story written out, or at least fully developed, prior to publishing any of it. It always amuses me when commenters try to give me ideas on what "should" happen next.

 

[rjordan]

Yet another advantage to having the entire story written out, or at least fully developed, prior to publishing any of it. It always amuses me when commenters try to give me ideas on what "should" happen next.

I like the ones where they go on and on telling me the backstory of characters I wrote, and from that tell me what I should have written.

rj

 

[Black_and_White_Writer]

Yet another advantage to having the entire story written out, or at least fully developed, prior to publishing any of it. It always amuses me when commenters try to give me ideas on what "should" happen next.

I think it's because they are so caught up in the 'moment' so to speak.

 

[Black_and_White_Writer]

I'll just say right up front, I'm a rank amateur when it comes to writing fiction. I'm working on a multi-part series, getting a few (very few) comments. I've written pages and pages of complete crap before I realize I've been catering to one or two comments. I'm talking completely unusable crap, as opposed to the partial crap that I end up submitting.

I hate it when that happens.

It's like I start ignoring the story I see in my head, and start making shit up, if that makes any sense at all.

I'm just making an observation here, not really needing advice, but I welcome any comments.

"No one will ever write anything of any note writing what they think other people think other people want. Never ever. You write what you're passionate about. You write because it makes you happy, or it makes you cry or laugh. Then if you're really lucky others will love what you loved about it." Steven Moffat.

 

[lovecraft68]

I like the ones where they go on and on telling me the backstory of characters I wrote, and from that tell me what I should have written.

rj

LW gets some comments that are as long as the story itself.

There was one guy that went on and on to the point I pasted his comment into word to see how long it was and it was 1400 words.

 

[rjordan]

LW gets some comments that are as long as the story itself.

There was one guy that went on and on to the point I pasted his comment into word to see how long it was and it was 1400 words.

Might be fun to clean something like that up just barely to the point where it might be accepted and submit it...or not.

rj

 

[PTWaters1]

The positive comments inspire me to write more, and the 1-star troll ratings are just a bit discouraging...but on the whole, so long as people are reading the story, I feel its worthwhile to someone and I continue writing.

 

[Black_and_White_Writer]

The positive comments inspire me to write more, and the 1-star troll ratings are just a bit discouraging...but on the whole, so long as people are reading the story, I feel its worthwhile to someone and I continue writing.

Oh yes it's always great to get feedback from someone who's been as moved of your story as you have been in crafting it.

 

[PTWaters1]

Oh yes it's always great to get feedback from someone who's been as moved of your story as you have been in crafting it.

Exactly. For me, writing an erotic story bares part of my soul for the reader. A very intimate part that is very often reserved for loved ones.

Not only do these stories attempt to express the emotions and feelings driving the characters, they serve to shed light on the one bringing them to life. To know that you have deeply touched the soul of another through your story is the ultimate complement; it is emotionally fulfilling and very gratifying.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Exactly. For me, writing an erotic story bares part of my soul for the reader. A very intimate part that is very often reserved for loved ones.

Not only do these stories attempt to express the emotions and feelings driving the characters, they serve to shed light on the one bringing them to life. To know that you have deeply touched the soul of another through your story is the ultimate complement; it is emotionally fulfilling and very gratifying.

Totally agree - my last story (Rope and Veil) was directly inspired by a very powerful and heartfelt response from a reader to another story (not one of mine).

I was so moved by her reaction that I wrote my story for her. And was then rewarded by the same reader finding it, and writing that my tale brought a lump to her throat, and was a gift. I can't ask for more than that.

 

[Black_and_White_Writer]

Exactly. For me, writing an erotic story bares part of my soul for the reader. A very intimate part that is very often reserved for loved ones.

Not only do these stories attempt to express the emotions and feelings driving the characters, they serve to shed light on the one bringing them to life. To know that you have deeply touched the soul of another through your story is the ultimate complement; it is emotionally fulfilling and very gratifying.

It is. Typing away one often forgets that the story is designed to be read, to get a wide audience. To get constructive feedback whether on the artistic side or more technical mechanics driven issues in how the story was presented is very helpful and gratifying.

To get feedback as to how moved they were by the story is equally as brilliant, more so at times.

 

[NaokoSmith]

I started posting a novel in Novels and Novellas, as it had not done as well as I'd hoped on Smashwords. I really hoped for feedback, but at first it just got (very very few!) votes of such variance that I couldn't even tell from them whether it was good or not.

I got a bit discouraged, and even at one point commented in an Author's Note that I meant to stop posting the chapters as there didn't seem to be a lot of interest. I said anyone who wanted could have the novel, I would email it to them.

Then I found one really good email feedback had mistakenly gone into my Newsletter box, and also some other people started sending me anonymous feedback by the Private Feedback box, now I even get a few good comments (very few!). I had long detailed and excellent feedback in the end so I was glad I'd stuck it out and kept posting the chapters. Not sure if my saying I was going to pull the story led to the feedback, or if it was just that it got to a stage when the shy readers felt willing to send me their thoughts on it.

I would go in Story Feedback to ask for some commentary, but it's a Fantasy Romance, and I really wanted to see if I could get some of those readers to comment. They tend not to hang out in Story Feedback, LOL.

I am working to change the novel in line with the feedback - not the story, but aspects of the writing. I've got the story all written out, and I know now from the comments that it's a popular one. I just need to know how to iron out the wrinkles that stop it getting across better to its audience - in those crucial first couple of chapters. One person even said to me, if I edit the first chapters he will happily re-read those for me, as he thought there was a great story but he gave up reading as the writing got in the way of it.

 

[Black_and_White_Writer]

I started posting a novel in Novels and Novellas, as it had not done as well as I'd hoped on Smashwords. I really hoped for feedback, but at first it just got (very very few!) votes of such variance that I couldn't even tell from them whether it was good or not.

I got a bit discouraged, and even at one point commented in an Author's Note that I meant to stop posting the chapters as there didn't seem to be a lot of interest. I said anyone who wanted could have the novel, I would email it to them.

Then I found one really good email feedback had mistakenly gone into my Newsletter box, and also some other people started sending me anonymous feedback by the Private Feedback box, now I even get a few good comments (very few!). I had long detailed and excellent feedback in the end so I was glad I'd stuck it out and kept posting the chapters. Not sure if my saying I was going to pull the story led to the feedback, or if it was just that it got to a stage when the shy readers felt willing to send me their thoughts on it.

I would go in Story Feedback to ask for some commentary, but it's a Fantasy Romance, and I really wanted to see if I could get some of those readers to comment. They tend not to hang out in Story Feedback, LOL.

I am working to change the novel in line with the feedback - not the story, but aspects of the writing. I've got the story all written out, and I know now from the comments that it's a popular one. I just need to know how to iron out the wrinkles that stop it getting across better to its audience - in those crucial first couple of chapters. One person even said to me, if I edit the first chapters he will happily re-read those for me, as he thought there was a great story but he gave up reading as the writing got in the way of it.

That's a ice way to go about it. Giving that connection to your audience. I like it. I've started reading your stories a few days poking through the longer ones and they seem nice.

Impressed very much so that one story has the elusive 5.00

 

[PTWaters1]

I got a bit discouraged...

Everything we write as authors will have its own derivative of the audience we shoot for...and readers of erotica are a unique bunch. The range of feedback and star ratings will be everything from intentional trolling (one star) to genuine praise. I can only offer this bit of advice...

Never give up...never surrender!

Do this because you love it and expect no love from those who don't share your feelings and/or kinks. Definitely rejoice in the constructive criticisms and kudos and ignore the rest. Be happy with what you write, even if that means doing a lot of edits. There are those who will silently love your efforts. I, for one, applaud your tenacious approach and hope you keep on writing for yourself!

I live by this axiom: I write for the pleasure of myself. And you can always count on me to pleasure myself!

*** EDIT ***

Just after writing this, I received a rather critical comment from an anonymous reader on how poor my stories were and how filled they were with grammatical errors. The validity of these kinds of posts are definitely to be questioned for two main reasons. First, they remained anonymous and commented publicly, and second, they offered no suggestions for improvement.

These types of comments are nothing more than an attempt to rattle the author. Had they been serious or truly wanted to do more than criticize, they would have not hidden behind the veil of anonymity and most likely would have sent their comment as private feedback.

I am nonplussed by their comment, but still invited them to offer suggestions via private email. We shall see if they take me up on my offer. I offer this example to illustrate the need to have a thick skin and be logical in your approach to feedback of any kind.