Feedback which do you prefer?

[gauchecritic]

No, not the choice between "It suck." or "You are the best writer on Lit." although they are both nice (and both real feeds) but the choice of style versus content.

Which gives you most pleasure? Feedback that says:
"Your writing is crisp and concise and draws the reader in to your world"
or the kind that virtually ignores your writing and asks about the characters:
"Why didn't she go with Wendy? What was wrong with her?"

Feedback on the writing or feedback on the story?

 

[rgraham666]

Either is fine by me.

"God, I came so hard" is nice as well.

 

[Guest]

Either is fine by me.

"God, I came so hard" is nice as well.

Rob, you told!


My graduate advisor instructs me on grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

But for the reader? I really like it when they get caught up in the characters enough to wonder what will happen to them next. When they ask in their feedback if there will be a sequel for the story, for example.

If they were able to put themselves into the story to that degree, I feel successful.

 

[McKenna]

My gut response was "feedback on the writing."


After reading Rob's and Sarah's post, however, I can see the merit of feedback on the story as well.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

No, not the choice between "It suck." or "You are the best writer on Lit." although they are both nice (and both real feeds) but the choice of style versus content.

Which gives you most pleasure? Feedback that says:
"Your writing is crisp and concise and draws the reader in to your world"
or the kind that virtually ignores your writing and asks about the characters:
"Why didn't she go with Wendy? What was wrong with her?"

Feedback on the writing or feedback on the story?

I'd rather someone commented on the writing. I mean, the characters tell me what they're going to do? In my viewpoint, they're the only ones who can answer why they did what.

Q_C

 

[janiexx]

I prefer feedback about the story. I love it when readers get concerned about my characters or write and lecture me on what they should or shouldn't have done. They're very real to me and so I get a lot of satisfaction when I've managed to convey that to the reader.

I'm reading a book at the moment by a well-known writer (romantic fiction) and I couldn't give a damn about the characters either way. I feel nothing for them.

So when I get feedback saying how much they liked my characters or a discussion starts amongst readers, I'm thrilled

janiexx

 

[impressive]

My preference: "I'd pay to read this."

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

I prefer feedback about the story. I love it when readers get concerned about my characters or write and lecture me on what they should or shouldn't have done. They're very real to me and so I get a lot of satisfaction when I've managed to convey that to the reader.

I'm reading a book at the moment by a well-known writer (romantic fiction) and I couldn't give a damn about the characters either way. I feel nothing for them.

So when I get feedback saying how much they liked my characters or a discussion starts amongst readers, I'm thrilled

janiexx

Exactly... I really hate it when they say... the charicters should have done this or done that. And they should have inclued Brian to make it a threesome.

If they don't like the charicters or action... they should write their own stories. Irritates me

 

[Quiet_Cool]

I prefer feedback about the story. I love it when readers get concerned about my characters or write and lecture me on what they should or shouldn't have done. They're very real to me and so I get a lot of satisfaction when I've managed to convey that to the reader.

I'm reading a book at the moment by a well-known writer (romantic fiction) and I couldn't give a damn about the characters either way. I feel nothing for them.

So when I get feedback saying how much they liked my characters or a discussion starts amongst readers, I'm thrilled

janiexx

Um... But that's not feedback on the story, as presented in Gauche's question. It's feedback on the writing, your ability to convey, yes?

Q_C

 

[janiexx]

Um... But that's not feedback on the story, as presented in Gauche's question. It's feedback on the writing, your ability to convey, yes?

Q_C

Hmmmm...I think you're being a bit nit-picky here...

I just happened to mention my "ability to convey" in passing. The main thrust of my post was the enjoyment I received when readers took an interest in my characters. It's this I prefer to general feedback about my style of writing (good or bad).

janiexx

 

[AthenasFury]

I appreciate feedback that focuses on the writing but uses story content to illustrate the point. Maybe it depends on how confident you are in certain areas of writing. I feel very good about characterization and interaction, whereas, I recognize frequent slivers of doubt about the writing skills I use to convey them to readers. They seem so easily distinguished as separate entities in the initial post, but the more I think on it the more intertwined I believe they are.

 

[Lily]

Feedback

I enjoy any feedback that isnt rude... but my favorite has to be when it is about the characters, the last comment I had said something to the effect that my two characters HAD to stay together, for me it means that the writing was seamless enough that the reader could "see" the characters and become involved in the story or at least transported for a few minutes...

 

[M-Y-Erotica]

Transparent writing

I enjoy any feedback that isnt rude... but my favorite has to be when it is about the characters, the last comment I had said something to the effect that my two characters HAD to stay together, for me it means that the writing was seamless enough that the reader could "see" the characters and become involved in the story or at least transported for a few minutes...

I'm in this camp I think. My goal is to make the writing almost transparent so that there is no barrier between the reader and the characters/story. I don't want them thinking about my writing much at all. I want them to fall in love with the people they are reading about - laugh, get horny, get nervous, etc. I want them in the world the writing creates, rather than contemplating how I created it. I am far more excited by a comment like, "I wish that was me" or "this is true love" or "she was so beautiful" than "you write with nice flowing sentences."

This by the way is my take on the technical aspects of writing, such as punctuation, as well. No, there is no universal reason that English must be punctuated as it currently is, but if you violate the reader's expectations, then they are now thinking about your new and exciting comma usage rather than what it felt like when she touched you there.

Of course, writing style and story content are flip-sides of the same coin. One is always, always an indirect comment on the other.

 

[AchtungNight]

I don't get nearly as much feedback as I'd like (who does?) but what I get is always nice. Even that from trolls is worth something. What's my favorite? I like it best when someone says something like "The story was great. I especially enjoyed X moment." Feedback like that makes it worth putting thoughts onto screen.

 

[R. Richard]

No, not the choice between "It suck." or "You are the best writer on Lit." although they are both nice (and both real feeds) but the choice of style versus content.

Which gives you most pleasure? Feedback that says:
"Your writing is crisp and concise and draws the reader in to your world"
or the kind that virtually ignores your writing and asks about the characters:
"Why didn't she go with Wendy? What was wrong with her?"

Feedback on the writing or feedback on the story?

"Your writing is crisp and concise and draws the reader in to your world" Nice, but no help.

"Why didn't she go with Wendy? What was wrong with her?" The person actually read the story [I am assuming there was a Wendy] and became very interested in Wendy. Why was the reader interested in Wendy? Can I put more Wendys in my stories?

"Iv'e seen better stuf on restroom wall!" Where is the restroom? I need to do some research here.

I don't care if feedback is about my writing, my characters or even my style, but I want thinking and information in my feedback. I want to get better and I can do that by putting in more good stuff and leaving out/correcting more bad stuff.

 

[Guest]

.....

 

[AchtungNight]

Getting no feedback at all is what bothers me.

Same here.

 

[3113]

Tough question. On the one hand: "Your writing is crisp and concise and draws the reader in to your world" Would always be welcome.

Feedback like this: "Why didn't she go with Wendy? What was wrong with her?"

Runs the risk of summoning my enormous writer's ego. Which will rear up and go: "What puny reader dares question me, the great writer!? Did you not read the story? Is it not evident why she did not go with Wendy? If you cannot see this, you are not worthy of my genius!"

Okay. That was a joke. Kinda.

I'll tell you exactly the kind of feedback I most want. The kind of feedback where the reader REALLY gets it. It's wonderful to get feedback where the reader says they love the crisp style of the writing, or that it made them cry or cum or drool or smile. Or that the characters are so alive they want to talk about them as if they're real people.

But the feedback that is the absolute rarest and best is the one that says: "I saw what you did there! I noticed that the Simon, the photogropher, viewed Adrianne as a landscape to be explored. I loved the comparisons of certain girls as rocky and barren as compared to Adrianne as lush...." Or "The connection between gods and prayers, the worshiping at love's altar was all there. The little thing you did to emphasize that were so cool! Like when...."

It may not be everyone's dream feedback, but that's the sort that blisses me out. When the reader sees style and characters and story...and also that extra effort I put in to bring all such things together. Ah. Joy.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

But the feedback that is the absolute rarest and best is the one that says: "I saw what you did there! I noticed that the Simon, the photogropher, viewed Adrianne as a landscape to be explored. I loved the comparisons of certain girls as rocky and barren as compared to Adrianne as lush...." Or "The connection between gods and prayers, the worshiping at love's altar was all there. The little thing you did to emphasize that were so cool! Like when...."

Yes... I love readers who "get it"... who find the subtle (or not so subtle) things and point them out, reflect them back to me...

I even love it when they find things I didn't realized I intended!

 

[Quiet_Cool]

I'll tell you exactly the kind of feedback I most want. The kind of feedback where the reader REALLY gets it. It's wonderful to get feedback where the reader says they love the crisp style of the writing, or that it made them cry or cum or drool or smile. Or that the characters are so alive they want to talk about them as if they're real people.

But the feedback that is the absolute rarest and best is the one that says: "I saw what you did there! I noticed that the Simon, the photogropher, viewed Adrianne as a landscape to be explored. I loved the comparisons of certain girls as rocky and barren as compared to Adrianne as lush...." Or "The connection between gods and prayers, the worshiping at love's altar was all there. The little thing you did to emphasize that were so cool! Like when...."

It may not be everyone's dream feedback, but that's the sort that blisses me out. When the reader sees style and characters and story...and also that extra effort I put in to bring all such things together. Ah. Joy.

Yeah. Absolutely. Of course, when I write something with these not so clearly painted comparisons or when I drop hints in along the way as loose ends to lead the reader and then tie them off at the end and the reader notices. Well, that's when my writer's ego starts purring, but in a more arrogant, less conflictual way.

Q_C

 

[AchtungNight]

Yes... I love readers who "get it"... who find the subtle (or not so subtle) things and point them out, reflect them back to me...

I even love it when they find things I didn't realized I intended!

I get like this too, especially when I look back at the various movies and stories that have inspired my fics over again and think back about how I've used them.

 

[wudelfin]

how to

My question is how to get them to give the feedback. Sometimes it feels like you're pulling teeth.
I think you want to know if the style of the story sucked or drew someone into that moment. without sound despreate or whinney

 

[3113]

I even love it when they find things I didn't realized I intended!

OH! That is the *absolute* best! For a reader to point something out you didn't even realize you did, likely never intended, but now that it's pointed out you see your own story in a whole new way.....

Talk about postcoital cuddling bliss!

 

[3113]

My question is how to get them to give the feedback. Sometimes it feels like you're pulling teeth.
I think you want to know if the style of the story sucked or drew someone into that moment. without sound despreate or whinney

It might be where you're posting them. Some categories get more readers than others, and some have more vocal readers than others.

 

[AchtungNight]

It might be where you're posting them. Some categories get more readers than others, and some have more vocal readers than others.

I know. That's why I want to try posting future stories in categories other than Celeb even though they may be about characters based on celebrities. Too many readers who assume the stories are written in a way only the fan would get (yeah, I know, sometimes they're right, but still...).