Public Comments: Success or not?

[wishfulthinking]

I was wondering how everyone else was feeling about pc's?

From a writer's viewpoint, I don't check them because I don't know if I've got one. I have 30 [yay] stories, which is a smidgen of what others have.

From a reader's point of view, it probably generates a sense of community.

I have a poll, largely because I haven't done one in about 6 months

 

[rgraham666]

I love 'em. They let me know if I've written a good piece of smut or not.

Can't say about reducing e-mail feedback. Always had both on.

 

[wishfulthinking]

I remember reading something about someone was getting as much email feedbacks anymore because of the pc's.

I can't really tell, since I had only about 5 stories pre-PC's, and was still unknown on the site.

 

[3113]

Changed my life.

Well, maybe not radically, but if you've written for years in a vacuum then, honestly, they can change your life. You spend a year on a novel, writing alone, getting no real feedback. You send it out, hoping to publish it. You get rejections with some odd feedback (editors wanting this or that--can't take it now, might take it later...blah, blah, blah).

And meanwhile, you write another book or story. And if a story makes print...you hear nothing from readers.

This is instant publish, instant feedback. Outrageously gradifying! It's a real boost to the ego, voices of approval (one hopes) and some distention) in an otherwise silent and generally introverted profession.

 

[Liar]

They reduced my email feedback from not very many to zero. The not very many are now not very many PC's instead.

They're good because they're public. I like it that people can say out lous that they think my stuff sucks. Or not.

Thay're annoying because I miss the rare occations when one appears after the first week on the site. Email notification would be sweet.

 

[Aurora Black]

Simply put, PC feedback serves as a confirmation that I'm on the right track.

 

[FallingToFly]

I was wondering how everyone else was feeling about pc's?

From a writer's viewpoint, I don't check them because I don't know if I've got one. I have 30 [yay] stories, which is a smidgen of what others have.

From a reader's point of view, it probably generates a sense of community.

I have a poll, largely because I haven't done one in about 6 months

I'm a feedback whore. Good feedback, bad feedback, feedback in any form... it all fuels the fire. I write faster, and usually better, when I get feedback. Even if it's flames.

 

[JamesSD]

I like them overall.

I would like to recieve e-mail notification when an old story gets a new comment.

 

[Halo_n_horns]

They'd be great if they couldn't be left anonymously. That's all I have to say about that.

 

[carsonshepherd]

Changed my life.

Well, maybe not radically, but if you've written for years in a vacuum then, honestly, they can change your life. You spend a year on a novel, writing alone, getting no real feedback. You send it out, hoping to publish it. You get rejections with some odd feedback (editors wanting this or that--can't take it now, might take it later...blah, blah, blah).

And meanwhile, you write another book or story. And if a story makes print...you hear nothing from readers.

This is instant publish, instant feedback. Outrageously gradifying! It's a real boost to the ego, voices of approval (one hopes) and some distention) in an otherwise silent and generally introverted profession.

Yes, if you've been writing for yourself for a long time and you're just now "going public" then PCs are invaluable. They fuel you and keep you writing when you know someone out there is reading and enjoying your words (a wonderful, amazing gift.) When I first started on Lit I watched mine constantly and stroked them like shiny little jewels. Precioussssss!

But... as you advance as a writer, they become of less use to you. Most readers (forgive me here, please) don't have much feedback other than "I loved it" or "It sucked." That is, it's more encouragement than feedback, and encouragement is good, but it isn't very helpful in terms of what you need to improve on, or your strengths vs. your weaknesses. This sort of thing is in the private arena, and is better gotten from other writers or serious readers/critics.

So, I love them, and I'd love to see email notifications on them, but I don't find them as helpful as I did at first. Then again, I haven't posted anything new on Lit in a very long time. If I do, then I'll probably be very interested in the PCs on it, because I'll want to know how it's received.

 

[BlackSnake]

If it's going to be public, then it shouldn't be anonymous

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Oh I wish email notification or at least.... something on the view submissions page where it gives the date of the newest PC comment. (post 2 of random night of posting. )

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I like them. They are as close to instant ratification as you can come in as much as getting a response beyond a vote goes

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Most readers (forgive me here, please) don't have much feedback other than "I loved it" or "It sucked."

I seem to attract readers that like to debate on my stories through the feedback... <shrug> It's rather entertaining, actually...

I agree about instant gratification. There's just nowhere else you can get that, like you can get it at Lit.

 

[carsonshepherd]

I seem to attract readers that like to debate on my stories through the feedback... <shrug> It's rather entertaining, actually... .

Lucky you. "I loved it" is great but when you leggo your ego, it's not very helpful.

 

[R. Richard]

Thoughtful, intelligent PCs are really very valuable regardless if they are supportive or hostile.

Comments of the "I loved it!" or "Total crap!" variety are really worthless regardless if they are supportive or hostile.

JMHO.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I really like PC. If they are complimentary, I enjoy that. If they are informative, I find that to be valuable. Sometimes the negative ones are amusing. I like to respond unless they are anon., but sometimes I don't know I have new ones. Could there be some way to tell us when a new one has been posted.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

I could do without the recent PC that claimed that I "ripped off" the Highlander series. Hello, I used the same parallel world, but not the same plot or characters!

 

[wishfulthinking]

I could do without the recent PC that claimed that I "ripped off" the Highlander series. Hello, I used the same parallel world, but not the same plot or characters!

Lol!


[threadjack with permission of thread starter]

I hear you. Some person had the gall to say I ripped off some pirate bodice ripper story they can't remember much about from a long time ago. Hello, if they thought I was plagerising, complain to lit and try and have it removed. Anyway, I am plagerize free, so bring it on

ps. I could not be arsed deleting it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

[/threadjack with permission of thread starter]

 

[Boxlicker101]

This is a PC that I had that kind of accused me of plagiarism:

reminds me of another story that was on here
07/20/05 By: Anonymous in USA
there was another story that was very very similar to this one, though I do not remember the title anymore. Same scenario prettymuch.... Be creative when writing, it will give you a much more thorough response. I rated it 50 because after reading just the first bit, it seemed too much like plagorism to me.

It is entirely possible it was another story of mine that involved role playing.

 

[JamesSD]

This is a PC that I had that kind of accused me of plagiarism:

reminds me of another story that was on here
07/20/05 By: Anonymous in USA
there was another story that was very very similar to this one, though I do not remember the title anymore. Same scenario prettymuch.... Be creative when writing, it will give you a much more thorough response. I rated it 50 because after reading just the first bit, it seemed too much like plagorism to me.

It is entirely possible it was another story of mine that involved roll playing.

"Shockingly", some erotic stories have similar plots and situations. Now, I'm not saying something truly creative stories shouldn't recieve higher marks overall. But this is just a silly comment to make.

(Oh and sorry for doing this, but it's role playing. I'm sure you were just typing fast)

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Lol!


[threadjack with permission of thread starter]

I hear you. Some person had the gall to say I ripped off some pirate bodice ripper story they can't remember much about from a long time ago. Hello, if they thought I was plagerising, complain to lit and try and have it removed. Anyway, I am plagerize free, so bring it on

ps. I could not be arsed deleting it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

[/threadjack with permission of thread starter]

That's a good reason to leave it up. In any case, I hope that you replied and set the record straight. In my case, I didn't use Connor or Duncan Macleod, and I pointed that out. I used a different pair of Immortals, ones that I invented myself. It was fan fiction, nothing more.

As for pirate themes, those are clearly public domain.

 

[oggbashan]

I appreciate the PCs and am grateful for them.

My major problem with them is that with over 120 stories I don't notice when an older story gets a new PC. By the time I find it, perhaps a month later, it seems too late to say 'Thank you'.

Og

 

[sophia jane]

I love feedback, but like Carson, I find it less useful now. It's still a nice pick me up when I get good pc's, even if all they say is "great story."
I don't think it's affected my email feedback, tho I can't say for sure cuz I wasn't around pre-pc's. I get about equal numbers of email feedback and pc's when I post new work.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Yeah, PC's are a double-edged sword! Like Carson and so many others, I think "I love it" is unhelpful. My sister, who refuses to read anything of mine, posted "Mah Velll ous" on "passing The Torch", and I deleted it, since I knew she hadn't read it at all. Well, you know, family dynamics...
At the sdame time, I hesitate to post too many details to other people's stories, not always being sure of what they would want! (most AH-ers, though, I feel secure about)

oh, and I bookmarked my submissions-view page from my control panel, and I try to check it about once a week... but since I haven't submitted anything for so long, no one has been commenting on my stories lately anyway.