Reader advice and input

[fletch1785]

What's the best input,tip,idea or advice you've got from a reader ?
Did you use it? If not why?

 

[oneagainst]

I'm currently running a series in Loving Wives. Ain't nothing I can usefully add at this point

 

[THBGato]

One of my characters prooved to be far more popular with readers than I anticipated, so I looked for ways to include her as a side character in a later story. (And many of the resulting comments focused on her involvement.)

In contrast, a few commenters complained about how one character used "like" all the time in her dialogue. I ignored them: that's how she speaks!

I've also made edits where readers have pointed out serious errors.

 

[StillStunned]

I was told that I overuse "cream" to describe a woman's arousal. I've cut back on that dramatically.

 

[ElectricBlue]

What's the best input,tip,idea or advice you've got from a reader ?
Did you use it? If not why?

@SimonDoom pointing out that I shifted tenses in a story. I don't do that any more. He's very smug about that, I'm sure .

 

[BobbyBrandt]

What's the best input,tip,idea or advice you've got from a reader ?
Did you use it? If not why?

I originally posted four of my longer stories by chapters (or parts of multiple chapters) to break them into smaller morsels that I assumed readers would prefer. Wrong.

The overwhelming responses from my readers were that they preferred a single submission of stories, regardless of length. Following this feedback, I had all four resubmitted as single files and the chapters/parts removed.

All four have seen their stats increase since the change.

 

[onehitwanda]

I was told that I overuse "cream" to describe a woman's arousal. I've cut back on that dramatically.

you should use flan, because then you can totally pun on it coming from her flange.

(no, I'm not going to stop saying flange. Oglaf is my bible).

 

[StillStunned]

(no, I'm not going to stop saying flange. Oglaf is my bible).

I once worked at an office that had an artsy painting of a skull on the wall. Every day I was there, I wanted to draw a pair of nails in the eyes to turn it into Sithrak.

you should use flan, because then you can totally pun on it coming from her flange.

Next time I have a Spanish woman in a story, it will be crema catalana.

 

[onehitwanda]

I once worked at an office that had an artsy painting of a skull on the wall. Every day I was there, I wanted to draw a pair of nails in the eyes to turn it into Sithrak.
View attachment 2366073


Next time I have a Spanish woman in a story, it will be crema catalana.

You've just made me realise I need a Sithrak sticker for my personal laptop.

 

[KeithD]

Best advice I've gotten is to keep on writing.

 

[Cagivagurl]

A commenter once wrote this on one of my stories.
"Go fuck yourself."
I found it very helpful. I followed his advice often.
I sent him a Christmas card, saying "Thanks for the advice. I found it most enjoyable, but it's costing a fortune in batteries."

Cagivagurl

 

[Yarglenurp]

Recently asked for feedback on a story, it helps to know my audience. No surprises, but it’s a good confirmation that the vast majority of my readers are men.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Readers' advice and feedback in general are priceless.
When they praise you or tell you how much they loved your story, that's usually a huge boost to your confidence and motivation to write. When they give you some insightful criticism, then you know you are reaching them with your stories and you can use their insight to improve your writing. Even when they heavily criticize your writing and even when you don't agree with their criticism, it's still an insight into how some of the readers think. All of that can be used to make your stories better.

Even those "Liked it. I want more" generic comments, as unsatisfying as they are in content, are a sign that someone wants to read more of your writing. AND even those hateful comments that many authors complain about are a sign that you rubbed someone the wrong way and that they were pissed off enough to write all that hate. It means your story is having an impact on someone.

Personally, I used a lot of feedback I received from readers. They were the first to point out some common mistakes in grammar, the switching of tenses, structuring... There is some good advice to be received here on this forum, but you must be able to recognize it and extract it from all the conflicting opinions, all the posts where authors talk incessantly about their own work and how this is good or how that is bad.
Generally, there is a lot of noise in all the feedback, no matter if it comes from readers or authors, a lot of preferences being presented as a superior way to do something. Knowing how to read it is the key.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

but it's costing a fortune in batteries."

or cartilage

 

[Yarglenurp]

or cartilage

uh… cartilage? Maybe my anatomy knowledge is off. The less-stiff-than-bones stuff in your ears and nose?

 

[AwkwardlySet]

uh… cartilage? Maybe my anatomy knowledge is off. The less-stiff-than-bones stuff in your ears and nose?

Cartilage exists in all joints. Where bones in your fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, etc. meet, it's all enveloped in cartilage. Our joints wouldn't function properly without it.
Also, the nose is a perfectly usable sex instrument.

 

[yowser]

We all have typos that sneak in, despite spell-checking, intense editing efforts (and Fehlerteufels), right?

My most embarrassing event, ever, was 'diary' instead of 'dairy', altering the story and entirely cringeworthy, which an anonymous commenter (probably a polite AH member who didn't want to be outed) pointed out:

A diary farmer, huh. Journals & notebooks, too, or just diaries?

My face turned red, my authorly ears blue, and I made the correction as fast as the system allowed. Thank you anon.

 

[Gamblnluck]

In contrast, a few commenters complained about how one character used "like" all the time in her dialogue. I ignored them: that's how she speaks!

You have to use dialog that reflects the individual. Sometimes hard to do. But everybody does not use proper grammar and often starts with well, okay, like, etc.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Honestly, just to keep writing. Best advice ever.

 

[djrip]

I've been including a bit more pubic hair for anonybush.

 

[SimonDoom]

We all have typos that sneak in, despite spell-checking, intense editing efforts (and Fehlerteufels), right?

My most embarrassing event, ever, was 'diary' instead of 'dairy', altering the story and entirely cringeworthy, which an anonymous commenter (probably a polite AH member who didn't want to be outed) pointed out:

A diary farmer, huh. Journals & notebooks, too, or just diaries?

My face turned red, my authorly ears blue, and I made the correction as fast as the system allowed. Thank you anon.

My equivalent was replacing "waist" with "waste," which I did more than once and was called on each time. "I held my hands around her waste." That sort of thing. Yuck. I've tried to be more careful about that sort of thing. I'm a good speller, but my hands don't always do what my brain thinks they are doing.

 

[MyBareTorso]

Within a very encouraging comment, I was given some helpful advice with regards to dialogue tags that I've been following ever since...outside of that, not too much, but I'm not exactly inundated with comments...

 

[Hypnobitch01]

What's the best input,tip,idea or advice you've got from a reader ?
Did you use it? If not why?

I had a reader inspire an entire chapter just from a super helpful comment asking me to expand on a relationship I had presented. I dedicated the chapter to them as a thank you.