Writing for the approbation of other authors

[THBGato]

But what did you think of Vocational Awe, you were my Audience-Of-One for that one

I'm saving it until I get home and can type out my comment on a proper keyboard, rather than tapping at my Phone and wrestling with the fact that it's in Spanish and so always wants to stick accents on everything.

Just by the comments so far, I really wasn't...

 

[Erozetta]

I aspire to be your favorite writer's favorite writer

I don't know if writer/reader feedback is better or worse, but it is often different, for me! I think writers tend to pay attention to different things than readers do, at least on the average. I think I get more technical and craft-related feedback from writers, and I get more emotional/sensual feedback from non-writers, and I find both to be incredibly valuable.

I don't think I buy some of the faux-stoicism about feedback and engagement I see in AH sometimes, to be honest. If you didn't care about what other people thought of you work, you'd turn off comments and ratings. Or better yet, you'd just write in a paper diary and bury it in your back yard

I used to burn my writing. I only started showing people around 2020 or so and that was at the encouragement of my therapist.

I like the feedback, good and bad, it just doesn't change anything about how or what I write. I do take genuine criticism on style into consideration, though, but that isn't dependent on whether the person criticizing is a reader or another writer.

 

[EmilyMiller]

But what did you think of Vocational Awe, you were my Audience-Of-One for that one

Feeling kinda left out

 

[PennyThompson]

Feeling kinda left out

You were my Mothman Audience-Of-One

 

[EmilyMiller]

You were my Mothman Audience-Of-One

I keep reading Vocational Awe as Vocational Ewe. Quite a different story .

 

[PennyThompson]

I keep reading Vocational Awe as Vocational Ewe. Quite a different story .

 

[lovecraft68]

And what would legitimate praise look like????


I see this sort of thing brought up a lot and I don't believe I've ever actually seen such a post.

Legit praise? Not over the top and not constantly as if that person couldn't write a meh story. You're a writer, think of having a character fawn and gush over someone. How would you portray that? Once you decide that keep it in your mind when you look at how some people interact with others and even beyond stories but their posts.

As for 'never seen it' I've seen people bring up "Then you said this about..." all the time. But you can also see it in other ways. Who had a 'spat' here and now who now seems to have a negative take on one of those people that wasn't there previously? Know how people like to go out and people watch? You cna have a lot of fun doing that here.

 

[EmilyMiller]

This video is age restricted

 

[PennyThompson]

This video is age restricted

Oh, huh... It's um... A three-minute comedic film about a man finding some sheep while hiking, and it is probably not work-safe

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Made me think of Chris Pratt's joke in German

 

[AwkwardlySet]

How do you know their intent?

The same way you judge it to be honest feedback.

 

[Milo9012]

Oh, I read other genres... Just not here. Just this week I've read:
One of the "Rivers of London" series by Ben Aaronovitch
'Went to London, took the dog" by Nina Stibbe
"Station 11" by Emily Mandell
"The Doors of Eden" by Adrian Tchaikovsky
"Home fires" by Kamila Shamsie

I come to literoritca to read lesbian romance and whatever @PennyThompson writes.

You're there babe!

Gotcha.
BTW, I'm a @PennyThompson fan myself.

 

[PennyThompson]

Gotcha.
BTW, I'm a @PennyThompson fan myself.

ohhh no please don't start that up again

 

[XerXesXu]

Know how people like to go out and people watch? You cna have a lot of fun doing that here.

I'm here to people-watch; I have great fun. It's like watching a loose scrum in slo-mo and counting the number of infringements, then wondering why the ref picked out one from the many.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Still writing for me, Em, but I will admit praise is more appreciated, suggestions more solid, when the comments are from one who’s been down the same roads. Like Basic, but with words.

 

[iwatchus]

Penny what the hell did just watch?

 

[WCSGarland]

Most likely they're really invested in the story and the characters you've created and didn't want it to end. Or they wanted/expected a different ending than the one you gave them.

I gave the story the only ending that made any sense.

 

[Cagivagurl]

I agree. I think - to clarify - it’s like with any new thing, you can often make great strides at first. After you reach a certain level of competence, incremental progress becomes harder. It takes more effort to improve. I don’t think I have reached that inflection point as yet.

There is another part to it...
After you reach that level...
It must become more difficult to assess improvements... In fact are they improvements, or simply a change in style???
People IE: Readers, don't comment on things like... (Nice to see improvements in your writing)
So if you are left to your personal assessments, improvements are hard to see...
For myself, I like to think I'm improving, but perhaps not....
The changes maybe simply stylistic, pandering more to myself than others... And that's cool for me, but who knows.

 

[EmilyMiller]

There is another part to it...
After you reach that level...
It must become more difficult to assess improvements... In fact are they improvements, or simply a change in style???
People IE: Readers, don't comment on things like... (Nice to see improvements in your writing)
So if you are left to your personal assessments, improvements are hard to see...
For myself, I like to think I'm improving, but perhaps not....
The changes maybe simply stylistic, pandering more to myself than others... And that's cool for me, but who knows.

It’s hard to assess I agree

 

[Cagivagurl]

It’s hard to assess I agree

So, comments from other creators carries importance... They are more likely to offer criticism, or advice... Constructive, or negative.
Readers, are mostly flattering or hating... Not offering stylistic suggestions. Or quality assessment...
Friends can also be untrustworthy because they're afraid of offending....

Cagivagurl

 

[Gamblnluck]

Does that mean I’m writing for other writers? How about you?

No. You are just seeing that as feedback from somebody who knows it takes to produce a story. And there are some authors whose feedback might be worth more than others. Those who are successful in that category are particularly beneficial.
When I got a comment from an author who had several stories about judicial slavery praise my efforts a few times, I was happy. When he came back and essentially said, "Do you realize you stayed true to a story line and created what is a large novel? And did the job in a superb manner?" I was King of the Hill!! ( For a while at least.)
But yeah. In other categories when an author whose work you enjoy sends you a private or public tribute, it means FAR more than the average reader.

 

[Djmac1031]

To me, a compliment is a compliment. If someone took the time to read my story, that's a compliment.

If they leave a comment saying they enjoyed, that's an even better compliment.

Reader, writer, writers who read, its all the same to me

 

[Gamblnluck]

I'm just not sure how to take it when the commenters tell me my story ended too abruptly.

I'm one of them who has said that. And I have to admit, I have the same problem. I happen to love your work. You tell a great, detailed story. It hits. Then at the end it feels like you want more of the story. Or you want a little more of 'something' to end it right. Like I said, I get that often in my own stories.
A comedian gives his punchline, and the audience either laughs or it doesn't. For us the audience often wants something more.

I thought I had the perfect ending for my "Slip of the Tongue' story. It was a BTB where a hammer was used on a predator who seduced and impregnated the MC's wife among others. Police investigation had stalled. At the end I had the MC drop the hammer into the sea saying he was not going to be on oil rigs in the future so he could pursue a relationship. I STILL had comments telling me it ended abruptly.

 

[Gamblnluck]

How are you able to discern that the motive is to get "a backslap in return" when one author praises another?????

Nope. Now a few authors do get that backslap, but because it is earned. And I've had a couple that told me problems to fix in my story before I submitted it too. (beta read)

 

[Gamblnluck]

I like the feedback, good and bad, it just doesn't change anything about how or what I write.

And that can be a failing. I've had feedback that tells me 'you are unclear'. "You have a major plot hole here." And when I fixed those things, my story was much better.