Feedback

[woodface]

Jedi_blade made an interesting post on the force boards (Star Wars) about feedback (or why people don't review).

Comments

[mylittleredgirl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can relate to all of those. I think the authors I most adored and respected were the ones it took months and months and months to feed back.

I will never say that not getting reviews would stop me from writing, because that's not the reason why I write (and I think I would enjoy it much much less if it was). However, often I will stop posting to a specific place if I don't get a "hey, read your fic, yay." review, because I figure this means that no one read it (or everyone read it somewhere else) and I am wasting people's time and space. After reading that I guess I should rethink that!

I do pretty much always assume that more people read and like something than review it, because I am so spotty on reviews. Fanfic.net makes it easy because the norm is "OMG! YAY! FIC" and not to have to write more than that... sending an individual email to a person seems to require something more thought-out.

Nice link, Jara! :)

[woodface]

I think what is bugging me on yahoo groups is that sometimes I end up writing a fic and thinking "okay, this is good, I worked out and the result is there". It takes a whole lot before I can actually think that, but sometimes it happens. And then you post it to the lists and get one email while at the same time someone posts a mediocre, out of character fic, makes a whiny post about not getting any feedback and it actually seems to work for them.

95% of my feedback comes from lj. Maybe that's why I haven't even bothered yet to try and post my most recent fic to the lists (okay, and I'm lazy). I do realise that not everyone will send you feedback but I have a feeling that lately there just seems to be very little response coming from outside lj. Maybe everyone moved to lj though. *g*

Sending an email is definitely harder than reviewing on lj or fanfic.net. I do realise that I tend to postpone sending fb through email (but I postpone emailing all together).

[alliesings.livejournal.com]

K, I didn't click the link, but I do have to commiserate about something you said.

And then you post it to the lists and get one email while at the same time someone posts a mediocre, out of character fic, makes a whiny post about not getting any feedback and it actually seems to work for them.

This is when it hurts really badly. When I've written a piece actually longer than 2 pages, edited it into oblivion, had 2 people beta read it, and it's great; and the popular kid who wrote a really lame drabble gets 12 onlist comments and I get one.

[woodface]

Exactly, can be discouraging when that happens. *knuffels*

[lytarules.livejournal.com]

But some of us aren't sending feedback for another reason.

To all who read this: Dudes, I'm not sending feedback because I don't have time to read. Someday I hope to have the time again. But for now, writers don't get feedback from me because I'm not reading.

*knuffels Jara*

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there's definitely that.

I'm getting better about sending feedback on the few I do read (helped by the fact that a lot of them are on LJ). But it's still probably about 70/30. :-/

[woodface]

Heh, well yeah but the post is about invisible readers os he's kinda assuming that people do read but not feedback ;o)

*huggles*

[mylittleredgirl.livejournal.com]

Yes, well, I think that's a whole *different* issue!

I'd suggest you write a long, detailed rant including bullet points, but I think that, given the nature of this problem involving a lack of time, that suggestion would not work out so well ;)

*love*

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Ha! That's so true.

Fic falls into three camps for me:

1. Fic I'm forced to read by nameless others because it supposedly is the end-all be-all of the world. Mysteries of the universe will open before me after reading this fic. I will also gain one level on Neofics for completing this fic.

2. Fic I don't read. At all. For any number of reasons. I stopped actively reading fics over a year ago.

3. MSTy fic. Fic that is so God-awfully bad, it's good. The kind of fics you can do drinking games to or MSTy. Fortunately, no one on my flist falls into that category. The List and ff.net is fodder for this.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

You know, I think I'd actually read more fics if I could get a Mystery Island Paint Brush for doing it.

[woodface]

You neopet!junkie, you!

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

Very cool. I've been guilty of most of those...

[woodface]

*laughs* I'm sure we all have been guilty one time or another.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Hmm. He/she/it seems to be wanting "invisible readers" to step up, so to speak, and send feedback. Trying to identify why people don't feedback and then address those issues to get at the more feedback thing. I don't think that he/she/it realizes (of course, I only hyper-skimmed since I'm on a mini-break) that a lot of readers are lurkers and are very happy to be and stay lurkers. They have absolutely no desire to interact in any way, whether that's on a message board or feedbacking.

I worry so little about who is or isn't sending me feedback. For me, I've gotta be first content with what I'm writing. If I am, then I'm not going to be stressing about what other people think of it or how many people actually tell me they've read it. From my site stats I know that a very small percentage of people actually sent feedback. Does that stress me out that maybe my stories weren't inspiring enough for that elusive feedback? Not really. I'm just happy they stopped by.

Honestly, when I write, I write for me. I write when it makes me happy. I write when there's a story bursting out of me. I write to make myself laugh. Feedback is lovely and special, but not necessary for my creative process.

We just won't talk about how long it's been since I wrote something. It's the job, I swear!

[woodface]

*nods* I do agree, I still found it an interesting post though for both readers and authors. I don't think that the amount of feedback should influence the writing process, those are two different things.

However, while I like your attitude, I think I also really like feedback. If I see that a certain story doesn't get a lot of response, I do tend to wonder on the why (esp if I know the fic was good, it takes a lot for me to actually have a good feeling about it). There is a great satisfaction from writing and being happy with a fic myself. However, part of writing to me also means wanting to be read (and knowing that someone has enjoyed it).

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

I don't think that the amount of feedback should influence the writing process, those are two different things.

Yeah. I'm not sure if a lot of people see it that way. But I get really twitchy whenever I see a writer expound on feedbackers. It is kinda along the same lines as pimping the hell out of your stuff or threatening people in WIPs with "write for feedback" situations. (All with varying levels on the twitch meter.)

However, while I like your attitude, I think I also really like feedback.

I know I'm not the norm. In fact, I'm not sure I know anyone else that has that same attitude when it comes to fb. Too much of a southern California hippie/surfer chick mentality in me. So laid back there's barely a pulse. ;)

If I see that a certain story doesn't get a lot of response, I do tend to wonder on the why (esp if I know the fic was good, it takes a lot for me to actually have a good feeling about it). There is a great satisfaction from writing and being happy with a fic myself. However, part of writing to me also means wanting to be read (and knowing that someone has enjoyed it).

Yeah, I get that. I'm not the same way, but I totally get that. :)

[woodface]

But I get really twitchy whenever I see a writer expound on feedbackers.

Oh, I completely agree with you. Makes me not want to give them feedback at all (if I continue reading).

I know I'm not the norm. In fact, I'm not sure I know anyone else that has that same attitude when it comes to fb.

Heh, I'm sure you have it a lot easier with your attitude. I guess in my head writing is as much about writing down a story that I want and need to tell, as it is about being able to move my readers. While a published author knows that if the book is selling it is liked, for a fanfic writer feedback is pretty much *the* indicator. You might get a lot of hits but that doesn't mean that they actually read or like the fic.

You can shoot me the moment I start demanding feedback though. It remains a privilege, knowing that someone bothers to give you feedback is a compliment on its own.