The Feedback Junkies

Hey, I've been writing an OT practically since I started on these boards! Link is after my signature!

 

I have to consider myself a feedback junkie, because my heart flip flops every time I see a post. But I just want to know what's wrong with me? I mean, some of my readers tell me that my stuff is great, but then why do I only get a few 'regulars' and that's it? Yet, I see 'newer' posters and they get like 20 per post. It must be something wrong with me, because I can't see what else it could be.

I'm just frustrated and I go through all these emotional swings. Somedays I'm happy with what I get and others I think I suck royal and I deserve the few responses. Is it possible that I really suck and no one wants to tell me? I just want to know.

- frustrated.

 

What do you write? The trends I've noticed are any J/character X stories have a ready-made and huge readership, and maybe a few others like A/A (?), but any other genre really has to fight to stay at the top and get readers. I've read some great stuff here that only 2 or 3 others have read.

EDIT: speeling.

 

Arldetta, I feel the same thing you do. I feel like the better the story is, the less feedback it gets. And it's all about...you guessed it...

...MUSH.

If you don't write it, it's not popular. Pardon me while I go post one final notice in my current fic.

 

LOL - I've just found this thread and I feel so much better, as I was beginning to think I was becoming obsessed. Yes - I know the pain of spending weeks getting a chapter just how I want it, and only getting a few responses. I've only started posting fics recently, so I'm new to this whole anxiety thing!

If anyone likes Anakin/Tahiri stories, I have two. They are the first two links in my sig. Warrior of the Light is a trilogy dealing with Anakin's death. Many Happy Returns is a fun adventure/romance set just after Rebirth and involves Lando and Tendra as well.

The third story - The Mantrusian Affair is set after TaB, although the first few chapters cover events six months after Hoth. This features an OC, along with Wedge, Luke, early Rogue Squadron, Han, Leia etc.

 

I write Obi stories.

And I've noticed that I have personally been riding a roller coaster. At times I love the few I get. They mean so much to me, but then I feel just like last night and today. For all that I pour into my stuff, for all the verbage and trying to make sure there are no typos, for all the demands I place on myself to not produce shoddy work, that I'm doing it all for nothing. These sways of discontentment are becoming more frequent and are lasting longer.

A lot of the time I feel that if it ever came down between me and the woodwork. The woodwork would get noticed before me.

 

You and me both. I probably won't go so far as to lock the current fic, but I'm sure as hell not going to post anymore if all it's going to do is waste board space.

 

Arldetta

Are you sure you're NOT my evil twin? (you torture Obi.. I pick on Anakin!)

Yeah, I feel like you do as of late, 'cept I'm too much of a real chicken to REALLY say so out loud too often... especailly after the debaucle in the 'standards' thread... I serioulsy think I tourqued off some people who are just too polite to say so... *sigh* (Ok, so a lot WEREN'T too polite to say so but you get the idea)... After a while, you really start to question your 'skills' as a writer... and groveling for feedback is just............ well.............. soooooooooooooo *tempting*

 

DB - I know your frustration with the whole 'standards' thing. But I'm glad we were able to set the limits.

As for grovelling for feedback. I do it quite often. But sometimes even that seems futile.

The most annoying thing is that I'm about to go against my personal principals. As an artist, I have always felt that if people like it, they'll keep looking at it and coming back. Which is great. But I have in my mind that recognition of one's work by the 'public' is something that should never be solicited. As such, I have always felt that if one's work was good, people should say so. And if one's work is great, more feedback or inspiration from those reading it given. But to force people to recognize something is only belittling what you have done.

I'm not sure if that made any sense so I'll try to exemplify it. Say I post a story. I get a few people that say 'that was great, more please.' Which I appreciate because I know someone is reading. But then someone says this is the best story that they've ever read. For me to say, that's great, go tell all your friends, would be pushing it for me. It's soliciting people to gain more readers. But if that person went and PM'ed one of their friends and said 'go read this!' without any direction from me(the author) that would be awesome because it means that my work was enough to move people. That I accomplished my goal.

But it's hard to see if people are doing that, but you don't want to ask either. Did that make any more sense than my first explain? Sorry If I confused people, I didn't mean to. It's just that my mind has a hard time putting things into words sometimes. (Which is really sad considering I'm a writer now. )

 

Wait a second . . . you write Obi stories and people don't read them? I was under the impression that they were pretty popular . . . but I don't read a lot of Prequel (or is it Prequal? ) stuff.

It is hard to write with no feedback . . . I was lucky in that I needed to ask a question about the EU timeline, so I asked a fanclub. It was free publicity without resorting to begging.

 

I like the posters who come up with some useful critique, as it suggests they've read your stuff reasonable well and taken it seriously. It's good when they pick up on some of the underlying themes, or other effects that you might be trying to achieve. Unfortunately those people are as rare as hen's teeth.

I'm a little older than a lot of the posters - although I'm glad to see there are a few people in my age group - and therefore can take a little useful criticism. I"m writing my PhD - so I'm used to criticism!!!!

I agree that it is frustrating that a lot of light mushy stories without any apparent direction, or serious plot (and yes - poor spelling and grammar), seem to attract a crowd of readers. But I think you have to keep faith and just keep writing. Think of Van Gogh - but don't cut your ear off!

A few genuinely appreciative posters are better than a lot of readers who probably just skim for mush or blood and gore. Hope that doesn't sound too harsh - but I get the impression that's what some people like.

 

Tahi - I understand that concept fully. And I, probably like you, am one of the 'older' crowd that come to the boards. And I really try not to get discouraged, but it's really difficult.


Sebulba - I think I'm just about as fed up as you. I might not close my threads. But I might not post to them for a while. I'm just really getting tired of fighting for responses. [face_weary]

 

I'm relieved I found this place. It took me awhile to realize I was not alone in the world. I have a few good readers, SB and others have helped me out a lot, but that doesn't make up for only about two or three people continually reading (you people obviously know what I mean).

Now, for self premotion. I'm mainly working on Dawn of Darkness. It started out as a cannon episode III, but has really evolved into something more complex. I couldn't seem to figure out how to make Anakin turn, he just seemed too good to me. So now, 150 pages into the story, I still have him being the (almost, except ...well ...those few times) perfect angel. The story includes A/A and S/O and two orginal characters plus plenty of Plapy manipulation.

Since I'm on break, I'll try to catch up with some of the stories listed on this board. They seem very interesting!

_PS_

 

Ah, Arldetta, Breezy, you've taken the words right out of my mouth.

I'm hesitant to ask for more readers, cause it looks like begging (equate "pathetic"), and I can understand the highs and lows that you're going through, Arldetta. I go through them all the time. Insecurity, envy, or just plain unhappiness grip me very strongly at times. I totally empathize and understand you completely.

I'm going through two fics right now, and one of them has a steady amount of readers, which is wonderful, but In Love With Night (sig ) which is closer to my heart and therefore better written IMO, has only 4. I'm grateful that it has that much, since I realize it's not a popular subject, but I still wish for more, since I've put a great deal of soul into it, not so much the other one. Feedback won't make me stop writing it, but... *shrug* I almost made it there a few weeks ago.

I'm just so glad that there are others who feel the same way.

 

I think it's the holidays... people are (hopefully) having a lovely busy time...

*unlike some of us!*
Pity Party DB... "walking Pnumonia!!!"

 

Strandmaiden - Sorry I didn't respond to you sooner, but my mind tends to wander sometimes, along with the rest of me on occasion. Anyway, I don't think ALL Obi stories get read. I have a few that don't have too many followers, but I do have a few. I must admit that most of them do get read, but I know depending on style, I don't read them all. Personally, I don't like first person stories. Don't know why, but I find them very hard to get into. So as soon as I read 'POV' or 'I was.....' I tend to stop reading right then and there. That's just me. OH well.

Jedi_Suzuran - Well, I think I have more that just the regular highs and lows of writing. But hopefully, I'll get that all worked out soon. But it is nice knowing that you're not alone. And I know exactly what you mean about your two fics. For a while I had two stories I was working on, and the feedback was contrary to what I put into them. For the longest time, my story, 'Iedos Liberare' was getting numerous replies/reviews, but I was just throwing crap down, just because I could. Where as 'Catch Me' was much better written and only had a few readers.

DB - I hope you feel better soon. And I think the holidays really is effecting the responses. *sigh*


What I tend to find amazing is the difference in the number of responses from TF.N and FF.N. On my most current fic, 'Forsaken and Begotten' I have really noticed the difference in responses. At FF.N I almost got 20 reviews on my latest chapter!! [face_shocked] Almost bowled me over! It just seems like it's getting such a better response there, because at TF.N I only got like 10-12 replies to the same chapter.

I also thought the number of Up's at TF.N told the quality of a story, as well. In which case I feel like I'm a total flop. On three of my stories, I have like one regular that UP's it every once and a while. On 'F&B', I get an Up every once and a while, only when I ask. Rarely does it get Up'ed just because. Although when it does, I get really excited.


To coin a phrase, FeedBack, Feedback, my Kingdom for some Feedback!!

 

Well, I think I have more that just the regular highs and lows of writing.

Oh, I can understand that completely. I've struggled with such feelings ever since I was a teenager, and it's not just writing insecurities. I completely understand, and I was glad (and relieved) to hear you say that you were getting help for it. I've been there, and it's TOUGH going on that emotional rollercoaster all the darn time! Struggling with such problems is hell. *hugs*

Ah, why don't we do a feedback chant?

Oh, say can you see,
By the comp's early light
What so proudly we write
At the twilight's last gleaming.

Whose broad thoughts and bright minds
Through the perilous fight
O'er screens we watched, were so gallantly writing?

And the paper's blank glare,
Writer's Block bursting the air
Gave proof through the nights
That our audience was still there.

O say does that great chapter yet wave
O'er the land of the writer and the home of the feedback.

That was totally silly and a waste of bandwidth. I should stick to writing my fics.

 

Suzuran - I think that was better than my poem.

Please Review

There once was a Fan Fiction Author
Who Posted her stories online for
Feedback and reviews
If need be, flames too
So please post your thoughts for me after.



Yeah, I know I'm not the best poet. And I borrow the lyrical aspect from a restaurant in California.

The poem origninally went:

There once was a fellow named Paco
And a pigeon that wanted his taco.
Said Paco these words,
"We don't feed the birds,
For fear it might bring the whole flock-o."

It was an outside sitting area and that was their warning not to feed the wildlife. I saw that at least 8 years ago, but it stuck with me. Go figure.

 

Hey, that's not a bad poem. I happen to be known as the SW limerick queen in certain circles.

Such as...

There once was a writer of fanfic
Who needed a great deal of traffic
Though hard work was in sight
She despaired every night
Of inventing more tactics of feedback.

Anything for more feedback.

 

I feedback. Way too much. But I'm getting a resonable amount, so I'm not complaining. I find that if you read someone's fic, generally they read yours... or, at least, that's how I thik I got readers...
however, that doesn't explain TSM's, because she reads every fan fic ever made, and hers is really good and angsty and Lei- *cuts herself off* she'd kill me if I said more and she saw this... but anyway... she reads every fic ever created (well, it seems like it ) and half the writers she reads don't read hers (here's plugging Shadow Legacy TSM's fic)... but isn't it just fair that if someone reads your fic, you give at least one of theirs a shot?
my other theory: readers are fickle, and lurkitive (I know it's not a word)... unless they're me... I started a cult because of a set of fics...
Anyway, I'm new to this whole thing (not reading, writing) so don't pay attention to me... I just love giving and getting feedback... share the love
oh, yeah, and i feel like ranting some more, and this seemed the only place I could, on this topic: I hate it when people lie about my work... I would rather have everyone who read my fic say it was terrible than have everyone say they loved it if they hated it... It makes me worried, you know?

 

Hi, everybody! While I suffer from the night-sweats of feedback addiction, this is actually about my friend, Keerow. She started posting her epic story here, That Which Time Destroys, and it's gotten very few replies. She's getting discouraged and thinking about giving up posting completely, despite my attempts to convince her that this forum is incredibly splendiferous.

It's an epic adventure that really does deserve the claim of "Ultimate AU" and features a wonderfully conflicted OC, a new and surprising alien species, the altering of time and space, teleportation, (though, sadly, no speeding up the harvest) and huge amounts of Luke.

Please check it out. Here's the link:

That Which Time Destroys

 

Hello everyone!

I know I've kind of left this thread alone for awhile, but it looks like all of you made good use of it. Page 12 is it already?

Just wanted to let people know that I have updated "The Life of Lara Skywalker". The link is in my sig. Please read it! I haven't gotten feedback in such a long time... and I just updated it yesterday, and not one reply!

See ya!

AA1839

 

oh why not come in here? i finished this series last year, a long awaited sequel but it's been very slow going, and i think some people have forgotten about it entirely.

the title is 'mended' and it's still on page 3.

Mended

summary: Anakin does come back from the dead; Jacen doesn't die, and they both have feelings for Tahiri. Nasty love triangle, tearing brother's apart. Takes off where Hero ended. Jacen/Tahiri & Jag/Jaina romance!

 

I'm back for one last try. Only I'm trying something new.

So here it is.
__________

Tahiri got tried of this kid?s insults at her life. She pushed her way to the front. His eyes widened at the sight of her, but she ignored that and said, ?You don?t know what you?re talking about. The Jedi have saved the lives of many people over the years and we will save people this time and win this war. It?s only a matter of time.?

She thought that would have shut him up, but it did not. The kid had narrowed his eyes in disbelief. ?Really? I don?t see you winning. When are you going to make a move? Oh, that?s right, Jedi don?t fight back. They let themselves be stepped on!? he said mockingly.

Tahiri felt a hand on her shoulder. She was probably disobeying what Master Luke taught her about the Jedi, but she felt that she had to defend the life she chose to live. ?The Jedi do fight when the lives of others are in danger.? She choked on the next part. ?Many have died to save the lives of others.?

But like before, her words did nothing to convince this kid. ?Really? If the Jedi were so powerful, then how come they can?t save their own lives?? he snarled. ?I bet you?re not as powerful as you make yourselves out to be. If the Jedi were powerful, then why didn?t that Anakin Solo live?? he questioned.

Tahiri felt her heart tighten. She felt great sadness and started to get angry. From behind she felt his words opening up the old wounds Anakin?s death had imposed on his family. ?If he was as powerful as he was supposed to be, why didn?t he why didn't live? He didn?t have any power. He was worthless. His death just shows what little power you Jedi have,? said the kid. He pushed his way through the two families, leaving them there shocked and in complete agony.
__________

Read Danger Among the Shadows

Thanks.

 

Viggys tend to get lost,


Bed Blanket Lawn Party


The Summery is in my Authors, pick ONE thread...