Frustration Times 100

[W.D.Lady]

All of you are so right.

When I started writing fanfic I craved reviews more than anything. Now I think I got into erotic fanfiction only because it was, or seemed like, an easy way to get more attention. "Unfortunately" I started writing more plot-driven stories and the folks on the other sites didn't pay attention anymore. I mostly stopped writing for a long time because the plethora of "Dick in Jane" stories seemed to get a lot of feedback while mine were barely noticed.

Now I've learned to write what I want and do it mostly for myself (and, yes, a recent request by a long-time friend). It's much easier for me to sit down with a notepad or in front of the screen and say to myself, "What will be good?" instead of, "What will make people like me?"

Thanks for sharing, everyone. Now I feel even better.

HUGS FOR EVERYONE!

[Karategirl422]

HUGS FOR EVERYONE!

I second the motion!

[JoeHundredaire]

That and most people are just ashamed to admit they're reading half the shit they're reading. Hell, judging by threads on other fanfic forums I've seen, people are ashamed to be WRITING half the shit they're writing. Of course they're not going to put any sort of digital fingerprint on their masturbatory material. They don't want people knowing they were there.

[DemonGoddess]

There is that. Then of course, you have people like me. Who have no time to do much of anything....lol. So, when I actually HAVE the time to read something, usually I'm so damn tired, I read, think about reviewing, realize I'm so tired it'll be incoherent, and don't.

[DemonGoddess]

You know, what you guys do between yourselves is up to you.

[JoeHundredaire]

You know, what you guys do between yourselves is up to you.

Not the first time a bunch of guys have been told that...

[kisakimiko]

It seems like stories I posted years and years ago were commented on more. I don't know if it is because I have switched fandoms or if the site has just morphed into more of a viewing site and not a reviewing one. The number of views does not seem to have changed, but the number of reviews per 100 views is much lower than in the past imho.

It was a little disconcerting to me at first but looking at a lot of new stories, with the views per reviews method, showed me that it was about average for the site. (with the possible exception of the m/m slash one shots, those are still rly rly popular with reviewers).

I think it was a good suggestion to review each other's work. I am not very well versed in most of the fandoms, but would be willing to contribute to the proposed "reviewing circle"

Cheers

[pittwitch]

I think it was a good suggestion to review each other's work. I am not very well versed in most of the fandoms, but would be willing to contribute to the proposed "reviewing circle"

Cheers

The LiveJournal crowd I hang out with has been doing this for quite a while now.

It is quite nice to know someone will offer you some little phrase for your efforts!

Good luck with creating your circle.

PW

[The Dead One]

The most disheartening thing since I've uploaded my stories is the lack of . . . anything . I can't tell if people aren't just interested in the topics the stories are about, the titles aren't snappy or catching enough, the labels are a turn off (The labels for what's in the story are kinda harsh if your just going by them. It doesn't say to what degree the content is, just that it's in there. It's a bummer if that's what's turning people away!!!), no one can find them, or I just suck as a writer!

My worst fear is the last one, do I completely suck as a writer? Are my stories complete crap? How do I know this if I don't get any ratings or reviews on them?

Granted, I really only have one posted complete story. The rest are in progress, but still there is a VERY good portion of them up. Two or three of my stories have gotten actual ratings, and one or two reviews, but out of 11 stories . . . . It's kind of depressing and very self conscious.

~Sigh~ So day by day, I check hoping for something. Wishing I wasn't such a Feedback whore, but I wish I could at least get something on my finished story "Tortuga: Roses and Thorns". . . . However it seems to be my least read story.

I think I suck!!!

~Marian The Blackadder~

It's happening for a lot of writers and a lot of fandoms including originals. A lot of people are falling from fandom's and many don't seem to be interested in originals for some reason. It's such a sad thing though. However I just can't stop writing, because it's what I want. lol

Though one author started this YuukoUchiha's Good neighbor project I think it's a good idea to get the love going again.

And I don't think you suck no author sucks. every one is entitled to write the way they want.

Edited October 13, 2010 by The Dead One

[MorbidFantasy]

not gonna lie, this thread is pretty ancient, and given the traffic on AFF forums (aka pretty damn slim) i don't see the OP keeping up with this (if you are though do reply). Should probably let this thread die in peace. In fact the thread is so old that I faintly recall having posted here before but don't even remember what I wrote. must've been like a year ago...

[TheBlackadder]

not gonna lie, this thread is pretty ancient, and given the traffic on AFF forums (aka pretty damn slim) i don't see the OP keeping up with this (if you are though do reply). Should probably let this thread die in peace. In fact the thread is so old that I faintly recall having posted here before but don't even remember what I wrote. must've been like a year ago...

Hey, I started the bloody thing and then forgot all about it until I saw it pop up today LOL. Beat that

Oceans of Love, ~Marian~ AKA The Blackadder

[wanderingaddict]

I feel like a lot of this topic's already been summed up pretty well in peoples' previous posts, but sometimes there's a recent spat of people that are pretty vocal about asking for reviews, so...

If I read something I like, I always make an effort to leave a review, either right after I've read it or to return to it and leave one later (and yeah, heh, sometimes it takes a week or two). If I've read something that I didn't particularly feel anything for but am in a good mood and charitable, I'll still make the effort to leave *something*. If some time has passed however, and I've noticed that an author is sucking up a lotta reviews, but not like, leaving *anything* I start to get a little annoyed, because that's really quite rude. And it's not like "oh I left you a review and you didn't review my story!" because hey, I'm pretty bi, so I read m/f and m/m and understand that an author of one doesn't want to read a story of from the other so it's just like "yeah, that's cool, I get that."

But when you're submitting stuff in a specific fandom, ostensibly for people from that fandom to comment on, and I don't see a review from you *anywhere* then that's just plain ol' selfish. I mean, you're posting on a site that allows reviewing and you (ostensibly) want them yourself, so who are you to just sit back and expect of others things you don't do on your own? Of course, the fandoms that I keep track of are small enough to sorta manage this pretty easily, but just for me personally, there's gotta be some giving in order to receive ya know? And I mean, like I said, I don't care if you don't give to me, just show that you're giving to *someone* and eventually you'll start getting more reviews of your own. And really I suppose that last part just holds true in general, really.

I've also noticed what people were talking about earlier too, with the seeming "shift" in... sorta the amount AND the quality of reviews about three or four years ago. I know some sections are still going incredibly strong, like the M/M slash section is just churning stuff out on both readers and writers parts every day, but other places sometimes feel like a ghost town. I know I can't say why. It's interesting to think about though...