Month Five, Day Three.

[wintergrey]

"We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit."
~e. e. cummings

Feedback is a big thing for a lot of writers—hell, a lot of humans. Sometimes, it's what keeps our heads above water when we're feeling terrible. Craving that little shot of approval is totally normal. Most of us aren't well-schooled in being impervious and self-sufficient. Personally, the more honest I am about seeking approval, the more I accept that need it, the easier it is to get by without it... the brain is an odd thing. Regarding the quote above, I do feel it's possible for that "someone" to be one's self, but it can take a real leap of faith.

How big a deal is feedback for you? Is a little enough or do you find that getting any at all makes you need more? Do you feel like your work is less valuable or less accomplished when you see that someone else is getting tons more approval or are you able to keep perspective, do you really know that the social forces behind popularity and "blockbuster" stories aren't necessarily about relative quality and value and validity? Would you be writing differently if feedback didn't matter?

Poll #10356

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 11

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Today, in fanfic, I...

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wrote.
6 (54.5%)

edited.
1 (9.1%)

researched.
3 (27.3%)

outlined.
2 (18.2%)

plotted.
2 (18.2%)

daydreamed.
3 (27.3%)

read about writing.
2 (18.2%)

wrote about writing.
3 (27.3%)

talked about writing.
3 (27.3%)

did none of the above, and that's okay.
3 (27.3%)

did something I might share with you in comments.
0 (0.0%)

My goals for today...

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Mean: 6.09 Median: 7 Std. Dev 3.80

laughed in my face. 1		3 (27.3%)
2		0 (0.0%)
3		1 (9.1%)
4		0 (0.0%)
5		1 (9.1%)
6		0 (0.0%)
7		1 (9.1%)
8		0 (0.0%)
9		1 (9.1%)
cried for their mommy. 10		4 (36.4%)

Comments

[insignia]

"One of a hundred" - 213 words! That is marginally more than what I wrote the other day! *great success*

I can't deny that I like feedback, but I wouldn't say it's important. Maybe when I have more fics out there my perspective will change, but I'm not writing for approval at all. If I cared what other people might think, this would go even slower. X-D

[wintergrey]

Awesome work today. Your answer cracked me up because I am so guilty of that—holding back because WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK. It's terrible! You're absolutely on the right track if you can enjoy the feedback but not keep it in mind while you're working.