Check In - Day 10

[enemytosleep]

Hello, writers! What have you been able to accomplish today toward your January goal?

— I wrote today!
— I planned and/or researched something.
— I sat down and did some editing.
— I sent things to my beta.
— I posted!
— I focused on something else today.

Writing question time: Do you read your reviews? How do they make you feel?

Comments

[enemytosleep]

I'm at work so I haven't sat down to write anything yet, but I plan to do so this evening. I'll update later once I sit down with the laptop.

I always try to thank someone for taking the time to review, but I’ve never really worried too much about hits, kudos, or reviews. I’m not saying a good review doesn’t make me feel good, THEY DO, but most of my work receives little talk so I don’t spend much time fretting over that fact. I can recall a small handful of negative reviews on things over the years that I have just left alone. One was actually last week that a drabble was short … AO3 definitely lists the word count and the author notes specified that it was an extra treat for a fic exchange. I’m not sure what else they were expecting? I’ll link it here for the lulz. Fanfic is for fun, so while I’m sorry those few people did not enjoy the outcome, I had fun writing each piece. I don’t get paid for this so they can suck it. ♥

[enemytosleep]

Got some done over my lunch break. It needs a hefty coat of polish, but seeing how I barely wrote yesterday, it was good to get the words out. I'll very likely work more tonight as my partner is out of town and I won't have any distractions! I'd really like to send the first part to my beta tomorrow, so that's my goal for tonight: get this section done, polish it tomorrow, then send it off.

[enemytosleep]

I got further in and am almost at the end of the chapter. I'm going to take a little break and come back to it later tonight, hopefully to finish it off!

[enemytosleep]

Nope, brain is done for tonight. I made some fair progress today though, so I can't complain. I'll try to polish it off tomorrow!

[shadowcat]

— I wrote today!: I'm working on chapter two of one of my WiPs that was accidentally started as part of a challenge and also trying to finish my assignment for holly_poly
— I posted!: I posted a new chapter of my fic The Righteous Side Of Hell

[enemytosleep]

That's great! And good luck getting the holly_poly piece finished up.

[linaewen]

I wrote today! Again, it was only a couple hundred words, but the next section of the chapter is done, and that should do it for the "tricky" parts. The next section is one I have been dreaming of writing for ages, and I already have extensive notes on it, so I'm excited. If I get time today, I'll dive in, but I'm traveling tonight, so may have to wait until I arrive and am settled.

I read my reviews and make note of my likes and kudos, but I would still write even if no one read my stuff, because in the long term, I'm writing for me. If I get a negative review, I usually don't respond to it, especially if it is not constructive. I've had constructive criticism reviews that have actually helped me but hateful reviews are not even worth fussing over!

[enemytosleep]

Yay getting the fiddly parts out! Have safe travels, and I hope you make good progress on the fun parts when you get to them.

That's how I generally treat my reviews. I enjoy the good ones, but I don't worry about whether I get any or not. The few bad ones I've received over the years have generally been pointlessly mean, so I've ignored them entirely. It seems silly to me to use your time to leave that kind of review, but it takes all types to populate the internets.

[frogfarm]

Writing on four out of the five current WIPs, three out of four of which are explicit, with the fourth more soap opera romance. All of which is making me lean toward making the fifth less smutty and focusing more on romantic comedy, which would make it easier to come up with actual plot.

I got quite a few more comments back during my Livejournal heyday, and it can still sometimes feel discouraging to get so comparatively few on AO3, but I still cherish each and every one. Just having someone be moved enough to tell you they liked is a fine thing. From that perspective, I don't get many reviews, which to me means something more in-depth. One of my favorite comments of all time was a long one, but not because of the size; rather, it was the detail that made it obvious this person wasn't just pleased with the result of my efforts, but actually had a real appreciation for the time and trouble I'd taken to craft something worth reading. Though I'm a little surprised I've never had a single piece of angry mail from an outraged reader, I'm sure it would be more likely if I wrote in more popular fandoms.

[enemytosleep]

So many balls in the air! But glad to hear you've been working on a lot of them this week.

Oh the heyday of LJ was a special time. ♥ I don't know it we'll get back to that sort of interaction ever again, but it was certainly fun while it lasted. AO3 seems to be more about the kudos, at least in my experience as a writer. I'm constantly getting kudos alerts, but comments not so much. If I read things I always leave some form of review for them, but I think us authors are more aware of how it feels and are more apt to reciprocate those sorts of actions?

[peachpai]

I wrote very few words today, but they are still words. I'm trying to fill in a hole in a scene and it's rather sticky so I've been prodding at the same spot for a while.

Yes, I read reviews. Generally speaking, it's a yay someone read this! kid of feeling. I've archived a few notifications of particularly nice comments in my email for when I need a boost.

[enemytosleep]

If you need help coming up with some ideas, feel free to let me know. You could also post a locked post to the group so members could weigh in on plot ideas? I hope you get past this part soon!

I love the idea of saving especially nice reviews. It's certainly a wonderful way to boost your mood on a bad day. ♥

[peachpai]

Thank you, I will keep it in mind! :)

It's so helpful, honestly. When I'm feeling bleh about something I can just look at how much people enjoyed something I created and feel like the world is not so bad.

[lady_katana4544]

Focused on other things today instead of writing.

I read all reviews I get (if any, outside of exchanges) and try to be courteous in my responses to the reviewer thanking the person for taking the time to review my writing. I'm not too worried about them, but I'm always glad to know when someone has enjoyed my writing.

[enemytosleep]

I'm about to take a break myself. Sometimes our brains need that.

That's a good attitude to keep with fanfic reviews. Exchanges do seem to garner more responses though, haha. Oh well, enjoy the process - if others enjoy the result, bonus!

[samuraiter]

I attempted to write, but it decided not to happen today. On the up side of that, I know exactly what to write next. Have to manage my weekend carefully to make certain that happens.

Comments and reviews are so few and far between in the AO3 age that I take them very seriously when they pop up, and I try to respond to them as best I can. I was too dependent on them in the FFN age, and I had to wean myself off that mindset.