10369 réponses à ce sujet

[Maria Caliban]

4,008 words and far too many hours stare back at you and say, "Not only is this boring, but the characters don't seem to be anything like the ones in the game at all!"

Also, as anyone else addicted to reviews?

[Creature 1]

I feel your pain, except maybe mine's 6 times greater since I'm at about 24k words. . .



I don't have my fic posted anywhere yet. I feel like I need to get it completed, or at least almost, so I can make sure it's consistent. I've posted a couple previous stories years ago, just short things. I never cared much about reviews because most fanfiction is garbage and most of the audience for it is likewise not that bright. I had one reviewer saying they loved my clearly marked one shot and wanted an update for it. *blinks* I write fanfiction more for myself, and maybe for a handful of other people.

[Jules8445]

I love reading reviews. I'm still not brave enough to actually write an epic fanfic, so I don't have your experience with that....but I play on a couple of message board RP's and I've played a character for several months and gone *headdesk* I hate this person! So I kind of feel your pain.

[tallon1982]

I hear what you mean on the reviews. I haven't had a scathing comment yet but I'm sure I'll get one eventually for something like the characters or it's too wordy. I take it with a grain of salt because it's just one critic out of how many that can possibly read it? I enjoy reading the reviews but it's not the end of my world if someone decides to be an ass lol.

[Maeves_Child]

I like reviews, even the disparaging ones. Although I am vain enough to like to be told that people love it. And total for Dragon Age so far? Over 100K words, and 5 stories.

[The Gay Warden]

Cool story bro.

[The Gay Warden]

Cool story bro.

[Shadow of Light Dragon]

Fanfiction's a good way to get an audience for your writing. It's a lesson on seeing how you handle reviews and criticism, it can be awesome encouragement and motivation to develop your skills.



Remember that even really good and *published* authors have to deal with scathing remarks on their writing. Not everyone will love you, no matter how good you are or how much effort you put in.

[Sisimka]

I actually review books professionally and let me tell you, it takes all types. Some of the fan fiction I've read is even technically better than some of the published drivel I have to suffer through, let alone more interesting.



Fan fiction is an awesome creative outlet and while good reviews feel great and are really encouraging, if you're enjoying yourself, it shouldn't matter.

[tallon1982]

What Shadow and Sisi said



It's not about them anyway...It's what you want to do that matters hehe

[Tarante11a]

I empathize completely - but as good ole Skydiver8888 said to me once "everything seems boring when you've read it for the 1000th time" - wise words! And I don't know about you but I get really schizo about my writing. Usually when I've finished a chapter, I get a ridiculous feeling of grandeur and think I write like a cross between Iain M Banks and William bloody Shakespeare. Then I go and have a snooze or make a cup of tea, come back and find that what I have actually written is utter drivel, toe-curlingly trite and I should have all my pencils taken away and my fingers cut off. I usually end up just feeling embarrassed and anxious about it but then I keep writing and posting, so I must like doing it!



Absolutely the best thing has been meeting really lovely people who like writing too and who are happy to advise and talk about how they go about things.



I get the impression that you’ve been writing fanfic for much longer than me so I’m reluctant to spout platitudinous soothings but, don’t be glum - I suspect what you’ve written isn’t boring at all and I bet that if you can ‘hear’ the characters then other people will be able to as well.

[Sialater]

Strangle your inner critic until he's constructive. Mine is currently locked up in a cage. I feed him bad poetry.

[Maria Caliban]

Creature 1 wrote...

I feel your pain, except maybe mine's 6 times greater since I'm at about 24k words. . .

OMG, you poor thing! *gives you a dark and epic hug*

I don't have my fic posted anywhere yet. I feel like I need to get it completed, or at least almost, so I can make sure it's consistent. I've posted a couple previous stories years ago, just short things. I never cared much about reviews because most fanfiction is garbage and most of the audience for it is likewise not that bright. I had one reviewer saying they loved my clearly marked one shot and wanted an update for it. *blinks* I write fanfiction more for myself, and maybe for a handful of other people.

I don't think people who read fanfiction are not bright. Okay, I think certain fandoms tend to be very young, but the majority of Dragon Age fanfic readers seem to be college educated women.

I've had people ask me for updates to a one-shot, but that doesn't surprise me. Many people like fanfiction because they want more. After playing Dragon Age for 60, 80, or even 100+ hours, they haven't gotten enough of the people and places. It makes sense that after reading through a one-shot, they'd ask for a continuation.

Writing fanfiction for 'myself' isn't something I'd ever do. I find having written to be satisfying, but I see fiction as a form of communication. I want others to find meaning or engagement with the work.

[AdorableAnarchist]

I have a folder (rather thick too) of rejection slips. I have a novel complete and a second one halfway done and eight others in various stages of outlines... I have many short stories... One is published. For me, those rejection letters mean I'm actively working towards my dreams. Yeah, it sucks, but at least I'm trying. Some day, I'll find the right agent or publisher adn finally see my books in print. Until then, I just keep writing both "real" stuff and now fanfic. It makes me happy.

[tallon1982]

Wow at least you've had something published. I'd be lucky to get anything published at all. I hope one day I'll have something out there but at this stage in my writing it's a bit like being lost. When I write the fanfic here I pretty much hold my breath for any feedback. The silence tends to be deafening to so to speak. To be honest I'm the type that would rather have a scathing review than hear nothing at all. On the fanfiction.net site I have all the subscriptions but hardly any reviews and I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels that it's nice to have but say something people! Maybe I'm just being nuts?



As for writing for myself I will do it sometimes but then it's private. Most of the time when I write I want some sort of interaction with others. Must be the only child syndrome kicking in or something.

[TanithAeyrs]

I feel for you Maria. I have approx 13,000 words up and now my story is going in an unexpected direction. The characters take on a life of their own after a while. They may not sound the same as they do in the game because they are colored by our individual perceptions.



I like to get reviews, good, bad or otherwise. I am writing fan fic partly to finish my character's story and partially to brush up on my writing skills.

[Avaraen]

tallon1982 wrote...

On the fanfiction.net site I have all the subscriptions but hardly any reviews and I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels that it's nice to have but say something people!

I must admit I'm guilty of doing this with a lot of stories (subscribing without reviewing)... it's difficult to find new ways to say "interesting story, looking forward to more", and it feels lame to write basically the same thing on multiple story reviews. Also, I might think "this person has potential, but their writing style is unpolished", but wouldn't know how to explain what makes a writer's work "polished", so the criticism becomes non-constructive, which is something I prefer to avoid. If it makes you feel better, consider subscriptions a reader's way of saying "interesting story, looking forward to more", because that's essentially what it means. I know, it's nice to actually have those comments posted, but at least subscriptions are ultimately positive feedback.

[Maria Caliban]

You can tell how many people are subscribed to your story? Show me this mystical tech voodoo! (please)

[Shadow of Light Dragon]

Login to your FF.Net account and go to the Traffic tab. Select 'Story Stats'. That'll tell you how many people have requested alerts or have favourited your separate stories.

[nos_astra]

I'm a reader of fanfiction, I don't write myself and I find it hard to write honest reviews. I don't want to kill the author's enthusiasm because even if I'm not totally thrilled by the story others might be. I don't want to run the risk that the author abandons his/her story so I mostly only review if a story is exceptionally good which means my reviews are nearly worthless.

[TheMadCat]

Any writer who quits or gets upset because of a little criticism has no business writing in the first place. No one is going to improve if they hear nothing but echos of "Great story, awesome work."

To the topic at hand. Never really got into writing fanfic myself, always found it too simplistic, though that sounds a little more elitist then I am implying. I just never found much challenge in taking the majority of the characters and and the bulk of the story which has already been written and fleshed out by others and simply expanding upon them. I do write solely for myself, I write for the challenge because I enjoy pushing my mind and imagination. I enjoy reading the stuff so long as it's decent and somewhat unique, but never really got into actually writing it.

[Sialater]

I have sold a short story, too, but that was ages ago. I've started four novels, nearly finished one, and am actively plugging away at another.



I've not collected a folder of rejections, mostly because I don't know where to submit. Other than the one story, though, everything I have submitted has been rejected. The worst comment I've had, "I don't remember your story, so I didn't buy it."



I wrote this fanfic, my first ever, because I didn't think Moira's story was done. (And she wouldn't shut up.)

[AdorableAnarchist]

Tallon, it was an interesting experience, that story getting published. You see:



I had been whining about wanting to write my novel, but nothing else. A friend got tired of it and told me either to write the one thing I didn't think I could write and try to get it published or shut up. If the story got published, then I was to cease whining and start writing immediately. So, I kicked the hubby out of hte house one Sunday, bought a two pound bag of M & M's, and proceeded to write a short story in the one genre I didn't think I could write -- erotica. Two months later, I was published in an artsy-classy erotica e-zine and the next day, I started my first novel. LOL



For me, I write because the stories don't shut up. I get such a high when I start typing and the thoughts come all but unconsciously. It's fun... when it stops being fun, I stop writing. Luckily, I can make it fun all the time.

[tallon1982]

Being published is being published =) Doesn't matter what it was for or what was written you at least have a crack in the door whereas some of us have none lol. For now this fanfic writing is my therapy/practice and I just hope something will come to me so I can write something of my own creation rather than adding to something that already exists. I hope that made sense...If not then I have pills to share! lol