10369 réponses à ce sujet

[Raonar]

Mahkara wrote...

Sialater wrote...

You could try PMing...

Unless that's just too needy?

It is far too neurotic. I'll behave myself and just figure that if they don't want to review, they don't want to review.  And perhaps I shall never know!!!!!

It's still kind of weird, though.  I'm used to people not reviewing *everything*. But to review 1-4 then stop?  It seems kind of peculiar unless they were taking a break. Or just suddenly decided to hate the story...but I really don't think I did anything too bad in chapter 5.

Is this about Diplomatic Relations? I say don;t get too nervous. For instance, when I posted the chapter before the last one i got out so far, I got no feedback whatsoever for about 1 or 2 days (i usually had 4-5 reviews overnight). I waitd and then, after another night, five e-mail alerts. So yeah, probably just a break

[Mahkara]

Sialater wrote...

How many chapters total?

17.  So >5, but not like...some of the stories that have >100K words.  (I'm around 50K words now, I think?  Too long to read in a sitting, but not like...super long.)

That said, apparently it was a break.  As I just got a super long review.  Go figure...

<--reminds self to not freak out easily

[Sialater]

LOL, See? Not so bad.

[Mahkara]

Raonar wrote...

Is this about Diplomatic Relations? I say don;t get too nervous. For instance, when I posted the chapter before the last one i got out so far, I got no feedback whatsoever for about 1 or 2 days (i usually had 4-5 reviews overnight). I waitd and then, after another night, five e-mail alerts. So yeah, probably just a break

Yeah. That's the only thing I really have ongoing at the moment.   (The rest are just shorts that I add to whenever I do a fill for kmeme or a friend or whatever.)

It's weird in that I'll usually get like...4-5 reviews almost instantly. It's like people are waiting by their computer, see the chapter pop up, then the first thing they do is read and review.  It's flattering, but I'm sort of blown away by the super fast reviews (even though I probably give them as well).

Then about the same number will trickle in over the next 24 hours.

Then about the same number will appear much later.  It's kind of funny, in its own odd ball way.   Strangely enough, most chapters have been equally popular, but have had different reviewers reviewing them.  And some seem to get reviews much faster than others.  (Although this may just be timing as I don't update at the same time every week, so I suppose that if I update when no one is around...what do you know, slow reviews!)

It's kind of puzzling, and being neurotic, I'm always like, "Oh, no! Person X didn't review this chapter!  They no longer like me!" just to get two reviews next update from them with, "ooops, missed it..." or whatever and be all *headdesk*.  Then I'm embarassed for being so freaking neurotic...

[Mahkara]

Sialater wrote...

LOL, See? Not so bad.

I swear, it's like she *waited* for me to complain on BSN...(or he..not sure, actually)

[Raonar]

Mahkara wrote...

Raonar wrote...

Is this about Diplomatic Relations? I say don;t get too nervous. For instance, when I posted the chapter before the last one i got out so far, I got no feedback whatsoever for about 1 or 2 days (i usually had 4-5 reviews overnight). I waitd and then, after another night, five e-mail alerts. So yeah, probably just a break

Yeah. That's the only thing I really have ongoing at the moment.   (The rest are just shorts that I add to whenever I do a fill for kmeme or a friend or whatever.)

It's weird in that I'll usually get like...4-5 reviews almost instantly. It's like people are waiting by their computer, see the chapter pop up, then the first thing they do is read and review.  It's flattering, but I'm sort of blown away by the super fast reviews (even though I probably give them as well).

Then about the same number will trickle in over the next 24 hours.

Then about the same number will appear much later.  It's kind of funny, in its own odd ball way.   Strangely enough, most chapters have been equally popular, but have had different reviewers reviewing them.  And some seem to get reviews much faster than others.  (Although this may just be timing as I don't update at the same time every week, so I suppose that if I update when no one is around...what do you know, slow reviews!)

It's kind of puzzling, and being neurotic, I'm always like, "Oh, no! Person X didn't review this chapter!  They no longer like me!" just to get two reviews next update from them with, "ooops, missed it..." or whatever and be all *headdesk*.  Then I'm embarassed for being so freaking neurotic...

Heh. I noticed you keep your chapters fairly short, which is porbably why people read it fast (and more viewiers means more reviewers too ). With mine, many get scared away because of the sheer length of the chapters (the shortest is about 6000 words, but most average at 13K and the longest are about 18K... yeah).

And about being neurotic... well, stop being. It's easy, you just decide and go have some ice cream.

[Sialater]

LOL, you still have more reviews than I do, so don't sweat it.

[Mahkara]

Raonar wrote...

Heh. I noticed you keep your chapters fairly short, which is porbably why people read it fast (and more viewiers means more reviewers too ). With mine, many get scared away because of the sheer length of the chapters (the shortest is about 6000 words, but most average at 13K and the longest are about 18K... yeah).

And about being neurotic... well, stop being. It's easy, you just decide and go have some ice cream.

I really do think that for ffic that shortish chapters are best.  I always feel lazy for admitting it, but it's *hard* to read more than a few thousand words on a computer screen.    So I try to keep mine shorter than 5K words just as I figure that this is all I'd want to read at a time.  Of course, this runs the risk of confusing people as you can only reveal a bit of a story line at once.  But, eh...there are a lot of difficulties in adhering to the rather serial nature of ffic, I think...

[Mahkara]

Sialater wrote...

LOL, you still have more reviews than I do, so don't sweat it.

Awww....(I still need to read your fic.  It's on my list!)  I try to remind myself that from ffnet Dragon Age fandom standards, my fic is fairly popular and be grateful for that.  (Although it will *never* be as popular as Ridiculously Awesome. Like...I still don't get how that got so many hits.)    And I need to remind myself that whining and being neurotic only makes me seem annoying and prima donna-ish.     It's kind of sad as there's stuff out there that is better than what I write that is ignored.  But, then again, I'm sure that there is worse that is more popular too. So I suppose it evens out somewhat.

[Sialater]

Meh, I'm not worried about the review count for The Rescue. I don't consider it my best work.



Loved (ME, Shepard/Garrus), on the other hand, is something I sweat over.

[Mahkara]

Sialater wrote...

Meh, I'm not worried about the review count for The Rescue. I don't consider it my best work.

Loved (ME, Shepard/Garrus), on the other hand, is something I sweat over.

I will remember that.  I try to read the good works first so that I'm not discouraged and go, "Well, that's enough of that author..."

I should probably rank my own stories. Like, "this is what I'd read and this...OK, well, maybe if you're really bored or like the pairing..."

[Maria13]

Mahkara wrote...

Raonar wrote...

Heh. I noticed you keep your chapters fairly short, which is porbably why people read it fast (and more viewiers means more reviewers too ). With mine, many get scared away because of the sheer length of the chapters (the shortest is about 6000 words, but most average at 13K and the longest are about 18K... yeah).

And about being neurotic... well, stop being. It's easy, you just decide and go have some ice cream.

I really do think that for ffic that shortish chapters are best.  I always feel lazy for admitting it, but it's *hard* to read more than a few thousand words on a computer screen.    So I try to keep mine shorter than 5K words just as I figure that this is all I'd want to read at a time.  Of course, this runs the risk of confusing people as you can only reveal a bit of a story line at once.  But, eh...there are a lot of difficulties in adhering to the rather serial nature of ffic, I think...

I stick to around 3,000 myself and find that it's the optimal amount. Optimal for quick scenes + action and a suspensful end. Optimal in terms it takes to write 2-3 days. Optimal for the readers' attn spans. Let's face it everyone's busy nowadays so what's needed is a quick shot.

My theory anyway.

[Mahkara]

Sialater wrote...

Meh, I'm not worried about the review count for The Rescue. I don't consider it my best work.

Loved (ME, Shepard/Garrus), on the other hand, is something I sweat over.

I will remember that.  I always prefer to read the good story than the not so good one.  (In part, in that if you read the not so good one first, you're like, "This author sucks!" and don't give them a fair shot.)

I keep thinking I should rank my own stories. Like, "These are the good ones and the rest, well...I guess if you really like my writing, or have a lot of free time or like the pairing or something...."

[Gilgamesh1138]

Mahkara, I too am freaking out. I lost regulars along the way, and my reviews have gone waaay down. I get a lot of hits, some alerts for favs, but reviews...*sigh*. Maybe I'm not writing well enough? Or maybe I have bored people? Maybe I am not a good writer? That is my biggest worry.

[Mahkara]

Gilgamesh1138 wrote...

Mahkara, I too am freaking out. I lost regulars along the way, and my reviews have gone waaay down. I get a lot of hits, some alerts for favs, but reviews...*sigh*. Maybe I'm not writing well enough? Or maybe I have bored people? Maybe I am not a good writer? That is my biggest worry.

It's hard to tell. I freak out about losing reviewers, too, as I *know* that I've gotten bored of stories and stopped reviewing (and generally reading).  I also know that it's a rare person who is brave enough to come out and say, "you as a writer have lost your way and are boring.  FINISH IT ALREADY!!!"   So every time I lose a reviewer, I'm like "OMG, no! I'm boring, and they'll never read it again!"  Which feels *so* neurotic, but there it is. I rather wish more people would just say what they were thing as it is better than the doubt.

[Gilgamesh1138]

Me too Mahkara. I wonder if I am boring them, then I get alerts and the stats are high. So I am sooooo confused. I would rather know.

[Mahkara]

Gilgamesh1138 wrote...

Me too Mahkara. I wonder if I am boring them, then I get alerts and the stats are high. So I am sooooo confused. I would rather know.

I would too. It's part of why I'm incensed at the "OMG, how could someone say negative things about my fic!" crowd.   While, like everyone, I secretly want to be told that I'm writing the best thing ever, I realize that only one person gets to write the best thing ever...and that sometimes I must be deeply flawed.  And, OMG, if I am, I want to *know*.  Rather than to just guess at it by reviews that get less frequent/involved/whatever.

[Sialater]

Mahkara wrote...

Sialater wrote...

Meh, I'm not worried about the review count for The Rescue. I don't consider it my best work.

Loved (ME, Shepard/Garrus), on the other hand, is something I sweat over.

I will remember that.  I try to read the good works first so that I'm not discouraged and go, "Well, that's enough of that author..."

I should probably rank my own stories. Like, "this is what I'd read and this...OK, well, maybe if you're really bored or like the pairing..."

I'm not saying it sucks... it just... doesn't get the blood and the sweat.  Just the tears

[Mahkara]

Sialater wrote...

I'm not saying it sucks... it just... doesn't get the blood and the sweat.  Just the tears

Eh, they are probably both lovely. But I always try to read the best first.  I figure that if I love the author, I'll go back and read more. But might as well go for #1...then everything else.  

[Merilsell]

Maria13 wrote...

I stick to around 3,000 myself and find that it's the optimal amount. Optimal for quick scenes + action and a suspensful end. Optimal in terms it takes to write 2-3 days. Optimal for the readers' attn spans. Let's face it everyone's busy nowadays so what's needed is a quick shot.

My theory anyway.

I was starting to write my FF with this philosophy too but it quickly evolved to a "screw word count" mentality later on when I had certain things I needed to include in the chapter I was writing on. Nowadays I can't write a chapter shorter than 7000 words. I . Can't. Lenya and Co have rendered this goal completely and utterly useless. But then again I only update once a week or  every 14 days (depends on my beta, though) so I think a long winded chap is justified then to equal the wait the people have had.

[Sialater]

Mahkara wrote...

Sialater wrote...

I'm not saying it sucks... it just... doesn't get the blood and the sweat.  Just the tears

Eh, they are probably both lovely. But I always try to read the best first.  I figure that if I love the author, I'll go back and read more. But might as well go for #1...then everything else.  

Well, when you do read it, read the ff.net version.  The one I post here is more of a rough draft.

[Gilgamesh1138]

Same for me Sia...I love your works though! I need to read your Garrus/Shep I love that pairing. need to give you a shout out again in Soulmates.

[LupusYondergirl]

Long reply is long since I've been running around like a loon and/or playing the demo since I got home from work.



@Glorfindel: Wow, thank you!!

And I love Irving and Greagoir. They're my Dragon Age OTP.

Well, maybe. I don't know if they're actually a "thing," but they do clearly love each other, even if only in a platonic fashion. I think after not only working but also living together for so long they'd be more like brothers than coworkers. Not necessarily the sort of friends who agree on everything, but something maybe deeper than that, where their relationship survives disagreements, or even fundamental differences of belief.

That, and since they really sort of represent everything Maggie hates (Chantry, Circle, tradition, etc), having them as highly sympathetic helps counterbalance the 1st person POV bias.

@Gil: *blush* Thank you!



Re: Chapter length

I've found for AOA 5,000 words works for me. That's maybe an hour a day over three or four days, or if I can actually sit down and focus, one long afternoon of straight writing. I write (and type) fast, though.

For Stone and Sky it's been closer to 2500, which I personally feel is too short, but it's tough given where the story is right now. Any more and I'd be leaving too much chopped up between chapters. I think that will get longer when I have Jowan and Sif in the same city at the same time, though. Dialogue is sort of at a minimum at the moment, and my writing is probably 75% dialogue most of the time.

[Gilgamesh1138]

@ Lupus *HUGS*



@Lupus and Glorfindel...I agree! I have Irving and Greg as friends. And I have a when they wre younger with Wynne fic planned. Which may wind up AU depending Anders' parentage.



So much writing so little time...

[Raonar]

Gilgamesh1138 wrote...

@ Lupus *HUGS*

@Lupus and Glorfindel...I agree! I have Irving and Greg as friends. And I have a when they wre younger with Wynne fic planned. Which may wind up AU depending Anders' parentage.

So much writing so little time...

I distinctly remember David Gaider (or someone) saying/writing somewhere that Anders is not wynne's son.

Modifié par Raonar, 23 février 2011 - 06:53 .