(no subject)

[shapinglight]

Okay, said I was going to spam, and since this subject is horribly embarrassing for me, I might as well get it off my chest rightaway.

Ahem! I am a feedback whore.



Not that it's True Confessions Week on LJ, or anything, but since I was brought up to think that trying to attract attention to yourself was un-British or unfeminine, or un-something, admitting this is a lot harder than the subject (which is very trivial, I know) actually warrants.

I thought at first I would try and pretend to be all scientific and impersonal and put up some kind of poll so you could all join me in admitting you were also feedback whores, or else take the moral high ground and say getting feedback was a matter of indifference to you. However, implicating you all in my horrible character flaw didn't seem very fair, so I didn't do it.

Anyway, I am one. I wish I wasn't. I wish I was like peasant_ who not only doesn't like getting feedback, but actively discourages it by making it as hard as possible for people to give her any and glaring at them a lot when they do, but I'm not. Getting told people have enjoyed something I've written is one of the best feelings in the world for me. Likewise, not getting any feedback, or not much feedback, for something I've written makes me grumpy, and I have to own up to it.

:sigh: Oh well. Never claimed to be perfect. Should I have done the poll after all, or have I embarrassed myself enough already? Or, indeed, are you asking yourself, what on earth is wrong with wanting/liking to receive feedback? It's a British/women's/old person's problem. Get over it.

Comments

[evilmaniclaugh.livejournal.com]

I hate posting, find it really traumatic, and therefore I'm terrified every time I receive a comment.

[shapinglight]

Really? Wow, that is a different reaction. Very interesting, though. Does it make you feel any better when you've read the comment and it's positive or are you still terrified?

[evilmaniclaugh.livejournal.com]

If it's too good I feel pressure that the rest won't live up to that chapter. If readers second guess wrongly I feel bad about my ending. It's all a big nightmare really. Sometimes I sit on a finished fic for months.

I love writing though. There's nothing I like better than to have ideas coming left, right and centre. The only reason I post at all is that I know that I love to read fic myself if I have the time.

[shapinglight]

If readers second guess wrongly I feel bad about my ending.

Is this because you feel you're letting them down somehow? I'm sure they don't feel that way.

That's very interesting, Liz. Would it help, do you think, if you asked people not to leave f/b the way peasant_ does? Her reasons aren't quite the same as yours but there are similarities. Or would you miss the interaction with your readers even though you dread it?

[evilmaniclaugh.livejournal.com]

Yes I do feel like I'm letting people down in some instances. Last year I wrote a 70,000 word novel in a new pairing just to make up for the fact that a previous fic didn't lead to the secondary pairing she would have preferred.

I love the interaction with people and I love chatting and making new friends, so I'd never want to discourage anyone from leaving feedback. That said, I'm probably the only person who's happier getting less comments than they used to.

I print off some of my nicest reviews and keep them to re-read when I'm feeling discouraged, so I do think fb is a wonderful thing... I'm just a big yellow chicken when it comes to reading it.

In future I intend to post even my long chaptered fics in one go so I never have to worry about the second guessing problem and I NEVER post WIPs anymore.

[shapinglight]

In future I intend to post even my long chaptered fics in one go so I never have to worry about the second guessing problem

That sounds like a very good idea. Also, does the person who caused you to write the 70,000 word novel have any idea of what happened? If so, they should be honoured, I think.