How much are you willing to change a story you've written based on the feedback you receive? Have you ever scrapped a story due to feedback...or changed it so much that you ended up with a completely different story from the one you started with? And if you have, were you satisfied with your finished project?
And here's the opposite question: have you ever ploughed ahead with a story despite negative feedback? Have you ever stuck with a story that no one else seemed to get?
And here's one last question: can you stand harsh criticism? Do you mind having someone pick your stories apart?
I've written some stories that I knew needed help--like my recent effort, Makeshift Justice. I put that on a site called Scribophile just to find people who would be brutal!
And I've written stories that I didn't think needed help--but then I would read the feedback and think, "Ohmygosh! They're right. How'd I overlook that?" Quite a few of my Star Trek and Bonanza stories fall under that category.
And yes, I've also ploughed ahead despite feedback. It's a balancing act, I suppose--trying to figure out when to rely on your gut and when to listen to the folks who say, "No, no! You're doing this all wrong!'
So how about you? What role has feedback played in your stories?
9 comments:
Wow, so many questions on one theme! I might not be able to answer all due to limited experience, but I'm willing to throw my five cents in...
For me feedback is essential. Of course everybody is hoping for positive feedback and so am I, but I'm well aware that there is such variety of writing styles and ideas for stories that there is always somebody for sure who doesn't like it. But I'm really thankful for constructive criticism of any kind. I hate it when people just say that they don't like a story, but don't say why.
I'm not sure how I would handle very harsh criticism as up to now the few little stories I wrote and send to various fangroups received quite positive feedback or the readers were too polite to say negative things and didn't react at all... -grin-
But from my experience waaaaaay back in school where I had to write hundreds of essays and stories, I can say that it never annoyed me to have my stories analyzed and picked apart. It is an essential help to improve things in the next story. But I never changed a story due to criticism I got on it. Not because I didn't accept the criticism, but because the story was originally written like that and I didn't want to change the original script. Nevertheless I file away the criticism for future projects and try to avoid making the same flaws again. But that is probably because I mostly don't have my stories criticized during the writing progress, but mostly when they are ready and posted somewhere. I think I would give criticism before release a bigger consideration. I'm currently writing on a longer story and I'm so in doubt whether I'm on the right path or not, so this might be the first time I would consider getting feedback during progress... (Nudge, nudge, Rose, do you have the time and energy to read the beginning of my new S/Mc story and tell my if the idea works?)
peerie :o)
I do apperciate constuctive critisism, and I did indeed once change a chapter of a story when somebody explained to me why it didn't work. By changing that one chapter, it changed the entire story-for the better.
Of course it helps if the person is polite about why something doesn't work. If they preface their advice by calling me stupid I'm not going to pay them any attention.
-Igiveup
I usually don't post a story until I have finished it, mainly because I write short stories.
However, some of my short stories have developed in multi-parters because of questions reviewers have left me in feedback. I would think the story is finished, but my ego can't resist the challenge of someone asking me, "But what happened next?" I call it "feeding carrots to the plot bunnies."
As for negative feedback, I try to defend myself, but when we come to an impasse, I will that we'll agree to disagree and give thanks for freedom of speech.
However, flamers will be dealt with, either fed to my lawyer (bc flames are a form of harassment), or report them to TPTB. Then I'll finish up by wishing them bad Karma.
Or at least pimple on their butt. >=^D
Peace!
Julianna
Hi all,
Thanks so much for taking part in this discussion! I love finding out what other writers go through...
Peerie ~ I would love to read the beginning of your new story! Please send it to me immediately. Ya know, now! (Ok, ok...or whenever you can.)
And I absolutely agree with you about constructive criticism. And I love what you say here:
"...I can say that it never annoyed me to have my stories analyzed and picked apart. It is an essential help to improve things in the next story."
I'm intrigued that you don't change a story once it's been posted. I might want to copy you there. I tend to get obsessed with tweaking and tweaking and tweaking again--I never know when to let a story go!
Igiveup You're right--it's much easier to be open to constructive criticism when the person giving it is polite. I'd ignore it too if somebody gave it to me in a nasty way (even if that meant missing a valuable suggestion.)
You raise a good point here. I suppose critiquing a work is a skill we can all constantly improve, so we learn how to give honest, constructive feedback in a warm and friendly way.
Julianna Hehe...the continuation of your wonderful Spock/McCoy and Kirk story was due to lots of folks 'feeding the plot bunnies,' as I recall. Yay for carrots!
I love this:
"As for negative feedback, I try to defend myself, but when we come to an impasse, I will that we'll agree to disagree and give thanks for freedom of speech."
That's a great attitude =)
Oh, and I agree with you about flamers. In fact, I don't count comments from a flamer as 'feedback.'
(Lol, I never thought to wish flamers pimples on their buts. Hmmmmm....)
~Rose
wow.. lots and lots of questions...
I've never changed a story because of feedback. (which kinda helps to make my stuff craptastic)
i've stuck with a story before that had ... well to be nice negitive feedback. (when i was like.. 13 or 14 one of my fics was placed on GAFF [God awful fanfiction] i kept with the story, but i kept it to myself. that's pretty much what i do now.
i can stand harsh criticism, so long as it's not just a flame. i mean don't just tell me that my story is sh*t. tell me what you did not like about it. (actually, that goes with pretty much anything that i do.. not just stories)
i keep a certain view when i'm writing though... i write for me, no one else. also, i never plan out a story (hence not changing the story due to feedback) i see it like this, if i know how it's gonna end, i don't want to read it/write it.
pretty much all of my fics are roleplays that i do with myself (wow.. that sounds wrong.. lol) so i always have an original character, who turns out to be mary sue-ish... *shrugs* the only fic i've never gotten bad feedback with is a songfic i wrote on the spur of the moment, which was also a death fic lol.
i don't write anymore (my best friend, who also doubled as my muse) moved away, and since then, bunnys have either been really bad, or just leave me alone.
... i'm rambling now.. lol sorry! prolly a lot more info than you wanted -.-"
Hey Seiya!
Ok, before I forget--I started a toon on your server (Ravencrest, right?) Her name is Shoshanah--and she's a hot human paladin.
(I put your main toon's name on my friends list.)
(Yeah, I've used the name Shoshanah on my server too, for my Death Knight. It's the Hebrew for 'Rose.')
Meanwhile, I wouldn't worry about GAFF, lol. I think all our stories are supposed to be god-awful when we're thirteen!
I also agree that harsh criticism is fine--if it's constructive. But even if the criticism is harsh, the person writing it shouldn't be. Otherwise, as Igiveup pointed out, we'll just turn it off. So the harsh criticism still needs to be delivered in a considerate manner. (I'm convinced that is possible.)
I hope your plot bunnies come back! And I understand that you write only for yourself--but don't be afraid to share what you're writing. Fan fic writers, I've found, are very good about encouraging each other and, when asked, about helping each other improve =)
~Rose
you are officially added to my friends, and I'll be on pretty much until 12 (or later if House isn't finished downloading by then...{ I HATE not having TV on house night TT_TT lol})
Wow. Late reply. Anyway, awesome questions.
I tend to take concrit and, if it's sound, I'll use it. I prefer having an editor or beta go through my stuff whenever possible. I do love getting feedback, but have resigned myself to the fact that I write a character most people consider very secondary and not worth all that much attention. Despite this, I have managed to get some really wonderful commentary on my stuff, though never what anyone would consider a huge fanbase.
I have scrapped stories due to feedback. But I'd already had huge misgivings about them, so in the end, it just proved to be a hopeless venture overall.
Mostly, finally, I write for the sake of the story. Sometimes that means knowing when to accept negative feedback... sometimes, also, it means knowing when not to accept positive feedback. As strange as that might sound, I learned long ago that it's very easy to fall in love with your own works to the point where you think they're perfect. Since then, I may have veered too far the other way.
Any which way, I keep striving to tell a story. Regardless of feedback, regardless of anything.
Hey SLWatson!
Mostly, finally, I write for the sake of the story. Sometimes that means knowing when to accept negative feedback... sometimes, also, it means knowing when not to accept positive feedback. As strange as that might sound, I learned long ago that it's very easy to fall in love with your own works to the point where you think they're perfect.
Excellent point! I love positive feedback, but sometimes we need the tougher criticism to really make our work shine. Sometimes we settle too early. I think that's why I don't mind tinkering with my work even after it's supposedly finished. Who knows? Maybe a story is never really finished...
It is all to easy to fall in love with your own story--so tough love is sometimes necessary =)
~Rose
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