DISCUSSION/OFF-TOPIC POST

[themodawakens]

Use this post for things that are neither prompts nor questions for the mod.

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Comments

How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

I find that my fills are often ignored. I know logically I should think that means they just weren't good fills, but I can read my writing with a pretty objective eye and I feel like they're at the very least fine, and even if absolutely no one else was interested in the trope the OP should've been satisfied. When this happens, how do you guys deal with feeling down/unappreciated/whatever? And how do you guys find motivation to finish a multi-part fill no one seems to be reading? Or do you just cut your losses and give up on that fill?

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

Have you been linking them in the fills post, or posting them on AO3 or elsewhere? It's really hard to track on DW, so people often don't find fills on memes here for days or weeks if they're in older posts. There's also sometimes on memes a feeling that excess comments are using up prompting space, so people will comment less. It's total crap, that, but some people do feel that way and won't comment on fills on meme.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

Yes to linking them on fills post, no to AO3 because I'd like to stay anon.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

NA

You could always create a sock account. I post some of my kinkier fics under a separate AO3 account that's not linked to my online identity in any way.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

make an account under a name that's not the one you usually use. Or post then immediately orphan. In-meme response is always going to be miniscule compared to AO3

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

I am posting my fills here to a sock account -- lots of lovely comments and kudos + no connection to my fandom identity! :3

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

NA

I don't reply to comments on my fills because of prompting space, but I don't think that's a legit excuse for anons or an OP to comment on fills.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

Always finish a WIP if you can. Many people won't read a fill until it's complete because they have started reading a wip in the past and it's been abandoned. There could be lots of people waiting for your fill to finish before they start reading.

This is also a small meme right now. There won't be a lot of response of any sort to fills right away.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

Seconding the anon who said that a lot of people don't read WIPs at all. Also, most people don't notice new fills immediately, and even fewer check for updates to WIPs. I'm not sure what the etiquette is for linking updates to WIPs on the full list, but IMO the wisest options are finishing before you post or posting on AO3.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

*fill list. Autocorrect hates me.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

NA

IDK about AO3. Sure, it'll get more hits than the kink meme, but the fandom is exploding with fic so it's just as likely to get lost amongst other fics. There are a lot of great fics I've seen get lost in the shuffle on AO3.

But my personal opinion is that AO3 is turning into the new ff.net, so I could be biased.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

If you aren't writing because you have a story you want to tell, but because you want a response from other people, you will always be disappointed. Tell the story you want to tell, and please yourself. If no one responds to it, you've still told the story you wanted to tell, and that is a fine thing to take pride in. If anyone else does tells you they like it, that's just gravy.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

ding ding ding

we have a winner.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

While it's good advice that fic writers should write for themselves and take any positive comments they get from people as a bonus, in practice I think it's a little more complicated than that, at least in my experience.

If people really were writing for themselves, then what's to stop them from keeping the results to themselves entirely? By sharing it on the internet, they're actively making their fic no longer just for themselves, they're inviting people to look, and a part of that is inviting feedback. I think it's pretty fair to be frustrated or discouraged when that feedback doesn't appear. I think even the most prolific and popular writers have gone through phases of thinking 'what's the point in posting this, no one will care' because they're not getting any kind of feedback.

And when you take into account this is a kinkmeme, where the entire point is writing for other people, to fill their prompts, it becomes even more disheartening not to receive feedback.

Taking pride in what you write and doing it because you enjoy it really *is* good advice. But being discouraged is a natural response and you're not alone, OP. I'd second the suggestion to make sure you're posting links to the fills post, and if it's a WIP I'd suggest leaving a comment on the fills post when you post the first part, then going back and replying to that comment every time you post a new part. It'll let people know when you've updated for people tracking the post or watching the flat view, and keep all your updates together and tidy. :)

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

I'm sure your fics are fine, but I have noticed a couple things about this meme/fandom:

-the meme moves insanely fast

-it seems like a lot of OPs never come back to comment

If you're looking for eyes on your fic, kink memes aren't really the place for that. You're never going to get the quantity of feedback here you will posting other places just because the format doesn't really lend itself to that (and you can't see hits.)

Also, I personally won't touch a multi-part fic on a meme especially unless it's finished or so amazing it keeps me coming back. It's hard to track multi-parters and so many people never bother to finish them that I just don't bother. My personal policy on posting multi-parters is to not post them at all until they're complete and I can post them all at once.

If you're looking for feedback in a tangible way, make a fake account and post to Ao3 or maybe ff.net.

It totally sucks to write something you're into and not get much feedback. I try to focus on what I got out of writing as opposed to what other people think. There's awesome fills on here that got very little attention and less-than-great fills that have tons of comments just because of pairing, timing, whatever.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

This is a really nice, well-thought-out, sincere comment that addresses multiple angles. You are great.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

It's harder to track fills on DW. I wouldn't take it too personally, nonnie.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

At least you aren't getting anons leaving negative comments. This is the worst meme I've ever been on for that.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

Never been on blindfold spn, have you?

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

After the responses I got, I stopped doing fills.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

Were you getting bad responses?

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

https://tfa-kink.dreamwidth.org/930.html?thread=2132642#cmt2132642

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

I've started to just write prompts for myself lately. I don't "claim" them and if I finish I'll just put up a link to my ao3. There's some people who feel a lot of entitlement and have started to treat prompts like commissions. There's probably nothing wrong with your fills and don't bother with the people who thinks there's something wrong with your posting. Like in real life, there are ungrateful and uncaring assholes on memes too.

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

I'm feeling a little discouraged right now because I'm working on a somewhat long fill and the OP only commented once at the beginning and I have no idea if they like the direction I'm taking the fill in now. I'm gonna keep writing because it seems like a couple other people are following along, but I really want to know what the OP thinks! :/ /wangst

Re: How do authors deal with feeling discouraged?

[(Anonymous)]

Which fill? I only read fills once they're complete, so maybe the OP of yours is the same? Also, did you link it on the fills post?