for Why I Will Not Read Your Story6/16/2009 c1 
10awilla the hun
I personally disagree with you about reviews: if it's a 12 chapter epic, say, and it has no reviews, then I feel sympathetic, give it a look through, and review it. This is especially the case if it involves the sort of thing that I might enjoy (swashbuckling adventure, mostly.) ((However, this usually goes sour when I ask for reviews in return.))
But I agree with most of what you're saying.
10awilla the hunI personally disagree with you about reviews: if it's a 12 chapter epic, say, and it has no reviews, then I feel sympathetic, give it a look through, and review it. This is especially the case if it involves the sort of thing that I might enjoy (swashbuckling adventure, mostly.) ((However, this usually goes sour when I ask for reviews in return.))
But I agree with most of what you're saying.
6/15/2009 c3 Spurlunk
Hm. I agree wholeheartedly about the grammar and spelling. Numbers piss me off. I'm not sure about the reading aloud thing. I get what you're trying to prevent, and itm makes sense, I've just never tried that before. I just read it over myself. Well what I do is I write by hand, which forces me to think more because it's slower than typing. Then I type up my chapters and in the process edit and revise them. I don't know, it's a lengthy process but it works for me.
Nice little resource you've made here. It's very useful. I'll point people here when I read their stories and they suck. xP
Hm. I agree wholeheartedly about the grammar and spelling. Numbers piss me off. I'm not sure about the reading aloud thing. I get what you're trying to prevent, and itm makes sense, I've just never tried that before. I just read it over myself. Well what I do is I write by hand, which forces me to think more because it's slower than typing. Then I type up my chapters and in the process edit and revise them. I don't know, it's a lengthy process but it works for me.
Nice little resource you've made here. It's very useful. I'll point people here when I read their stories and they suck. xP
6/15/2009 c2 67moongazer7
I must point out, it's dessert not desert, so twelve and thirteen would be also wrong because of spelling mistakes.
67moongazer7I must point out, it's dessert not desert, so twelve and thirteen would be also wrong because of spelling mistakes.
6/15/2009 c3 1Hotaru Gunso
I love this so much! As you can guess, I'm an amatuer writer and reading this has really made me think more. You would hope they would teach this kind of stuff in school more thoroughly. As both an original and fan fiction writer, this is helpful! Can't wait for the next update!
1Hotaru GunsoI love this so much! As you can guess, I'm an amatuer writer and reading this has really made me think more. You would hope they would teach this kind of stuff in school more thoroughly. As both an original and fan fiction writer, this is helpful! Can't wait for the next update!
6/12/2009 c2 10MikiSweety
I will combine the Part 1 and Part 2 review. First off, very insightful and will certainly help me get more readers.
I want to ask if you go for length when searching for a story? Also, what happens if the story has many reviews, but they're all from a few loyal readers? I used to think like you before reading stories with great the reviews that simply suck. Most of the stories I truly like don't even have that many reviews.
Oh dear, so you find asking for reviews needy? I suppose I'm guilty of that, though I do it at the end. Be honest, now. Don't we all love reviews? It makes us feel warm and special inside. If it was a good world, we'd post our writing and would not care, but it isn't. I jump for joy every time, especially since I've gotten really useful reviews in the past. The "return" promise is in fact quite enticing. I'm not ashamed to admit it's caused to review works when I was lazy.
Thank you for your grammar notes! They're really useful, since I still make mistakes... though nothing too horrendous, I hope.
I have to defend "titles" a bit. My current story's title is quite boring. It reflects the main theme but is in no way creative. I DO care, but I can't think of anything... Perhaps it's a product of caring too much? In any case, you can be a bit more understanding. At least it's capitalized.
Maybe you'd like to tell why you drop stories, or what makes you stay with them in the long run. How do you feel about prologues, whether it be maps and pictures, quotes, character lists/descriptions, background information in the story's voice, or hooks not necessarily in the story's voice?
10MikiSweetyI will combine the Part 1 and Part 2 review. First off, very insightful and will certainly help me get more readers.
I want to ask if you go for length when searching for a story? Also, what happens if the story has many reviews, but they're all from a few loyal readers? I used to think like you before reading stories with great the reviews that simply suck. Most of the stories I truly like don't even have that many reviews.
Oh dear, so you find asking for reviews needy? I suppose I'm guilty of that, though I do it at the end. Be honest, now. Don't we all love reviews? It makes us feel warm and special inside. If it was a good world, we'd post our writing and would not care, but it isn't. I jump for joy every time, especially since I've gotten really useful reviews in the past. The "return" promise is in fact quite enticing. I'm not ashamed to admit it's caused to review works when I was lazy.
Thank you for your grammar notes! They're really useful, since I still make mistakes... though nothing too horrendous, I hope.
I have to defend "titles" a bit. My current story's title is quite boring. It reflects the main theme but is in no way creative. I DO care, but I can't think of anything... Perhaps it's a product of caring too much? In any case, you can be a bit more understanding. At least it's capitalized.
Maybe you'd like to tell why you drop stories, or what makes you stay with them in the long run. How do you feel about prologues, whether it be maps and pictures, quotes, character lists/descriptions, background information in the story's voice, or hooks not necessarily in the story's voice?
6/5/2009 c2 4Tristan Alkai
You make some excellent points here, and I will take your advice on what to put in the summary and what not to.
I can also easily understand your points about punctuation and grammar in the title and summary, and superfluous information. I will be marking this as a favorite, and keeping your advice in mind as much as possible.
I had not thought in terms of judging by reviews before, but I suppose it makes some sense. However, I generally find my reading material here through the "My Stories" and "Favorite Stories" of people who have reviewed my works, or someone else's story that I found that way. The favorites, at least, must be pretty good to make it onto that other person's list. Like your review judgment, this will mean that I'm missing out on some great stuff, but it raises the average considerably-important for anyone with limited reading time.
4Tristan AlkaiYou make some excellent points here, and I will take your advice on what to put in the summary and what not to.
I can also easily understand your points about punctuation and grammar in the title and summary, and superfluous information. I will be marking this as a favorite, and keeping your advice in mind as much as possible.
I had not thought in terms of judging by reviews before, but I suppose it makes some sense. However, I generally find my reading material here through the "My Stories" and "Favorite Stories" of people who have reviewed my works, or someone else's story that I found that way. The favorites, at least, must be pretty good to make it onto that other person's list. Like your review judgment, this will mean that I'm missing out on some great stuff, but it raises the average considerably-important for anyone with limited reading time.
6/4/2009 c2 10Nonlinear
Thank you for writing this and writing it in a coherent manner. They might actually listen.
You make some very good points about the title and summary especially. Posting too fast was an insightful and necessary bad behavior to mention. Your honesty about abysmal review counts was also good to add. There are ways to get reviews. Most of them involve having a good story.
As for future material to cover, how about character dimension and story pacing? Even if a story seems promising, when I see a flat villain surrounded by neon signs reading "Hate Me," I am out of there. I also don't read past the first chapter if nothing significant happens or is at least heavily foreshadowed. If the story's not going anywhere, why should I keep following it?
Keep fighting the good fight,
C.E.
10NonlinearThank you for writing this and writing it in a coherent manner. They might actually listen.
You make some very good points about the title and summary especially. Posting too fast was an insightful and necessary bad behavior to mention. Your honesty about abysmal review counts was also good to add. There are ways to get reviews. Most of them involve having a good story.
As for future material to cover, how about character dimension and story pacing? Even if a story seems promising, when I see a flat villain surrounded by neon signs reading "Hate Me," I am out of there. I also don't read past the first chapter if nothing significant happens or is at least heavily foreshadowed. If the story's not going anywhere, why should I keep following it?
Keep fighting the good fight,
C.E.
6/3/2009 c2 Rebecca Ripple
Wow! You make it so clear! I'm proud you're my beta reader. You're awesome! I hope you have a marvelous vacation, and a safe trip home!
Wow! You make it so clear! I'm proud you're my beta reader. You're awesome! I hope you have a marvelous vacation, and a safe trip home!
5/6/2009 c1 7gentleduck
Actually, I found this informative for me as a reader instead of for me as a writer. I already do all this stuff for my works so I don't really need to worry, but now I know some ways to look for good stories on here. Thanks!
7gentleduckActually, I found this informative for me as a reader instead of for me as a writer. I already do all this stuff for my works so I don't really need to worry, but now I know some ways to look for good stories on here. Thanks!
5/3/2009 c1 4B. J. Winters
Entertaining. I enjoyed the discussion on titles. The notes on the summary were pertinent.
I think you could 'tighten up' the section on reviews. You seemed to make the same point several ways and could probably be briefer and more pointed. You appear to waffle on the point and it effects the overall credibility.
Looking forward to part 2.
4B. J. WintersEntertaining. I enjoyed the discussion on titles. The notes on the summary were pertinent.
I think you could 'tighten up' the section on reviews. You seemed to make the same point several ways and could probably be briefer and more pointed. You appear to waffle on the point and it effects the overall credibility.
Looking forward to part 2.
5/1/2009 c1 177qveenofcvps
hahah!
so true.
though i do have to admit that the capitalizing the title thing and the thing about not putting pillow book into the title-i disagree with it. sometimes capitalization is part of the style. but i get where you're coming from. and the original pillow books all had "pillow book" in the title, such as "the pillow book of sei shonagon", or "the pillow book of cordelia kenn".
but this made my day.
177qveenofcvpshahah!
so true.
though i do have to admit that the capitalizing the title thing and the thing about not putting pillow book into the title-i disagree with it. sometimes capitalization is part of the style. but i get where you're coming from. and the original pillow books all had "pillow book" in the title, such as "the pillow book of sei shonagon", or "the pillow book of cordelia kenn".
but this made my day.