TUG STORIES POLL - Feedback and Comments

[bondagefreak]

Remember, votes are anonymous. The poll gives us an inside view into the forum's readership base.
Vote for the option you can identify with the most.

[Fordman]

A comment about comments.

While recovering stories, I noticed 2 things. The old board had a lot of unfinished stories, and the stories with the most comments tended to be unfinished, mostly pleas to finish the story.

My conclusion.

If you want to get a lot of comments on your story, leave it unfinished.

Or.

If you want a board full of unfinished stories, only leave comments on unfinished stories.

[bondagefreak]

If you want a board full of unfinished stories, only leave comments on unfinished stories.

[mention]Fordman[/mention]
A humourous conclusion, if not a tad impractical.
I hope you're not implying that comments should only be left on finished works, so as to encourage authors to finish their works?

In quite a few cases, stories have been left unfinished due to lack of feedback. The comments pleading for a continuation/conclusion often come many months (sometimes years) after the author has abandoned his work due to the unerring silence.


Waiting for a story to end before commenting is IMO, counterproductive to story boards like this one.

Regular reviews and public support is primarily what allows authors like [mention]Jason Toddman[/mention], [mention]volatiledesire[/mention], [mention]Xtc[/mention], [mention]squirrel[/mention], and [mention]KP Presents[/mention] to write large, multi-chaptered stories.

[mention]Jason Toddman[/mention], [mention]volatiledesire[/mention] and I would have probably given up writing for this board a LONG time ago had the readers decided to wait until the story completion before posting reviews.

Thankfully, that's not the case. I've been working on the same story since mid 2011 and it's STILL not complete.
Without the comments to let me know that my work was being read, I would've abandoned writing for this board a long time ago.

[Plueschbabycd]

Hallo,
@Fordman I´m slow writer how mostly writer a Chapter per post. This begging for another part with only short phrase was f for me more discourage as opposite. Especially if someone dos more one time in ever day in a row. Because work on every part how hard I could and this make me not work faster and longer. I give mostly Feedback and Comments one story I like and by more parts after first or second and than in end, if give no parts that stand out for me. I post in more Forums in witch I´m also than I most do it on the one I found it first.

[volatiledesire]

A comment about comments.

If you want to get a lot of comments on your story, leave it unfinished.

If you want a board full of unfinished stories, only leave comments on unfinished stories.

The problem is many of the unfinished stories are episodic along the lines of Nancy Drew Novels, etc. Events are concluded, but the characters live on. In many cases there are multiple chapter arcs that need endings but it's hard to write endings, just ask George R.R. Martin, or Robert Jordan, or etc. Endings are a skill that has to be learned. In many of the stories that are long on this site, the endings might be arbitrary, unless a character dies, since it is always possible to write more.

Many readers prefer short stories, and that's fine, but short stories have limitations often in character development, motivations, etc. It is just what you prefer.

And @bondagefreak is totally correct.

@Jason Toddman, @volatiledesire and I would have probably given up writing for this board a LONG time ago had the readers decided to wait until the story completion before posting reviews.

My 2¢

[MaxRoper]

If I like the story I usually leave a comment, however I'm rather picky regarding what I enjoy.

Comments make authors happy and happy authors make for a vibrant site.

[Fordman]

When I was a kid and you got invited to a party, you would send a thank you note the next day, just to let the person know you appreciated their hospitality. We don’t do things like that anymore.

My tongue-in-cheek comment was intended to start a conversation. I wasn’t implying that feedback should only be left on finished stories.

During my search I would open stories that had many replies, thinking it was either a multipart story or very popular, only to find one or two short paragraphs closing with “I’ll write more if there’s interest” and 15 replies asking to finish the story.

Then I would find a wonderful story that was posted complete in one post with none or one comment.

So I was thinking, if this community is able to post 15 comments on an unfinished story, then it should be able to post more than one on a finished story(with 200+ views), even if it’s just “hey, read your story, thanks for sharing.”

Just leave a thank you note. That’s all I was saying.

[cj2125]

The same with [mention]MaxRoper[/mention] , if I like a story I try to make sure to leave a comment; I try to cut new writers some slack and encourage them to post though

[bondagefreak]

My tongue-in-cheek comment was intended to start a conversation.

No worries mate. You make a valid point about the comments. I knew your initial comment was a little sarcastic.
I noticed the same thing you noticed too. We're fighting an uphill battle. Speaking about it seems to help, even if temporary.

My public plight to get forum lurkers to come out of hiding a month ago yielded some impressive results and numerous responses. Hopefully we can do the same thing for stories.

[FelixSH]

I have a new job, which doesn't leave me much time for this forum. I sometimes read the start of a story on my phone in the subway, to look if it interests me. If so, I bookmark it for later, and forget about it. As mentioned, not much time for this.

If I read it to the end I will write a comment. I'd like to read and write more, and I hope it will get better soon.

[Fordman]

Thanks bondagefreak,

And despite my comments, I do feel the community is doing better with story feedback now than on the old board. I’ll admit I was a lurker, and didn’t become energized to contribute until the reboot. Maybe it is a good thing in the long run the old board wasn’t recovered, and new and returning members have shaken off complacency to form a stronger bond.

[Fordman]

I have a new job, which doesn't leave me much time for this forum. I sometimes read the start of a story on my phone in the subway, to look if it interests me. If so, I bookmark it for later, and forget about it. As mentioned, not much time for this.

If I read it to the end I will write a comment. I'd like to read and write more, and I hope it will get better soon.

Hi Felix,

I read an interview in Writer’s Digest years ago and they asked the author how she got started.
She said she had a 10 minute bus ride to work every morning and she wrote her first novel on the bus, 10 minutes at a time.

Okay, it took 2 years. The point is, keep a positive attitude and things will get better.

All the best on your new job.

[bondagefreak]

No worries [mention]FelixSH[/mention] You've already contributed more than 95% of this board so far.
Best of luck to you. I'm sure things will calm down soon.

Okay, it took 2 years. The point is, keep a positive attitude and things will get better.

ONLY two years!? Damn. Puts me to shame

[Tieup1]

Obviously, I only read stories that interest me, and I usually leave a comment' even if it just a basic one.

I sometimes find it hard to give feedback, in case I offend the author.

[Tsuhaya]

I usually comment everything I read, if I have not yet commented something is why I have not read yet, I like to encourage people to write

[Fordman]

Many members are great at leaving feedback.

If you read a story and liked it, and have an opportunity to tell the author, that’s all anybody can ask.

[KP Presents]

Take my word for it - if I had waited for feedback on every story I write, my site would not have lasted ten years.

I appreciate it when I get kind comments, fan mail and constructive criticism, but as others have said, I do this because I like doing it.

[Xtc]

[mention]KP Presents[/mention], you and I are old stagers and I think it matters more to less experienced writers than it might to us. Having said which, I always appreciate it when I get feedback and get really ratty if I get the impression that a story is being ignored.

[sniffingyoursocks]

Many members are great at leaving feedback.

If you read a story and liked it, and have an opportunity to tell the author, that’s all anybody can ask.

So much agree with that.

I wasn't reading much on the forum lately, but when I read a story, I always posted a feedback - that's what writers write for!

Can only speak for myself - when you write a story, you want it being read but also you want to hear what people think about it - that's probably only my own way to see it, but I think I'd much rather have 5 more comments on my story than 100/200 more views.

[Plueschbabycd]

@Xtc Hello what Kp say I leaned for old forum. I write stories my mother tongue Germany had nearly 6 I know than I kame this put out my story in English. I hoped potential growths in readers. What I get, I make dozen full.
so I learn to write only for me.

[bondagefreak]

Interesting results so far.
Twenty participants is hardly a large enough sample by which to evaluate the board, but as of now, 65% of voters are either "Not particularly prone" and "Not very likely" to comment on the stuff they read.

[cj2125]

[mention]bondagefreak[/mention] it’s interesting, of course what I would want to k ow is why they don’t think they’ll comment but then again, given their record, they probably won’t comment here either

[MisterMistoffelees]

Sixty percent of members are unlikely to respond to story posts.

And then you wonder why so many stories go unfinished.

Frankly, I get tired of shouting into a void.

[bondagefreak]

[mention]MisterMistoffelees[/mention] Actually, its probably more like 97-98% of members who are unlikely to respond to story posts.

The people who've voted on this so far are most likely active participants. Not to paint too grim a picture, but it's more like 60% of active forum participants who are unlikely to respond to story posts. That 60% plus the hundreds of silent lurkers, constitutes well over 95% of forum members.

[Tieup1]

What members should realise is, that the more replies, and feedback a story gets, it will give encouragement to the author, to write more.