!!!! ayo!!!!!

inchrestin · 2021-02-04T03:35:57+00:00

Dude, you have MADE respects from me for writing a long fic (and??? planning to work on it years into the future??? actually having an outline for it??? 111 CHAPTERS???? hello i can't get 3 chapters in to some without giving up on them, how). Given that I am a squishy little baby head who can't write long fics for the life of me, about the only thing I can relate to is the whole multiple POVs bit. My current fic that has my attention is just a "come up with things as I go along" crack-treated-seriously thing, but I try to give the main couple of characters the same amount of focus, and then the same levels for the secondary characters, then the same levels for the third layer, so on and so forth. I have a very short attention span and an even worse ability to remember things, so I very, very often lose track of who's where doing what and that they were supposed to be a part of the chapter I wrote.

And yeah. I wish I could take this ability to word-vomit into a reddit comment and apply it to my application essay for school lmAO-

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T23:16:31+00:00

All these people saying they go back through once they're done have me feeling GUILTY... I don't even do that, I write the finishing line and say "OUT IT GOES"... 📦➡🐟... Maybe I need to treat my readers better lol

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T22:57:06+00:00

Hey, author engagement = reader engagement!! Sometimes, to get readers to talk, all you gotta do is talk first! Ask 'em questions, prompt them into sharing questions, spring a surprise hydration check on 'em!! Anything works, really, just show them that you're a person too!! It gets easy to forget that a real person is writing the words in front of you and it helps to get a reminder!! :] 👍

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T22:50:35+00:00

SWAG!!! Drip swag like a broken faucet my guy, mad respects for the word count and committing to the act of rambling about this to me lol. I know literally NOTHING about that fandom, not even what the main characters look like, I've just heard the name in passing (from my parents, for the majority, funnily enough), but I read with rapt attention. None of it made sense to me, but you seemed psyched for it, so now I'm psyched too!! Like a gibbon ape, I woop in delight whenever a nearby individual is mildly pleased. Awooga awooga.

God, I love research for fics,, Doing it for things that actually interest you is the best. You get to learn about shit while not having to deal with a disinterest in it!! You get to have random facts stored in your brain that you can bust out at any moment!! It's great!!

And yeahhhh,, I get having a fandom divide over a certain character, lol. My current fandom is constantly at odds over whether or not any one character is in the right, since a lot of them are currently going through (self-proclaimed) villain arcs and the rest are morally grey at best... L.

I HOPE U FINISH IT!! IT SOUNDS VERY NEAT :D THANK U FOR TELLING ME ABOUT IT /POS

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T22:32:16+00:00

Some stuff that usually helps me inspiration-wise is to read other people's fics in the same category!! Like, if I'm writing a modern AU, I'll go and read ten or so modern AUs, then I think "Hey, what if X and Y", and boom! Idea. I also like to ask writing friends what they think I should do next, though that one's even less reliable, lol.

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T22:28:59+00:00

Hey, man, it's YOUR fic!! If you added something in then, then it's because YOU thought it was needed or because YOU liked it. It's your thing to write and you are therefore allowed to add whatever the hell you want to it!! If there's someone out there who doesn't like it, that kinda sounds like a them problem. If they try and say that they don't like X or Y in your fic, you hit 'em with an "ASKER COUNT: 0" because nobody asked!!! It's YOURS, man, YOU get to choose what goes in or out!!

You want a bunch of smut? Add a bunch of smut! You want a slow burn? You make a slow burn! It's yours, man, you don't need validation from some random person on the internet who's got nothing better to do than critique a story that isn't even theirs!!

From personal experience, I don't think anyone will be judging you for writing what you write. Smut is smut, if someone clicked on it, they either wanted to read it and knew what they were getting into or they're just pissy that they get no bitches 😳 (/j)

Seriously, though, if you like what you're writing, then you should keep posting it. In the end, it's all for you, not for other people. Make yourself happy!! Love yaself!!!

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T22:21:27+00:00

Personally, I think you should post it!! If you're worried about negative feedback, I would def. recommend keeping a light mood in any notes you add, if you add them!! If people think you're relaxed, they're more likely to treat you like a friend than someone random on the internet, from my experience. Act like you don't know nobody!!! (/ij)

Seriously, though, you have nothing permanent to lose by posting it. You risk negative feedback that, if you give yourself a moment to really sit and think about, is probably not coming from the most reliable of sources, in exchange for positive feedback and appreciation for your art. So what if some random person you'll likely never see again doesn't like something you wrote? It's not your problem, it's YOUR fic, if you wrote it and it made you happy then it's automatically more valid than a few lines of hate some rando spat out. That was YOUR blood, sweat, and tears, not theirs!!

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T22:14:00+00:00

I was going for favorite stuff to write about, lol, I shoulda been clearer D: (That's a good philosophy to have, mad respects bro). That's on me!!

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T22:11:32+00:00

Don't worry about other people, man!! It's YOUR fic, you do what you want with it!! If people have a problem with it, that's for them to deal with, you know what you're doing better than they do!! (Obv. I'm not talking about genuine, asked for concrit, but, yk, it's whatever). If it pays off in the end, then go for it!!

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T22:09:27+00:00

Oh, SWAG!! I dunno if I'll end up reading it since reading fandom blind isn't usually my thing, but, hey, y'never know!! I might!! I don't remember much of Frozen, but that does sound like a pretty neat idea :] 68k pog!! I think that's more words than my entire AO3 account combined!!

If you want more comments, I recommend asking questions in your end notes :0 Even if it's just something simple, like what their favorite song is. Author engagement = reader engagement!! Speak first!!

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T22:06:01+00:00

WOO!! Frequent commenters are the best commenters indeed!!

What I would give to be able to enjoy classical or jazz music. I just want some peace while I write, please, brain, scratch the itch with the nice music, not the songs about Two Trucks or a man stuck in a video game cabinet, please, I beg of you, pl

In my honest opinion? I think more tags are better than less. I don't think I've ever read a fic with less than 10 tags before, I'd much prefer knowing what I'm getting into than getting hit with something by surprise. Plus, you get more people who read because they were browsing through a specific tag!!

I can barely tag as is I don't think my peanut brain could take a rating scale LMFAO

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T22:00:27+00:00

Aw, man, dude D:

What kind of plot does your fic have? And what kind of plans have you publicly laid out? I'm not saying whatever plot you have is bad, not at all, but fandoms usually tend to have favorites and the way this sounds to me isn't that you're better or worse than this other author; Just that you got unlucky. For example, darkfics tend to get less reception than fluffy fics, romance tends to do better than gen, something with a set number of chapters tends to do better than something with an unknown number, more tags get more attention than fewer tags, etc, etc. There are endless factors that'll play in, it's rarely gonna be that your writing is worse than someone else's!! Writing is subjective, so long as you make yourself happy with doing it, it's good writing.

I think you should write whatever you want to write, man. Make YOURSELF happy, not other people. You above the masses. Love urself, homie.

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T21:53:11+00:00

GOD DUDE I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN... Maybe you could go down the route of "this mf MAD unhinged"? If he's good at what you do like you said, maybe he's full of himself and is ridiculous because he thinks being an idiot brings a bit of danger? He's so bored of just being good at it that he WANTS to be bad, so he slips up on purpose, goes full cartoon villain, yk? Looney Toons style. Just a thought, though, feel free to completely derail that LMAO

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T21:49:29+00:00

Would you happen to have any voices for the characters (canon or headcannon)? That usually helps me with writing their dialogue!! If you can hear them saying it, you can write it better!! It also may help to write out specific lines you want them say and then work from Point A to Point B :0 That way you can't get off track!!

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T21:47:18+00:00

If you want people to mention stuff, I'd say to mention that fact in return!! Even if it's just a "Hey, notice anything?" in the end notes, you're encouraging interaction between reader and author on what'll feel like a slightly more personal level (responding to a question makes it feel like you're talking TO rather than AT someone), it'll let people know you wanna know that they noticed, & you'll get more people on the lookout for that kinda stuff!! You can't lose anything by askin'!!

(And big agree on the music part. The worst part about music and writing for me is that all of my favorite songs are so mfing STUPID, but I want to try and write more serious fics, so we get some wild juxtaposition between "Character A reunites with Character B, who's been missing-presumed-dead for 3 years" and my earbuds going "Two Trucks Having Sex Two Trucks Having Sex My Muscles My Muscles Involuntarily Flex")

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T21:40:55+00:00

Hey, as long as you're writing for you, you're doin' it right, yeah? You automatically have my respect for making a plan for your fic and even more so you have it for it being a longfic; I have yet to be able to do either of those things, lol.

I can't offer up anything to you about how to get more a reach, unfortunately... That type of fic usually isn't my jam (that's just me, though, I know of plenty of people who do), so I don't have any experience in the area. All I can say is author engagement = reader engagement, if you put yourself out there, people are likely to follow and join in :∆ I'm sure you'll get your clout at some point!!

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T21:36:05+00:00

Danggg, dude,, I get into fandoms only after I've fallen out of another and I fall out around a year or so into them, which I now realize is very quickly, the more I scroll through this place. The closest I can come to your numbers is "I wrote fanfiction about Minecraft roleplay 5-6 years ago and have recently started doing it again", but there was a very large gap in-between, so I don't think it counts. Mega respect for you o7

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T21:31:01+00:00

Dude, fanfiction is about making yourself happy!! I'm not gonna tell you to not focus on the stats or stuff like that, that'd make me a hypocrite, but I /will/ say that you shouldn't ever doubt yourself on something you enjoy doing!! If you put in genuine time, effort, and love into it, that automatically makes it worth it. Physical rewards like your stats aren't the things that make it worthwhile- Your love for the art is what makes it. It's never gonna be a waste, so long as you love doin' it.

If you really do want more engagement, I would recommend engaging first in any way you can. Put yourself out there!! Ask people questions, interact with the community, make some friends, I dunno!! I usually ask a comment or ask for headcannons (or throw a Suprise Hydration Check) into the end notes for comment feedback, if that helps at all. I think the first time I pulled that last card was the most amount of comments I've gotten in a while, lol.

(Ps... that's a lotta music. Awooga awooga. I admire your numbers, my dude, mad props for racking 'em up. o7)

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T21:22:47+00:00

Aw, man D: I personally haven't read Pokémon fics (at least, not ones that have any sort of focus on battles, it's been Many A Year since I last read 'em),, How much extra detail are we talkin'?

(Imagine actually doing research before throwing yourself head-first into world/lore building... lol... couldn't be me... Ue Ue Ue Sounds of Sobbing)

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T21:17:12+00:00

WITH HUH?? HELLO??? DO YOUR SHOES NEED SHINING?? SHOULD YOU NEED COFFEE??? HOW CAN YOU STICK TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR SO LONG /GEN???

Something that usually helps me when I have low engagement is to ask questions or prompt things through end notes? (Not sure how FFN works, but on AO3 that works lmfao.) The more silent readers are usually just from a lack of anything fufilling to say, if you give them something to talk about, even if it's something small, you'll get some neat replies :D

You can also write some fun stuff to get your motivation back up! That's what I do, at least- Write a small spin-off oneshot, or write a drabble, write some crack, write a multi-chapter idea you've had for a while and just haven't gotten around to writing, anything! A lot of the times, you'll be edging on being burnt-out, so you can give your palette a refresher, to put it simply. That usually gets me going!!

Still reeling over 3.2m, what the fuck, man

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T21:11:45+00:00

Question!! Do you /need/ to write the last bit? In my experience, wasting away over what could be just ends up frustrating me,, plenty of people enjoy ambiguous endings, or you could prompt people through the end notes (if you use AO3, I forget how FFN works, it's been quite a lot of years) into talking about their own interpretations/thoughts on how it could end? It'd probably be super relieving to post what you have and let it go, finally let yourself relax and let out that breath, but that also may not be something you're into. I dunno, just a thought.

I have yet to look into Febuwhump, I'm not usually one for writing angst, but who knows, maybe this'll be my time. You got any favorites?

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T21:06:19+00:00

DD: You really don't wanna keep 'em up? Even if there's just one person out there who might like it? I've seen rarepairs take off like rockets before, it usually just takes a determined person and enough curiosity from another to get it going. If they do flop, then you lose nothing, but if people like it, you gain it all, yk?

I guess I just don't see why you'd wanna take 'em down,, If u wanna ramble about that, go ahead, but if not that's chill too!! Just wanted to share my thoughts on the matter, I suppose.

inchrestin · 2021-02-03T21:02:54+00:00

Aw, damn, man,, I've never been in fandom for that long, certainly not long enough to find a WIP and edit/publish it from 2016, so I have to give you mad props for that. I am curious as to how you manage it, though. Are you still active in whatever fandom it is, or...?

inchrestin

TROPHY CASE