redorchids (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
redorchids) wrote2008-09-28 10:28 am
redorchids) wrote2008-09-28 10:28 am
Entry tags:
The giant black hole that is my review-hunger
So, I've been writing up a storm lately. Seven stories in no more than a couple of months. Crazy. Yes, I know. After nearly four years of nothing, here I am again, head spinning with ideas faster than I can pen them down. It's all a rollercoaster in a way, a wheel spinning a bit too fast, and my life struggling to keep up. Incredibly satisfying, yes, but putting me in this state of a-little-too-tense all the time, keeping me on a nearly constant high.
I've said it before. Fanfic really is digital heroin.
And I've been away too long, it seems, or fandom has moved on, or something else has happened. I'm not a semi-celebrity anymore. My stories now score around 2 000 reads (on Ashwinder) instead of nearly 20 000, and reviews have dwindled down from the hundreds to a measley few. And yes, I feel like a brat for caring, but it does bug me. Especially since the stories I've written lately are so much better than the ones that came before. I have actual plot development now, dammit. And friggin' timelines. And proper commatation (thanks to TPP :-)).
The reviews I get are still raving, though, and in a way, this is even worse--like the crumbs of a table that makes me aware of there being a whole sea of love out there, and I just need to find the docks to put my boat in. But how do you make a name for yourself again when people have moved on and forgotten who you are? How do you reconcile the desperate hunger for approval with the pride that makes you not want to beg for people to pimp you? And how do you deal with swallowing your disappointment when you do beg, and no pimping ensues?
More competitions, maybe. I'll look into that.
I've said it before. Fanfic really is digital heroin.
And I've been away too long, it seems, or fandom has moved on, or something else has happened. I'm not a semi-celebrity anymore. My stories now score around 2 000 reads (on Ashwinder) instead of nearly 20 000, and reviews have dwindled down from the hundreds to a measley few. And yes, I feel like a brat for caring, but it does bug me. Especially since the stories I've written lately are so much better than the ones that came before. I have actual plot development now, dammit. And friggin' timelines. And proper commatation (thanks to TPP :-)).
The reviews I get are still raving, though, and in a way, this is even worse--like the crumbs of a table that makes me aware of there being a whole sea of love out there, and I just need to find the docks to put my boat in. But how do you make a name for yourself again when people have moved on and forgotten who you are? How do you reconcile the desperate hunger for approval with the pride that makes you not want to beg for people to pimp you? And how do you deal with swallowing your disappointment when you do beg, and no pimping ensues?
More competitions, maybe. I'll look into that.
no subject
As for how to get your name out there again, hang out on LJ. Join comms and reply to other people's posts. Become active in the fandom again. People will start browsing you, checking you out, and some will read your stuff. If it's good, they'll start reccing you places like The New Library.
Read other stories and leave reviews (if you like them, LOL).
When you left back in 2004, did you leave abruptly? Did you leave a bunch of WIPs abandoned, or even one? Were your fans left wondering what happened to you?
What pairing do you write? If you're writing rare pairs, that may be the reason for a lack of quantity of reviews.
I see you post on Ashwinder and TPP - what about Granger Enchanted, or AFF? What ratings do you write?
Personally, an author begging for reviews is a huge turn-off. I know it's difficult, but try to refrain from doing that. If your writing is good, your reputation will start to build. It takes time sometimes.
All of that being said, I don't think the fandom of 2004 is the same as it is now. Take a look around and see what's getting lots of reviews, or what other stories are getting recced. If nothing else, you'll gain some information on what's popular now.
Hope some of this helps!
no subject
I used to write only SS/HG, but since I came back, I've been shifting over to slash (HP/DM, mainly, but anything that catches my fancy really), so Lariope is suggesting finding me a nice slash archive. Going to look into that. :-)
I'll check out the other archives as well. Thanks for the tip!
no subject
ff.net is kind of a pit, but you'll get quantity reviews if you post there. They say they don't allow 'adult' fics, but I've certainly read my share of them there.
no subject
Reason for deletion: ""
Got to fear those quotation marks. :-D
no subject
I've heard some real horror stories of ff.net deleting people for less than good reasons (or in your case ""). There are some good stories on there, but they can be hard to find among the dribble.