Fic Feedback Exchange
Dec. 16th, 2019 11:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingI have an idea about community building in circles of fanfic writers.
A lot of writers want positive feedback, and that's understandable. For me personally, positive feedback not only brightens my day but keeps me going when times are tough.
For whatever reason, however, a lot of writers who ask for feedback may not have a habit of giving any in return. I imagine that there are many reasons for this - some people are busy, some people are shy, and some people may want to focus on creating as opposed to consuming. I think these are all valid reasons for not engaging with other people's writing - or being selective about what writing to engage with. Like, for me, sometimes I get tired of Legend of Zelda and just don't want to read anything in the fandom. We all go through phases, you know?
Still, I think a formal exchange of positive feedback might be a healthy practice for communities of fic writers. What I mean by "a formal exchange" is that two writers agree to go to each other's pages on AO3, pick one story that interests them, read it, and leave feedback. The two parties can agree to the terms of the feedback upfront - are they offering to give each other kudos, a short comment, or a longer comment? Will they read a short story or a longer work; and, if they'd each like to read a multichapter work, how much will they read, and how many comments will they leave? What would be a reasonable timeframe for each of them to leave feedback?
This wouldn't be about serving as each other's beta readers or offering constructive criticism, but rather making a contentious effort to support one another in the fandom according to each person's circumstances and availability. I think that, for a lot of writers (myself included), it would be nice to have an opportunity to engage with other people's writing.
A lot of writers want positive feedback, and that's understandable. For me personally, positive feedback not only brightens my day but keeps me going when times are tough.
For whatever reason, however, a lot of writers who ask for feedback may not have a habit of giving any in return. I imagine that there are many reasons for this - some people are busy, some people are shy, and some people may want to focus on creating as opposed to consuming. I think these are all valid reasons for not engaging with other people's writing - or being selective about what writing to engage with. Like, for me, sometimes I get tired of Legend of Zelda and just don't want to read anything in the fandom. We all go through phases, you know?
Still, I think a formal exchange of positive feedback might be a healthy practice for communities of fic writers. What I mean by "a formal exchange" is that two writers agree to go to each other's pages on AO3, pick one story that interests them, read it, and leave feedback. The two parties can agree to the terms of the feedback upfront - are they offering to give each other kudos, a short comment, or a longer comment? Will they read a short story or a longer work; and, if they'd each like to read a multichapter work, how much will they read, and how many comments will they leave? What would be a reasonable timeframe for each of them to leave feedback?
This wouldn't be about serving as each other's beta readers or offering constructive criticism, but rather making a contentious effort to support one another in the fandom according to each person's circumstances and availability. I think that, for a lot of writers (myself included), it would be nice to have an opportunity to engage with other people's writing.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-20 10:15 pm (UTC)...It does seem like short/long comment vs kudos would need a minimum read length though, because if someone only writes drabbles, there's only so much commentary I can pull out about something under 500 words.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-22 01:10 pm (UTC)I've fallen out of the habit of reading fanfic this year too, and I think it's because I've felt guilty about not being able to participate in the more social aspects of fandom. I'm trying to come up with a good resolution for 2020 that's reasonable (and that I can stick to) regarding comments and bookmarks, because I really miss being able to engage with people.