Final Thoughts

First, an apology. I don't normally let things get to me... heck, I don't normally notice that there are lurkers, much less mind them. So I am sorry I let one incident upset me so much. :( You all are wonderful and I love you all dearly for sticking with me and enjoying my stories, as silly and pointless as they are. ^^;

Secondly, my thoughts on comments, from both a writer and a reader's point of view.

There is no such thing as a useless comment. I get a kick out of 'incoherent' comments, because they mean I did something right to reduce my readers to mindless squeeing. One of my favorite short comments is one Nikery left, that went something along the lines of: "GUH! Wait, I can write more... no, no I really can't. GUH." ^____^ Still makes me smile.

Just because someone already said what you were going to say does not make your opinion any less important. If more than one person liked a particular thing about a story, it lets me know that I'm on the right track there and a similar situation would probably be equally well-liked in future stories. :)

Have a favorite line or scene? Quote it! It gives me lots of warm fuzzies when a reader particularly likes a scene that I'm fond of. Plus, it lets me squee with you. ^___^ I'm very dorky that way.

Really, even a totally pointless, inane comment lets me know that the time I spent writing it was worth it to someone. And it's great encouragement. More on this later.

As for you lurkers... *waves madly* I don't bite! Really! And trust me when I say that whatever stupid comment you think you'd make, I've done worse, and will do worse. Being an idiot seems to be part of my life. ^__^ So really, nothing you say will ever be dumber than what I have or will do. I walk into doors (open and closed) and fall over from a standing position. >.>; Yeah. ^^; Remember

nikerymksherea's Nikkai? She based him off of me. *sheepish grin*

Also, Lurkers = new opinions. After a while a writer learns what her 'regular' readers like and sometimes tailors things to suit. New opinions mean an opportunity for a writer to grow and challenge herself with more diverse stories. All opinions are valuable. They may not always be acted upon, but they're still valuable information.

Confidence. We have none. Zero. This comic I was linked to summarizes pretty well. We are our own worst enemies. The first hour or three from when a story is first posted until the first comment arrives are always the worst, because you sit there biting your nails going "It sucks, it sucks, it sucks, they're going to hate it, I should never have posted it..." There's this terrible insecurity involved with putting your heart on paper, so you fret horribly over whether people think that this thing you love dearly is crap or not.

People are very fragile, and we of the creative persuasion always seem to think the worst of ourselves. Though a person may not comment on a wonderful story because they think they have nothing worth saying, to an author, the thought process goes something like this: Nobody commented = nobody read it (OR) nobody liked it = ZOMG I SUCK I WILL NEVER WRITE AGAIN!!! *SOB*

No, really. We're rather pathetic that way. And amazingly insecure. I'd post snippits of conversation between myself and

maderr in which we're trying to convince each other we don't suck, but she'd probably kill me. ^^; Suffice to say it happens with every single story we write. In M's case, every single chapter. >.>;

Finally, my thoughts as a Reader. Always, always, when I read something I try to leave a comment. Not just because it's polite, but because of a certain way of thinking I have that's always served me rather well in the past. It goes like this:

Comment Thought Process: Author writes pretty story. I read pretty story. Want more pretty story. Gush and squee and profuse undying love to Author. Author will write more story! Yay! Victory! ^^;

And nine times out of ten, it works. I don't really care if I make an idiot out of myself in the process. If it nets me more story, all's good. ;)

*hugs and cookies to you all*

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Thank you for input - cause sometimes i feel stupid posting comments like "Nice story" - but I see that even these make a difference :>

>>Finally, my thoughts as a Reader. Always, always, when I read something I try to leave a comment. Not just because it's polite, but because of a certain way of thinking I have that's always served me rather well in the past. It goes like this:

You've expressed this so well. I don't understand people who don't comment, and some of the excuses for not commenting...well, they don't make much sense to me. Even at a basic level, it's just polite to say "thank you" to someone who has just entertained you in some way. In the theater, you clap. In a bookstore, you put down your money to purchase a book. Why do people feel that they can take over the internet and not be at least as curteous as they would ordinarily be if they were being entertained in any other way? Is it merely the anonimity that allows people to be so oblivious?

This topic always frustrates me... ;)

You're still not getting four chapters of Meant.

I think every writer is allowed at least one "but where are all the comments?!?!?" post. It might be even a requirement.

I really should be better about leaving comments on stories, but I'm not. Bad me. I would say I'm going to change, but I've been trying to change that habit for almost ten years. I'm still trying though. *insert dramatic battle music here*

For those of us for whom gushing doesn't come naturally, though, it can be harder to think of something to put into a comment box. Coupled with the fact that it comes across as rude to leave something very very short (even if not necessarily to the author, to other readers), this leads to me finishing reading a story, and then leaving tabs open for days and days while I reread and try to formulate some thoughts.

Sometimes it's easy, because there's something I immediately liked about it that I can describe. (I try to give an impression of general mood, plus at least one specific thing I liked.) Sometimes... not so much.

^_____________^ I'm a lurker, I admit, but I've read pretty much everything you've posted on here...ever. And I think you're an awesome artist. And I love every single piece, writing AND art, truly! And I know EXACTLY what you mean about the confidence thing...I love to draw but I have NO faith in my work, pretty much just like the comic puts it, heh. Though now I feel spurred to send you the lots an' lots o' sketches and such I've done of your characters, as I think they'd amuse you. ^^;

GAH. I don't know where to start!

First of all... ohmygod, I totally understand the fingernail-biting and the insecurity. But I get less of that because I'm too lazy to keep on writing.

Nikkai is based off you!? >< I totally loved Nikkai! XD And I've always wondered where she got him from! Hah. I have something else to squee over you about.

I don't usually comment about favorite lines or scenes, usually characters. But I'll probably tell you what they did to make them squee.

You were so right about squeeing and getting fic! >__< In this case, it so works.

squish

I think you may have managed to squeeze in the entire universe of a writer's life in that. We love reviews like woah. And we go all mopey when there is no comment.

That said, I am a lurker. I'm trying to be better about it because I figure an eye for an eye. But there are moments when I can't find anything to say at all. I just end up staring at the screen in pure horror. Maybe I should just leave a blank comment when that happens? XP

I am kind of sorry I read under the cut >.>;

Being a writer is sometimes it's own mental maze, isn't it? ^_^

And sometimes it's nice to know that I'm not the only one flipping out each time I post a story. ;3 You guys always seem to come across so confident when you put up stories.

Most of the time, I spend a good ten minutes talking myself out of turning off the comments. Cause if they're off, then I don't have to worry about who comments, how many comment or what they say. ^_^;;

Yours, I think, was the much better approach to the whole commenting minefield though. Now people know what to expect from you and know that you welcome it whole heartedly. *tackle glomps*

Butbut.... Sometimes I'm late for work finishing up reading your stories.....like with that red dragon one...>.> I was only a few minutes late no one minded, but i wanted to stay and read it all so I did. ^^'

Catching up on posts I've missed since last week, I'm reminded of all the stuff I've forgotten to comment on. Including the cowboy-birthday smut you posted for me. *headdesk* I'm an awful terrible person.

My only excuse is work--which is really a poor excuse in the general mein--and an encompassing sense of procrastination. I always mean to "do it later" because right now there are other things I want to do. Meanwhile, the awesome people who write the awesome things I read continue to go without.

And then I feel like a real heel going back like 2-3 weeks later to be like, "oh yeah, forgot to mention earlier but..." so then I just continue with not saying anything at all and you see how this cycle goes on and on?

So umm... sorry? And I'll try to be better about that. I mean, you did write me cowboy-birthday smut, and that totally is worth noting and commenting on. ^_^ *hugs* Thank you.

*wubs you* I'll, um, try to comment more often? ^^;; *glomps*

Hee hee, I was just looking through all my old e-mail notifications of responses to my comments. My first comment to you was when I left a comment after the first half of "A Fairy Tale". You left Rain in so much pain, I really felt it and had to comment. Two years ago I read Treasure because of some artwork done by one of my favorite artists, Ponderosa. It was July 2nd and I left a comment to Maderr that I really liked it, this was also the first bit of original fiction I had ever read online and I was intrigued. The second comment I left for her was May 23rd of the NEXT YEAR! Comparatively speaking, you are doing pretty good with me... whoa, three in one day, I better not overdo it, goodnight!

Comment Thought Process: Author writes pretty story. I read pretty story. Want more pretty story. Gush and squee and profuse undying love to Author. Author will write more story! Yay! Victory! ^^;

*laughs*

>.> Now I'm wondering why I don't seem to fret as much and whether that means anything. Really, the only story I worry about is A Constellation of Souls and that's because 3/4 of it isn't mine but belongs to not one but two different people and I might make mistakes XD.
...Or maybe I'm just naturally Zen. Ohhmmmmmm....

Author writes pretty story. I read pretty story. Want more pretty story. Gush and squee and profuse undying love to Author. Author will write more story! Yay! Victory! ^^;

Oh. So that's how you got the sequel for 'Wednesday's William' out of me. xD

dude, it's totally viable to flip out every once in a while. and doing it here? isn't that the purpose of a livejournal? (besides showing off mad skillz in writing/drawing/general talentedness?)
i will try to leave more comments. and i don't want to write any excuses/apologies for lurking in the past, 'cause like someone already said, they probably won't make much sense and sound stupid and pathetic anyway. so i too resolve to comment more, even if it's just a squee *fallover headdesk*, and thankee for more story, and bribing maderr for story, although the way you two go back and forth i'm somehow scared to hope.

bah, hope springs anyway.

i totally agree about the comments thing [i've finally managed to post a couple of my works on fictionpress, and i'm dying for comments], though i am definitely guilty of not leaving comments sometimes. i'm something of a habitual lurker. but! i have been trying to forego my lurkerly ways and comment more often [speaking of which, i need to go comment on red dragon, since i didn't have time before]

but i also have something of a counterpoint. well, sort of. the flipside of the whole 'rejection' feeling a writer gets from lack of comments is also true, at least for me. i know that as a reader, i greatly appreciate it when my comments are acknowledged by the writer. even just a 'thanks for reading/commenting' is fine. it's not as intense as the feeling of rejection you get as an author when no one comments, but just a lack acknowledgment sometimes makes you feel like the writer didn't even bother to read your comment. this isn't directed at you, dearest

tygati, since aren't really guilty of this. i'm just saying that if someone has commented multiple times and gotten no sign that their comments are even being read, they might hesitate to comment again. just a thought.

anyhow, i'm off to comment on red dragon, since i failed to do so before. ta! and thanks for all your writing. we do love you for it! :)

K, I'll come out of the woodworks then and gush. ^.^;; And go back through and re-read things. Like that wonderfully crazy Rainbow Fariy story that you did after watching too much Barbie. *dies laughing* That was insane and utterly brilliant by the way. AND I haven't had a chance to read Red Dragon yet... :D

Sorry, I didn't realize comments were that important to you.

... Hello. I'm also a... what do y'all call 'em? A lurker? (Is that a euphemism for stalker?) Yeah... I'm a one of those. I have read all of your stories.

My brain isn't really working right from drinking too much root beer - I prefer non-caffeinated drinks - and my eye keeps twitching...

Anyway... so you really don't bite...? It took me a good ten minutes to convince myself to post this... that was with the caffeine... Yeah. I really enjoy you're stories. I look forward to seeing a snippet or a whole one when I get home. It makes my day. You really are quite the writer. So... keep writing... You're good at it...

(And I can relate on the whole reader and writer viewpoint. It's crushing to not get any comments. That's happened to me. Zilch. Zero. Not even one, once. But as a lurker, I'm already breaking the 1st rule - posting. So I'll fade into the shadows again... Not unlike a ninja...)

I must confess I'm a lurker too, but I'm slowly (ok really slowly) trying to be one nomore. I found out your stories after looking on Nikerym 'Ksherea's site and even thank her on one of my first comments on the net for making me curious about your stories. Different people got different reasons for not reviewing (I've got a few, some "good", some "bad"...) and I won't say more about it.
This comment is also because I wanted to leave one for quite some time but never really go and do it (I think so, it's nearly 2:40 am here and I've read this post 20-30 minutes ago and I take a lot of time to find words, make them in sentences (English is not my maternal language), so perhaps this comment is my 2nd one, but I really don't think so).
Anyway, I'll get to the point now and just say that I love your stories and characters and like I told once to Nikerym 'Ksherea you're one of my "fav' of fav'" but I won't say for you "writer" but more "storyteller" it's the word that came to my mind when I wanted to write writer, I'll try to explain another day if you're interested.
You make me write the bigger comment I've ever made, I hope AOL won't disconnect me like for one comment I've take nearly half an hour to make to Nikerym 'Ksherea (never re-made it, shut off my computer).
Hope I made sense, if not I'm sorry... Hope not to much vocabulary/grammar errors...
Goodnight and love to your characters, stories, imagination,... everything that want it, I'll give some.Now it's 2:57 I'm going to sleep...

It's not that I'm intimidated by the author or my thought process has stopped from the stuff I've read, I just don't know what to say. I'm sorry if this sounds offending but it's the truth. What should I say? Will this make me sound stupid? Do I have enough time? Will this make a difference? Most times I skip around sites without reviewing because it doesn't occur to me. I may write something down and then look at it and say, "Hey, this sounds stupid. Why would I write that? Look at all the misspellings!" I know it's not the same thing but the comments I leave are kinda like my 'stories'. I write my opinion and leave it there, knowing I can never take it down. It takes a lot of guts and passion to write something down knowing a lot of people will look at it, that's a reason why I can admire writers. But the thing is I don't always feel that strongly, I read the story and move on. Make no mistake, I enjoy it a lot!! But that doesn't always make me review. When I wrote earlier that I wasn't intimidated by the author that is true, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't intimidated. Sometimes I'm unsure of what to write or if I put down the wrong thing. I know one time I mangled a character's name in a review and I am SO glad that the author was okay with it! Long story short if my reviews are 'stories' and I'm not a good 'writer.' It doesn't occur to me TO review sometimes. And to make this crystal clear, THIS DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T LIKE THE STORIES I READ!!! I DO LIKE THEM!! I am a lurker and I know it, it's hard to change a habit. In fact one of the reasons why I didn't start reviewing as soon as I was introduced to livejournal was that I didn't even know I could. Actually a better explanation is that I didn't know how and I didn't try. Looking back at my review it seems like a lot of blabbing and not making sense to me, but they are my thoughts on this so I won't erase this review before I post it.
In a nutshell, I'm a lurker and I know it. I like the stories I read(not all of them technically) but that doesn't guaranty a review.
On the positive side, you're feeling better!! I have been reviewing more since I read your sad post awhile ago. And you used the link to my comic!! That makes me SOOO HAPPY!!^_^ I like to help people out but I sometimes give the wrong information so I feel bad about it later. But I also love helping people find things to read whether it's books or websites!!

since I just decided to un-lurk for a bit, I was wondering if I could friend?

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