A Question for Readers - Do You Comment?

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

[Poll #1893608]

Comments

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

I'm going to simply repeat what I posted on Network Command:
I suppose my interest goes back to how I started out. If no one had commented I doubt I would have pursued writing stories. I don't feel as though everything needs reinforcement, but then again, as a musician, I'd hate to play for a house that refused to applaud, even if they were merely glad I was finished.
We can't and won't like everything, and sometimes there is more need for guidance than congratulations. Having said that, I do believe in encouragement.
To add to it, at least the Kudos button lets a reader acknowledge having been there and actually read the story. Statistics only tell us that someone started to read, not that they finished.

[avery11.livejournal.com]

"If no one had commented I doubt I would have pursued writing stories. I don't feel as though everything needs reinforcement, but then again, as a musician, I'd hate to play for a house that refused to applaud, even if they were merely glad I was finished."

I agree. When I started writing, I was new to the universe of fan fiction. I had no idea whether anyone would even read one of my stories. The feedback let me know there were readers out there in the ether who wanted to see more.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

That was my thinking as well. Perhaps it stands to reason that the newer writers need more signs of acceptance, something that can stand to wither slightly as we mature. Not ideal, but at least we gain some sense of ourselves that need less in the way of other people's approval.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

I remember when I posted my first chapter of my first story and the feedback you gave me. You helped me get my head on straight and to write a much more powerful piece of fiction thanks to you. If you hadn't commented, I would have rushed the piece and it wouldn't have turned out the way it did. Comments giving good advice is important. But if a writer gets no comments or just acknowledgements that their stories are being read, it can definitely be discouraging. The analogy of a musician playing to an audience who doesn't react hits home very much. I've had performances like that, and they can be very discouraging and disappointing.