Author's Notes

  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    What do you consider acceptable and unacceptable for the author's note section we have for our stories?
    I consider many thing acceptable and many unacceptable.

    Acceptable:
    - I'm sorry for the lack of updates.
    - Please let me know what you think.
    - Do you like the layout? I'm iffy about it.
    - I had the flu for a week and couldn't update, so sorry.
    - I'm going on vacation so no updates for a little while.
    - Thanks for the reviews.

    Unacceptable:
    - My dog died and my dad hates me and my boyfriend dumped me and Pete Wentz cut his hair so I hate him and I love the new blah blah blah album, etc etc etc.
    - Give me comments or I killzzzz you!
    - What Emily wore to prom: [picture link]. What Crissy wore to prom: [picture link]. How Darren wore his hair: [picture link]. Etc etc etc.

    Basically, if it pertains to the story, I generally think it's okay.

    Generally, I use mine to name the song in the player and not much else. In "To the Bones" I linked to my recommended listening list in every note. Sometimes I mention that I would appreciate comments or like to know what people think of the layout. But mostly I just post the name of the songs in the player.
    December 31st, 2008 at 01:06am
  • fairyfeller

    fairyfeller (1655)

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    I usually only use the authors notes to apologize for a lack of updates or to thank the readers for good comments.
    December 31st, 2008 at 01:24am
  • fun ghoul fez.

    fun ghoul fez. (100)

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    If I start a new story or post a one-shot I'd like some feedback, I usually put a link to it in the author's note section. Other than that, I just use it to apologize for lack of updates or stuff like that.

    I mean, it doesn't need to contain the story of your week ; that's what journals are for.
    December 31st, 2008 at 01:31am
  • Tom Fletcher.

    Tom Fletcher. (155)

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    I tend not to use them if it's at the end of a dramatic piece, as I want the reader to be left with an impression and not be bombarded with pleas for comments - not that I do that anyway, but still.

    I find Dru's lists pretty accurate in matching my own views. If someone's like, 'if i don't get 500 comments for this chapter I'll stop writing because I'm under stress blah blah blah...', I tend not to comment anyway. What happened to writing for fun and creativity, and not just to gain popularity?
    December 31st, 2008 at 01:31am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    Tom Fletcher.:
    If someone's like, 'if i don't get 500 comments for this chapter I'll stop writing because I'm under stress blah blah blah...', I tend not to comment anyway. What happened to writing for fun and creativity, and not just to gain popularity?
    I agree. I only do that for two reasons:

    1.) If I have multiple chapters ready to post, I'll say I'll post when I get 1-2 comments just because I want to know a few people have read the newest chapter before I post the next.

    2.) If it's the end of a chaptered piece. On "TTB", I posted something like if you haven't commented yet I would appreciate if you did it now as this is the end of the story.

    But the whole bullshit with threatening not to write is rather ridiculous.
    December 31st, 2008 at 01:33am
  • fun ghoul fez.

    fun ghoul fez. (100)

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    I agree ; I mean, I write for myself and a few close friends first, other's second. If you're writing just to please people, I think it's a little silly.

    And even when you do threaten for comments, the ones you get aren't very good, at least in my opinion.
    December 31st, 2008 at 01:40am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    Matthew Leone.:
    And even when you do threaten for comments, the ones you get aren't very good, at least in my opinion.
    Exactly.
    I generally get amazing reviews [not comments] and I don't demand them.
    If someone is commenting because you're forcing them to it's never going to be as good as if they're doing it because they genuinely were moved by/loved your story.
    December 31st, 2008 at 01:47am
  • fun ghoul fez.

    fun ghoul fez. (100)

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    ^ I'd rather get one amazing review than ten comments that are only a sentence long.

    As a question, has anyone ever seen someone demand subscriptions in their author's notes?
    December 31st, 2008 at 01:56am
  • Cristina Scabbia

    Cristina Scabbia (220)

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    ^ I have.

    They confuse me slightly, because surely it's the subscribers that are reading the AN. :think:

    In my AN section, I usually just apologise about lack of updates, or say "this update was written for ___" if I've updated it for somebody. Occasionally I'll post a link to a oneshot I've posted, but only if the pairing is related to the story. I only do that sometimes though. :think:
    December 31st, 2008 at 02:00am
  • kafka.

    kafka. (150)

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    The thing is that Author's Notes can be a powerful stylistic tool. You can trick the reader into believing things about the story. Well, if you want the reader to believe your story is true, it depends on your writing style. I don't know what I but in my author's notes - notes about the story generally. It was never a matter of comment or die, or apologizing for something though- sometimes just why I wrote the story.
    December 31st, 2008 at 02:06am
  • animrod

    animrod (100)

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    Usually, if I have an authors note, I just ask what people think. And once in a contest entry, I asked people to wish me luck. :tehe:
    I find begging for comments in author's notes completely absurd and distracting. I don't want to force someone into a meaningless comment.
    December 31st, 2008 at 02:16am
  • Cristina Scabbia

    Cristina Scabbia (220)

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    ^ I agree.

    Sometimes I'll say something like "feedback would be nice" (usually only if I'm posting a last part) but I don't demand people to leave feedback by saying I won't update until I get X amount of comments.
    December 31st, 2008 at 02:21am
  • lovecraft

    lovecraft (100)

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    I definitely agree with all of this. The only thing I put in an AN is a request for feedback on a new story or if I used something factual, I'll add a reference. Begging for comments is kind of silly. If someone likes your story enough, they'll comment.
    December 31st, 2008 at 02:48am
  • tom conrad

    tom conrad (100)

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    I try to keep my AN's short and simple. I'll ask for feedback, tell them I'm sorry for lack of updates/shortness of chapter, but honestly, pretty much it's all been said. I'm not going to beg or threaten. I want people to be compelled to review on their own without any prodding. That's the best kind imo.

    I think once I did a sneakpeak to the next chapter for one of my AN's, only because I'm horrible at updating and I guess...I just wanted my readers (if any at all), hey, I really am working on this, and here's the next direction this story is going sort of thing.

    When authors threaten/ do the whole, 'if I don't get ten comments', it turns me off and just makes me not want to review then. It's...trashy. You should never write for reviews. Yes, I understand it is nice to have them, but that isn't the reason you should be writing in the first place. I sadly see that a lot these days. Classy authors wouldn't do that.
    December 31st, 2008 at 02:58am
  • ChemicallyImbalanced

    ChemicallyImbalanced (1365)

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    I usually don't put Author's Notes to be honest. :shifty

    I agree with putting like, "feedback is appreciated," or explaining that they won't be updating or apologising for updating so late.
    I also think it's acceptable to credit to a beta in an authors note.

    I don't like it when people rattle off about their day, or when they give you a playlist of songs to listen to that have nothing to do with the story but are just the songs they are obsessed with at the time, or explain that they're having a bad day so you shoud leave them comments to make them feel better.

    And just a hint, don't ever put your Author's Note in the middle of the story.
    December 31st, 2008 at 03:16am
  • Spanish Lullaby

    Spanish Lullaby (100)

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    I put deds in my AN's. Like if someone really inspired a chapter, I'll dedicate it to them. Or if something in my week is in the story/reason why I didn't update when i promised. But that's about it.
    December 31st, 2008 at 03:51am
  • Venomous.

    Venomous. (300)

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    I used to post a simple 'critique appreciated' but recent updates have my entire life story in them. :( I swore to myself I wouldn't do it...but it happened anyway.

    I'll eventually go back and edit them out.
    December 31st, 2008 at 05:12am
  • ward-o

    ward-o (150)

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    I usually use mine to:

    - Say how many words.
    - 'Thought?' or something along that.
    - :tehe: Moral lessons.
    - When I'll be updating next.
    - Nothing at all.
    December 31st, 2008 at 05:17am
  • bateman

    bateman (100)

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    I tend to frequently apologise for the quality of a chapter. :tehe:

    In my newest and most popular story, I've only asked for feedback and really wanted it once, because I'd posted a sex scene and I was really worried about it being cheap, so I wanted to know what people thought. :XD
    December 31st, 2008 at 05:13pm
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    ChemicallyImbalanced:
    I also think it's acceptable to credit to a beta in an authors note.
    Oh yes, definitely. I usually post that in my chapter description, but it's also definitely appropriate in the author's note.
    December 31st, 2008 at 05:45pm