How Do You Like Your Feedback?

[EmilyMiller]

How Do You Like Your Feedback?​

I apply the maxim of, ‘Consider the source.’

If the comment is barely legible and obviously relating more to the commenter than the work - like, ‘Better if he slap the dirty slut then fuck her it’s what she deserves’ then I pay zero credence to it.

If the comment reflects that the person has actually read the story and has something useful to say - positive or negative - then I take note.

I’m much more likely to place weight on comments from other authors as their credibility and understanding of writing is a given. But many readers and even anonymous ones have useful things to say.

 

[crookedletter]

In a word, thoughtful. And a little politeness is always nice.

Particularly when it comes to feedback here, when these stories are "locked," so to speak -- i.e. I'm not seeking feedback to go back and revise the work in question -- then feedback is most useful when it's something I can internalize and bring to my approach to other stories.

I've been told stories could use more dialogue; I've gotten feedback about the overall arc of tension and how maybe I've mishandled some pacing elements. Those are things I can think about then as I'm writing other stories.

Hearing that a reader doesn't like a trope I used or that I didn't hit their particular kink isn't terribly useful to me. That doesn't speak to execution or craft. That just means my story isn't for them, which is fine but not very interesting.

 

[KittyOfSteele]

I like my feedback like my steak: medium and bloody, charred to perfection.

However the feedback that I get is rare. Don't know how you guys get comments, because I barely get a few, and don't get me wrong, I like them, even the bad ones. Any comment is appreciated. The bad ones get framed and put into my bingo card of terrible comments, and the good ones are put into a jar to motivate myself whenever impostor syndrome sets in. Sometimes I use them as prompts to write emails from a fictional editor who works for several authors at Literotica Stories Daily, and I'm the one who she always has to kick her ass to push a story out. I'm emulating that letter Dwight V. Swain got from editor Howard Browne requesting him a 25K piece that has a lot of ACTION: kiss kiss, bang bang, but with lots and lots of threats and a deadline. That's where the good comments get weaponized against me.

 

[AG31]

So, pretty simple question, how do you like your feedback?

I like it with an explanation, some analysis. "That was great." or "That sucked." Aren't valuable to me. Of course I like positive feedback, but I really am interested in both positive and negative feedback (with explanation).

My stories occupy a narrow niche, so what I really would like is more feedback.

Bonus question: How do you like to give feedback?

I love to give positive feedback, and try to be as descriptive as possible. I normally don't give negative feedback unless someone asks something like, "How could I improve?" If an author that I routinely praise writes something that doesn't work for me, I'll say that, just to explain my silence.

 

[anthrodisiac]

How should it be delivered? Well, I had two classic 'shit sandwich' bits of feedback the other day that I appreciated - they told me why the reasons they liked my story, they noted a part that they struggled with, and they had lots of words of encouragement. It's hard to top that as a format.

It's a great formula for a reason. I always start mine off positive, go to here's what you can improve, and then provide encouragement at the end. That last bit is incredibly important, because sometimes it's a lot that needs improvement, and the writer needs a reminder that the feedback is becasue I think they have something truly worthwhile and that they should continue on with it, because I think it can be amazing.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I like my critiques bruising, but useful, coming from a place of brutal honesty intended to help improve the work, not a place of cruelty. I hate it when people try to spare my feelings when something isn't very good, and all the extra fluff that's used to dampen the blow is wasted words that could be spent helping me figure out what's not working. Straight to the point is more useful, it's in a raw form where it's very clear what isn't going well, versus when it's padded with fluff, sometimes the message gets muddled in favor of gentleness.

And, of course, I like my praise as effusive as I like my critiques bone-cutting

I always tailor my feedback to the person I'm giving it to. If I know the person can handle brutal honesty, I give brutal honesty (which isn't often). If the person seems fragile, or is new, I soften it quite a bit. When I give feedback on someone's story in the Story Feedback forum here, I apply the good-critique-encouragement model, with a disclaimer thrown in that it's just my opinion and they should take the advice that helps them and ditch the rest.

As for comments, I'll take what I can get

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'm open to just about any feedback that's genuinely about the story (as opposed to the kind that uses the story as a launching pad for some internet rando's manifesto). The feedback I find most valuable is the stuff that touches on whatever I was trying to do with that story.

I try to give feedback in a similar vein, though I'm wary of offering criticism to people who haven't invited it.

 

[Class37]

If you think my story is shit that fair enough but please tell me why.

 

[SkyBubble]

I majored in English (like a couple of my characters) so I have a bad habit of reading stories like an English teacher. I can almost hear my profs in my head. But when I do give feedback, it's pretty much in English professor mode. Here's what works, here's what doesn't. I wasn't clear on this. Keep writing.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Sunny side up.

 

[Bamagan]

So, pretty simple question, how do you like your feedback?

To me, the word brings to mind a mother bird regurgitating food for her young. I have developed a preference for not dealing with the opinions that readers sometimes want to share. Especially the ones that most closely resemble vomit.

 

[anthrodisiac]

To me, the word brings to mind a mother bird regurgitating food for her young. I have developed a preference for not dealing with the opinions that readers sometimes want to share. Especially the ones that most closely resemble vomit.

Doesn't have to be readers, could be beta readers, editors, whomever. I didn't intend this to be about comments, but I should've realized that's the primary method of feedback on here, that's on me Feedback of any kind!

 

[Bamagan]

Doesn't have to be readers, could be beta readers, editors, whomever. I didn't intend this to be about comments, but I should've realized that's the primary method of feedback on here, that's on me Feedback of any kind!

Oh.
Well, I don't have any of those anyway.

 

[anthrodisiac]

Oh.
Well, I don't have any of those anyway.

Not discouraging comments as a valid form of feedback. They're a type of feedback, too. Bad Anthy for not realizing not everyone has years of experience in settings where they are provided critiques and feedback beyond someone commenting on their stories

But if you were to get non-comment feedback, is there a way you'd like it?

PS: I have 0 problem with everyone discussing comments as a type of feedback. In no way do I want to limit this discussion to focus on specific types of feedback! I've very much enjoyed this thread, as I do many that don't involve me being mauled to death by polar bears (to date)

 

[pink_silk_glove]

So, pretty simple question, how do you like your feedback?

Any way that I can get it.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

The worst kind is performative feedback (written to stir the pot, to bully/humiliate, or to draw attention) that also reveals that the reader hasn't really understood or engaged with the material

That's not really true now is it? If they were moved to write something so strong, obviously they engaged the material.

which may help explain why I reacted very strongly to St*cnash last year.

And this makes no sense at all, since the detail that Stacnash delves to in her critiques shows that she has clearly read every word, every comma.

 

[Bamagan]

Not discouraging comments as a valid form of feedback. They're a type of feedback, too. Bad Anthy for not realizing not everyone has years of experience in settings where they are provided critiques and feedback beyond someone commenting on their stories

But if you were to get non-comment feedback, is there a way you'd like it?

PS: I have 0 problem with everyone discussing comments as a type of feedback. In no way do I want to limit this discussion to focus on specific types of feedback! I've very much enjoyed this thread, as I do many that don't involve me being mauled to death by polar bears (to date)

I don't solicit any kind of feedback on my stories, editorials nor betas, comments nor votes. No one reads my stories before I post them. I'm not even technically sure anyone reads them after I post them, for that matter, although that seems to be the case. Even if I wanted an editor or beta reader, they're not easy to find, if the frequent laments are any indication.

 

[THBGato]

I'm happy with any feedback, positive or negative. I love the comments that show the reader understood the underlying themes and message of a story (i.e. don't just comment on the plot) and/or noticed some tiny detail that I was hoping some readers would pick up on.

That said, one of my favourite comments ever is 4 characters long. It just says "Wow!"

I leave feedback on every story I finish. Just seems the polite thing to do. I will try to comment on some element of the craft, as I know I appreciate that, not just the plot/characters.

If you haven't had negative feedback, I suggest that you just aren't trying hard enough.

I disagree with this. Writing anything is hard. Please don't put down other people's efforts.

Write what you like. But it seems strange to suggest that, if others like it too, you are somehow failing, or that writers must deliberately antagonise readers in order to really master the craft.

 

[sirhugs]

If you haven't had negative feedback, I suggest that you just aren't trying hard enough. Over the years, Ihae periodically posted a story whichI knew would generate controversy, just for the heck of it. Aso because there was somethingnabout the story that I liked, or I wouldn't hae written it. Maybe. "Mom's New Cock" is out there- and saying "I wanted to do a James Joyce styled piece" is admittedly a feeble excuse. And it isn't even my lowest rated.

Went and checked ratings and comment totals. My most commented upon story, Not Another Loving Wives Tale! is my second lowest ranked. not shocking, given that it is a Loving Wives story, so generated lots of comments from trolls. It is also a spin on the category, so that created more confusion. Despite all this, I like the story, so much so that I did a folow up with a slightly different title- Not Another Tentacle Monster Story !. That one has done quite respectably for ratings, but has very few comments. Go figure.

Not Another Loving Wives Tale also stretched me out to try writing about tentacle monsters, and my current most highly rated story in now a tentacle monster story that i wrote subsequrently (not a direct followup or sequel to the Loving Wives effort). So I'm quite satisfied by the results.

Please pass the hemlock.Or the whiskey.

 

[sirhugs]

I disagree with this. Writing anything is hard. Please don't put down other people's efforts.

Write what you like. But it seems strange to suggest that, if others like it too, you are somehow failing, or that writers must deliberately antagonise readers in order to really master the craft.

show some appreciation for a bit of humour, maybe?
your disagreement clearly misses my point- that focusing too much on only getting positive feedback constrainswriters from stetching their wings and risking flying too close to the sun.
The Barbara Cartlands of the world might be higely popular, but that does not make them the best writers. Writing the same thing over and over does not promote growth.

 

[Areala-chan]

So, pretty simple question, how do you like your feedback?

Yes.

Bonus question: How do you like to give feedback?

Usually anonymously, unless I've already opened a line of communication with the writer.

 

[RoyalAuthor]

This ties into a recent comment that I made on another of your posts in a different thread.

I prefer feedback on a whole body of work. When I used to publish in chapters, I would get annoyed at commenters who tended to "jump ahead" with the assessment of the plot or characters based upon only what they had read so far. That feedback was worthless because it didn't really apply to the story in its whole. It was like a food critic panning the appetizer without yet knowing how that part of the meal complimented the entree. A realization once reached, frequently proved them wishing to delete their previous opinion. Now, if they want to finish the story and then state that "it started out slow", or something similar, I could appreciate that feedback.

I am the same as a reader. I seldom comment (only on specific inconsistencies notice, etc.), and never vote on individual chapters of a story. I review the whole body of work and provide feedback on that alone.

I received a comment the other day on the first chapter of a sequel series. In the opening author's note, I explained that it was a sequel series and the first chapter would serve as a recap as well as an intro for anyone who hadn't read the first series.

The comment complained that the chapter wasn't very erotic and just felt like background for something else.

You can't please all the people, all the time, and then there's just some people that have zero awareness.

 

[ChuckWolf]

Good or bad, I'd prefer as much feedback as they want to give.

I don't really give that much feedback, simply because I don't read that many stories on his site, partially just not having time and partially from not wanting to be influenced by someone else's work while I'm writing and these days, I feel like I'm almost always writing something.

When I do, it's pretty much about stuff I liked in the story and maybe a few critiques about some things I didn't like; if I'm hating how/where a story is going or being executed, I'll just cut my losses and stop reading.

Last feedback I gave was for the Crime And Punishment 2025 contest for a story that didn't do that well, but I liked it.

 

[yowser]

Giving useful feedback is a complex art that is difficult to pull off well.

I speak as one who gives extended critique (on request) in the feedback forum and as a frequent commenter on stories.

In my experience here, many authors who say they want 'honest' feedback in fact don't. It takes a lot of courage to ask for a critique, and anything less than glowing can often sting deeply. More than once I have taken folk's stated 'appreciate any and all feedback' at face value and found that my comments were taken as unwarranted, unfair and hurtful. It is hard to separate your work from yourself, especially if you have thrown a lot of time and energy into a story, but most of us don't improve without someone noticing weaknesses and sub-optimal practices.

If comments are to be helpful, the author needs to feel, in some fashion, that the commenter is 'on their side.' A colleague, a fellow writer. And I have failed at conveying this more often than I want to admit. Ideally this quality should be implicit in any useful comment.

Many have mentioned the 'shit sandwich' bit, which I prefer to term a 'praise sandwich.' I guess it depends on whether you focus on the inner content of the sandwich or its outer layers. But if you don't comment on the parts that worked well in a story, it comes off as just rude critique.

A good review for the person being reviewed must include the knowledge that the reviewer indeed read the piece thoroughly and 'got' both the main bits and the details. Ideally the feedback should be specific and concrete: here's how you can do this better. Just a plain 'this didn't work' usually, but not always, isn't all that helpful.

I want my track coach to say 'raise your knees higher in the corners' rather than 'your timing is all off' - an observation, however accurate, that remains hardly useful.

I appreciate writers who will take a tough critique, as it is possible to improve one's craft when errors and missteps are pointed out, even if the message is delivered bluntly.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I appreciate writers who will take a tough critique, as it is possible to improve one's craft when errors and missteps are pointed out, even if the message is delivered bluntly.

Give it to me straight, Doc. I can take it. No anesthetic.