Reader feedback and sticking to your plans

[Rob_Royale]

Sorry to hear that Feedback and suggestions can be great, as long as you don't compromise your story.

Well, it's debatable whether it did compromise it. I did not have part 3 fleshed out in my mind yet, and I let the public opinion sort of push me where I wasn't planning to go. But at the time I didn't have a better idea. I do now. I may end up rewriting part 3 at some point.

But it's a very good reason, to not post anything until the story is completely done.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Adding too many extra things, that might all be individually great, is the easiest way to turn a good story into a mess.

I should know, I've written quite a few of them...

 

[CalBishForNow]

Once. Criticism of Using the Hall Pass - Pt. 11 was vehement in ways I didn't expect (but in hindsight I suppose should have). I didn't like their idea, but that helped me realize that the idea I had in mind wasn't too great either. It didn't make much sense for the characters and there were practical problems with it I hadn't thought about. I took a few weeks to think about it and reworked things and I think the new plan for the series is better overall.

That's only once. I don't know how often people have had requests/suggestions I've ignored. At best, it's a request for more information about something I didn't think needed to be covered. Switch perspectives once and you never know when someone will ask about the events of one chapter from another character's perspective. Often it's an outline for a completely different story that happens to have the same names as my characters.

 

[WittyUserName]

Well, it's debatable whether it did compromise it. I did not have part 3 fleshed out in my mind yet, and I let the public opinion sort of push me where I wasn't planning to go. But at the time I didn't have a better idea. I do now. I may end up rewriting part 3 at some point.

But it's a very good reason, to not post anything until the story is completely done.

I struggle with that. Since stories can take so long. I've written a few one-offs, but I like long series too

 

[RoyalAuthor]

Adding too many extra things, that might all be individually great, is the easiest way to turn a good story into a mess.

I should know, I've written quite a few of them...

I've been desperately trying to avoid this in my serial. I hope I've succeeded. I've left a lot of ideas on the cutting room floor.