Ah artistic types ...

[blamebrampton]

Very quick poll, NB, the first word of the first answer should be care, but lj won't let me fix it. *Damn you, LJ!*:[Poll #1507051]For my own part, after RL attacks of the last option, I entered fandom determined to work solely for myself, and do sometimes achieve that happy state, but more often it's accompanied by occasional wobblies. Having chatted to several friends on the topic, the wobblies seem a common surprise guest.

What about you lot? And how do you combat the wobblies if you're someone they hit?

Comments

[bryoneybrynn.livejournal.com]

Ah, this is the question with no simple answer. I think for me, I write for myself in that I have never tried to write what I think would please. If it's a gift!fic, I do try to take their wants/tastes into account but it still has to be mine and feel right to me. I can think of at least two examples straight off where I couldn't deliver what my giftee asked for because I just couldn't make it resonate for me. That said, I know that what I like to write tends to fit the fandom bill to a certain extent - flangst with an emotional focus and some sex - so it's not like I have to really pick between what I want to write and what people are willing to read for the most part.

But I've definitely written things that I loved that got little love in return. And I've definitely counted comments - this past round of hols was probably my lowest comment count of a fest fic ever, but it also wasn't a super strong fic, so I'm okay with that. Similarly, this fest saw my lowest number of recs/reviews. Maybe I was just so busy with modding that I didnt' feel so investedin the writing but I'm surprisingly okay with what probably would have felt like a bit of a check in the fail column otherwise. *shrugs*

The wibbly wobblies get better when I have a team of betas I trust and feel comfortable taking crit from because then I'm more confident in the final product. And I think that I can see how I've improved in the last 2.5 years and that makes me feel good too, even when I write the occasional stinker. To be honest, when I get wibbly in the community, it tends to be much more about relationships stuff than about my writing. However, I've been fortunate enough that I've never had anyone really tear into my writing. It might be a very different story if that happened.

*shrugged*

Sorry. Long comment is long.

[lotus-lizzy.livejournal.com]

this past round of hols was probably my lowest comment count of a fest fic ever, but it also wasn't a super strong fic, so I'm okay with that

I felt the same was about my hd_career_fair fic. Sometimes a quality fic can be overlooked and we just have to cling to the feeling we felt when we first submitted the fic for posting. I absolutely adored my 30,000+ celtic pirate fic, even if no one else read it. And I'm sure your fic was just as awesome (is curious to know which fic you wrote although I'm thinking perhaps it is the one I am currently reading now which is beyond awesome.....)

*super squishy hugs*

[bryoneybrynn.livejournal.com]

lol If it's beyond awesome, then no, it's not mine. ;)

[lotus-lizzy.livejournal.com]

How do you know?? (wanna PM me which one is yours? *bats eyelashes*)

[bryoneybrynn.livejournal.com]

lol

Great minds....

[lotus-lizzy.livejournal.com]

*giggles*

[novembersnow.livejournal.com]

this past round of hols was probably my lowest comment count of a fest fic ever, but it also wasn't a super strong fic, so I'm okay with that. Similarly, this fest saw my lowest number of recs/reviews.

Ditto that. (Well, not my lowest count ever, but definitely my lowest ever in H/D Hols.) Though exchange fics are so hard to judge by, since in that case you really are writing for an audience rather than simply for yourself. I tell myself that as long as my recipient liked it, it doesn't really matter how big it went over with other readers. (And there has been more than one fest over the years in which I never got a reply from my recipient. That stings, let me tell you.)

The sad truth is, though, I always say I don't care all that much about comment counts--until the count is lower than I expected it to be. ;)

[bryoneybrynn.livejournal.com]

It's true. You get used to a certain reaction and then when it doesn't come, you wibble. But I've noticed my comments decreasing across the board lately. *shrugs* Fandom's a funny thing, I guess. I find more than the number of comments, I get wibbly about WHO comments. Like "Why has this person stopped reading my stuff?" kind of thing. Like I said, relationship wibbles. *g*