Post-Holiday Exchange Feedback Challenge--
Ok, so. As I'm sure some of us are aware, after the rush, rush, rush up to the holiday season, after putting in lots of hours angsting/plotting/writing/rewriting/editing/betaing stories for exchanges, there's always a sad sort of dip right afterward, as the hours tick by and the feedback remains thin on the ground.
Of course, plenty of this lack is due to perfectly reasonable issues: recipients are caught up in the holiday rush; there are loading/technical issues with the server the stories are on; in the flood of stories, it's going to take a little longer for people to get around to reading everything they want to; and the ratio of lurker to commenter is, as always, way out of whack (and is no comment on the quality of any one fic).
Even knowing that, it is no easier to stare blankly at the story you wrote, waiting for comments to come in. And of course this leaves one struggling against giving in and wondering, "Is it really bad, and nobody who loves me is willing to tell me so?" "Did the recipient only leave a short comment because s/he actually really hates it?" and so on.
So I've been thinking. I know this is a widespread feeling. I know it isn't just me, or you, or that friend over there that feels that way. It's something that a lot of us feel. And I know it's not rational, it's not reasonable, and it simply fucks one right up. I also know that when I start to feel this way, I just... stare at my stories, refreshing and wondering whether any more feedback is going to roll in, rather than reading and fb'ing anyone else. Well, that's not productive. And I figure, if I'm moping, then someone else is doing so too.
So here's what I'm going to do.
I pledge, for every comment I receive between now and the beginning of January, to read and fb someone else's exchange story (not including those written specifically for me1).
I'm going to try and leave the sort of feedback I'd like to receive (which is of the long and loving type), but failing that, I promise to at least leave short messages of love and joy for each fic that moves me.
That's it. It's a simple thing. My hope is that if I remember that someone out there is also waiting desperately for fb, then I'll be able to make their day better by responding to their story. Hopefully, they'll then move on and read and fb someone else, who will then move on and fb another someone else. And so on and so forth. (Plus, it has the added effect of motivating me to read more, instead of letting myself get pulled into other obligations, and I'm hoping this will also get me fb'ing more stories than comments received.)
In January, I'll reassess my own workload to see whether I can keep my personal challenge going, whether I can retroactively look at past exchanges and catch up there, and extend it forward to not just challenges, but stories full stop.
I also hope that other people will see this challenge, take it up themselves and spread it around. In the end, if enough of us do it, then it'll benefit the whole. So. Who's with me?
Personal Tally (Comments Made/Comments Received):
Of course, plenty of this lack is due to perfectly reasonable issues: recipients are caught up in the holiday rush; there are loading/technical issues with the server the stories are on; in the flood of stories, it's going to take a little longer for people to get around to reading everything they want to; and the ratio of lurker to commenter is, as always, way out of whack (and is no comment on the quality of any one fic).
Even knowing that, it is no easier to stare blankly at the story you wrote, waiting for comments to come in. And of course this leaves one struggling against giving in and wondering, "Is it really bad, and nobody who loves me is willing to tell me so?" "Did the recipient only leave a short comment because s/he actually really hates it?" and so on.
So I've been thinking. I know this is a widespread feeling. I know it isn't just me, or you, or that friend over there that feels that way. It's something that a lot of us feel. And I know it's not rational, it's not reasonable, and it simply fucks one right up. I also know that when I start to feel this way, I just... stare at my stories, refreshing and wondering whether any more feedback is going to roll in, rather than reading and fb'ing anyone else. Well, that's not productive. And I figure, if I'm moping, then someone else is doing so too.
So here's what I'm going to do.
I pledge, for every comment I receive between now and the beginning of January, to read and fb someone else's exchange story (not including those written specifically for me1).
I'm going to try and leave the sort of feedback I'd like to receive (which is of the long and loving type), but failing that, I promise to at least leave short messages of love and joy for each fic that moves me.
That's it. It's a simple thing. My hope is that if I remember that someone out there is also waiting desperately for fb, then I'll be able to make their day better by responding to their story. Hopefully, they'll then move on and read and fb someone else, who will then move on and fb another someone else. And so on and so forth. (Plus, it has the added effect of motivating me to read more, instead of letting myself get pulled into other obligations, and I'm hoping this will also get me fb'ing more stories than comments received.)
In January, I'll reassess my own workload to see whether I can keep my personal challenge going, whether I can retroactively look at past exchanges and catch up there, and extend it forward to not just challenges, but stories full stop.
I also hope that other people will see this challenge, take it up themselves and spread it around. In the end, if enough of us do it, then it'll benefit the whole. So. Who's with me?
Personal Tally (Comments Made/Comments Received):
- deancas_xmas: 2/11
lotr_sesa: 4/6
yuletide: 16/18
slashababy: 0/2