The Power of Words

[dawn_felagund]

I had made a promise to myself not to get all weepy and sentimental over posting the last chapter of Another Man's Cage, AMC. And I even managed to behave in the post, without falling all over myself and gushing too much

Comments

[frenchpony]

You should feel proud of yourself. You've done a great thing, and it seems to have been as much a personal adventure as a literary one. Make sure you've got all the comments and chapters in an easily accessible place. Then, when you're feeling down and lonely and sure that you're the Worst Writer In The Whole Wide World, you can take out all the comments and read them again, and they will make you magically delicious happy, just like they did the first time.

[dawn_felagund]

It was a personal adventure, indeed! A much-needed one. That's a good way to put it. :)

I plan to keep the comments around because they are not only wonderfully encouraging but, also, I've learned so much from some of the things people have had to say and conversations that ensued. I wouldn't give that up.

[dawn_felagund]

Yes. :) I feel so lucky...and at times, a bit undeserving. But it's been great.

[oloriel]

As someone who is, at the same time, guilty of the crime of not commenting because I think my comments are worthless anyway and lusting for receiving comments on my occasional creative bouts, I can only thank you for this post.

(And probably I should thank enismirdal for that comment way back then, because otherwise, there would've been no AMC to make my Fridays, huh?)

[dawn_felagund]

When I got into this fandom, I would always think, "I have nothing of significance to say to this person. S/he doesn't need my comment."

How wrong I've learned that to be!

I don't know how--if--AMC would have evolved without Eni. Possibly, I would have picked it up again, but I felt pretty disheartened at first, like not even finishing it, maybe. Writing for others--versus myself--was what got me out of writing in the first place, so this was kind of scary when it infected a story as personal to me as AMC.

So thank yous are certainly in order for Eni! :)

[digdigil]

Okay, now you've made ME cry! What you say is so true, especially about people's comments being so instrumental in making one want to go on. Sometimes it takes only one comment to turn a decision to quit aside and make a bad day turn into a good one, or a bad mood into a happy one

[dawn_felagund]

Just call me Fingon Dawn the Valiant. ;) *pets icon*

The only writing I have these days with a personal side to it is my Midhavens novel, which is why I have to constantly soothe the muses by reminding them that it does not necessarily have to be shared. ;) AMC started as a personal endeavor and one that I was adamant never to share. I wouldn't even admit--even to Bobby!--that I was writing it for quite some time.

Most of my stuff these days is written to share. I'm hoping that once I get more comfortable that an audience will accept my sometimes dark and dreary subject matter, then I will be less shy about the stuff I'd rather keep to myself. (I'm already steeling myself for the Midhavens novel, not to go after it with scissors.)

And I will echo your sentiment too: Thank Eru for Eni! :^D

[ann_arien]

Grrrr! Have you any idea how much mental preparation I've put in not crying and/or feeling like and absolute sentimental sap this week-end, knowing that AMC is over? Well, bummer, 'cause I read this amazing post and it made me cry. *snif

[dawn_felagund]

Writing is practically innate to me, so I'm around as long as you want to listen! :^D

I always find it interesting to see the difference between how a writer herself perceives comments/feedback and how she then thinks other writers perceive comments/feedback. There is often such a gap: Most writers will admit that even a tiny bit of praise can mean a good deal, but when it comes time to do that for someone else, they begin to wonder and doubt if they have something to say "of significance."

Sometimes, just to hear, "I appreciate your work and it brightens my day to read what you have to say" can mean more than the most thought-out philosophical diatribe!

After all, sharing one's writing is about appealing to the emotions of others, so to achieve this is a great accomplishment.

That said, I am so glad that you wrote that first comment to me that day! I remember grinning ear to ear and reading it aloud to Bobby, it was so wonderful. And I've always had the philosophy *points to icon* that was proven that day. Not such a good