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Demotivated
4 years ago
A few months ago, I opened this account with the goal to write and share some kinky furry stories: I'm struggling with the writer block on a way too regular basis, and it seemed like a fun way to shake and "de-rust" myself.
I didn't expect instant, massive, fame, and I was quite alright with being tiny: actually, I would likely have a hard time coping with /too much/ visibility. But, on the other hand, I neither expected complete and absolute silence: with the exception of the two artists I wrote gift stories for (both responded to me, either privately or publicly), I achieved a cumulative total of zero comments on all my work so far.
So, what was supposed to be a motivating activity is turning out to be brutally discouraging instead. English is not my first language, and I'm much more limited with it than with French, so when I get no form of returns on what I'm doing well or poorly, this exercise doesn't help me to improve either.
I /might/ still write some CYOA-style text here, because it's stuck in my head and I want to let it out even if nobody bothers playing it: no promises, however, because as much as this special form of writing is something I've been interested in for a long while, it remains one I'm having a very hard time making work. So the odds that this ends as a failed and unpublished attempt are still high at this point.
Anyway, with that possible last exception, I'm seriously considering turning back into just a watcher here.
If I am disappointed, I don't want to sound too depressed: I had some fun, and wrote a couple of things I'm relatively pleased with. I'm not overly sad, just a little frustrated. I'm not hurt, but this simply doesn't seem to work, so I will refocus my energy elsewhere rather than insisting to fight a discouraging silence that would, eventually, start to hurt.
Sorry for the rambling, and take care!
I didn't expect instant, massive, fame, and I was quite alright with being tiny: actually, I would likely have a hard time coping with /too much/ visibility. But, on the other hand, I neither expected complete and absolute silence: with the exception of the two artists I wrote gift stories for (both responded to me, either privately or publicly), I achieved a cumulative total of zero comments on all my work so far.
So, what was supposed to be a motivating activity is turning out to be brutally discouraging instead. English is not my first language, and I'm much more limited with it than with French, so when I get no form of returns on what I'm doing well or poorly, this exercise doesn't help me to improve either.
I /might/ still write some CYOA-style text here, because it's stuck in my head and I want to let it out even if nobody bothers playing it: no promises, however, because as much as this special form of writing is something I've been interested in for a long while, it remains one I'm having a very hard time making work. So the odds that this ends as a failed and unpublished attempt are still high at this point.
Anyway, with that possible last exception, I'm seriously considering turning back into just a watcher here.
If I am disappointed, I don't want to sound too depressed: I had some fun, and wrote a couple of things I'm relatively pleased with. I'm not overly sad, just a little frustrated. I'm not hurt, but this simply doesn't seem to work, so I will refocus my energy elsewhere rather than insisting to fight a discouraging silence that would, eventually, start to hurt.
Sorry for the rambling, and take care!
I've had comms with over a thousand views with no comments besides me/the artist rambling; people on FA usually don't engage in the comments as much as in other platforms, specially in nsfw-content.
I haven't gotten around to read all your stories as some simply don't fall on my lane, but the ones I had I've gotta say are written with a very unique and unusual tone; and I can tell there's lots of creativity going behind and not just your average "ooga booga sex go".
If you really feel like this isn't doing it for you; then maybe leave it be yeah, afterall it was more of a hobby to de-rust a bit and keep the writing muscles going; but I strongly advise you don't get discouraged by the metrics.
Starting in FA is usually the hardest part of gathering attention; specially if you're a writer since most people come here for art, but maybe if you give it time more people will come and engage.
Take care lad.
I am aware of the mechanisms that make comments rare in general, and especially for long stories and for newcomers. I avoid to infer too much from the silence and to take it too personally: after all, I am myself guilty of not reading that many things on FA, and it is not that I think "every writing is crap here". No, rather: spending a long moment immersed into a story (especially with the often less than optimal supported formats adding some level of eye-strain), is something that requires one's particular, very personal, tastes to align well enough with the themes and style of the author... and "discoverability" of the few stories that "fit" you, withing the huge mass, is crap.
The issue is that, even being aware of the metric's limits, silence is also an experience. I'm not the most secure writer and I write to share my little worlds with others, so I am highly sensitive to the returns I get... or do not get. And so, silence, even if I understand it and am not blaming anyone for it, is draining me.
I'm not planning to stop writing altogether, however, just to focus on my French writing elsewhere.
And thanks! I'm glad that my, sometimes verbose I'll admit, world building blends with the porn without being boring to you. :)
On that topic, I'm a firm believer that clean, pure smut, and more hybrid styles like mine all have their potential readers (and appeal!). However, the tag-based search is only working somewhat well for short, dense and pure smut (preferably fetishy, bonus points for fanfic) contents... making it extra difficult for others to be discovered by the ones who would enjoy them.