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A notice to my long-term Commissioners
10 years ago
Commissions are here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5589313/Want to help me not go hungry every month? Support me through patreon: http://www.patreon.com/Argyraspides Specifically those getting multi-part or novel length commissions from me. Herein I'd like to address a couple of thoughts that have occurred to me since I started taking commissions in excess of 100-200,000 words.
First off, I'd like to get it out of the way that I fucking LOVE you guys. I'm honored that you're willing to spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars on a story for me. Just putting that down on a page makes me jittery with excitement, that I'm actually good enough to warrant such a huge purchase. Long-term commissions help shore up my income, and I often find them easier to write than shorter, one-off commissions that can sometimes be hard to get into the head space of quickly.
That being said, such huge stories come with their own sorts of problems, which have become apparent since I started doing these. The biggest I've noticed is that a lot of commissioners like to take part in plotting/planning for their novel. Now, for a smaller story this makes sense, considering that they're paying for a product, and want to have control over what they're getting - that's why they go to commission something custom. But for a novel-length commission, which can take a year to write and ESPECIALLY one that's written in the writer's universe, for example my caretaker universe, we encounter the problem of communication.
If I come across something in the commissioner's summary that contradicts the canonical universe, or that I have some other quibble with, then I have to talk it over with them or risk disappointing the customer. I send them a message, but they're at work and don't reply for six hours, and I've lost motivation to work by the time they do. When detail discussion does occur, it's often hours of unpaid talking on my part, which would be much better used actually writing. Also, this degenerates further with more specific commissioners. It kind of feels like hiring a mechanic to fix your car, then hoovering over their shoulder the whole time to make sure they're doing it right, even when you don't have any automotive repair experience or credentials. And that kills my enthusiasm about writing a story. And, with a novel-length commission, there isn't even the option of just powering through it.
Too long? Didn't read? Here's the gist of it: The longer the story is, the more creative freedom I need in order to write it well, and, as many of my long-term commissioners will attune (The commissioners of Twinkle Twinkle and The Vacant Years, for example), I'm good enough at my job that I don't need you to dictate all the little details, that only stresses everyone out and increases my anxiety about writing in general.
Of course, the commissioner's satisfaction remains my #1 priority, and I take all their ideas to heart in my writing, it's just that my sanity requires that the customer trust me to know what will make them happy, which I have yet to fail to do in over a million words in commissioned writing.
Thanks again, and have a nice day
First off, I'd like to get it out of the way that I fucking LOVE you guys. I'm honored that you're willing to spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars on a story for me. Just putting that down on a page makes me jittery with excitement, that I'm actually good enough to warrant such a huge purchase. Long-term commissions help shore up my income, and I often find them easier to write than shorter, one-off commissions that can sometimes be hard to get into the head space of quickly.
That being said, such huge stories come with their own sorts of problems, which have become apparent since I started doing these. The biggest I've noticed is that a lot of commissioners like to take part in plotting/planning for their novel. Now, for a smaller story this makes sense, considering that they're paying for a product, and want to have control over what they're getting - that's why they go to commission something custom. But for a novel-length commission, which can take a year to write and ESPECIALLY one that's written in the writer's universe, for example my caretaker universe, we encounter the problem of communication.
If I come across something in the commissioner's summary that contradicts the canonical universe, or that I have some other quibble with, then I have to talk it over with them or risk disappointing the customer. I send them a message, but they're at work and don't reply for six hours, and I've lost motivation to work by the time they do. When detail discussion does occur, it's often hours of unpaid talking on my part, which would be much better used actually writing. Also, this degenerates further with more specific commissioners. It kind of feels like hiring a mechanic to fix your car, then hoovering over their shoulder the whole time to make sure they're doing it right, even when you don't have any automotive repair experience or credentials. And that kills my enthusiasm about writing a story. And, with a novel-length commission, there isn't even the option of just powering through it.
Too long? Didn't read? Here's the gist of it: The longer the story is, the more creative freedom I need in order to write it well, and, as many of my long-term commissioners will attune (The commissioners of Twinkle Twinkle and The Vacant Years, for example), I'm good enough at my job that I don't need you to dictate all the little details, that only stresses everyone out and increases my anxiety about writing in general.
Of course, the commissioner's satisfaction remains my #1 priority, and I take all their ideas to heart in my writing, it's just that my sanity requires that the customer trust me to know what will make them happy, which I have yet to fail to do in over a million words in commissioned writing.
Thanks again, and have a nice day
I think they just need to communicate what they're looking for/aiming towards to seeing in the next chapter or two with you, get/talk about an occassional check-up. Maybe not manhandle it.
Although it is their money...And they're going to novel lengths/hundreds-thousands here, they do get a larger say than normal commissions I'd feel. But your security and knowledge plus these worlds you've crafted need some adherence too. Some stories wouldn't fit certain worlds you've made...which could be prolematic perhaps? owo That's a detail that might need clarification.
Otherwise I hope both you and your commissioners get into a good communication channel.
But I can imagine sometimes some commissioners would kill for those little details that for them make a world of difference.
Shouldn't be OFTEN, mind you, not at the rate you described. But I can see it happening here and again.
But I'd know as a writer that having every event, action, and dialogue with tones already picked out, with my only influence being in my descriptions/writing style...I'd feel so dead/lacking motivation. xD