Something I've Noticed - The Writer-Reader Relationship · 10:37pm Oct 8th, 2014
(Warning: Semi-coherent rant ahead) Every writer wants to feel that they're being appreciated; to feel that people are actually reading and digesting what they're putting out into the world. Otherwise, what would be the point in publishing one's work for others to freely access? With that said, it's always curious to see just how some writers have been interacting with the people that comment on their fics on this fanfic site of ours.
A bit of a digression: personally I always strive to convey as best I can the ideas that pop into my head in hopes that it brings out that "oh that's cool!" or "I've never seen that sort of thing!" in the minds of people that read my fics. It's why I actually prefer having people comment and critique my fics over receiving faves/follows/likes. It's more personable and constructive to get insight on what people think work/didn't work, regardless if I end up agreeing or implementing the criticisms/suggestions made.
Returning to my original point on my observation of how some writers react to people's comments, the very interactive format of FiMfic makes it, in my mind, a bit too accessible for writers to try to quickly address or even confront criticism of their pone words. There's a multitude of review groups composed of dozens upon dozens of users who want to make their opinions known. There's also a lot of notable users that have made a name for themselves as people who'll bluntly state their thoughts. Overall I found that some users want to help others improve, others want to more-or-less act as gatekeepers and provide quality control. More often than not the two objectives overlap and become muddled.
The ideas that are presented in a lot of fics are sometimes new to the writer but not so to a reader or it seems to be a winning idea that's already proven to attract positive attention and accolades from readers. What I always find fascinating is the need for a writer to go out of their way to explain something in their fic that a reader was confused about, and then shift blame for confusion or misunderstanding on the reader (e.g. "If you had been paying attention..."). In reality there's less a single side (reader or writer) saddle with responsibility and more a tidal relationship between the two, since you can't really have one without the other. For example: a story has a concept or aspect that a reader finds questionable and comments on it. The writer immediately replies to explain, rather than edit or elaborate later on in the fic itself. Comments go back and forth between the two, and maybe other people join into the fray. In my mind there was a failure for the writer to convey the idea as best they could to a reader. Now, should a writer always break a story down to as elementary an explanation as possible? No. Short answer is that it depends on the rating (E, T or M) and how elaborate the story concepts are.
Now, I'm always of the mind that the readers ought to be treated with respect as thinking, insightful people that are able to understand relationships and patterns that a writer puts into their story, but they aren't mindreaders. It's because of this point of view that I've never been entirely comfortable with elaborating about a fic outside of my writing. I will do so at the end of a fic, or maybe just a bit of egging on in the comments but never wholesale explaining. However that doesn't give me license to go avant garde lest I lose a significant portion of my potential audience. It's because of this point of view that I was quite happy to see other readers answer and explain in my place. For example, in Prances with Ponies there was on more than one occasion a person that wouldn't be able to follow the story because of the way I formatted, but immediately understood when another reader pointed out my intent. It goes to show that there should never be a reason to handhold your readers by directly explaining what's going on. That's no fun. That lacks the discovery component that makes it fun for a reader and gives them an investment in what they're reading. Use the narrative and writing to provide enough context clues for the mind to put things together. While there will very likely be people that won't understand right away, it's really a bit of an ego trip to have people explain on your behalf.
That doesn't give you an excuse to go "there's some people that understood it so you have no excuse to be confused!" On the contrary, it gives you a sign that something wasn't conveyed quite as clearly as it could have been. Instead of jumping into the comments to give that reader a fish, take the opportunity to show them how to use a fishing rod...and other vaguely appropriate metaphors that essentially, brings the reader along with you as a participant rather than a passive observer. No one, and I mean no one likes to be talked at all the time. It's why "show not tell" is such an important aspect of writing. It's why teachers and public speakers try to have as many interactive components to really cement the concepts they're putting forward, and to break up the monotony of an otherwise dry presentation.
Ultimately the point I'm trying to make is thus: the most successful fics that are worth reading managed a balance between accessibility of the idea and means in which the story progressed. For all of the pandering, short lived crackfics and fadfics out there that earn attention and shoot straight to the Featured Box, the ones that really stick in your mind are ones that came across as interesting and unique. Usually the most novel ideas that launch subsequent recursive fanfics and ficverses, or the ones that are satisfying to read (not necessarily all the way through *cough*Prances with Ponies*cough*) and tried to do something different. A twist on an idea, or a manner of writing. A unique take on perspective, perhaps. Whatever the case may be, the writer more likely than not spoke through their story rather than simply give you the reasons things happened.
It sort of ruins a bit of the mystique, in a way. Like explaining that the Force is tapped into with the use of microorganisms in your bloodstream and other living tissue.
And now for something completely different
Made by the ever-talented 2snacks
I agree, my sunburnt mind isn't really in the word formulating mindset, but I agree.
I like to treat commenters as my own little, mini-editors. If someone finds something inaccurate or simply poorly written, I'm happy to go back and fix it or explain it in the future (the fic I'm working on as I type had a lot of the latter since I made it intentionally opaque in the beginning because changelings). Of course, sometimes readers really do misunderstand because their reading skills are subpar, and then I must be like "Hay, read this part again."
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It's why I love seeing other readers clear things up for me.