Okay, I have to say that the writer is the *first* reader of a story, but so often, the comments and questions and discussion in LJ lead me to go to new places in my stories. Hearing someone else say "Why did he do (x)" makes me realize that I haven't explained some part of the character's motivation and having someone else say "I wonder if Xander will do (y) or (z)" makes me realize that y and z are very real possibilities when I was over thinking about (p).
Yes, I can write in a vacuum, but it isn't as much fun, and I don't think my writing is as good because I don't have people to question and challenge and inspire new ideas. I thought Second Verse was done, and then you sent me a whole damn list of questions you thought I hadn't answered. *poof* The questions opened up new lines of thinking that I hadn't even really explored. I wrote Trickster's Treat focusing on toppy Xander, and then Velvet reads it and points out a dozen places where subbie Spike had a need I wasn't filling. So I think in some ways the writer does need the readers. They aren't strickly necessary to get words on the page, but the difference (at least in my writing) is the difference between a dry cheese sandwich (without feedback and discussion) and a full course salmon dinner (with feedback)
I do think that the amount of good free fiction is amazing, though. I thought that back before I ever wrote. But the better the stories, the more I too ache with WIP's. I know as a reader I feel bad every time I look at Musical Wars... I get a little twinge of guilt that I left Xander stuck in that bathroom, but when people write and ask when I'm letting him the hell out of there, I take that twinge of guilt and use it to remind myself that someone out there loves THAT version of Xander enough to want him out of the bathroom. And yes, I do promise to get back there eventually!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2005-11-10 12:38 am (UTC)Okay, I have to say that the writer is the *first* reader of a story, but so often, the comments and questions and discussion in LJ lead me to go to new places in my stories. Hearing someone else say "Why did he do (x)" makes me realize that I haven't explained some part of the character's motivation and having someone else say "I wonder if Xander will do (y) or (z)" makes me realize that y and z are very real possibilities when I was over thinking about (p).
Yes, I can write in a vacuum, but it isn't as much fun, and I don't think my writing is as good because I don't have people to question and challenge and inspire new ideas. I thought Second Verse was done, and then you sent me a whole damn list of questions you thought I hadn't answered. *poof* The questions opened up new lines of thinking that I hadn't even really explored. I wrote Trickster's Treat focusing on toppy Xander, and then Velvet reads it and points out a dozen places where subbie Spike had a need I wasn't filling. So I think in some ways the writer does need the readers. They aren't strickly necessary to get words on the page, but the difference (at least in my writing) is the difference between a dry cheese sandwich (without feedback and discussion) and a full course salmon dinner (with feedback)
I do think that the amount of good free fiction is amazing, though. I thought that back before I ever wrote. But the better the stories, the more I too ache with WIP's. I know as a reader I feel bad every time I look at Musical Wars... I get a little twinge of guilt that I left Xander stuck in that bathroom, but when people write and ask when I'm letting him the hell out of there, I take that twinge of guilt and use it to remind myself that someone out there loves THAT version of Xander enough to want him out of the bathroom. And yes, I do promise to get back there eventually!