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something i've always wanted to say: it's easy to tell new writers "don't focus on kudos/likes/retweets" but it's not as simple as that, is it?
we put hours/weeks/months on our fics, and it's not enough to tell us to not focus on popularity stats.
we put hours/weeks/months on our fics, and it's not enough to tell us to not focus on popularity stats.
my advice for new creators: befriend people on this site that make you feel good about the hours you put into creating that fic. people who make you feel good about your art and make you want to improve and write even more stories.
participate in events—exchanges, big bangs—they're great because not only do you get to meet and befriend other creators, you also get a lovely fic/art as a gift.
i'm not aware of many but the admins of @TaegiWeek are lovely, and the event begins in august!
i'm not aware of many but the admins of @TaegiWeek are lovely, and the event begins in august!
ask a friend to proofread your fic. this helps a lot, from my own experience. it doesn't just lift your language skills, but you also get encouragement and other useful feedback on your plot/writing.
because as nice as kudos/retweets may be, they're ultimately very unhelpful to know just what in the fic was funny/inspiring/heart-warming. a good feedback from a beta is very useful, and having someone to discuss your fic with is a motivation like no other.
bottom line is: you should feel good about your stories. popularity stats can be discouraging, and it's easy for popular creators to tell you to just "ignore them" but that's not enough.
