How to get feedback on story?
#1
I've never really written or done anything like this, but after watching SAO I really loved the setting of a VRMMO world, I read quite a bit of manga and found some VRMMO mangas that I also found I loved, and wanting more like that I found webnovels, read LMS then Ark and now several more. It seemed like a lot of fun and there was no barrier of entry so I thought I'd try my hand at it and wrote up a prologue today, but it is pretty bad and I have no idea how to make it good or how to make an interesting VRMMO world, how to make interesting characters, things like that, so I wanted to reach out and see if I could get any help.
I know people give feedback in the comments of fictions, but I don't have enough to post a real story yet and don't want to put something subpar out there, ideally I'd like to have several chapters ready before I start posting at all if I ever do get to the point where I can. I don't want to ask anyone IRL for feedback because that'd be ridiculously embarrassing and so I was hoping some of you kind anonymous penguins could help me out.
I know people give feedback in the comments of fictions, but I don't have enough to post a real story yet and don't want to put something subpar out there, ideally I'd like to have several chapters ready before I start posting at all if I ever do get to the point where I can. I don't want to ask anyone IRL for feedback because that'd be ridiculously embarrassing and so I was hoping some of you kind anonymous penguins could help me out.
RE: How to get feedback on story?
#2
Hi Myther,
I think it would actually be better to ask someone you know, but if you really don't want to do that then I wouldn't mind reading it and giving my opinion. Though I'm not sure how helpful my feedback might be.
I think it would actually be better to ask someone you know, but if you really don't want to do that then I wouldn't mind reading it and giving my opinion. Though I'm not sure how helpful my feedback might be.
[ Tale of the Elder Witch ]: Long Hiatus... thinking about picking back up (Planned Rewrite #3)
[ Paper Weight ]: Long Hiatus
[ <Untitled Work> ]: Thinking about something with dungeons, because those are all the rage now days... (In Planning)
[ Paper Weight ]: Long Hiatus
[ <Untitled Work> ]: Thinking about something with dungeons, because those are all the rage now days... (In Planning)
RE: How to get feedback on story?
#3
At a door at my work is an interesting work ethic for programmers:
"Always code as if the guy having to maintain it will be a violent psychopath who knows exactly where you life"
Now I'm not saying you should write afraid of your readers, but if you know the reader, it might help you put more effort into it.
As you mentioned, it is kind of embarrassing, so you would want to put more effort into it, and, depending on the friend who's reading it,
he/she might actually be comfortable enough to let you know if he/she's having problems understanding the story-flow.
They might actually bring up topics you haven't thought of, or considered obvious, like if it's an VRMMO, are the people considering banning it due to health risks, have there been deaths due to VRMMO addiction, are the companies making games trying to control the issue? Legally or illegally?
How do people connect to the VRMMO? Do they need a simple headset à la SAO? Do they need a 'Capsule' like in Moonlight Sculptor/Ark? How does the MC afford it? Does he need to get a side job? Does he get into the Dark Gamer Life to pay for it and other stuff? Does he use a 'public' access/gaming store? How does that affect his game time? His real life? Do the people in his 'Real Life' play as well? Do they know him in game ... and on and on and on ...
Short: it's OK to be embarrassed, use it in your writing, and don't feel to afraid to ask you friends, just make sure their friends that would actually help, and not the kind that tells everyone they know ...
"Always code as if the guy having to maintain it will be a violent psychopath who knows exactly where you life"
Now I'm not saying you should write afraid of your readers, but if you know the reader, it might help you put more effort into it.
As you mentioned, it is kind of embarrassing, so you would want to put more effort into it, and, depending on the friend who's reading it,
he/she might actually be comfortable enough to let you know if he/she's having problems understanding the story-flow.
They might actually bring up topics you haven't thought of, or considered obvious, like if it's an VRMMO, are the people considering banning it due to health risks, have there been deaths due to VRMMO addiction, are the companies making games trying to control the issue? Legally or illegally?
How do people connect to the VRMMO? Do they need a simple headset à la SAO? Do they need a 'Capsule' like in Moonlight Sculptor/Ark? How does the MC afford it? Does he need to get a side job? Does he get into the Dark Gamer Life to pay for it and other stuff? Does he use a 'public' access/gaming store? How does that affect his game time? His real life? Do the people in his 'Real Life' play as well? Do they know him in game ... and on and on and on ...
Short: it's OK to be embarrassed, use it in your writing, and don't feel to afraid to ask you friends, just make sure their friends that would actually help, and not the kind that tells everyone they know ...