What are your favourite types of comment to receive?

[birdsofshore]

First of all, THREE of my prompts at hp_kinkfest have been claimed (one for fic AND art *flail*), and one at dracotops_harry, and I'm so bloody excited! I don't know who you are but I love you a lot already. Are you OK, mystery creators? Do you need anything while you're busy with that? I mean, can I get you a glass of water or a back rub or anything? No? OK. I'll just sit here very quietly in the corner. Waiting. WAITING AND FLAILING.

So, comments. \o/ This was inspired by a great post from blithelybonny which made me realise that writers of different genres might value different types of comment.

I think my own favourites are basically the ones where the commenter claims to be too sexually aroused to attain coherence. I'll let this one remain anon but I was extremely pleased to be told:

I think I can't brain.

I would have been happy with even ONE of the following sentences in a comment, but to have all three was a bit of a joy.

If I was male I would have turned gay for this fic. This is so disgustingly arousing I can't even describe how it made me feel. My limbs have literally fallen off !

Disgustingly arousing. LITERALLY FALLEN OFF. She typed it with her nose. I'm so happy.

This next one was actually on a bookmark, so not really intended for my eyes at all, but oh boy, I like it. :D

HOLY BUCKETS

I also remember certain comments from when I was new, and someone lovely said something really encouraging. Or how about the first time a writer I utterly fangirl over commented on something I wrote? GOD. That was the flail to end all flails. I'll keep the details of those ones private for now, sorry.

Some people leave the most wonderful detailed feedback. Those comments are pure gold. They feel like a gift - no, they ARE a gift. A gift of time, and love, and kindness. I have wanted to write since I was a little girl, and never had the confidence to properly try until a few years ago. I thought I was probably going to be pretty crap, and when I post something new, often I still think it's pretty crap, and I'm sure sometimes it is, but then - it's like magic. Someone comes along and takes a chance on what I wrote, and then they take the time to TELL ME they enjoyed it, and why. It's the most incredible thing. There are some people, and they know who they are, and they leave these comments by the bagfull. And I love them for it.

I also love making people late for work or school, or made them miss a train because they didn't want to stop reading. I REALLY like that. Or when someone was laughing so much they frightened their cat / baby / spouse. Probably half of these people are fibbing to me, but I don't care.

Any comment is great. Some people say they feel anxious about commenting, but even a little phrase or an encouraging word is lovely to receive. But I can't help having my favourites. So, to sum up, my dream comment would probably be something like: "This was so hot my eyes fell out. Reading this made me miss my own wedding, and then my whole neighbourhood was evacuated because I was laughing so hard."

What are your favourite type of comments? Do you remember your first ever comment? Do you have certain comments that you'll always remember?

Comments

[chickenpumpkin.livejournal.com]

My favorite comment? One reader wrote me a comment that was six or seven paragraphs long, just full of well-thought out analysis and squee. I made my husband read it, and then he printed it one day without telling me and now it's stuck above my desk with that awful gummy stuff that doesn't put holes in your walls. Every time I start to think that I should be writing menus or greeting cards, I look at that comment and it makes me keep trying.

I've been really lucky with commenters, though--there are some folks in fandom who are really excited to interact with writers and share their time and thoughts, (or who will contact you out of the blue on different sites to say how much they love your stuff--which is balls to the wall amazing, ahem) and I feel like I've managed to find a high percentage of those wonderful people, who are like crack cocaine to me ;D As nice as it is to get random flattering words out of the ether, I think those excited, repeat commenters are the people we all really end up writing for.

[capitu]

or who will contact you out of the blue on different sites to say how much they love your stuff--which is balls to the wall amazing, ahem


Well, some of those people are like little puppies sometimes. Very excitable and their happiness can't be contained. :D

[blithelybonny.livejournal.com]

Drive-by to say that, that is such an adorable and thoughtful thing!

And also, 100% yes, agree.

[birdsofshore]

Your husband is so thoughtful and sweet to do that!

I'm so glad you've had good experiences with commenters. It means such a lot, doesn't it? And we have such super, super commenters here in the HP fandom. <3

[tryslora]

Your comments on erised were definitely among my favorites. :) Getting to watch you live comment while reading was absofuckinglutely brilliant.

I love flails. I love keysmashes. I love "this isn't my thing but..." comments... oh gods do I ever love the "I read this anyway" comments because it means that either I dragged them in somehow despite being a thing they don't normally like, or they trusted me enough to try it anyway and enjoyed it enough to comment, and both are brilliant.

I'd say I love every comment, but there are some I do not. I don't like comments that simply say "more" or that say "you need to write a sequel" or otherwise demand more work. And I don't like critique. I admit it, when I'm done writing, I'm done writing, and I've written the story I meant to write, and I'm sorry if it doesn't appeal to a reader.

But other than that? Yeah, I love every comment. But my favorites are the long rambly flails, the keysmash incoherence, and the I never wanted this before but NOW comments.

I should comment more. I'm so bad about it, but I read on my phone and I get super angsty about leaving actual comments with my thumbs. :(

[alisanne.livejournal.com]

I don't like comments that simply say "more" or that say "you need to write a sequel" or otherwise demand more work.

OMG, yes. A thousand times yes to this. I can't tell you how many times I've posted a several thousand word fic only to have a commenter say "more" as the only comment. Argh!
My 'fave' was the one who commented "pls write seq". Ugh.

[birdsofshore]

Awwww I'm so glad my live comment stream was fun and not just REALLY IRRITATING :DD

Yes! "I never usually read.... but...." That's so flattering, isn't it?

But man, "More" on it's own as a comment comes across as so rude to me. It's like, someone gave you a present, and instead of saying "Thank you", you just say, "Another?" It's fine when people comment and THEN say they'd be interested in a sequel. Although I do have one or two fics where nearly every comment asks about a sequel and I'm not sure how I feel about that either!

[lq-traintracks.livejournal.com]

This is a great post! <3 I feel a bit guilty answering, because I'm afraid I'm going to seem braggy, but you're so right that sometimes even getting comments that you KNOW are complete hyperbole is still just the BEST. Like, I've gotten quite a few comments on Right Hand Red to the effect of, 'this is the best story I've ever read', and even though I KNOW that's not true and can't possibly BE true, I made that person feel that way for that moment and maybe a few hours or something. <3 OH! And I've gotten comments that the story is like and should be the eighth book in the series. O_O That one kills me. Like, omg! That story especially gets ridiculously good comments. Even the weird ones are good. Like I got this one: "SO STRANGE AND GOOD." LMAO. I actually think it's an almost revoltingly normal story really. I can't by any stretch regard it as "strange" myself, but apparently it was so strange and so good at the same time, enough that it needed a CAPSLOCK. I also love that, right after it posted, a great many readers apparently got NO sleep. People stayed up all night (or at least until 3 in the morning, because I got a LOT of comments with that actual time pointed out) to read it, and that's a huge, wonderful compliment, and I really can't even. <3

I love comments that include lines from the story itself! I LOVE that! And I love when a reader just gets something. Or incoherence. Incoherence is great. Especially when it turns ridiculously funny, like FTS's shark thing below! That's priceless! :-DDD

But more than anything, I just love when someone is moved, when I've somehow touched their heart. That's gold. <3

That said, this -- "This was so hot my eyes fell out. Reading this made me miss my own wedding, and then my whole neighbourhood was evacuated because I was laughing so hard." -- is truly the comment to end all comments!!!! :-D

[birdsofshore]

SO STRANGE AND GOOD

Oh, god, yes, wonderful.

I was worried about being braggy, too, and then I thought - I want to talk about the fucking joy of comments, and I think it's a good thing to share fandom squee. If I have been braggy while I did it, I apologise, but I am actually really proud that I wrote things people liked enough to leave this comments on.

So love hearing about Right Hand Red's comments! People staying up all night to read! Yes! So happy-making! 3 am comments. That's great.

[capitu]

GUILTY!

I've done it all. Oh god, it's almost embarrassing! :D I've scared the puppy I was dogsitting while reading a story because I jumped from my chair with a loud "OH MY GOD!" and she was resting at my feet and she started barking like mad, but Draco had just done this thing and my flail could not be contained.

I've woken the bf in the middle of the night because I was laughing (and then tried to explain what was so funny).

One time I started crying in the airport while waiting for my plane because I was reading this super emotional scene and the bf gave me this "what the hell is the matter with you??!?" look and I'm crying my heart out and people gave us alarmed looks and next I'm happy because YAY happy ending.

*shakes head*

And I love it. I love sharing that with the people who made it happen. They gave me this magical moment, they owned me there and god, just finding the words, (hopefully) the right words to let them know is most satisfying.

And then learning I made them happy, well, it's truly giving a little bit back, which is the best thing ever, truly. :D

[birdsofshore]

Hahahahaha that was Euphoria, wasn't it? With the dog? I think so. I'm so happy I freaked out your friend's puppy.

I remember moments like that - when saras_girl wrote a fic and DEDICATED IT TO ME, I actually couldn't type, my fingers were a complete mystery to me for quite a while. And when raitala posted my birthday art for Unguarded, we were in the car when I saw it and Mr Birds said he would have to take me home if I didn't get my shit together. *sigh* Happy days.

I wish I could add up all of the joy that you have given people in fandom with your glorious comments and recs. I wish we could measure it in a big massive heap and show it to you. ♥

[firethesound]

I really enjoy stalking bookmarks because they include things like:

"I AM IN SO MUCH PAIN."

"i'll read this if i ever feel like wanting to rip my heart out and smash it to pieces, then take those pieces and douse them in gasoline and set them on fire."

"i don't have feelings anymore"

"I think I threw up my heart. But fuck was this good"

...and my personal favorite which I just got recently, "Combine harvesters couldn't scrape up enough soil to bury me deep enough in the soil. I want to go to an aquarium and commune with all the sharks about this."

Why sharks? I really want to know, why sharks?? Why does AO3 not have a messaging system I could use to ask this person about the sharks? People leave wonderful amazing detailed comments and I adore every single one. Oh, my first multi-comment comment because there was too much flail to fit in one and had to be split into more. The comments that read like bookreports. The ones that border on literary analysis. All comments are good comments, even just the "I liked this." But some just get you, you know? Where you can tell that a reader really *connected* with the story and totally got what you were trying to say.

I'm going to get all sappy now so bear with me... because I have especially tender feelings for one comment in particular. When I started posting fic again after a five year hiatus, I was super nervous. And of course I thought the best fic to make my return to fandom with was 2k of Harry wanking with a potato masher stuck up his bum. XD So I posted and promptly started flailing, like omg what am I doing, this is the stupidest thing ever, i should just go live under a rock for the rest of my life and never post anything again because filthy porn of kitchen utensils, what on earth was I thinking, who the heck is even going to read this?? And then I was surprised to get a very nice comment right away from someone with a very stylish bird icon, and I was all, "Who the heck is this birdsofshore person who thinks I'm funny?" and clicked over to their journal and marathoned their masterlist and flailed more and then didn't comment on any of it because I was like, be cool, FTS, this person is INFINITELY MORE AWESOME THAN YOU WILL EVER BE CALM DOWN AND DON'T ACT LIKE A STALKER. (Clearly I had not figured out yet how fandom works...) But yes, that very first comment means a lot to me. <3 <3 <3

Aaaand now that I've shown what a weirdo I am, I am going to go hide under a rock now. XD

[lq-traintracks.livejournal.com]

Awwwwwwwwwww! *hugs you*

I love fandom! \o/ ♥

[alisanne.livejournal.com]

*c/p your dream comment*

Yes! All of that, yes.
I love any comments, really, but the best are the one that make me come back and reply to the commenter, and we then have a back and forth discussion about how wonderful Snarry or HD or whatever the pairing or subject is is. *g*
I don't recall my first comment, but over the years there have been comments I have cherished. Like when someone says I made them cry. That's prolly bad, isn't it? Oops.
Also, I delight in being called evil for my (infamous) cliff hangers. That just makes me want to do it more. Mruahahaha.
Sadly, I often recall the mean comments more than the nice ones. *sigh* Human nature I guess.
In sum: Love comments, both giving and receiving.

Also, this post was so hot my eyes fell out. Reading this made me miss my own wedding, and then my whole neighbourhood was evacuated because I was laughing so hard. :*

[birdsofshore]

I don't think I ever made anyone cry, but I can imagine being proud of that if I did! Yes, back and forth discussion is wonderful. I also love it when someone reads through everything, or almost everything, I've written, and leaves a stream of comments and it starts to feel like a conversation. But then it ends, and unless that person's on LJ, or you can convince them to sign up (heh, I do try), the conversation ends and you don't really connect again in that way. I guess I'm being greedy but I just don't want it to end!

Hahahaha I'm sorry about missing your own wedding, and stuff. I'm sure it was worth it though, to read this post ;)

[torino10154]

I think my faves are the ones that it was clear the person really got what I was trying to say, where we were of the same mind. Whether it's something ridiculous or matching head canon, it's that connection that thrills me.

Also, NGL, but as someone who always writes short stuff and often feels inadequate because I can't really ever manage fic of significant length, when people compliment me on my ability to be concise, to convey much with little, it does make me feel like I'm not completely useless. ROFL

As for one pretty special comment, I wrote a crazy AU fic once, non-magic AU set during WWI? WWII? IDEK. LOL It was inspired by a piece of art and someone commented on it saying how they'd read a bit of my story aloud to their teen who was struggling at the time. When our silly little hobby touches people profoundly, it's humbling really.

[birdsofshore]

I think my faves are the ones that it was clear the person really got what I was trying to say

Oh yes! That's amazing! I've often tried to do things and not ended up being certain if it worked at all, and an insightful commenter can really mean a lot at those times.

I love your ability to be concise. My god, I envy the fuck out of your ability to be concise!

And that's amazing - that your story really affected someone's life in that way. I love hearing everyone's experiences with great comments - it's easy to dismiss fanfic as, like you say, a silly hobby, but it can be very meaningful.

[blithelybonny.livejournal.com]

<3 <3

I love the comments that are basically shouting at me for being the worst and making them cry. I love ones that are full of quotes back or specific details that the readers enjoyed. I love ones where the reader shares their interpretations or ideas about what things might have meant, especially when they differ from what I might have thought when I was writing it because YES and EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE OF READING/INTERPRETING and OH MYLANTA I AM AN ENGLISH MAJOR AND YAAAAAASSS ANALYSIS.

But I especially love the ones that are just like 'you made me feel some kind of way, and for that I thank you'.

[firethesound]

But I especially love the ones that are just like 'you made me feel some kind of way, and for that I thank you'.

YES. I especially love the ones that say I made the reader laugh out loud. <3

[awickedmemory.livejournal.com]

My favourite comments are (1) ones that tell me why they liked it, and (2) anything enthusiastic. XD I mean, I'm pretty sure every writer ever loves the detailed commentary on their stories... but I received one comment that literally only said "E M O T I O N S" and another that was "MY HEART JUST BURST WIDE OPEN" and despite their brevity, they were just so emotive that they made me super happy. I also have a major soft spot for when I get "I loved this and went to read your other fics and then realized I already read and loved them, too." Or when I wake up to a flood of comments from one person who obviously just went right down my list of works. :D Or hell, when I get the AO3 notifications of kudoses and one person has gone down and kudosed every fic I've written over a day or two, lol...

Edit: Also, AO3 BOOKMARKS. I check those anytime I realize I've had a flood of kudoses without comments recently, and sometimes they make me awww, and sometimes they make me giggle, but they always make me just want to cuddle the bookmarker. Like... "Awww thank you for liking this enough to want to save it!" but also because they can be efusive or emotive in their own bookmarks but were clearly too shy to tell me directly in a comment, and I understand, and I just want to snuggle them.

[birdsofshore]

Aww those examples are truly delicious! I can see why they made you so happy. I think you're very understanding about the bookmarking. I forget to check mine, and then when I do and find a lovely review on there or something really cute or funny, I think "I MIGHT NEVER HAVE SEEN THIS!"

[kerrilee75.livejournal.com]

Wait.....you can do bookmarks on AO3?!? All this time I've just been saving my favorites to my phone! I swear I learn something new everyday! Also, I really try to leave comments as ofter as possible. I totally get how important they are to you all. I get so much joy out of reading, it's the least I can do!

[oakstone730.livejournal.com]

Yes! You can make bookmarks - I was so excited when I realized that and you can also tag the bookmark to help you find it later if you accumulate a lot of bookmarks. Fair warning though: others can see your bookmarks and authors can and do check to see what bookmark tags are out there.

AND, I just learned this last month, there is a "Save For Later" button! It was there the whole time and I never noticed it.

[alby-mangroves.livejournal.com]

I like any comments apart from the ones where the commenter feels it's their duty to give you concrit.

I don't ask for concrit. I'm not a professional writer nor do I have any aspirations to be. I like writing sometimes, and I make sure I have nice thick skin for my beta to be scathing on me, but after that, when it's born and out in the world, I don't need to be told that my baby's not quite right or not up to the reader's standard.

This probably makes me sound like a horrible, egotistical person who can't take criticism, but I can, I swear I can. I just don't want it unsolicited and unasked for, from strangers.

[birdsofshore]

Oh, gosh, yes. I don't want concrit from a stranger. I DO want concrit from my betas, but I know and respect them, and they are kind and wise and patient and awesome, and it's still hard at times to hear what they have to say. I don't want it in a public comment where everyone can see my shame!

[pauraque]

The first feedback I ever got was for a fic I posted to a mailing list, so they actually had to email me! Can you imagine? :) I don't remember exactly what they said, but I do remember I had been horribly nervous about posting, and getting that first message that someone liked the story was an immense relief. It meant so much to me that what I wrote brought someone enjoyment, and that they would take the time to tell me so.

I still feel like that. Nobody has to leave feedback, and I think the fact that people do it anyway is wonderful. It's like sending someone a dose of pure happiness.

[birdsofshore]

A dose of pure happiness, oh yes! It's so wonderfully egotistical AND altruistic at the same time. Because you made that person happy, and that feels so good, but also they're complimenting your work and that makes your heart do explodey things...

[oakstone730.livejournal.com]

I love the flailing comments - where it is a word-vomit eruption of excitement. And the I HATE YOU comments. And i LOVE, just LOVE the ones where the reader tells me that the world stopped revolving as they were reading - I actually saved one of those and I pull it out when I'm feeling down and just re-read it. Or the "you made a difference in my life" comments. I remember getting one of those-the reader described himself as a 18ish man living with his family in a southern state, unable to come out and how reading fanfictions, and my story in particular, helped him cope with the world. That one really moved me.

Oh, and I love the ones when they post the lines or scenes that really jumped out at them - and I do a fistpump when it is a line that I'd really worked at or especially love.

[birdsofshore]

Word-vomit eruptions! God, yes! I don't get the I HATE YOU ones, LOL; I don't write that kind of fic, although I had one recently which said "I hate how hot I find this", ehehehe.

The story about the closeted young man is extraordinary. What a wonderful comment to receive. You can be very proud of that. <3

[kerrilee75.livejournal.com]

I've been playing around with both features tonight! There are more options on desktop vs my phone. Looks like few ppl actually write comments when they bookmark, but that's what I've been missing! I want to make notes to myself so I remember what I liked. It's quite handy!

[birdsofshore]

Ehehe, I look forward to spying on your bookmarks in future ;)

[dustmouth.livejournal.com]

You are going to be so busy- you'd best start strength training your fingers now for all the commenting you'll be doing soon!
And yes, I feel you on all of your commenting points.
I think though, and it sounds stupid, I might actually like writing feedback on people's works even more than I enjoy getting comments on my own?
Cos man, do I enjoy a good ramble, and when you've loved something so much it's tied you all in knots, it is the best feeling to just be able to dump it all on someone else haha. They HAVE to take my incomprehensible compliments, right?
God, I feel like such a smug little shit or something writing that, though. Such a teachers pet haha

I'd say that my favourite comment is when someone tells me that everyone felt really in character, or that the dialogue felt spot on. I'm no writer, so it's something I worry about a lot. Also, I think that there can be a lot more pressure on art since everyone has their own head canons of what the characters look like? Being told that someone now pictures my scrawny, sweaty, pointy versions of the character as their own is just !!!

[birdsofshore]

I'm in training, absolutely, practising my speed typing and my use of the !!!!!!11111!!!!!!!!!! key, and trying to perfect my keysmash ;)

Of course you're a writer. You're a bloody poet! A beloved poet of the scrawny and sweaty and pointy. ♥

[lauren3210.livejournal.com]

I love any kind of comment tbh. Well, except for that *one* commenter that keeps telling me they don't like bottom!Draco on my fics that include that, because nope. I do get an extra thrill when I get a comment that tells me that my fic has become one of their faves, though. I don't think it's braggy to talk about this stuff either, I think all it does is celebrate the lovely comments out there, and shows that we're grateful for them all, in all their forms.

My fave comment ever though, is this one: "OH MY GOD THIS IS THE FIRST THOROUGHLY PLOTTED DRARRY FIC I HAVE EVER READ AND I THINK ITS MY NEW NUMBER ONE FIC OF ALL TIME HOLY SHIT I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY I JUST FUCKING AMAZING MERLINS PANTS MERLINS FUCKING PANTS HOLY FUCK" !!! It's basically just a keysmash of capslocked words and it's the greatest, tbh.

Also, I think my fave ao3 bookmarks comment was "read again bc WOW" because it made me giggle at the same time as squeal out loud!

[birdsofshore]

OMG, if people want to tell me about their topping preferences in a whiny way, they can just do one. fgs.

FUCKING AMAZING MERLINS PANTS MERLINS FUCKING PANTS

This. Is incredible. I want this comment! LOLOL

[khalulu]

I loved hearing that I'd gotten something right when people who knew something about it identified with something important in a fic - like the graduation scene in the poor rural school in Africa, in Beekeeping, or Draco with a disability in Abraxan Wings, or the Finnish stuff in Sparks from the Fox's Tail. I like hearing that people find something both funny and moving. Of course detailed comments are great! I loved being told that a fic left someone "grinning like a loon". Really, I'm happy to get just about any comment. I've also really liked seeing the comments from German readers of the translations of my fics that phonixfeder/phoenixfluegel has done - she posts them in installments so it's like a WIP and I get to read lots of comments over a period of weeks with the help of Google translate, and learn words like "kopfkino", a movie playing in your mind. And I love my beta for (among so many other things) getting flaily instead of dubious about, say, medieval Welsh poetry turning up in a fic (Dafydd ap Gwilym fans unite! A trouserful of wantonness!).

[birdsofshore]

OMG, a trouserful of wantonness. That makes me want to read that fic again right this second. What a joy.

Kopfkino! Head cinema! That's brilliant! I'm grinning like a loon at that, and at all your lovely comment stories.

[nearlyconscious.livejournal.com]

Alas, I don't remember my first ever comment. And I'm not going at remembering things verbatim but some comments definitely stay with me.
I love everything but my favourite type of comments is when people give details about what they like! Sometimes they comment on something and it's exactly what I was aiming at, you know? I think these are my favourite.

[birdsofshore]

Oh, yes, When you weren't sure if you'd hit the nail on the head, or in fact were even holding the hammer the right way round, and someone comes in and lets you know that they understood, that it worked for them. And often readers notice things that I didn't myself notice or intend while I was writing. That's rather amazing.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hannelore/]

I'm a big fan of the keysmash comment. :D

Though I think my favorite comment of all time was from a RPG Tom Riddle who said something along the lines of "I don't think I'd approve of this at all." Hee!

[birdsofshore]

Haha! I love a comment that makes me laugh. And I agree, a keysmash is a thing of beauty <3