5SOSFF READERS CHALLENGE

[heather]

Hey guys!

I know many people, myself included (obviously, since I‘m posting about it), have been noticing a lack in feedback with stories the last few months. And while I’m fully aware that many of us are very busy with one thing or another (school, work, extracurricular activities, family and friends, ect), I thought I’d bring some of my own thoughts to the forefront and share them with you all so that maybe we can find a solution to this.

So it goes like this; you see a story summary or a story that catches your interest, you click on it, read the chapter and go, “wow! I really like this idea! I wonder what they’re going to do with it!” and click out of the story. And while that’s great that you read it and enjoyed it, and maybe you even hit the button to favorite the story so you can go back and check on it when it’s updated, there’s one problem -- the author doesn’t know how you feel, because you haven’t given them anything to go off of.

As someone who’s been writing fan fiction for a very (very, very, very, veerrrrryyy) long time, I know that a lot of inspiration to continue writing comes from the feedback that’s given to you by your readers. Knowing that someone is enjoying your story is seriously a wonderful motivator. The great thing about fan fiction is that we are given the fantastic opportunity to interact with our authors and readers in a way that no other platform gives to us. To not use that opportunity to fuel someone’s fire is a sad waste. Fan fiction is a platform that many people use to improve their writing abilities, and it can be very disheartening when you put your heart and soul into something, only to get nothing in return. It takes a lot of bravery to post something you’ve been working hard on in such a public way.

If ever you wonder if what you have to say about a story is inconsequential, I can assure you that it’s not. I understand that not everyone has the time to write a review that’s three paragraphs long, but I can promise you that even if you show the littlest bit of enthusiasm, even with something like “I really enjoyed when this character did this” “your writing style is something or another” “I really liked this plot line” or “great job! I’m excited to see where this goes!” it goes a long way.

Now, I know that while there’s no possible way to inspire everyone to review or send a message to someone on tumblr about their stories to tell them how much they like it, I know that we can do better than we have. All of us, because we’re all guilty of it. Even me. Sometimes, especially me. (It’s very disappointing, honestly. I‘m the queen of read-it-at-work-and-forget-to-review-because-I-suck.) But, in the coming days and weeks and months, I’d like to challenge everyone to try just a little harder to show their appreciation for their favorite author and stories and also authors and stories that we’re not acquainted with yet. Even if it’s just one or two lines in a review. Even if it’s just a message on tumblr.

5sosff is a very small site in the scheme of things, but it’s growing day by day and I know that I, personally, would never want someone new to come onto the site and feel like they’re not getting anywhere, so they leave. We should encourage one another in the same ways that we like other people to encourage us with our writing.

I have been talking to one of our admins, Becca, about this, and in the coming weeks and months, I’m going to be working as closely with the admins and mods of the site as I possibly can to come up with some sort of initiative for readers in way of encouraging all of us to continue reading and giving constructive, positive feedback on stories. Because I love this site, and I love the people. I love the authors and the readers and the people working hard behind the scenes to keep the site running. I love writing about these boys and I LOVE the vast amount of creativity that I’ve seen in so many different stories. Most of all, I LOVE READING THESE STORIES AND I LOVE WRITING THEM.

And this is where I’d like your help. Any suggestions you have in way of initiatives or competitions or whatever it is that you’d like to see, feel free to contact me either here on this thread, in a message on the boards or on tumblr if that makes you more comfortable (you can reach me at fivessas and I’m always, always there, let’s be honest).

Let’s pull together to make this site as welcoming and fun as we possibly can!

Thank you for your time, thank you for contributing to this site, and thank you for reading through this (more than slightly) long-winded post.

- Heather xx

[heather]

ALSO, I wanted to add that this is completely about you! This initiative isn't just about becoming a more active force on the site, but also about helping you guys if you need help in any way!

[marianalovesluke]

I completly agree. I'm not even talking about my stories because they kinda suck. I haven't been getting as much feedback as I used to and it makes me less motivated to write more. I'm thinking about canceling one of them for the lack of feedback.
If it is like this with my mediocre stories, I imagine what happens with those really awesome authors. Though, i see some AMAZING stoires with no reviews at all, or with one review per chapter!
Maybe using the best reviewer category in award thingys?

Mariana Xx

[heather]

Aug 2, 2015 18:55:55 GMT marianalovesluke said:

I completly agree. I'm not even talking about my stories because they kinda suck. I haven't been getting as much feedback as I used to and it makes me less motivated to write more. I'm thinking about canceling one of them for the lack of feedback.
If it is like this with my mediocre stories, I imagine what happens with those really awesome authors. Though, i see some AMAZING stoires with no reviews at all, or with one review per chapter!
Maybe using the best reviewer category in award thingys?

Mariana Xx

i think that acknowledging reviewers in the awards are always a good thing, but at the same time that only gives a few people a chance to really shine. I was thinking about maybe doing reader/reviewer centric awards. Would anyone be interested in that sort of thing?

Also, you have to remember that not everyone is going to like everything you write, as well as the fact that this site hasn't been nearly as active in the past few months. I know it can be very difficult to continue when something's not getting feedback. I've been there, and it's not a fun place. But also, we have to learn that a lack of feedback doesn't mean that it's not good and that the only reason we should put a stop to writing something is when it's no longer fun.

This goes for you and everyone: if there's something you would like me to read and give feedback on, feel free to pm me with the link and I'll give it a look, alright? Also if you feel you need some help or want some tips about writing! (Admittedly there are people who are much better to go to than myself, but I'm always willing to help however I can.) I don't have the most time on my hands, but I promise to try and get to everything that's sent to me!

[flummoxed]

heather this is a fantastic idea!! unfortunately i can't think of anything off the top of my head but if i do, i'll let you know!! i'll try my best to spread the word about this as well <333

[equilibrium]

i'm still soooo in love with this! i know my writing isn't the best haha and even though i haven't updated any of my fics since last year, i noticed straight away that not many people were reviewing anymore. i thought maybe people were at school/on holidays, but i reckon it boiled down to the fact that the site wasn't very active and if people did read in their free time, they didn't have any motivation to review. it would be awesome to get people back onto the site somehow because i've noticed a lot of 5sos fanfics are being posted on tumblr and wattpad these days!

about ideas, i've been writing a few things down (except i've lost the piece of paper haha) but i adore the idea of having awards entirely based on the reader/reviewer. it'll be good motivation and i really think it would draw people to not just review, but to read a lot more fics! i don't know if there's anything on here already, but maybe having a thread on here dedicated to reviewing would be awesome, too? like authors can post their fic in the thread, what it's about etc., and people who are wholeheartedly dedicated to reviewing can read it? it can be a good way to get a story promoted, too!

[marianalovesluke]

Aug 2, 2015 20:27:20 GMT heather said:

Aug 2, 2015 18:55:55 GMT marianalovesluke said:

I completly agree. I'm not even talking about my stories because they kinda suck. I haven't been getting as much feedback as I used to and it makes me less motivated to write more. I'm thinking about canceling one of them for the lack of feedback.
If it is like this with my mediocre stories, I imagine what happens with those really awesome authors. Though, i see some AMAZING stoires with no reviews at all, or with one review per chapter!
Maybe using the best reviewer category in award thingys?

Mariana Xx

i think that acknowledging reviewers in the awards are always a good thing, but at the same time that only gives a few people a chance to really shine. I was thinking about maybe doing reader/reviewer centric awards. Would anyone be interested in that sort of thing?

Also, you have to remember that not everyone is going to like everything you write, as well as the fact that this site hasn't been nearly as active in the past few months. I know it can be very difficult to continue when something's not getting feedback. I've been there, and it's not a fun place. But also, we have to learn that a lack of feedback doesn't mean that it's not good and that the only reason we should put a stop to writing something is when it's no longer fun.

This goes for you and everyone: if there's something you would like me to read and give feedback on, feel free to pm me with the link and I'll give it a look, alright? Also if you feel you need some help or want some tips about writing! (Admittedly there are people who are much better to go to than myself, but I'm always willing to help however I can.) I don't have the most time on my hands, but I promise to try and get to everything that's sent to me!

The idea of having those awards is really good! Unfortunatelly, for now, I don't have anything else to add to it. I'll try my hardest to find new ideas.

Though, I'd also like to say thank you for putting some reason in my stupid head. I was almost giving up on something that took me a long time and lots of work to build because there wasn't as much feedback. You basically saved me. And thanks for that amazing offer too. I think I won't bother you with that mediocre thing, though.

I had realised that this wasn't as active as it was before, but I had never thought that it would have na effect in reviews. It makes sense now. Thank you for, yet again, showing me the thruth about things (How the hell I'm I so oblivious?). However, I noticed that some of the authors don't reply to the reviews and that may discourage people from droping one. Personally I really like seeing what the author though of what i though of the story. I think that it is fun to do that, and I get that some reviews may not be replied to right away, but people should make an effort to respond to the ones that spent some more of their time writting something for them.

Anyways, as a personal solution to this, I'll start reviewing everything that i read, even if I only drop a few lines. If I don't, please PM me and call me a lazy ass (because that will probably be the reason as to why I haven't review).

Mariana Xx

[heather]

Aug 3, 2015 9:15:11 GMT marianalovesluke said:

Aug 2, 2015 20:27:20 GMT heather said:

i think that acknowledging reviewers in the awards are always a good thing, but at the same time that only gives a few people a chance to really shine. I was thinking about maybe doing reader/reviewer centric awards. Would anyone be interested in that sort of thing?

Also, you have to remember that not everyone is going to like everything you write, as well as the fact that this site hasn't been nearly as active in the past few months. I know it can be very difficult to continue when something's not getting feedback. I've been there, and it's not a fun place. But also, we have to learn that a lack of feedback doesn't mean that it's not good and that the only reason we should put a stop to writing something is when it's no longer fun.

This goes for you and everyone: if there's something you would like me to read and give feedback on, feel free to pm me with the link and I'll give it a look, alright? Also if you feel you need some help or want some tips about writing! (Admittedly there are people who are much better to go to than myself, but I'm always willing to help however I can.) I don't have the most time on my hands, but I promise to try and get to everything that's sent to me!

The idea of having those awards is really good! Unfortunatelly, for now, I don't have anything else to add to it. I'll try my hardest to find new ideas.

Though, I'd also like to say thank you for putting some reason in my stupid head. I was almost giving up on something that took me a long time and lots of work to build because there wasn't as much feedback. You basically saved me. And thanks for that amazing offer too. I think I won't bother you with that mediocre thing, though.

I had realised that this wasn't as active as it was before, but I had never thought that it would have na effect in reviews. It makes sense now. Thank you for, yet again, showing me the thruth about things (How the hell I'm I so oblivious?). However, I noticed that some of the authors don't reply to the reviews and that may discourage people from droping one. Personally I really like seeing what the author though of what i though of the story. I think that it is fun to do that, and I get that some reviews may not be replied to right away, but people should make an effort to respond to the ones that spent some more of their time writting something for them.

Anyways, as a personal solution to this, I'll start reviewing everything that i read, even if I only drop a few lines. If I don't, please PM me and call me a lazy ass (because that will probably be the reason as to why I haven't review).

Mariana Xx

I always like it when the author responds as well, and I try to reply to all of my reviews in a timely manner because of that reason. But that shouldn't be a reason to not review, because the authors sometimes just have enough time to post an update before they're gone again, busy. And I get that. Besides, they give enough by giving their time to write something when they don't have to. However, I do agree that that's a great feature about the site that should be utilized by everyone.

Thanks dear! (I definitely won't be calling you a lazy ass.)

[thecolouroftheoceanafterastorm]

hello!!

ive only been on this website since november of last year, so i still technically class my self as a newbie (even though i have 14 pieces on my page AKA i have too much time on my hands) and im still learning new things every day! (lord knows i only discovered the probards like last month?!) but yet i can still agree there has definitely been a decline on activity on the website.

i have a story that i normally update twice a week, and on every chapter i have a minimum of 130 reads, but yet on most of them i have about 2-3 reviews. now dont get me wrong i love those few reviews i get, they mean the world to me, but then i always wonder why those other 128 people dont leave a review? i wonder if its because my story doesnt excite them enough to review, but then why do they always come back and read my next update, and i know they do because as soon as my read hits that number, it stays there. so what exactly is the criteria to get someone to review??

i always leave some questions in my summary, but even then only one person (shout out to marianalovesluke for being a total babe) normally ever responds to those questions, and the others just leave their general opinion, but again dont get me wrong, i still love to hear that from people.

ive recently made an extra effort to make sure im reviewing every story i read, knowing that as an author myself i love to hear what people think and i want to be able to put a smile on peoples faces that i know i get too when i see a review on my own work.

im pretty sure i read somewhere that people are using tumblr and wattpad more than 5sosff to upload stories, and this confuses me greatly. on those websites you really have to go searching, like really searching, to find something worthwhile to read by someone whos commited to updating, when really it just tends to be a tumblr that you sometimes, rarely see commited to writing. although a lot of people have tumblr, i know this from being on there myself and looking for something to read, but recently i havent spent anytime on there at all, because i know worthwhile things to read are on the 5sosff site! so maybe its a case of people not knowing about this site (i know of a few other '5sosfanfictions.coms' but there are in no way as good quality as this site) after all i only found it by chance. so what if some people spent some time on tumblr, creating one specifically devoted to getting the word out there?? (i know id be more than willing to help) and simply uploading links to stories that are being posted on the site, getting the word out there that this website has so many stories out there for people to read. i think its a case of needing to inform people of what weve got, which is hella amazing, theres some authors out there that by now should have been offered a book deal because they are like dayyyum good. 

i know of one tumblr that existed (that was for 1d though) that accepted oneshots that people submitted, and every weekend they would post them all, it was a collective place on tumblr that every one direction fan knew of and would visit every friday, saturday and sunday to read something! they had something of about 80,000+ followers, and they had to shut it down simply to not being able to maintain it well enough for them to feel it was a comfortable place for fans to go and enjoy looking at. imagine having that kind of audience visiting the site on the weekend because they were guaranteed to read something worthwhile? for this site it would be truly amazing to get that kind of reception! they also had theme days every 3 months, they would set a date for as many people as possible to upload a say niall oneshot within a set 24 hours, then it moved on to harry, and then the others as such. if we could all work up to having a special set couple of days, would it maybe interest people in making sure they came on the site to find all the new stories, and then maybe this would increase the number of regular visitors there are. i am yet to find a tumblr like the 1d one that had so much traffic, what if we could become the 5sos version of that??

in an another idea (sorry im sure im boring you all) we all know the official updates and would you read this thread exists, but what if we made some kind of thread that we used to share stories, that arent ours but we love? what if we got a small group of people that shared on a weekly basis a story that isnt theirs to others? i have a friend who texts me on the daily saying 'OH MY GOD YOU HAVE TO READ THIS STORY ITS SOOOO GOOOOD!!!' followed by a link, and that for me is great? im as lazy as the next person, i am guilty of only ever sticking to stories that ive already started, but hearing someone else ranting and raving about a story they have read and want to share instantly intrigues me! its almost like a book club, everyone reads the story and then shares their views? almost like the featured story aspect, but more regularly sharing stories that deserve the recognition. its also great feedback to the writer!

i think awards would be awesome, recognition for giving a response and their view of a story is something that should be praised just as much as a great story!

i hope my drone didnt bore you all and hopefully helped in someway, my messages are always open if anyone wanted to talk to me about anything ive mentioned here!

i really hope we can give this website the recognition it deserves :-)

love, gem xx

[equilibrium]

Aug 3, 2015 23:56:53 GMT thecolouroftheoceanafterastorm said:

hello!!

ive only been on this website since november of last year, so i still technically class my self as a newbie (even though i have 14 pieces on my page AKA i have too much time on my hands) and im still learning new things every day! (lord knows i only discovered the probards like last month?!) but yet i can still agree there has definitely been a decline on activity on the website.

i have a story that i normally update twice a week, and on every chapter i have a minimum of 130 reads, but yet on most of them i have about 2-3 reviews. now dont get me wrong i love those few reviews i get, they mean the world to me, but then i always wonder why those other 128 people dont leave a review? i wonder if its because my story doesnt excite them enough to review, but then why do they always come back and read my next update, and i know they do because as soon as my read hits that number, it stays there. so what exactly is the criteria to get someone to review??

i always leave some questions in my summary, but even then only one person (shout out to marianalovesluke for being a total babe) normally ever responds to those questions, and the others just leave their general opinion, but again dont get me wrong, i still love to hear that from people.

ive recently made an extra effort to make sure im reviewing every story i read, knowing that as an author myself i love to hear what people think and i want to be able to put a smile on peoples faces that i know i get too when i see a review on my own work.

im pretty sure i read somewhere that people are using tumblr and wattpad more than 5sosff to upload stories, and this confuses me greatly. on those websites you really have to go searching, like really searching, to find something worthwhile to read by someone whos commited to updating, when really it just tends to be a tumblr that you sometimes, rarely see commited to writing. although a lot of people have tumblr, i know this from being on there myself and looking for something to read, but recently i havent spent anytime on there at all, because i know worthwhile things to read are on the 5sosff site! so maybe its a case of people not knowing about this site (i know of a few other '5sosfanfictions.coms' but there are in no way as good quality as this site) after all i only found it by chance. so what if some people spent some time on tumblr, creating one specifically devoted to getting the word out there?? (i know id be more than willing to help) and simply uploading links to stories that are being posted on the site, getting the word out there that this website has so many stories out there for people to read. i think its a case of needing to inform people of what weve got, which is hella amazing, theres some authors out there that by now should have been offered a book deal because they are like dayyyum good. 

i know of one tumblr that existed (that was for 1d though) that accepted oneshots that people submitted, and every weekend they would post them all, it was a collective place on tumblr that every one direction fan knew of and would visit every friday, saturday and sunday to read something! they had something of about 80,000+ followers, and they had to shut it down simply to not being able to maintain it well enough for them to feel it was a comfortable place for fans to go and enjoy looking at. imagine having that kind of audience visiting the site on the weekend because they were guaranteed to read something worthwhile? for this site it would be truly amazing to get that kind of reception! they also had theme days every 3 months, they would set a date for as many people as possible to upload a say niall oneshot within a set 24 hours, then it moved on to harry, and then the others as such. if we could all work up to having a special set couple of days, would it maybe interest people in making sure they came on the site to find all the new stories, and then maybe this would increase the number of regular visitors there are. i am yet to find a tumblr like the 1d one that had so much traffic, what if we could become the 5sos version of that??

in an another idea (sorry im sure im boring you all) we all know the official updates and would you read this thread exists, but what if we made some kind of thread that we used to share stories, that arent ours but we love? what if we got a small group of people that shared on a weekly basis a story that isnt theirs to others? i have a friend who texts me on the daily saying 'OH MY GOD YOU HAVE TO READ THIS STORY ITS SOOOO GOOOOD!!!' followed by a link, and that for me is great? im as lazy as the next person, i am guilty of only ever sticking to stories that ive already started, but hearing someone else ranting and raving about a story they have read and want to share instantly intrigues me! its almost like a book club, everyone reads the story and then shares their views? almost like the featured story aspect, but more regularly sharing stories that deserve the recognition. its also great feedback to the writer!

i think awards would be awesome, recognition for giving a response and their view of a story is something that should be praised just as much as a great story!

i hope my drone didnt bore you all and hopefully helped in someway, my messages are always open if anyone wanted to talk to me about anything ive mentioned here!

i really hope we can give this website the recognition it deserves :-)

love, gem xx

i sooooo didn't get bored reading haha but yes yes yes! i absolutely ADORE all of those ideas.. i'm so surprised that a tumblr blog could have so many followers just for that purpose and i'd love to see something like that happen for 5sos! it would be soooo so so so amazing if this site could be as active as 1dff (✿◠‿◠) i'd love to help out with that!

that could've been me about the tumblr/wattpad thing because i said that above haha (✿◠‿◠) i only came across it about a month ago ((by accident)) because i had searched the '5sos fanfic' tag on tumblr and tbh i didn't think anything would show up because tumblr tags can be really weird haha but so many fics/authors popped up and since then i've noticed it's incredibly active compared to the '5sosff' tag' ((which i guess shows that not many people are on here anymore which makes me so sad))! since i started tracking the '5sos fanfic' tag, i wake up with 10+ posts and i'm still quite surprised??? i ended up following a few tumblr blogs that posted full fics/drabbles/oneshots/blurbs etc. and i noticed they followed people who had their own fic blogs etc so it was like a domino effect really?? so yeah i reckon people don't know about the site?? i agree with you about wattpad, too. it's incredibly confusing to work and i wouldn't even know where to start when it comes to searching for a decent fic

[thecolouroftheoceanafterastorm]

Aug 4, 2015 11:17:31 GMT equilibrium said:

i sooooo didn't get bored reading haha but yes yes yes! i absolutely ADORE all of those ideas.. i'm so surprised that a tumblr blog could have so many followers just for that purpose and i'd love to see something like that happen for 5sos! it would be soooo so so so amazing if this site could be as active as 1dff (✿◠‿◠) i'd love to help out with that!

that could've been me about the tumblr/wattpad thing because i said that above haha (✿◠‿◠) i only came across it about a month ago ((by accident)) because i had searched the '5sos fanfic' tag on tumblr and tbh i didn't think anything would show up because tumblr tags can be really weird haha but so many fics/authors popped up and since then i've noticed it's incredibly active compared to the '5sosff' tag' ((which i guess shows that not many people are on here anymore which makes me so sad))! since i started tracking the '5sos fanfic' tag, i wake up with 10+ posts and i'm still quite surprised??? i ended up following a few tumblr blogs that posted full fics/drabbles/oneshots/blurbs etc. and i noticed they followed people who had their own fic blogs etc so it was like a domino effect really?? so yeah i reckon people don't know about the site?? i agree with you about wattpad, too. it's incredibly confusing to work and i wouldn't even know where to start when it comes to searching for a decent fic

it was honestly such a well run tumblr which had 4 co-owners! due to such over whelming demand for it they had to say that stories are posted only on friday, saturday and sunday evenings so people knew when to expect them, and it was run in such a way that made it so successful! it got peoples work out there, and what author doesnt want that? 

ive always been aware of fanfics on tumblr and wattpad, and ive read many of them and as harsh as this probably sounds, theres really no comparison when it comes to quality, 5sosff is literally top dog. but then there are a few authors on tumblr and wattpad that are truly amazing, and i tend to find that their work is lost in things that arent as good, and i know for sure that, that wouldnt happen on 5sosff! so i really think its a case of getting the word out there, and encouraging people to post their work on here as well as other platforms, and then making sure people stay around and remain as active as possible!! :-)

[Emma]

I agree with everything in here so much. It frustrates me now seeing everyone beginning to leave the site when it just started to become something very great. Why people have begun posting things on Wattpad and Tumblr greatly confuses me. On Wattpad and Tumblr, it's extremely challenging to get reads, votes/notes as to this site that is dedicated solely to 5sos fanfiction and filled with readers who come to the site to read 5sos fanfiction. Yes Wattpad and Tumblr are full of talented writers that can get around a thousand notes/reads on a story, but that is not easy to accomplish without a decent follower amount.

On the site, I always felt so blessed seeing everyone growing. New friendships were growing and more and more people were being noticed for their amazing writing. But lately it just seems so dull on the site that it frustrates me. With nobody reviewing, just reading and favoriting and sometimes only rating, I only grow frustrated as a writer. I don't know if people like the story anymore. I don't know if people want to see something happen. I don't know if something was triggering for someone and I should put warnings on the chapter notes. I don't know if people like the direction of the story. I don't know if I made a factual mistake I didn't catch or didn't look into enough. I had friendships form over reviews and want to build relationships with people who aren't leaving reviews.

I've been sitting here for a while thinking about the idea. Well, also kinda half crying because I got home from a visitation of my friend's brother. I know I always try to encourage reviews in my author notes. I always say 'Any thoughts or comments? Review?' meaning if they have any thoughts or comments about what happened I want them to leave me a review. I don't say the thing of '____ Reviews for next chapter' because I find that rude and sort of bullying because you are forcing people to do something they may not have the time to do for the next chapter. I actually refuse to read those types of stories until they are completely finished because I don't want to sit for a couple months waiting for ten reviews on the last chapter because the author only got one when they posted it. But I think at first admins, authors, mods etc should be encouraging readers to review. Not like 'review or blah blah blah' type thing. Just highly encouraging it makes the authors know how the readers feel and what direction the author should take. If that doesn't improve it, we could maybe try advertising the site even more. Maybe making the site more known on Tumblr and possibly trying to get the awards tumblrs for the site (Underground 5sos, CALM, Serious, Out of the Box) willing to help. What I mean by asking those award groups and the site to start doing things to promote stories more on the site. Most of the awards have fics of the month author spotlight etc but don't do it because they are either too busy, forget or don't think anyone reads them. I think that could draw more attention to the site, saying 'Hey we have good fics over here. You should totally join because all the fics on this site are really awesome and completely free to read whenever you'd like'. I think by doing that, authors could get more feedback on stories and their writing and we could maybe promote the site a little bit more.

Did any of that make sense? I'm sorry, I'm all over the place with my emotions right now and that probably made no sense.

Emma

[mikayla]

I think this is such a great concept! (:

Despite being a part of this site since literally it's conception, I myself haven't been too active over the years. I'd love to find ways to bring the community closer together and liven up both the 5sosff site and these message boards!

[Eva]

I honestly couldn't have said what you all have been saying any better. YES YES YES! I think that people sometimes think that their reviews really don't mean that much but trust us they totally do! Whenever I get a review, it truly does make my day and I get that even for myself I'll read a story and be like wow this is great and not leave a review (guilty as charged) but oftentimes I do try to leave one just because I hope that maybe they'll reciprocate the favor but mostly just because I know how much it will mean! What if authors could decide like top reviewers could help them with a chapter, or you could write them into the story somehow or idk just something to motivate people to review! I've been lucky enough to have amazing reviewers on a lot of my story but when I first started out I definitely felt a little discouraged and like people have said - 120 people read a chapter and 117 choose not to say anything? Sadness I tell you! Shoutout to hufflspuff for creating this awesome thread because lets get reviews back up for stories that people work super hard on!!

Sorry for my rant!

Eva

[heather]

Aug 6, 2015 1:44:39 GMT Eva said:

I honestly couldn't have said what you all have been saying any better. YES YES YES! I think that people sometimes think that their reviews really don't mean that much but trust us they totally do! Whenever I get a review, it truly does make my day and I get that even for myself I'll read a story and be like wow this is great and not leave a review (guilty as charged) but oftentimes I do try to leave one just because I hope that maybe they'll reciprocate the favor but mostly just because I know how much it will mean! What if authors could decide like top reviewers could help them with a chapter, or you could write them into the story somehow or idk just something to motivate people to review! I've been lucky enough to have amazing reviewers on a lot of my story but when I first started out I definitely felt a little discouraged and like people have said - 120 people read a chapter and 117 choose not to say anything? Sadness I tell you! Shoutout to hufflspuff for creating this awesome thread because lets get reviews back up for stories that people work super hard on!!

Sorry for my rant!

Eva

eva remember when you joined the site and asked me for advice and such? omg that was so long ago and i don't understand to this day why you asked me of all people but OMG idk where I was going with this but whatever ily and to everyone who's said something here, you all have really great ideas and I'm so glad you have shared your ideas and experiences with me/us, keep them coming! I'm loving this, thank you so much! xx