How do you comment on chapters without sounding like an idiot or writing something almost meaningless?

[KoyukiMegumi]

Pst, you can also suggest things for the story! A reader once said to me. *Change this to this, it will be better!* And guess what I agreed! You can say anything you want in a chapter. I, as the author of my stories, welcome everything.

Oh, and I love it when they ask questions! Or try to point out things that they think are inconsistencies! It gives me the chance to explain or be like, Oh no, he/she is right! *Goes to fix it.*

Any comment is a blessing <3 Imo. Even the ones filled with hate. But mostly are with love. Are the ones with hate also with love? Hm... Probably!

 

[SailusGebel]

I suppose I misread your intentions. Thing is, readers don't usually go read a story to provide feedback, usually they keep it to themselves. It's best to put an author's note every now and then(not every chapter) asking your audience if they like how the story is going(if you are doing this already, forget I told you). Anyways, I suppose everyone has their different opinions on the "thanks" comments. If that is all I get I would think that its my failure to interact with the audience, not with my writing.

I use notes regularly. Usually, it's to inform readers, but sometimes I do ask them for their opinions. The feedback is still lackluster. I even made a whole technical chapter. I asked them if they still like the story or should I axe it and get a forced ending. It helped for two weeks before the number of comments dropped back to the usual amount.

And you misread my intentions yet again. It's not about feedback. It's about invoking a feeling in a reader when he\she can't be silent anymore. Invoking a reaction, a strong desire to discuss what he\she just read. Like after you read a plot twist and you are saying something like: "WHOA, I never thought of this, now it explains a lot. I wonder what will happen next?" Or, for example: "Called it! I knew it from the beginning that this character was fishy." Then other readers would try to add their thoughts and make a discussion out of it. Instead of getting all of this, you only hear: "Thank you for the chapter." Welp, how come I think that I was bad at interacting? I was bad at writing because I failed to invoke those feelings.

 

[Anon_Y_Mousse]

I use notes regularly. Usually, it's to inform readers, but sometimes I do ask them for their opinions. The feedback is still lackluster. I even made a whole technical chapter. I asked them if they still like the story or should I axe it and get a forced ending. It helped for two weeks before the number of comments dropped back to the usual amount.

And you misread my intentions yet again. It's not about feedback. It's about invoking a feeling in a reader when he\she can't be silent anymore. Invoking a reaction, a strong desire to discuss what he\she just read. Like after you read a plot twist and you are saying something like: "WHOA, I never thought of this, now it explains a lot. I wonder what will happen next?" Or, for example: "Called it! I knew it from the beginning that this character was fishy." Then other readers would try to add their thoughts and make a discussion out of it. Instead of getting all of this, you only hear: "Thank you for the chapter." Welp, how come I think that I was bad at interacting? I was bad at writing because I failed to invoke those feelings.

Why do people always respond while I'm editing the parts where I say something wrong... Please read it again, I edited something. Well, I haven't read your story, so if that's what you think, then I'll take your word for it.

 

[SailusGebel]

Why do people always respond while I'm editing the parts where I say something wrong... Please read it again, I edited something. Well, I haven't read your story, so if that's what you think, then I'll take your word for it.

I reread it, and I can't say I agree with you, but I won't argue. As you said, everyone has their own opinions.

 

[Sabruness]

some of the novels i read, half the comments on a chapter can occasionally be blobs because sometimes it's easier to express through blobs than words. Other times, it's squee'ing and fluff about the chapters or something that happened or was said in the chapter.
you dont need to feel like you have to be very deep and meaningful when commenting.

 

[greyblob]

I never said that they are doing this for some bad reasons, though? It doesn't matter if they feel obliged, or if it's because of their good feelings or because they genuinely want to thank me. If my story ain't enough for people to start discussing the story, it means I did a bad job. That's my point. If they want to thank me instead of discussing the story it's bad. Also, you can comment on the chapter AND write a thank you in a single sentence. So being grateful doesn't stop you from discussing the story.

I know the quality of my story. I usually have a feeling whether the things I wrote are bad or good. And when I write a plot twist or spend a long time doing a 4k+ word r-18 or fighting chapter and everything I hear in return is thank you, well, that just means I did a bad job. Instead of evoking discussion with my trump card, I hear: "Thanks!" I already got proud once, feeling my writing is good cause no one was saying otherwise. I won't repeat this mistake.

This is fascinating because I have a polar opposite mindset. If people are asking questions about a topic or a character that I feel was sufficiently discussed, I consider it a failure.
If you're only getting thank yous, it usually means your story is coherent and properly articulated. Either way, people went out of their way to show their appreciate, which in all cases, is a good thing.

 

[KiraMinoru]

View attachment 9517

All comments were born equally. Every comment has its own rights. Let us form the comment liberation army! Let our voices be heard, blob brethren. Jk, please don’t.

 

[SailusGebel]

This is fascinating because I have a polar opposite mindset. If people are asking questions about a topic or a character that I feel was sufficiently discussed, I consider it a failure.
If you're only getting thank yous, it usually means your story is coherent and properly articulated. Either way, people went out of their way to show their appreciate, which in all cases, is a good thing.

I think the same. That's why I don't like questions either. Cause most questions mean that I failed to explain things properly.

As for my story being good if I only get thank yous, I will say the following. I mostly had positive feedback as I wrote. I never had any harsh criticism, nor did I really get any valuable criticism. There were at most opinionated views of a few readers about the plot. But when I decided to re-edit my old chapters, I was shocked. It was such gibberish that I wrote, yet not a single reader said it to me. I always knew that my writing was bad. Yet after hearing constant thank yous, I let my guard down. I won't do it again.

 

[SakeVision]

just share your honest thoughts, even if its something like "Holy shit that cat girl is cute 10/10 wud adopt and pat on da head"

 

[Maromar]

I'm intreasted in three things really: what you felt, what you enjoyed, and what made you consider dropping my work in disgust.

It's very helpful to know your impression of any charecter, scene, or event, even down to little stuff like the way someone's clothes are described.

Don't worry about your comments sounding stupid or meaningless. Our stories are stupid and meaningless. Objectively so. But we love our little delusions.

Authors have their own image of their worlds that they try to beam to you through text. When you acknowledge that the charecters live and love and cry- heck, when you acknowledge that the charecters or their stories exist, you make the image real. Somewhere.

 

[Aureoled]

(Insert meaningful comment)

 

[RaizarP]

Well, my readers had role-played as Jojo and Dio in the comment.
And I joined!

I think there is nothing wrong with any comments, even if it's just an emoji or thanks.
Most of the readers that commented on my novel sometimes just give 1 emoji and I replied with emoji too.

Just wait until you had a rare arc on your novel, your readers will definitely change their comment like my novel entered a new rare scene and they commented differently than usual.

Getting a comment although it's just a random one already made me happy. Now there is an average of 30-50 comments every times I posted a new chapter.

 

[MarkofWisdom]

Personally, I think the first/TYFC comments can possibly be lazy, and if I comment I try to make it more than just “thanks for chapter”, even if it amounts to the same feeling. “Thanks for the chapter, I really enjoyed A’s attempt to cheer up B who was having a bad day.” That being said, those thanks comments or emoji comments aren’t always indicating laziness or lack of attention, and commenting at all, even just TYFC, indicates a higher level of audience participation than just reading the chapter and moving on

 

[Szaku]

What do you mean, an idiot?
Do you realize the level of dopamine you give me for every single comment?!

no. honestly, i didn't. ive felt like the OP for a long time. also there's that nagging feeling after a while that ppl are just buttkissing and id like to not take part of it. i get it, i realize its more for the writer than myself but after seeing several "tHiS iS tHe GrEaTeSt StOrY eVeR tOlD!!&*^%"'s in the comment section, my little "thanks for the chapter~" seems worthless and id rather keep it to myself.

the other half of that is when i do leave a thoughtful comment about the story or speculation on the plot or even a reply to somebody else's theorycrafting, when it gets taken as a personal assault (as it sometimes does) like, im not a writer (anymore) and i have no ability whatsoever to phrase things in a way that's harmless to children and puppies, so i just speak my mind. but boy, does that land me in awkward situations. i figure i just as well not say anything at all, most of the times.

 

[zelotwo02]

comments are comments, good or bad I'm happy that my piece was significant enough for people to leave their opinions, Everytime I see comments on my story I feel motivated to write more!!

Edit: Huge and successful authors might feel nothing from it, but for me it's meaningful

 

[JayDirex]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Mysticant]

All comments are good comments. There is probably no such thing as a bad comment without the intention to troll. Like if there is a sensitive question, then I believe it is on the onus of the author to think whether to spoil or just say to wait and find out. If there is a stupid question, half the time it is because the story was either not written clearly or written as intended mysteriously.

 

[verielle.crest]

Well, as new author I'd be happy to receive any comment. I don't find anything wrong with a "Thank you for the chapter" because it meant someone was bothered enough by my story to leave feedback. It might not be a "meaningful" one to some, but it should still indicate they liked what they saw.

Onto the reader side--as I still definitely read a lot more than write. I believe you just need to be yourself and comment on what was meaningful to you. The only comments I'd consider useless are the "exp", "first", "second", etc. ones; those are probably more common on sites like webnovel where they give you some rewards for daily comments. I find those irritating even as a reader.
Others already gave very good tips, so there's that. Another thing I find important when giving feedback is the author of the book themselves you are commenting on as they have different preferences. But to build that rapport you need to take the plunge with that first comment (or several if needed.)

 

[RayneStorm]

What do you mean, an idiot?
Do you realize the level of dopamine you give me for every single comment?!

This. 100% this. I rarely, rarely get comments so when I get one saying I misplaced a comment, it's just depressing since I want to talk about my story (I spent countless hours on this thing. so sue me if I want to talk about it). I love questions about the story or characters, theories about what's going to happen next, people venting about how much they despise my villain or that random asshole character, pretty much anything that shows you read the story is appreciated. Even if it's just to say that you loved the chapter and can't wait to read more. If you really want to stand out as a commenter, pick one part of the chapter that stood out to you and write about that. Like maybe a character said a line and you thought it was really funny, or that one thing the villain did that seemed creepy

I think the same. That's why I don't like questions either. Cause most questions mean that I failed to explain things properly.

As for my story being good if I only get thank yous, I will say the following. I mostly had positive feedback as I wrote. I never had any harsh criticism, nor did I really get any valuable criticism. There were at most opinionated views of a few readers about the plot. But when I decided to re-edit my old chapters, I was shocked. It was such gibberish that I wrote, yet not a single reader said it to me. I always knew that my writing was bad. Yet after hearing constant thank yous, I let my guard down. I won't do it again.

I've had the opposite experience. Got a one star vote when just the first three chapters were out. So far, I haven't gotten much feedback and of what I got, only the review on Royal Road was positive. Even my friend sent me a message yesterday saying she thought it was boring (which I don't get with how much mystery and action is involved). If I wasn't so stubborn, if I wasn't so invested, if I didn't love my story as much as I do, I probably would have stopped writing it by now. Only positive reviews may have hid your flaws from you but they kept you writing and by writing more you've improved. Only negative reviews don't do anything good.

As for the questions, I like some questions and not others. A lot of the time I get questions that I can only answer with 'it's a mystery, you'll find out later' and those are kinda annoying but I do like that they're invested. My favorite questions are the one about the characters, what they like and don't like, backstory, etc. and if anyone asks me about world lore that probably won't make it into the story... I might die of happiness and then talk them to death

 

[RyreGruel]

Thank you all for responding :)

I’ll try my best to start commenting from now on more or less based on how you suggested, I just need to ignore the nagging in my mind that I’ll look like an idiot every other word.