How do you decide if your story is a success or a failure?

TLCsDestiny

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I grant you there be at least one that will think of it a failure but then there'll be at least one that will think of it as a success...
 

NotaNuffian

This does spark joy.
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Viewcount? Reviews? Patreon money? Actually getting published?
Just my pathetic ego talking, whether you had fun in the creation process. Haters gonna hate, but only you yourself can genuinely think it is trash.

Then there are the issues of grammar, plot, character development, etc.

You are birthing and educating a child, just sure they grow up straight.
 

Razmatazz

Dungeon Cultist
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Do/Did you enjoy writing it? Success
Do/Did you not? Failure*

Obviously this isn't speaking in financial terms, but if you chase after those sweet dollar bills and clicks from the start you're gonna lose sight of the goal. Writing is a long game you need to stick with unless you're insanely lucky or talented. Even if you write a 90k book that literally 0 people read, you still gained the experience of writing it which is invaluable when you start your next one. You trained your brain, hardened your resolve to work every day, added another number to your portfolio.

*If you didn't enjoy writing your story, why? What was wrong? Did you not tell it the way you wanted? Were you missing the words or the ideas? Those are things you can train and work on by writing more so even a 'failure' is still worth gold in my eyes. There is a lesson here.

A thousand strikes of a hammer to forge the blade, etc =)
 

BenJepheneT

Light Up Gold - Parquet Courts
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Let's see here...

Imagine twenty years down the line. You're finally a successful author. Your name is commonly known among writer circles and many a fanfic on AO3 now has your titles as a tag.

You look back to your older works. You finally come across that first cringey ass harem ecchi fantasy you wrote during your novice time online.

If you can look at it with a smile, that's successful enough to me.
 

Cossimeri

Purveyor of Yuri Adventures
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When I started writing my story I thought "50 readers and a handful of regular commenters" would be the benchmark for a blowout success. By that benchmark I think my story as been a galactic blowout. I have no idea where I'll set the bar for my next one.
 

Freesia.Cutepearl

Nonsensically Weird while Weirdly Nonsensical
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If someone enjoys my effort, and/or I can improve in some way while creating it.
 

Discount_Blade

Sent Here To Piss You All Off
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Let's see here...

Imagine twenty years down the line. You're finally a successful author. Your name is commonly known among writer circles and many a fanfic on AO3 now has your titles as a tag.

You look back to your older works. You finally come across that first cringey ass harem ecchi fantasy you wrote during your novice time online.

If you can look at it with a smile, that's successful enough to me.
Yeah I can see this. That's if you look back though.
 

K5Rakitan

Level 34 👪 💍 Pronouns: she/whore ♀
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It it makes one person's life better, that's all that matters.

1.jpg
 

tiaf

ゞ(シㅇ3ㅇ)っ•♥•Speak fishy, read BL.•♥•
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Success=when I enjoy reading my story even if it’s lacking in some parts

Failure=cringing at what I wrote so much that I want to deny it’s existence
 

Temple

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I'll count a story successful if I am actually able to finish it. That's the biggest challenge I think.
 

KiraMinoru

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YLYS: You laugh you succeed. In my book, as long as you’re laughing your ass off by the end of it, your story’s a success. Even if it’s a sad ending, as long as you find yourself pacing back and forth by yourself in your room like a madman while giggling over it in excitement with your fingers wriggling about in the the air creepily, you’ve found great success.
 

ForestDweller

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After much retrospection, for me, it's the views, ratings, and amount of comments. I expect the same amount of views per word with other novels and the ratings have to be above average as well. And I have deleted a story before due to low amounts of comments.

So, for my current story, I still can't say it's a success, unfortunately.
 

TachimeSan

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As long as you enjoy writing it and people enjoy reading it, regardless of views or ratings, I believe that it's a success
 

placeintime

Yeeting myself out
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What I count as a success story is if there's actually anybody that likes my novels. It doesn't matter if there are many, or heck if there is only just one, just having somebody like reading my novel is enough for me to call it a success. ^w^
 
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