NEW WRITERS, A Question

[mistaken]

First of all thank you for joining the TEW Community!

 

now for that question. What Can we do to help bring you in and make you feel welcome here?

 

The Rookie Award will return in March, and is only eligable to those who have never won a DOTY award or have Hall of Fame Status. (it will become rookie writer to go with rookie diary kind of)

 

But is there Anything else we can do to make you feel like part of the community?

 

Hope to hear from you many of you. And come back with something that makes you feel included!

[MattitudeV2]

Not to be rude, but do not outcast others for not having the game as I for one have been hounded by this and understand it's the reason your all doing this TEW thing but what about being creative which is what I'm trying to do.

[mistaken]

Not to be rude, but do not outcast others for not having the game as I for one have been hounded by this and understand it's the reason your all doing this TEW thing but what about being creative which is what I'm trying to do.

 

fair point. not a debate I will get into with you. but fair enough point.

 

my drive here is we have ton's of new writers due to TEW 2010, and very few of them spoke up during the nom process. And I want them to feel like they have every right to participate.

[Dragonmack]

My biggest advice for new writers is don't get discouraged by a lack of response or lower # of views on your diaries. Except in rare and exceptional cases, it takes time to build a reputation for quality and to draw in a dedicated group of readers.

 

So just stick with it, show you are in for the long haul and you will start seeing people begin to check out your work. Also, as you get comfortable doing a diary, you will improve in both presentation and content. ( My diaries now are a far cry from when I first started, beleive me! ).

 

Also , dont be afraid to pm a writer whose work you are interested in or post a question in their diary. By and large the people in this community are very supportive and it is by looking at the works of others, seeing how they presented content or what formats they used that I was able to develop and evolve my own diaries and style over time.

 

TL: DR Stick with a diary, look at others to get ideas on content and format, and don't be afraid to ask questions of other writers.

[BYU 14]

I would echo much of what DM said (Although I am new writer too)

 

Definitely ask questions and don't be afraid to "borrow" things you like (formatting, perspective, etc) from others. I think most people are flattered by that.

 

Most of all, do it for yourself. Find a promotion or style you can immerse yourself in and just go, eventually people will start to follow when they see you are committed.

[Guest cmdrsam]

O boy. I am gonna open a can of worms here. But it has been bothering me for years. Yes I am one of those writers who starts something and gets frustrated. My last one for TEW 08 was SWF 1975. Had 6 pages which was my longest running diary.

 

And I am not saying I am a great writer by any means. There are far better ones on this board. But I gave it everything I had. And to toot my own horn, felt it was my best one ever done. But I got very few responses. Even when I begged for responses I got a couple.

 

I have spent years on this board. And I dont ever think I have had a cross word with anybody here. If I am mistaken then I apoligize. But to just get nominated one time would have been a thrill. Never wanted to win. But just to get nominated one time. I thrive for feedback. And I try to let every diary I read to let them know it. If there is one I dont like I bash the writer. I simply stop reading it. If I dissagree with something I do it in a respectfull way.

 

Sorry for the rant. It has bothered me for years. And I just had to get it off my chest. I guess feedback for any new writer out there is critical. Atleast it was for me. Again guys I mean no disrespect. Just a thought.

[Terminator980]

O boy. I am gonna open a can of worms here. But it has been bothering me for years. Yes I am one of those writers who starts something and gets frustrated. My last one for TEW 08 was SWF 1975. Had 6 pages which was my longest running diary.

 

And I am not saying I am a great writer by any means. There are far better ones on this board. But I gave it everything I had. And to toot my own horn, felt it was my best one ever done. But I got very few responses. Even when I begged for responses I got a couple.

 

I have spent years on this board. And I dont ever think I have had a cross word with anybody here. If I am mistaken then I apoligize. But to just get nominated one time would have been a thrill. Never wanted to win. But just to get nominated one time. I thrive for feedback. And I try to let every diary I read to let them know it. If there is one I dont like I bash the writer. I simply stop reading it. If I dissagree with something I do it in a respectfull way.

 

Sorry for the rant. It has bothered me for years. And I just had to get it off my chest. I guess feedback for any new writer out there is critical. Atleast it was for me. Again guys I mean no disrespect. Just a thought.

 

That's pretty much how I felt when starting my BSC dynasty. It was fun but somewhat got discouraged when nobody would reply even though I have nearly 2,000 views before I took a break.

 

But as everyone says (including myself), just write to have fun and enjoy the dynasty. If you can't enjoy it, you'll have an extremely tough time making updates.

[Linsolv]

If they're viewing, they like it. I've had plenty of threads I started where I thought I had done good work, but got no responses. It's annoying, but you have to keep in mind that if you've got 2000 views, people care.

[Guest cmdrsam]

If they're viewing, they like it. I've had plenty of threads I started where I thought I had done good work, but got no responses. It's annoying, but you have to keep in mind that if you've got 2000 views, people care.

 

Fair point but what are you to think when you ask questions and get zero answers? Or ask how are you doing and what would you like to see in the future and get nothing. Sure your views go up, but then I start to scratch my head like mmm, ok, they pop in to read but don't have any responses.

 

Imagine this. You cook a great 7 course dinner for 8 people. Everyone sits down and starts to eat. You ask how is it? And nobody answers.

[Terminator980]

Imagine this. You cook a great 7 course dinner for 8 people. Everyone sits down and starts to eat. You ask how is it? And nobody answers.

 

Kinda sounds like where I live now. I bbq some great meat and nobody tells me if it's good or not. It's really annoying.

 

Actually, I do have a question about the views. Do guests count as views? I've had plenty of guests viewing my dynasty.

[Guest cmdrsam]

Kinda sounds like where I live now. I bbq some great meat and nobody tells me if it's good or not. It's really annoying.

 

Actually, I do have a question about the views. Do guests count as views? I've had plenty of guests viewing my dynasty.

 

As far as I know yes. But not enough to say 100%.

[Dragonmack]

Fair point but what are you to think when you ask questions and get zero answers? Or ask how are you doing and what would you like to see in the future and get nothing. Sure your views go up, but then I start to scratch my head like mmm, ok, they pop in to read but don't have any responses.

 

Imagine this. You cook a great 7 course dinner for 8 people. Everyone sits down and starts to eat. You ask how is it? And nobody answers.

 

That is one of the biggest issues for new diary writers, or in fact any diary writers to deal with, is that there really isn't a lot of responses or feedback.

 

Of course, keep in mind only those who have actually gotten memberships on these forums can even post a response, and probably over half the views people get are from guest viewers. And also, there are a lot of diaries on these boards, which is a good thing. But it does make it hard for even dedicated people to get around to looking at more than a few of them.

 

But I do feel your pain. As a writer you may spend hours visualizing the show, setting up the perfect card, making some surprise angle or match, and then spend hours more writing and formatting it, only to come back a few hours after you posted it and see nothing. Yes the view count went up, but no one commented on whatever big thing you did, or even to say that something did or didn't work for them.

 

And I don't really have an answer to that other than to try and be more active in diaries that you like ( that suggestion is for everyone, myself included) because if you begin posting regularly in theirs, that might get them to post regularly in yours, even if its only to make predictions.

[Guest cmdrsam]

Valid point. I try to post on others. Mr problem is I like to remember what I have read in the past so I limit myself to a few dynasties. Not to say anything bad about anybody's work. Nevermore puts out some great shows. But I have made maybe 1 or 2 posts on it. James Casey is another one. Angel's USPW diary. Dude you have come along long way brother. But your another one I have made what maybe 1 post on. I could name name after name. But dont want to slight anybody here. And yes Dragonmack I have read many a post by you as well. But either somebody beats me to the puch to a question or something. Tristam I tried to read everything. So I could follow the story. Bigpapa is another one. I follow very closely and even then I miss somethign so small when he point it out its like a 2 X 4 to the head. Phantom Stranger is another. Great great writers but again there are so many I dont want anybody to feel slighted. But again valid point.

[crayon]

I kind of realize why there's no stickies for anything regarding RW diaries.. but I still kind of feel like it'd be much more user friendly if the current month's DOTM thread, for at least c-verse entries, was stickied each time.

 

Same goes with a thread that has links to award to exceptional non-rw diaries of the past and current that people may want to check out.

 

Another sticky which may be helpful is the good ol Diary writing tips.

[d_w_w]

That's pretty much how I felt when starting my BSC dynasty. It was fun but somewhat got discouraged when nobody would reply even though I have nearly 2,000 views before I took a break.

 

I tried to respond

[BHK1978]

cmdrsam,

 

My old NYCW diary started off with a lot of replies and people picking in it. And then people just stopped. There were vocal readers who made it a point to pick on each and every show, but I always wondered why I lost so many people. So our situation wasn't the exact same but not all that different either.

 

I myself try to pick and read as many diaries as possible but sometimes I forget which one I have been picking in. And I try to post in every new diary that I can (never in a Japanese based diary because I have no interest in that what so ever) but sometimes I just read, instead of responding.

 

I understand what you are saying, and all I can say is what everyone else has said look at your post counts.

[Astil]

cmdrsam,

 

My old NYCW diary started off with a lot of replies and people picking in it. And then people just stopped. There were vocal readers who made it a point to pick on each and every show, but I always wondered why I lost so many people. So our situation wasn't the exact same but not all that different either.

 

I myself try to pick and read as many diaries as possible but sometimes I forget which one I have been picking in. And I try to post in every new diary that I can (never in a Japanese based diary because I have no interest in that what so ever) but sometimes I just read, instead of responding.

 

I understand what you are saying, and all I can say is what everyone else has said look at your post counts.

 

You mean views?

[BHK1978]

You mean views?

 

Yes I mean views...:D

[Terminator980]

I tried to respond

 

You didn't try, you did

[ampulator]

I think this is a fact of internet life. You'd be surprised how many topics I have seen that have no responses, yet have 100 to 1000 views.

 

Registration blocks off a lot of people. It's a simple but intentional gateway to stop "guests" from making stupid comments, or talk "liek deez al da tiem". And I'm not hating on registration... in fact, I think it's necessary tool for regulation for modern boards. Too many crazy boards without registration back in the day.

 

Diaries, if view this way, is a specialized topic of sorts. It's your topic, and it's yours only. It's nothing like a "discussoin" thread, where anyone can talk about anything. They have to talk about YOUR diary, or something related to your diary. It limits possible responses.

 

Diaries also involve a lot more reading than typical thread, and I suspect most people aren't text-reading heavy these days. On top of that, most people probably believe they have to give detailed feedback instead of basic feedback; they then believe it's better to give no feedback at all, because it involve too much "effort". It's sort of all-or-nothing mentality - I either try my best or not try it at all.

 

In any case, feedback, I learned, isn't what I should be looking for. It's the view counts. Eventually the posts will come. And besides, I believe in doing diaries for your enjoyment first - otherwise, if you don't enjoy it, what's the point?

 

I just want to point out that there's general drop in responses even with the hottest writers: Bigpapa42, Phantom Stranger, and Eisen-Verse (forgive me if I forgot anyone).

[Astil]

You didn't try, you did

 

Do or do not, there is no try.

[Remianen]

Kinda sounds like where I live now. I bbq some great meat and nobody tells me if it's good or not. It's really annoying.

 

Actually, I do have a question about the views. Do guests count as views? I've had plenty of guests viewing my dynasty.

 

I'm going to single you out and give you some feedback.

 

Generally speaking, as a surprise to like no one, I read every women's promotion diary on this board. Without exception. I don't agree with everything everyone does (nor should I) but seeing different perspectives is GOOD (to me, at least). But, as many regular readers here can tell you, getting into some diaries from the start can be hard. The writer hasn't had an opportunity to show direction or focus and sometimes, some folks aren't the greatest writers so it can come off as clunky or with awkward phrasing/prose/flow. So what I often do is wait a few weeks, until a good number of shows is presented, THEN I give feedback based on seeing the progression of the story. However, that 'few weeks' can be an eternity to a writer who's just trying to get his/her legs under them and get into a groove. Some people quit writing altogether because someone didn't come along to pat them on the back.

 

That's daft IMO.

 

It's the main reason people advise you to write for yourself and keep at it until you form a following. That few weeks I mentioned earlier? Flies by when you're enjoying what you're doing. Remember, some of the best writers throughout history were panned or called 'hacks' (or their period's equivalent). Then again, if you refer to history to figure out what helped some of the greatest writers, you'll find things like insanity and opium (Poe), alcohol and hallucinogens (Fitzgerald), and similar maladies so don't take it too far.

 

I'll post feedback specific to your diary in its thread. Been over a month but I was kinda busy.

[Terminator980]

I'm going to single you out and give you some feedback.

 

Generally speaking, as a surprise to like no one, I read every women's promotion diary on this board. Without exception. I don't agree with everything everyone does (nor should I) but seeing different perspectives is GOOD (to me, at least). But, as many regular readers here can tell you, getting into some diaries from the start can be hard. The writer hasn't had an opportunity to show direction or focus and sometimes, some folks aren't the greatest writers so it can come off as clunky or with awkward phrasing/prose/flow. So what I often do is wait a few weeks, until a good number of shows is presented, THEN I give feedback based on seeing the progression of the story. However, that 'few weeks' can be an eternity to a writer who's just trying to get his/her legs under them and get into a groove. Some people quit writing altogether because someone didn't come along to pat them on the back.

 

That's daft IMO.

 

It's the main reason people advise you to write for yourself and keep at it until you form a following. That few weeks I mentioned earlier? Flies by when you're enjoying what you're doing. Remember, some of the best writers throughout history were panned or called 'hacks' (or their period's equivalent). Then again, if you refer to history to figure out what helped some of the greatest writers, you'll find things like insanity and opium (Poe), alcohol and hallucinogens (Fitzgerald), and similar maladies so don't take it too far.

 

I'll post feedback specific to your diary in its thread. Been over a month but I was kinda busy.

 

So...what you're saying is that I need to get completely messed up on drugs if my dynasty starts to drag? Sweet!

 

But seriously, you do make a lot of sense and I understand completely. If you think about it though, some new writers are starting after reading all of the other great dynasties and seeing all their responses. Yes, dynasty writing is for your entertainment and creative outlet, but they also have that nagging feeling in the back of their mind and HOPE that theirs becomes as popular as the one they read (like 10 Simple Rules... ). I think it's just a matter of what weighs more on the mind: Enjoying writing up a show and/or story, or hoping you write well enough to garner support and good feedback from the crowd and have a popular dynasty that everyone asks "when's the next post?"

 

Again, I'm not saying everyone is like that, it's just everyone has that nagging feeling whether they want to admit it or not

[Bigpapa42]

Not sure if this is where mistaken intended the topic to go, but regardless, its a very valid topic of discussion.

 

Response - or lack thereof - is one of the most frustrating aspects of doing a project like a diary. Even veteran writers run into it - I've had conversations with a few about it, and they were some very established and respected writers. But it tends to be cyclical on more established diaries. The readers never really go away, and the comments and preditctions will come back usually.

 

Its tougher for new projects and new writiers, because you want to know that people are reading and people are interested. Its tough to know that without getting some feedback. Watching your view count go up can be painful... yet is telling at the same time. The oft-given advice of "write for yourself" is so very true. Otherwise, you are not going to tough out the dry spells, either in the early going or when you hit a quieter spell later.

 

As a writer on this board, I'm lucky to have a built a vocal readerbase. I get a ton of response (nearly 250 posts on 3 shows?!) and I will never stop being appreciative of that. But it didn't happen overnight. It was built-up gradually over the near-year that Generation Supreme ran. There were dry times with that project for me - I recall times where I was basically begging for feedback after shows. It may not have come across that way, but that's essentially what it was. That wasn't necessarily in the early-going of the project, either.

 

None of this really makes it any easier for new readers. Even going in knowing that you may not see the immediately positive response that you hope or that the dry spells will happen, that won't necessarily make it easier to deal with. But it is a reality and it is faced by every writer on here, to some extent.

[ampulator]

I wasn't at the beginning of your Generation Supreme Diary, but it was, perhaps, the easiest to read, because, let's face it, Sports Entertainment is the most well-known wrestling product today. Plus, your format was easy to read.