Yeeeeaaaaaaah..... u_u I was still really tired from the long nights this Friday and Saturday and so I forgot to mention some key things Sunday. I originally thought about just updating/editing this week's post, but then I feared those of you that read my post when I updated on Sunday wouldn't know that I edited it, and therefore would miss what I wanted to say. Also, the more I worked on this "quick" update I realized it was a fully realized blog post in and of itself.
Well, anyway, I want to start off this mid-week update by letting my beloved readers know that I'm already in the process of outlining the next chapter of What Is Truly Meant To Be. I've had the concept in my head for about two months now, so I'm excited to get to work. The only thing is that I was incredibly excited about my last chapter too when I started out, and we all saw how that turned out.
The way I set up the format of my story, the best way for me to get a chapter out is if the song easily and clearly formed a linear story in my head. The first chapter was birthed from me completely picturing a Hey Arnold music video to the song "Life After You" by Daughtry. Since I could never create the video that was in my head, I went for the next best thing; a story inspired by it.
The chapters that have all come easily to me were all the same way. I heard the song and I envisioned a complete music video. All I had to do then was describe what I saw in my mind.
Then there was the latest chapter. All I had was a visualization of the first stanza and the knowledge that the whole song would fit with what was happening in my story. That was probably why it was such rough going writing the chapter; I just couldn't properly picture it.
However, I do have a very clear mental picture of the chapter I'm currently working on. In fact, not only have I had a clear picture of my current chapter in my head more-or-less since I heard the parent song it's based off of, but I've also wished someone would do a cover of the song as a duet. Yes, ever since I heard this song and knew it would be a chapter in my story I've heard it as a duet between Arnold and Helga.
What song is it? Yeah, right! Like I'm leaking that! But it would make a beautifully painful duet in my opinion When I finish the chapter and post it you can decide for yourself if I was right.
So there's the story progress update that I wanted to let you know. But there are two major updates with regards to building up my readership, professionalism, and over-all platform.
Although it doesn't seem to be there any longer for whatever reason, Chibi informed me that exactly a week ago a member of the Hey Arnold! Save The Jungle Movie group posted about my story What Is Truly Meant To Be! She asked the group what fanfics they are all reading, and then she stated that she was reading "What is Truly Meant to Be by LycoRogue and I highly recommend it"!!! *Squeal* I was so excited!
Chibi and DarkAngel1326 have both been bugging me about how I need to promote myself more in the Hey Arnold fandom groups. Everybody else posts their fanfics and chapter updates and that's why their readerships are so much higher than mine. I shouldn't feel ashamed about promoting myself.
Yet, I do. It took a lot for me to even promote this blog on my two Facebook accounts, my DeviantArt account, and on Twitter. Every now and again when I comment on a blog or on the Writer's Huddle forum I'll include a promo for this blog - mostly when it auto-links to the blog when a comment is made. However, as a whole I don't really promote the blog, or my writing. It's only been through continued encouragement from Chibi, DA, and my uncle that I started posting links to my writing on my main FB account. It's not that I'm ashamed of my work - I'm not; I'm very proud of it. It's more that it seems needy and shameless to self-promote.
I would go to the HA groups and see other people constantly going "I'm reading such-and-such fanfic and it's fantastic! You should all read it" or go to DeviantArt and see a new fanart group set up specifically for a fanfic and I wanted to have my stuff be good enough that I didn't need to promote it. My readers would do it for me.
NOT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE YOU FEEL FORCED IN TO PASSING ON MY WORK! IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING IF YOU FEEL OBLIGATED TO DO SO!
Anyway, for someone I'm not friends with to actually and sincerely enjoy my work enough to pass it on and promote me..... It was such an ego boost. THIS was the main reason I was upset about not winning the Halloween contest. It wasn't so much because other people were able to write better than me or because I didn't get the prize. It was because my work wasn't being promoted by an impartial outside source.
Granted, as I started this whole thing off saying, the post isn't there any longer so there aren't any further promotions off of it. Plus, I don't know how many people actually started reading my story because of the link - I didn't see a huge spike in readership. However, the point is that at least one impartial person promoted me. Who knows how many more there are throughout the internet that I don't know about. To me, that's huge!
So, if you are one of my faithful readers passing my name and my works on, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
AGAIN, NOT TRYING TO MAKE THE REST OF YOU FEEL OBLIGATED!
Anyway, now on to the other big milestone in my writing "career" - as it were.
This past Sunday - the tenth - I received my first review about my actual writing style; not the content of the story!
Yes, in the past I've had generic writing style reviews such as "this feels like I'm watching an episode instead of reading a fanfic" or "I could really feel the character's pain" or "Everyone is totally in character! It's fantastic!" as well as the even more generic, but still heartwarmingly awesome "You're such a great writer! Please write more!"
However, Sunday I received the following review for the first chapter of What Is Truly Meant To Be:
That is the coolest review! Someone commented on my SENTENCE STRUCTURE!
WHAAAAAA!?
Personally I think that's quite an accomplishment. So thank you, DxD!
Speaking of reviews, I've also had quite the positive feedback on The Adventures of Brainy already! I posted on Sunday and already have four reviews! Heck, my first reviewer couldn't wait until she was done reading before she reviewed!
"I haven't even finished half of this but had to comment funniest thing ever."
Pretty much all the reviews are the same. Granted, this was supposed to be a Valentine's Day story, but I went so far from fluffy this year! I'm glad it turned out so hilarious. I'm always so concerned when it comes to writing humor. I feel like I suck at it, but everyone seems to enjoy my jokes.... GO ME!
I had 39 views the first day that I posted and I'm up to 55 total. Not fantastic numbers, but considering the number of views versus number of reviews, and then comparing to the same ratios for my other stories, I think this story has the greatest reception.
In contrast, I've had 46 views but no comments over on DeviantArt. So there goes my theory that more people now read their fanfiction over there...
Regardless of where you find my stuff, if you fave it, if you review, if you've read more than one - or more than once, or if you promote my work; if you read my stories at all I want to thank you.
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