Once upon a story I wrote a what-if fanfic.
I meant it be a stand-alone, but many a reader begged me for a sequel. Just when I’d firmly convinced myself there was going to be one, ideas for that sequel began to whisper to my imagination.
I’m now up to the forty-first chapter of that on-going sequel at Archive of Our Own. I’m finally coming to the climax.
One of the things that’s kept me going in that story is the enthuasiastic reception each chapter has gotten. I’ve gotten thank yous in thoughtful detail, letting me know exactly what readers appreciated. Fans have picked up on elements I wasn’t even aware of, making me conscious of them.
It’s a learning experience, learning what my fans appreciate about my work. Not to mention it warms my heart when they appreciate the detail I’ve put into my stories.
Nor is fanfic the only place where readers encouraged me to further than I intended.
When I released Fairest, I explored the possibilities of social media by not only having a party, but allowing a dead character to host it.
He let me and anyone else who attended know he wasn’t dead. He grumbled, grumped, and expressed to no end how unimpressed he was with his creator. Or scribbler as he was to call me to this day.
Quartz was a huge hit. Not only was he to demand a sequel to Fairest (a project on hold as Fairest awaits rebirth again), but he was to get his own monthly blog, Secondary Characters Speak Out.
That’s twice readers and their feedback have had a major impact on my writing, inspiring me to go further than I might have. Neither was the first time. Nor will it be the last.
How about you, dear reader? How have your readers inspired you to go further than you might have if they hadn’t encouraged you?