Stars
I was in my workbench when a research technician opened the refrigerator and dug through layers and layers of plates. Nothing new. But then she made a comment that had me focusing my attention on her. Apparently, some plates were marked with a little star on the top left corner. Her researcher (another unnie) prepared those plates.
Having heard her remark, my unnie told us that stars were that unnie's favorite. A light bulb dinged, and the research tech voiced out what I, too, figured out.
Those plates with stars are priority plates.
And that had my mind rewinding years back.
It was in another one of my lurking expeditions that I stumbled upon this AFFer who posted a list of priority fics as an update in all of her fics, even in her blog. The fics were ranked by the number of readers they have. So, her most subscribed fic takes first priority.
Now, I do believe that the author did like her storylines. But remember, when we started writing, we clearly had no prior knowledge as to how to tame all those wild plot bunnies rampaging inside our poor brains. Like most of us, she clicked that 'start writing' button rather frequently and impulsively.
Writing is never easy. It is also work. And it is really difficult and confusing to update several fics at the same time (/cough/). (Then you see readers' rants complaining about writers starting new stories without finishing their on-going ones, abandoning stories or going on hiatus without telling them. Lol. It's life. Get over it. Look for other stories.)
To make life easier for her, she figured out which fics of hers have readers. We did post our stories here to be read, so I can see her logic. Why spend time and energy on stories which don't "sell" when she has other stories which readers are clamoring for?
She set aside those, but still included them in the list. Afterall, even though we are irresponsible like what readers accuse us of, we still desire to not leave our works undone. It will take time, though. For even though we have outlines, we still struggle with execution, figuring out the best way to deliver the story so that readers would understand.
Bottomline, Keeper doesn't have a priority list of fics to update. Might as well have one. Set priorities straight. Haha! I have to see it to serve as my guide.
If you are like me, I fail to write stories regularly. I haven't developed that habit. I tried updating Friday nights, as I write the chappies little by little within the week, but hehe. It can be done but I am way too lazy, haha. Need to work on that.
I still consider it as a hobby because it is my hobby. I update when I can, when I want, because it is fun like that. I force myself sometimes. It works too, haha. But there are days and nights when I come up empty handed. Haha. When ideas don't seem to work... When words leave you...
That is why it is also important that we re-fill our brains with creative juices simply by enganging on creative activities - listening to songs (creative products) or drawing.
One way to conserve these juices, is to use it efficiently in one story that many would enjoy than a dozen stories which only a few reads.
But then again, regardless of subbie number, like me, you can always update whichever fic you feel like updating coz that is how we roll. Haha! But I gonna still make my priority list. Hehe. Not telling any of subbies how my fics rank. Haha!
-Keeper
(I just love it when I am like this xD)
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