How much do you justify to your readers?

[JayMark]

Here's your rating in nft form.

 

[simonsighs]

At least someone reads your story haha! Silence is the key my friend. Or over head shots.

 

[Dawnathon]

I just tell people "Glad you enjoyed it" if they were positive and "Sorry you didn't enjoy it" if they were negative. There's really nothing to gain by arguing over these kinds of things. If they have a legitimate question or misunderstanding, I'll clear that up or assure them it's addressed in the story later on. If they're just there to cherrypick details or try to pull a gotcha moment, they can have a nice day. Somewhere else.

 

[rileykifer]

I solve this problem by not having dedicated readers.

But if I did have something like that going on, I'd just ignore them. Unless several people criticize the same thing, I take comments like that with a grain of salt. I might try giving them an explanation on why I'm doing it the first time around, but ignore them after that. I'm not looking to get published and I'm doing this for free. I'm allowed to make whatever decisions I want without having to justify myself or change things.

 

[Enkiari]

If one of your readers continuously brings up a problem they have with your story (and it's not an objective criticism like typos or plotholes) how many times do you try to justify it to them before you just say that maybe they should find something else to read? I've got one reader on RR who seems to be enjoying XNPC, but really hates how it will occasionally have flashback chapters. I've tried explaining that they're necessary to the story, but...

Them: "Every time you write a flashback, I want to stop reading."
Me: "Don't worry, it'll be back to the main story soon."
Them: "But I don't care about what happened a decade ago! I want to know what's happening now!"
Me: "There are important things happening in the flashbacks that will affect the present day story."
Them: "Maybe you should take some time off to rewrite the book so that information is included in the real story."
Me: "The flashbacks are a fun way to explore the characters' backstories and how they got where they are in the present day."
Them: "Then you need to rewrite it so that the story actually starts a decade ago, then timeskip to the present day."
Me: "I like revealing the past a little bit at a time, kinda like how Brandon Sanderson does it in the Stormlight books."
Them: "A book should never have more than one flashback, and it should never last for more than one chapter!"

I mean... None?
It's my ride. They are just sitting in for it.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Wait - do you mean "Center, Right, Left or Full" justify?

 

[JessicaDrew]

If people are calling something out in my story I try to think about where they are coming from and whether or not they have a point. Here’s the full range of my responses to date:

I had multiple people misinterpret a character’s motives early on in my story. So I went back and fixed it.

I’ve had people pick apart the legal aspect which is a very minor part of my story. They’re missing the point. I ignored.

On one site I had a couple of reviewers bringing their own tropey expectations to the story, and writing bizarre comments on every chapter to the point I considered it damaging to my story for people to be reading them. I removed the story from the site.

 

[Lysander_Works]

If one of your readers continuously brings up a problem they have with your story (and it's not an objective criticism like typos or plotholes) how many times do you try to justify it to them before you just say that maybe they should find something else to read? I've got one reader on RR who seems to be enjoying XNPC, but really hates how it will occasionally have flashback chapters. I've tried explaining that they're necessary to the story, but...

Them: "Every time you write a flashback, I want to stop reading."
Me: "Don't worry, it'll be back to the main story soon."
Them: "But I don't care about what happened a decade ago! I want to know what's happening now!"
Me: "There are important things happening in the flashbacks that will affect the present day story."
Them: "Maybe you should take some time off to rewrite the book so that information is included in the real story."
Me: "The flashbacks are a fun way to explore the characters' backstories and how they got where they are in the present day."
Them: "Then you need to rewrite it so that the story actually starts a decade ago, then timeskip to the present day."
Me: "I like revealing the past a little bit at a time, kinda like how Brandon Sanderson does it in the Stormlight books."
Them: "A book should never have more than one flashback, and it should never last for more than one chapter!"

Hm, this boils down to a reading style, and you do have a point.
However, I do see opportunity for a compromise. Rename your "Flashback" chapters, so that there is even clearer indication that they are flashback points. Example:
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Sidestory Chapter 1 <<
Chapter 47 >>
Sidestory Chapter 2 <<

You can also have actual indicators inside the beginning of the chapts too to further get the point across. Then, all you have to say to this reader is, he can skip the flashbacks if he wants, as they are clearly labled. If he misses out certain details, that's on him, not you.

---

I did mine as an actual sidestory mini series integrated into the main book, example shown below.
https://www.scribblehub.com/read/1064903-the-acceleration/chapter/1178366/

 

[CountVanBadger]

Rename your "Flashback" chapters, so that there is even clearer indication that they are flashback points.

I already do this. Every flashbsck chapter begins

Chapter #
(# Years Ago)​

 

[Lysander_Works]

I already do this. Every flashbsck chapter begins

Chapter #
(# Years Ago)​

In mean in the Direct Chapter title, as shown from your table of contents.

 

[SoaringMoon]

Quite a lot. My blurb is basically one giant apology for ADHD.

 

[worldismyne]

Once.

Sometimes people are just upset that you're not writing the story they wanted to read. I've had someone reading a story following a grim-reaper type character tell me "would be cool if the ending was more hopeful not just about accepting death".

The whole "I'll stop reading if you do this again" bit is clearly untrue, they haven't yet. I had someone do that to me for a whole story, getting mad each chapter that the villainess character was being framed as a villainess.

Like, as long as you tag things properly and deliver on what you promised to your audience, that's it. Sometimes, you'll get readers who don't like something thematically or stylistically that will still follow a story to see how it ends. In those cases, the story itself does more justifying than any reply to a comment. You don't even have to tell someone to 'stop reading' (though I personally inform someone if the thing they dislike continues to appear in later chapters).

 

[FRWriter]

The customer is always right.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

The customer is always right.

If they are commissioning the work, then yes.
If they're commenting on a work in progress, unless you see a lot of the same comment from different sources (who aren't sock puppets), probably not...

 

[FRWriter]

If they are commissioning the work, then yes.
If they're commenting on a work in progress, unless you see a lot of the same comment from different sources (who aren't sock puppets), probably not...

Always. Without exception.
Please realize I'm just joking....

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Always. Without exception.
Please realize I'm just joking....

You are either being facetious or have never worked retail...

 

[FRWriter]

You are either being facetious or have never worked retail...

I'd like to speak to your manager...

RIGHT NOW.