Forum: Author Hangout

But others can reply to comments, but not to a note at the end of the chapter. If I were to do this, I'd start each comment by stating which chapter it relates to.

It would be difficult, for example, for readers who choose not to start a story until it's marked as complete. To read the author comment about Chapter 1 (if they even suspected such a comment existed), readers would have to page to the end of the comments to find it.

AJ

It is certainly an issue with the structure of the comments on the site. I do wonder why there's no option to, for example, show the comments in order of "Oldest first".

I do like the idea of doing a mini-commentary, but maybe the comments isn't the best place for it. Perhaps a "companion" piece, clearly stated as such with all attendant warnings, might be a better way to go. A completely separate "story" as it were.

I don't think the comments section was designed around the idea of high-volume comments and long serialized stories. For short or static stories with few comments, the current design is fine. It's 'useful enough' for long serials with lots of comments, but there are real problems with it.

I've always thought that for serials (or even multi-chapter stories posted in one go), the comments would be better if they were attached to the chapters rather than the story as a whole.

As far as I remember, the comment form doesn't show until the last available chapter - which for a complete story would be the end of the story. So if you feel the need to comment on something significant that happened in, say, chapter 14 of 40, you either have to skip to the end or wait until you've finished (and probably forgotten what you wanted to say).

Fundamentally, I think the comments function was designed for a usage that isn't what I, personally, envision the purpose of a comments function to be. Such is life.

The notes are available to authors, but that's not what I meant. If, as a reader, I wanted to comment on chapter 14 of 40, I can't do that. Nor can I see what other people think of chapter 14 without skipping to the end to find the comments, then trawling through them to maybe find something that looks like it might be about chapter 14 based on context but I can't know for sure and maybe this comment is actually a spoiler for chapter 18.

If the comments (reader comments) were attached to chapters, I'd see what other people thought of the chapter I've just read.

I think that would be a better system, but I'm not a coder, so I have no idea how easy/difficult it would be to implement (or if it would be worth it).

Marc Nobbs:

"I've always thought that for serials (or even multi-chapter stories posted in one go), the comments would be better if they were attached to the chapters rather than the story as a whole."

From: Authors/Editors Resources (tab on Main Page)
in Authors/Editors Resources: look for the Page: Tex Formatting Information & Guide:
{The {end-note} {/end-note} tag causes the text to be enclosed in an outlined, pale yellow box. The text comes out in sans-serif (bigger than the 'notice' text).

The only difference between {notice} and {end-note} is the size of the text.

Example:

{end-note}

{3}This is a header

This sample shows tag
usage.
This is the first paragraph.

{r}This is the second
paragraph.

This is the third paragraph.

{/end-note}

Would look like this:

This is a header
This sample shows tag usage. This is the first paragraph.

This is the second paragraph.

This is the third paragraph.

Please note that the highlighted boxes were created for small notes and notices to separate a note's text from the body of a story or paragraph. Use them very judiciously. If they're used for actual body text, they will be deleted.}

I have used this before. I believe it is placed at the end of the Chapter.

IF I am Mistaken

This is an alternative, and may be inserted anywhere on a Page; such as just after a particular paragraph.

Colouring Text
Three colours are supported: Red, Green and Blue.

Red is specified by {red} {/red}.

Example:

This sample shows tag usage.
{red}This Text is Red{/red}.
Would look like this:

This sample shows tag usage. This Text is Red.

Green is specified by {green} {/green}.

Example:

This sample shows tag usage.
{green}This Text is Green{/green}.
Would look like this:

This sample shows tag usage. This Text is Green.

Blue is specified by {blue} {/blue}.

Example:

This sample shows tag usage.
{blue}This Text is Blue{/blue}.
Would look like this:

This sample shows tag usage. This Text is Blue.

As I said, above, I'm aware that notes are available for authors, but I'm talking about reader comments.

In theory I think it's a neat idea and it's worth trying. In practice, I'm afraid it would pull me out of the story.

Exactly. Perhaps at some point I'd like to hear the author's comments, but first I expect the story to speak for itself. On print novels I almost never read the inside front flap. I want the story to do the telling.

Down with authorial intrustion!

How about the commentary in a separate "story" as a companion piece?

Definitely a possible, not unlike the director and actor interviews that come with the DVD. When they're done well (Mel Gibson, believe it or not, on "Braveheart," for example), they're great.