What's the best compliment or nicest thing someone has said about your writing?

The best compliment I received for a story was, "I want to read more."

The best compliment for poetry was,
"This is awesome, can you do one with a hunter who enjoys the hunt?" <--- this one sparked a series of 20+ specific poetry requests from different people.

 

Posted on a writers' forum, someone told me it was the best stuff she had ever read.

 

The unlamented, banned former member JayG commented on a story I posted: "Let me preface this by saying that this is one of the best stories I’ve seen posted in quite a long time. "

He then proceeded to criticize it, but that's to be expected (and desired). Still, to have the notoriously hard-to-please know-it-all JayG admit it was good was ... something, I guess.

Someone else said "Your prose is beautiful and colorful" and that was a comment I really appreciated (even though it was offered while criticizing the length of my sentences). I strive to write beautiful prose - it's probably the main reason I write.

And in the professional world, the editor of Analog Science Fiction (while rejecting a story of mine) told me he liked my style and wanted to see more of it, so would I please submit more stories? I haven't submitted any to him since, but that's because I haven't finished any short sci-fi to my satisfaction in that time.

 

I actually liked the guy. Don't remember the details, but I was really disappointed when he lost it at the end.

That is fantastic

 

It wasn't about my actual writing, i.e, anything this person had read that was part of my work, but I realized an old crush of mine actually inspired my book. I tried to get in contact, but she's a famous singer now, so it was difficult. So I shot her an email from the address I got from her Twitter bio about it, but didn't hear a reply for months. Then, one day, the day after I thought I'd never get in contact with her and was really upset (actually, I think it was the three year anniversary of when I had last seen her, though that's just an estimate and I actually thought the day before had been that day) I was watching her YouNow broadcast and I said hi, and she said, quote:
"[looking down at phone, pulling up karaoke to the next song she's going to sing] Hi, Kimball, what's up, haven't talked to you in a while."
[Suddenly looking up] "Oh! Okay... Kimball! Before I say anything... Oh, wait, hold up..." [turns off music that starts playing] "I got your email, and I read it, and I couldn't respond to it for some reason, but... That is amazing, and I'm glad, like, you're working on a book and stuff, and I am so proud of you, and I hope... [gesturing with her arm] You're going to go far in life, and I truly believe that, and it, uh, means the world to me that I could have inspired some of those things [smiling] and I can't wait to see what you will do... in the future, and you're awesome."
The above transcription doesn't do it justice at all, but stupid YouNow removed the replay feature so I can't rewatch or link to it anymore. Good thing I memorized it so I can keep it in my heart. I actually put it in my book in a letter one of my characters receives from a similar figure in their lives. If she ever reads it, I hope she recognizes it.

 

I'm Slytherin but if I hadn't been sorted there I'd go to Ravenclaw.

 

My favorite response is when people read the first in the series I'm working on and hound me with questions for what's coming next. They're mostly about whether or not the lead characters are going to end up together, but I love that I can create that "I must know what happens next" reaction in people.

 

You know you're winning when your readers want to talk about your characters and what happens next rather than your writing style. You've grabbed them.

 

Totally! I loved it when a good friend of mine (whose English isn't the best and who genuinely dislikes any sort of reading) responded within two hours of me sending him a chapter, saying. "Oh man, this is going to be so epic! When is this guy going to whoop some asses!?". Not a word about the writing itself. I knew then and there that he finished the chapter in one sitting and got sucked into the story, oblivious of any SPAG's and writing-style criticism.

 

For anyone asking, yes, Ginzaekh and Gazi end up together, but no, Dav does not have feelings for Narta or vice versa. And yes, Zash marries Gazi's little sister who's a super minor character.

 

Probably that time when my friend, who read a horrible first draft of my novel that had made no sense 4-5 years ago, told me there are still things she thinks about that was in my story, that the characters stayed with her. The same friend told me that she could hardly believe I wrote the book because she admired the quality of the writing so much that she couldn't believe someone as young as me actually wrote it. She said if one of her students had submitted something like this to her (she is an English teacher), she'd think they had stolen someone else's work lol.

And I guess, probably that people have managed to finish reading my drafts at all. I always assume people would stop if they didn't like it, so that people have finished my stories is a compliment in itself

 

From recent reader-reviews, I liked "I haven’t sunk my teeth into a Kate Sherwood novel in a long damn time and it felt good to go there again. I’ve always loved her books and Long Shadows was no different." It's fun to have the continuity idea and to get to think of myself as an author with a body of work that someone actually thinks about!

From a pro review, I liked “A bright, warm, intelligent love story from a promising new voice in romance.” from Kirkus. It's a good description of what I was trying to write, and it's always nice to be called promising (even though that series ended up totally bombing!).

 

I got - '...he writes with the zeal of a tickle-obsessed uncle...'

which I took as a compliment on first reading...tho' really it's more creepy, eh, uncle with paws over the children, 'heh heh, hah hah, never a dull moment with Buck, he's such a prick...'

So really that's my least favourite review. There was one after an 'Erotica Reading,' the old days, she said, 'Look out for MW, a man coming to your bookshop very soon.' The stupid woman.

 

haha, that review is disturbing.

 

I tend to get compliments on specific things, and it varies from person to person, such as themes that really struck them, the depth of the dialogue, and characters they loved (especially the bad ones). I would like to think that the composition was so obviously good they felt it went without saying

 

Jesus Christ once approached me in the light of a virgin, waxing moon and set his hand upon my temple, speaking thusly to mine ears.

"I witnessed my Father's hand craft the lattice of stars, and waves of reality, and that was the most glorious thing I'd ever see someone create... until I read your Girls Und Panzer fan-fiction."

 

Congratulations - that is one of my life's goals as a writer!

 

I've had a few readers ask me if I'm going to write sequels to UTK with one or more of my side characters as an MC (particularly Carmen). I love that I wrote my ensemble in a way that makes readers want some of them to take center stage.

 

Ow! Bloody-nosed, this loser retires to the clinic for medical attention.

 

I want to create a whole fandom with my work. Unfortunately I don't know if I'm good enough for Tumblr.

 

A staff member calling someone a loser. I feel at home already.

Mmmm cozy.

 

I don't think he meant it that way! If he did, that's no more hazelnuts from me.

 

You're right, I may have misinterpreted.

 

This was a message I recieved out of the blue on this forum.

I just wanted to drop you a line to say I think you should be published. I am new(ish) to this site and I tried looking for your stuff in the workshop. I clicked on the blog link in your profile and started reading.

Fucking hell! You have a style that is very easy to read. I have read a lot of stuff in the workshop and I haven't really seen better than yours.
I know this sort of thing is subjective, but I just had to tell you. You are a far better writer than you give yourself credit for.

Your dialogue, in particular, is very, very good. Please let me know if you have anything in the workshop, and if you don't, post it. You are very good.

Also, my siblings keep asking for the next drafts of my current WIP.

 

I would love to have a fandom. Just a super small one with only a few pieces of fan art on Deviant Art.