Comments, and the number of them, are no indication of worth. Indeed comments themselves are rarely about the quality of the story or episode, but at best because readers liked it, or it struck a chord with them. A prime example from my own experience was the comment "I once had a pony called Sophie. LOL." One is of course always grateful for any recognition but such would hardly be called an in-depth critique on literary style or worth. So a comment is often an indication that a reader is well disposed towards the writer. Is reaching out to say that he/she feels involved. Just as a scathing, vitriolic, comment also means that you have involved someone to the extent that they are keenly engaged with what you have written.

Now if you want a lot of comments it is best to fish in ponds where there are a lot of fish; where perhaps a worm on a hook is more productive than a delicately presented dry fly. Nothing wrong in such a common sense approach but it depends on what you want to do. Follow your own star or dance to the tune of others. (Get your mixed metaphors here!) And there are of course many excellent writers whose chosen path coincides with many of their readers' desires and values and who can bask in the appreciation of others as well as their own satisfaction at a job well done.

But none of this has to do with quality or worth or any other of the indefinable benchmarks that concern authors. Amateur writers whose crusts can be earned or stolen elsewhere.

And of course sometimes, often indeed, comments breed comments. Entirely unrelated threads spin in all directions. Just to skew the statistics even further.

I am embarrassed that I haven't read either of the two stories that you mention Arecee. I seem to read less and less and what little time I have is spent trying to finish my own work or getting side tracked into writing comments like this. They are on my leisure list though as what I have read of yours I have enjoyed and certainly rate. i shall certainly try Mialing first.

I agree entirely in not posting until one has finished though. I shan't in future. At least not in the foreseeable :) I suppose I would never have finished DofC if I hadn't felt a moral imperative to finish it because of the readers who had said nice things about it. Otherwise an irresistible of inertia and idleness, both genetic, would have had me abandon it at an early stage. Although whether that proves or disproves anything is a moot point. It does mean that I shall avoid anything likely to be quite so long in future.

Hugs,

Fleurie