Insight and Appreciation of Clients

Good morning, everyone. Another little thought that’s crossed my mind, and this time, a little less controversial.

I was thinking about commissions – both writing them and maybe getting some eventually – and I couldn’t help but think about the difference between clients. Some of them are very open and flexible about what they’re getting, while others are very specific. Some of them give me just a little bit and let me go with that, while others will give me write-ups that are almost as long as the commission that they’re getting (which is…a lot, sometimes).

In the past, I’ve had my moments of annoyance with both types, at least once they go past a certain point. I’ve felt irritated that someone hasn’t given me enough to go on, or felt like someone might as well write the thing themselves if they’re going to hit me with that much information at once.

But today, I had a bit of an insight, and to be honest, I feel a bit stupid for taking this long to realize it.

The few times that I’ve been involved in getting myself a commission – or been the beneficiary of one where I’ve been involved in the process – I have been painfully aware of the sort of picky bitch that I am with my characters. I have invested so much time and energy into making them what they are that I will become a nightmare to an artist that isn’t insanely patient. I make myself cringe with how much I keep going “No, it’s not…quite like that” in terms of body angles and proportions and fashion and everything else. It’s always made worse by having a hard time pointing to what I want changed and being clear about it, because my brain doesn’t want to work that way, and I can’t clearly visualize a thing until it’s actually in front of me.

So, knowing myself, I can look at the write-ups that I get and go “These people that give me so little are trusting me to be awesome, and have the confidence to be able to forgive little mistakes, and the ones that give me huge ones are probably a lot like me, enthusiastic but nervous.”

Now, does that mean that I’m not going to be frustrated sometimes? Nah. There are times when I appreciate the confidence, but I need just a little more, and there are times when the novella of a write-up needs to be trimmed down to allow me to work, after all. But it does give me a place of understanding, and it helps me feel nicer toward those that are trying to make it work.

So, to all those that are nervous, thanks for at least reaching out and trying to give me something to work with.

And to all those that have the confidence to be so blasé about your descriptions, good on you. Cheers for you.

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Added:	1 month, 2 weeks ago 24 Mar 2024 18:31 CET

2 Comments on this Journal

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bbbuuu

1 month, 2 weeks ago

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Overly long summaries? I would never do that! Suspiciously specific denials aside, I'm a bit of an odd commissioner in that I feel like, with art commissions, I give a detailed description, and if the artist misses a detail, and I feel like it would be a huge pain for them to fix, I don't say anything (at least for cheaper comms), which can result in pieces that are really good in almost every way, but missing something important.

But with writing commissions, being someone who also writes, I tend to be a lot more detailed and specific, for the most part, sorta like I'm writing a script to give to a director LOL. I've definitely had more than one person tell me that I basically wrote the story myself, which, I feel like I wrote the *bones* of the story, sure, but the element that I think is missed, and I don't think I've heard anyone else really express this, is that;

To me, there is a difference in being the writer, and being the *reader*. Sure, I could do my damndest and probably write that story myself, post it up, be proud of it, and maybe get some more watchers. And I know the direction the story is going, and where I want it to end up. But if I write it myself, even in my 'start-writing-halfcocked-and-see-what-I-can-do' sort of way, I feel like already know this story. Because I'm the one coming up with all the words, the arrangement, the characterizations. Even stuff I've written that's gotten a lot of compliments, about how I write the characters, the thing is, when *I* read that same bit, they feel either monotone or overdramatic, and my mind goes right back to me in my desk writing the story, instead of allowing myself to be sucked *into* the story.

So when I comm someone, even though I have the bones of the story written out for the most part, it's not *my* words that are on that page, if that makes sense? Even though I 'know' the story, I don't know the story in the way that I would if I was the one actually writing out more than the summary of it. Sometimes it works out great, sometimes the authors drop things in there that I'm not really into, but at the very least, I can read the story as a *reader* and not read the story as the *storyteller*, and it lets me get more immersed into it. At least that's my weird way of thinking lol.

I just realized this journal probably has turned out like some of those summaries I send you LOL!

draconicon

1 month, 2 weeks ago

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@ bbbuuu

Oh, there is a HUGE difference between the reader and the writer. It's one reason why I honestly don't like most of my written pieces of work. Oh, there's the rare moment when I'm proud of something, but as a general rule, I'm not really going to read and 'enjoy' any of them, because they're all better in my head than they'll ever be written down. So I completely get that (as to why someone commissions something rather than writes it even with all those details).

I'm more meaning that there are times when people send such a HUGE write-up with SO many details that it becomes difficult to insert anything of my style or my work, and it's mostly just editing what they've sent me and expanding it. That's when it gets more irritating to me, because it's so hyper-specific that it's basically written already.

For me, the 'worst' bit of that is when someone sends specific dialogue for me to include. Remembering to use such and such lines and build up to them is a pain in the butt.

But I get why you want to commission people, I really do.

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