Marquise > Status Update

❤️

I'm so glad that you're experiencing less stress. Sometimes, it's necessary to remove things from your life that inhibit growth and joy. Glad that you're well.

I'm glad that what you're doing is working for you, Marquise. And it's not at all surprising that you made the right decision as you're a smart person with a lot of life experience.

Take a break! ❤️

I'm glad you were able to sort out what's working for you and what's not. <3 Here's to a better year for both of us

🫂 🤗

I don't review as much these days either, only when I actually have the spoons too.

You do you,M!
You should do only do what puts you at ease!

Putting only a star rating does not mean you have nothing to say. You reviewed it. No need for an essay how it makes you feel. Reading is very personal and you know what it meant to you. That's enough.

Yay, so glad you figured out exactly what was bothering you!

Persephone's Pomegranate wrote: "❤️"

You were right, Persy. ❤️🥰

(Now that I have your attention . . . Have you heard about our Lord and saviour of Japanophiles and otakus, the seii taishōgun Yoshii Toranaga-sama and his white boy toy Beraktofon? 🤩)

Meredith wrote: "Sometimes, it's necessary to remove things from your life that inhibit growth and joy.."

True, thank you. I was happier when I only reviewed what I wanted, before the pressure of becoming popular and having an audience that expects reviews from me. Expectations and not wanting to lose people do the trick.

Thibault wrote: "I'm glad that what you're doing is working for you, Marquise."

I think it was like the Reading Challenge. I took it for a couple or so years, and it was pure misery. Then I dropped it and was happier.

Same with reviews, in the early years, I had few, and they were short or medium. Then the wall o' text essays came, people liked them and asked for more, and before I could tell, I was trapped and again miserable. Compound that for the trolling and the frustrations this glitchy site brings us, and you have it.

Hahaha, it's funny to me, but all this walking 'round in circles just to realise what I've always intuited anyway: structure-less, non-scheduled, "oh shiny!" reading is my cuppa. I don't work well within structure and schedule for my hobbies, too hyperactive and restless a mind for that, which is why I've never had a formula for reviewing and why reviewing everything I read is disastrous longterm for me.

Meishuu wrote: "Take a break! ❤️"

Will do, doll. ❤️ I'm already abandoning general reviewing and only will do my passion project.

Mariella wrote: "I'm glad you were able to sort out what's working for you and what's not. <3 Here's to a better year for both of us"

It will be! ❤️ We have the Girls for Girls lil' project, and finding the Erlkönig. ❤️

TL *Humaning the Best She Can* wrote: "I don't review as much these days either, only when I actually have the spoons too."

Yeah, I'm noticing more and more people are dialing down on their reviewing. I know it's the latest change we all hate, but I would bet that at least in some cases there's "review fatigue" going on, too.

Jutta wrote: "I empathize with you, Marquise!"

Reviewing fatigue hitting you hard too, Jutta? 🤗

Charlton wrote: "You do you,M!
You should do only do what puts you at ease!"

Yeah, I tend to overdo/overthink things, it's a factory feature and not a bug. 🤣

laurakellylitfit wrote: "Putting only a star rating does not mean you have nothing to say. You reviewed it. No need for an essay how it makes you feel."

Agreed. That's true until you build an audience, and then you sort of work for that audience even if you don't realise it at first. I'm sure many here have experienced or are experiencing this exhaustion but aren't as vocal about it like me and probably talk it privately with their close pals whilst I broadcast it to all and sundry.

Sarah wrote: "Yay, so glad you figured out exactly what was bothering you!"

Thank you, doll! Took me only three years. Fast learner, me! 🤣

I'm proud of you, amor. It's hard to juggle these things when they're both a hobby and a "job" (I know you don't get paid for it, but you do it with a job's dedication). Once something reaches a certain size with certain expectations, it's hard to let it slip back down to something far more casual <3

It’s a tough space to navigate. And change is hard! Lately I love dropping just a star review with absolutely no explanation. If it’s a five start, sure maybe let’s talk. Good luck to you!

Automemory Cub wrote: "Once something reaches a certain size with certain expectations, it's hard to let it slip back down to something far more casual <3"

Yeah, that's what I end up doing unintentionally by nature of what I am like and how passionately I invest in things. Brashcandie and Dolly warned me against this happening here, as did Rag back in the day (he joked that I had turned ASOIAF book discussions into an academic endeavour). 🤣

Must be the drop of German in my blood, this tendency to overengineer my hobbies. 🙃

That's why I'm going to début my for-fun-only little project with the review I told you about was inspired by you. 🥰

London wrote: "It’s a tough space to navigate. And change is hard! Lately I love dropping just a star review with absolutely no explanation. If it’s a five start, sure maybe let’s talk. Good luck to you!"

Thank you, Lond! <3 Makes me feel better to see that there's others that can relate and I'm not the only weirdo hereabouts. :) As I was saying, I suspect there's lots more than experience 'reviewing fatigue' and that could account for many leaving or becoming less active (besides the obvious GR stuff.)

Maybe we can make this a space for discussing reviewing fatigue? I'm sure others need support too. I can open a new thread for my Questions with this topic.

I have had reading slumps because I was not in the mood to write a review— which sounds extreme lol. I also have 2 big (unfinished) ones that honestly feel like an alarm which I keep snoozing. I understand that feeling all too well! And in my case, I write them for myself sans trolls. In other cases I really don’t have anything insightful to add or simply don’t want to. Write what you want to write whether thy passion be joy or fury.😂

After over ten years of active reviewing (and objectively reading far far fewer books than you), I get fatigue now and then, too. I'm sure there's pressure to keep on with what the audience you've built expects, but I have confidence you have the instincts to build one for your new project, or even get some new fans for the subgenres you love.

I removed some of my reviews for this very reason.

Marquise wrote: "Persephone's Pomegranate wrote: "❤️"

You were right, Persy. ❤️🥰

(Now that I have your attention . . . Have you heard about our Lord and saviour of Japanophiles and otakus, the seii taishōgun Yosh..."

I have, thanks to Google 😂

C wrote: "I have had reading slumps because I was not in the mood to write a review— which sounds extreme lol."

I think it's not uncommon that review slumps will lead to reading slumps, they feed each other, but at least here I see more people admitting to reading slumps quite openly and freely, and not so much reviewing slumps.

Thank you, C! I'm happier now. :)

Beth wrote: "I'm sure there's pressure to keep on with what the audience you've built expects..."

There definitely is. I suspect that many more of the popular/active reviewers left due to fatigue than we know, for how suddenly they disappear.

GR is nowhere as competitive for attention as other platforms, but they do encourage it on a smaller scale. All those little 'top' and 'best' positions...

Vanessa wrote: "I removed some of my reviews for this very reason."

I'll do that slowly as I move away and decouple myself from my old stuff here. :)

Persephone's Pomegranate wrote: "I have, thanks to Google 😂"

Now you know! 😂 Wanna watch? I think you'd like it, there's a new season coming up this year, too.

Good call, Marquise! You should enjoy and do what you have at heart doing :)

P.E. wrote: "Good call, Marquise! You should enjoy and do what you have at heart doing :)"

Thank you, PE! <3 I'm better, have more energy for my reviews now too. You'll notice once I start pumping them out on my site and linking to here. :D

Jutta wrote: "Yeah, if not downright All Things Fatigue ... 😖 🙋"

Aw, I'm sorry! Here's another virtual hug to tide you over a wee bit. 🤗🤗🤗

Marquise wrote: "Persephone's Pomegranate wrote: "I have, thanks to Google 😂"

Now you know! 😂 Wanna watch? I think you'd like it, there's a new season coming up this year, too."

It's been ages since I've watched a show. Well, other than the last season of Stranger Things, which was abysmal. I only managed to watch the first, second, half of the third episode, and the finale because it was so boring and predictable. The dialogue was atrocious. I only watched out of loyalty (and for Jamie Campbell Bower).

Marquise wrote: "Jutta wrote: "Yeah, if not downright All Things Fatigue ... 😖 🙋"

Aw, I'm sorry! Here's another virtual hug to tide you over a wee bit. 🤗🤗🤗"

Thank you, Marquise! 🥰 That's just what I need right now. Hugs! 🤗

Persephone's Pomegranate wrote: "It's been ages since I've watched a show."

Or you could try the book too, though I'm not sure the written story would be your cuppa. Hence I was suggesting the show instead, that has more possibilities of being to your taste.

I am in because I love the book, the period, and I have a girl crush on Anna Sawai. 😅

Jutta wrote: "Thank you, Marquise! 🥰 That's just what I need right now. Hugs! 🤗."

Anytime! 🤗 I'm still here and reachable by other means.

Marquise wrote: "Jutta wrote: "Thank you, Marquise! 🥰 That's just what I need right now. Hugs! 🤗."

Anytime! 🤗 I'm still here and reachable by other means."

🤗