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I'm gonna to whine and rant behind the tag. If it bothers you, don't click. If you click, don't complain afterwards. And please, spare me the lecturing. It's within my human rights to be unhappy about a situation that I can't change.
Lately, I read a story in one of my numerous fandoms. It was written by someone who offered me to beta my stories in that particular fandom - then simly went silent. It does happen to me time and again. Anyway, the story was good. Not outstanding, now captivatingly original... just good average. It was a pleasant read.
It also had 55 comments, the time I read it. Even if half of the comments are the author's replies (I didn't check), it's a lot of feedback. And it gave me a serious cause of sour grapes again. Because, you see, I do write at least as well. Okay, perhaps not grammatically, I'm not a native speaker, after all, which is why I would need betas. But I can state without false modesty that my stuff is good. At world-building, I dare to say that I'm better than the average. Far better, actually.
So, why gets most of what I write ignored? Even in communities that aim at a specific character/genre/whatever? Actually, the most feedback I get is from FF.Net still. At least, if people don't comment (which they rarely do), at least they put my stories on their Favourites and Alerts list. That's still better than nothing. On LJ, I get very little feedback. Even comments from the Gwen-bashing comm have gone back considerably. Sometimes I think I could e-mail the next chapter to the two or three people who regularly read and save me the effort to publish the stuff.
Really, am I overtaxing my potential readers with the necessity of thinking and paying attention to the details, or am I writing crap? No, I'm *not* writing crap, dammit!
Yeah, I know, it's the same as in real life. Some people are just not born to get the appreciation their work would deserve. It's really depressing.
Lately, I read a story in one of my numerous fandoms. It was written by someone who offered me to beta my stories in that particular fandom - then simly went silent. It does happen to me time and again. Anyway, the story was good. Not outstanding, now captivatingly original... just good average. It was a pleasant read.
It also had 55 comments, the time I read it. Even if half of the comments are the author's replies (I didn't check), it's a lot of feedback. And it gave me a serious cause of sour grapes again. Because, you see, I do write at least as well. Okay, perhaps not grammatically, I'm not a native speaker, after all, which is why I would need betas. But I can state without false modesty that my stuff is good. At world-building, I dare to say that I'm better than the average. Far better, actually.
So, why gets most of what I write ignored? Even in communities that aim at a specific character/genre/whatever? Actually, the most feedback I get is from FF.Net still. At least, if people don't comment (which they rarely do), at least they put my stories on their Favourites and Alerts list. That's still better than nothing. On LJ, I get very little feedback. Even comments from the Gwen-bashing comm have gone back considerably. Sometimes I think I could e-mail the next chapter to the two or three people who regularly read and save me the effort to publish the stuff.
Really, am I overtaxing my potential readers with the necessity of thinking and paying attention to the details, or am I writing crap? No, I'm *not* writing crap, dammit!
Yeah, I know, it's the same as in real life. Some people are just not born to get the appreciation their work would deserve. It's really depressing.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 11:29 am (UTC)Fingers crossed for good things happening to you soon as well. In the meantime: have some chocolate *points at icon*, hugs and sympathy.
(Edited to fix html codes)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 11:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 03:46 pm (UTC)A good book really *is* the most powerful weapon in the universe.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 05:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 12:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 03:47 pm (UTC)Thanks, my friend!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 01:11 pm (UTC)I think fanfic readers tend to like stories that stick to set formulas and if your story isn't one of those,it will most likely be overlooked even if of very high quality.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 03:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 02:03 pm (UTC)I agree. You're great at world-building and are a super writer; you DO deserve a lot more reviews. It's strange and unfair. *hugs*
Guess Linda has a point about teenage readers: many of them don't mind that the characters are wildly OOC, have no idea about canon - or even the general laws of nature - and are simply unable to appreciate your stories.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 03:51 pm (UTC)But again, as Seamus Harper from "Andromeda" tends to say: The Universe hates you. Deal with it! I'm just not very good at the dealing with part right now.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 07:43 pm (UTC)Well, who would be? Basically it sucks. If you knew why this is so, then you could fix it, but as it is - there's not much to do, really. :-(
I'm a horrible reviewer myself, probably average one per month (doing MEFA reviews darn near killed me!), so I'm definitely one of those who do not give feedback. sorry.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 02:57 pm (UTC)And maybe this is just me, for I am very insecure about my mediocre writing, but I find it much harder to write a review for a good author than for one who is average. I mean, they are more deserving than a simple, "I loved the story". AND, since they write much BETTER than me, I am right off the bat, totally intimidated! So while with some, I may review every chapter, with others I try to write more but may not necessarily leave as many. Yeah, I know, I am screwed up.
For what it's worth, IMO, your stories are better than most that are out there. That you don't get more reviews to me is totally perplexing!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 04:00 pm (UTC)Ummm... you know, I'm not *that* demanding. "I loved the story" is something I actually like to read. ;) It can't always be an in-depth essay about the awesomeness of my writing, right? I get quite a few on-liners on FF.Net, and I'm always happy about them.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 05:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-11 12:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-10 04:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-11 05:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-11 10:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-20 12:13 am (UTC)If you do not become a homicidal psychopath as a result of this exposure, we will then ponder together why it is that folks will consume endless CRAP, go fangrrl-crazy over CRAP and give over hours of their precious free time to CRAP, but can't get off their mental asses long enough to say, "Great fic!"
You do not write CRAP. I have had the privilege of beta-reading for you, so I know the quality of your work is not the result of a good editor. Other than the fact that there are gazillions of fics out there and only 24 hours in a day, I cannot fathom why you don't get the praise you so richly deserve. It sucks. [passes the tray of Lindtir milk chocolate over to you and pours you another pint of Loweredbrow]