![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
OT - all apologies
Feb. 8th, 2006 10:24 pmJust a warning that there may be some power outtages here at leavethesky inc. It has come to my attention that work + sick + school + GFinschool + sick=not a lot of free time when I'm actually awake. Not that you're all not used to this by now, but still...
Also, I'm editing a few things in my UserInfo and wanted to post them here because I feel like I'm neglecting people's fic and I'm one of those people who, although totally prepared to throw down if someone's being a jerk, am terrified of hurting anyone's feelings. And apparently I have, which is odd because why do you care what I think? I don't even care what I think. Anyway, for the two people who do care here's the deal:
If I haven't rec'd your fic yet it is NOT because you are a bad writer. It's probably for one of the following reasons:
1. I haven't read it yet. I know it seems like I read a lot of fic but, dude, have you seen the internets?! They're HUGE. And this is the. number. one. reason. for a reason. there are only so many hours in a day.
2. I read it and I wasn't in the mood for that kind of fic. Yep. it could be as simple as me wanting the funny and stumbling on your deeply moving, angsty fic at the very wrong time. That's one of the reasons you'll see me reccing fic internet!years after it was written.
3. You write in a fandom I'm not familiar with. SGA, Desperate Housewives, manga, etc. Yes, I will take chances, but I feel sort of lost in these fics, especially when I have no idea what the characters look like or how they should act. And the inside jokes fall flat at my feet. Basically, I don't feel qualified to say a word about the fandom or anything in it.
4. There were a LOT of grammatical mistakes or tense shift issues. Or possibly too much infodump in the intro. Seriously. I don't need to know that Buffy is the slayer and that she lives in Sunnydale, etc. And betas are wonderful things. So is Strunk & White. Just ask![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sravenk, she sleeps with hers. ;)
5. Characterization is off for me. Because the Willow in my brain may or may not match up with the one in your story and if they're too far off I'll stop reading. And I'd expect anyone to do the same with my fic. Remember kids, femslash reading is for pleasure. It's not broccoli. If you don't like my version of Faith, spit it out.
6. It just wasn't my thing. I can't overstress how subjective all this is. This is all my strange and twisted brain reading fic and deciding whether I like it or not. I don't have a chart or a scientific method. It's all subjective
The advice any pro writer will give you when it comes to writing is this: keep writing. You will get better. You will write gorgeous, moving stories. You will write crap that never sees the light of day (I have TONS of that). But keep writing. And you will find an audience even if it isn't me. Some of the most popular fics in fandom are not my cup of tea, so keep that in mind. This is just my taste. Not theirs or hers or probably even yours so you really shouldn't care what I think. For serious. I cut my own hair. I read physics for fun. I own a copy of "Starship Troopers". Do I need to say more?
Also, I'm editing a few things in my UserInfo and wanted to post them here because I feel like I'm neglecting people's fic and I'm one of those people who, although totally prepared to throw down if someone's being a jerk, am terrified of hurting anyone's feelings. And apparently I have, which is odd because why do you care what I think? I don't even care what I think. Anyway, for the two people who do care here's the deal:
If I haven't rec'd your fic yet it is NOT because you are a bad writer. It's probably for one of the following reasons:
1. I haven't read it yet. I know it seems like I read a lot of fic but, dude, have you seen the internets?! They're HUGE. And this is the. number. one. reason. for a reason. there are only so many hours in a day.
2. I read it and I wasn't in the mood for that kind of fic. Yep. it could be as simple as me wanting the funny and stumbling on your deeply moving, angsty fic at the very wrong time. That's one of the reasons you'll see me reccing fic internet!years after it was written.
3. You write in a fandom I'm not familiar with. SGA, Desperate Housewives, manga, etc. Yes, I will take chances, but I feel sort of lost in these fics, especially when I have no idea what the characters look like or how they should act. And the inside jokes fall flat at my feet. Basically, I don't feel qualified to say a word about the fandom or anything in it.
4. There were a LOT of grammatical mistakes or tense shift issues. Or possibly too much infodump in the intro. Seriously. I don't need to know that Buffy is the slayer and that she lives in Sunnydale, etc. And betas are wonderful things. So is Strunk & White. Just ask
sravenk, she sleeps with hers. ;)5. Characterization is off for me. Because the Willow in my brain may or may not match up with the one in your story and if they're too far off I'll stop reading. And I'd expect anyone to do the same with my fic. Remember kids, femslash reading is for pleasure. It's not broccoli. If you don't like my version of Faith, spit it out.
6. It just wasn't my thing. I can't overstress how subjective all this is. This is all my strange and twisted brain reading fic and deciding whether I like it or not. I don't have a chart or a scientific method. It's all subjective
The advice any pro writer will give you when it comes to writing is this: keep writing. You will get better. You will write gorgeous, moving stories. You will write crap that never sees the light of day (I have TONS of that). But keep writing. And you will find an audience even if it isn't me. Some of the most popular fics in fandom are not my cup of tea, so keep that in mind. This is just my taste. Not theirs or hers or probably even yours so you really shouldn't care what I think. For serious. I cut my own hair. I read physics for fun. I own a copy of "Starship Troopers". Do I need to say more?
