Fic Talk > General Discussion
Do you try to read your readers work?
honey:
For me, I do tend to read the work of my readers, but not because I feel I owe it to them. I am grateful for the encouragement they send my way, especially when it's someone who I admire as a fanfic writer. But the way I look at it, is that I write what I like and I assume most others do too. So if there are a few that are constantly telling me how much they enjoy my stories then I figure we have something in common and I'm a lot more likely to enjoy their stories than someone random that I've never heard from. It usually works too. Not always, but a lot of times. In fact one of my most faithful reviewers is now my favorite author.
I also have had several people come to me asking questions or looking for a little help and I will always take the time (if I can) to talk to them. It's flattering to to think they're asking me because they saw something in my work that they really liked, so I do a lot of beta reading for my reviewers because they do mean a lot to me and I would love to give back to them a little of what they've done for me.
I also think it's kind of sad to hear everyone say how they don't really enjoy reading fanfic anymore. I mean I guess I understand where you're comming from and I feel the same way about a lot of the stories out there, but that only makes it better when I discover one I really love. For me personally, my motivation to work on my own fanfics comes from reading other's work and being inspired by it.
Rose:
I would love to, I do check the profiles of those who review and take note. Just cause I'm always looking for fiction that captures my interest. I've had Kelly on my list for awhile, (since she reads Just Another Day....which I'm almost ready to update...yay) along with others, but its the lack of time. I do appreciate my readers. I don't read just cause they review, but I do check the profiles for fics if solely out of nosiness lol.
MellzBellz:
Thanks for all your opinions! Yea I wouldn't want reviews because someone feels obligated. I hope they'd enjoy my story anyway if they are reading it. I agree with Kelly though about it being sad that a lot of us are "bored" with fan fiction. How do we write it if we're bored by reading it? If so many of us are bored then that must mean less people are reading in general. Could it be because ts just a dead period with the guys right now?
I know the tendency of many fics is for the SAME things to happen and certain plotlines seem to go in cycles. (Is it just me or am I seeing a lot of rape victim stories lately?) That does get boring after a while, but I personally try not to rule out one particular genre or plotline right off the bat. I at least attempt to start it because there have been cases where I've read a story in a genre I'd normally glance over such as sci-fi or fantasy and have actually enjoyed it. Plus, then I feel like I'm ignoring talented authors who don't get read as much because of their genre. If I get bored or can't follow the plot then I give up, but I like to try not to juge a book by its cover or the number of reviews it has. I know some GREAT stories who have hardly any reviews and some not so great ones that have a couple hundred.
I also try to take into account (especially in longer fics) that the beginning may have been written awhile ago and the author has improved quite a bit over the course of the story. I can think of a few stories that in the beginning I really had to force myself through thinking it was a "teeny" fic but in the end the pay off was amazing.
nicksgal:
Well, I think the longer anyone sticks with something, the better they get, right?
It's all about practice. :)
But really, any story that starts off with a summary "I was BSB's opening act and Nick started to take a liking to me..." make me run the other direction as fast as I can. ;)
MellzBellz:
Yea... those kind of stories usually don't last very long with me. Or if its all in like one big lump paragraph.
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