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[MellzBellz]

I prolly should be working on my paper or doing some packing for this weekend, but I'm bored so I decided to throw this topic out for discussion. I was just wondering how many of you make an effort to at least try to read the stories of authors who are steady readers/reviewers of your story. Do you make more of an effort to read their things to kind of thank them?

I try to read a little bit of everything and I try to leave feedback although usually my feedback is once every few chapters since I'm so busy I wind up reading a few chapters at a time. When I've reviewed people who have read my story they seem SOOO thankful that I as a writer they admire took the time out to check out what they are doing and it is a nice feeling. Although I don't always get the same treatment in return from authors I admire, but I understand how hard it is to read all the great fiction out there! I was just curious...

[mare]

I know this isn't going to be a very popular answer but unfortunately, no. There are very few if any stories I even read anymore to be honest. When it comes to being a fanfic reader, I think I have lost interest, sadly.   I tend to look at the genres and if I see romance listed I don't even bother reading anymore. I'm hoping it's a phase but seems like everything out there is romance or turns into romance. Just not for me.

I will read short stories though, just not the longer ones because I agree it's nice for people to feel appreciated. So when someone pops up with a short I will read and leave a review, i'm trying to anyway.

but in the same vein...

I never expect people to read my stories unless they really want to. I would hate to think people are reading just in hopes that the favor will be returned. I know I want people to read my stuff that really want to read it. The things I write I know not everyone will find appealing and for those people I don't want them to feel like they are obligated to read it just because I have read their stuff. I never understood that way of thinking.

When I was first starting out people would review me and say hey you should check my story out and I always did but after doing that I found a lot of them I just didn't like and I ended up being fake in my reviewing because it wasn't my thing but they were reviewing me so it kind of just became an obligation. Reading shouldn't feel like a chore, but after awhile it did. I think maybe that's why I grew out of reading fanfic? I have no clue. Then I noticed when I stopped reviewing them they stopped reviewing me which tells me they were reviewing me for the wrong reasons in the first place lol

I'm not only talking about AC, I mean via emails etc... that's how a lot of my reviews were at first.

Anyway, that's my whole thinking on the matter. I know there are a lot of really talented writers on AC and out there in general, sometimes you can just tell by the way they post or write their summaries. I am going to try harder to read things I find popping up (like on this forum in the behind the scenes section) but as far as committing to a long novel, I don't think i'll be doing that unless it's a subject matter that really appeals to me.

And procrastinatio n is fun. LOL I should be grading right now, but of course I need to go to bed!

[nicksgal]

I can never find the time to read, really. Usually, I only read something if a friend wrote it, and even then it's not always the case. I owe both you, Mel, and PuraPura plenty of reading time that I just haven't been able to give out.

And despite my being the queen of long novels, which I think is my problem, I'm gonna agree with Mare, the shorter it is, the more likely I'll read it.

I dunno... I've kinda grown out of fan fic reading because I feel like the same thing keeps coming up over and over again, and I don't really like it, so... That's about it.

[mers]

It's just not the way i look at reading fanfics. I'd like to think that when someone reviewed my fic, it's because they genuinely like/dislike the story and would like to comment on them in their reviews and not because they're looking forward for me to read theirs. But i admit, i'd be more incline to read their stuff because i find it easy going to their profile and go through their fics rather than scour for pages until i find one that i like.

I miss reading fanfics to be honest, I hardly took time to look around for fics to read because once im in a reading mode, I'd stop writing. im so bad at balancing both writing and reading. But if i review someone, it's not because i feel like i have to return a favour, it's because i have something to say about it to the author. Hope that helps mellz

[starbeamz]

I did read reviewers' work...in the beginning. Now, when I have time to read, I've bookmarked the stories that are interesting to me and read just those when they're updated. I think it's too easy to feel like you need to pat each other on the backs (you and the reader) to "repay" each other. Which is not the point of a review. If I'm going to read and review, I want to honestly be interested in the story (I think Mare said something along those lines, too) because, otherwise, the review isn't honest. And which one of us really wants a fake response? It's not helpful to either writer.

Reading fanfic should be fun! Not something you do because you feel obligated to...right? I hope that makes sense and helps, Mel!

[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.

[nicksgal]

Yea... those kind of stories usually don't last very long with me. Or if its all in like one big lump paragraph.

Remember that time you were updating and it lumped yours together and you totally freaked out?

*hug*

[MellzBellz]

Remember that time you were updating and it lumped yours together and you totally freaked out?

*hug*

Yes! I was like OMG NO! I'm going to lose readers cuz they are going to think I can't make paragraphs! LOL Seriously though I can't read something when its just a block of letters especially on a computer screen... My eyes tend to glaze over.

[nicksgal]

Yes! I was like OMG NO! I'm going to lose readers cuz they are going to think I can't make paragraphs! LOL Seriously though I can't read something when its just a block of letters especially on a computer screen... My eyes tend to glaze over.

*pats Mel* Well, the important thing is that you fixed it.

Mine too... Especially when three or four people speak in the same line.... There's one girl that keeps doing that on the BLVD and I keep telling her to stop and she won't listen... I'm half tempted to use my all powerful Mod powers and edit it for her...

[starbeamz]

I did that once with my very first story because I was just fanfic stupid  I can't even look at it anymore because it hurts to read it that way. But I totally know what you mean LOL

Yes! I was like OMG NO! I'm going to lose readers cuz they are going to think I can't make paragraphs! LOL Seriously though I can't read something when its just a block of letters especially on a computer screen... My eyes tend to glaze over.

[starbeamz]

Mine too... Especially when three or four people speak in the same line.... There's one girl that keeps doing that on the BLVD and I keep telling her to stop and she won't listen... I'm half tempted to use my all powerful Mod powers and edit it for her...

That's the worst! Every time I see a story like that, after the first chapter, I refuse to read it again. I think it would be very Good Samaritan of you to fix it for her