Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Fic Talk => General Discussion => Topic started by: MellzBellz on March 25, 2007, 09:23:43 PM
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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...
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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!
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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.
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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 :D
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. ;)
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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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Yea... those kind of stories usually don't last very long with me. Or if its all in like one big lump paragraph.
:D Remember that time you were updating and it lumped yours together and you totally freaked out? :D
*hug*
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:D Remember that time you were updating and it lumped yours together and you totally freaked out? :D
*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.
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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... :D
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I did that once with my very first story because I was just fanfic stupid :P 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.
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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... :D
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 :P
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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 :P
That's what I thought... But one of my friends over there called it "abusing my powers"... And I was like, well, is it abuse if I'm doing it for the good of the board communnity? :D
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I think you have the paitence of a saint Dee... I've tried going through and editing other writers paragraphs. Its just not worth the aggravation sometimes.
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I think you have the paitence of a saint Dee... I've tried going through and editing other writers paragraphs. Its just not worth the aggravation sometimes.
Well, I haven't actually done it. :D
I just go, "Ooh, the fan fic forum is updated! Gah!!! It's one of her 'lord, who knows who is speaking' fan fics'!" And then I ignore it and just mark the whole forum as having been read. :D
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A lot of my loyal readers end up becoming friends of mine, and if they write too, I usually end up reading their stories out of interest because they are friends of mine or because they, knowing me and liking my work, ask to be hosted on my site. I've discovered a lot of really talented writers that way. Sarah (starbeamz2) is one of them. :)
That said, I don't have much time to read for fun anymore, so except for the stories that I've been following for the last few years, I haven't read much fanfic lately. On AC, I will sometimes check out the profiles and stories of people who leave me reviews, just out of curiosity, but I don't necessarily feel obligated to read their stories. I appreciate the fact that they read mine and review, but as Mare pointed out, I hope that they did that because they genuinely like my work, not because they were just trying to plug theirs.
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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.
I totally agree with everything you said here. I unfortunately don't read as much as I used to, but I still like to read; I don't think I'm "bored" with it. I have several reasons for not doing it as much as I used to. One is time, and, related to that, if I'm reading, it means I'm not writing, and I love writing and don't have enough free time to do it as it is, so if I have the choice and am inspired, I'll usually try writing on my own story instead of looking for another story to read. Another reason is that anymore, I do find it hard to find a story that really sucks me in... part of it is me, being too picky and having too short of an attention span, and part of it might be a lack of stories with that nice balance between originality and total "out there"ness. I get tired of seeing the same old stuff all the time too... and yeah, the rape fics have always been a big one. That storyline's never really appealed to me though, except in one case, but of course, that story was never finished. Blah.
On the other hand, I try not to rule a story out just because of its genre or storyline either. Cause I've read fantastic stories of all genres and with all those cliched plots. Opening act romance... one of my favorite trilogies starts out as one of those. Bus crash fic... Whitney Richter's "Where Can We Go From Here" is one of my all-time favorites. Cancer fic... 2 words: Swollen Issues. Kidnapping/Stalker story: I've read quite a few awesome ones with this sort of plot. I think a lot of these storylines become so overused because they're GOOD! With the right author, that is. A truly good writer can take an overused storyline and pump some new life into it and come out with a really amazing story.
And I know personally, my story Broken is a perfect example of what you said last, about the beginning being crappy, but the story improving as it goes on cause the writer got better. ;) Not saying that the ending is amazing, but it's certainly better than the beginning, I think LOL.
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On the other hand, I try not to rule a story out just because of its genre or storyline either. Cause I've read fantastic stories of all genres and with all those cliched plots. Opening act romance... one of my favorite trilogies starts out as one of those. Bus crash fic... Whitney Richter's "Where Can We Go From Here" is one of my all-time favorites. Cancer fic... 2 words: Swollen Issues. Kidnapping/Stalker story: I've read quite a few awesome ones with this sort of plot. I think a lot of these storylines become so overused because they're GOOD! With the right author, that is. A truly good writer can take an overused storyline and pump some new life into it and come out with a really amazing story.
I should clarify what I said earlier lol I really have tried to read stories etc... gotten a few chapters in and then suddenly it turns into a fic I have no interest in. I do look at the genre but the summary also has a lot to do with it as well. It seriously just has to pop out at me to get me to read it.
And I agree with what you said too Mel and I also think it's sad that we aren't reading but like Julie said in her post I just think it's mainly a time issue with most of us. When you find the time to do one or the other I know for me the answer is obvious. I enjoy writing more than reading so I always go for that option. Plus for me as well, I don't enjoy getting sucked into a story that in the end will never be finished. That is the worst , to get all involved and invested in a story and suddenly have the person disappear. It's happened more than once and it sucks major monkey butts!
The other thing is sometimes when reading you think it's going to be an incredible story but ten chapters in suddenly a new character (for me usually Aaron lol) gets introduced and takes center stage and I almost feel gipped that I spent so much time on it lol
I know as i've gotten older I have grown very picky about what I read. I know what I like now when it comes to BSB fanfic. I know that if it's mainly centered on anyone other than Kevin and Nick, i'm not going to enjoy it. I know I don't enjoy reading about the families (i.e. Baylee, Leigh, Kristin etc...) and I know I don't like the girl centered stories. I know what you mean too, there are a lot of sexual assault ones up now, those aren't for me either.
So, yes even though I do look at the genre before reading NOW lol I didn't always do that. This is just a lately thing for me.
And I know i'm probably missing a lot of great writers in the process but it's kind of like the whole you either like Nicholas Sparks or you don't thing. He may be a great writer but I can't get past two chapter of any of his books without saying eh, not for me. lol
I am loving this thread and everyone's different points of view.
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It is kind of unfortunate being one of those writers in the.... less than popular generes though...
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^ But you always have those readers who can't stand the popular genres, like romance. Some people LIVE for sci-fi, fantasy, and the like.
The way it is with Bsb fanfic though, if you're really desperate for readers and feedback, you know what kind of story to write that is most likely to attract them. If you just want to write something that is interesting and appealing to YOU, write what you want, and certainly someone out there will love it too.
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That's true. :)
And I have yet to write a story for the sake of feedback anyway.
When I do, please take away my license.
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^ But you always have those readers who can't stand the popular genres, like romance. Some people LIVE for sci-fi, fantasy, and the like.
The way it is with Bsb fanfic though, if you're really desperate for readers and feedback, you know what kind of story to write that is most likely to attract them. If you just want to write something that is interesting and appealing to YOU, write what you want, and certainly someone out there will love it too.
Couldn't have said it better myself so i'll just plagerize it and call myself Tonja lmao :)
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And I know personally, my story Broken is a perfect example of what you said last, about the beginning being crappy, but the story improving as it goes on cause the writer got better. ;) Not saying that the ending is amazing, but it's certainly better than the beginning, I think LOL.
How ironic because Broken was exactly the example I was thinking of when I mentioned a story who at the beginning had me kind of scratching my head and going Hmm... I think it was the whole Leah being a stripper and her cheating on Nick w/ Justin that made me think Oh god... How teeny! Then when Nick was diagnosed w/cancer I expected it to be a lot less researched than it was and one of those "cancer plots just to add some more cheap thrills to the story." I actually stopped reading it after maybe the first 20 chapters I guess and then one day I picked it up again and I think I read it straight through I was so enthralled with it. Towards the middle of the story I couldn't even remember the beginning anyway. So, yea your fic is a great example of that. I know I'm embarassed at the beginning of UMS, but I'm too lazy to rewrite the beginning now. I prefer not to go back and change too many things in my stories. I'd rather just write better and better with each chapter.
Mare's comment about girl centered fan fics reminded me. I forget that a lot of people argue that in fan fiction they wanna read from the celebrities POV, not from the original character. I've always prefered to write girl centered fics though. To me writing is a great way to release a lot of the feelings I'm going through, so I tend to vent through my heroines I guess. I've gotten a lot better with trying to get the guys perspective too, but I've always had a hard time writing about just the guys being themselves although I love reading about it.
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Uhhh what is reading??? LOL no I try really I try to read stories but I usually read stories by names I'm familiar with anymore. So if you've reviewed me I'm more likely to read your story cause I remember your name! :-D
OOOH Mare, you know some people stick romance in their description just because there will be some love line in it but don't let that phase you about my stories... I'm the queen of the non-gushy ending (More Than That excluded). Or at least I try to end my stories like no one expects but *snaps fingers* someone always seems to guess it before.
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Mare's comment about girl centered fan fics reminded me. I forget that a lot of people argue that in fan fiction they wanna read from the celebrities POV, not from the original character. I've always prefered to write girl centered fics though. To me writing is a great way to release a lot of the feelings I'm going through, so I tend to vent through my heroines I guess. I've gotten a lot better with trying to get the guys perspective too, but I've always had a hard time writing about just the guys being themselves although I love reading about it.
I know in the one fic I do do first person with, its kind of nice having that female perspective to write from. The main character isn't me, but I can relate to her and the story for me flows when I write. I get a kick bouncing from her POV to Nick's lol, cause lets face it, Nick is a guy, that its fun to get in his head.
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How ironic because Broken was exactly the example I was thinking of when I mentioned a story who at the beginning had me kind of scratching my head and going Hmm... I think it was the whole Leah being a stripper and her cheating on Nick w/ Justin that made me think Oh god... How teeny! Then when Nick was diagnosed w/cancer I expected it to be a lot less researched than it was and one of those "cancer plots just to add some more cheap thrills to the story." I actually stopped reading it after maybe the first 20 chapters I guess and then one day I picked it up again and I think I read it straight through I was so enthralled with it. Towards the middle of the story I couldn't even remember the beginning anyway. So, yea your fic is a great example of that. I know I'm embarassed at the beginning of UMS, but I'm too lazy to rewrite the beginning now. I prefer not to go back and change too many things in my stories. I'd rather just write better and better with each chapter.
Hehe... yeah, the begining of Broken is awful; like you with UMS, I would love to go back and rewrite it, but 1) I'm too lazy, and 2) I also like to keep stories as they are so that I can look back on them later and see how much I've improved. It's funny though, because I started out Broken trying to disguise what kind of story it was really going to be, and that probably attracted less readers than if I'd just made it obvious from the get go LOL. Anyway, thanks for giving it a second try, and I'm flattered that you like it. ;D