Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby WarpGirl » Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:32 pm

Oh no no no, I'd never accept anonymous reviewes ever again. No way, verbal abuse is not worth a few extra comments, being threatened, isn't worth it, dangerous crazy messages isn't worth it.

What really gets on my nerves is when people threaten to withhold the next chapter unless they get reviews, or keep telling readers "they'll post more quickly" it irritates me to know end, and I don't want to review them. You can't force people to comment on your work, if that's all you do this for then you're going to be disatisfied.

I believe your work should sell itself, if you aren't getting any comments at all, then perhaps you need to take a look at the work.
Some of these people haven't taken their medication. Let's see what happens now...
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And by people WG had herself in mind, but then the quote would have been ruined.
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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby Silverbullet » Mon Feb 20, 2012 8:36 pm

Alelou, what about getting a notice that a story wich had been up for a few months suddenly is on someone's favorite story list? That happens to me on occasion.

NIce but how do I thank them. I tired to send a message but get a notice that message cannot be sent.

FF Net is something else because so many countires are represented. I was surprised one month when there were readers from 33 countries. Guess there were one readerr for many countires. I mean Yemen?

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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby Alelou » Mon Feb 20, 2012 9:20 pm

WarpGirl, you can delete rude comments that are anonymous. It's the ones that aren't anonymous that you're stuck with. (I got one awhile back from some Italian guy -- Distracted, I noticed you got one too -- who just wants to give the same ridiculous spiel unrelated to the story at all. Maybe it was A/T? I don't remember. His profile revealed him to be quite the idiot in general.)

I don't thank people for making me a favorite author. Although it's nice, I tend to think that's something people do for themselves so they can go back and click on the link easily. Same with 'favorite-ing' my stories. There are people who must favorite every single story they read. Anyway, I put on my profile that I don't thank personally for that. It's just not very personal, compared to a review. Not that I don't appreciate it, but it's not like you really reached out to me.

The weirdest thing is when people put a story alert notification on something that's complete. I may tell them an author alert would be more useful, if I'm in the mood to bother.
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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby WarpGirl » Mon Feb 20, 2012 9:26 pm

It's not the getting the rude comments, that bothers me. I accept that doing this means that people can be as opinionated as they choose. But, I've gotten some that were downright dangerous. I prefer not to recieve them at all, and I don't want to know I get them ever again. The block prevents that.
Some of these people haven't taken their medication. Let's see what happens now...
Donna Moss: The West Wing


And by people WG had herself in mind, but then the quote would have been ruined.
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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby Kotik » Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:51 pm

WarpGirl wrote:It's not the getting the rude comments, that bothers me. I accept that doing this means that people can be as opinionated as they choose. But, I've gotten some that were downright dangerous. I prefer not to recieve them at all, and I don't want to know I get them ever again. The block prevents that.


I've written some highly controversial stuff and quite frankly the most rude comment I ever got came from you, so I think you might just be exaggerating. I've been publishing on a free space like ff.net and never got a comment that really struck me as overly rude. You can delete the anonymous ones and the named ones you can either report to the admins or just ignore, so what's the deal? And what do you consider a 'downright dangerous' comment? I don't quite get, how some dribble posted by someone can be dangerous? :shock:

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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby WarpGirl » Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:58 pm

Comments like "you should die" (more graphically phrazed) are dangerous for everyone.
Some of these people haven't taken their medication. Let's see what happens now...
Donna Moss: The West Wing


And by people WG had herself in mind, but then the quote would have been ruined.
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May We Together Become Greater Than The Sum Of Us
*Rights,* Wrongs, and Choices

Kotik

Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby Kotik » Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:02 pm

WarpGirl wrote:Comments like "you should die" (more graphically phrazed) are dangerous for everyone.


Seriously, do you take something like that seriously :?:

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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby WarpGirl » Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:08 pm

I think that if someone is unstable enough to threaten a person's life over a fanfic, then they're unstable enough to hurt someone. Maybe not me, but it's pretty obvious they are a dangerous person.
Some of these people haven't taken their medication. Let's see what happens now...
Donna Moss: The West Wing


And by people WG had herself in mind, but then the quote would have been ruined.
Fics
May We Together Become Greater Than The Sum Of Us
*Rights,* Wrongs, and Choices

Kotik

Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby Kotik » Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:16 pm

*Snort* Image

People write things that they wouldn't dare say in person. I once was called a pervert over a piece of fanfiction by a person, who wouldn't have said that to my face (unless she fancied being roundhouse-kicked out of her wheel-chair). See what I mean? Insulting people via internet is easy and the worst it can get you is a warning (which I have in abundance) or a ban, but it doesn't make a bloody difference in real life, so why the heck would you take that seriously.

PS: I would never roundhouse kick you
a) because I'm too fat to complete the move and
b) because I would never engage in violence against women


But I was well able to write it. Hope you understand what I mean. Never take written internet comments too serious.
Last edited by Kotik on Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby Cogito » Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:26 pm

I wonder whether there is any one best way to write a story. What seems to work best for me (although 'best' is a relative term given my rather short track record) is starting with a reasonably clear idea in my head of the ending I'm aiming for, even if the plot leading to that ending is only hazy at first. The better writers evidently put a great deal of thought into the plot and come up with twists that I would never have dreamed of so perhaps my approach isn't a good one, but it is the way that seems to work for me.

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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby Distracted » Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:53 pm

That approach actually works really well for short stories, Cogito. I probably should have used more of that approach for the novel I'm working on, since I'm having so much trouble finishing the darned thing.

And, Kotik, I would greatly appreciate it if you would take online interactions more seriously, at least on this board, and refrain from even jokingly threatening other members. I know you were trying to make a point about ad hominem attacks, but try to be less scary doing it, if you don't mind. Especially when said member has already told you that online threats of violence frighten her.
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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby Kotik » Wed Feb 22, 2012 12:02 am

Distracted wrote:And, Kotik, I would greatly appreciate it if you would take online interactions more seriously, at least on this board, and refrain from even jokingly threatening other members. I know you were trying to make a point about ad hominem attacks, but try to be less scary doing it, if you don't mind. Especially when said member has already told you that online threats of violence frighten her.


Tell me a better way to phrase it. :shock: I just wrote it with an immediate appendix of explaining that I wouldn't do it and why. That doesn't even take into consideration that I'm on the other end of the globe :o I don't know where WG lives and there is a huge effing pond between us. How in the name of all that's holy can this be frightening :?:

I just wanted to explain that people can write a lot of junk and one shouldn't take it literally. :dunno:
Last edited by Kotik on Wed Feb 22, 2012 12:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby Cogito » Wed Feb 22, 2012 12:07 am

Distracted wrote:I probably should have used more of that approach for the novel I'm working on


Distracted should have used an approach I suggested? I'm definitely going to print and frame that!

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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby Distracted » Wed Feb 22, 2012 12:19 am

I don't know, Kotik, but since Warpgirl had just finished posting about how much online threats of physical violence disturb her, I guess I was hoping for a bit more understanding and less confrontation. Giving someone who's afraid of something another dose of precisely what they're afraid generally doesn't make them feel any better. No matter how logical your argument, if you make your point violently some people will be frightened by it. Although there may be times in a person's life when threats are effective and appropriate, this, in my opinion, was not one of those times.

Cogito, I'm an unpublished amateur. I am open to any suggestions anyone cares to offer about writing. 8)
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Re: Advice for fanfic writers: What would YOU say?

Postby Cogito » Wed Feb 22, 2012 12:39 am

Distracted wrote:Cogito, I'm an unpublished amateur. I am open to any suggestions anyone cares to offer about writing. 8)


You should write more TnT stories!

(OK it's a long shot, but surely worth a try.) :evillol:


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