Thing No. 12

[crapdealer]

Day 12 → Whatever tickles your fancyI've been thinking of quitting FF.net for quite a long time now and because I can't arrive on a decision yet, I decided to sit back and let what I see for a month or so decide for me. But while I'm deciding, I'm reminded of some fanfic writers that are just so underrated that sometimes, when I'm feeling

Comments

[crapdealer]

Tch, you and I both! XD I hardly review at all, and I know that what I said smacks of hypocrisy because of it. -_-" I review only for people I personally know won't bite my head off for saying anything, and for those writers whose stories just overwhelmed me that the awe outweighs the irrational fear. ^^;;

Hey, don't pressure yourself. XD I won't tire of saying this, dear - you're not obliged to review every single thing I put up. :D Enjoy the fandom where you are now - we all need breaks, sometimes from other fandoms, and just seize the moment. If you ever come back to the Naruto fandom, just chill and don't flood me with reviews just because you thought I'd be mad at you or something! XD

And oh my, we went to the opposite end of the spectrum! Honestly, authors who threaten not to update unless they received X numbers of reviews irk me. -_-" Even if the story's good, so long as I read anything remotely like that, I close the page. It's not really bad, pleading/cajoling/begging for reviews at the end of a post, but to hold the story hostage until you've reached a certain number of reviews smack of immaturity to me. It feels like the writer is writing only for the sake of adulation.

Ideally, writers write because they love to, but we can't have them all like that. Like how some musicians create music for the fortune and fame, some writers are in it for the glory and prestige. Some just do it because they're just good at it, nothing more and nothing less. And it's not really bad to want those things, to do it for less than noble reasons... but it's disheartening, no?

(reminds me of our local actor - when he was asked why he was acting, he said, "I want to say that I'm doing it for my family, but I'm just really doing it because it's work." at least, he admitted it outright - and he's one of the very few actors in our country that I can call brilliant)

Reading your reply, I came to a conclusion - balance is what a writer needs. A writer can't sustain his passion for words on pure love alone - like fire, it has to be fed with kindle too, and blown by a small gust of wind every now and then, but just enough that the flame remains alive and in no danger of flickering out. When there're no kindle or wind, no words of acknowledgment and encouragement, the love shrivels in time until it becomes cold and black, a sooty bitter reminder of what it used to be. Give the fire too much kindle - too much acknowledgment and encouragement, especially undeserved - and it blazes into a monster, an author with an inflated sense of self who, enjoying the huge swelling of fire, demands more reviews until strong winds of false praises snuff him out from any possible growth as a writer.

... I guess I'm just babbling now because I'm sleepy too. Guhr. Sorry for being too chatty. ^^;;

[eliteassassin]

XD it's fine and I must say I absolutely love your fire analogy, it really does fit exceptionally well 8D Plus with the description you used it was blatant what a good authoress you are to come up with that kind of analogy XD In fact, would you mind if I maybe one day steal it as like a writers Bible or something? I dunno, it just sounds really good and oh so true!

[crapdealer]

Ah, thank you. ^^;; And it would honor me if you do. ^___^

(hot damn, I feel so wise or something ~^^~)