My 2 cents
First off, though she'll never read it, my apologies go to Indy. If I'd just been a selfish git, I wouldn't have asked her to do the FF thing and I'd have done it myself and taken all the shit that's come down from it. Sorry, Indy. I won't do that again.
Secondly, though I've read and I've read, I'm still not totally understanding what the problem is. I mean, sure, it's human nature to want to win at something and then not. It's happened to me a time or ten and it's shitty. But it only makes me try harder (if it's truly something I'm interested in) next time, should there even be a next time.
Most will call me cocky on this, but the truth is what it is. I've won tons of awards for my writing. For the stuff I get paid for. The Growing right now is up for several "Academy Awards" for fictional writing in categories of sci-fi/fantasy and lesbian and gay writing and maybe even book of the year. If it wins, great. If it doesn't, oh well. We tried our best to put out a damn good story and others were just better. *shrug* No big deal one way or the other.
The point is, I have no overwhelming desire to 'stuff a ballot box' to win an award for writing fan fiction. Won bunches of awards for it already, don't need ego stroking, been a writer a long time now.
I certainly didn't nominate any of my own stories, and some of the ones I did never made it to the voting table. Presumably because not many besides me thought to nominate them. I would have voted for them if they had been there, just as I voted for other stories I'd nominated (written by OTHER people) because they're damn good stories.
I frankly don't give a good goddamn if a story is written by someone who's been here ten years or ten minutes. If it's well written, it's well written. If it's enjoyable, it's enjoyable. Period. Time in a fandom has no bearing on whether or not I enjoy a story and will vote for it if it is nominated for an award.
I WANT new folks to come to this community and, more importantly, WRITE for this community. I try my best to make at least some sort of comment on each fic written unless it is a pairing so far out of my knowledge base that I don't know what I'm reading, much less commenting upon. I welcome new folks, I want them here, and I want to read their stuff. Period. End of story.
Our community is so damn tiny, it needs an infusion of new blood every now and again. Plus, I love the genre, so the more stories written, the more enjoyment I get. I, personally, like that.
But...whatever.
Secondly, though I've read and I've read, I'm still not totally understanding what the problem is. I mean, sure, it's human nature to want to win at something and then not. It's happened to me a time or ten and it's shitty. But it only makes me try harder (if it's truly something I'm interested in) next time, should there even be a next time.
Most will call me cocky on this, but the truth is what it is. I've won tons of awards for my writing. For the stuff I get paid for. The Growing right now is up for several "Academy Awards" for fictional writing in categories of sci-fi/fantasy and lesbian and gay writing and maybe even book of the year. If it wins, great. If it doesn't, oh well. We tried our best to put out a damn good story and others were just better. *shrug* No big deal one way or the other.
The point is, I have no overwhelming desire to 'stuff a ballot box' to win an award for writing fan fiction. Won bunches of awards for it already, don't need ego stroking, been a writer a long time now.
I certainly didn't nominate any of my own stories, and some of the ones I did never made it to the voting table. Presumably because not many besides me thought to nominate them. I would have voted for them if they had been there, just as I voted for other stories I'd nominated (written by OTHER people) because they're damn good stories.
I frankly don't give a good goddamn if a story is written by someone who's been here ten years or ten minutes. If it's well written, it's well written. If it's enjoyable, it's enjoyable. Period. Time in a fandom has no bearing on whether or not I enjoy a story and will vote for it if it is nominated for an award.
I WANT new folks to come to this community and, more importantly, WRITE for this community. I try my best to make at least some sort of comment on each fic written unless it is a pairing so far out of my knowledge base that I don't know what I'm reading, much less commenting upon. I welcome new folks, I want them here, and I want to read their stuff. Period. End of story.
Our community is so damn tiny, it needs an infusion of new blood every now and again. Plus, I love the genre, so the more stories written, the more enjoyment I get. I, personally, like that.
But...whatever.