Because LJ's comment cap is ridiculously low...

[brihana25]

Mr. Collins, if you're still around, here's my answer to your comment on my last post. I tried putting it under that comment, but it's 1000+ characters over the limit, and there's no way I could find to shorten it.

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Comments

[captain_tiv]

Another person who doesn't like to be told the truth. Is there something in the water that's helping breed "writers" like this? They seem to be coming out of the woodwork lately. Sheesh!

Look at us -- we're fanfic writers. We write for the love of the show and we do our best to stay as close to canon (unless writing an AU although all fanfiction is AU *g*). Don't these "professional" writers know that you get ALL the details right as much as possible? No detail is unimportant.

[brihana25]

Are you serious? What, this is "Tell Off the Fangirls Month" and missed it? Where else is this happening? Goldberg isn't back on the warpath, is he?

*sigh*

And yes, obviously I agree that the minor details are important. That's actually what started this whole little drama in the first place - me pointing out (strenuously and bluntly, yes) that Michael Weatherly's eyes are green.

[captain_tiv]

I'm serious. I've been touring a few websites/forums/etc and finding the exact same situation with other people. "Pro" writer writers a tie-in novel and readers are pointing out the obvious and the writer gets a bug up their butt about it. I don't remember the fandoms right now because I was just cruising past the posts before going elsewhere, but it's happening in other fandoms.

[gategrrl]

Holy crap, Bri.

This makes me wonder if the authors of some of the books *I* review have read the reviews, which makes me a little paranoid, frankly. I mean, we're NOT "pro"reviewers at all. These are personal journals. Even taking into account that writers are peoplez, too...it does cast a pall.

I know if freaked Jennifer Kesler on Hathor when she wrote a review of one of Neil Gaiman's books and he wrote her back. Freaked me out, too. Normally, authors don't comment on their own reviews unless it's too correct an outright error in facts. And even then...yikes.

[brihana25]

I guess we just have to deal with what comes our way. Does it make me nervous to think that a professional writer has been reading my LJ? Maybe a little bit, I guess... but not nearly so much as it would make me to think that Julie Fortune had been here.

If she ever turned up, I think I'd just fall over dead.

TAG!

[ex_rachelca]

Well, okay, I didn't log in as Julie Fortune, but I am, in fact, Julie Fortune. :) (You can ask littleheaven70, she'll tell ya

Re: TAG!

[brihana25]

Oh, I know who you are. I read Weather Warden, and my mother-in-law reads mysteries, and I'm too big a fan of Stargate. We have a lot of friend in common, so yeah, I know you're you.

Um...

Other than that... yeah, um... okay, not dead maybe, but definitely speechless.

I am most definitely going to faint now, though, I think. I'll be okay in a minute, I just... need some fangirl time...

:)

[nialla42]

You weren't rude, but he certainly was. It was your opinion, and while corrections on technicalities would be fine, slamming fans is not cool.

Why is it some professional writers don't seem to know how to act professional in their dealings with fans? We're the people who buy your work, so if you don't like what we have to say, you might want to keep your mouth shut or you'll run off even more fans when they hear about how you've acted.

I quit watching one show due more to how TPTB were acting towards fans than the show itself. I could ignore gaping plot holes, but not repeated slams against fans.

[littleheaven70]

I don't think anything in your post was rude. And as you said, you have every right to express your opinion. And like I said, I also find myself giving up on a lot of the media tie-in novels because I've read much better fanfic. Maybe it takes being an avid fan of the show to really catch the passion and vibe of the universe and characters. Because most of the official novels I've read (albeit in the Angel fandom) have been nicely written with good storylines, but they didn't provoke an emotional response from me like some of the fanfic has.

[nialla42]

I think the "problem" with many media tie-ins is they're somewhat limited in what they can do. I haven't read many in recent years, so things may have changed, but it generally has to be "episodic" and not have any long-term effects on the characters.

One reason I enjoy fanfic is there are no restrictions. You can even recast the characters in a new setting if you want.

I do know at least some of the profic authors are fans before they write their books, but I think the restrictions applied to profic can take out a lot of the "flavor" fanfic can use without a problem.

[littleheaven70]

Yes, I agree that does place significant restrictions on the author. They have to fit perfectly into canon and nothing they do can have future plot or character ramifications.

However, I've still read fanfic that managed that in spectacular fashion and was much better than the official novels (I'm talking about Rheanna in the Angel fandom). Her genfic was incredible. Like watching an episode of the show. Voices so true you could hear the character speaking in your head, and really good, meaty plots.

I'm in no way saying that just because a person isn't a fan, that they can't write a really good media tie-in, I'm just saying that I have yet to read one that I enjoyed as much as some of the faithfully canon fanfic in the same fandom.

[khek]

Whoa. I think someone is overreacting just a bit, and it's not anyone who owns this journal

[ex_rachelca]

I'll tell you a terrible secret about writers: we egosurf.

Sad, I know.

BTW, I am a media tie-in writer, and I got body-slammed more times than I can count by bad reviews. And I'm okay with that. If I get things wrong, all I can do is try to get them right next time. And I will never blame anyone for pointing out my shortcomings.

-- Rachel

[khek]

I think there are a lot of people who ego surf; I'm guessing that probably people who have some kind of a public presence but who haven't hit the gossip column status yet are more likely to do so more than the average person. (It would be hard not to, if you know it's possible!)

And I know who you are too...we have several friends in common. :) I have no doubt that you'd be gracious in the face of a bad review, or not say anything. It seems like you write for the joy of it--to tell a story and share that story with others. I wonder if there's a difference if a writer writes only for the money or the media attention. I'm a children's librarian, and I've met quite a few authors...the ones who write to get awards or make money are easy to pick out, and they tend to be rather arrogant and dismissive of any criticism, even if it's valid, because they can't be wrong.

I've read your books and loved the Weather Warden series. I just hooked my sister on them! I've also loved your Highlander fanfic.

[ex_rachelca]

I think the problem a lot of writers have is that in a very real way, criticism coming from an unexpected quarter just hurts, and the natural impulse is to defend yourself. Just to be clear, it's not just a pro problem -- fan writers do it too. It's a very natural impulse.

But it's a DUMB impulse. What you wrote is on the page, it's there. You can't run around lecturing people on what they were SUPPOSED to see. If they don't see it, they just don't. And it's okay that not everyone does. Hey, I don't get Bridges of Madison CountyTrue story: I got an absolutely scathing, take-no-prisoners review on GLASS HOUSES when it first came out, emailed to my website from someone who just really hated the book. I thought hard about my response, and finally wrote back that I was very sorry he/she hadn't liked the book, I would be most happy to refund the money and send her a B&N gift card so she could buy someone else, and I gave her a list of books I thought she might like by other authors