Urgh.

[m_mcgregor]

liz_marcs just brought up fanfic authors who will reply with a "I'm not trying to be a professional writer, I'm just a fanfic writer" when you point out a legitimate problem with their grammar or other work. This reminded me of another pet peeve excuse of mine

Comments

[waddis]

You could probably come up with a new rant series. Rather than Things Fanfiction Must Stop Doing, we'd have Things Fanfiction Authors Must Stop Doing.

I'd read it.

Hell, I stopped using ellipses and burly detectives and all sorts of tropes after I read the former. I still suffer a little from three asterisk syndrome, but only in monumentally lengthy stories in which I can't figure out how to transition otherwise. And I may substitute "said" with "replied" or "answered" or "retorted" as the case necessitates.

Point is, people can learn if you slap them over the head enough. Call me stupid for using dashes, for instance, and I'll likely stop.

All the best.

[m_mcgregor]

You can never use enough dashes!

Honestly, it would be hard to write another thing on fanfiction because I've really read hardly any in the last year or two. I write it, but I very rarely read it. And if I could figure out my faults and tell me how to fix them, well then I wouldn't have them as faults anymore.

[waddis]

I was unaware that you don't read it often.

For the most part, I get a lot of my influences from reading fanfiction, although this also has the effect of tempting me to reuse lines I like.

I'd kill to have come up with "...pointed to a spot on the wall which was distinct in its lack of clock-having."

Sometimes, though, if I'm having trouble coming up with a certain tone to a section or a means of handling interaction, I check out other stories for inspiration. I've checked a few of your stories, for instance.

[m_mcgregor]

I used to read a lot more often. A few years back when I first started writing, I was reading all the time. Nowadays I really only read fanfic when the mood for a particular genre strikes me (such as a fevered weekend in which I devoured every non-bashy Xander-power story I could get my hands on...All four of them.)

I feel bad about this, because there are great authors writing great stories that I'm simply not reading. I suspect it's because whenever I do try to read something I feel like I should be writing instead, or that I'd like to do a similar story but with my own personal twist on it. That's probably not all of it though. I just don't seem to have the drive to read fanfic most of the time.

Of course, half the time I don't have the drive to write it either. I tend to get really obsessed with something for a while and then stop caring for months at a time, so there's a good chance I'll come back to reading consistently again.

[slaymesoftly]

I'm going to link back to here from riters_r_us if you don't mind? Could provide some back up for beleaguered betas. :)

[m_mcgregor]

Link it like the Master Sword, baby!

[slaymesoftly]

Thanks. :) Done!

Amen, brother!

[anonymous]

Years ago, on the FFML, I ran head-to-head with someone with this attitude. I couldn't -- and still can't -- understand how someone could want to write but not want to write well. I asked him, "What's the point of writing something if no one wants to read it because it's so rife with errors? Don't you have any pride in your work?" I never got an answer back.

Re: Amen, brother!

[m_mcgregor]

The point is that they're looking to get that quick ego-stroke of someone giving them mindless positive feedback.

I believe "great work!" is the go-to response they're looking for. They aren't writers. They're addicts.

Re: Amen, brother!

[nezzid]

I have to admit,I too am a praise-whore, but at least I'm a high class one. I love it when a reviewer will tell me that they enjoyed my fic, but I love it even more when a reviewer is so invested in the piece they ask questions and provide constructive criticism on my writing style. I swear, I geek-gasm everywhere.

As much as I do love the "great work" reviews, I thought the whole purpose of writing in the fanfic community was to practice one's craft while exploring familiar and dear characters with the added benefit of constructive criticism that would help one to, hm I don't know, IMPROVE. Maybe I'm just silly.

Re: Amen, brother!

[m_mcgregor]

Constructive criticism and feedback (praising or not), truly in-depth analysis of something I've done? That's the holy grail. I've gotten it very, very rarely, but it's always treasured. I can't pretend getting good feedback isn't nice, but there's nothing like someone caring so much about what you wrote that they actually tell you what you did right and what you did wrong.

Not just because of the ego boost, but because like you said, it's what helps you improve. And that should be what we're all striving for.

Why stop at fanfic?

[anonymous]

I think the problem is that the bar has been set too low overall. Let's raise it to its' proper height: if you're going to write anything, for any purpose, whether it be e-mail, blog post or fan fic, do a good job and write it well. No escape hatches or excuses.

SDM

[physicsteach]

I can't get over the fact that you tried to read the Star Trek novelization. I mean, I enjoyed the movie, but it made less sense than "Spock's Brain" or, well, anything else that doesn't make any sense. The actors were fantastic at capturing the characters, and the effects were as well done as any I can recall, but there were plot holes larger than the random bottomless trenches in Kirk's Iowa landscape. I can't imagine that a print version would be coherent.