G.L. Sandborn wrote:
In any case, I concur with Mr. Biles. Enjoy your little
'contest'. Have fun with it. It's just one more piece of spam I have
to delete. Just don't expect me to participate in any way. I have no
need for the phony gratification. What's more, I know what I like. I
don't need a 'poll' to confirm my selections.
- Greg
Many valuable points made here. I, for one, would rather have more
comments and criticism of my stories than "awards", per se. Yes, it is
gratifying to know that people like your work. On the other hand, I am
quite convinced that said work could be better if I received more
comments and criticism on it.
I do not write fanfiction to please others, though I do hope that
others are pleased by my work. Truthfully, I don't even write it to
please myself. I write to improve my skills, and to tell a tale. Like
any teller of tales, I hope that they might prove entertaining;
nevertheless, the story itself is motive enough.
That said... I am not ENTIRELY opposed to such a poll/contest/etc.
There are many spectacular writers on this list, and they are deserving
of recognition (even if many of them would not admit it). Certainly it
would be nice to be able to honor some of their work.
There exists a serious problem with this idea, though. Just because
the majority of a group of people (even writers) like a work, does not
make that work necessarily "better" than anyone else's. It would be
more appropriate perhaps to honor a group of fanfic authors which have
distinguished themselves by their excellent work. Then again... there
are so many good writers here that such a task becomes nearly
infeasible.
Ah, well... I have rambled enough. I shall not be casting any votes,
as I do not feel qualified to judge the work of others who have been
writing for far longer than I have. I will be content to tell and read
the tales spun and placed here, and to enjoy the telling and reading.