At 01:02 AM 2/3/97 -0500, you wrote:

As an author, I have a request.
If you see something and read it, please email the author to say
*somehting*.  Even it it's
"I liked it" or "I don't get it." or "I de|eted it because the spelling
was so bad."

Why?
1) Because a lot of people's series' deserve more C&C.  Some authors might
decide that no one is listening, so they'll stop writing...I don't want
this to happen.

        Very true. Even though I'm very grateful to all those who've sent me
C&C (You know who you are!), I realize that many other fanfic authors out
there are simply craving for the stuff. I remember posting my first fanfic
and getting only one response. (Does anybody still remember 'Trouble in
Furinkan High'?) Though it's true, that one piece of C&C boosted my
confidence more than anything else. (You know who you are! Or maybe not...)
        To new writers, I guess all I can say is keep on writing. You'll
have a following soon enough (if you write well and post often, unlike SOME
SPONGES out there). As they say in Jamaica, 'One one apple big basket'.
(Step-by-step does it)

2) The best way to stir up a big commotion is with shocking, ooc spamfics.
Eventually, the list will just dissolve into these, if it hasn't already.
People will start thinking "Well, no-one read the nice, well-written piece
that I wrote, so this time I'll just write a kinky sex scene between Kunou
and Soun" or suchlike.  I don't want a mailing list of "See what we can do
to get attention."-style fics.  

That's right. Unfortunately, THIS is the stuff that gets a lot of reaction.
Basically, we are telling people 'This is what we want to see', even if we
don't. There IS a place for these shockfics, but, as with everything, too
much is bad. It is EXTREMELY heartening to find a lot of C&C for 'Images of
Tenchi: Ryouko' or 'Terminus' or 'Facing Up' (Hi Martin), stories that I
would not exactly classify as shockfics. For sure, I loved receiving C&C for
(here come the plugs...) 'Closing the Chapter' or 'So Many Memories', or
hell, even 'Gratuitous Self'!

Also, PUBLIC C&C is very good for fanfics. By giving public C&C to an
author, you are drawing attention to his fanfic, which in turn, attracts
more readers, which yields more C&C...true, this could be an all new recipie
for span on the FFML, but hey! All writers need ego boosts, so much the
better if they're PUBLIC ego boosts!


Just my two-and-a-half cents.

TimeRunner 2.4.97


"No! It's a sure thing!"
        -Tendou Nabiki