Collected Thoughts

pandarus

I know there is a big feeling among some people that fanfic readers shouldn't say we don't like someone's writings or say someone isn't a good writer because somehow pointing out someone isn't a good writer or not liking what they write is the same as not liking that writer as a person. I read stuff like "But we do it for fun, we do it to fill this weird story niche, we do it because we want to". And whatever the reason is for writing it still has nothing to do with the quality of work. As for "writing because it's fun and we like to" well--isn't that how ALL writers start out: professional, amatuer, fanfic writers, whatever? Unpaid, doing it for the fun of it, because they want to. So not all writers write fanfic but they write because they enjoy it at least I hope they do, because it would really suck to write and hate it and I'm sure if professional writers hate writing their books reflect that.

Then there's the idea "but we play in someone else's sandbox, this is just like writing for a group of friends". Well, yes and no. Sure I write and my friends see it. But as soon I as I post my stories to a public archive---Smallville Slash, Fanfiction.net, Level Three, The Buffy Fanfiction Archive, or where ever, my story is now open to public consumption. Heck even if I post my story on my LJ or my blog or my (non exsistant) website there's a chance someone I don't know will see it. Complete strangers will read my story. Complete strangers who know nothing about me except the words I've set down. Complete strangers who have no obligation to like my story or think it's good or heap praise on me or even give me feedback. Complete strangers who may just say "Your story didn't work for me. I thought your characterization was off. I didn't buy your plot." Complete strangers that may say "You had several spelling errors and puncation problems, you may want to use a beta reader." Complete strangers that may say "Your stories suck". Or they may heap praise and adoration on my stories. It could go anyway and I don't know. But those strangers are under no obligation to like my stories. And even if they did like my stories they are under no obligation to like me.

Even if they do send feedback singing me praise and loving my stories that doesn't make us friends, it means they like my stories. It means they like me as a writer not as a person. There is a difference. Because they know me as a writer, they don't know me as a person. They don't know where I live or who I hang out with or what I like to do in my spare time, they know nothing about me except what I've written. That is all they know.

It's the same when you read a novel or comic book or whatever is professional published. You may say "I love so and so" but what you probably mean is "I love so and so's writing" because you don't *know* so and so. You may think if you and your favorite author met you'd be best friends but the chances are you might not even *like* your favorite writer as a person.

So when I get feedback on my writing. Whether it's feedback saying they loved my story or my story needs work or my story sucks I know they ARE NOT judging me AS A PERSON. They can't be judging me as person because they don't know me as a person. They ARE judging me AS A WRITER. Because that's the only way they know me.

Neither do I feel an obligation, as a reader, to feel guilty because someone has written 15 stories and I only like 14 of them or 2 of them or 3 of them or whatever. Anne Tyler is one of my favorite writers, I love her writing, The Clockwinder and Dinner at Homesick Restaruant are two of my favorite books, however, I don't like The Accidental Tourist. I read it and was bored with it, the story bored me and the characters annoyed me. Does this mean I can't like the rest of Anne Tyler's writings? No. Does this mean I don't like Anne Tyler as a person? Well, no because I really didn't like or dislike Anne Tyler as a person before I read Accidental Tourist, I know nothing very little about her, nothing to really determine if I like her as a person. All it means is I don't like that one book.

But! You may say my writing is my creation it *is* a reflection of me! It represents me out there in cyberspace or in the fandom or whatever. Okay then, it does represent a part of you. But people are still judging you are a writer, just that part of you as a writer, because that's all they know. Unless you Mary Sue yourself into a story (please don't) or they read your LJ or blog or they seek out some way to find out about other parts of you besides the writer part all they know is the writer part.

"But they say bad things about the writer part of me!" And at this point I've revised this entry several times and what it comes down is this---is your story the best it could be? No? Well then why not?

If someone wants to go out and get noticed in a positive manner she does not put on a new dress and new shoes and then let her slip hang and have runs in her stockings. That's just sloppy. She dresses appropriately for the occasion. And makes sure that everything looks nice: no lipstick on the teeth, slip not showing, no runs in the stockings. So---does your story's slip hang? Is it dressed approprately? Or to put it more bluntly if you have to make excuses for your story then it's not ready for the world and work on it until it is ready. There's no problem with working to make your story better. Really there isn't. Wanna see all my rough drafts?

I've rambled, I've eaten dinner and gone to dance class from the time I started writing this so I don't know if I even make sense. I hope I do.