Fandom is wacky

[ratherastory]

Dear Fan,

It's very nice of you to review my stories. From the looks of it, you might even be a BNF, although it's kind of hard to tell. Certainly you're prolific, and I've seen your name bandied about fandom since I joined. It's great that you took the time to review my story on fanfiction.net, really and truly.

That being said, telling me basically that "h/c: ur doin it wrong" is a little silly, given that my story is very clearly labeled as horror, and not h/c.

I get that you're primarily a h/c writer, and hey, I've totally enjoyed your stories too. If h/c is what you're looking for, then please, by all means, read the stories I've written that are labeled as such. If you want h/c, then reading the "horror" story is not going to work out for you.

Love,

Me

Comments

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was for "Deprivation."

Heck, *I* want Sam fixed, but that's not what that story was about. :)

[pkwench.livejournal.com]

It was for that fic? Okay, now I feel like someone just maligned a cousin or something. Honestly, so not the point of the fic. Doesn't it make you feel like all of that work you put into the awfulness of it was just skimmed over by someone looking for some big comfort payoff? Wow, that's just disappointing in a way.

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

*pets you*

Mostly my reaction was one of disbelief. So many other people have said nice things about the fic, I can't be overly fussed if one person missed the point.

It's like the *one* person who told me that they couldn't distinguish between the two Deans in "Why Your Joyous Strains Prolong." I mean, jeez. No one else had a problem, so I'm guessing it's you, sweetheart, and not me.

[pkwench.livejournal.com]

Well, exactly. And, sure, not every fic is going to appeal to every person and, sure again, I especially don't mind constructive commentary, but constructive is probably the key. Someone not getting it? Someone not liking your style or missing the point of a fic? That's not constructive. That's the reader missing something by a mile.

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

"See the broadside of that barn, honey? You missed it."

:D

*bounces*

[pkwench.livejournal.com]

The vexing part? There's a 70/30 chance that a reply, a kind, thoughtful, non-offensive reply stating that it it wasn't an h/c fic or tagged as such might result in snotty behavior or wank. Not because of the reviewer - because they may well be awesome, how would I know? - but just because it's fandom and the internet and both of those seem to encourage entitled behavior.

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

Oh, I replied saying it was horror and not h/c, and the OP was actually civilized and said she sort of understood that but still wanted me to fix it.

So I told her to suggest a way, and that I would consider it. ;)

[pkwench.livejournal.com]

Well, that's pleasant that they were nice. Things like that always sort of help to reaffirm one's faith in fandom. And, really, I can see wanting more from a fic - be it because it was awesome or because the ending was too sad. But? Sometimes, there's just not any more.

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

Pretty much. The fic was about Sam's world closing in on him, about, literally, the horror of having everything taken away. There isn't anything else to write about it.

"Fixing" Sam in this fic would be, I dunno, tantamount to cheating. Or something. It's just wrong.

[pkwench.livejournal.com]

Exactly so. If it was a fic about something else in which Sam also happened to lose himself a sensation at a time, that might be different. It wouldn't feel so much like a cop out or a "thank God it was all just a dream!" retraction.

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

Precisely. It's not a casefic, it's a mood or character study.

I'm glad we agree. \o/