One of those days

[lizardbeth]

The tops of my feet are sunburnt. Oops. And Ow.

-

I (we) have at least eighty people regularly reading Distorted Reflections on ff.net, as near as I can tell from hit count patterns. Only THREE of them have commented (several times each, which is nice, but still). It's just so fucking depressing to see that a 5000 word J/S fluff piece of crap has dozens (and is broken into twelve chapters of course). I've theorized in the past that the fewer comments something has, means it's either horrible OR conversely it's one of the best things on there, because the majority of readers don't know what to do with it because it's not shippy or is someway or another not "mainstream". Self-protective theory, yes, I know.

I have to keep telling myself that at least I know people are reading, which helps. And it's not like I didn't know the strikes against it going in: it's long and it's complicated, and people get scared off by "crossover" no matter how many times and in how many ways I say that it's no different than if SG-1 was going to some Author Created Planet (or hell, even some little known canon planet like Pangar) with some well-developed OCs. It was never going to be a big thing anyway, and we were prepared for that. I just had hoped it would be a tiny bit bigger....

Hopefully, as we pimp it some more, people will find their way to it - it's gen, it's team, it's plotty! There are a lot of SG-1 fans who are willing to read gen, even if they won't read ships outside their own, and those are the ones we're going to try to reach more.

But this does feed into my general malaise with writing lately, I think. And yeah, if I wrote more, then I could get the stroking my ego apparently needs at the moment (logic is a BITCH), but I can't sit down and write anything.

'tis a vicious circle, yo. *sigh*

Comments

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

Sweetie, it's not the 5,000-word fics that are getting reviews.

It's the tiny, short, badly-spelled and OOC- S/J fluff with babies and painfully impossible (or boring) porn that get the reviews. Either that, or it's the well-written, still OOC, novel-length romance novels that have had the main characters' names replaced with 'Sam' and 'Jack'.

Trust me. I know the angst and annoyance. Even if the last massive-length fic I wrote was a LotR Mary Sue. ;)

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

Bah. Frelling shippers. It's not even so much the lack of comments, as the specific lack of comments from the people who are actually reading it. It's, like, the story's good enough to hold interest for 80,000 words, but not good enough to drop me three words that you like it? so annoying. I have a great deal more sympathy for the teeny-boppers who put up "COMMENT OR ELSE" threats, I tell you.

sorry, I'm feeling ranty about this. Obviously I shouldn't have looked at the hit counter. :/

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, no, rant away. Because, trust me. I totally understand the frustration and need for rantiness.

I've had similar rants, m'self.

I once had someone ask (in a review) "why don't you have more reviews?" like. It's my fault stupid people can't spend a minute of their busy-feedbacking-third-rate-hacks-lives to give me a one-word 'nice!' review.

The problem with the comment or else 'boppers is that they get comments. And it's annoying. Because there are a lot of really good writers that get ignored, because people would rather read badly-written crap.

Or rather, a lot of really good writers figure no one actually likes their stuff, so they stop writing in certain fandoms and/or move on to where there's more feedback (roomie, for instance, used to write X-Men fic. Until she discovered that Ghost in the Shell fans will give a hell of a lot more feedback).

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

I know, and it's true. And I'm part of the problem in that I don't think I've actually READ anything on ff.net in three years and a lot of people in our 'generation' of fandom don't either (except in small fandoms where they have no where else to go maybe).

Usually I know all this and it's okay. just not today because my feet are lobster colored and I'm in a pissy mood. And I know you know, because we are SISTERS, and I wish I had talked to you YEARS ago. :D

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

The other problem is that a lot of people in our generation don't really leave feedback anymore, either. They're burnt out on it, or they're very selective about who they say "nice job" to.

Or they're lazy. Like me.

Or, and this is the other reason, they don't read multi-chapter things in bits and pieces. I, for instance, shall be probably reading it all at once. I might even print it out and read it.

On a Saturday, I'm thinking.

Possibly while listening to lots of soundtracks.

*blinks* That had never occured to me, you know. But it does make a scary sort of sense. And actually, you should be glad you didn't know me during my Sam/Jack phase. It was... hairy.

*grins* *snugs*

ps. this awful thread on Skiffy is making me giggly. http://forums.scifi.com/index.php?showtopic=2281928

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

All true. And as I said below, I'm a lazy feedbacker too -- well, actually, I'm a decent feedbacker I just hardly read anything anymore. So I really shouldn't throw stones. But.

GRRR anyway.

The multi-chapter thing is a strong deterrent too, to some, yes. But, er, be aware that DR is VERY LONG. Many, many trees will die for printing it out and environmentally I can't really recommend it. :)

*blinks* So Kara's not a girl? Wow. Clearly they forgot to ask both Sam and Lee about that, because I don't think they'd agree. *snicker*

[rosiethehobbit.livejournal.com]

If you know that many people are taking the time to read something that long, you know people are liking it. No one sticks with something this long if it isn't interesting. Yes, feedback would be nice. And feel free to rant. I know I don't leave feedback as often as I should. Largely because I don't know what to say and I feel stupid just putting 'nice' or 'liked it' or something like that.

And now... I'm off to read the next chapter.

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

I know, I really do, and it usually doesn't bug me. I mean, I know what the Pit is like (that's why they call it that, after all). And I'm a rather horrible feedbacker myself (or was, back when I read much), so a little part feels guilty for bitching about the lack. But. Sometimes it helps to get all Miss Ranty McRantyPants and vent.

(oh, and this wasn't meant for you, or anyone on lj. You've been very sweet. The lj posting is kind of my secret club where I figure the watchers are reading and that's fine. I get filled with glee every time I get another watcher on the list!)

And commenting reminds me, before lj went splodey I was going to tell you -- it's cool that (a) you met Gwyneth Walsh, and (b) that she might have come back. That means Egeria might have survived in canon for a little while. Which is v. interesting to wonder how the later alliance might have proceeded if she'd lived longer. (probably not, since the same writers would've been there, but besides that).

[telscha.livejournal.com]

hugs. i know how that goes. That is the reason i am giving up writing fanfic. Working on the last piece now.

[lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com]

thanks. you too. :( It sucks to know that what you want to write isn't what's popular. Luckily I'm usually content with what I get (and I know perfectly well that I can always sell my soul and write McShep.

A lot of people seem to be feeling discontented in their various fandoms, so it's not just us.