Fanfic malaise?

[valis2]

It seems to me (though I could be spectacularly wrong) that commenting is down. I think a lot of people aren't writing right now, but even moreso...not reading. Or maybe...not commenting. The comments for the dark!fic challenge I was part of seem to be fewer than normal; I also had bookmarked a few fairytale HP stories from a month ago to read, and as I was reading them yesterday, I noticed that none of them had a single comment. Wow.

I think we're all ready for new canon. I think it can't come quickly enough at this point; I'm ready for the breathless babbling that accompanies it! hee!

Comments

[atdt1991.livejournal.com]

email comments are showing up extraordinarily late. I have to check my actual entries

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I have heard about that, definitely, but what I mean is looking through all of the entries for a fanfic comm for the last two weeks...it seems like there are fewer comments per entry. I might just be crazy, though.

[cordelia_v]

No, I don't think you're imagining it, with the comments. I'd been thinking about doing a post on that myself, but then I was afraid it would sound like I was whining, "why don't you guys comment more on my meta" or something.

But I've noticed that while people are still reading stories and meta (I know this from conversations or emails, where they mention that they read story X or my most recent meta) they aren't leaving comments as much. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps comment burn-out? Or there's a sort of threshold operating here, where it has to be really unusual to provoke a response, and otherwise, they nod and move on?

*shrugs* I'm not sure what the cause is. It's not that big a deal for me, since I'm not writing in order to get comments. But I know that many authors get a big kick out of it, and when someone has put a lot of effort and thought into writing something, and you read it and even liked it . . . well, it seems wrong not to leave at least a 5 word comment to that effect.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I'd been thinking about doing a post on that myself, but then I was afraid it would sound like I was whining, "why don't you guys comment more on my meta" or something.

hee! And I am whining, definitely. *laughs*

But I've noticed that while people are still reading stories and meta (I know this from conversations or emails, where they mention that they read story X or my most recent meta) they aren't leaving comments as much. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps comment burn-out?

I'm really thinking it might be something like that. I think that as far as theorizing goes, people are pretty much not going to bother unless it's the most crack!tastic theory every, honestly. I think that we're all waiting for the book before we start babbling again!

when someone has put a lot of effort and thought into writing something, and you read it and even liked it . . . well, it seems wrong not to leave at least a 5 word comment to that effect.

I really felt bad about those poor people who wrote those stories and had no comments. I would have been very very sad, seriously. I should be happy with the number I've received, because I could have just as easily received nothing!

[nehalenia.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure about needing new canon. Possibly the downturn is due to it being summer -- vacations, kids out of school, that sort of thing. Also, it seems to me there's been a lot of fests and exchanges going on. I know when I was working on mine, I wasn't reading much at all, and now that I do, there's so much backlog it's hard to read everything, much less comment. As for the dark fic comments being down, I suspect that's because some -- possibly quite a few -- regular readers/posters don't like darkfic and don't want to read them. Me, I can take almost anything but character death and complete hopelessness, and even pushing myself I haven't read/commented on all the entries.

Also, a lot of folks also are getting ready for Sectus, or feverishly trying to finish fic before canon changes. Me, I don't even know if I *want* new canon, and as much as I'm looking forward to reading the book, I may very well ignore it fic-wise. I'm sure there will be a furor once the book is out and at least a couple of weeks afterward -- I'm certainly not planning on posting anything around the release date -- but hopefully things will return to relative normalcy afterward; if there is such a thing. ;-)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I was quite sad when it was revealed that DH was going to come out this year...I was hoping for another year of happy fandom. But now that it is coming out, and so close...I'm finally starting to feel something about it...mostly relief at finally hearing Snape's fate. And also huge anxiety about finally hearing Snape's fate. heh.

The dark!fic comments are fewer, understandably, because of the topics, but still, I had thought that there would be more. Still, it's hard to get people to read those sometimes, especially when character death is involved, you're absolutely right.

I hadn't thought about Sectus! That will definitely put a damper on posting, too.

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right, although in my case, I'm trying very hard not to read anything because I have fic deadlines in place and it's far too easy to just forget about finishing stories...

...er...

...I just stopped writing to answer this.

Eeep!

*returns to the story*

[valis2.livejournal.com]

hee! Good luck with that story. :)

[snegurochka_lee]

LOL.

I could have written this comment exactly. :)

*flees back to Word*

[unsymbolic.livejournal.com]

I have been so bummed recently because I'm one of those people who hasn't been reading. I don't even know why and it's really really got me down. Ever since I finished thesis writing (in June) I've just not been driven to read fic. I suppose that could be burn out of its own sort-- I wrote about fic in my thesis and now I'm just oversaturated from it, but recently I just haven't felt moved by what (little) fic I've read. Hell, I haven't even felt moved by slashy subtext in canon lately (and not just Potter canon; I started watching season 1 of House and can't even get excited about all the House/Willson UST).

I'm convinced there's something wrong with me. It's not just writer's block, it's reader's block and thinker's block too. Big time malaise. I'm hoping you're right that new canon will be the fix because damn this sucks. :(

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I think new!canon will be like an electric shock to our systems, honestly! It will both inspire us, and bring us to dead ends, I have a feeling.

I'm feeling a little burnt out myself. Normally I go back and read through all of the recced fic that occurred while I was gone, but I didn't do that this time! I'm just trying to keep up with Snupin, that's it. ;)

[florence-craye.livejournal.com]

I haven't kept up with any fic exchanges lately, except for romancingwizard, because they are all 500 words each. That's easy enough for me to check in on every few days, read 4-5 fics and leave comments. But I've been hopeless with daily deviant, hp_funnyfest, and even pimpmy3some. Sigh.

People seem to be writing really long fics, and I can't handle that right now. My limit is about 3,000-5,000 words and over that is too much. I'm not sure if that is because I am feeling pressed for time (2 exchanges due- 1 today, 1 in a week thanks to extension, plus those stole commissions) and my brain is a bit soft from trying to get it all done.

blahdy blahdy blah, that is at least my reasoning. I'm tired and can't focus on things for very long periods of time. My enthusiasm for DH is even a little low at the moment, because it seems like there is so much stuff to do before then. Plus, I am a little saddened with the closing of canon and hope it won't kill the fandom or something like that.

Well, I'm rambling. But I think many of the commenters have made good points. zzzzz

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I'm completely behind in the daily_snitch stuff...usually I go to at least two or three of the links, but I've been doing fewer of them, and I didn't go back to check the old issues like I normally do!

Yeah, I think only shortfics are what I'm reading, too. When I see that it's over four screenlengths long, I sometimes put it aside for later...

I'm a bit sad about canon, too, but at this point I want something to re-energize us, y'know?

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

I've been reading almost nothing recently, myself. I have read a couple of things--and the things I read I think I did comment on all of them, but yeah, for whatever reason I just haven't been reading fic at all.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

It's like we're at a deathbed vigil...hee!

[ziasudra-fic.livejournal.com]

A lot of people on my flist seem have moved on to other fandoms lately, even if they're participating in various HP fests. As a result, more squee about SPN or Heroes and fewer comments about HP?

But I do feel bad for fics (especially well written ones) not receiving comments. I try to say something whenever I can, but the reality is I just haven't been reading that much.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I can't believe how much Dr Who has taken over my flist! *laughs*

I am hoping that new canon knocks our socks off and leaves plenty for us to ruminate on (and write fic about!).

[lady-branwyn.livejournal.com]

Interesting that you should post this because just this morning I was wondering to myself if LOTR fandom had finally flat-lined (something that people had been predicting since the release of the last movie). Commenting seems to be down, less fic is being written. Things are very, very quiet.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it's just summer really getting into swing! So many people end up going outside, instead of obsessing over fic...hee!

;)

[sylvadin.livejournal.com]

I'll join the chorus in agreeing with people that commenting is down, particularly over the past 3-4 months. I think (hope) that much of what's going on is that people have most of their emotional energy sucked into the whole 'waiting for DH to see what happens to canon (and Snape!)' phenomena.

A part of me worries a bit about what will occur in fandom if JKR does kill off Snape. After all, look at the Snapledore people. It used to be a small but thriving rarepair group. Then HBP was published and the number of Snapledore stories being written quickly faded into almost nothingness. Then again, Sirius got chucked through the Veil and he still shows up in a number of stories, so there's hope yet. ;-)

For the moment, I have the impression that people's attention spans for longer stories simply aren't there. At least that seems to be true for my own fics. Right now, my 100-word drabbles are pulling in 2-3x the number of comments than do my 10,000+ word series chapters. Sigh...

We're likely also forgetting that people are wrapped up in waiting for the OOTP movie coming out this month. Maybe some visuals will also help re-energize folks...

[valis2.livejournal.com]

A part of me worries a bit about what will occur in fandom if JKR does kill off Snape. After all, look at the Snapledore people. It used to be a small but thriving rarepair group. Then HBP was published and the number of Snapledore stories being written quickly faded into almost nothingness. Then again, Sirius got chucked through the Veil and he still shows up in a number of stories, so there's hope yet. ;-)

I really hope she doesn't. I hope she leaves it open-ended enough that we can all write lots of satisfying Snape fic, and that it isn't repetitive...*hopes hopes hopes*

For the moment, I have the impression that people's attention spans for longer stories simply aren't there.

Yeah, I'm definitely getting that feeling too! And I notice that I'm even reading that way right now. I've been putting off reading larger fics, and only committing myself to reading 5000 or less fics.

[minisinoo.livejournal.com]

Hmm, interesting. I was in X-Men for 6 years, and that's another fandom that would have long gaps between canon entries. Noticed the same tendency, especially just before a new movie was released. It was almost as if the tide had gone out in prep for the tidal wave. (The reaction to X-Men 3 was mostly howls of fury, but otherwise ...)

Once the canon is actually closed, I'll be curious to see what happens. Most fandoms do seem to fade, if never die entirely, or at least those who existed/grew a lot while canon was open. There are fandoms out there which seem to have grown largely POST canon, and that's a completely different animal, I think.

I've got two AUs, both long, and I'm curious to see the reactions post Book 7. I'm about to release the 2nd novella in a novella series before book 7, if I can possibly manage it. Probably right before, as my British beta is swamped with RL. That AU is quite radical, however, and whatever happens in Book 7 won't affect it, so it could go on long after.

The other AU is a very close weaving with book canon, with one significant twist: what if Cedric Diggory hadn't died in the graveyard? How would that have altered dynamics in Harry's 5th year with Umbridge, etc. When I finished the original novel, I specifically said I wouldn't even start on the sequel until Book 7 was out. Because it's a novel, and will take a while to complete -- and assuming the whole thing isn't completely blown out of the water by the canon death of Hermione (which I'm not expected, but you never know) -- I wonder how many people will actually stick with it, to see it completed. I know that people WILL stick with a novel, even if they've left the fandom (happened before with my X-Men novels), but not everyone does. Doesn't mean I won't write it/finish it, mind.

So, random observations. (g) Not sure how significant they are except to say that I've seen this same pattern with X-Men movie fandom.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

(The reaction to X-Men 3 was mostly howls of fury, but otherwise ...)

Oh, I can only imagine what that was like. I had such high hopes for that movie, but after Singer left, I was a little frightened to see what would happen.

And then about a week ago I watched the deleted scenes.

Horrible.

Thank goodness they weren't included; they were uniformly useless, and some of them were simply ridiculous. I think there were only one or two which should have stayed in the film. Okay, enough ranting.

I've got two AUs, both long, and I'm curious to see the reactions post Book 7.

My ginormous bloated epic was started after book 5, and has already been made AU; I'm definitely going to finish it, but as it gets farther and farther away from canon, I'll be interested in the reactions as well.

I know that people WILL stick with a novel, even if they've left the fandom (happened before with my X-Men novels), but not everyone does.

Oh, that's fascinating. I once did an entry about being in an active fandom when canon closed (I've never been in one, and wanted to hear what it was like), and I had a lot of very interesting responses. I'm always wondering what it will be like...and now I'll finally know.

I keep meaning to friend you, and have done so just now, huzzah.

[maraudersaffair.livejournal.com]

I would also have to agree with you, but I do think that, for myself, I've been rushing around to finish fics and I just don't have time to review as much as I would.

I feel as if all of my stories and theories will become obsolete when the LAST book comes out. It's almost like no more speculating and drawing your own conclusions after the release.

And I think the AUs will skyrocket, especially if main characters in ships or theories die in this book.

What happens to Snupin if Lupin or Snape, or BOTH die?

*drops dead*

I can't think about it.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I would also have to agree with you, but I do think that, for myself, I've been rushing around to finish fics and I just don't have time to review as much as I would.

I have a horcrux hunt story that I'd absolutely love to do, but I'm almost afraid to spend time on it, seeing that it'll be blown out of the water in just a couple weeks. :(

I feel as if all of my stories and theories will become obsolete when the LAST book comes out. It's almost like no more speculating and drawing your own conclusions after the release.

Yes, I've thought before that an entire area of our fandom will cease...the theorizing will pretty much be over. I'm sure there will be a few small things people will fight endlessly over, but the essayists will have to find new things to talk about.

What happens to Snupin if Lupin or Snape, or BOTH die?

*drops dead*

I can't think about it.

*shivers* Me either!!

[ldybastet.livejournal.com]

*nods* I've noticed the decline in comments too, both generally and personally. In comms where commenting used to be superhigh, it's gone down too... and it's not because the quality of the fics are down. I don't read much anymore, but what I has read has been really good, and yet, very few ppl comment on it.

Not sure that new canon would help that issue.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not certain exactly what's going on. Usually there's a drop during summer, but this seems like more than that. And a lot of the flist seem to have wandered off to new fandoms...or just wandered off.

Some people have sworn off the internet for the two weeks before just because they don't want to be spoiled.

:)

[itsbeenvery.livejournal.com]

Do you mean just recently or over the past year/months? I know a lot of people of my flist are staying off LJ (and HP-related internets) until they're read book 7 b/c they don't want to be intentionally or accidentally spoiled.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I'm just talking about the last month, and it seems like there are a lot of reasons; summer, the new book and the fear of being spoiled, etc. :)

[rinsbane.livejournal.com]

Hum. I've been pondering feedback lately. But before I get into that, I can tell you that I'm not reading HP at the moment. Fell down the rabbit hole into SGA a few weeks ago and I'm all a-flutter there. It was an accident. Not sure what will happen with writing HP. I don't have time to write now and won't for the next month. Of course, in that time, DH will come out and that's why I'm not sure where I'll end up. I tend to be a serial monogamist in fandom - HP is my 4th major fandom, and I read/have read another handful as secondaries. But I can't write in 2 at once, I think. I don't ever read much HP fic when I'm in the writing process - no way I can see myself writing 2 fandoms at once. And right now, SGA is percolating. But with DH and new things to play with in HP, I may end up leaving off SGA and it may never become a primary, in favor of HP. Can't predict it. I have no control over these things. I've sort of gotten to the point where I've said what I have to say about most of my favorite characters. Snape, the girls. I had two other HP fics I wanted to write, pre-SGA, a trio fic and a James/Lily - I may come back to them post DH. Or, I've already started transferring those ideas and tones over into SGA tones, because I almost never write to write a set story or characters - that's incidental. I write for feel and tone and mood and image. Transferable. But, SGA is not as rich a playground as HP, so...

Ok, so that was all about me. Because I like to talk about me. *g* But the point was that I can't leave FB if I'm not reading it. I'm still saving links, and I think there's a lot of good stuff out there right now, but no interest. I got less FB than I might have on my last posted fic. But maybe not, and I'm happy with the results I got. It was Percy, so not as popular a pairing, and an experimental structure, so also a turn-off. So in comparison to a Snarry, sure, less. But I expected that. I'm not sure if I have another fic to compare it with. I think that maybe this time last year it might have gotten 3-5 more comments. Maybe. ???

I remember when I first came to HP that I thought that relatively few people left comments. That's not a reflection on my own fic - people have been very generous. I thought this months before I started writing HP. In fact, the idea had faded from my awareness by the time I started writing. But I came out of a very small but close fandom, and pretty much everyone who read it left comments. That means fewer comments than I ever get on HP fic, but if you look at the ratio of reader:commenter, NO ONE leaves comments in HP. And this is a long-term thing, not just now. I mean, I have no idea how many people read my fic. I suspect - almost random guess, except that I sometimes watch hit counters people put on their pages and the comments will be like 4 and there are way more hits - that it's about 10:1. Maybe that's way off, no clue. No less than 5:1. Also, since I locked, the people asking to be friended are complete surprises. Never so much as seen them leave a comment anywhere for anyone, for the most part.

Now I was thinking about this (zomg, enormous comment here, sorry!) recently because of SGA. SGA is big. Not like HP, but for something that's not HP, it's quite large. Larger than any of my secondary fandoms - Potc, and certainly Good Omens, that kind of thing. But those fics get comments. Maybe not as many as HP fics, but there have got to be way more people reading HP fics. Even with SGA being big. I'm starting to suspect that on a level of sheer writing talent, whether or not you like a person's writing, SGA has more talented writers proportionally. Perhaps inexperienced writers don't tend to start out there? Again, in sheer numbers, HP surely has the largest number of good writers. But not in proportion.

part 2

[rinsbane.livejournal.com]

So it's really about particular fandom convention, perhaps. You know how like some fandoms are full of rimming or a certain kink. Or not even a kink, but maybe the writers love to write kissing. Or something not sexual, but it seems to be there more than your other fandoms. It's because, I assume, we all play off each other. I see something cool you write, and I want to have my own take on it. And then someone sees what I did, etc. Things spiral in a fandom. I think FB is like this - if everyone else does it, so do we. How often am I the person to leave the first comment? I dunno. I've never consciously thought, "oh, I don't want to be the first," but if I see a bunch of other comments, I suspect that subconsciously I'm more likely to follow suit. So I think overall, because of the high number of lurkers and because in a place so big it's easy to just hang back and still be fairly fully involved (unlike a smaller fandom where to be involved, you really need to interact because there's less fic to keep you occupied), HP just gets less feedback, again, in proportion to size.

Ok, see, so that was like 2 thoughts that just took me way lots of words to get out.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, I only write LOTR fanfic, but my comments are down on all sites where I post, with the exception of a one shot ARagorn and Arwen romance I wrote.

I just keep hoping that it is holidays,heatwaves and exams to blame and things will eventually get back to normal as it is so discouraging.

Yet my hit count remains fairly stable, so I don't know if my writing is boring or readers can't be bothered to comment.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely wondering about this. I'm really hoping it's due to summer's usual effect, but it could be anything, really. I hope it's just HP fandom holding its breath until the next book comes out. :)

[chrysantza.livejournal.com]

I know I am totes waiting for new canon. And that will be soooo sooon! Eeeee!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I can't believe it! I remember reading HBP and thinking...I WANT THE NEXT BOOK NOW!!! haha! And it seemed soooooooo far off...but it's right around the corner. Barely three weeks from now, we'll know about Snape! eee!

[lezlishae.livejournal.com]

Not a writer, but a reader. I've stopped watching a lot of communities because I'm so fearful of getting spoiled. Also, I've stopped reading because I'm doing at least 3 re-reads before DH and I don't want to get any plot stuff tangled with fics.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly! I have a feeling that a lot of people are avoiding LJ because of the spoiler thing.

I think that after it's done, though, we'll have a big flurry of activity! Everyone will want to weigh in with their opinion...

[gossymer.livejournal.com]

I have a stat counter for my lj so I know that last month had the highest number of visits ever (12k or so) which had me going o__O

Still, I've noticed community activity is getting low for certain things - especially icons and layouts et all. HP communities seem to be preparing for the book release so there should be a surge of activity after.

The fandom for HP feels more reminiscent of Star Wars, LotR or Star Trek though - i.e. it'll survive long after canon is complete. I have a feeling after book 7, there's going to be a lot of completely AU fics and canon re-envisioned...

After canon is done it'll be up to fandom itself to keep things going - I wouldn't mind seeing fanfiction based in mistful's "If You've a Ready Mind" universe or "Quality of Merce" verse - would make me very bouncy ^__^

Generally though, I think it's summer and vacation - peeps doing other stuff and enjoying the sunshine. They'll be back when the regular tortures of work/school start up again.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, I think it'll keep going after canon has finished...I think that there will probably be enough for certain characters to go and go and go, like the Trio, who probably won't die.

I'm definitely thinking that summer and the new book have a lot to do with it. There's always a slowdown in the summer months, and with the new movie and book coming out, some people are avoiding the computer completely. Though others are combing the web looking for wpoilers! hehe.

That's really interesting about the stat counter. Other people have mentioned that their hit rate is staying high, as well. I wonder what that means...

[cafemercury.livejournal.com]

I stopped writing fanfic with the new year simply because of diminishing interest in writing same and lack of time to do so. I haven't read much, either, but for me it comes down to something entirely unrelated to fandom: time. You're on my f-list; I'm usually talking about my job, my family, or juggling the responsibilities of both. I also spend a lot of time hunched in front of my computer editing bad prose and/or designing. Often, the last thing I want to do when I'm finished is read more type on a screen.

I think it was snegurochka_lee who said that before HBP, a lot of people were distancing themselves from fanfic and immersing themselves in canon. So that's certainly true for me; my limited time to read is being spent on the source material right now. (Macrocat remixes notwithstanding, of course, tee-hee!)

That said, what are these HP fairytales of which you speak? Those sound like something I would be interested in reading at some point.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I feel a little sad because I missed a big chunk of stories; normally I try to read anything with a pairing I like, an interesting concept, or by an author I like. But time has really been a hassle for me this year; I've been gone more than ever.

I definitely think people are distancing themselves; it seems like a lot of people are "saving" themselves for new canon.

The fairy tales are over on hp_fairytales.