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

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.

Re: part 2

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I've always wondered about HP...I've always had this thought that, because we are so fic-rich, we leave fewer comments, but I don't really have much other fandom experience to call upon. I've only ever "been" in one other fandom, and I wasn't what you'd call active, by any means.

There are so many factors in commenting that affect us all in different ways. Some people don't like to be the first...I, for example, am not certain that it helps to add "YAY" to page 23572465. So it's kind of an individual thing...though I still think that we have so much fic to choose from that we're a bit spoiled, in a way.

I know that I go through nearly all of the Snupin fics, and even though I comment more than I think most readers do, I still only comment on about 75% of what I read and like. Sometimes the reasons for not commenting are as simple as not wanting to finish it, or just not having a strong enough feeling to comment.

Anyway, speaking of fandom switcheroos, I've seen my flist first start to flirt with SGA, and Prince of Tennis, and now...Dr. Who is everywhere. But I'm like you, pretty much a monogamist, and I still don't think my brain is finished with HP yet. I want to finish the bloated epic, and I have a couple other stories in my head, and I just haven't sighted the last straw yet.

(My reply is zooming around like an oversized bumblebee...heh.)

I also wonder about the ratio of writers here. Hopefully no one will jump all over me and point out the legions of youthful amazing writers, but generally I see a lot of young writers in HP writing...well, bad!fic, honestly. Not to say that older writers don't write bad!fic, but still, I have this feeling that HP is the first fandom for a lot of people, inexperienced writers, and because of that I think we have more bad!fic and more beginner!fic than most. Of course, being larger than nearly everything, that just goes without saying...but the ratio is probably a little more unbalanced than other fandoms, such as Blake's 7, just as an example.

I do hope you'll stick around a little longer in HP...I hope DH calls you back, even if it's just for a little while. I love your writing so very much, and you explore such amazing themes.

Re: part 2

[rinsbane.livejournal.com]

My flist is all going over to SPN. With some Dr Who, but almost all SPN. Which I would so do, except that I can't do suspense/horror shows, even cheesy TV ones. But I can tell I'd be into wincest, on principle.

I think you're right about beginning writers in HP. It's so accessible that it's a good place ot start out, and also it's just that big. I was noticing today that in SGA there are a lot of old Highlander writers - I was reading HL 8 years ago, and so they've been writing at least 8-10 years, and I'm sure longer. Tells you something about the average experience in a fandom. I'm glad it's HP that gets lots of new writers, because HP is so big that you can always find fic you want to read and leave alone the fic you don't care for. In a smaller fandom, eventually you end up reading the not-as-good stuff just to get more of the drug. Or you find another one.

I'm not leaving HP yet. I think. HP is unique for a writer, I think. You can do so much here, far more than any other fandom I've ever seen. How could I part with that? *g* Thank you for such lovely words about my writing!

Re: part 2

[valis2.livejournal.com]

HP is unique for a writer, I think.

I cannot agree more, even though I have such limited experience elsewhere...but I think we have a fic for every taste, as well as a taste for every fic. ;)

Thank you for such lovely words about my writing!

I could spend a hundred comments on your writing and still not say all that should be said! ;)