Home again.

[valis2]

Had some interesting adventures, as always, and had a good enough time as can be had, I think. Wasn't the greatest of shows, and the promoter got in my face (which was weird) about something I had no control over, but overall just another experience to file in the vault.

On Sunday I got up at 8 am, did the show, packed up, and drove nine hours to WI...got there at 5 am. Long day. Only slept two hours, because I still had so much to do on Monday. I haven't recovered quite yet.

Had one of the best Italian meals I've ever had, one of the best Thai meals I've ever had, and one of the best Mexican meals I've ever had, so that was nice. But I think I won't be back to Kansas, which makes me sad.

I need to write a new chapter, definitely. I have a few new thoughts which will enhance the story, I think.

I also met a published author and had a lovely conversation about books and the modern publishing industry. It was quite interesting.

I missed you all! Glad to be home, so very glad to be home.

Comments

[privatemaladict.livejournal.com]

Welcome back! Seems ages since you've been around - you missed quite a kerfuffle! (Probably a good thing...)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I missed a big kerfluffle?!! Aw! I'm sure I'll find it all once I begin the enormous task of friends?skip=2,642,634,727,784.

[privatemaladict.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't know how you keep up with your f-list when you go away so often. If I'm away from my comp for just a couple of days, it's already hard to catch up, and my f-list is much shorter than yours.

And yes, teh kerfuffle should be all over LJ - there are probably threads of it that are still going. (It was about Skeyhawke, and child pornography laws in Australia. Maybe you caught the beginning of it.)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Oh, I saw the beginning of that wank just before I left. It achieved critical mass, eh? Wow.

[julian-black.livejournal.com]

Let's see--there was the Australian Kiddie Porn Laws Kerfluffle, but there was also the No More Songfics at the Pit of Voles Kerfluffle. The latter was particularly wanktastic...

[valis2.livejournal.com]

No more songfics?!! Hip hip hooray!! What a victory for quality fiction!

I also saw that one of the authors I normally read on fanfictionnet has some sort of little blurb about how she can't respond to reviewers in the author's notes anymore. I wonder what's that about.

[julian-black.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the Pit's policy is better phrased as "you can't quote lyrics to songs in your fics anymore, not even if you credit them." Or, "If you didn't write it, don't post it."

So one could still post Yet Another Evanescence "Bring Me to Life" Songfic, as long as it included none of the lyrics. However, most fanbrats seem to think that, "Liek, OMG, how are people going to know what the story means if I can't include the lyrics?"

Trying to explain basic copyright law to fanbrats, and why the music industry is organized to quash copyright infringement in ways that individual authors are not, is like pounding one's head against a wall. Lengthy, patient explanations of why including a disclaimer and giving credit for the lyrics does not cut it do not make it through thick fangirl skulls.

So, while I applaud the decision simply as a crap filter, I think it's going to take a while before most fanbrats finally "get it."

As for not being able to respond to reviewers in ANs, I hadn't heard anything about that. I will say that having to scroll through multiple responses at the beginning of each chapter annoys me to no end. The worst was one author who kept spoiling her own fic by answering reviewers' questions at the beginning of each chapter--"LOL!!! Yeah, you guessed right! [XXX] is really [YYY] in disguise!"

Writers who feel the need to explain their motivations, or include lots of background information in footnotes, provoke my ire, too. "Just shut the hell up and tell the story!" I inevitably yell. "If you've done your job as an author, I'll get it! Trust me!"

[reads back through post]

I am just so ranty lately, aren't I? Maybe Mexican food will help...

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I usually thank the reviewers by name and then cut to the chase. I don't like to read too much blather...especially if they're spoiling their own work, which I have seen just as you've described it.

I also am unimpressed with author's notes that babble about their cats, their muses, or their physical inspirations for their characters ("Dex Thunderhammer looks just like Justin Timberlake! Squee").

;) Enjoy tu comida deliciosa!