Ranma ½ Frustration

[Dreamingfox]

I have to admit that the majority of Naruto fan-fiction is craptacular, but there are some good ones. Getting past all the crap though is hard.

While I like Naruto, the cannon manga, not necessarily the anime, I can't believe how bad the fan-fiction is.

I think that eventually Naruto writers will become better, but for now there is a lot of crap.

Since I wasn't here when Ranma fan-fiction started up I can't say how things were back in the day, but I would like to think that Ranma writers are generally older and more experienced then the typical Naruto fan-fic author.

 

[Himitsu the Hunter]

Not really, the only reason it was easier to sort through the junk is cause the older archives of Ranma stuff were essentially competition driven, with awards and such being given out for outstanding fics. There were more than enough bad Ranma fics... just there was alot more room to ignore them and get to the good ones, which would gain popularity due to such contests.

Basicly sorting though the junk was easier cause there were people who dedicated themselves to being the filters lol.


On the other hand, fanfiction IS more popular now than it was those years ago in general, so you get more 13 year old girls crawling out of the woodworks to write their favorite slash pairing and molest the language of their origin than you would have once upon a time.



Still its not Too hard to come up with a sorting algorythm of your own... for myself its starts with some simple questions.

1) Did you spend enough time to give me 10,000 words worth of story

2) If so how many chapters is this story in, balanced against the word count (any more than 7 chapters per 10,000 words and it will be an auto-rejection)

3) What is your premise. If it is well worded and interesting enough then I may even ignore measuring sticks one and two for it. Lack of a summery of your idea makes me doubt your ability to get it across to me at all, there fore anyone saying 'I'm not good at summaries also gets an auto-fail)

4) Is where i start reading the fic to see if the flow of ideas is relatively smooth, and if reading the persons style annoys me, if it does annoy or the flow is jerky i MAY keep reading it IF the premise held enough promise to me. I can forgive Newling execution of an idea if said idea holds enough promise, or I believe that they have the potential to get better at it.

5) IF and only IF the author has impressed me with a major work of good enough substance, i will seek to find if they have a further body of work beyond the one i just read. This is how i find short stories ect that I like, as they are completely initially bypassed via questions 1 and 2.


Cuts down on the trawling time for me with most fandoms on ff.net. Of course I can't say it always works, cause there have been times where I've loved the hell out of a story premise, but the execution is so shoddy that even I am forced to retreat after halfway though the fic... Or where they premise is something i normally wouldn't touch with a large stick but on a whim i do read it and find me a gem of writing quality.

-Himitsu The Hunter

 

[Dreamingfox]

Personally I have roughly pick up fics based on recommendations. When searching for fics I look to see if they have 10,000 word over three or fewer chapters. I also check the number of reviews and the quality of the reviews. Sorry Dumbledork, as much as I may like your reviews of "great update!", "great fic!", those reviews really aren't very useful for a writer or for a reader who is looking to see if the fic is work reading.

 

[PCHeintz72]

Personally I have roughly pick up fics based on recommendations. When searching for fics I look to see if they have 10,000 word over three or fewer chapters. I also check the number of reviews and the quality of the reviews. Sorry Dumbledork, as much as I may like your reviews of "great update!", "great fic!", those reviews really aren't very useful for a writer or for a reader who is looking to see if the fic is work reading.

I find I need to determine myself if a series or story is worthy of my attention. Sometimes what others recommend can be good, others bad. Everyone has different standards. I know with certainty not everyone likes my own selections... lord knows I get enough grumbling on it in emails, pms and whatnot.

I've been recommended stuff before, and some of it has turned out incredibly craptacular. TTGL comes immediately to mind as one such eyesore.

I still will sometimes look at a story or series recommended, but weigh it on my own judgement.

I normally find far more on my own, or faster than can be recommended to me.

 

[Dumbledork]

Personally I have roughly pick up fics based on recommendations. When searching for fics I look to see if they have 10,000 word over three or fewer chapters. I also check the number of reviews and the quality of the reviews. Sorry Dumbledork, as much as I may like your reviews of "great update!", "great fic!", those reviews really aren't very useful for a writer or for a reader who is looking to see if the fic is work reading.

No problem. It's just that most of the time I don't know what else to say. But if you prefer I won't review until I've something constructive to add.

 

[GenocideHeart]

I love how no one has connected the little dots rearding the decline of fanfiction in popularity.

Has absolutely NO ONE noticed that the fanfiction slowdown coincided with the sudden rise in popularity of Naruto, which - here's the ticket - led to a massive flood of crap that drowned out every other fandom?

A lot of authors I spoke to on the Net have grown frustrated with this. It's always Naruto this, Naruto that. The simple fact is thanks to its absurd popularity, hardly anyone cares about other fandoms, unless they are One Piece or Bleach, which are the other two big shounen.

Everything else gets ignored nowadays, pretty much. That does NOT encourage authors of other fandoms to write, especially not when 99% of Naruto, Bleach and OP fanfiction are ill-conceived crap, massive fanwank, yaoi, SI or all four of the above combined - and STILL gets praised and asskissed to all hell.

There's no motivation for writing stuff for other fandoms, nevermind GOOD stuff, and despite what some may think, Naruto isn't something everyone has to enjoy. Same for Bleach and OP; but they aren't quite as popular.

The 'next big thing' is basically causing fanfiction to hibernate. Don't expect it to get better until its popularity vanishes.

Just a little something... it happened when DBZ was the big shit, too. Deal with it, when a single fandom eats everthing else, you suffer with everyone else.

 

[Draculthemad]

Theres also generally a good 'look' to prose.
Theres a lot of amateur stuff thats just a dressed up script-fic.

I hated script fics then, and I hate them still.

 

[Dumbledork]

I love how no one has connected the little dots rearding the decline of fanfiction in popularity.

Has absolutely NO ONE noticed that the fanfiction slowdown coincided with the sudden rise in popularity of Naruto, which - here's the ticket - led to a massive flood of crap that drowned out every other fandom?

A lot of authors I spoke to on the Net have grown frustrated with this. It's always Naruto this, Naruto that. The simple fact is thanks to its absurd popularity, hardly anyone cares about other fandoms, unless they are One Piece or Bleach, which are the other two big shounen.

Everything else gets ignored nowadays, pretty much. That does NOT encourage authors of other fandoms to write, especially not when 99% of Naruto, Bleach and OP fanfiction are ill-conceived crap, massive fanwank, yaoi, SI or all four of the above combined - and STILL gets praised and asskissed to all hell.

There's no motivation for writing stuff for other fandoms, nevermind GOOD stuff, and despite what some may think, Naruto isn't something everyone has to enjoy. Same for Bleach and OP; but they aren't quite as popular.

The 'next big thing' is basically causing fanfiction to hibernate. Don't expect it to get better until its popularity vanishes.

Just a little something... it happened when DBZ was the big shit, too. Deal with it, when a single fandom eats everthing else, you suffer with everyone else.

That makes sense. At first I liked Naruto fanfics, but I've come to massively dislike them since it's almost impossible to find anything interesting.

 

[Garahs]

I love how no one has connected the little dots rearding the decline of fanfiction in popularity.

Has absolutely NO ONE noticed that the fanfiction slowdown coincided with the sudden rise in popularity of Naruto, which - here's the ticket - led to a massive flood of crap that drowned out every other fandom?

A lot of authors I spoke to on the Net have grown frustrated with this. It's always Naruto this, Naruto that. The simple fact is thanks to its absurd popularity, hardly anyone cares about other fandoms, unless they are One Piece or Bleach, which are the other two big shounen.

Everything else gets ignored nowadays, pretty much. That does NOT encourage authors of other fandoms to write, especially not when 99% of Naruto, Bleach and OP fanfiction are ill-conceived crap, massive fanwank, yaoi, SI or all four of the above combined - and STILL gets praised and asskissed to all hell.

There's no motivation for writing stuff for other fandoms, nevermind GOOD stuff, and despite what some may think, Naruto isn't something everyone has to enjoy. Same for Bleach and OP; but they aren't quite as popular.

The 'next big thing' is basically causing fanfiction to hibernate. Don't expect it to get better until its popularity vanishes.

Just a little something... it happened when DBZ was the big shit, too. Deal with it, when a single fandom eats everthing else, you suffer with everyone else.

See this pebble? It's a magic pebble that keeps dinosaurs away.

If you've spoken to all these people who hate Naruto, then why aren't they writing quality fanfics?

We all know your dislike of the series. Please find another scapegoat.

 

[GenocideHeart]

Have you even actually, y'know, READ my post? No wait, you haven't. You read 'Naruto' and assumed it was another anti-Naruto rant, when in fact I pointed out that it's when ANY POPULAR MANGA achieve such popularity that fanfiction dies down.

It happened with DBZ, it's happening with Naruto. Which I also said in the above message. Had you bothered to read it, that is.

At the moment, fanfiction is pretty much concentrated in four big fandoms, which match the most popular things around: Naruto, One Piece, Bleach and Harry Potter. Everything else suffers because of it.

Also, I didn't say I spoke to people who hate Naruto. I said I spoke to people who dislike how NARUTO AND THE OTHER POPULAR FANDOMS DRAW ATTENTION AWAY FROM EVERYTHING ELSE. They just lose motivation to write, since they have no interest in the Naruto fandom, but have even less interest in writing stories that only your grandma with arthritis will read and MAYBE review.

In short, why write for fandoms when only stray cats will read it, if at all? Writing fiction is time-consuming, people expect their hard work to be read and appreciated, not brushed aside for CLICHED YAOI FIC #2974824872 IN POPULAR FANDOM #3 WRITTEN BY A 5 YEARS OLD WITH ALZHEIMER'S.

It's the same as the commercial scene. Offer matches demand. With no demand, offer dwindles until it disappears.

lrn2redplz. Actually READING posts before trashing them makes you a lot less likely to sound like a moron.

Theres also generally a good 'look' to prose.
Theres a lot of amateur stuff thats just a dressed up script-fic.

I hated script fics then, and I hate them still.

Script fics need to be killed with napalm and Agent Orange. It only works for, y'know, SCRIPTS. As a fanfiction technique, scripting style sucks sweaty donkey balls.

 

[Tsuki_CB]

Actually that makes a lot of sense.

However I have noticed that we don't have all that many epic fanfiction authors like we used to.

I mean on here we have Fosfor and that's about it, notice I said epic not good we have plenty of good writers.

On top of that Academia Nut has stated that unless he gets the motivation back, and because he's going into professional writing, he's no longer going to write The Open Door, the megacrossover sequel to Thousand Shinji.

Add in all the dessicated remains I've found over the years of good fics just stopping and Authors vanishing into abyss never to return, scary thing is that up till then they gave no indication they were leaving.

Basically whats happening to fanfiction is what has happened to Anime and everything else.

The more popular it gets the harder it becomes to find something of quality.

May you rest in peace U.S. Manga core, I miss them so much :blue:

 

[Lord Raa]

If you've spoken to all these people who hate Naruto, then why aren't they writing quality fanfics?

Because this hobby of ours is time consuming and we want to know that the effort we put in is going to be appreciated.

Why should writers bother trying something new, original and/or interesting when it's going to be overlooked by Generic Bullshit Fanwank Fic #15563145646?

 

[Garahs]

Actually I did read your post. It doesn't change the fact that there are more factors affecting the anime/manga/fanfic world right now than a few highly popular series.

So they think that since there's an overabundance of Naruto, HP, and Bleach fanfics that no one reads anything else?

So GH, since those series are so popular I guess you read only them? There couldn't possibly be people who dislike the series and want to read about another good series?

While reviews are nice, if the biggest reason they're writing a fic is because they want tons of reviews then they should think about why they're writing.

I hardly read fics of those series unless they're good. Same with any other series. If they aren't just BSing about why they aren't writing, then they're deluding themselves. When people like Ozz/Tef are writing, people are reading it.

Because this hobby of ours is time consuming and we want to know that the effort we put in is going to be appreciated.

My father is into model railroading. He's sunk several hundred dollars into it as well as about 4-5 years into it (not continuously, but still). He's only shown it off to a few friends and relatives who stop by. He's not doing it for recognition, he's doing it because it's fun and he enjoys it. Same that should be for any other hobby.

 

[GenocideHeart]

Actually I did read your post. It doesn't change the fact that there are more factors affecting the anime/manga/fanfic world right now than a few highly popular series.

So they think that since there's an overabundance of Naruto, HP, and Bleach fanfics that no one reads anything else?

So GH, since those series are so popular I guess you read only them? There couldn't possibly be people who dislike the series and want to read about another good series?

Go take a look in the niche series' fanfiction sections. Note how, for series that have RELATIVE popularity among non-mainstream ones, it's always the same people who review. Sure, it's nice to see that 3 people read every fic in the section, but after a while you start wondering if writing for 3 people is WORTH the effort you put in the goddamn fic.

And where have all the others gone to? Oh yeah, the popular mainstream series' sections. Gee, I wonder why.

The truth is they are called NICHE FANDOMS for a reason. They are small. And there's even less people that read fiction for those fandoms.

While reviews are nice, if the biggest reason they're writing a fic is because they want tons of reviews then they should think about why they're writing.

It's not about getting tons of reviews, it's about their work being read by more than just two fucking people who review every chapter while everyone else jacks off to the latest Ichigo/Grimmjaw turd over in the Bleach section.

There are two main reasons for people to write. Make money, and show off. Nobody writes JUST BECAUSE. Fanfiction writers don't write just to dump their storytelling somewhere, they write because they want recognition, one way or the other. Having a fic be ignored because a bogger fandom is hogging all the attention, especially if said fandom is made for 99% of worse shit than what you write, is discouraging. It doesn't make you want to write more, it makes you feel unappreciated and want to fucking QUIT.

My father is into model railroading. He's sunk several hundred dollars into it as well as about 4-5 years into it (not continuously, but still). He's only shown it off to a few friends and relatives who stop by. He's not doing it for recognition, he's doing it because it's fun and he enjoys it. Same that should be for any other hobby.

If having fun was the only reason why people write fanfics, then WHY THE FUCK DO THEY POST THEIR 'FUN' ON PUBLIC SITES FOR ALL TO SEE AND COMMENT ON?

If fun was the driving force, they'd hardly show their stuff to anyone, JUST LIKE YOUR DAD. The fact they publish it on a public FF site on the Internet means they want people to recognize their ability, whatever excuse they may crap out that's the real reason. Otherwise they wouldn't bother with the hassle of making it readable on a fiction site, which often requires editing.

 

[Dumbledork]

I completely agree. Personally, I write because it's fun to see people's reactions and have them appreciate all the work I put in them.

I also want to give something back to the community that keeps me entertained.

I really think my ideas are interesting (although a lot of people probably diagree ) and I'm trying to be original.

 

[Lord Raa]

Because this hobby of ours is time consuming and we want to know that the effort we put in is going to be appreciated.

My father is into model railroading. He's sunk several hundred dollars into it as well as about 4-5 years into it (not continuously, but still). He's only shown it off to a few friends and relatives who stop by. He's not doing it for recognition, he's doing it because it's fun and he enjoys it. Same that should be for any other hobby.

But is your father setting himself up for public ridicule on the scale of a fanfiction writer?

What would your co-workers say if they knew that you write fanfiction?

Are they likely to say "You're a fanfiction writer? Cool?"

Or is more likely something along the lines of "Fanfiction? Isn't that where people write about Spock and Kirk having gay sex on the Enterprise bridge?"


Look, if I didn't get some enjoyment out of writing fanfiction, I wouldn't do it.

But there's a difference between writing something for enjoyment and posting it on the internet.

 

[Dumbledork]

Because this hobby of ours is time consuming and we want to know that the effort we put in is going to be appreciated.

My father is into model railroading. He's sunk several hundred dollars into it as well as about 4-5 years into it (not continuously, but still). He's only shown it off to a few friends and relatives who stop by. He's not doing it for recognition, he's doing it because it's fun and he enjoys it. Same that should be for any other hobby.

But is your father setting himself up for public ridicule on the scale of a fanfiction writer?

What would your co-workers say if they knew that you write fanfiction?

Are they likely to say "You're a fanfiction writer? Cool?"

Or is more likely something along the lines of "Fanfiction? Isn't that where people write about Spock and Kirk having gay sex on the Enterprise bridge?"


Look, if I didn't get some enjoyment out of writing fanfiction, I wouldn't do it.

But there's a difference between writing something for enjoyment and posting it on the internet.

I doubt that even a single one of my acquaintances knows what fanfiction is.

 

[CatOnFire]

Personally I have roughly pick up fics based on recommendations.? When searching for fics I look to see if they have 10,000 word over three or fewer chapters.? I also check the number of reviews and the quality of the reviews.? Sorry Dumbledork, as much as I may like your reviews of "great update!", "great fic!", those reviews really aren't very useful for a writer or for a reader who is looking to see if the fic is work reading.

No problem. It's just that most of the time I don't know what else to say. But if you prefer I won't review until I've something constructive to add.

DON'T!

Honestly you should post whatever you like in a review. I know I can barely write positive reviews at all, so for every person like me who writes criticism for stories they like a can barely thank a good author on a job well done we need a person like you Dumbledork giving a "Good Job.", "I hope to see more." and "Ranma and Setsuna for the win!!!1!!". You're the boundless enthusiasm we need to counter act people like me, GH and Raa.

 

[Dreamingfox]

Actually I did read your post. It doesn't change the fact that there are more factors affecting the anime/manga/fanfic world right now than a few highly popular series.

So they think that since there's an overabundance of Naruto, HP, and Bleach fanfics that no one reads anything else?

So GH, since those series are so popular I guess you read only them? There couldn't possibly be people who dislike the series and want to read about another good series?

While reviews are nice, if the biggest reason they're writing a fic is because they want tons of reviews then they should think about why they're writing.

I hardly read fics of those series unless they're good. Same with any other series. If they aren't just BSing about why they aren't writing, then they're deluding themselves. When people like Ozz/Tef are writing, people are reading it.

Because this hobby of ours is time consuming and we want to know that the effort we put in is going to be appreciated.

My father is into model railroading. He's sunk several hundred dollars into it as well as about 4-5 years into it (not continuously, but still). He's only shown it off to a few friends and relatives who stop by. He's not doing it for recognition, he's doing it because it's fun and he enjoys it. Same that should be for any other hobby.

Hey, as someone who started out reading HP fanfics, and even writing one, I think that the good writers are like good fics, few and far between.

As someone who really didn't follow YYH I but knew something about it I found Best Defesne, and then Good Offense, as well as Friends Old and New to be great fics, which helped me to find quality writers/fics that inspired me to write. And while the quality of my fics can be argued, I think that I've worked hard to improve them and my writing style.

I would hope that other writers/readers also spread their wings from reading the general crap and find something better or challenge themselves to take a good concept from another writer who execuited it poorly.

There is a big difference though between HP fandom and say Naruto, Bleach, or any manga/anime fandoms in that HP as a written and not a visual mediums should inspire readers/writers to expect quality writing (as HP is quality writing as compared to say Twilight). And yet there are so many poorly written HP fics... so sad....

Generally, my biggest beef with any bad fic (aside from grammar) is the writer's over-reliance on using the visuals of the manga/anime to describe/set up a scene. Yes, I'm guilty of it too, but I try not to do it in every scene like some writers do.

And Dumbledore, I appreciate your reviews for what they are, I'm just saying that every once in a while I'd like to hear about particular things that stood out and caught your attention. Usually just for the first chapter or two so that I know what you liked about the fic, or whenever something really catches your attention. Other then that, I'm fine with your standard reviews.

As a writer I would like to know what the readers felt were the weak or strong points of my writing and/or of the plot/characters/whatever. Why does it catch your attention or why do you feel it's bad? It's also good to know that there are readers who really like the fic and just think that it's good.

 

[goldenarms]

Actually I did read your post. It doesn't change the fact that there are more factors affecting the anime/manga/fanfic world right now than a few highly popular series.

So they think that since there's an overabundance of Naruto, HP, and Bleach fanfics that no one reads anything else?

So GH, since those series are so popular I guess you read only them? There couldn't possibly be people who dislike the series and want to read about another good series?

Go take a look in the niche series' fanfiction sections. Note how, for series that have RELATIVE popularity among non-mainstream ones, it's always the same people who review. Sure, it's nice to see that 3 people read every fic in the section, but after a while you start wondering if writing for 3 people is WORTH the effort you put in the goddamn fic.

If you're wondering that, then, yes, you are an attention whore. I'll admit it, I'm an attention whore, too. It's natural, I suppose, when you really want people to notice something that you're proud of. Otherwise, you wouldn't be sharing it in the first place.

And where have all the others gone to? Oh yeah, the popular mainstream series' sections. Gee, I wonder why.

Because controversy sells better than sex does. And if it's controversy over sex, it's gold.

The truth is they are called NICHE FANDOMS for a reason. They are small. And there's even less people that read fiction for those fandoms.

Niche fandoms are either too-exclusive, boring, or effectively "perfect as is," which doesn't draw as much attention as fandoms with lots of controversy. Naruto is by far the largest fandom. And guess why? Controversy. Controversy about canon. Controversy about Sasuke. Controversy about the pairings. Controvery about ninja in general. Controversy, controversy, controversy. It's absolutely rife with it, and thus draws more and more attention. Which makes it more and more popular.

It helps that Naruto's also being circulated by a big name in big name places.

While reviews are nice, if the biggest reason they're writing a fic is because they want tons of reviews then they should think about why they're writing.

It's not about getting tons of reviews, it's about their work being read by more than just two fucking people who review every chapter while everyone else jacks off to the latest Ichigo/Grimmjaw turd over in the Bleach section.

Ironic, you're using a niche pairing to justify yourself here. And to be frank, most authors probably aren't writing for that audience in the first place.

There are two main reasons for people to write. Make money, and show off. Nobody writes JUST BECAUSE. Fanfiction writers don't write just to dump their storytelling somewhere, they write because they want recognition, one way or the other. Having a fic be ignored because a bogger fandom is hogging all the attention, especially if said fandom is made for 99% of worse shit than what you write, is discouraging. It doesn't make you want to write more, it makes you feel unappreciated and want to fucking QUIT.

Because quitting's far easier than getting off your ass and get better. The vast majority of people get into something primarily because they either think it'll make money, or because it's the quickest way to make a name for yourself. Once they find out it's not easy or quick, most want to give up, and that's fine. It suits them for trying to take shortcuts.

For people that are really in this because they want to be in it, there's nothing holding them down, and they're far more likely to grit their teeth and bear it. Eventually, they will push through to the other side. That's how big names start out. They just keep pushing and pushing, and pushing, not expecting a lot from the next thing they put down, till the wall suddenly gives way, dropping them in the middle of paradise.

My father is into model railroading. He's sunk several hundred dollars into it as well as about 4-5 years into it (not continuously, but still). He's only shown it off to a few friends and relatives who stop by. He's not doing it for recognition, he's doing it because it's fun and he enjoys it. Same that should be for any other hobby.

If having fun was the only reason why people write fanfics, then WHY THE FUCK DO THEY POST THEIR 'FUN' ON PUBLIC SITES FOR ALL TO SEE AND COMMENT ON?

If fun was the driving force, they'd hardly show their stuff to anyone, JUST LIKE YOUR DAD. The fact they publish it on a public FF site on the Internet means they want people to recognize their ability, whatever excuse they may crap out that's the real reason. Otherwise they wouldn't bother with the hassle of making it readable on a fiction site, which often requires editing.[/QUOTE]
If you're posting, you should have some pride in it. Otherwise, you're not likely to want to show off. You become self-conscious, and then afraid of what others will think. I couldn't really sit down and play around with pedals at a music shop because of that very fact. I "kind of" played "Iron Man," but pretty quietly because the last thing I want is be told I suck, and should quit. Mostly I just scaled.

Of course, there are some pieces I made up that sound cool to me, and I really was proud of the ways I came up with them, so those got more volume and greater vigor. And the fact that I didn't have a pick or a strap on wasn't the least bothersome as it was beforehand.

I feel the same thing applies to writing. People post what they have because they're proud of it; getting people to see what we're proud of is just part of the process towards improve ourselves.

 

[goldenarms]

..and I have no idea why my post didn't format proper... :no:

 

[Croaker]

Actually I did read your post. It doesn't change the fact that there are more factors affecting the anime/manga/fanfic world right now than a few highly popular series.

So they think that since there's an overabundance of Naruto, HP, and Bleach fanfics that no one reads anything else?

So GH, since those series are so popular I guess you read only them? There couldn't possibly be people who dislike the series and want to read about another good series?

Go take a look in the niche series' fanfiction sections. Note how, for series that have RELATIVE popularity among non-mainstream ones, it's always the same people who review. Sure, it's nice to see that 3 people read every fic in the section, but after a while you start wondering if writing for 3 people is WORTH the effort you put in the goddamn fic.

If you're wondering that, then, yes, you are an attention whore. I'll admit it, I'm an attention whore, too. It's natural, I suppose, when you really want people to notice something that you're proud of. Otherwise, you wouldn't be sharing it in the first place.

And where have all the others gone to? Oh yeah, the popular mainstream series' sections. Gee, I wonder why.

Because controversy sells better than sex does. And if it's controversy over sex, it's gold.

The truth is they are called NICHE FANDOMS for a reason. They are small. And there's even less people that read fiction for those fandoms.

Niche fandoms are either too-exclusive, boring, or effectively "perfect as is," which doesn't draw as much attention as fandoms with lots of controversy. Naruto is by far the largest fandom. And guess why? Controversy. Controversy about canon. Controversy about Sasuke. Controversy about the pairings. Controvery about ninja in general. Controversy, controversy, controversy. It's absolutely rife with it, and thus draws more and more attention. Which makes it more and more popular.

It helps that Naruto's also being circulated by a big name in big name places.

While reviews are nice, if the biggest reason they're writing a fic is because they want tons of reviews then they should think about why they're writing.

It's not about getting tons of reviews, it's about their work being read by more than just two fucking people who review every chapter while everyone else jacks off to the latest Ichigo/Grimmjaw turd over in the Bleach section.

Ironic, you're using a niche pairing to justify yourself here. And to be frank, most authors probably aren't writing for that audience in the first place.

There are two main reasons for people to write. Make money, and show off. Nobody writes JUST BECAUSE. Fanfiction writers don't write just to dump their storytelling somewhere, they write because they want recognition, one way or the other. Having a fic be ignored because a bogger fandom is hogging all the attention, especially if said fandom is made for 99% of worse shit than what you write, is discouraging. It doesn't make you want to write more, it makes you feel unappreciated and want to fucking QUIT.

Because quitting's far easier than getting off your ass and get better. The vast majority of people get into something primarily because they either think it'll make money, or because it's the quickest way to make a name for yourself. Once they find out it's not easy or quick, most want to give up, and that's fine. It suits them for trying to take shortcuts.

For people that are really in this because they want to be in it, there's nothing holding them down, and they're far more likely to grit their teeth and bear it. Eventually, they will push through to the other side. That's how big names start out. They just keep pushing and pushing, and pushing, not expecting a lot from the next thing they put down, till the wall suddenly gives way, dropping them in the middle of paradise.

My father is into model railroading. He's sunk several hundred dollars into it as well as about 4-5 years into it (not continuously, but still). He's only shown it off to a few friends and relatives who stop by. He's not doing it for recognition, he's doing it because it's fun and he enjoys it. Same that should be for any other hobby.

If having fun was the only reason why people write fanfics, then WHY THE FUCK DO THEY POST THEIR 'FUN' ON PUBLIC SITES FOR ALL TO SEE AND COMMENT ON?

If fun was the driving force, they'd hardly show their stuff to anyone, JUST LIKE YOUR DAD. The fact they publish it on a public FF site on the Internet means they want people to recognize their ability, whatever excuse they may crap out that's the real reason. Otherwise they wouldn't bother with the hassle of making it readable on a fiction site, which often requires editing.

If you're posting, you should have some pride in it. Otherwise, you're not likely to want to show off. You become self-conscious, and then afraid of what others will think. I couldn't really sit down and play around with pedals at a music shop because of that very fact. I "kind of" played "Iron Man," but pretty quietly because the last thing I want is be told I suck, and should quit. Mostly I just scaled.

Of course, there are some pieces I made up that sound cool to me, and I really was proud of the ways I came up with them, so those got more volume and greater vigor. And the fact that I didn't have a pick or a strap on wasn't the least bothersome as it was beforehand.

I feel the same thing applies to writing. People post what they have because they're proud of it; getting people to see what we're proud of is just part of the process towards improve ourselves.

too many closing quote tags, not enough opening of them. Specifically, it's the one before the talk about model trains.

Trains are cool. This topic should be about trains.

 

[GenocideHeart]

Ironic, you're using a niche pairing to justify yourself here. And to be frank, most authors probably aren't writing for that audience in the first place.

...Ichigo/Grimmjaw is one of the top 3 pairings in Bleach's FF.net section, as well as over on Ficwad. Not niche at all.

Because quitting's far easier than getting off your ass and get better. The vast majority of people get into something primarily because they either think it'll make money, or because it's the quickest way to make a name for yourself. Once they find out it's not easy or quick, most want to give up, and that's fine. It suits them for trying to take shortcuts.

For people that are really in this because they want to be in it, there's nothing holding them down, and they're far more likely to grit their teeth and bear it. Eventually, they will push through to the other side. That's how big names start out. They just keep pushing and pushing, and pushing, not expecting a lot from the next thing they put down, till the wall suddenly gives way, dropping them in the middle of paradise.

It doesn't matter if nobody reads your fics.

Know why?

Because you can't get better if no one reviews to tell you what you are doing wrong.

If there's no reviewers, it's hopeless. Reviews are NEEDED to better yourself, and they have to be constructive ones, but when nobody reviews because they are all wanking over a popular fandom's latest super-cliched harem/yaoi/uberedmain story in (insert popular fandom here), then you can't get better because there's no one there to TELL you what's wrong with your fic. They are all too busy fapping at the same tired old beaten horse and thinking 'dur, caveman liek cliched unoriginal fic number 2647369169161126'. Mob mentality at its finest.

Crudely put, I'll admit, but true nonetheless.

The only way to get reviewers nowadays if you aren't writing for a popular fandom/lack competent friends to bounce it off of, is to shove your crap down their throats. I pretty much would have to hunt down potential reviewers, link them to my fics repeatedly and basically yell at them "OPEN YOUR EYES AND STOP STARING AT YOUR DICKS! I REALLY, REALLY NEED INPUT ON THIS ONE TO GET BETTER! READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! READ IT! I CAN'T GET BETTER IF NOBODY CRITICIZES ME! READ THE FUCKING FIC!".

So yeah... you either write for popular fandoms or you are going to have to go through hell just to GET criticism, let alone worthwhile one.

 

[PCHeintz72]

GH... I suppose it would depend on exactly why an author is writing.

If you are writing with a genuine want to get better and want reviews/input, than that is one thing.

However... there are also people out there who specifically want to get their story down and out... Some of those are the ones they don't really care what others think or fell, just that they created something that had been in their head.

I've seen my share of the second type... some don't even want grammar / punctuation / spelling C&C and ignore it if given. That is their right... even if it can be annoying. A good example IMHO is WFRose, whom specifically stated he does not care for C&C, but does not mind comments/discussions on his stuff. At least, he was that way back when active on anifics.

Someone in between is probably like Teflonbooger-Ozzallos. He has posted snippets here raw or rough tons of times, and has stated he does not want to see posts on simple grammar/spelling/punctuation but will take them on the story if you are nice about it and not trying to ram a view down his throat. Considering the directions his threads go in, that can be tough. I think he is nicer than he has to be.

 

[ToastedPine]

Considering the directions his threads go in, that can be tough. I think he is nicer than he has to be.

... oh I don't know, I kinda like it rough. ;p

Kidding aside, Ozz's writing does have themes in it that tend to form powderkegs in Ranma fanfiction: Ranma-chan, Ranma with an SI bent (degree is arguable), Pregnant Ranma, Ki vs Chakra dicotomy, extremely odd pairings, and the list goes on. He's used many themes that fans just tend to argue about. It's part of his style.

Some of his readers really shouldn't be as hostile as they are, but Ozz is throwing his had into the hottest part of the arena. I think that he's perfectly aware that he will get licked. The disclaimer he has up is mostly for the benefit of saving the more level-headed among us from self-inflicted misery.