Subject: (Rant) The lack of response
From: Dustin Goeller
Date: 12/24/1997, 10:53 PM
To: The Mother Of All Fanfic Mailing Lists

What I am about to say is probably going to get a lot going to make a lot
of people angry at me. Fortunately, most people are probably away visiting
their friends and family, and only a small number will ever see this. But,
just as a word of advice to those who have nothing better to do than to
read my mindless rambling, all of this is strictly MY OPINION! And as with
many of my opinions, it's probably wrong.

Now, many of you often complain that no one EVER responds to any of the
fics you post on the FFML. Well, there is a simple reason for this. Your
writing is, to put it bluntly, boring. Not so much boring as in dull, but
boring as in being plain and standard. With so many fics being posted to
the list now, unless a fic really stands out, not too many people are
going to respond to it. In fact, a lot may not ever read it...

Look at the fics that have gotten a lot of attention. Take for example,
the infamous "Bitter End," written by Zen. This fic became popular not
only because it was VERY well written, but also because it had gone where
other fics wouldn't dare to go. And thanks to Zen's rebelliousness, "The
Bitter End" has arguably become the standard to which all 'dark fics' are
measured.

Of course, it helps to have superior writing ability. (It also helps to
have notoriously BAD writing ability. Look at all the commotion 'Mr.
Thinker' has caused.) Many fics have become list favorites simply because
they were written so superbly. But, the majority of fics, at least the
majority of fic I'VE read, have been, in my opinion, above average when it
comes to writing.

Am I saying that those who can't stand out should just give up and quit
fanfiction? Of course not. And even if I WERE saying that, it should be up
to you to write. There is a LOT of talent on this list. Everyone (or most
everyone) here has the ability to write a ground breaking work of art.
But, unless they realize how they need to improve, they will be stuck in
the annals of standard fanfare forever.

I have noticed that lately, quite a few of people have given up fanfiction
and moved on. I, for one, have pretty much stopped reading fanfiction all
together. It no longer interests me. It seems that whenever I start
reading a fic posted to this list, I feel although I've read it many times
before. I often wonder if I am the only person who feels this way. Perhaps
I've just "out-grown" fanfiction? Perhaps I am just a twisted SOB with no
life? Who knows?

Well, that about sums it up. I just wanted to express my ever-changing
feelings about fanfiction. I know that many of you are going to disagree
with this. Much of this is VERY rational. Go ahead and send me flames if
you like. I probably deserve them for posting something like this. :P (Not
to mention, this being a piece of crap itself.)




                                                Double,double
+--------------------+                          Toil and trouble
|Dustin Goeller      |        (       "     )   Fire burn and
|stinky@azstarnet.com|         ( _  *           Cauldron bubble
+--------------------+            * (     /      \    ___
                                     "     "        _/ /
                Mom, are you SURE   (   *  )    ___/   |
                this will help        )   "     _ o)'-./__
                me get Girls?  \     *  _ )    (_, . $$$
                                \    (  )   __ __ 7_ $$$$
                                 \    ( :  { _)  '---  $\
  +-----------------------+      ______'___//__\   ____, \
  |This SIG is probably   |       )           ( \_/ _____\_
  |best viewed NOT        |     .'             \   \------''.
  |by a Catholic...       |     |='           '=|  |         )
  +-----------------------+     |               |--|  .    _/
                                 \    (. ) ,   /  /__I_____\
                             snd  '._/_)_(\__.'   (__,(__,_]
                                 @---()_.'---@