No, this is not another recommended reading list. I already sent my
response on this to Nabby via private E-mail. I just think something
ought to be said on behalf of the rest of us, that vast majority of us
who *haven't* written anything that's on people's top ten lists.

It's good to recognize authors who've written outstanding works; but
looking for this recognition should *not* be your reason for writing. No
matter how much you get it will never be enough. The best reason to
write, IMO, is the satisfaction of having the finished product. It's the
chance to look back at a work that's entertaining, poignant, funny,
suspenseful, moving, or whatever -- and know that *you* created it.

So if your fics haven't gotten the kind of response that you'd like,
don't quit. Find some more ideas that *you* think have potential, and
beat them into a finished story or series. Someday you might write that
world-beater. Or not. But in any case it'll be worth it when you can
look back at a completed work and remember whose it is.


Hoping that this isn't too much Spam,

Gary Kleppe
kleppe@execpc.com, Home page http://www.execpc.com/~kleppe
My fanfics and the FFML map are on my comics/manga page,
       http://www.execpc.com/~kleppe/comics