At 04:01 PM 6/15/97 GMT, you wrote:
I saw this and *had* to reply....

-- How often do you take a chance and read something by an author you
aren't familiar with?

Constantly.  Not having been around all that long, I base my choices on
titles, then series, then genre (depending on my mood).  Everyone was an
unknown author to me for the longest time, and I do now have some fics I'm
axiously awaiting the next part of.  Oddly enough, I find works by "new
names" to be very refreshing.

-- When you read something, how often do you take the time to respond?
How often do you take the time to send some constructive criticism?

If I finish it, then I respond to the author.  I know how much *I* like to
hear about people's opinions, and I expect that sentiment is universal.  I
rarely nitpick spelling/grammar myself, but I do point out rough spots and
plot inconsistancies that I may percieve.  Unless stipulated in the author's
notes, BTW, I don't worry too much about canon, either... I like the
deliberate departure stuff.

If your answer to these is "hardly ever", then your complaints about not
getting enough response yourself doesn't carry much weight, IMO. C&C
UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM C&C UNTO YOU!! If you have time to
write, and time to read what the popular authors put out, then you have
time once in a while to read something by an unknown writer and respond
to it.

HEAR HEAR!


Thanx for letting me get my two cents in, Gary...

Coutuva

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