On Thu, 5 Feb 1998, CHRISTIAN A ROGERS wrote:

Can I say a few things here?

One, I've been having a bit of a rough day, so if I get a little 
nasty, please forgive me.

Two, I think there's a bit of a double standard going on around here.


Let's see... "Ill Met By Starlight" has Ranma totaly OCC in the same 
way as Mamoru/Endymion, yet there are no complaints.  "Bitter End" 
has Akane OOC in an Endymion way and yet there's no complaints.  In 
fact, it's voted one of the best fics of all time.

[snip]

I take it you either weren't on the list when 'Bitter End' first came to
the list early last year or just didn't pay close attention. It generated
quite a bit of controversy - a lot of which was related to IC/OOC. Good
fics often do. I haven't read your fic (I skip all SM fics and 90% of
Ranma fics) - but if I were you I would take the fact that people *cared*
about your fic enough to criticize it as a positive sign. Truely bad fics
tend to simply be ignored. 

Something I've noticed is that a lot of author's (here and other places I
hang out) tend to have very thin skins about their writing. To repeat
something I said last year: It's just a story. Electrons on a screen.  If
you are getting so wrapped up in it that it is affecting your ability to
keep calm in conversations about it: Take a break. Go on a walk. Read a
book. Molest (with their consent, of course) your significant other with
exotic kitchen utensils. And then come back and *calmly* consider the
criticism and whether it has validity. 

C&C is your feedback on how *other* people see your story.  Are you
communicating the message you wanted to? If so - good. If not, you might
consider how you could change it so is *does* communicate that message. 

-- 
Benjamin Franz