In a pathetic attempt to try and justify my contribution to this
unforgivable spam, I just have to announce generally that, since I
have recently found stable, good-paying, long-term employment -- with
email access (woo-hoo!) -- after a too-long haitus, I will once again
be able to actively participate in this ML with... (gasp!) C&C and such.
You have been warned. ;)
---Razorclaw X wrote:
Maybe I just plain don't get it. Maybe I'm a terrible writer.
Maybe I
don't have a taste in writing.
But what is it that makes a good fanfic?
And I'll slap you if you point to 'that other' piece of work by the
name of 'How to Write Good Fanfiction.'
All over the place I see loads of praise for stuff like Hearts of
Ice
or DnR; is the time precedent working here? Is the number of
pre-readers
proportional to the success of the story?
Since you mentioned my fic as an example, I thought it prudent that I
respond.
Time precedent? Are you referring to the fact that it's taken me
nearly two years to write "Hearts of Ice?" ; ) Believe me, length of
time, either in how long a fic has been out, or the time it takes to
write a longer series, has nothing to do with whether a story is good
or not. Richard Lawson's a great example of that. I envy his ability
to put out so many terrific stories so quickly.
And since I mentioned Lawson, I should also mention that name
recognition doesn't matter in story quality either, for that matter.
I was a complete unknown on the ML -- only a member for about two
weeks -- when I started posting HoI. *Every* fanfic author starts out
as an unkown.
Number of pre-readers doesn't matter either. My brother was my only
pre-reader for the first 14 or so parts of HoI.
Or are long, descriptive passages describing the minute details of
a
Stephen King novel, that grabs people?
Nope. You can have a passage that describes the detail of a scene
down to the last molecule, but if there's no feeling behind it, if the
reader doesn't care what's happening in the scene, all you've got is a
long, descriptive passage that's a good substitute for Nytol.
Or does my writing just plain suck? Am I destined for 2/5 when
reaching for a 3/5? Why is it that people notice me for my bad works
and
not my (IMO) good works?
Dunno. I haven't read you're stuff. But I saw that you just posted a
fic, so to atone for this spam, I'll C&C it for you. ^_^
Back to point: what makes a fanfic good?
And so far I've come up with the following critera:
1. The author feels it's good (the easiest part)
Not always. I've felt good about some stuff I've written that other
people can't stand.
2. Readers tell the author and others it's good
If a story is good, the word will spread. Whenever I find a fic I
really like, I tell all my fellow fanfic fans.
3. More than five people read the story and think it's good
Well, yeah, that's always nice.
4. Pre-readers catch all the little glitches in the story
Good grammar is a definite plus in storytelling. But, to be honest,
I've read stories that weren't so hot in the grammar department (in
other words, not perfect, but they weren't so bad that they were
agonizing to read), but the story was so captivating, I cheefully
overlooked the typos and grammar mistakes. Granted, though, it's rare
that a plot comes along that's good enough to override my English Lit.
major sensibilities.
5. Long descriptive passages describing minute details of a Stephen
King
novel
Again, no. It all depends on the author's writing style. Ever read
"Kiss of the Spider Woman?" Captivating story. Virtually the whole
thing is dialogue between two people, with nary a single descriptive
passage.
6. Said fic must exist for an extended period of time
Nope. Though I'm extremely gratified that HoI has been so well
received, and seems to be enjoying continuing popularity, HoI, as well
as famous fics such as DnR, Thy Inward Love, etc., all had to start
somewhere. The stories certainly weren't known when they were first
posted... and the authors certainly weren't known when they were first
posting. Everybody has to start somewhere, and success isn't always
instant.
7. Said fic must be recognized by established reviewers as good
Nope. Some of my favorite fics have never been officially "reviewed."
8. Said author mustn't be overly desparate for C&C or MSTs
<snicker> Are you kidding? I don't know of a single fanfic author
who *doesn't* want to be deluged with C&C and MSTs. Myself especially!
9. Said author must've written about something that makes sense
Well... yeah.
Gotta run. I'll send some real C&C, as soon as I read your fic. ^_^
Ja ne
Krista
==
=^..^=
Bored out of your mind?
Visit my fanfic web page at:
http://fly.to/krista
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