FFIRC Productions wrote:

Here's the second installment; conclusion to follow in a few days.

PLEASE C&C. The first part of this received NO response at all. Several of us
are regular C&Cers on the FFML; please help us out by returning the favor.
Whether you like it, hate it, or have mixed opinions, we'd like to know why.

    And you are surprised?  Lots of stories posted to the list do not get any
comments.  You've been doing this long enough to know that.

    On the admittedly rare occasions I can make myself sit down and write, I'd like
meaningful critiques too.  The last story I wrote did not get any C&C, just one
comment from a person to say that he liked it.  C&C can't be compelled; you just
have to hope that the tale you are telling hits the right chord with the readers and
they want to give you feedback.

    One rant of mine is that the flip side of the coin is just as bad.  I do write
C&C on stories I like.  More often than not, it is only to hear nothing at all back
from the author.  In my own humble opinion, it is just as important for the author
to give thanks and return dialog as it is for the members of this list to help the
writers.  As a policy, I send a thank-you note to everyone who comments on one of my
stories.  If they gave me C&C, I analyze the point they made and let them know if it
fit into my story concept.  I do not denigrate their input, I just let them know why
I think it would or would not work.

    When I comment on a story, I take the time and trouble to read the story
carefully, give it thought and then spend hours writing a response to it.  There is
nothing quite as frustrating as to send all that work out and hear nothing back.  It
makes me wonder if comments are really appreciated, and I have to think twice the
next time whether or not I really want to write a critique.

    The moral of this gabble of mine?  If you really want feedback from people, then
let them know how much it means to you when you do get it.

    As always, this is a personal opinion and no one is required to agree with me; I
certainly won't think less of anyone who doesn't.

    BTW, the reason why I am not C&C'ing this story is very simple.  The minute you
introduced the "Ranma is secretly Burakumin" element into the story, it was a
turn-off for me and I stopped reading.  That's been done before, if in a different
way, and it just isn't my cup of tea.

Ja ne,
Larry F