On Fri, 18 Jun 1999, Berk Watkins wrote:

First:  It's always a sad time when an author bows out.  Since I joined a
scant year ago, I've seen a number of the old guard leave in disgust.
This is most disheartening.  As I've never really seen your work, I'd like
to offer up one last "gift": a bit of technical C&C.  Good luck to you,
and I'll see you on RAAC.

I live in a quiet world, where I'm as anonymous as anyone else walking
down the street.  I have never really fit into the world in general,
most people are of the opinion that I'm more than a little strange.  I
don't know what's going on with other people, and I don't pretend to
understand them.

You've got a comma splice in this paragraph (after general).  Use a
semicolon instead.

I just sit here with the voices in my head and write.

I know how that goes.  I've accepted a similar mantra ("I'm just gonna
write, okay?").

Unfortuantely, as of late I've discovered a sad trend that has begun
with fanfiction.  C&C, my life's blood, the stuff that I live on, to
tell me where other people would like me to take my writing, has dried
up.

That all depends, I suppose.  My current story (probably because it was
well-advertised) received a number of responses (about 10 unique
messages).  Of course, this tapered off to about 2 responses with the
current episode.  I've found that you really need to sell your product on
the FFML these days; modern commercial techniques produce results that
others simply cannot.  On the whole, however, public C&C, and C&C in
general has gone downhill, even since I joined.

I'm tired of screaming into the roaring wind and being drowned out.

This message is a request to those of you who have mailed me or Kai
Neflite in the past with C&C, please e-mail me again.  I am going to add
you to a list of people who will hear my tales before the world at large
does on RAAC.  The FFML has failed me, who will it fail next?

Another comma splice, this time after failed me.

I know how it feels.  For a while, I gave up on the FFML because I felt my
group of readers were enough.  However, they have stopped e-mailing me
C&C, or even comments at all.  Now, the FFML is all I have.  Rather
ironic...

Please feel free to return at any time.  The door is, of course, always
open.



--Matt


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