fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2210 ]

[ SECRET POST #2210 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2210 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

__________________________________________________

02.

__________________________________________________

03.

__________________________________________________

04.

__________________________________________________

05.

__________________________________________________

06.

__________________________________________________

07.

__________________________________________________

08.

__________________________________________________

09.

__________________________________________________

10.

__________________________________________________

11.

__________________________________________________

12.

__________________________________________________

13.

__________________________________________________

14.

__________________________________________________

15.

__________________________________________________

16.

__________________________________________________

17.

__________________________________________________

18.

__________________________________________________

19.

__________________________________________________

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 06 pages, 101 secrets from Secret Submission Post #316.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 1 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OP here. As expected, some trolling and some disagreement, but thank you to everyone who made an effort to see where I was coming from, or already understood.

And yes, fic has to be written for fun: but the effort to edit and share that with the whole world, and people who supposedly want to read it (at least enough to give it a big hit count and act upset if you don't want to keep writing more stories for them), is a BIG deal.

I do not have any steady income and I'm single, so yes, making money from my writing would be a big help.

The reason I have not brought my works into it even anonymously is because this is a SECRET, and I don't want it to become some sort of stupid campaign, selling my feelings and abusing this comm to find readers!

Yes, some people judge me, but at least I got to say what I really felt for once, even with some bitterness and frustration included. It's been building a long time, and obviously, I'm not the only one. Self-publishing has been the right choice for me. Doesn't mean I won't write fanfic sometimes in future, because I do have characters I love, but I no longer feel like I owe the fan community (any of them) anything, no matter what readers say.

One of the posters said I should try to change the culture. Well, you no idea how much blood, sweat, and tears I've poured into the communities I was part of to make them a better place. Have *you*? Ask yourself that before you judge me for leaving it behind. I've give my heart for too long to people who couldn't care less.

I hope what I added here makes sense; I've a bit of a cold today. I don't plan to reply further or check back; I won't see your rebuttals. Thank you to everyone who listened to what I had to say. :)

IMO a culture of commenting is something that snowballs. I've said a few times before that comments are fandom contributions too - just like fanworks. They should be valued. One of the most awesome people I've ever met in fandom didn't do much writing or drawing, but instead left detailed, interesting comments that sparked discussion and invited responses from the writers. SHE WAS AMAZING and I miss her tons, as much for the comments she left other people as the ones she left for me. I feel like I learned a lot just from watching her moves, hot damn.

We really can't make people care - sometimes we can't even make ourselves care - but we can try to make sure that the people who do care are able to express it and that their contributions get as much support as possible. Sometimes 'Thank you' is the only response you can give to a comment, but if there's a chance to continue a discussion about canon, or about the characters? This is how supportive, fun communities develop. Do it.

And yes, fic has to be written for fun: but the effort to edit and share that with the whole world, and people who supposedly want to read it (at least enough to give it a big hit count and act upset if you don't want to keep writing more stories for them), is a BIG deal.

That's your first problem.

Fandom is not a big deal, I don't care what anyone says. It doesn't pay the rent, it doesn't put gas in the car, it doesn't put food on the table. Is it nice to be involved? Yes, of course. Is it a way to connect to others? Absolutely.

It is not a big deal though. It verges on obsessive just like the football fans that take their fannish behaviors to the extreme. The mindset that it's OMG A BIG DEAL is what leads to problems.

Priorities.

Yeah, you're a diva. I'm sure you'll feel good being able to dismiss me as trolling, but you are acting like a big diva.

No one owes you anything. If you want something from your "work" (and honey, it's not work--it's your playtime hobby), that's fine, and if you feel discouraged because you didn't get it and what to stop, that's fine too.

But acting like what you're doing is hard work and that you're doing it for the readers and they just don't appreciate all the sacrifices you're making for this purely optional, purely voluntary, purely irrelevant piece of fanfiction is what makes you a diva.

You're not slaving away for the people, you're not changing the world one word at the time if only they'd see!, you're clacking away at a keyboard for fun. If you're losing sight of that, original fiction is a good choice, and I commend you for it. It's shitty to do things that you love for no reward.

But no one owes you anything. An author deserves to be paid for their work because they A) actually had to put money into their work (agent and publishing fees are something new authors pay), and B) are using to support themselves.

it's your playtime hobby
Actually you don't know what it is. I love it when people decide for others what's important and matters. Always a good occasion to laugh (at them).

Unless she lives in her parents basement, it can't be anything else. She doesn't make money off of it.

A hobby is "An activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure". So as she doesn't write fanfiction for a living, it is her playtime hobby, no matter what she feels.

LOL. If you honestly believe that writing/editing/working to make something publishable is not work - and hard work at that, albeit enjoyable - you are pretty clearly not a writer.

Enjoying something and even considering something a hobby does not mean it's not work. Writing a solid story is actually much more difficult, time-consuming and demanding than people think it is. There are many intricacies involved in it. People always ask me "when are you getting it published"? As though getting something published is a freaking walk in the park!

For the record, I'm an original fiction writer and I'm trying to get some of my projects published traditionally once they're ready, but writing is not my career ambition (although it is my passion). I still consider my writing work, however, because it takes up a lot of my time and effort on a daily basis. Similarly, I think someone who has put a lot of their time and effort into a fanfiction could very well consider that work. Just because you are not making money off something doesn't mean you didn't work hard on it.

P.S. - You might want to consider dropping the condescension in future comments. It's really not doing you any favors.

LOL. If you honestly believe that writing/editing/working to make something publishable is not work - and hard work at that, albeit enjoyable - you are pretty clearly not a writer.

It's not. It's your hobby. It's not work because you don't need to do it. You don't have to have it done. It's a leisurely activity for you. You have no deadlines, no editor or publisher requirements, no stress about making back your fees--calling it "work" is just insulting to real authors.

I've seen lovely fanart that probably took a lot of time and materials to make, but that wasn't "work". Doesn't make it not beautiful or worthwhile or laudable. But it's not work.

P.S. - You might want to consider dropping the condescension in future comments. It's really not doing you any favors.

Not for princesses. How else will you understand me?

Working hard at something =/= your work.

Your "work" is what you are paid to do. You must do this to make money.

"Working hard" is putting a lot of effort into something. You can put a lot of effort into a hobby and you can put a lot of effort into your work.

Your hobby may also require a lot of skill in addition to the hard work. It is still not your "work" because it is something you freely choose to do and are not getting paid for.

So, let me see if I get this logic here.

I write an original short story. I send it out. It gets rejected. Over, and over, and over again. I never, ever get paid for it. I hoped to get paid for it, but it never happened. So, the effort and time I put into that story wasn't "work" because it never put a dime in my pocket.

I write another original short story. I send it out. I get an acceptance! Two years later! I get cashy money for the thing six months after that. According to you, it suddenly became "work" instead of a "hobby."

And, according to you, the work that people put into honing their craft before they ever get published... isn't work--even though if the writer didn't do that, they'd never get paid because they wouldn't ever get good enough to be published.

Yeah, no. I'm gonna just say that you have a very narrow definition of "work" and leave it at that.

This right here: (agent and publishing fees are something new authors pay) tells me that you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Because it's bullshit.

No writer should pay a "publishing fee." EVER. Money flows to the writer. I have never paid to have something published, and I never intend to. Agent fees? Those come out of advances and royalties and are never ever paid up front, at least not to a reputable agent.

I'm a writer. The only money I put out up front was what I paid for my laptop, the Word program I use to write with, and, on occasion, postage to the one snail mail short market in my genre still extant.

If someone is paying up-front fees, they're being vanity published. And that is all kinds of Doing It Wrong.

Also, most writers have a day job. Yes, even NYT bestselling authors sometimes slog away in cube farms. Because the fact of the matter is that writing does not pay very well unless you're a James Patterson or a Stephanie Meyer. Just because someone is not wholly supporting themselves with their writing does not mean that it's not work.

I'm just going to point out - if you expect something back from me, you didn't "write me free entertainment". You wrote entertainment you expected to be paid for in comments and reviews.

Now, I'm just going to say this: I don't owe you shit for the fanworks you willingly wrote and willingly posted online. There was no contractual agreement. No one made you do it. You chose to do it yourself - no one owes you anything.

It is, of course, nice for someone to leave you a comment, but it is not required. It is, of course, normal to feel disheartened when you don't get feedback, but this does not mean you are owed feedback.

I'm glad you're happy with writing your original fiction. I'm happy for you that you feel more validated.

But I still don't owe you shit.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ SECRET POST #2210 ]

OP addendum

Re: OP addendum

Re: OP addendum

Re: OP addendum

Not OP

Re: Not OP

Re: OP addendum

Re: OP addendum

Re: OP addendum

Re: OP addendum

Re: OP addendum

Re: OP addendum