update post of updatey-ness

[dbskyler]

First off, I can't believe that the Age of Moffat is almost upon us! Just think, only 15 more days until I get to see the Eleventh Doctor's first episode!

(Okay, yes, I know that I just might be able to find it on the internet before then, but I prefer to wait for BBC America's broadcast. It will, however, be a difficult wait!)

In the meantime, I'm going to continue on with my "10 Favorite Tenth Doctor" episode countdown posts, which means I'll still be posting about Ten while all the rest of you are off raving or ranting about Eleven. Speaking of which, I'll be avoiding spoilers, so you might see me disappearing a bit from reading LJ until we've caught up over here in the backwaters of the U.S. Also, apologies in advance that my posts will be non-current, but truthfully I have no problem with being non-current -- in fact, if anyone wants to know my favorite Fourth Doctor episodes, I'm happy to oblige!

In other random news, I want to recommend that everyone go check out this marvelous new comm: dw_concrete. It's a place to put up your stories for honest, critical review, and I've already gotten some really useful feedback about one of my stories from an anonymous reviewer there.

Finally, I have an LJ-vs.-Teaspoon observation on my latest fic, "On the Benefits of Having an Attic." Here on LJ, it got a phenomenal response -- 18 people commented, which is about what I got for the initial posting of "Fallacy Somewhere," and that one went on to become arguably my most popular story. On Teaspoon, however, while I wouldn't say that "On the Benefits" has completely thumped, it has sort of thumped, especially relative to my other stories. So of course, me being me, I have to wonder: why the difference? The fic didn't get especially buried when it emerged from the Teaspoon queue. Of course, one simple explanation might be that a lot of people who would've reviewed it on Teaspoon had already reviewed it on LJ (it was posted here first), and people don't tend to review stories twice, nor should they. But I'm wondering if the real problem is the summary, which I think isn't that great. I barely notice the summaries on LJ, but on Teaspoon they're vital to drawing a reader to click on your story. I'm even wondering if I should go change the summary to something better, but I don't know if that would even make a difference this long after posting. Of course, the other alternative explanation is that Teaspoon readers don't like the story that much. I've been wondering if I should put it up for review on dw_concrete, but some of those comm members have already given me positive reviews for the fic and I'm worried it would come across as trolling for more. Of course, it would also be an opportunity for them to tell me what they really think . . . ;)

Comments

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

That's interesting, because I like the anonymity. I don't mind not knowing who reviewed my story, and while it wasn't a positive review, it was constructive criticism, and very helpful at that. In fact, I think that not knowing who it was allowed me to really focus on what was said as opposed to who was saying it.

I've also reviewed for the comm, and I think that being anonymous made me take more care in the review because I knew it was going to post under "the comm," if that makes sense. Again, the personal stuff got stripped away. But if the anonymity were removed and I was told I would now have to go stand behind what I said? I would, absolutely. I would never write a review that I couldn't honestly own up to, regardless of whether it was submitted anonymously or not.

back when the idiots on who_anon were labelling me an oppressor with all the Martha fic I was writing

Um, what? I don't follow who_anon. How can you oppress someone by writing Martha fic? Okay, well obviously you can't, but I don't understand why anyone would even complain about the characters someone else chooses to write. What was the problem?

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Well, that's fair - obviously other people share your opinion, not mine, or the comm wouldn't be getting any traffic...

Um, what? I don't follow who_anon. How can you oppress someone by writing Martha fic? Okay, well obviously you can't, but I don't understand why anyone would even complain about the characters someone else chooses to write. What was the problem?

See, there's a flaw in your thinking, right there - you're expecting the haters on who_anon to be logical. A lot of the ones who were bitching about me were the most rabid of Rosefen and hated Martha and anyone who liked her or Freema instinctively. Therefore anyone who wrote lots of Martha fic, as I certainly did post-S3, and especially anyone who shipped Martha/Ten, was obviously an evil oppressor but Rose/Ten is the OTP Forevah!!

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

A lot of the ones who were bitching about me were the most rabid of Rosefen and hated Martha and anyone who liked her or Freema instinctively.

I've been trying to think of what to say to that, but really I have nothing. Loving a character? That's great. Loving a pairing? That's great too. Loving a pairing so much that you decide it's an OTP? Sure, why not? Bashing a different character because you perceive her as somehow interfering with your OTP? That's both silly and disturbing. Bashing a fellow fan because she likes this character you've now decided you detest? That's . . . well, that's where words fail me.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Well yeah, but then again, you're a reasonable person, and well adjusted. Many of the who_anon posters have the mental age of a 12 year old (even when they're 30+!)