Is fiction dead?

[LordOfDarkness]

Nobody even bothers to read people's work any more. I doubt all the work is bad, I just think people have become lazy perhaps.

What do you think?

 

[Arwen]

People don't read an uknown artist or someone who's work they don't know well. It is just the way things are plus unDMC topics get less readers.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

People don't read an uknown artist or someone who's work they don't know well. It is just the way things are plus unDMC topics get less readers.

Even so, I think it has had less activity lately. My work is still dmc related, I haven't really changed much

 

[Arwen]

I tend too experiment with things a little. You should see my peronal written work. It freaks me out what I write sometimes I am not joking either.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

I tend too experiment with things a little. You should see my peronal written work. It freaks me out what I write sometimes I am not joking either.

OK?

Anyway... I still don't see why people aren't interested. It takes me a few secs to look at something. Most stuff here I like too

 

[Angel]

Just because someone doesn't comment, it doesn't necessarily mean the work isn't read - or appreciated.

At least that's just my opinion...

 

[LordOfDarkness]

Just because someone doesn't comment, it doesn't necessarily mean the work isn't read - or appreciated.

At least that's just my opinion...

It makes me feel like it isn't. Why? If no one comments, how do you know if you are doing well? You don't

 

[Angel]

Perhaps people don't actually know what to say - particularly if someone is looking for something more than "yeah great man"? Perhaps they don't want to come off as someone who can't be bothered to actually detail what they do and don't like about a story?

I dunno - I mean the reason I don't post my fictional works is because not only do they suck I also got a little fed up with the repetitive comments which had very little substance or feeling to them. You could just tell after a while that some of the posters felt obliged to say something bland and nice just to get it out of the way. Either that or they tore it to pieces and I thought "why bother?"

Similarly, if someone wants to criticise, constructively or otherwise, perhaps they feel like they cannot because everyone else is raving about how awesome the author is - maybe they don't want to start an unintentional argument with someone because they don't like their work.

 

[Trish67]

good point

 

[LordOfDarkness]

Perhaps people don't actually know what to say - particularly if someone is looking for something more than "yeah great man"? Perhaps they don't want to come off as someone who can't be bothered to actually detail what they do and don't like about a story?

I dunno - I mean the reason I don't post my fictional works is because not only do they suck I also got a little fed up with the repetitive comments which had very little substance or feeling to them. You could just tell after a while that some of the posters felt obliged to say something bland and nice just to get it out of the way. Either that or they tore it to pieces and I thought "why bother?"

Similarly, if someone wants to criticise, constructively or otherwise, perhaps they feel like they cannot because everyone else is raving about how awesome the author is - maybe they don't want to start an unintentional argument with someone because they don't like their work.

Maybe. But I will settle for a "That's good" because at least it shows me that some one cares. Not saying anything at all, when they might have done is more offensive in my opinion. Even if they say they hate it, I don't care.

 

[Angel]

I don't know - "that's good" could be someone caring or it could be someone who is just dishing out the empty praise. I'd prefer it if people actually put more depth when responding to a fan fic, a story, a poem, whatever. That shows someone gives a crap - not a banal "nice", you know?

that's just me - I'm awkward like that.

 

[Trish67]

same here ur not werid

 

[LordOfDarkness]

I don't get you lot. A nice "That's cool" gives me determination to continue. It means something better than no words at all.

 

[Trish67]

ok i bear that in mind....

 

[Angel]

It's just for me personally I would prefer to have something that means that person has taken my work into account, formulated an appropriate critique if necessary and therefore demonstrates some understanding of what I'm trying to achieve. For me, a quick "great" doesn't help me in any way - that's just me.

Sure, some things don't need an in-depth anything - but if I've taken the trouble to write quite a chunk of stuff I'd like someone who reads it and wants to comment to take the time to respond with something substantial.

 

[Janny]

People just can't be bothered to read these days since you never know what's good and what's trash and a waste of time. Perhaps we need a place where the fiction is rated and criticized by professionals to give the masses an idea of what they're about to read.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

People just can't be bothered to read these days since you never know what's good and what's trash and a waste of time. Perhaps we need a place where the fiction is rated and criticized by professionals to give the masses an idea of what they're about to read.

Jesus, that is a brilliant idea you have there +rep

I'm easy to please... A "That's cool" will determine me to continue a story for another 50 pages or so

 

[Tawsie]

A little story...

I used to start plenty of fics, and I'd usually abandoned them because nobody was posting. So, all my writing and planning was just wasted effort on my part. Firstly, what I discovered, is that you've got to write a story for yourself - because the World Wide Web is vast and infinite, and your story is just another drop in the ocean, filled with much better distractions like online Manga, Comics, Youtube, and X rated stuff

Secondly, since you're writing it for yourself, make sure its a story that you feel has to be told. Or, else why bother telling it at all.

I had a few readers, and very few posters to my works on Fanfiction.net. But, even though it took me months to update them, I never abandoned them, because they were stories I really wanted to tell.

Anyway, I don't really think its dead, I just think people are too lazy to post.

 

[Angel]

^^^ I don't think we have any professionals though...unless you mean those who write a lot of stories?

I only ever email bits of story now - if the person on the recieving end wants to read, of course.

 

[Janny]

Firstly, what I discovered, is that you've got to write a story for yourself - because the World Wide Web is vast and infinite, and your story is just another drop in the ocean, filled with much better distractions like online Manga, Comics, Youtube, and X rated stuff

Totally agree, I usually try to think of this whenever I want to write something. "It's better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."

Anyway, I don't really think its dead, I just think people are too lazy to post.

Some are scared to post, they think what they wrote sucks and don't want to be embarrassed or whatever. I guess you need courage to make your writings public.