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Author Notes in Fics...input anyone?
Okay, so this is something that has seriously bugged me for a long time, but, due to the amount of fic I've been reading this last week, it's come up more than I'm used to. I've found that the fact that it seems to be a common thing makes it bug the shit out of me even more.
Why, (no, seriously) why to people feel the need to put author notes in the body of a fic? This isn't a rhetorical question, I'm actually asking you all. I know that a vast majority of you write fic and that even more of you read it, so I'm honestly asking you for one reason that makes sense as to why you would willingly break the narrative of a fic and insert a comment about the content. I don't understand it and I absolutely hate coming across it. If I'm not already invested in actually reading a fic, I usually tend to hit the back button and find something else to read. If the fic is really good, I will keep reading, but I have to be honest and say that it will put me off.
To me, when I'm writing a fic, the last thing I want is to suck a reader into a story only to jerk them right back out of it with some (often inane) comment that has nothing to do with the actual telling of the story. I'm not just talking about coming across something like:
Example 1:
Brennan sighed and ran a hand through her hair, before pushing the door open and entering the room. She stopped short, her eyes widening slightly as she tried to force herself not to study the specimen before her. However, human nature dictated she be at least a little curious, and the anthropologist in her let her eyes wander. She couldn't deny that Seely Booth was certainly a specimen worth studying. (A/N: OMG! He so is, isn't he!? He's unbelievably hot!) Her study, however, was cut short a moment later when he looked up.
The fact is that I have come across random comments like that in fic before, but (thankfully) not all that often. The kind of comments that have prompted this rant, however, are slightly less fangirlish and more...see, the word that comes to mind is 'unprofessional', but that's not exactly what I mean. We write fic for fun and because, as writers, it helps us improve (at least, those are two of my reasons). It's a way to practice certain techniques, or styles, a way to improve writing plots, or characters, or whatever, and mainly because it's fun and it lets us come up with new scenarios for our favourite (and sometimes not so favourite) characters. So, to say unprofessional would imply that it's a profession, but, really, it's just for fun and what I really mean to say about coming across these random notes is that it's fucking annoying.
This is more what I mean:
Example 2:
"Are you honestly telling me that you've never seen Star Wars?" Booth asked incredulously.
"I've never really seen the point," Brennan replied, shrugging and taking another sip of coffee. "I have no interest in space exploration and even less interest in aliens and unlikely scenarios involving robots and spaceships. The chances of anything of that nature (AN: that's not the word I meant, but I couldn't think of the right one, sorry!) occurring in our lifespans are phenomenally small, besides."
"It's not supposed to be realistic, Bones, it's supposed to be fun."
"I have fun."
Really? I mean, why? Those may not be the best examples, but I just wanted to make my point before I ask for input. As far as I'm aware, that's the kind of comment you put in before you send it to a beta reader and it's specifically intended for said beta reader, it's not meant to still be there when posted for the general public. And if you don't have a beta reader, why put the comment in at all? Wait until the end, or comment at the start, but do not place it in the middle of the damn story!
[/rant]
So, yeah, input anyone?
(I'll leave this post unlocked, in case anyone not on the f-list wants to comment)
And, because I've never done one before...tell me what you think in the poll:
[Poll #980423]
ETA: *growl* I take it back. Example number 1 is now more irritating that example number 2. Twice in three fics. Actually three times in one and once in another. I...I just do not get it!
Why, (no, seriously) why to people feel the need to put author notes in the body of a fic? This isn't a rhetorical question, I'm actually asking you all. I know that a vast majority of you write fic and that even more of you read it, so I'm honestly asking you for one reason that makes sense as to why you would willingly break the narrative of a fic and insert a comment about the content. I don't understand it and I absolutely hate coming across it. If I'm not already invested in actually reading a fic, I usually tend to hit the back button and find something else to read. If the fic is really good, I will keep reading, but I have to be honest and say that it will put me off.
To me, when I'm writing a fic, the last thing I want is to suck a reader into a story only to jerk them right back out of it with some (often inane) comment that has nothing to do with the actual telling of the story. I'm not just talking about coming across something like:
Example 1:
Brennan sighed and ran a hand through her hair, before pushing the door open and entering the room. She stopped short, her eyes widening slightly as she tried to force herself not to study the specimen before her. However, human nature dictated she be at least a little curious, and the anthropologist in her let her eyes wander. She couldn't deny that Seely Booth was certainly a specimen worth studying. (A/N: OMG! He so is, isn't he!? He's unbelievably hot!) Her study, however, was cut short a moment later when he looked up.
The fact is that I have come across random comments like that in fic before, but (thankfully) not all that often. The kind of comments that have prompted this rant, however, are slightly less fangirlish and more...see, the word that comes to mind is 'unprofessional', but that's not exactly what I mean. We write fic for fun and because, as writers, it helps us improve (at least, those are two of my reasons). It's a way to practice certain techniques, or styles, a way to improve writing plots, or characters, or whatever, and mainly because it's fun and it lets us come up with new scenarios for our favourite (and sometimes not so favourite) characters. So, to say unprofessional would imply that it's a profession, but, really, it's just for fun and what I really mean to say about coming across these random notes is that it's fucking annoying.
This is more what I mean:
Example 2:
"Are you honestly telling me that you've never seen Star Wars?" Booth asked incredulously.
"I've never really seen the point," Brennan replied, shrugging and taking another sip of coffee. "I have no interest in space exploration and even less interest in aliens and unlikely scenarios involving robots and spaceships. The chances of anything of that nature (AN: that's not the word I meant, but I couldn't think of the right one, sorry!) occurring in our lifespans are phenomenally small, besides."
"It's not supposed to be realistic, Bones, it's supposed to be fun."
"I have fun."
Really? I mean, why? Those may not be the best examples, but I just wanted to make my point before I ask for input. As far as I'm aware, that's the kind of comment you put in before you send it to a beta reader and it's specifically intended for said beta reader, it's not meant to still be there when posted for the general public. And if you don't have a beta reader, why put the comment in at all? Wait until the end, or comment at the start, but do not place it in the middle of the damn story!
[/rant]
So, yeah, input anyone?
(I'll leave this post unlocked, in case anyone not on the f-list wants to comment)
And, because I've never done one before...tell me what you think in the poll:
[Poll #980423]
ETA: *growl* I take it back. Example number 1 is now more irritating that example number 2. Twice in three fics. Actually three times in one and once in another. I...I just do not get it!
no subject
It breaks the narrative and it makes the author look stupid. Even the fanish glee that you're willing for forgive is retarded, uncalled for, and mocks their own fic. Hell, it mocks that fandom. It's like saying, "I'm so out of control that I can't help but be amused by what I've written and I have to TELL EVERY1 ABOUT IT OMG!!!"
I just . . . I have no words to describe how stupid, immature, and amateur that is.
If I ever read a fic like that, the author will receive a comment from me suggesting that they never abuse writing in that way again.
no subject
*sighs* Thank fuck! That's basically what goes through my mind when I come across it. The sheer number of times I've seen this actually makes me want to weep for fandom. The fangirl stuff isn't so much that I forgive it, but that it's at least a pinpoint of, 'okay, this was written by a twelve year old' (...at least I hope it was), whereas the other is... No, I just can't think of a reason, I hate it and it just pisses me off, especially when it's in the middle of an otherwise well written fic.
There is no reason—absolutely none at all—to insert author commentary like that in a normal fic.
See, I can't think of a reason either. But I figured that there must be a reason. Surely logic dictates that, for someone to do that there must actually be a reason, because... just because. Why else?
Hence the poll.
Also, 'amateur'? Totally the word I was trying to find in place of 'unprofessional'.
no subject
So, it might look something like this:
"I've never really seen the point," Brennan replied, shrugging and taking another sip of coffee. "I have no interest in space exploration and even less interest in aliens and unlikely scenarios involving robots and spaceships. The chances of anything of that nature* occurring in our lifespans are phenomenally small, besides."
THE END
*That's not the word I meant, but I'm too stupid to use a dictionary or a thesaurus.
no subject