[Initial D Yaoi Keisuke x Takumi- Rivalry Revealed Series]

I have gotten back into writing now that my health has improved. Have begun posting chapters to Driven Heart and to As the Smoke Clears again. The plot bunnies are slowly awakening from hibernation, so perhaps the overall integrity of the stories will improve. Have done some long overdue revision work on A Rivalry Revealed so expect some chapters to get replaced ASAP. Much of the revision work done is correcting wrong Japanese words inside the dialog, and streamlining bad paragraphs for clarity. Hope the new clarity will be well received.

[What's your writing process? Do you write without thought or not?]

Well it all depends. With the story that I'm currently writing I've got pretty much everything planned out well, maybe expect for the chapters and I also put my emotions into the story and lately with Abraham's Daughter, I'm starting to get way to emotionally attached with my OC, is that a bad thing? I seriously can't be the only one on here who gets emotionally attached to their stories? Anyways, I just wanted to put my two cents in this topic.

~Tory~

A: Having a few ideas of getting from point a to point z gives a frame for writing a story. I find it is always a great idea and allows for flexibility in telling a story. By having some key notions about what reversals will be creating friction for the characters, you can get a better idea of what types of battles your lead characters will be facing. You can attune to their personalities, and find the best avenue to help them shine when overcoming every obstacle in their path.

Personally I feel that all writers should have an emotional tie to all the characters inside their tales to keep the balance between all characters in the story. Getting overly emotional with only one can create a problem. Occasionally, it leads to losing your grasp of the other characters inside the same tale. If that happens, you might not be capable of continuing to also nurture your other characters, or so I have personally found in my ow writing over the years. Emotional investment creates dynamic characters, so definitely keep being attached to all your characters.

I love to jerk tears, fury fits, and laughter out of my own readers so having an emotional stake in all of my characters' perspectives is a must for myself. I let the characters tell their tale to the best of their ability by stepping into each of their shoes while they do the talking. Because of my emotional attachment to their trials, and triumphs, the readers share the characters emotions vicariously which is the objective of a good story. I get yelled at and loved in equal measure because I do feel for my characters at every stage.

All writers get attached to their stories which is part of the joy found in writing. In the raw stage of writing a tale, that is part of the beauty of getting a lot of emotional context added in many cases. Once finished you sit on that raw, very rough draft for a few weeks then come back to it, and shred the raw draft to clean up the grammar, and all the little out of tune problems created in the freer stage of getting the tale out. You will find that you have to axe some things and revise, but it makes the story so much better and stronger of you take the time to revise and chop out the excess that goes nowhere.

Welcome to this thread, and good luck with your story, Tory.

[Best or Worst review you've ever gotten]

This makes me wonder; does it have to be a review you received from here? I received one from another site that I post on which... I didn't know how to take it, really; LOL! I know that I'm not the greatest of writers but a part of me wanted to be really discouraged from the review only because it was revised from the original. They said: "This style of writing sounds very young, like the stream of consciousness of a young girl. But she mentions a husband so I'm guessing she must be at least 20. Did you write this when you were younger?"

That wasn't the style of writing I was going for, to be honest so that tells me that I may or may not need to "write more maturely" with this Pokemon fic. Then again, I had no plans for the story to be a dark or erotic one so the other part of me took this as a slight compliment; it's Pokemon for crying out loud! It also made me wonder: I have other stories that the reviewer could have sampled that, in my opinion, sounded older; why did he choose the one that would've been more likely geared towards the younger crowd...? *shrugs* Like I said, it was a revision that was posted; what type of review would they have left if I would've said "screw it" and posted the original? XD So, yeah; it was pretty interesting to say the least!

A: Do not let such a review get you down. I have had similar reviews via several sites over the years. Not everyone can be pleased by a writer's style and topic choice as a rule. The fact you were writing Pokemon in itself is telling about the correct writing style. Some people want nothing but sex or similar in their stories and will be rude about any other types of stories, no matter how well written.

I would like to share two bad reviews that I have received but they were not on this site. They are quite comical in my view...Okay, the first review that I had received, the individual was puzzled about the way the characters spoke. Basically what they said was from my Avatar (I had used Storm), they are assuming I am Black. So if I am a Black person then how come my characters don't speak "ghetto"? *sighs. I mean really...I am an educated person of colour so why would I?? And besides what does colour have anything to do with writing??!!! This, of course had me laughing--people can be so incredibly stupid.

Okay, now for the second review I have printed it below:

"If you want to write something that is dark, you need to remember that less is more. Using large or uncommon words does not create a dark atmosphere; often, it does the opposite, making the material unintentionally comical. Instead of enjoying what you wrote, I found myself unable to follow along at times. Lose the melodrama and shoot for more realism. Allow your characters to talk like normal people because your readers are going to get stuck on how they're saying it rather than what they are saying. If your reader has to have a dictionary then you have lost them. Keep it simple and show, don't tell."

Here is another person who isn't a fan of the dictionary...I just thought it was common knowledge that people knew what words such as, syncopated, blithering, and cacophony, all meant. And as for keeping things simple, I always remember my English teacher in University telling me that detail is the key to painting a picture for the audience to visualize--simplicity is boring, dull, and unimaginative. Oh well...

A: I get the same type of complaint about specific words used reviews also on occasion. I find that people who have "Be more dumb, Stupid" syndrome rarely read anything but fluff. The only time a character should speak ghetto in writing is if you are writing a character known for speaking ghetto in the story line. I detest such nonsense ideals that a person of any specific history or background must comply to a set of iron bound laws because of where a person grew up. You are correct in painting a good scene for the intelligent readers to immerse themselves within to their heart's content. Although, I must acknowledge words like syncopated are considered obscure and a touch archaic in the modern writing industry, I have used many big words throughout my writing career.

As for writing using "big words" try reading some of my stories like Teen Titans and a Sex-fiend, or Transformers Prime the Truth Revealed. I think I sprained my vocabulary writing those LOL. So don't let the "ignint" people get you down simply because they can't read words with more than four litters.

A: Agreed in spades. The lazy will never appreciate language and have very small vocabularies overall. So whenever we cross paths with such individuals, talking or writing over their heads happens without intention which is painful. The ignorant do not wish to be challenged to evolve often being the biggest problem. Such people tend to stereotype others, as seems to be the case of the bad reviews mentioned above. Kind of sad to see it when it happens. Stupidity by choice is one disease that seems to infect across all colors and backgrounds I have discovered in my lifetime. It is always best to shrug off such negative and narrow minded foolishness when it is tossed at any of our works which we have shared online.

[No, seriously, WHAT is good writing?]

The things that make me distinguish between good and bad writing (no matter the subject or pace) are flow and emotion. I have read many summaries that peaked my interest only to get into the story and be unable to finish due to it reading like an itinerary (list). The character does this that and the other thing goes to bed, gets up does that and this. No emotion and no natural flow as would happen in real life. By flow I mean the characters actions leading into future actions. Such as a character having a nightmare leading him into looking tired later in the story. For me when the subject and pace fit my personal style it is flow and emotion that draw me into or lack of that push me away from a story.

A: All are excellent points that highlight the value of the reader's perspective about stories. I guess I take for granted that revision is for a reader's sole benefit, while some never consider the necessity of considering a reader's feelings at all. So yes, there does come a time when you must consider the audience over your personal feelings when slaving away at a keyboard to create a good story. The published writers in this world have that consideration at some point within their creative endeavor, or they would not be published and making an income from what they love doing.

I often see "write for myself instead of readers" commentaries in many threads throughout these forums. I see the logic of where such comments come from, because without having that element in the writing process, few writers could truly get anything completed. Without interest in the topic, writing an interesting story is impossible. Still, even if the story interests the writer, it is not a guarantee it will be liked by readers. Individual, yet overlapping tastes in topics and writing styles of the reading class is the whole reason "Genres" exist.

I make a point of thinking about readers whenever I am doing revisions because the reader is the most important part of the process of writing. Readers do create the final link in the process to promote a true case of give and take to crafting great reading tales. Without thinking about the readers responses to whatever is crafted, how can writers truly design tales that will keep their readers begging for the next chapter?

Within the publishing industry, readers are the only reason for the writer's existence. Fail to deliver, and the author loses money for the publishing house. So the pro level authors have to understand their reader demographics and write with readers specifically in mind. Knowing about this mandate in the publishing industry, I do my level best to revise for readers instead of for myself. The first raw draft is for my own drive to get the plot bunnies out of my skull. The revisions are solely geared to increase the amusement of those who may read my work. Perhaps it is a long neglected element in many hobby writers' arsenal of techniques.

Flow is a big deal, I agree. It can also be hard to pin down in a way that benefits the story, and I think that most authors will readily admit that stories--especially those which consume the author's mind with plot and scenes!--are quite capable of and often trend towards overdoing things. How often do we write something that grabs us by the throat and demands to have its own way? There are ways to deal with such stories and muses, of course: a good beta is a blessing, particularly with unruly stories. And stubbornness can go a long way, too. However, for me, I find that distraction is the best tactic.

Here, I can't give you that. What do you think about this, instead? Or, Ooh, look at that! What a neat idea! Why don't you steal it away before these other muses get close? I'll let you pounce on So-and-So later as a reward.

Yes, I occasionally have to bribe my muses. Surely I am not the only one?

A: When a story grabs me by the throat and the plot bunnies are beating me over the head, I simply pour it all into the mix, and then go back to revise heavily. Bribery has never worked with the fiends in my head so I do envy you the ability to side track or outright bribe your muses. So I find that I must open a second document and plunk every single off topic into the new doc for later contemplation because a few of the random non working items for the story I am working upon, prove themselves very handy for different stories. Of course this means I have tons of orphan snippets on file to develop into diverse stories over time. Each writer has a unique way of handling said overloads of ideals, and must find the best route to take to curb the imagination it seems. Some of the best tactics are the cached within the gossiped about eccentricities of famed authors over the centuries.

[Driven Heart - Initial D Yaoi]

Adding a note that I am having temporary writer's block, plus learning my duties as a new Cleanup crew member. Consider my story on temporary hiatus. I will get it finished as soon as I can get my imagination functioning. I apologize for the wait I have caused my readers.

[Initial D Yaoi Keisuke x Takumi- Rivalry Revealed Series]

Quick notes about the lack of chapter posting: I have been experiencing a bit of a writing block. My apologies for having been remiss in posting new chapters for the last couple months. Unfortunately until such time as my imagination starts firing up, I am completely blank.

Second of all, I was asked to join the Moderation cleanup crew and accepted. For the moment I am learning the duties so am on a temporary hiatus. Once I finish training, and my imagination starts to function, I will complete the stories I have temporarily set aside. I will get to back to writing as soon as both situations are resolved.

[What Do You Look For In An Ideal Review?]

Nominally, anything that actually says what the reader/reviewer thought, enjoyed, connected with, etc etc. If they liked it, telling me what they liked is better than "Hey this was great, update with more soon!" or some such, as I've received a few times. A review is a review, but some really are better than others in that respect. Something like what I received from Aya/GossamerSilverglow a few days back really demonstrates the better review type - detailed, constructive, asking questions about things and posing suggestions for errors.

A: A very good point got made in this post. So few people actually put the things they liked specifically into reviews that they send. Sometimes, I wonder why a reader will refrain from explaining the elements they enjoy. Many writers seem to have this specific frustration of not knowing the powerful elements that keep their readers involved with the story. The please update with more version does seem to be the normal variety of positive feedback reviewers give to writers.

[What do you do with a cannon Sue?]

just pointing out to you all, that canon is the spelling you need. CANNON is a weapon.

A: I cannot believe I typed cannon instead of canon. *head desk* Thank you for alerting me to my unintentional screw up. ROFL. It was easy enough to correct. Proof positive that everyone makes dumb typos.

[What do you do with a cannon Sue?]

When anyone writes a fandom tale, they should stick to the canon characterization intended by the original creator of the Universe involved. Whether the character is a Mary Sue, or Gary Stu ceases to matter in the long run. Fandom readers only read because they adore the canon characters. They read plots and tales that go beyond the original creator's efforts specifically because they desire to play longer with the characters they adore. Staying canon can be tougher to accomplish. Many fan fiction writers ignore the canon traits the original creator gave the characters. When that happens, the characters are no longer part of the originally published, iconic series/movie/books. So what is the point of writing an original character and slapping a known name onto them? I always thought such tactics amount to disrespect for the original creator, or worse, cheating.

[Back history]

Better back story, however, takes yet more practice. Or a family/personal tendency for pouncing on stories. I've read some back stories on characters that I found...lacking. I'll be kind and leave it at that.

A: You guys have brought up some very good points about back story overkill that many writers commit like a cardinal sin. In reality, we do not know the characters when we start reading, and should not know them beyond their actions. To love what you read requires evolving the character with each word crafted to promote action, emotion and understanding for the reader I think. As to the fan fiction writers laziness, I have read a lot of the problem children of said formula. I am not a fan of those either. I pick on the least embellished aspects of characters when I write fan fiction. I delve into the hints, not the head bashes of any fandom I choose to write. I also take the less loved characters and give them a reason for their obnoxious traits which is rarely tapped by the majority. Yet, sadly, I also think a lot of fandom writers are lazy. I see plenty who cannot understand basics of cannon psychology of the characters they are writing also. Makes me cringe personally. Staying cannon takes discipline, and forethought. Many fandom writers ignore everything about the actual universe they are writing within which is tragic.

The bulk of all stories rejected by publishing house editors are due to back story presented as the opening salvo. It is a taboo in the industry because it does not serve any real purpose to the publishing industry standards. Readers have set expectations and back story openings are not among them. Back story needs to be sprinkled through the story as a flavoring. It only has one purpose; clarify specifics. The vast majority of novice writers pour it on, making their tale far less enjoyable for the reader. Most editors of pro level say that they only accept stories which, from the very first word committed to the manuscript, set the character's heels on fire. The character can only recall taking firefighter classes after they are burning. ROFL. Kind of an absurd way to say it, and yet it is a great memory jogger.

I have read numerous back story starters, and can say that I for one do not care how great the story gets starting in Chapter 2. The first chapter put me to sleep because it is nothing but a "get to know me" flop. Such writers needs to get rid of chapter one, and possibly chapter 2 because the actual story starts after the monotonous back story segment. Introduce characters who are active and hopping through hoops to preserve their own hides. I'll be happier getting to know them as a reader. Writing the same way becomes habit with practice. Having a setting that reflects troubles on the horizon, be it mental, or physical is important to engaging a reader's interest. So you may not have the characters dashing madly down the street with their feet flaming, but you do want to have them walking through a gas puddle at the very beginning.

[What Do You Look For In An Ideal Review?]

i HATE the feel good reviews because they dont tell you anything of use, I want to know what someone liked about my story, why they liked it and what they did not like, and maybe that they caught something here or there too.

i want a real review from someone with half a brain while not being a royal jack ass about it.

A: Although I do not hate feel good reviews, I do tend to agree with your thoughts, SirGeneral. Feel good/fanpoodle gushes leave me feeling empty as an author. I have zero idea as to why the reader loves the story. I get the "Oh wow it's yaoi and I love yaoi" comments fairly often in reviews. Such "I love yaoi, and this story is yaoi" makes me think that the readers will love anything involving two men in a relationship without rhyme, nor reason. I begin to wonder about the reviewer's ability to determine a good writer from a sloppy, lazy writer at that point. Having seen similar poodles on very badly written tales I attempted to read, I begin doubting myself as a writer. I put a lot of effort into revising and fixing all the errors I can recognize before I post anything. Therefore, an empty, "Love it" generic type review is a huge ego deflating experience for me personally.

I realize that many people enjoy fanpoodle reviews, and actively revile thought provoking input about a writer's improvement curves if they revise. Personally, I find such empty reviews very much a disservice. Art is part and parcel for writing. Therefore, art should bring to life, within the reader's mental eye, the very essence of the characters so that they breathe as they interact. If the writing fails to do so, then the writer should be given enough feedback to help them revise to strengthen the work. Readers want the mental images which flow and engage their emotions. Otherwise, there would be no readers at all.

Some writers love to get self improvement feedback, while others throw tantrums if they do not get ego strokes. On a free fanfiction based site, it can be difficult to determine which type of author you are dealing with at any given moment. Many valuable tips have been shared in this thread, and brings into focus the ongoing concerns many reviewers have about stating problematic points in tales they read online at any fan based sites. I am pleased to see that some of us writers are taking a stand and giving a head's up that it is alright to acknowledge problems exist in their work, and can be fixed if mentioned within these posts.

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Your half hour was not wasted. You made a lot of valid points. It's better to err on the side of caution.

A: Thanks. I suppose this means I have finally learned the refined art of having caution down pat since I was one unbelievably wild hellion when I was a youngster. Ha ha.

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Sorry, K. I missed this reply since it was embedded in a quote. Like some of my forum postes, my tales tend to be humorous and often silly - but I still wouldn't want a 10 year old reading them. I just don't see the blue page as any sort of deterrent, even for kids with a short attention span.

There seems to be a trade-off. I can remember back in the old days of the Net when all these sites had this "Adult Check" system. As I remember, although it cost pennies to get past it, you still had to sign up with a credit card. And although I'm sure it was a very effective way of screening out underaged viewers, it also presented too great of a barrier to those of age. My guess is that's part of the reason it got phased out. Plus, of course, everyone values their anonymity.

So it comes down to a matter of degree. And you know what, I'm starting to see your point. I could see where a fan fiction site like this could draw in a larger percentage of underage viewers than your average porn site. You know what? I just changed my mind. Let's keep the stupid PITA blue screen page! I'm totally serious. You've convinced me, K. I rescind my previous complaints and objections.

A: Chuckles. And here I spent a full half an hour trying to find the perfect way to phrase my argument to why we should all wish to preserve our lovely admins and this site for many years to come. Sorry that I suck at the quotes button feature.

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Your reasoning is flawed, dear Kurahleiritr. Because I wish to see some small aspect of this site improved, it does not then follow that I should chuck the whole thing if I don't get my way. I'm merely making a suggestion and offering support for why its implementation would be beneficial. I'm not a baby. I think this site is great! But I can see where you'd get the opposite impression.

And yeah, the comparison to the liquor store is absurd in a way. But it's a funny way to make a point. Some readers of the comparison might even chuckle when they plop their next six pack down on the counter and see those magazines. And seriously, do you really believe AFF readers find reading the stories here so much more gratifying because of the hoops they have to jump through to get to those stories? You're as bad as me!

A; Alfonse, my reasoning is based upon a number of factors and researched topics. Perhaps I am as bad in my own way, yet I am thinking of preventing possible problems in the long term when I make any comments. DG, and other admins have left multiple posts about the incomplete code rewrite which has to be installed in waves to keep this archive working smoothly. They have stated the existence of laws they must adhere to to keep this site operational. What is more important, our momentary convenience, or having a place to share our writing and enjoyment of off color tales for many years to come? With this in mind, I made my case for protecting this site in whatever way is deemed necessary. I will always side with accepting a few extra minutes of reading, and typing so I can always post or read something that takes my fancy. The other option is I get my fast fix today, while the administration for AFF gets into trouble, possibly leading to the end of this archive as new laws get written and start getting enforced by the countries determined to control Internet access and uses.

Times are changing where Internet is concerned. Several countries are hell bent and pushing to universalize laws that would place AFF administrators, and us mature theme writers at risk of being charged as sex offenders in their countries. Such laws are under debate, or getting voted upon as package deals that contain multiple Internet controls because that is the nature of Governments overall. A number of nations are determined to control Internet content, and make extra revenues off of it. Many Governments are seeking to implement Internet control laws that benefit them, not the people who enjoy freedom of expression. Governments do not care about individuals, or their rights nine times out of ten. It is the nature of the beast called Government. Our admins are great individuals and deserve our wholehearted respect for all the titanic amounts of work they have already done.

Our Admins are putting out so much effort to improve this site, and get it cleaned up for everyone who visits now, and in the future. The idea that any of them might get into legal trouble due to maintaining this site for all our benefit is unacceptable to me as a member. Our Admins are doing the best they can, as quickly as they can, to get things cleaned up after a several year screw up by a previous admin group. I want AFF admins, who are doing their best to insure we have a place to read whatever we desire, to have iron clad protection. I want that safety net for all of us because I understand every person who posts here is a real, living, breathing, flesh and blood human being with a real life outside of the internet, the same as myself. We all have families and friends. If the Admins safety means I must be inconvenienced so that they can continue to provide me with a place to hang out and talk to like minded individuals for several years, I will gladly be inconvenienced for a couple extra minutes when I visit or post. My only thought is that it is worthwhile to expend effort so that I might do my part to insure the long term survival of this site.

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It is amusing because it's overkill and nobody takes it seriously. And lets not pull out that straw man. Nobody is talking about getting rid of the age requirement, just bringing it in line with what the rest of the world is doing. A less aggravating page will be just as effective at keeping you out of jailhouse orange as the current PITA page is.

A: I joined the AFF community to escape the infantile, obnoxious, and foolish members of other sites. I want the blue page because it is a deterrent. The blue page allows me to sleep better at night knowing that 10 year olds are having to do actual work to access my dark themed tales. Whether it stops them outright, I cannot say with perfect accuracy, but I am relieved to have some modicum of assurance about having done my best to to follow the law personally. Short attention spans are most often an issue seen in underage, and spoiled children. I for one would not desire readers who are so flaky and self absorbed they cannot appreciate my stories. Minors are too young, and immature, to recognize the values of rules and regulations.

Quote:

It's like walking into a liquor store. You see the adult magazines in a rack behind the counter, often wrapped and covered. Fine. You, on the other hand, keep all those magazines stored in a separate shed behind the store. A shed fortified with iron bars that requires two keys and the combination to a lock whose codes change hourly. Plus you have to leave your driver's license and a $50 deposit at the front desk. Okay, maybe that's exaggerating. But considering the short attention span of many Internet surfers, I may not be that far off.

A: As to the overblown comparison you make to an adult magazine at a liquor store, instant gratification is very dull compared to taking the steps to get real gratification you have earned with effort. Also, the exaggeration factor in your comparison is absurd. People who really want to read smut will always make the effort to get what they wish. If you are upset because you are not getting your way and instant gratification, you have the freedom of will to make a decision befitting your personality and agenda. However, I feel compelled to ask as a fellow author, and reader: AlfonsoLing, if you cannot endure the minute and a half it takes to fill in the blanks to set the cookie setter, why did you even join this site?

[Initial D Yaoi Keisuke x Takumi- Rivalry Revealed Series]

I continue working on chapter 40 of As the Smoke Clears. As the chapter is turning lemon, and I am infamously slow about getting sex scenes written, it will take a while to get the newest chapter posted. Still, once I get the right words, and descriptions settled, it will be a great reading chapter like all the others which people compliment, at least I hope it will be up to snuff.

I have also started the revisions to "All for Love," in between lip gnawing fits of trying to find the right words for the chapter 40 lemon. I am replacing chapters as I get the wrong Japanese words replaced, and spelling/grammar hot spots fixed. I want to thank everyone who pointed out my problem spots in reviews. I really appreciate the tips I have received. I am taking my time to get the 3rd novel in series revised to reflect the return of axed chapters also, so it might take a while to get that story completely revised. I am considering returning other axed chapters from when I had it posted at another site. We shall see how the revisions up to the deleted chapters go. Once I have the off kilter stuff repaired, I will decide whether to return the graphic violence scenes to the story, or not.

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Actually, anyone we find "perjuring themselves" to be on this site will find themselves removed, and if they return, they will be banned for life. Feel free to look at the moderation report to see how seriously we do take that. In fact, here's a link.

While some people may find it amusing, and think it's funny to subvert that age requirement, there are real life consequences. Those of us associated with the site can be fined, or serve jail time, which would require us to be registered as sex offenders. I don't find that particularly funny. I have a lively sense of humor, but I look lousy in jailhouse orange.

A: Nobody should have to be in jailhouse orange that adminsd for AFForg simply because some dimwits have become gung-ho about thier flagrant disregard for the rules thanks to FFnet's oh so infamously lazy moderators. You, DG, and all the rest of the Admin crew work way too hard to provide us with a nice place to share our love of writing. I for one am grateful to you guys for giving me a safe haven for my controversial stories.

Far as I'm conscerned, I'm all for the age verifycation blue page remaining annoying. Children are often imatient, so it is a great deterent I am pleased to deal with as necessary. If it helps to keeps bratty children from causing me added grief, and protects everyone from unreasonable sex offender charges, it is the best thing about AFF.org in my books.

[Enough is Enough!]

Yeah, I know FFnet does not allow signed reviews to be deleted unless a mod removes it after determining it is hateful or trolling materials. However, a mod will take weeks to get around to reading the offensive review material at FFnet so is a waste of time to report them at FFnet. So, getting "kill all white people" off topic reviews, led to me deleting the Initial D Rivalry series for a few weeks.

I saved the concrit reviews to my computer and did a hard revision based upon the good reviews I got before the race hater targeted my account. Was pathetic that I had to go that far, but it did work to end any more hate reviews since people missed the stories. Also, I took the signed race hater's screen name and added it to my blocked list. They never bothered me again after I was done with adding the anti hate warnings to my A/N and reposting the series there.

[Enough is Enough!]

And no harsh, Kura. You're right to be frustrated and to say it.

A: Thanks Bryosgirl. I do appreciate the fact that I can vent my frustration without being condemned by everyone. To be honest, I never had a reveiw deleted before I came ot AFFnet so it has been quite a horrible shock overall.

[Enough is Enough!]

y'know, one can only hope that with time and a bit of maturity, the young ones will learn that concrit is your friend.

Doubt I will live long enough for that to happen, DG, but I do understand your point. I am far too old at this point to see the lesson get learned I figure. It is a sad thing to say, but no less true. I want to share the love of writing with others, as Gary once shared it with me. Too bad things are so very different from the 80's when concrit was considered a type of high compliment because it told you that the reviewer believed you could produce something fantastic with a revision. Now concrit is an ego attack, so I am well and truly out of my depth in this case.

[Ghost's Sight]

Thank you! It's an amazing feeling, and I'm hoping to publish again soon. My editor thinks it needs a sequel...

A: A most positive sign if there is already a sequel getting requested. It can be nerve wracking when a sequel is requested, but I am sure you will get it written, and it will prove a lovely companion for your first published novel. Have fun with it, and enjoy pounding out that rough draft.

[Ghost's Sight]

Congratulations, Bronx.

I am so happy for your success in getting your baby into print. It is a very satisfying step for you I'll bet. May you have many more successes as you continue your journey as a published author.

[Enough is Enough!]

Personally, I thank you for your thoughts on this subject, bryosgirl. Sorry if this comes across harsh sounding, but I am completely disgusted at this point. Since people have an ego boost mentality about raw drafts they post in these free archives, I won't bother wasting my scheduled free time on reading anything without a request for a Read and Review extended by the writer for the time being as a safety measure. Over time I hope to make a list of people's names so I can confine my reviews to such fellow writers. Seeing it with my own eyes and knowing the trend of how many people swear they have a book in them is at the root of my discontent with this whole mess. You have no idea how many lame excuses people come up with for not trying. However, I saw plenty of it when I was a career editor. I curb my reviews deeply, and yet reviewing is an exercise in futility when false pride is involved.

This is the bottom line. Evidence has stacked up that supports the reality of people no longer caring about creating quality stories, only getting told good job even when not deserved. The younger gen gets it from the public education system. Therefore, forcing myself to wade through raw tales is a lost cause. As was pointed out in this thread: Other writers do not want to improve their talent nor their stories. So the point of trying to give them tips on making a story truly enjoyable is mute. Also pointed out was the thought that people presume quality reviewers are snotty when we aren't, so our thoughts are not welcome.

These are my all time fave Gary Provost quotes which I adhere to when writing anything, and when giving anyone a concrit review. Gary Provost: “Never let perfect grammar interfere with a great storyline!” &

“Know when to toss out grammar rules to make the story real.”

I adhere to that advice and know when to toss out grammar rules, so do not qualify as a grammar fanatic. Why should I expend any more of my precious time and personal energy in trying to communicate when the review is going to get deleted anyway? Since it takes too much effort to force my way back into a poorly framed story repeatedly, because the writer's constant character POV shifting mid paragraph, or I can't figure out which character is holding POV at all, I'm better off going to the bookstore to buy something I can actually enjoy reading without the disrespect factor. Wasting my time is not worthwhile since I am not someone who has plenty of play time to waste.

To Rogue: I tend to agree with you on many fronts and thank you for your input also. Characters have to hold the story together and when they can't it is a dead story from the first paragraph. Even in established fandoms, plenty of very flat and dead tales exist that I never bother reading past 3 paragraphs. I only reviewed things that I felt have real potential for becoming great reads. Still, when I have to go to such extremes to keep my Red headed temper under wraps because of egotists, it is very hard to not rant because of my personal frustration.

[Minimum Character Age?]

Personally, I wrote one fan fic where a character was 14, borderline to 15 about a decade ago. I felt really strange when I wrote that one, so never repeated that specific age range in any other stories I have written. For me it is very difficult to give a very young person a well-rounded emotional response that can be believed. Outside of a clinging need to be accepted taken to an overwhelming extreme, pre teen and the like feel somehow stilted or unnatural when it comes to portrayals of their emotional responses. Guess I obviously can not write such material without it sounding empty of anything meaningful. Without the meaningful interaction ques, my personal writing style is ruined.

Due to being aware of the strengths, and weakness within my own writing style, I keep sexual encounters to older teenagers, or higher age ranges because the emotional overtones are more obvious, and emotions are easier to convey. A sixteen year old with raging hormones quickly convince themselves they are in love, and push the envelope on the emotions perceived. Radical emotional ques do flavor every intimate scene I write. A much younger person would not normally embody such emotionally evocative writing because they do not have as much interpersonal relationship skills and knowledge as an older teenager. I'm sure some writers can write compelling pre teen sex, however, I for one am not among their ranks.

[Is Anyone Here A Review Whore?]

Despite having things to do, I couldn't resist doing a little experiment regarding reviews. I looked at the review-to-hit ratio of each of the 5 stories that I have posted both here and at Hentai Foundry, and I found that not only have my stories gotten more than twice as many hits on AFF as they have on HF, they have earned more reviews per hit here, as well. (Both ratios are low, however: The percentage of hits accompanied by a review was 0.28% on AFF and 0.16% on HF.) More subjectively speaking, the quality of the reviews on AFF has also been higher.

And that's all Science Boy has to say on that subject.

A: Science aside, I agree with your higher grade reviews commentary. I have received several thoughtful reviews here, unlike at other sites I have posted stories at personally. Seeing concrete reviews that go way beyond "love it!" Or "Yesh, It's Yaoi, and I love Yaoi!" variety reviews tends to inspire me as a writer. Even the Private messages I receive here are delightfully substantial. When someone send me a PM and says they like my sex scenes, they give me reasons for why they enjoy those interludes. Seeing a review or PM that tells me I have stayed true to the original series lets me know I have remained on track despite going alternate universe in the telling of my dark, angst heavy tales.

I never thought about numbers or hit counts in my posting, George, but I do not doubt your mathematical calculations are relevant. Personally, I will always write with or without reviews received because my plot bunnies are such whip cracking fiends. The reviews I do get simply adds a smile to the process of evolving as an author in my case.