Author's Notes in the future?

[wanderingaddict]

Hey, I just read the new ToS today, and at first I was a little disappointed, but then I thought about all the people who totally abuse the "Author's Note" idea with crap little blurbs about promising "future updates" on a half-completed story, or randomly interspersing them between chapters and all that crap. So yeah, I totally get the reasoning behind not allowing them at all, but could I suggest/request that... (Gosh, I want to make sure I phrase this just right so that I'm clear about not allowing for any loopholes to let that previous crap come through too ).

Okay, is it possible to... um, add, or allow a designated "last chapter" for those who truly do want to use an "Author's Note" in it's original, intended function of like, explaining where their personal reasoning and interpretation of the characters they've written about? Or stuff that they've mentioned and referenced within the fandom they want to write about? And, I mean, it'd of course have to be... a chapter that doesn't auto-bump the story, of course, or else allowed to be added within a certain "timeframe" of the "end chapter" perhaps?

I have no idea if that's actually possible, of course. It's just that I personally do enjoy real Author's Notes that actually discuss the characters they've written about, especially if it's in a multi-chapter story that's broken 100k words or something. Or, in my case, for example, writing for WoW, there's a lot of cutesy in-game stuff that I like to mention, and I'd been sort of planning on being able to point it all out to the readers if they felt like reading it.

So, yeah, just a suggestion. I just wanted to say that I think there are some people out there who actually read and enjoy the real ones, and I'd hate to see them gone forever just because some authors don't use them properly....

edit- I don't mean, like, full "discussion" notes either. it's just an explanation of the author's thoughts/intentions for the readers to think about a little in the future or leave a comment on if they feel like. certainly not something really... like, "forum worthy"...

Edited January 31, 2010 by wanderingaddict

[DemonGoddess]

At this point, I am trying to avoid any future crashes. Until we get the new software up that's in development, I have to take measures which protect the database from problems. This is one of them. So, as I said, discuss all you want to in the forum. Not in long ANs, AN chapters, or review boards. If that continues, Friday will be a cakewalk compared to what I'll be dealing with with database problems. I really, really don't want that.

The content guidelines are in ADDITION to the TOS. They do not supplant it.

[wanderingaddict]

I... um, what? I was more just saying that I was... hoping that they might be possible at some future point, depending? I understand that the techno mumbo jumbo means that things have reached a pretty bad point. I was just arguing that, like, in the future, once everything's been fixed, it'd be nice to still have them is all.

[hitagashi]

First off, author's notes aren't meant to be discussions or reviewings of the story.

Secondly, the database is very old and very unstable even with all the modifications done to it. Right now it's about as stable as it can get. Consider the fact that this archive is already so much better than it was before.

Other than that, this "techno mumbo jumbo" that you're talking about is what makes this so much of a better site now.

[wanderingaddict]

... ... ...

Um. Okay. Seeing as how I just said that how I've always seen it used was as the Author's personal explanation of the story, I... I don't think that... what? I don't even know what you're talking about. I just explained that the point of it was to illuminate personal choices regarding characters or to explain errata while avoiding unecessary discussion alltogether. Those readers who are interested in that stuff are informed and go on their way, or in their last review (since Author's Notes, if they're there, generally seem to come at the end) the reader can leave a final remark on it.

I was saying that I personally enjoy them, although I do understand that the vast majority of the time, people use them in much more frivilous ways.

DemonGoddess's update-post was pretty much entirely about how stressed the database is, so much so that the mods are actually enforcing the "don't respond to reviewers with reviews" policy and are now adding new policies, even going to far as to limit the amount of out-of-chapter text. To me, at least, that sounds like things have gotten pretty bad. It's not a criticism, or a complaint, or an insult or anything malicious. It's just how it came across to me, and, honestly, I have no freakin' idea why my suggestion that- in whatever timeframe the long-term plan come through- Author's Notes are allowed back has been met with what are some honestly just plain rude responses. I mean, god damn, I can fucking read the ToS and content guidelines- why the hell I'd choose to follow one and not the other is beyond me. I'm not an angsty 14 year old girl who's going to have a bitch fit and spam her story with Author's Notes as protest. The rules are there for a reason and I spent like, half my first post explaining that I understand the reasoning behind the ban in the first place.

But, you know, whatever. It's not like that's intrinsically obvious and given that that's probably like, half AFF's daily traffic, you know, it's not a bad thing to assume. But I've read and reread my posts and I can't see how or where or why you feel a need to chastise me at all, Hitagashi.

I apologize- really, I do- if this seems insulting or "like flame" or whatever, but... honestly.

[DemonGoddess]

Here's the thing. The whole POINT of eliminating AN chapters is to keep this database viable. Again, each chapter insert is anywhere from 256K to 2MB in size with the current software. So in order to keep the thing from having more problems like what happened last Friday, this is one of those things that have GOT to go.

Further, with the new software in development expect a word limitation per chapter. We are sussing out exactly what that limit is, but at this point, a conservative estimate on the world limitation per chapter will be 5000 words.

[Guest jj19]

Wait, I am a bit confused now. I did have some response reviews in the past (but promptly deleted them after I saw the notice here).

Is there now something special for author notes? Have I been doing it wrong by putting it like so?

(A/N: BLAH BLAH BLAH)

At the end or start of a chapter?

(Also some other questions that relate somewhat to the discussion:

1. With a collection of microfics, I gave each one a separate chapter with an "index" chapter listing tags and whatnot for each microfic (so they could jump to the one they wanted). Is this wrong?

2. I am writing a parody of Macbeth adapted into 40k, am I doing it wrong by having each scene have it's own chapter?

3. With my Sisters of Chaos story, I have an index at the front which lists tags for each part (as each of the 4 parts is drastically different and it also warns the reader as there are some fetishes in there that some would find very off putting. Is this acceptable?

4. I am also currently rewriting the whole series and the number of chapters (post-rewrite) have changed. Is it okay to delete the old chapters and then upload the new ones?

5. Also, I have an almost finished story that is meant to be read as a report and it is over 6,000 words long, breaking it up would ruin the look of it or should I just break it arbitrarily into chunks?)

[DemonGoddess]

Wait, I am a bit confused now. I did have some response reviews in the past (but promptly deleted them after I saw the notice here).

Is there now something special for author notes? Have I been doing it wrong by putting it like so?

(A/N: BLAH BLAH BLAH)

At the end or start of a chapter?

no, that's perfectly acceptable

1. With a collection of microfics, I gave each one a separate chapter with an "index" chapter listing tags and whatnot for each microfic (so they could jump to the one they wanted). Is this wrong?

show me an example, and I can better answer you, for some reason I'm not seeing this

2. I am writing a parody of Macbeth adapted into 40k, am I doing it wrong by having each scene have it's own chapter?

no, not at all

3. With my Sisters of Chaos story, I have an index at the front which lists tags for each part (as each of the 4 parts is drastically different and it also warns the reader as there are some fetishes in there that some would find very off putting. Is this acceptable?

There's nothing wrong with extended warnings within a chapter

4. I am also currently rewriting the whole series and the number of chapters (post-rewrite) have changed. Is it okay to delete the old chapters and then upload the new ones?

Absolutely

5. Also, I have an almost finished story that is meant to be read as a report and it is over 6,000 words long, breaking it up would ruin the look of it or should I just break it arbitrarily into chunks?)

This change is not going to happen for quite a long time. So, it's a matter of something to be aware of for future, and then structuring stories accordingly.

[Guest jj19]

I sent a PM with the microfic in question.

Thanks for answering my questions, I don't want to put undue strain on the system

[Nerys Dax]

Okay, I got confused by this thread as well, because I couldn't find in the TOS anything about not allowing to respond to reviews in an AN (just that you weren't allowed to post ANs as chapters, which I support, because they really annoy me when I think something's been updated and it's just a "sorry, haven't had time... blah blah blah") at the beginning or end of a chapter; but if I understood the previous response of DemonGoddess to JJ, you can still reply to your reviewers like that, which I kind of hope, seeing we alas have no other method on this site to respond. Wow, run on sentence. *high-five*

As for the possible limitations of the word counts involving a chapter, how is that going to work with stories already posted? I have a lot of chapters that go above the 5,000 words, especially when I get further into a fic. Do we need to repost our stories? Are the chapters going to be deleted that are too long? Or have you found a method to just split said chapters that are too long?

I was just wondering about this, because if the latter is the case, I need to check and edit one of my completed stories, because the format is that I switch POV from one character to the other between chapters. To show that "reality" is something that's biased and perceived differently by both individuals.

Anyway, I am glad to know it now, so I can keep my future chapters' word count beneath 5,000 words. It's not that big a deal to upload what was originally one chapter into two parts online.

[DemonGoddess]

Okay, I got confused by this thread as well, because I couldn't find in the TOS anything about not allowing to respond to reviews in an AN (just that you weren't allowed to post ANs as chapters, which I support, because they really annoy me when I think something's been updated and it's just a "sorry, haven't had time... blah blah blah") at the beginning or end of a chapter; but if I understood the previous response of DemonGoddess to JJ, you can still reply to your reviewers like that, which I kind of hope, seeing we alas have no other method on this site to respond. Wow, run on sentence. *high-five*

As for the possible limitations of the word counts involving a chapter, how is that going to work with stories already posted? I have a lot of chapters that go above the 5,000 words, especially when I get further into a fic. Do we need to repost our stories? Are the chapters going to be deleted that are too long? Or have you found a method to just split said chapters that are too long?

I was just wondering about this, because if the latter is the case, I need to check and edit one of my completed stories, because the format is that I switch POV from one character to the other between chapters. To show that "reality" is something that's biased and perceived differently by both individuals.

Anyway, I am glad to know it now, so I can keep my future chapters' word count beneath 5,000 words. It's not that big a deal to upload what was originally one chapter into two parts online.

Yes, you can still do a/n's IN your chapters, we simply ask that you keep them brief. The limit imposted for a/n's within a chapter is 600 words, per chapter. Not 600 words per story. Hope that helps.

[Nerys Dax]

Yes, you can still do a/n's IN your chapters, we simply ask that you keep them brief. The limit imposted for a/n's within a chapter is 600 words, per chapter. Not 600 words per story. Hope that helps.

*Gigglesnorts.* 600!

Wow, no, I don't need that many words for an AN. LOL. I just feel the least you can do is respond when someone takes the time to review your story, since so many people don't bother to give feedback.

Previously, I just replied to the email address if it was given, until a friend of mine warned me against that - seeing that by replying you give out your email to unknown individuals. Her boyfriend's computer crashed when he replied to someone who let a nice review behind in his online RPG, he then got an email back saying, "thanks for your address, good luck buying a new PC." The email had some virus, troyan, or whatever, and all his systems crashed in no time. Now, she works at the Microsoft Helpdesk, but even their techs were unable to get the pc starting again. So... after that horror story, I got a bit more careful about responding via email.

However, I do know most of my reviewers, so I only have to reply in the chapter to those I don't know. XD

And thanks for clearing it up, and once I start editing my old stories, I can delete the ANs contents altogether since the people who I posted them for would have read them by now.