At 10:25 PM 4/2/2003 +0200, you wrote:

----- Original Message -----
From: "DB Sommer" <sommer@3rdm.net>
To: <ffml@anifics.com>; "C. Jones" <guilty@furinkan.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 9:18 PM
Subject: [FFML] Re: [WWW][Ranma] The Clan and Original Fiction

C. Jones wrote:

C&C is very welcome on both 'The Clan' and 'Gabriel', but the plots on

both

stories are pretty much final.

So in other words, you're not really looking for C+C; you're looking for
grammar corrections and nods of approval. You should make it clearer when
asking for these things, as saying 'C+C is very welcome' might mislead
people into giving some. There's no sense in wasting time giving

suggestions

to someone that's going to ignore them before they're given when there are
many others starved for C+C.

Errm... A lot of people, though not neccesarily those who give public C&C
_here_, seem to think that "you must do this" or "can you do this and that"
is valid C&C.

Which is why I made the statement that I did. I caused quite an argument 
with 'newRanma' over the specifics of what kind of C&C I wanted and wanted 
to avoid a similar situation.

*sigh*

 Telling the world that you're not planning to make any broad
changes, like altering matchups or including specific unplanned scenes, is
IMO quite fair. Besides, critique on plot and characterization, even if it
won't have any bearing on the current work, might well come into play in the
next one. Right?

Exactly. I think we're here on the list as a learning experience. Learning, 
IMHO, does not mean accepting commands from others, which was a lot of why 
'The Clan' took such a long hiatus. I didn't understand that at the time 
and it made it no fun for me to write. Because I caved to so many 'You Must 
Do This' statements, the story quit being 'mine'. The revisions on my site 
are slowly undoing those.

I mean, if most of the C&C received for a story _I_ was writing were demands
that I change the whole thing into something unrecognizable from what I had
in mind when I sat down to write it, I'd probably do the same thing.
I'm probably spending the morning re-reading "The Clan", expect some form of
C&C when I'm finished.

Yay! I await it eagerly.

To clarify, especially D.B. Sommer and everyone who feels the same way he 
does, I do not discard C&C, even on plot and characterization issues. I 
consider it all. I do have a 'final' plot and won't deviate from that, however.

Without being hostile or accusatory, it's the difference between something 
like:

'You're not really supporting your character actions with adequate 
motivation here. I can see that they're doing the actions you've specified, 
but the story doesn't make me understand why.'

and:

'You're really undermining the characters by having them do this kind of 
action. This character would never do such a thing. You shouldn't write it 
as such.'

Guess which I received more of on 'The Clan'?

I'm more interested in the former kind of commentary than the latter. I'm 
sorry if my statement didn't make that clear.

D.B., I'm enjoying the hell out of 'Sextacular'! Hope to see another 
chapter soon!

C.


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