scribblinlenore | In defense of readers (Reply)

Writing can be a very lonely experience, especially if you don't manage to publish your work and have no audience you can easily reach. Anyone who has ever worked on orginial fiction or any other type of writing knows this very well. Maybe you have a writing group to share your stuff with. Maybe you prevail on your friends and family. But you know your words aren't going very far, and it's sad, really. Because the point of writing is to communicate, to reach others. And there's just no simple way to do that if Harper Collins et al haven't realized what a wonder you are.

That's what makes writing in fandom so wonderfully satisfying. You have a built in audience, a place to publish, a forum in which to be read. This is what you get in return for sharing your stories free of charge. And for anyone who has ever hungered for an audience, it's plenty of reward.

That people do sometimes take the time to comment on your writing is frosting. The most beautiful, delicious, want-it-all-the-time frosting in the world, to be sure. But it is not something you're owed. And I will never understand the attitude that says it is. If fan fiction is a gift, then so is feedback. If you have any manners at all, you don't give a gift simply to get one in return.

There's always a lot of talk about how we can encourage more feedback, show more appreciation for writers. Well, what about readers? Maybe, as writers, we need to think about how we can appreciate our readers a little more and not always expect the flow of admiration to be so one-sided.

So let me start.

I just want to say how truly, truly thankful I am to the people who read my stories, who let something I've written become part of their day. Whether you ever send me feedback or not, it's just good to know you're out there. I'm far more prolific writing fan fiction than I am with my original stuff, in part because you get a head start with fan fic, but also because it's really motivating to know there are people who will read it. It makes writing less lonely, less isolating. More fun. And for that, I am eternally grateful.