Reflections

Reflections

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November 16th, 2009

08:21 am - Feedback...it's not a dirty word
I came upon a post the other day that brought home something I’ve been thinking about for awhile. Someone was reccing a story. The story itself was unfinished and probably abandoned. Because this person liked the story so much, she e-mailed the author to try to find out if the story was ever likely to be finished.

Apparently one of the reasons, though not the only one, the author gave for not finishing the story was lack of feedback. The very first commenter on the post seized on this and said that if that was the case she was highly unlikely to ever read the story. The implication being that since the author wanted feedback that made the story unworthy of her consideration.

Now remember that the author was approached and asked why she wasn’t continuing with the story, she wasn’t adding those threats we’ve all seen to the end of a chapter that say…if I don’t get enough reviews/comments, I’m not going to continue until I do.

This was not my story, nor do I know the author beyond her having a reputation as a good writer, but that commenter’s reaction appeared extreme to me, though, unfortunately, I think it's an all too common one. It's seemed to me for a long time that reviews/comments on fanfics are becoming rarer than they used to be. People have begun to hoard their opinions like gold, and I’m curious as to why.

It takes hard work, imagination, and time to write a good piece of fanfiction, just as it does to write any other type of story. Fanfiction authors don’t make any money from their work. At the end of the day, all the encouragement they have to continue comes from the feedback they receive from the people who read their work.

There are only so many hours in a day, and since they aren’t making any money from their writing, the vast majority of fanfic writers have to work at other things to pay the bills. They often have families and other obligations as well and thus have to ration their time carefully. Why should someone put tremendous effort into writing a story that, as far as they can tell, isn’t being read or enjoyed by anyone?

Hit counts only tell you so much. They tell you that x number of people clicked on the story, that’s all. For all you know, the clicking was an accident and person number one didn’t read anything before moving on, perhaps persons number two through six read a sentence or two and moved on, perhaps persons number seven through nine liked the story but didn’t say so, and maybe person number ten hated it.

All you, as the author, know is that ten people clicked on your story. Considering all the things those clicks can mean, that’s not a lot of information to move forward with, and that’s assuming that the site where your story is posted gives you hit counts; not all of them do.

So why shouldn't an author wish for feedback? It's the only sure way to know whether you've written something that people like.

I once knew a woman who prided herself on never leaving anyone a review, despite actively seeking readers for a friend of hers, the implication was that she would never stoop so low as to give any writer feedback, other than her friend, of course. Personally I always thought this was a very selfish and mean-spirited attitude.

What is wrong with leaving feedback for a writer? Why shouldn’t we encourage people, whose work we’ve enjoyed, to write more? It only takes a moment to say…I really liked that, or that was great, or thanks for writing. Posting a quick comment isn't a difficult or time-consuming thing to do. A reader might not think such a comment is that important, but it will mean a lot to the person who receives it.

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November 13th, 2009

07:25 am - A nice warm dinner for a cool fall evening...
I made this for dinner a couple of nights ago. It's been awhile since I had it and I'd forgotten how good it is. So I thought I'd share the recipe, in case anyone was interested. :D I hope you enjoy it.

Hearty Pasta and Chick-pea Chowder

6 oz uncooked pasta (rotini, penne, elbow, whatever sort you wish)
2 tbsp. olive oil
¾ c. chopped onion
½ c. thinly sliced carrot
½ c. chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ c. all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. dried Italian Seasoning
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 cans (14 ½ oz. each) chicken broth
1 can chick-peas drained and rinsed
1 can (14 ½ oz.) Italian-style stewed tomatoes
6 slices of bacon, crisped and crumbled
Grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta, rinse, drain, and set aside.

Heat oil in a 4 qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat 5 – 6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender.

Remove from heat. Stir in flour, Italian seasonings, red pepper flakes, and black pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth. Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in pasta, chick-peas, and tomatoes. Cook for five minutes or until heated through.

Top each serving with bacon and grated cheese.

Serves 6

The last time I made this I used traditional recipe stewed tomatoes and added asparagus instead of the celery which was excellent. It’s an easy, flexible soup and great with crusty bread on a cold night. I’ve had this recipe for years now, and I’m not entirely sure where I got it from. It might have been a Taste of Home Annual that my Mom had. I’m glad I found it though because it always goes over great, even with people who aren’t usually big fans of vegetable soups.