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timepiececlockDear Avatar ficdom (and others),
Be not afraid of long chapters.
Apologize not for long chapters.
Shorten not your long-chapter-writing tendencies for the (illusory) benefit of your audience. Short chapters are not a benefit, they are a detriment. Long chapters means not only more of a good thing, but also more complete and coherent story progression, more time spent transitioning from scene to scene, and generally more care and attention to the overall plot. And if you don't believe any of that: they're also more like real books.
Write long chapters. Long and juicy and rewarding chapters.
Give us readers something to sink our teeth into.
Sincerely,
Rashaka
P.S. I myself am mentally, emotionally, and typographically incapable of writing long chapters. I have the quill's equivalent of ADD. This is my excuse. But those of you who talk about writing long chapters and then shortening them because you think people don't want to read a 20+ page chapter? YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS EXCUSE. You are in fact going against your long-chapter-writing nature, which is so very wrong. Anyone who tells you they want short chapters is lying. LYING. Peace out.
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EDIT to add:
So, I wrote a review last week, complaining about Zuko being a pod-person in the fic. I received this most amusing reply:
i reject reality and substitute my own. the zuko in the show is a new man in my fic!
At least she's honest. Still frustrating, but honest! I think perhaps I should use the above statement more often in my daily conversations:
"Make dinner? I don't need dinner. I reject reality and substitute my own!"
Be not afraid of long chapters.
Apologize not for long chapters.
Shorten not your long-chapter-writing tendencies for the (illusory) benefit of your audience. Short chapters are not a benefit, they are a detriment. Long chapters means not only more of a good thing, but also more complete and coherent story progression, more time spent transitioning from scene to scene, and generally more care and attention to the overall plot. And if you don't believe any of that: they're also more like real books.
Write long chapters. Long and juicy and rewarding chapters.
Give us readers something to sink our teeth into.
Sincerely,
Rashaka
P.S. I myself am mentally, emotionally, and typographically incapable of writing long chapters. I have the quill's equivalent of ADD. This is my excuse. But those of you who talk about writing long chapters and then shortening them because you think people don't want to read a 20+ page chapter? YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS EXCUSE. You are in fact going against your long-chapter-writing nature, which is so very wrong. Anyone who tells you they want short chapters is lying. LYING. Peace out.
****************
EDIT to add:
So, I wrote a review last week, complaining about Zuko being a pod-person in the fic. I received this most amusing reply:
i reject reality and substitute my own. the zuko in the show is a new man in my fic!
At least she's honest. Still frustrating, but honest! I think perhaps I should use the above statement more often in my daily conversations:
"Make dinner? I don't need dinner. I reject reality and substitute my own!"
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no subject
Date: 2006-04-28 04:32 am (UTC)Where is that? Specifically, cause I don't know which site you mean.
I love the reviews but it -pains- me that I got more reviews per word count on my Incarnations series and the current romantic commedy AxK than I got for Rebuilding, which almost killed me to write.
I'm sorry, but ages of my not getting reviews on the fics I poured my heart into and instead getting reviews on crap humor fics have rendered me incapable of the kind of sympathy one would normally give to the above statement. All I can say is the trite "Hn. This too will pass in time."
Oh yeah. I finally -finally- thought to LJ-friend you.
Ah, well, thank you. I'm not currently adding people to my flist right now; I've already got too many to read regularly.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-28 04:51 am (UTC)And don't worry. Just check out my LJ, I don't use it as a diary. Only two posts. It was three, but I deleted another rant about FFnet. I did consider using it as a diary, but I'll definitely scare people away with rants about inconsiderate infuriating irritating hotel guests. (which I'll probably delete too if I ever post such; I scare myself when I rant)
I said "I -don't- think I'm going to post it at fanfiction" (add dotnet at the end). Maybe just at fichaven.org or on writely.com... I've been plotbunny-ing with Retad on a history-inspired Avatarfic. If we really do it, I'll probably just let Retad post it under her ffnet account and then the -longer- version at my fichavenorg account.
(groans) You too, huh? It's -painful-. As you say - it will pass, but I'd rather Retad deal with it.
(am not as tough as you two)
no subject
Date: 2006-04-28 04:58 am (UTC)Um, no, Rashaka won't. But you're welcome to comment.
Ah, my brain skipped the word.
You, me, and every ficcer that ever ficced. Welcome to the club.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-28 05:07 am (UTC)(sighs about the toils and pains of fic-writing) Just that AxK fic and then the history-based Avatarfic (because there needs to be more Avatar adult fanfics) and then... (tells self) -please- stop writing fanfiction for a Nick show!
My conscience is the right one; it's my writing muse that's weird.