I've talked about this topic and seen this topic discussed on the Turbulence thread here (I believe it was? I'm not that sure) and I'm glad this thread exists. Thanks to whoever started it.
I was sorry to hear about Cameron's feelings on writing and feedback. I'm just happy to see anyone writing, whether I read it or not because writing feeds the soul in my opinion and if you enjoy it, you should keep doing it no matter what. Please don't let us readers stop you on account of not commenting. But I can understand that it is frustrating. I write in other fandoms (don't have any ideas for the BBM fandom as it were) and I've gotten 2 comments on some stories, 20 on others, so I guess it just depends. I also write in much smaller fandoms because beleive it or not, even though we only have a film and a short story, BBM is a pretty big fandom. One of my other fandoms has only about 4-5 active authors in it and its not even that old where as the Star Trek fandom is quite old and still seems fairly busy. So to me, its a roll of dice even within the recurring patterns in fandoms.
The question about new writers is a puzzling one. You think people would be more welcoming to them as the fandom dies down but that may not be the case here since a lot of the 'big' authors are still writing. But maybe some readers are set in their ways?
I know I was on another BBM forum (not this one) where favourite or 'big' authors were used against one another in a sort of battle of who's better and maybe the new authors don't have that past with some of the readers so they sadly fall by the way side. But in a way that can be good because who wants to be used as a weapon against your fellow writers? Not I. So its hard to say. And like someone else said on here (I believe in it was Leslie?) you can always take the number of people that actually comment and sometimes double it to get your actual readership. I'm sure there are a lot of people who read and don't comment. (Raises hand, I am very guilty of this, I will try and do better)
Another thing I've noticed from my lurker status is the Jack V. Ennis thing in the fandom (not so much on this board really) which discourages and effects a lot of writing AND reading I think and that is very sad. How can you pit the boy against one another? It makes no sense to me. But I've seen some stories that made me scratch my chin and think 'Hmm is this story about revenge for what another author did to *enter name here*?" Hard to say but it still makes me wonder.
I also think this fandom is fairly conservative in how some, not all, readers react to certain things that occur within stories, especially to Jack it seems and that can be off putting to new writers and readers. There seems to be this general blanket opinion from some of the more conservative readers , a set of rules, do's and don't's if you will that an author is allowed to do to the boys and I think that is crippling to a fandom and thankfully not a lot of authors in the BBM fandom listen to this. It's amazing to me the type of ignorance that peeps its ugly head out in a fandom that is based on tolerance and acceptance.
Anyway, the future of the fandom to me seems to be a natural one. It will slow down, stories will still update but maybe not with the same speed and new authors will come and go, some older authors will go and some will stay. I think the frenzy has died down but there are still some REALLY fantastic fics out there by authors, new and old. I know I'll keep reading.
