Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Fan Fiction & Poetry

The future of Brokeback Fanfic

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mvansand76:
Lately I have heard a lot of people complain on the boards and lj's about so many stories not being finished and authors leaving the fandom and how that's kind of depressing.

Personally, I am kind of fed up with the negativity, because there are still so many authors out there continuing their stories and even starting new ones!

As an author, it's very hard to take, because it feels like the newer authors out there are not as much appreciated for their effort of writing and posting their stories, even on a regular basis with the promise of finishing the story! There's always this focus on the great authors that have left us, while we should cherish the ones that are still here and writing!

What do you think is the future of our fandom?

ifyoucantfixit:



        My opinion of Fanfic is:  There are lots of great writers and stories still going forward.  There may well
be many more that are continuing, that we dont know about..  It seems to me that because of possible threats
of lawsuits and copywrite infringement, that many of the stories are locked.  If you dont know the writers are
still active, then you have no way to know if they are still writing or just not open to be read..
        I think that a lot of the fans are confused and angered by much of this..
        I know its not anyones fault, but you asked the question, and that is one of my opinions...
        I also dont have a real answer for this dilemma, I wish I did...
        One more thing, this whole thin g is definately hurting the whole arena.  It does however make me
appreciate the ones that are still being brave enough to continue in the normal way..Posting their stories,
and letting the chips fall where they may...         

                                                                                                                                  janice

souxi:
The only thing that really pisses me off, (and I have said this before) is when authors start a great story, and the readers comment, and then there are sometimes months and months with no update, nothing. Then the author has the damn cheek to whinge that no one is bothering to comment on their stories! Well why the hell should we? If there is some personal reason, ie Rl why an author can,t post for a while, all he or she has to do is post a brief message letting us know. Surely that is common curtesy? If they can,t be bothered to do that, then they really have no right to bloody whinge when readers don,t comment on their stories. Just as they give up their time to write the  story, so we give up OUR time to read and comment. Cuts both ways. >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

Cameron:
This is such a great question, Mel! 

I have been thinking a lot about it too.  I admit I am a little nervous about saying my opinion, but I decided that I might as well.

I think that in my view and experience, it just seems that the general fandom is not all that willing to try and accept new authors.  It seems that people read and comment mostly to the few big long-time writers, and that is about it.  I have been posting a lot for the past few months, both some older things and some new stories, and everytime I post something, I tell myself it will be the last, and I won't write anymore. I haven't stopped yet, but I probably will soon because I don't want to keep feeling like I am only making a fool of myself.

It is just that it is very discouraging to only get only a very few comments for something that one posts, if any at all sometimes.  No, the number of comments shouldn't matter, but it does no matter what.  It is just so exciting and wonderful to get them. While there does seem to be some people who seem to enjoy what I write and post, the number never seems to grow at all.  At first I thought it was just me, and that my stories and my writing were not very good, but I do look at almost everything, and except for the 'famous' authors few posts seem to get more than about 15 comments at the absolute max, while usually it is about five to ten comments.  While the big longtime writers get lots and lots of comments all the time, maybe around 100 or so.

I don't want to seem like I am complaining, and I could definitely understand if people just don't like what I write.  But it isn't just me, I do think that a lot of people don't read newer writers, and don't even try it.  I think the if the fandom is going to continue, maybe there should be a little more support for writers who weren't writing it when it all began.  Again, it shouldn't matter, but it does.  It just is so discouraging to put one's heart and soul into a story, and spend all that time writing, and then just end up feeling bad and unsure about it.

Sorry for rambling, and again I hope that this isn't taken the wrong way or anything, but I guess I just needed to say it.

nic:
I'd have to say the future of the BBM fandom is likely to be the same as any fandom...it will gradually decrease in activity, have unavoidable episodes of negativity, still have some participants years down the line, etc   For many people, BBM was the first fandom they participated in, and for a lot, probably the only one.  It is tempting to think that the BBM fandom is different because of the intense emotional issues involved.  Without trying to be biased, I do believe it is different in that respect - although some participants, particularly earlier ones who left after not much time, will have viewed it the same as any fandom & just interacted for a relative short time until their initial enthusiasm & interest died off. 

I too was shocked by some of the negativity, as I have not been involved deeply in other fandoms, but I gather it is a common phenomena.  Also the legal aspects.

It is hard when people leave.  I wish authors that prefer their work to be removed from the public domain could keep it available for those that request access, rather than just take it away completely.  And any sort of explanation would be appreciated, not just a mysterious sign off.

It is also frustrating when some fics are just not finished & abandonned, but again a common occurence in the fanfic world.  I do not read a great deal of fics but always have a few on the go & in some way I don't mind this as it means there are loads of out there still for me to discover. This is different to the experience of reading a serialised fic when episodes come out one by one, but at the end of the day it's the quality of the fic that counts & on that score there are few, if any, complaints from me.

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