Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related MB stories not on the Archive -- gasp!

Merry Christmas, everyone! While I wait for my oldest to fall asleep so Santa can come I thought I'd take a few minutes to make this post. As I was looking through a preliminary list of 2004 Kerth eligible stories, I noticed that several stories that I enjoyed after reading them on the boards somehow never got posted to the Archive. (I know, I know ... I was shocked, too ... I'll wait while you pick your jaws up off the floor.) Now it's possible that some are in queue to be uploaded this coming weekend, but in case the authors just forgot to submit them, I thought a little nudge might be in order.

So what do you say, authors -- are you planning to make them eligible for the Kerths this year? Or (like Paul posted about "Chi, Beta" in another thread -- thanks Paul!) are you waiting for next year?

And if you just haven't thought about it until now (maybe mistakening believing that no one would care about a little challenge response, for example!), let me just remind you that all you need to do to make said stories eligible is write Erin (or any KCom member) and ask that your story be added to the list. (Though I certainly hope you'll send these to the Archive, too, now that I've pointed out your oversight. )

Oh, yes, and this may not be an exhaustive list ... the keepers of the directory may well have stories to add. These were just ones that I remembered and happened to notice.

Double Whammy by Jill

One Side of a Phone Call by Frank Ward

A Little Off the Top by Sarah Luddy

This Doesn\'t Look Like Kansas by Elisabeth

Not Your Average Joe by SamiK

Mixed Messages by Messenger

Mayson Says the Magic Word by CC Aiken

Ace is the Place by WandaD

Dating by Deception by Anna Belcher

Grown-up Christmas List by Jana

The Twelve Pains of Christmas by LauraU (Alicia)

Clark\'s Secret by LauraU (Alicia)

From Under the Blue by Marnie


So what say you, authors?

Kathy

Thanks for this, Kathy. Despite saying I would regularly produce this kind of list, I just haven't had time lately.

And CC! How could you?

Can't see many of these I recognise as being in the upload queue it has to be said - other than Alicia's Clark's Secret. (Well, it's not in the upload queue, it's pending finding a GE, but it's been submitted) And Ace Is The Place went off in today's upload for Sunday.

LabRat (who is just shocked and appalled that such a thing could happen... )

Kathy,
"Ace is the Place!" has been GE'd and en route to the archive! (Also "Some Like it Hot," another of my challenge fics.) They should be there soon. They were a little delayed because of e-mail problems. But they'll be there soon!
Thanks for the nudge though... I'm flattered you liked AITP enough to mention it!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
-Wanda

Thanks for reminding me of some of these stories, Kathy. I had forgotten about a few of these -- and they're great!

I was planning to let Clark's Secret and (two stories you didn't mention) Let It Snow and Medical Miracles II, and two stories that I have finished, but haven't posted wait until January to be uploaded just so there are stories to be uploaded in January . Oh, I completely forgot about my 12 pains of christmas story. I remember writing it durring the class I TA'd last semester when they were taking an exam, but I just flat out forgot about it . Thanks for the reminder -- it got me looking at the challenge section and seeing a story I absolutely forgot!

I might make 'Let it Snow' and its sequel eligible for the Kerths, but there are so many other wonderful holiday stories. I am not sure yet.

- Laura

I didn't forget, if that's what you're thinking!

But Mayson Says the Magic Word was just a toss-away. Meant for practice more than anything, since I'd never posted to the boards and wanted to see how that would be and if I might be interested in doing such a thing....And it worked, I'm still here.

We can definitely let it go- to live where the unarchived stories live...fic limbo, I guess.

CC

CC, as a newcomer to the Boards, you have to realize that for fic-hungry FoLCs, there is no such thing as a toss-away. Ask Wendy how we hounded her to submit "At Wit's End in the East End" sometime. She'd written it as a joke, but in the end, we had our way <g>.

Please submit "Mayson" post haste, before we have to subject you to the same treatment.

Nan

You heard the lady!

/me sharpens her axe and shears

Oh, yes, Nan, I remember!

Now, repeat after me, FoLCs: There is no such thing as a throwaway fic!!!


Wendy

But ... but ... it has the cosmic kitten ... and the unspooling ball of yarn ... you can't NOT archive it!!!

Geez, what is it with people these days that they think they can get away with not submitting their stories ... you should know by now that we will never let this go.

I'm with everyone else, CC ... you better submit it ASAP or you will incur our wrath.

(And that goes for the rest of you authors listed above, too -- there is no such thing as a throw-away story! Especially not ones as good as the ones listed. )

Kathy

There is no such thing as a throwaway fic!!!
There is no such thing as a throwaway fic!!!
There is no such thing as a throwaway fic!!!
There is no such thing as a throwaway fic!!!
There is no such thing as a throwaway fic!!!
There is no such thing as a throwaway fic!!!
There is no such thing as a throwaway fic!!!
There is no such thing as a throwaway fic!!!
There is no such thing as a throwaway fic!!!

(just doing what Wendy told me to...but I happen to believe it too. Please submit, FoLCs )

Kathy

Eeep! No wrath, please, no wrath! I wasn't holding out! I promise!

I have every intention of submitting Dating by Deception, along with Alt-Clark: A Plot-Untwist, and Carol and I's Trouble in Paradise (which was written last... April? March? I don't even know ) Between school, the holidays, applying to law schools, and my new One Tree Hill obsession, I just haven't had the time. I'll email KComm so they'll be eligible, and I'll try to have them submitted soon.

Sorry for the delay!

~Anna (whose parents, btw, got her a trip to Disneyland for Christmas! I leave on New Year's Day! Yaaaay! Sorry, I'm just so excited that I had to mention it. )

Yes. Exactly. What Anna said.

When I said "toss away" fic and "fic limbo" I may have left readers with the wrong impression.

In truth all I really meant was that I have been busy with school and the holidays and applying to law school, just like Anna. And so haven't given my dear story the attention it so deserves for the space cat alone.

I'm so glad I saw this so I could clear this up. Evidently some kind of crazy miscommunication!!

And I see that Nan tried to intervene for me early, so that little hatchet men wouldn't march around. But what I found really interesting was KathyM's 'please submit, FoLCs.' Because, you know, it reads two ways. Submit your fics. Or, you know, submit to our will or else.

Off to finish those applications-

CC

Seriously, you people want eveything on the archive? Isn't that a bit...well...extreme??

CC, yes. So?

Anna, if you're going to be down thisaway, I'd LOVE to get together! Is that doable? /me makes puppy-dog-eyes

I beg to disagree. My latest posted story is a puff piece--a throwaway fic without a plot. It was just a little Christmassy nonsense. <shrug> I've written two or three little comedic vignettes that are the same way. (My FK beta reader has the last one in the Hunter trilogy, and they *are* little throwaways.)

Laura (who needs to go back and finish the next chapter of Upwards a Downward Spiral so she can go on to Innocence Lost)

ah-HA!

So, there is a fic limbo. And here I was thinking I had made it up, and in so doing offended the FoLCs.

But here is evidence that "puff" pieces are optional for submission to the archive. (Not that puff isn't great in it's own right.) Now, I think I called mine "fluff", but it rhymes and its close enough.

Whew. Little marching guys with axes can all go back home.

CC (who flat-out lied about law school applications, wouldn't know one if it bit me, but good for you, Anna, best of luck!)

Woah, hold that pony, CC, you don't get off the hook that fast.

Throwaway those fics of LauraBF's may be, but as I recall, they were submitted to the Archive. Certainly the first two Hunter's ones have and the Christmas vignette isn't any more PWP than other Christmas vignettes in Laura's series imo, which have also been submitted. So not sure why you think this one is any the less viable, Laura! It matches the others in tone and Christmas atmosphere in my book.

LabRat

ulp...I think I hear those law school apps calling my name again...

CC(up against the big guns and she knows it)

Well... I tend to submit everything to the archive just in case my hard drive crashes. I *still* think that they're throw-away fics, I just like to keep a record.

Laura

Actually, I tend to do the same thing as LauraBF. I submit all of my stories, even the throw away stories (which most of mine are), just in case my hard drive crashes and I lose all of my stories. Hmm, I don't know why I don't burn them to CD -- I do that with all of my data for school and my research data. :rolleyes:

- Laura

I'm thinking that if you're submitting them to keep a record, you can't really call them 'throwaway' fic. That in fact the permanent record part seems to defeat the entire concept of 'throw away,' which implies, you know, throwing...away.

And I am absolutely not starting a debate, but this whole thing makes me curious. Seriously, no one posts things that don't go to the archive? Not one little thing? Ever? Really?

It seems hard to believe,though I've seen the little marching guys and heard the mantra 'no such thing as a throwaway...', but really?

What if you wrote something just for fun- or what if you wrote something you decided later you didn't like? To the archive, no matter what?

Again,not starting a debate, not me, no. But curious as all get-out. I'd love to hear the reasoning behind this.

CC (who makes the rules here people? If we band together, we can change this!...ok, just kidding...haven't had my coffee is all.)

LOL, no. There are plenty of stories that don't make it to the Archive and it's purely the author's choice on anything they write. Throwaway or not.

That's why it's an opt-in scheme. <g> Many other fandoms have automatic archiving when a story is posted, where the author actively has to note on the story that they don't want it to opt-out. But that's never been the tradition here. The onus is firmly on the author to decide to submit a story for Archiving - both to the Fanfic Archive and to Annesplace.

That said, however, this does not preclude authors being nagged mercilessly to get their butts in gear and submit their stories (listen up now, CC!). We do this selflessly for the greater good of fandom, you know! It's rough and a sacrifice, but heck someone has to.

And if nagging doesn't work, I can always bring out my ultimate weapon... /me puts on the big puppy eyes... Do you know how excited I get when my pc makes that little ping and my submissions folder lights up? Don't you think it'd be awfully, awfully mean to deprive me of these simple little enjoyments out of life? Huh?

LabRat

Well, I since you are obviously not *compelled* to submit any story to the archives, if you decide you genuinely don't like a story, by all means forget about it. I admit to wishing a quick death on a few of my stories.

However, if the issue isn't that you hate the story, but just that you see it as a throwaway piece, I don't understand why one wouldn't submit it. The submission process is so quick and easy (and fun - I love getting comments from my GE) that I can't imagine why people would shy away from it. Besides that, even though these short pieces don't mean as much to the writer, they are still enjoyable for the for the readers and there are TONS of people who read only at archives, so why deny those readers the chance to see these stories?

I am glad that the archive is opt-in. I don't think I'd like the idea of being *forced* to submit every story. But I just can't imagine why people would not want to do it in most cases. Sending a story to the archives isn't a public statement that this is the author's best work, it's just a place to hold completed stories.

Annie

Ooooooh, look. Another submission in my mailbox. Thanks, CC. Tick. <g>

Okay, anyone else want to be nice and take account of the giving season, goodwill to all EICs, and send a little extra story gift to my mailbox? Feel free!

LabRat

I see both sides of this discussion. I've had my hard drive crash and had to use the archives to recover my stories. Still, there were a couple that were never recovered because they were never archived.

I do, on occasion write 'throwaway' fics specifically for the denizens of the message boards. These little pieces are meant merely to tweak a certain situation that is applicable to the boards at that particular time. There inclusion on the archive wouldn't have the same meaning.

If those are lost, or forgotten, no big deal. They served their purpose at the time.

Tank (who has occasionally had some of his throwaway pieces 'hijacked' by other authors and has let them make any decision about including them to the archive listing)

You know, once Labby stooped to ' big puppy eyes' I was pretty much a goner.

It isn't 'War and Peace' but I sent the darn thing. And I learned a lesson: don't use the term toss-away and expect that to be a suitable explanation!

I do think, however, as Tank said above, that there is a place for things that are for mbs only.

CC (Curator of Fic Limbo. Send me all your stuff you want ignored or forgotten- I will promptly ignore and forget, I promise.)

You know, you are all making me feel really guilty. Of course, my problem isn't just not sending stuff to the archive, but that I have several "unfinished" snippets sitting on my hard drive that I may never finish. What to do, what to do?

Beverly :-)
http://www.booksanctuary.com

Okay, confession time... as has been pointed out to me, despite nagging CC to death over this throwaway fic thing, I do have a few fics which I wrote this year and have not submitted. But I have good reasons in each case - really, I do! I swear! So just hold off on those little axemen!

These unsubmitted stories include things like the haircut fic I wrote in order to keep Tank unretired; a cameo fic, which would make no sense whatsoever to anyone not familiar with the people on these boards; a silly Irish fic written in response to Sara's challenge and which provoked some controversy - which is why I won't submit it; and a fic written in honour of Tank's birthday. That latter fic has had a number of 'sequels' added to it, so if, say, Roger wanted to compile the lot and submit the complete story I wouldn't object. The rest, though, really wouldn't make any sense to anyone who isn't a regular on these boards.

That's my excuse, anyway, and I'm sticking to it!


Wendy (ducking and running very fast...

you mean it, CC? How about forget about the resolution to my New Krypton Forever and All Eternity series? I haven't touched the final story in almost a year...

And I sent in those last two vignettes because you pleaded, Labby. They're all yours.

Laura (going to hide from Maria, now )

Well, well, well...this has turned interesting, hasn't it?

It would seem that Wendy, who yesterday asserted fairly clearly that there is no such thing as a throwaway fic may have, in fact, thrown away a fic or two...

Hmm...we here at Fic Limbo will take the support wherever we can get it. So, send us those haircuts and Irish songs and whatevers. You too, Laura, whatever you're struggling with. We will catalog and delete them immediately!

And I'll tell you why. We're good that way. No questions asked. You don't want it submitted to the archive? We can accept that- no marching men, no guilt, no puppy eyes.

But the irony is bittersweet here- as Maysons Says... - catalyst for this non-debate has been sent to Labrat!

When it is uploaded in January, I expect to hear from all of you who nagged- I mean it. Extensive, exhaustive feedback. You can make it glowing, too, I won't complain.

CC

This thread made for fun reading. I say submit to all those authors. I can't help it, I love to read! And I know by now this is off topic, but I thought I'd say that while I hadn't really given it thought, I decided to make Grown-Up Christmas List eligible this year. I may attempt a Christmas fic again next year, so I thought it would be better to keep the two separate. If that makes sense. Thanks for the reminded, Kathy!

Jana