Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Kerth Buzz

Last off topic - I swear!

How much worse to have your team lose to a team that lost to the Raiders? Hmmmmm?

Sue <wiping away tears of mirth with her Terrible Towel - yes, I really have one>

Touche'

One thing I'm going to enjoy seeing at the Kerths next year: lots and lots of new winners. It's going to happen, because of course we have such wonderful new talent this year, for one thing, and also because a number of writers who've appeared on the nomination lists in previous years aren't writing any more. This is all good - I love seeing brand-new winners and having the Kerth wealth spread around.

As for the Best Original/Secondary Character category, I feel very proud to have been one of the people who convinced K-Com to introduce it. It's been a real success so far.


Wendy

Well, DJ & Sue, I'd chime in about my fabulous Bears, but as they just lost ot Miami of all teams...

As to Carol's suggestion of showing all January archive stories: As Lauren pointed out you can see them here:

January Archived stories

And because I'm feeling bored at work today , I'll even include the list:

Fear - Deja Vu
Growing Up Super - Luddy, Sarah
Five Crossovers That Never Happened to Lois and Clark - Rowland, Marcus L.
Just Watchin' TV - Potts, Mary
Smart Teens - Young, Susan
Far From Home - Jensguy
Grocery List - Potts, Mary
Escaping Trask - Frantz Jr., Richard
You Don't Know Me - Richards, Wendy

Enjoy!
Julie

Just catching up on a few posts upthread that I missed for some reason.

Noticed both DJ and Caroline did make the list at the top of the thread.

Lauren, thanks for explaining how to find the early stories so easily. Julie, thanks for actually posting the titles for Jan. Now I'd better write that brief review. Anyone know if any of the Jan. stories actually wouldn't be eligible for the 2006 Kerths?

Btw, Lauren, Strange Visitors wasn't cited. I think you many be confusing it with another story with "Strange" in the title.

Rachel asked:
Not really, because the exclusion issue remains the same; it's only the time that has changed. Although, I suppose those writers who aren't around anymore wouldn't care since they wouldn't see the lists.

Maybe if individual recs kept to just one or two fics, explained what it was that the reader liked about the story and we tried to be pretty inclusive as we go along?

Sue does well to remind us about the pitfall of fawning over just a few writers.

Absolutely! That's been one of the great things about the mbs.

Okay, enquiring minds need to know: what exactly is a Terrible Towel?

Yvonne

Okay, I'm not Sue, Yvonne, but I'll answer this since I was in on the joke...

It's a football thing. Pittsburgh Steelers fans have this bright yellow-orange towel that they wave at games to cheer on their team. I don't know a true, hardcore, Steeler fan who doesn't own a Terrible Towel. (I'm sure Sue can give you a better explanation of the origins of the towel - I'm just providing the basic explanation )

-- DJ <who is going to stitch an arrowhead on Sue's Terrible Towel>

P.S. - JoMurf - your Bears *are* fabulous! "Da Bears" - they just had an off day. Everyone can have an off day... but yes, Miami? ahem...

Oh and back on topic, how about another category suggestion? (It's probably been done before, but...) Best Cliffhanger? You know, stories that had a chapter or part in them that was just the absolute best Cliffhanger? The ones that made you want to *gasp* - heaven forbid - skip ahead to find out what happened, and then go back and read through.

Oooo, I like this Idea!


I was away for abit, without net. So it helps me look for stories I missed. And for the stories that are not named, Will be on the list anyway when the kerths come out. I'll read those too.


Anyway, I have a category. How bout "Best Deathfic" Do we have enough deathfics for a separate category? I always enjoy those. I know I'm odd when It comes to that. But I have seen some good ones this year, I can't pass it up.

Rach

Labrat,

It might have something to do with that, as the body of fiction continues to grow, it will be harder and harder to make a splash. But clearly it’s necessary to teach those young whippersnappers some respect. The sequel to Burnout would do nicely.

CC,
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I tried to do a quick calculation and ended up with some 70 authors quoted(and several of them only run Nfic) while the archive lists several hundred authors. So, if not being quoted is a sign of being on the bottom of the barrel, the great majority are.

Besides I think it not necessarily a good indication of general popularity. People who have similar taste pick similar authors, which makes it easier for those who like that type of writing to get another quote. Some fics have memorable witty exchanges that serve very well for quoting but that doesn’t always mean that the story is stellar. I also think people have a tendency to pick quotes from the most celebrated fics, just so ensure they won’t get “stuck” with the quote.

Caroline,
Criticism is a funny thing. You never know if an authors that asked for feedback without no mercy appreciate it in reality. Or if the author’s fan base might leap to her defence creating an unpleasant atmosphere. As in all things, our most honest thoughts are reserved for people we know and who know us. If someone discussed an authors story behind her back with close friends, I don’t think it’s necessarily a sign of disrespect. (In theory at least I've never been to the chat. )

Arawn:

Yep, I absolutely agree. It's why I usually do criticism via e-mail rather than in a public forum. If the author doesn't appreciate it, she's welcome to throw it in the trash. I don't think any of us really enjoy public criticism, do we? I accept the possibility as part of the bargain when I post fic, but I've also appreciated it when people have been kind enough to send more extensive criticism privately. I've gotten some incredibly good advice that way.

No! I didn't mean to suggest that it was disrespectful or that there would be any malicious intent at all. I honestly think that if a fic was discussed in that way in chat it would be because the chatters didn't want to hurt someone's feelings, discourage someone, etc., and not because they wanted to sneak off and laugh behind their hands. It's just one of my own personal weirdnesses that the idea of being discussed in that way - even constructively - kind of bugs me. I'd rather know what was said, even if it made me go, 'ouch,' and I wound up licking my wounds for a little while.

So, Carol had suggested that maybe it was better to have discussions of Kerth contenders in chat, in order to spare people's feelings, and I was just presenting another side to that. I'm not suggesting that all authors feel the same way I do about it, though it seems that a few do. Basically what I was saying was that while yes, it is certainly possible that author A might be hurt by not being mentioned in the Kerth Buzz thread, it is equally possible that author B might be hurt if she found out secondhand that people had been talking about her plot holes in chat. I don't think there's any malicious intent in either scenario, but there's still the potential for hurt feelings.

Carol:

Oh, don't be awed! I'd truly like to think it wouldn't bother me not to be mentioned, but maybe it would. I know for sure it would have a few years ago, so I really do understand your concerns. Of course it's lovely when people say nice things about my stories. Heck, I even confessed to squealing out loud when I realized I'd been quoted in the game .

Mostly I was just trying to say that I was more uncomfortable with the idea of my stories being dissected in chat than I would be with the idea of not being mentioned in a Kerth thread. And that's just a personal position and not something I would dream of trying to foist on anyone else. Because you're absolutely right - not all authors here would feel that way.

Best,

Caroline

A quickie because I'm busy preparing my class for tomorrow and I have to go teach English to a boisterous (but nevertheless adorable) teenager later this afternoon, then convince his parents I really CAN'T stay for dinner, then... anyway.

It's fantastic to see readers/writers talk about their favourite categories. It's also great to see new ideas, and the K-Com is always open to suggestions. What I'm going to ask is this: if you have a great idea for a category you'd like to see included, could you please email us at kcom at lcficmbs dot com with your idea and a potential list of eligible stories that would fit the category in question (just so we know whether there would be enough contenders for the category in question to fly - then we on the committee can make our decision based on the careful balance we try to reach between number of stories, number of categories and so on.)

Kaethel
Kerth Coordinator

That is a great idea! I like writing reviews, so I might just do 12 threads--one for each month's stories--with reviews (after I refresh my memory of what the stories were about, that is).

Wow, lots of buzz...

I personally like the idea of recommendation lists. We sort of stopped having them a few years back -- I think they were casualties of the fandom split that was in process for two (agonizing) years. There were two sides, and if someone from Side A had a list that failed to include stories by someone on Side B, when there was already bad feelings in the mix, it tended to provoke fights. Heck, if someone from Side A said something nice about a story from another Side A writer, all of Side B would rise up in indignation at the unfairness of it all. That's been years ago, though, and I think that particular factor would no longer be a problem.

The "oh no, such-and-so didn't include my story in her list and therefore she obviously thinks I suck" factor, however, might still be around. My tendency is to tell such people to grow up. Maybe she forgot your story, maybe she hasn't read it, or maybe she didn't like it all that much, but please don't assume she thinks it sucks unless she comes out and says it does. It's nice to see your name on lists (and I'll be honest: whenever I see such lists I automatically scan for my name ) but not being mentioned is not the end of the world, either.

I'd rather that if people put my stories on lists, it's because they really like them, not because they're being kind to a has-been or they think I'll sulk if they don't. No pity recs, please.

Now, this is not the same thing as "avoid these stories/authors at all costs" lists, but we've never had those and we wouldn't tolerate them if someone tried it.

I'm all in favor of us being nice to each other, you understand. There's no need to go out of your way to hurt someone, but then if you go too far out of your way *not* to hurt someone, you run into other problems.

I've got this problem in my house, actually -- my daughter loves to sing. God's given her lots of gifts, but singing ain't one of them -- she can't carry a tune in a bucket. But she thinks she's great. Do I tell her she sucks? Nope, never would. But if I let her keep thinking she's a terrific singer, am I just setting her up for a really nasty surprise somewhere down the line when someone else tells her that her singing sucks? False praise can end up being really destructive.

Of course, I'm responsible for her in a way that we aren't responsible for each other, so don't anybody feel compelled to go critique something

I think what I'm trying to say is that I've learned a *lot* about writing in the past ten years. Has there been criticism? Oh my, yes. Did it hurt? Yeah, it did. But this world isn't about me, so I built up a thicker skin and kept going, trying to learn from the negative things people said. Hurt feelings are a part of life, unfortunately, and we need to learn to deal with them.

PJ

Oh, Pam. Maybe not entirely about you, but it exists in a finer form because of you. So it is, sorta, about you.

Hurt feelings are the reason I don't directly answer the "who's your favorite" question in this or any other fandom. I know I'll leave someone out and it *bothers* me that I did it, however unintentional the memory lapse was. Besides, there are so many stories and authors I haven't even read yet that I might be cheating someone by chiming in early.

Just chiming in with some random comments.

Nail on the head. Right there. Granted, I'm not suggesting we run sessions in IRC on "How to Toughen Up," but when you put your work out in the public, you leave the door wide open for the good and the bad. And it is a very. wide. door. :p I base this on the fact that my brochure just got STOMPED on in presentation last month, but my magazine passed with flying colors today.

On Sue's subject of favorites...I really try my best to recommend stories that aren't talked about all the time. And trust me, I have my favorites. There are a few authors on the Archive that I follow like a religion. But the favorites topic just gets old when to me when I see the same names cropping up over and over, (although nothing personal, most of those stories are my favs, too!) But when I look for story recs, I want to find something new to try.

JD

This is definitely true, but I don't think it's quite that simple when it comes to fiction and especially fanfic. None of us get paid to do this (at least, I don't think so; if someone out there's getting paid, how do I get that job? ). Every single story here is a labor of love. For me, at least, that tends to leave my skin a little thinner than a story or paper I write for a class or whatever. Telling me to get a thicker skin is easier said than done .

Not that I expect people to like everything I write, or that I expect to show up on every recommendation list <g>. I just don't think we can dismiss possibly hurt feelings with, "Oh, toughen up."

Oh, of course! I completely agree, and that's why I'll never run those sessions on IRC haha. It just naturally translates over from my career choice, so it happens to be my own personal attitude towards my writing. It's why I'll personally never be offended if I don't make it on the favorites list or the quotes game or something. I just see writing as another form of art, and I expect the good and the bad criticism to come my way. Of course, we're *way* more constructive than the art world, so this is a much happier environment for me to perform in (even if the muse is a bit of a slacker sometimes).

JD
who also wants to cash in if people figure out how to get paid LOL

Talking of the art world, this seems like as good a time as any to say how much I love your avatar, Jen. Been meaning to tell you that for a while, but never seemed to get around to it.

Yvonne

Oh, thank you, that's so nice! It's part of a painting I did in college.

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled programming,
Jen

Wow! I thought it must be part of something by Mondrian.

Yvonne