Why can't they all be horrendously intelligent and amazingly beautiful?

[azurite]

So geniusgirl brought something to my attention-- a fic writer (and reviewer of WDKY, if I'm not mistaken) by the name of Sempaiko said something in Chapter 17 of her fic, "Cast Away with Seto Kaiba" pretty much asking for people to review for her, so she could be the first Azureshipper with 1000 reviews on FFnet. Ignoring the story altogether, I reviewed saying the following:

*ahem* I have ONE thing to say to you, and one thing alone: I do not, have not, and will not EVER write for the sake of reviews. I personally find it ridiculous that the number of reviews a person has attached to their fic might make it more or less popular, or more or less "good."

Yes, I am a Seto x Anzu writer and shipper, and YES, I am proud of it. I write many stories, all the time, and I put a lot of hard work and effort into it. But I don't do it for the reviews. I really don't. I'm a bit saddened to see you're so desperate to "beat me" at reviews, because in the long run, does it really matter? Most of the reviews I get are one liners that have no impact on me whatsoever, and if I had the ability to delete them, I would! So there's that for your review count.

It hurts me a lot that you are turning this into a contest in which I had NO idea I was a participant (unwilling, at that) and that you don't seem to grasp the concept of fic writing --the joy behind it-- at all. By the way, I DON'T have less chapters than you. I have the SAME number of chapters as you, considering I split Chapter 7 into 2 parts. And Chapter 18 is coming soon.

*sigh* Ouch.

Okay, so maybe I was a little reactive, but the truth was, I was pretty hurt that this person had made me an unwilling participant in what appeared to me as some sort of contest to be The Azureshipper with the Most Reviews!

Anyone that knows me knows it's NOT about the reviews for me. I could care less. In fact, I got a review from that Lily person again-- this time asking what I think is ANOTHER DUMB QUESTION. Re: WDKY, Chapter 4, Lily asks: I just don't get something here - why did Tea cry when Kaiba kissed her? *headdesk* Okay, everyone in the audience, if you've read WDKY and know the answer, raise your hand! Speculate, guesstimate, I don't care! TRY TO THINK! (The answer is quite simple.)

Well anyway, to my surprise, a letter was waiting in my inbox from Sempaiko:

Hello.

Well, a few things I have to get off my chest, and they are not bad things towards you at all. First of all -I didn't mean the interpretation of what you read at the bottom of my A/N on my fanfic. If you took that note as offense, I appologize right here and now. I do not mean for this to be a 'contest' or comparison of any kind. In my mind all i was doing was praising you on your review status. I'm sorry that you feel i am pathetic and am asking for lots of reviews, but I only do so because I love to hear the impact and feelings my readers have towards my fic. I try to ask people to give me good feedback, or ask them to tell me their favorite part, so i don't get those one-liners (b/c i don't like those either). At least I'm not like -'okay, i will only update is i reach *blank* number of reviews'.

Again, I love you and your fanfics, and although right now it seems that my image in your eyes will forever be tainted, know that I will feel no differently towards you. I can understand the misunderstanding between us, and hope that maybe you can ease your hatred towards me. And again, that author's note did not mean that I compare myself with you (and if you look carefully -I said there's no comparison). I know you're more talented than me, and that the reviews show nothing of talent or anything of the sort. Can't you see that you are the best Seto x Anzu author out there? Why should you even care about what some two-bit author has to say about reviews? I didn't even think you read other fanfics -let alone mine. But i see now that you do, because you are certainly angry enough to write me a review as you did. Again I appologize. I don't know what else to say to you. Heh, I guess nothing more.

-Sempaiko  ^_^

This actually made me pretty happy, though I did have to respond and clarify that I don't hate her, am angry at her, etc. I did advise her to drop the whole asking for reviews thing-- reviews (especially well-thought out, clear ones) tend to come when you DON'T ask for them. Some of the best relationships I've forged, either with fellow Azureshippers or beta readers (or both, if I've converted them!) have come from the reviews I DID NOT beg for. And I like it that way. Given that most of my reviews are one liners that say something lame like "UPDATEUPDATEUPDATEUPDATE!" I hardly consider them helpful reviews. I bet if I could deem which reviews were helpful (even the harsh concrit ones) I would have less reviews for WDKY at FFnet.

Well anyway, there's much to do today before I leave for SF tomorrow-- I'm done burning Rochelle's CDs, but I have to finish my laundry, pack, assemble my girly back (read: toiletries), get a quick manicure, buy an iPod charger, and clean up here in the rec room. I'll do some icons for YOT here before I go, but I wanna get out of the house.

I NEED ICONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comments

Reviews

[janimelee.livejournal.com]

I agree about the reviewing. Writers--fanfic or other--should not base their ability to create a story by the reviews they may or may not receive. My problem is that I am an exteme procrastinator ::cough, cough::, and it also sucks when "life" gets in the way (at least in my opinion). Don't get me wrong, reviews are a plus, but you shouldn't write a fic just for the reviews. Write because you want to.

Also, I want to say that your WDKY fic is the reason for my conversion to Seto/Anzu. I never would've seen the pairing possibility if I hadn't read your fic.