Readers, Lurkers, Rec and Other such People, lend me your ears ...

[blamebrampton]

Readers are the people every writer craves. Someone who will nod at our witty allusions, appreciate our tense cliffhangers, smile at the plot developments and laugh at our jokes. Kind readers* are like the perfect friend or partner, always encouraging, always generous, never snarking when you forget to change the toilet roll just once or come to bed late because the next two scenes suddenly popped into your head.

And whether you're a commenty reader, or a lurky reader, someone who recs, or someone who just flails merrily about in fandom, I appreciate you! You make things much more fun.

The problem, of course, is that I'm a wee bit crap. Those of you on my flist know this, and have kindly become used to the fact that it may take one or two months or years for me to reply to comments or indeed get the next chapter up. That you stay in spite of it is testimony to your decency as human beings!

But saner heads than mine have looked at fandom and thought: you know who has to put up with a lot for not an enormous reward? Readers, that's who. And it's true. So the lovely Alaana and co at serpentinelion  have created Glompfest, which you may well have already seen the banners for.

It's an exchange fest where one of the parties has already given their part of the exchange. So if you're a reader, a reccer, a lurker, a reviewer, an icon maker, a mod ... or someone active in any of the dozens of great ways people can have fun in fandom without writing or producing art, then you've already done your part and are encouraged to sign up and be 'glomped'. (I know, it sounds like something the Giant Squid would do, but the young people assure me it's pleasant!) Glompees post prompts starting on August 1, Glompers nab them from August 11, posting starts mid-September. 

As to you lot out there what write and draw, look, I know it's a tight time of year, but if ever a fest called for comedic or romantic one-shots, this is it! A little something light to say thanks -- go on, you know you want to! I think I have at least a few thousand words of ridiculousness left in me, so I'll be in. (With a bit of luck someone will ask for something political as I have a whole bunch of Labour jokes I've not been able to make work with the H/D in the Clameron Gov fic I am working on -- if not, I might see if I can tweak them for the Australian Labor Party and sell them to someone with an election blog ...)

And thanks alaana_fair  and team! Good thinking!


* Unkind readers are usually telling you far more about themselves than about your writing.

Comments

[calanthe-fics.livejournal.com]

Brammers!!!

who has to put up with a lot for not an enormous reward?

You're on mind-altering brain drugs, right? Readers are in fandom, and they stay in fandom, because they like reading fic and looking at the art that creative types create. Surely if you want to be a reader then that's the reward?

And before someone says it, I have no problem with the fest! Good luck to it! But 'no reward'? I'm not with you on that one ;)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Well, obviously YOUR readers get a fabulous set of rewards, but people reading me get ... er ... delays and a few good gags, the odd explosion and then more delays.

Some people are more rewarding than others!

[calanthe-fics.livejournal.com]

Oh piffle.

It's the ageless debate about whether writing fic is enough, or whether there is a reasonable expectation that writers also comment back on the comments left on their fics. I'm not bloody minded about it; I try to respond to comments, but I get behind, and then the inbox reaches hundreds of chains of comments (currently 652) to respond to, and I simply lose the will to live. I always try to respond to comments, but sometimes I fail. That's not a commentary on the quality of the comment, it's a statement on my failure to find adequate time.

If readers want more then they join in with fandom, yes? They comment, they make themselves known, and they become friends. If I write stuff readers like, I reply to comments, and then become friends with said readers, I'm not sure what else I can give!

But all of this is totally aside to the notion of a fest. It'll be lovely!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Note that you actually write the fic. With ends. A feat I am about 1/4 as good at as some people who look a lot like you.

The failure to reply to comments in anything approaching a timely fashion is something I tell myself my flist regards as a charming quirk. The failure to actually finish works, more of a serious flaw that could do with rectifying.

And yes, you make excellent points and are quite right about reading being its own reward, but, like you, I think it lovely for someone who had always thought 'well, I'll just never be in an exchange fest' to actually get one after all. I hope that the mods use headers like the hd_hols 'A gift for ...' ones!

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

I hope that the mods use headers like the hd_hols 'A gift for ...' ones!

That's ABSOLUTELY the plan! And we sure hope we can fill all gift requests, but I guess that depends on the numbers. I'm not too sure just how many fics and how much art we mods can churn out (in the quality that is deserved) if we don't get enough participants. *wibbles* Thanks for the support!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Since I am committed to grabbing prompts that say 'I would like something ridiculous and comedic and care not for ratings', I could always grab two as there is no way that could turn into a 30K epic! Probably ...

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Yay! :)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Yay for gifts!

[auntpurl.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to mention that you're beautiful and I adore you.

That is all.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Well, we've met, so I can say with confidence that you are, too, and I do, too!

[kudilu.livejournal.com]

hehe - if i'm not badly mistaken, 'glomp' comes from anime fandoms - i first heard it in connection to Ranma 1/2. In general, a 'glomp' tends to refer to the huge, over-the-top squishy-hugs that mostly come from females, usually with little or no warning. Affectionate children tend to glomp a lot, though it's less startling due to the fact that they are teeny.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Ha! Thank you for the definition! It's the sort of thing that ends up with a line of snot on your tights at knee level, isn't it? Ah well, there are far worse things!

[kudilu.livejournal.com]

well, yes, it can end with snot on your knees from children. most of the time it refers to teen or adult females though. there's actually quite a bit on youtube tagged that - if you look for 'anime glomp' you'll get lots of examples, both in anime and real-world at anime conventions.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

I just wrote something that might be contrued as unkind about a squid novel ... but I tried to say good things and I keep thinking it's me-as-a-reader-s fault! Glomp used to sound nice(er than hug) but now you made me tell you about the huge beak that gets used once the tentacles are wrapped around you ...

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

If you had to say something unkind about a novel, but were nevertheless at least considerate of the feelings of the author, you're not wholly unkind! Some novels are quite bad, but the writers usually meant well. And yeah, sometimes we're just not the right readers. I have tried and tried with Diana Gabaldon, to no effect!

As to that beak ... it's nowhere near as scary as the fact I seem to recall squid keep their sex organs on one of their tentacles. Or is that octopuses?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Yeah, and sadly there are more that don't work (for me) the more is published these days. Doesn't keep my analog hardcopy shelves from overflowing.

They keep everything there. Scientists just discovered that squid ovaries have eyes. Not kidding.

[draco-s-cock.livejournal.com]

This is truly a wonderful idea. Praise those who encourage others.

*bobs* in agreement

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Hallelujah, oh pleasantly penile one!

[brissygirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the pimpage Brammers!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome. Oh how cute are those chibis!

[brissygirl.livejournal.com]

They are very cute! :D

[sesheta-66.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for pimping the fest in such a fabulous way, hon!

♥ ♥ ♥

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Thank you for thinking it up!

[maya231.livejournal.com]

What a fabulous idea! Though I have to agree with Cal that the reading is its own reward. *points to your many fantabulous blog post before you can point to unfinished chapters or whatnot*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Thank you, you make me feel far less guilty about my sins.

[mabonwitch.livejournal.com]

Your tendency toward permanently in progress fic just means I get randomly-timed, but lovely, surprises! I'll be wandering about the internet, and then, BAM! Brammers has updated something. Besides, once it is done, what do I have to look forward to?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

AHAHAHAHA! Yes, that's it! I'm not tardy, I'm spontaneous!

And I'd not be worried, at last count there was enough unfinsihed fic for at least the next few years. (*Sobs!*)

[illereyn.livejournal.com]

<3s your work, <3 the Glompfest idea, <3 the chance to participate in a fest! And in case that wasn't enough hearts, here's some more:

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh you are a darling. Thank you! <3 to you, too!

[spirillen.livejournal.com]

"I have a whole bunch of Labour jokes I've not been able to make work with the H/D in the Clameron Gov fic I am working on "

Really really? Becuase I'm quite excited about this, I adore your political fic (I'm curently re-reading my print-out of Little Red Courgette for the umpteenth time, and on the second print out of For the Public Good), it might be worth postponing the next installment of fathers, cliffhanger and all!

And I complete agree w Calenthe & co that reading is a reward in itself!