The difference between LJ and Skyehawke

[blamebrampton]

In one of my stories, I have a scene in which the bad guys attempt to take control of the Thames Barrier to hold it open while an artificial storm surge races up the river to flood much of London. It's told in fast snatches, but there are a number of very clear bits of information given to show what's happening, including:

The rest of Draco's Unspeakables arrive. He speaks quickly: "Thames Barrier, we think there's a team using dark magic to hold it open. Storm surge is coming, a big one."

A few people responded to its posting on LJ with "I had no idea what the Barrier was, so I looked it up, it's cool/was on Doctor Who!"

Last night I posted that chapter on Skyhawke. Today I received a comment similar to "Look, I liked it, but you'd have made the ending so much more gripping if you'd explained what the Barrier was." *

I was THIS CLOSE to answering with "Thanks very much for letting me know you liked it, but if you need more Barrier info, you can find it easily! In my day we did not have Google and you had to shag computer scientists to get internet access, so just count yourself lucky, young whippersnapper and use the tools Tim Berners-Lee gave you!"

I held back, but only because I knew I'd receive a reply saying "Berners-Lee? Who?!"

Ah LJ folk, Let me never take you for granted ...

* I should emphasise that I genuinely think this person meant to be helpful here. They were not being intentionally annoying, I am just the least patient closet librarian in the vicinity.

Comments

[deannawol.livejournal.com]

"In my day we did not have Google and you had to shag computer scientists to get internet access, so just count yourself lucky, young whippersnapper and use the tools Tim Berners-Lee gave you!"

I absolutely love this reply. Priceless. See, I don't think comments like that are particularly helpful. I mean, I can't see how changing it to "Thames Barrier (that big thing in the middle of the Thames that stops loads of towns from flooding during high rains), we think there's a team using dark magic to hold it open. Storm surge is coming, a big one."

Or similar, adds to a story at all... But that's just me. Fairly pedantic really when you think about it.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I agree entirely! It's also not exposition that you give when you live in a city. You know the geography, and the public works!

[deannawol.livejournal.com]

Plus, from what I remember from the story, the explanation was evident from the context and the events. People know the Thames is a river, something on a river being held open that makes people almost cack themselves ... Pardon the way of putting it, but... If you can't put two and two together in a way that comes close to four... *grin*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

And this is why everyone is happy to have YOU as a reader.

Though I am happy that the other person is reading, too, just unable to mock a tiny amount.

[deannawol.livejournal.com]

Good writing deserves readers and commenters (that looks like it's spelt wrong, doesn't it?). I've actually become really bad at commenting of fics that I've read and enjoyed 'cause it all got slightly formulaeic. It's rather odd, there's only a couple of people I actually leave comments for regularly anymore. Need to change that I think.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I have a similar problem; I try and leave involved comments and then think I'll come back and do it and never do, so now I am just working at leaving something ... Oh, and I think I left out a few words in the previous comment, should have been unable to resist mocking ...