Hey guys,
So I just want to say THANK YOU so much to the people on here who listened to me and are slowly but surely starting to make a difference. I'm so glad over sixty people recognized this problem and are working to fix it.
And, as I'm sure you're all wondering, what is this chapter about?
I've gotten so many wonderful reviews with wonderful advice to the PJO community, and I thought it was a bit sad that not many people were reading what they had to say. So, I've decided to post it in the story!
(note ::: if you want me to take yours down, just PM me or review. I'm sorry I didn't ask for everybody's consent, but that would have taken forever. Oh, and check all these awesome authors out!)
This is the real deal
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TLDR? Skip to the last line.
Your feelings have reached me. Obviously there'll be some things I think about differently, but your feelings have reached me nonetheless.
The drought of reviews is pretty bad on this fandom nowadays. I didn't start off writing Percy Jackson stuff. I started with Medabots and the Inheritance Cycle, but I've been here a while, but for such a big archive, it seems to kind of be dying out lately, even from the time when I first started writing Uncle Rick stuff, and I think it's important that we can share our thoughts and comments and ideas and stuff and try to grow better from it. Even without looking, I can still, albeit vaguely, remember my first review and the happiness I got just knowing that there was somebody out there who was enjoying my horrendously written, poorly edited work. A review can make a big difference. That said, the problem isn't that simple.
Cause I've been here a while, I kinda agree with King of France, or maybe Percyjacksonfan16. There's a lot of really cliche stuff in this fandom, and lots of just... really low quality work. Now, I'm reading fanfiction here. I doubt many of us are authors. I know I'm not. Yet. So I'm not expecting the next great 21st Century work. But we also need to be able to work together to try and get better instead of staying in a cesspool of suck. We need to be able to encourage each other and grow and develop as writers. The biggest improvements I ever made as a writer was from my time spent on some of the old Digimon forums I used to hang out on because everybody was constantly giving and sharing advice and it was marvellous. We need to be able to do stuff like that. It's not even quality that needs to go up, we're just having fun here. But it's the EFFORT that we need. The drive and creativity. That alone won't just boost reviews on your stories... on OUR stories, but they make EVERYBODY more willing to review and talk about their work!
It looks like a few people are getting the idea. We need to be able to really push and try for this stuff now. We need to be able to all work together and improve ourselves, but without looking down at and spitting at everything else that comes along. Anybody still around from the Ghostwriters? I'm still a little sad that I missed them completely, but if we can something like that... not even with a big goal of improving fanfiction in general (I mean come on, there's only so much we can do!) and not to go with the idea that "we are better than everybody", but to just come with the true spirit of fanfiction, to help each other grow and develop, give tips and tricks, promote each other's stories, link worlds... things like that! I think it would be really cool! 'Silver Ocean Jackson' mentioned it, I feel like 'Percyjacksonfan16' might also think it's kinda cool too. Who knows, this might be the solution that King of France was talking about too! I dunno. Anyway, if anybody is really interested in this kind of thing, just give me a holler. I'd love to talk about it with people. Actually, you should probably talk to Silver first since she is the one who suggested it here first anyway.
So if that was too much to read, the short version: why not start a small crew dedicated to this kinda stuff? Reviews and improvements, the spirit of FF? Send a message to Silver Ocean Jackson or myself for more info!
Silver Ocean Jackson
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I'm so happy that someone posted this. When I was starting out writing, lack of reviews didn't help one bit. I used to frantically change and revise until it made no sense. I was younger so my writing wasn't superb to begin with, but my busy schedule and lack of motivation really hurt it. All the schist I have on my account now is stuff I wrote a long time ago, with no pride, and am too sentimental to delete. I'll try to reboot my writing and actually create for the fandom, but beyond that I'm prepared to put in the effort to review. (Also I know this is comment over dramatic but I'm a stressed teen writing this early morning.) I have a few ideas to try and start a small community of writers that'll constantly produce more content. If anyone wants to help me with that let me know. Sincerely, me. :P XD :)
animaljam
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yes! The first story I ever wrote was bad. It was short un detailed and had a Mary Sue. A cupola months later I wrote my third or fourth story that I worked hard on and tried to make the characters realistic and the story detailed. The only reviews I got were from my real life friends. As much as I love them for doing it (Thanks guys!) I wanted some other people to review as well. No one ever I say yes! I'm definitely going to review on all the stories I read now that you've brought this issue up and I realize how true it is.
46and78
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I can see what you're going for here and I agree 110%.I see how so few people review these amazing stories. And as I quote HSM, "We're all in this together", I am thinking 'what happened to the fandom we once knew so well? What happened to the amazing comments that bring us happiness just knowing that someone appreciates your work? Because for some, writing is all they have to escape the pain and tribulation of what is known as life. This has deeply inspired me and I know it will affect so many people in this fandom so we can bring it back to what it once was when we actually took the time to appreciate the amazing work on this site and any other fanfic site.
Guest
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It's not only this fandom. This happens in every single fanfiction book because readers become lazy. I, for one, confess :/ so... I agree. If you have ever written something and hoped for reviews, then you should ser the example/return the favor and review whatever you read. That's what this community is for, isn't it? We all love reading or writing, usually both. Let's be helpful to each other! Well, there's another matter I would like to address: incomplete stories. Apply the filter and the 70k PJ/HOO archive will drop to about 30k. If you are a writer, try to complete your stories for your readers' sake!
Bakatana
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Yes! I created an account very recently but I've been reading since... I don't know actually I couldn't create an account before. So all the stories I read or I'm reading will be reviewed because all those authors make a great great job and it's normal to show them your feelings about their story (even if it's only a "good story"). So I wish a huge good luck to all the authors who have the will to write despite this lack of recognition!
(sorry if there are mistakes, English isn't my mother language)
DarkMando
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I agree, this fandom is dying, i have read every story here worth reading, (i think, i searched everything relentlessly)
I have found a few things that would help as well,
We need originality, or at least a new take on the old things, i urge all authors to go forth and explore, read crossovers, research other fandoms that you may be familiar with. Get some more ideas, spread them around, use your imagination,
And review everything.
I freely offer my fav list for references to decent stories.
As far as thing with few words, the best stories i have read have been one shots, mostly narnia one shots.
Darkmando, a.k.a. He-who-has-no-writing-ability-and-so-is-resigned-to-reading-them
Percyjacksonfan16
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Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with you! I've been in the PJO fandom since 2011 which isn't that long ago and I started writing in 2012-ish and I got so many reviews on fics that weren't (grammatically) that good. I stopped writing for three years and when I came back-not that I was expecting even half of my original audience-I typically get around 3 reviews per chapter on a good day. And those 3 reviews are mostly from the same people so they've kind of followed the story and all.
How to fix this problem:
-If people aren't reviewing because there's not original fics or fics that they would like to read, they need to: a) Leave a review and tell the author how they can add originality to them. Not tell them to scrap the story completely. b)Write their own fic
-People who favorite and follow a story, read most of the chapters but never review: I don't know if they think they are being helpful by at least favoriting but 9 times out of 10 when I click on their profiles, they have like 500 stories favorited. That doesn't make an author feel original at all. Reviews are more personal and because of the nature of the internet, authors can't see their audience. We're not published authors who have fans tweet at them or go to their book signings so we don't see our audience. Reviews are the only personal connection we have-I can guarantee you every fanfic writer will remember a kind (maybe even their first review) review over someone who just favorited/follows
-If you have time to read a story, you have time to leave a review. Trust me, it takes 5 seconds.
-Fanfic authors don't get paid for this and we spend a good chunk of our free time on this, the least you could do is leave is a review.
Some other things I've been noticing:
-Authors who don't listen to reviews. I write more than I read fanfic. Once a week, I go through and try to read at least five stories and no matter if I liked them or not, I leave a review. Most of the time it's CC but sometimes its praise. I've encountered way too many authors who immediately call me out in the A/N for their next chapter like oh she's mean and I'm like yo, I'm just trying to make your story readable.
-Too many cliches. I'm picky when choosing fanfic to read but you have to admit there's too many OC fics (which can be good but most of time they're self inserts and/or undeveloped) demigods go to highschool fics, the demigods read the PJO/HoO books, etc. I don't mind a lot of fics of the same pairing because ya, there's a crap ton of Percabeth fics but all of them are different so that doesn't bother me.
I think I'm going to mention this fic/call to action in my next chapter (I'll credit you, if you don't mind) because I don't talk about reviews or anything because I don't want to repel the small audience I have but ya, things need to change around here.
Killermemester
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I'll start reviewing when the cliches stop being recycled over and over again in every pertemis FanFiction.(also we need to add some variety like Percy x Athena or hesitant hell even zoe anything but percabeth or Percy x nico and things of that sort.
King of France (Guest)
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I am one of the original fans of this series, and I do still occasionally check this site. (I'm just a reader, not an author). One reason for a lack of reviews is a simple lack of originality and talent. People don't review stories of they've read one just like it before, or if the author seems to not even understand how to form a sentence. If you can find a way to fix those problems, the review issue will fix itself.
AND IT ALL ENDS HERE (I once again thank all of you for making a difference)
And now, my story content :::::: a poem, cuz . . . yeah.
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We're heroes, the heroes, and darling, we'll fly
Either in our heads or with that blond superman guy
We're monsters, we're monsters, and honey, we'll try
But you can only fight for so long before the blood falls off dry.
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Bye, reviewing 'yes' or 'no' is still an option, and if you have any more advice don't hesitate to review it. I can still add it in.
-WGG