If you've come here looking for the challenge I used to have on my profile, you can now find it here: http://www.fanfiction.net/topic/116144/68467860/1/#68636104

All answering stories will be added to a C2. Keeping them on my profile was too hard. :P

The Rant: Story Summaries and Author's Notes

Ok, new rant! I'm still not pleased about Ahsoka, but I've noticed something lately that has been really ticking me off. There's actually a few things, but hey, we'll get to them all in due time.

Firstly, we'll stick to the summaries. :) I have noticed a trend that manifests itself in almost all fandoms, primarily in humour stories. There's nothing wrong with humour stories, merely the way people choose to summarize it. It goes, something like this:

Object 1, Character 1, Character 2, Type of interaction with object 1, Character 3 interacts with Object 2. (blah, blah, blah) Chaos ensues.

That last little sentence fragment, is what I'm harping on right now. It has to be the most annoying sentence fragment to ever be typed, verbalised or otherwise communicated in human history. I feel sorry for the person who first used it. Once upon a time, it could have been brilliant. Now, it's just a cliche used by authors (and I use that term loosely) who do not have the vocabulary to substitute synonyms, or the intelligence to let the reader come to their own conclusion.

Still on summaries (a favourite topic of mine, as you can do doubt see), is the way people say, "I suck at summaries!" Well, then, you must also "suck" at writing, so why should I read your fic?!

If you actually applied yourself to writing a summary, rather than proclaiming your inability to write one to your poor fellow followers of that particular fandom, then perhaps, you wouldn't "suck at summaries." You have approximately 200 characters in your summary. By putting in that you "suck at summaries," you're actually wasting 10% of your character limit. Wouldn't it be better to use that to actually describe your story?

I'll help you! You don't have to summarize your story, you merely have to GET THE READER HOOKED! Make a statement about the situation, or characters, then ask a question. You still have room for any warnings that may be needed, AND you've successfully gotten some peeps hooked, without them thinking ill of you. It's easy! SO WHY don't people do it?!!!

Ok, moving on. (This will be the last topic, I promise). Author's notes. I'm not objecting to length (that would be rather hypocritical) but rather to the content. Something I find ironic, there's no swearing, no sexual scenes, no terribly violent stuff in the story. It's suitable for kids, and everyone's happy, right? Wrong! The author has written a note to their dear readers, swearing, sex jokes, and a story about some kid that got beaten up. (Ok, I exaggerate a little). I'm sorry, but what?! Seriously?! Thankfully, author's notes can usually be skipped over. It's just those sometimes annoying ones that don't separate it from their stories, so you have to skim it to find where the story begins. (I once gave up skimming after three long paragraphs, because I couldn't be bothered to find the story. I kid you not.)

Last thing I have to say, also about author's notes, is that it really bugs me when authors (again, used loosely) say something along the lines of, "This chapter is terrible," or "I really hate this chapter," etc... If you hate it, don't post it. Honestly, you should be writing the story because you want to, not to appease your readers. Besides that, if you don't like a chapter, why should I waste my time by reading it?! Hmm? Answer me that!

My apologies for any offense caused, but really, if you took offense, you could have stopped reading.

In regards to Feeling, I'm not planning a sequel. I'm sorry to all those who keep asking. However, if any of you would like to write a sequel, be my guest. But please PM me with it, OK? (I'd like to read it, too!)

Thanks for stopping by!