Anonymous praise
from the lurkers out there.
Here's a bit of anonymous praise that surfaced on Blue Believers and
Outside the Lines back in the Summer of 2000. This letter says it all. :-)
Dear Writers,
Do you ever feel like you are being watched? That someone is looking over your shoulder yet every time you turn and look no one is there? Or have you ever thought you heard a voice, a murmur on the wind but can't quite make it out. If you are in that magical/mystical/wonderful/terrible place known as fan fiction, it may have been one of us.
Us. We. They. Them. The Others. Call us lurkers or readers or whatever you'd like. We have been there since the very first story was posted. We have read all sorts of stories. The good, bad, and the mediocre. We've loved and hated them. There are writers we HAVE to read no matter what they post and others we WON'T read no matter what they post. We come from all backgrounds, races, countries, religions, and social standings. We are also, as a rule, lousy at giving feedback.
Why? Difficult to say. Some don't want to be ridiculed if they give someone feedback and it is seen in the wrong light. Some have no or few writing skills of their own and don't feel qualified to comment on yours. Others simply don't know what to say other than “I really liked your story.” We may just be too busy, too lazy, or are just jerks who feel they don't owe you, the writer, anything since you were going to write it anyway. Maybe we feel too pressured when people seemingly threaten us by the type of feedback requested (If you don't send feedback I'll stop writing. Don't just tell me what you liked about my story also tell me what you didn't like. I hate short/long feedback. etc.)
But...
We admire and envy your courage and fortitude. To take a little bit of your heart and soul and show it to the world. To slave over each word. To fight the agony of writers block. To put up with the whining for the next part of your story. To leave yourself open to ridicule by those who don't appreciate what you have to say. For this we'd like to thank each and every writer out there. We will continue to read all that is posted and try to muster up the courage to send appropriate feedback.
Thank you,
Some of Them
(Please pass this on to all the wonderful writers out there.)
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