New Fan Fiction

[Sage]

True
Also it's not like fanfic.net, which has a review/comment function on each page of fic, so people do tend to review because it's easy to do.
I do try to give feedback, knowing how much it's appreciated.

[Mary]

That's not unusual, Matt. Feedback is not - as a rule- something people bother to do.
There are some honourable exceptions, and those are much appreciated.
I think you have to be pleased people read it - and remember this is a comparatively small fandom... so it's unlikely to have a potential audience of millions

(EDIT: in rereading this I realized in quoting Marion and using the word "you" some of our readers may think I'm replying to her specifically, so I've reworded my post slightly. Rest assured that I am not posting a reply directly to Marion but as a general comment.)

I can vouch for this. In the double-digits of years my fanfic has been out there, I can probably count on one hand the amount of detailed* feedback I've received - and that's for all my fanfic, not any one in particular.

We writers have to remember that people probably do like what we write but we may never receive any recognition for our efforts. I am content in the knowledge, through Chris' periodic "stats" reports, that my stories are still read (and one is consistently in the top twenty almost every month). Of course we're in this for the self-satisfaction of knowing that we CAN create something coherent from our daydreams, not for the "glory."

You readers may be saying to yourselves "That's easy for her to say, having won two Fanderson writing awards, she's had her 'fifteen minutes of fame' already." I certainly didn't enter the competitions for the prizes, which were an original Joe 90 script (which I gave away, never having heard of the series at the time) and a cheesy plastic trophy at the first convention, and a CD at the second convention (which I had already bought earlier in the day ). And the "glory"? After getting a few rounds of congratulations (I would have preferred drinks! ) and promises to read the stories once the long-promised Fanderson fanfic magazine came out I never heard anything else, even after Fanderson published their short-lived magazine. (Maybe the way Fanderson summarily butchered "An Exercise in Hope" had something to do with it... )

If I was in fanfic for the "glory" do you think I would have written anything else AFTER those two conventions, especially since I'm no longer a member of Fanderson and therefore not even eligible to enter any of their competitions?

We are pleased, not only that people read our fanfic, but that there are outlets such as Chris' site where we CAN have others see it. As Marion points out, this is a small fandom, and keep in mind it is significantly smaller on this side of the pond. Here, when bringing up the subject we either get blank stares or comments like "Oh, you mean like Star Trek?" At least you guys over there get comparisons to "Thunderbirds" instead of ST...

*I'm not counting the "I liked it" comments; while they are satisfying they are not the "constructive" feedback Marion previously mentioned.

[Matt Crowther]

I'm trying to decipher that comment. Fanderson awards?

No less, I don't mind the fanfic's and the feedback aspect. Recognition means you've done your albeit unpaid job well. I have enough trouble at the moment just trying to write and edit.

It's for the love of writing. The love of it Scarlet (the series, not the man) even.

This posts sounds somewhat snooty, my apologies.

[Marion]

I wrote my own Spectrum stories for years before the Internet was thought of, and, if it hadn't have been for discovering Chris's site, I would still be writing them for the same reason - I enjoy writing them.
I count myself lucky anyone else wants to read them, fortunate that some people have said they've enjoyed them and consider it verging on miraculous that a few people have gone into detail about why they enjoyed it and what they liked.
Most of the feedback I get is from my ever-tolerant beta readers and I take what they have to say very seriously. I remain indebted to them all, especially when I've sent yet another tweaked version through, and they don't belt me with it.
If (Heaven forbid!) the site disappeared tomorrow - I would write something or other for my own amusement, but I'd miss all the enjoyment of interaction with other authors.
Even though CS is a small fandom, it strikes me as being blessed with some original fiction by talented, knowledgeable writers.
Long may it continue!

[Mary]

I'm trying to decipher that comment. Fanderson awards?

Matt, I assume you already know Fanderson is the official Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society, so I'm just clarifying it for the rest of our readers who may not know of it.

Fanderson has a convention every year or two, and when the convention is announced there is often some type of competition announced as well, such as costumes, artwork, writing etc. I was a member of Fanderson from around 1990-94, and during that time there were two conventions which had writing competitions: Fanderson 91 and Space City, which was the 1993 con. Specifically, the Fanderson 91 competition was a "story" competition, whereas the Space City one was a more general "writing" one, where the submission could be prose, poetry or lyrics but had to be an exact number of words in length. I had submitted "An Exercise in Hope" for the first competition, and the scene from "Chance for a Lifetime" where Scarlet wakes up in Sickbay for the latter, and I was lucky enough to win both of them. All I got, aside from the "fabulous" prizes described above, was the promise that "Hope" would be published in the planned fanfic magazine, and that almost didn't come to pass because by the time Fanderson got around to creating it I was no longer a member and I had to FIGHT to have it included!

[Skybase Girl]

I was visiting this site "anonymously" for over a year before I plucked up the courage to register as a member. Consequently, I had already read quite a lot of stories at a time when I wouldn't have known how to respond, let alone pluck up the courage to do so.

I had no idea stuff like this existed on the net, and just how good a lot of it would turn out to be. It was the fanfic that got me to eventually join in, but it still initially didn't occur to me to comment.

Many of them were written quite some time ago, and I probably thought, quite erroneously, that comments might no longer be relevant. I do realise just how wrong I was, especially having now written a piece of my own. I think I thought that the more experienced writers wouldn't require the some degree of confidence boosting, but we're all human and like a bit of reassurance, no matter what level of experience we have. Let's face it, we're all a little bit vain too, otherwise we probably wouldn't bother to put our efforts in the public domain !

So, Mary, Matt and anyone else to whom I have behaved thoughtlessly in the writing stakes, you have my apologies and I will try to do better in future ! ( Although I have sent a few private messages to the relevant folk at one time or another ).

Apart from a gift with words, I guess another thing a writer needs is a thick skin !

[Carrie]

I think I thought that the more experienced writers wouldn't require the some degree of confidence boosting, but we're all human and like a bit of reassurance, no matter what level of experience we have.

Oh, you betcha!
It doesn't matter how many stories you write, nice comments are always savoured.

The internet is a wonderful thing...I still can't really believe that I have managed to write some stories and got them 'published' on the web, not to mention becoming involved with such a wonderful group of people who are willing to work with my prose and tell me if it truly works or not. We are blessed in this small fandom to have beta-readers who are honest, damn good at english grammer and punctuation, and offer useful, constructive criticism, not to mention a shoulder to cry on when things aren't going too well!

[Matt Crowther]

I'm trying to decipher that comment. Fanderson awards?

Matt, I assume you already know Fanderson is the official Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society, so I'm just clarifying it for the rest of our readers who may not know of it.

Fanderson has a convention every year or two, and when the convention is announced there is often some type of competition announced as well, such as costumes, artwork, writing etc. I was a member of Fanderson from around 1990-94, and during that time there were two conventions which had writing competitions: Fanderson 91 and Space City, which was the 1993 con. Specifically, the Fanderson 91 competition was a "story" competition, whereas the Space City one was a more general "writing" one, where the submission could be prose, poetry or lyrics but had to be an exact number of words in length. I had submitted "An Exercise in Hope" for the first competition, and the scene from "Chance for a Lifetime" where Scarlet wakes up in Sickbay for the latter, and I was lucky enough to win both of them. All I got, aside from the "fabulous" prizes described above, was the promise that "Hope" would be published in the planned fanfic magazine, and that almost didn't come to pass because by the time Fanderson got around to creating it I was no longer a member and I had to FIGHT to have it included!

Sorry, just didn't know that there were awards. My mistake.

[chrisbishop]

Three new stories have been put online today! And all three of them are each featuring one of the lesser used characters in fanfic.

So the stories are:


Shades of Fawn. by Nigel Preece.

Seeing Green, by Caroline Smith.

In his Element, by Sage Harper.

Congratulations to all three writers!

[Skybase Girl]

Excellent ! About to put the reading specs on !

[Sage]

Oh wow 'seeing green' is really good.
The insight into Green's character, and the relationship between him & Scarlet, is brilliant. The story itself gives a sense of their desperation ad being confined. Then it all really comes together at the end.

I'll have to save 'shades of fawn' for another day.

[hazel]

Blast it, I was hoping to be the first to mention the new stories! Carrie - another stonker. Well done! A nice cross-over with Thunderbirds, too.
Sage and Nigel - haven't read yours yet, but will do so asap.

[Skybase Girl]

Good work, everyone !

Caroline - Spot on,as usual. Love how you do the descriptive stuff. I could taste the dust and feel the metal caving in ! I could " see" Scarlet and Green in there very vividly, and felt as they did - I think all writers will aspire to that, and as far as I'm concerned, you achieved it. I'd go as far as to say that if it had been an episode of CS, I could just hear Francis Matthews and Cy Grant speaking the dialogue. The characterisation was that good. Liked the twist at the end, too. It all came together very nicely ! But Green has to get over his Rhapsody fixation - it's all too sad otherwise.....

Nigel - really fascinating! I haven't thought about Stingray in a long time, although I always thought Atlanta deserved more attention than she got. Looks like you provided that ! Really well-written, and the time line was interesting, too. I hadn't thought that the first generation International Rescue people would be kind of history by the time WASP and Spectrum came along. ( To be honest, hadn't really come to a conclusion about where they all stood in relation to each other. ). Neat tie-ins, though, and lots of tantalising tit bits for future stories. Look forward to reading more !

Sage - I know I've read this before - possibly slightly modified ? It's lovely, very poignant and sort of dreamy. Possibly a poetic quality about it ? Grey deserves a happy ending. There's something really sad about him, which every writer seems to pick up on ( including me, rather unwittingly ) and I don't really know why that is. Still, it makes him interesting, so lots of grist for the mill, storywise. You need, in the future, to expand on who this small girl is, otherwise it will be just too cruel!

[Sage]

Thank you
Yes I did originally post it on the fanfic forum. That was the 'feel' I was aiming for so glad that worked.
I totally know what you mean, it's interesting and what interests me with his character. He should be happy in the end.
LOL true, but I don't even know myself at this point. We'll have to wait and see.

[Carrie]

Thanks to Skybase Girl, Hazel and Sage for their feedback. Makes it VERY worthwhile to know that you hit the spot....