Why do people hate BNFs?

[icarus]

I really don't understand this BNF phenomenon. I just don't get it.

I don't see why people go "whee, Icarus!" when they find out their review or whatever is from me. I understand "whee, Stories!" -- or -- "whee, Icarus' Stories!" That makes sense to me, because this is all about the stories, all about the fun of writing. If you've liked something I wrote in the past, there's good chance you'll like the next one. I'm the same way about "whee, Candy!"

But I don't know why the focus shifts from the story to the person. What the hell...?

Comments

[dkwilliams.livejournal.com]

(shrugging) I didn't even hear about the quiz so it doesn't matter to me that it wasn't included. What's important to me is that the story turned out to be better than I had anticipated - it's the one in HP fandom that I'm most proud of. Also, I continue to get feedback from people who have seen it recced on lists, so that gives me warm fuzzies.

From personal experience, I can tell you that the best thing to do is relax and not worry about it. When I was in X-Files fandom, I started a series that rapidly developed a large following - and it literally panicked me. I would get the shakes before posting a chapter, worried that it wouldn't live up to the hype, and basically worried all the fun out of writing it. It wasn't the readers' fault - I just got too focused. I had to step back and do something completely different in another fandom to get some perspective on it, and it's only a couple years later that I'm ready to go back and finish it. If I hadn't let myself feel pressured, I wouldn't have needed to do that. Of course, I don't regret my fandom-wandering - I think I've learned a lot about myself and writing through my exploring.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Worried that it wouldn't live up to the hype, and basically worried all the fun out of writing it. It wasn't the readers' fault - I just got too focused.

God, that's exactly what's going on. Good advice, if easier said than done.

Icarus