January 24, 2012

If you look below these blog posts right here on my profile, you will see a few recommendations of FF stories that I love, and wish to share with you.

This post is going to be like that, but a little different: it's an actual novel by an actual author that is not actually Janet Evanovich. Sorry.

If any of you follow Videobloggers on Youtube, I'm sure you'll know Hank and John Green, the Vlogbrothers: and that John is also a novelist. His most recent novel The Fault in Our Stars was topping the amazon charts 2 months before it was released. SERIOUSLY.. that's how many people wanted the book. If you read anything this year, anything, you have to read this book. It's funny and sad and heartbreaking and full of the questions that plague the human condition. It stares down the barrel of nihilism and oblivion and grapples with the existential conundrums that make up what it is to be human, with the wit and charm that is endemic to his books. I could sing its' praises for ever and ever, amen.

I'm not going to tell you the synopsis because I didn't know when I read it for the first time, and the book is so much more that what it seems.

So please, please, please read this. It changed my life.

January12, 2012

This is a special message to a user who sent me an anonymous review to Never Let Go in the past few days, which reads as follows:

"It's hard for me to want to jump into reading this story when I see on your profile that you have a bunch of unfinished works in progress. Are you going to go back and finish any of the others or are they abandoned now? Not trying to be an entitled, whiny brat of a reader, but I can't invest my time in something that's never going to have an conclusion, just trying to hedge my bets" - WsIP

Given my inability to respond privately to this message, which I would have much preferred, I have decided to use the only means available to me: to answer it here.

Ok so, I'm going to try really hard to be polite and address the issues you raised but frankly this message really annoyed me on a variety of different levels. I find it incredibly rude that you have decided to judge me as inadequate because I have "a bunch of unfinished works in progress", and have also thought that it was appropriate to communicate this to me in a blatant attempt to make me feel inferior and ashamed about it. Just for the record, by the way, "a bunch" is in fact only three stories out of a total of thirteen, one of which I have been clearly working on recently. I won't apologise for having not finished them yet, especially not to someone who doesn't appreciate the work I have already completed.

The value and enjoyment of a story isn't predicated on whether it has "The End" tacked onto it, and while I can understand that reading an incomplete story can be very frustrating, it does not necessarily follow that the effort of reading was wasted. The hours of work that have already been sacrificed should be appreciated, because they represent a desire in the author to attempt something new; to take a leap of faith and whether succeeding or failing, learn from the experience. The point of writing and reading isn't to finish the work, it's introspection and reflection on yourself, to learn to empathise with others, to imagine different walks of life and gain a greater understanding of the world around you, and how that is best expressed in words.

You must also remember that the people that post on this site, such as myself, are amateurs, and there are no guarantees of completion. If I choose not to finish a story when you or anyone else would like it, it is entirely my business. If I choose to wait because I know that whatever I write is at that moment going to be substandard, it is also my business. I write because I enjoy it, not because I have made a commitment to anyone else about when or if I shall finish.

Your description of what you're trying not to be, a "entitled, whiny brat of a reader", is from where I'm standing, exactly what you sound like. I hope you will reflect on my arguments, and think about the attitude you bring to reading in any form.

Personally, I don't care whether you read Never Let Go or any of my other stories because I'm secure in the knowledge that while they are very far from perfect, some people enjoy reading them, I enjoyed writing them, and that I learnt more about myself and others, and in the process became a better writer.

In future, I would advise you think a little more carefully about the comments you make to authors such as myself, who have dedicated time and effort to post writing that is there for you to enjoy and is not in any way compulsory to read.

I sincerely hope that you think about what I have said, and I would be happy to clarify any points you disagree with.

Recent Reads

Stories I've read (or reread) recently that have been awesome!

1. Dusk and Summer, dee789nj

Just read it. Absolutely fantastic AU story that I could not (metaphorically) put down until I finished it. Twice. A teenage Stephanie and friends spend the Summer working at Point Pleasant where she meets Carlos who she falls for, his brother Julio and Julio's friend Lester.

2. Control, Cristi0819

Fab story in which Stephanie is a social worker and meets Ranger through her rehabilitation work with War Veterans (Cal). One of the most original and best researched stories I've read (the author works in the same area).

3. Chicken, cinbru

Swear to god, I have never laughed so hard at a fanfic. It was freaking embarassing.. I think my family thought I'd gone nuts. Ranger and Stephanie get into a dare competition, and naturally, ridiculousness and hilarity ensue. This is a fic that will turn your frown upside down!

4. The 'Off' Series, cinbru

(incl. Day Off, Night Off, Thanksgiving Off and my personal favourite, Halloween Off)

Again written by cinbru, you just know these are going to be epicly hilarious. Words can't adequately summarise this story. All I can say is; meet Bong. Billy Bong. As in weed.

5. As the Worm Turns, XJerseyGirl

Ahh, who can go past XJerseyGirl? You're not a JE FF fan if you haven't read one of her epics: I honestly don't know how she does it... Anyway, fantastically angsty story that has made me think about and improve on the way I write. Classic stuff. Also, look for the sequel (which I've just started rereading) The Name of the Game. (PS: 7 Nov update. Just finished Name of the Game this morning. BLEW. MY. MIND. Just so you know. You should read it.)

Introduction

Hi, I'm Schaefy and I'm 18 years old. I've been a part of and writing for for about 3 years now, and I write about Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, which is a lot of fun! I think some of my older stories are pretty rusty and I know I can write better than that, so bear that in mind when you read them.

Despite my sporadic updates I do always have my stories in the back of my mind, so bear with me :)

Schaefy

Disclaimer: Any stories I write which are posted on fanfiction.net under Janet Evanovich's books should be attributed to her for her characters and settings. The only things I own are the created skips/other characters and plots. I am not paid to write and do it purely for enjoyment.