no, really. REALLY.

[schmerica]

ATTENTION FANDOM: STORY LENGTH AND STORY QUALITY ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. There is no direct correlation, either way.

Some stories need a lot of words to tell. Some stories don't. Some people prefer nice long stories they can sink their teeth into for hours and hours. Some people prefer things shorter and self-contained.

I, personally, with everything else being equal, would rather read five 5000 word stories than one 25000 story, and three 3000 word stories than one 9000 one. Does that mean I think short fic is better? No, it just means it's not my personal preferences. Does it mean I think you're wrong for liking longer stuff? No, it just means our taste is different.

WHY OH WHY IS THIS SUCH A DIFFICULT CONCEPT? I SHALL NOW STOMP AROUND IN AN ANNOYED FASHION.

Comments

[akite.livejournal.com]

I like a long, meaty story myself. Unfortunately, I can't write them well. I do better with shorter stories. I've read gems that are 500 words or less. A story's length has nothing to do with quality. I don't know what they're bitching about. At least people are writing, unlike some fandoms.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

I think it's a cross-fandom phenomenon; it's one of the classic rankings. Plot is better than PWPs! Slash is better than het! Gen is better than sex! Length is better than short! The way I like things is better than how you like things!

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

Okay...I was with you up until the gen part. I mean, I love gen, but 90% of the people I know in fandom say they won't even read gen. I mean, they're hard pressed to read the stories of mine that only have kissing...and they like *me* :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_divya_/]

::pokes you:: Do you know about gen_fen? Not a ton of activity and it's multifandom, but genners(?) can't be choosers, right? *G*

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And no...I didn't know about it.

*joins*

*g*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_divya_/]

Sweeeeet. *g*

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

*giggles* Oh, certainly gen-bashing is even more alive and well than the opposite! I think I put it like that just because the gen-identified people tend to be rather ... self-righteous about it.

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

LOL! You think? *g*

(actually...I suspect it's true because they're in the minority in our corner of fandom. Back in the day, the "few" slashers in a sea of het writers were pretty self-righteous too. :)

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Hee. Now the slash-only people tend to be less self-righteous and more just "ewwwww, not slash."

[hobbledehoy.livejournal.com]

well, we all know that it's not size that matters...

[j-s-cavalcante.livejournal.com]

You're right. The real problem isn't that people have preferences, though, or even that they feel they must state them forcefully. It's that there have always been some fans who feel they have to pressure other writers into writing what said fans personally want and pressure them into not writing what they don't want, and then they want to make rules for everyone based on their personal preferences. Some fans even seem to want to eradicate certain pairings or styles, or whatever. I understand the urge, it's human nature, but the truth is, it does not create happiness. We have free will; it is useless without the ability to make any choice we want to. Even if it's "so wrong." So what, you know?

I think the more variety there is, the better. I think people should write what they want to write, and read what they want to read, and ignore what they don't want to see. That way does lie happiness. It really works! :) (Sorry, I know I'm preaching to the choir, here.)