I also think they think they are protecting themselves against criticism by doing that. Like if they say their plot's weak than you won't.

Like if they say their plot's weak than you won't.

Yeah, when they helpfully tell me they can't write plot I take them at their word and move on.

I don't DO plot. I do cute little (or sometimes angsty little) vignettes. They aren't supposed to have plot. once in a while I get a bunch of little vignettes which follow each other in sequence sufficiently coherently to mimic plot. Of course, in my summaries I do not advertise the lack of plot; I broadcast the vignette-having.

And then people leave me reviews asking about the rest of the story.

And then people leave me reviews asking about the rest of the story.

We're sorry. We like the plot that you didn't know you were crafting.

Of course, in my summaries I do not advertise the lack of plot; I broadcast the vignette-having.

I think accentuating the positive is really a much more attractive way to advertise your fic. Amuse me with your banter and I don't care that nothing happens. I recognize there is no plot, I just don't really care if I have fun reading it.

I think accentuating the positive is really a much more attractive way to advertise your fic. Amuse me with your banter and I don't care that nothing happens. I recognize there is no plot, I just don't really care if I have fun reading it.

And that is precisely what I write, most of the time. They don't leave the office, they just sit there snarking at each other. I suppose it is like going to a soup-and-salad bar expecting a full five-course meal but really, between the low word count and the "fluffy/angsty tag for ep. 15" summary, if readers go in expecting an imaginative resolution for the main story arc plus the lead characters' UST, that is just not my fault. Of course, I rarely get that response from writers whose work I respect - they generally get that I have done exactly what I set out to do, and are entertained or intrigued by it.

I'd be thrilled to see "fluffy fun, no plot!" instead of "I'm so sorry, I don't even, why do I think I can write, please don't hate this."

And when you dare suggest to such a writer that conforming to conventions of punctuation and formating help one's work to put its best foot forward and assist one's readers in enjoying it all the more, you get "well i wuz just writing for FUN you don't have to be all english teecher on my a$$"

That or you get asked to beta by someone more eager for attention than actually learning from her (or his, I suppose, I just have not experienced such a male person) mistakes and your suggestions.

I'm not sure which is worse.

I've run into stories with brilliant plot and characters that are just unreadable because of their shaking off the chains of punctuation tyranny.

Then there are the people who consistently misspell the main character's name.

Yup, crabby fic reader. Git off my lawn.

Yep. Seen it.