[sofia]

I don't post stories that often, or on the forum for that matter but of the two sites I have my stories posted on (ff.net and OSA) I tend to check OSA just about everyday (sometimes more). True my stories are a little more popular and get more reviews at ff.net, I like OSA because almost all the reviews you get has the reviewers telling you what they liked/didn't like along with suggestions. (compared to the 'great chapter, update soon!' reviews, which are nice but don't really help me.)
At OSA there seems to be this respect among everyone. Very rarely (I believe) do you have a reviewer bashing your story, instead you receive constructive criticism.
And as someone already mentioned, OSA has a wide range of characters being written about, which is great.

[Viv]

OSA has grown beyond its original simple non-slash description. It has become a haven for general fiction of all sorts. That said, I've tried to make it a habit to get to know an archive before I post there, and then to write at least one piece targeted specifically to that archive. For OSA, my targeted piece was "Inspired": movie-canon smut all the way. Oddly enough, there are Tolkien ff sites that wouldn't welcome such a piece. (Hard to believe, eh?)

For those sites, I wrote very dull and painstaking canon-correct pieces. *yawn* But I've since left those sites and posted the dull stuff here, too. Because in the end, it's not how many hits or accolades my stories get that keep me goin. It's the people I get to know.

[dolarabee]

[Alassante]

Yes I agree it is very true that some writers don't know how to take concrit. When I first received some - I admit, it stung and I couldn't help but take it personally. And even some beta comments were a little hard to swallow. After awhile though you realize that betas and reviewers are taking THEIR personal time and doing this for you unpaid out of the kindness of their hearts so you come to appreciate it for what it is - support and help. Now when a beta threatens to beat me or one of my characters I no longer take it personally - I just bust my ass to fix it. Cause if my beta feels that way - so will a reader. There have been many times where I will stop trying to help and just back away because I get a writer who resents my very carefully worded 'assistance' via PMs and rips me a new one. Usually then I just take a break from helping people I don't know. Now adays if I see something I can help out with, I do try to PM the writer and suggest it. But based on past experiences, I won't deal with some writers at all and others I know I can be brutally honest with because they WANT the concrit. I also know who to go to for honest concrit on my stuff. I remember when I had some issues with some Silm drabbles and asked Nancy to read them and do some hardcore concrit on them. I knew something was wrong and I know Nancy, while not a Silm geek, has great drabbles and could help me out. It does take a certain type of thick skin to accept the concrit but it also takes a certain type of reviewer to give you concrit that actually helps you. Like Sofia said, telling you, 'great story, please update' doesn't help much.

As far as reviews on this site being respectful - oh HELL yeah. Even the ones that are tough to swallow are no where near a 'flame' or admin takes care of it (as I've seen although not personally). I've read some reviews on other sites that made me cringe and I wonder how the writer could keep writing with that type of negativity. And other writers who get no reviews on a great story. If I had more time to read I'd try to do more reviews but I do try to make sure I review everything I read. As fast as OSA is growing, its hard to read everything that is posted but I'd love to be able to grab a new writer every once in awhile and read their posts just to open myself to new writers a bit more. *writes note to read something of Sofia's *

I know I'm biased as hell but like Viv said - its all about the people, not the hits or accolades you get on your stories. I love the people here at OSA and I know how 'secure' it is here from people and websites who tend to abuse writers. You can't beat that with a stick

Darn, now I'm getting all misty eyed. Group hug everyone???

[ghettoelleth]

[vladazhael]

I suppose I can't be as thoroughly analytical as some with this topic, as this is where I spend 99% of my time as far as fanfic is concerned, but then that probably says something too. This is my home; I don't have the desire or frankly the time to explore any other archive too intensely. I have posted at one other site, and though I have no dispute at all with it, this is just where I happen to exert the most of my reading and writing energy. Maybe it's the people, maybe it's the atmosphere, maybe it's the fact that this is where I first ventured to publicize any of the stuff that's been bouncing around inside my head for so many years. I suspect some combination of the three, as well as probably other factors that I won't explore in detail right now because (woohoo!) dinner is ready.

But I would like to point out that the general encouragement to review what one reads has been very helpful to me personally, both in terms of leaving reviews and thinking about what to say to the author. I'm certainly not the most eloquent or the most prolific reviewer around, but I like to think I've at least improved since I've learned the value of a well-thought-out critique from an author's perspective.

[Sulriel]

interesting thread.

I've bumped around the various archives, flipped my pony-tail and left in a huff from a couple. ... ran out of another before I was offically run off I've been here and left in the past, but after I'd been around, I came back here because in spite of the infrequent family squabbles, this place is more like home than anywhere else I've found.

I don't have a lot of readers, but I have more here than I've had anywhere else and I appreciate that - a lot. I've had a lot of changes in my personal life this year and I'm barely hanging onto my writing. I'm not around near as much as I'd like to be - but when I do get a chance to read, this is the place I come. It's the only place my stories are posted and aside from the MEFAs and a crit forum where I'm a member, OSA is the only place I review. - for a couple of years now.

I know it must take a tremendous amount of resources, patience near the top of the list, but it's appreciated and I'm sure you don't hear it often enough.

Sulriel

[sofia]