Reviewing

So someone's just deleted their story from the review exchange. Ugh. I think there's a real disconnect between my intention and what people think it's about. The point of the review exchange isn't to generate reviews for poor beleaguered authors, it's to make people SHUT THE HELL UP and actually do something. "Farla, people aren't reviewing my story! Farla, badfic isn't getting criticized! Farla, you don't review enough good stories! Farla, you have to review perfectly because it's probably the only serious review authors will ever get! Farla, I'm going to ignore 99.9% of what you said but keep reviewing because you might say something useful and you're the only one who mentions these things!"

So screwing up the balance bothers me, because the idea is not "lack of reviews is a sad and tragic thing for the poor authors" it's "the authors need to suck it up and review other people if it's such a damn big deal to them".

( Reviews )

(no subject)

I love the weather right now. The sky is the color of the ground and if you look right, the rooftops where they touch are only little outlines of triangular black cut into the clouds, like someone drawing on white paper.

I tried a shortcut that involved a not quite vertical slope, slipped and caught myself with my hand so it sank not quite to the wrist in snow. The snow is perfect - dry, when you touch it, but wet enough it sticks to itself rather than skin. I might have felt sad I can't do stuff like make snowmen right now, but there isn't enough in the first place, so I don't feel it's a missed opportunity. It was bitterly cold before, as is right and proper, but now it's quite nice again.

And the little sliver moon is lovely.