Doesn't "it's kinda interesting" mean the same thing? Or, am I spending too much time living with a teenage girl? I've learned to look for the hidden positives, you see.
Too hard on yourself! I suppose some potential readers may be put off, but many will be like me: we know some of this stuff but not all. Some of the unknowns we can deduce or barely matters, other aspects are fascinating or crucial and a note is really welcome.
In your last fic, it was the carnival colours/symbolism bit which I didn't know and which finished off the story for me nicely with the note.
But then, I have a history background and love to absorb extra facts with my fic!
This is a great point. Those with a history background will appreciate it, those that don't may not read it. But there's always the people who love the history.
I think there must quite a few history buffs on my f-list, which makes all kinds of sense.
I didn't think I was being hard on myself at all! I just wanted to know if people liked the notes where they are, would rather have them before diving into the story, or didn't want them at all because a) they don't care, or b) they are far more knowledgable than me.
The real question, that I didn't ask, is whether all these factoids should be folded into the story. I shudder at too much exposition, though, so it's not gonna happen. It takes a writer with more skill than I presently possess to explain everything and not make it boring or insulting.
Jo aka The Librarian who wrote the Nature of the Beast series does very extensive footnotes on historical and mythological factoids. You are not alone!
I'd like to second that I'd have chosen the "I always love learning new things" option. :)
Well, see, that's just the info I was looking for, stripped of the self-deprecating foot shuffling. Though if you'd like to say something a smidge more critical, I won't be offended. Not that you have to, of course.
Yeah, there's stuff that's fairly common (and translations that are widely known), which is why I don't like to clutter the story with too many explanations. However, I was reading this great story that had Angel thinking of Spike as his Ganymede, and I couldn't quite pull the reference out of my brain, and so Googled instead. It was all very informative, but a quick note at the end of the story would've saved me opening a new tab. *shrug* I like to Google, but I figure if I already have, I might as well save my readers the trouble.
I refuse to take this extremely jaundiced poll! ::pounds table:: Where's the button for "I loooove footnotes. Gimme!" (Srsly, I read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell twice in a row because I wanted to pay more attention to the footnotes.) Anyway, I like your notes, and I think they're good right where you have 'em.
Now I'm going to go f/b! I swear to god that my attempts to give your latest fic some love have been interrupted no less than six times.
Heh. I didn't realize I was being jaundiced. I thought I was just narrowly avoiding "putting on airs".
It seems there are a fair few of us who get all excited by footnotes. And, here on LJ, we've found each other! It's a newly discovered kink! I hope it appears on the kink bingo sheet next round!
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-02-27 08:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 08:58 pm (UTC)And it's entirely possible that I'm making no sense :D
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Date: 2009-02-28 12:09 am (UTC)BTW, you're are totally being let in on a secret in these little notes. I'm thinking of issuing decoder rings!
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Date: 2009-02-28 08:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 08:51 pm (UTC)In your last fic, it was the carnival colours/symbolism bit which I didn't know and which finished off the story for me nicely with the note.
But then, I have a history background and love to absorb extra facts with my fic!
no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 09:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-28 12:29 am (UTC)I didn't think I was being hard on myself at all! I just wanted to know if people liked the notes where they are, would rather have them before diving into the story, or didn't want them at all because a) they don't care, or b) they are far more knowledgable than me.
The real question, that I didn't ask, is whether all these factoids should be folded into the story. I shudder at too much exposition, though, so it's not gonna happen. It takes a writer with more skill than I presently possess to explain everything and not make it boring or insulting.
Thanks for your comments!
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Date: 2009-02-27 09:04 pm (UTC)I'd like to second that I'd have chosen the "I always love learning new things" option. :)
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Date: 2009-02-28 01:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-28 01:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-01 05:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 10:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-28 12:35 am (UTC)Thanks for commenting!
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Date: 2009-02-28 12:56 am (UTC)Angel thinking of Spike as his Ganymede
Hee! Dunno as Spike would find that flattering. *g*
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Date: 2009-02-28 01:04 am (UTC)Footnotes are always cool.
Oh lordy! I am ashamed that I agree so whole-heartedly! I think it's why I got so drawn in to "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius".
no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-28 12:43 am (UTC)Don't worry, I'll keep putting in the notes. I just wanted to know where to put them, really. (And I hope nobody takes the bait with that opening.)
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Date: 2009-03-04 04:33 pm (UTC)Now I'm going to go f/b! I swear to god that my attempts to give your latest fic some love have been interrupted no less than six times.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-04 08:06 pm (UTC)It seems there are a fair few of us who get all excited by footnotes. And, here on LJ, we've found each other! It's a newly discovered kink! I hope it appears on the kink bingo sheet next round!