Q: I'm a writer/artist. Why would I join here?
A: The Playground is a place for you to meet others like yourself, share your passion for Han and Leia while sharing your passion for your art. If you're willing to share your skills or brush up on your own, and if you want to help perpetuate quality Han and/or Leia fic, then you're who I made the place for.
Q: Do I have to have my work archived at Some Rescue or Corellian Embassy to join and participate at the Playground?
A: No.
Q: Do I have to leave feedback?
A: Well, that's kind of the point. No one learns or grows if nobody tells them how they're doing. Yes, art and literature are subjective, but one must know that when she posts something for public consumption, she's not going to be able to please everybody. When giving feedback, be honest but mind your manners; when receiving it, be gracious and take it with a grain of salt.
Q: I'm not a writer or an artist. Can I still participate?
A: Sure--after all, you're who we're counting on to see what we do at some point any way.
Q: I'm not a writer or an artist. Do I have to leave feedback?
A: It's certainly not required--we know not everyone is comfortable with that. But keep in mind that it's often helpful if you can just briefly tell us one or two things you liked or disliked about what you saw; again, honesty is fine as long as you mind your manners. Don't worry about being wordy or profound or knowing literary or artistic jargon. We'll understand, I promise.
Q: What is this "higer standard" you talk about, and who sets it?
A: Well, we all set it here, by trying to be better at what we do today than we were yesterday. While we're still doing this for fun, we are a community of writers and artists who feel we should always do our best and continue to grow if we're posting for public consumption. We're cranking fanfic up a notch and approaching it as fanlit--as in literature. Same with the art.
Q: Well, I just write what I write. I don't care about my spelling and grammar, or if my sentences make sense, or if my story has a plot. My drawings are stick figures and you *should* recognize them as Han and Leia! I won't use a beta reader and I don't have any use for suggestions on how to make my stories or art better.
A: Then this probably isn't the place for you. If the only feedback you're looking for is cheerleading, there are plenty of other sites that do that. Nobody grows by being told what they want to hear.
Q: "Criticism" sounds so negative. I'm not sure I can do it.
A: Criticism isn't negative by definition. All it means is you present your opinion in a way that shows you've *thought* about what you read. Both positive and negative criticism require that you back your remarks up with facts, feelings, or examples. It's one thing to say "I liked it" or "I hated it"; it's something else entirely to tell *why* you liked it or hated it. That's what constructive criticism is, along with suggesting ways to make it even better if you know any.
Q: Isn't this kind of serious? I mean, fanfic is just a hobby, right?
A: Sure. But some people are more serious about their hobbies than others. This site is for Han and/or Leia fans who are a little more serious about creative fandom, either in terms of producing it or appreciating it.
Q: So I can leave positive feedback?
A: Absolutely! Authors and artists love to know when they've done something well. And it's the only way we know to keep doing it. Everybody likes to repeat success.
Q: I don't know. I'm awfully nervous and intimidated. I don't know if I can stand up to all of this public scrutiny.
A: Growth and change are rarely comfortable, are they? At least we're all nice people with nice goals: to help each other to get more readers/more recognition for our art, and to help everyone to have a more fun and satisfying experience when they post their pieces on the net or submit them to zines or online archives. No one's going to be mean to you or try to make you feel stupid. We're *all* hopefully learning something here. All you need is an open mind, and a willingness to give as well as take.
A: The Playground is a place for you to meet others like yourself, share your passion for Han and Leia while sharing your passion for your art. If you're willing to share your skills or brush up on your own, and if you want to help perpetuate quality Han and/or Leia fic, then you're who I made the place for.
Q: Do I have to have my work archived at Some Rescue or Corellian Embassy to join and participate at the Playground?
A: No.
Q: Do I have to leave feedback?
A: Well, that's kind of the point. No one learns or grows if nobody tells them how they're doing. Yes, art and literature are subjective, but one must know that when she posts something for public consumption, she's not going to be able to please everybody. When giving feedback, be honest but mind your manners; when receiving it, be gracious and take it with a grain of salt.
Q: I'm not a writer or an artist. Can I still participate?
A: Sure--after all, you're who we're counting on to see what we do at some point any way.
Q: I'm not a writer or an artist. Do I have to leave feedback?
A: It's certainly not required--we know not everyone is comfortable with that. But keep in mind that it's often helpful if you can just briefly tell us one or two things you liked or disliked about what you saw; again, honesty is fine as long as you mind your manners. Don't worry about being wordy or profound or knowing literary or artistic jargon. We'll understand, I promise.
Q: What is this "higer standard" you talk about, and who sets it?
A: Well, we all set it here, by trying to be better at what we do today than we were yesterday. While we're still doing this for fun, we are a community of writers and artists who feel we should always do our best and continue to grow if we're posting for public consumption. We're cranking fanfic up a notch and approaching it as fanlit--as in literature. Same with the art.
Q: Well, I just write what I write. I don't care about my spelling and grammar, or if my sentences make sense, or if my story has a plot. My drawings are stick figures and you *should* recognize them as Han and Leia! I won't use a beta reader and I don't have any use for suggestions on how to make my stories or art better.
A: Then this probably isn't the place for you. If the only feedback you're looking for is cheerleading, there are plenty of other sites that do that. Nobody grows by being told what they want to hear.
Q: "Criticism" sounds so negative. I'm not sure I can do it.
A: Criticism isn't negative by definition. All it means is you present your opinion in a way that shows you've *thought* about what you read. Both positive and negative criticism require that you back your remarks up with facts, feelings, or examples. It's one thing to say "I liked it" or "I hated it"; it's something else entirely to tell *why* you liked it or hated it. That's what constructive criticism is, along with suggesting ways to make it even better if you know any.
Q: Isn't this kind of serious? I mean, fanfic is just a hobby, right?
A: Sure. But some people are more serious about their hobbies than others. This site is for Han and/or Leia fans who are a little more serious about creative fandom, either in terms of producing it or appreciating it.
Q: So I can leave positive feedback?
A: Absolutely! Authors and artists love to know when they've done something well. And it's the only way we know to keep doing it. Everybody likes to repeat success.
Q: I don't know. I'm awfully nervous and intimidated. I don't know if I can stand up to all of this public scrutiny.
A: Growth and change are rarely comfortable, are they? At least we're all nice people with nice goals: to help each other to get more readers/more recognition for our art, and to help everyone to have a more fun and satisfying experience when they post their pieces on the net or submit them to zines or online archives. No one's going to be mean to you or try to make you feel stupid. We're *all* hopefully learning something here. All you need is an open mind, and a willingness to give as well as take.
