Comments on Readers' Responses to The Snow Owl
March 27th
After posting my comments last week, Kye and I were overwhelmed by the emails which literally poured in as a response! Thank you so much for all of you who took the time to write...it is very much appreciated!
Shana and Kye
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March 20th
It’s been a long difficult week. We posted Scroll 31: The Snow Owl last week, confident that our disclaimer which plainly stated the nature of the scroll would tell readers opposed to the idea not to read it. We realized that the subject matter in that particular scroll would be very touchy, and wanted to give enough warning to all.
Apparently, it wasn’t enough.
The response on #31 ranged from rave reviews to stark raving fury. The response was about half and half. That may not sound too bad to some, but we’re not used to that.
I have given some of the emails a personal response. Some I didn’t. My partner and I write the scrolls because we enjoy writing them, both for our enjoyment as well as each other’s. Often, we will make a special request of the other, and we do our best to fulfill them. The Snow Owl was such a request. I wrote it for Kye because she asked me to. I spent a lot of hours on it, and yes, I’m very proud of it. I don’t expect everyone to like everything I write, of course, and I can deal with criticism if it’s in a constructive, friendly manner. But it’s very hard for me to understand why some people would resort to obscenities and name-calling. I don’t think it’s called for.
I didn’t respond to some of the emails because I didn’t want to get in an argument over what’s possible and what isn’t in the world of Xena and Gabrielle. I’m sure some of you clicked on this link expecting an apology for the scroll. The fact that I’m not offering one will no doubt anger some people even further, and for that, I am sorry. But I just can’t apologize for the scroll when the disclaimer fully warned what would be in it. The title page stresses that the scrolls aren’t consecutive and they don’t all have to be read for the reader not to “miss anything” in the way of a storyline. Almost all the scrolls are complete stories within themselves, with an occasional two parter.
To those of you who liked The Snow Owl (there have been many, many votes and great emails in support of it), along with those of you who didn’t like it but were respectful in your dissatisfaction, thank you very much for your support. Kye and I both have fulltime jobs, households to run, and Kye is a fulltime student as well. It is a lot of hard work to write a weekly scroll. The hard work is well worth it in almost every case. We even appreciate notes of “Hey, I can tell you put a lot of work into this particular scroll, but I didn’t care for it”, and yes, we have gotten emails like that.
Thank you for reading this, and for your time. I hope you continue to read and enjoy the scrolls. We have many future plans for Xena and Gabrielle, and hope you will be coming along for the ride.
Shana
The Xena and Gabrielle Scrolls Page 2
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Email: deuce92@gibsoncounty.net
