The Comfy Chair

That is a good thought, and one I've discussed in various permutations, before. I like the idea of additional info being available for the readers; it's interesting to know what the author was thinking and shooting for when writing. There's a couple of things that concern me, though: I'm worried about the perception that the author is being given a chance to rebut or defend, when that's not the case. There are no attacks being made on the story or the author, here, just opinions being expressed by readers. And I'd hate to see authors chomping at the bit for a week, waiting for their chance to get back at people for voicing their opinions or to shoot down their perceptions of the story. (I know not all would want to do that, but some would.) And I'd like to leave discussion open-ended, so that if anyone comes in later and would like to contribute, no part of the discussion will have been trumped by revelation of authorial intent. It really is all about how the story worked for readers, not what the author meant to do, though that's always interesting to know.

Hmmm. Maybe writers who are interested could post in their own journals about their thoughts and intentions while writing the story, in response to anything they see here that they would like to clarify. Auxilliary posts are popping up here and there on lj with people's takes on what's been discussed in the comm, and maybe authors could do that, too. I'm still concerned about the impact of including the author in the discussion on willingness to speak freely, even after the fact. I will think about it, though.