What about having the dedicated forum where each story has its own Story Thread + Discussion Thread, and make a single FanFic thread here to keep bumping with all the new chapters and short stories that come out (All with abundant links to the Story Forum)
As an author, I have to say that half of the enjoyment of writing is interacting with the readers. Comments are appreciated, because they allow me to think about the story in ways that I may not have seen before. While I write to pratice the craft, and because I love doing it, I also like to know what people think. Every story on this site is unique and wonderful in it own way. I would encourage everyone out there to take the time and sample each one of them, and if the author wishes, comment on the story.