![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
On constructive criticism
I was reading this thread on the Jedi Council fanfic boards, and I was astonished enough to produce this response:
I'm surprised that there are people around that actually would refuse anything but positive feedback. I go around begging for concrit; I can never get enough. Of course one doesn't always agree with it when one gets it! Nevertheless, to refuse it altogether makes me boggle. Concrit isn't flaming; it's suggestions for improvement, and if it were impolite, I would probably consider myself justified in ignoring it. Your characterisation makes my eyes bleed and your grammar is horrendous is not concrit. There is also a case for not humiliating the author publicly--if one is going to be harsh, PM or email is a more suitable medium.
I disagree with the poster who said that they would ignore concrit that came from a stranger or someone who wasn't an author themselves. They may write in a different fandom, be an English teacher or even a professional author or critic. You don't have to write yourself to know good (or bad) writing when you see it.
I saw people saying 'it's only fanfic' or that they 'cared about Star Wars more than writing' as well. I don't see that that's any reason why it shouldn't be good fanfic. It's not going to win any prizes for Great Literature (it's illegal anyway), but there is a greatness, a quality, that is specific to fanfiction. Even if one has no plans to write professionally, that doesn't mean that one shouldn't try to improve one's fanfic. If one is writing for love, one wants to show the characters and universe at their best, and how does one do that with sloppy writing? The characters and story of Star Wars are the subject matter, and the writing and characterisation of the fic is the medium through which they are seen. Badly written or characterised fic is like trying to see through a dirty window.
Basically my argument for concrit can be summarised as: What's the point of doing anything if it isn't done well?
I got a bit tangled up in ones and probably came off as supercilious as a result, but I thought that saying you sounded too accusatory, given that I was quoting specific posters.
I am so sick of that attitude, of people who would rather have their ego stroked rather than hear the truth. Every teenybopper who posts her wretched Mary Sue to the Pit of Voles displays the most pernicious form of it. NO FLAMZ PLZ--HOW DARE YOU CRITISE ME!! It's part of the same thing that produces the massive whinge session at every Awards session the JC has. I loathe the attitude that sacrifices good writing or good science, or, heck, just plain good work, to ego.
I'm surprised that there are people around that actually would refuse anything but positive feedback. I go around begging for concrit; I can never get enough. Of course one doesn't always agree with it when one gets it! Nevertheless, to refuse it altogether makes me boggle. Concrit isn't flaming; it's suggestions for improvement, and if it were impolite, I would probably consider myself justified in ignoring it. Your characterisation makes my eyes bleed and your grammar is horrendous is not concrit. There is also a case for not humiliating the author publicly--if one is going to be harsh, PM or email is a more suitable medium.
I disagree with the poster who said that they would ignore concrit that came from a stranger or someone who wasn't an author themselves. They may write in a different fandom, be an English teacher or even a professional author or critic. You don't have to write yourself to know good (or bad) writing when you see it.
I saw people saying 'it's only fanfic' or that they 'cared about Star Wars more than writing' as well. I don't see that that's any reason why it shouldn't be good fanfic. It's not going to win any prizes for Great Literature (it's illegal anyway), but there is a greatness, a quality, that is specific to fanfiction. Even if one has no plans to write professionally, that doesn't mean that one shouldn't try to improve one's fanfic. If one is writing for love, one wants to show the characters and universe at their best, and how does one do that with sloppy writing? The characters and story of Star Wars are the subject matter, and the writing and characterisation of the fic is the medium through which they are seen. Badly written or characterised fic is like trying to see through a dirty window.
Basically my argument for concrit can be summarised as: What's the point of doing anything if it isn't done well?
I got a bit tangled up in ones and probably came off as supercilious as a result, but I thought that saying you sounded too accusatory, given that I was quoting specific posters.
I am so sick of that attitude, of people who would rather have their ego stroked rather than hear the truth. Every teenybopper who posts her wretched Mary Sue to the Pit of Voles displays the most pernicious form of it. NO FLAMZ PLZ--HOW DARE YOU CRITISE ME!! It's part of the same thing that produces the massive whinge session at every Awards session the JC has. I loathe the attitude that sacrifices good writing or good science, or, heck, just plain good work, to ego.
no subject
I have no real ambition to be a professional writer; I do write fan fiction just for fun. But that doesn't mean I don't want to do the best job I can at it.
As for not trusting a non-writer to beta read something, that's ridiculous. Though I write, I'm a much better beta reader--and, in fact, I wouldn't mind editing for a living (though I'm too lazy to actually go out and do it).
If you want to be admired for your writing, then you'll have to make a concerted effort to produce the very best stories that you can. Otherwise you'll come across as a whiny brat.
no subject
no subject
no subject
The whole attitude in the past feedback thread made my mind boggle. If you're writing stories, even for fun, don't you want your best work out there, since, you know, it actually REPRESENTS YOU?!
The part that absolutely kills me is that one of the mods agreed that a stranger is not qualified to give concrit. *rubs temples* The
stupidityarrogance burns.Part of the reason why I can't bring myself to post or read anything new at the JC.