bitch, bitch, bitch
Jul. 9th, 2003 01:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarea
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kstanley. It bothered me so much I had to go to the bathroom and be sick.
And now, please pardon me while I indulge in a little whining. Let me say first that, as a writer, I absolutely appreciate reviewers. You guys are awesome; you motivate us and challenge us, and make the sometimes-arduous task of writing worth every drop of blood that we put into our stories. Without you there would be no reason to post our work; every bit of effort you take in leaving a review for a story is a thousand times appreciated -- no matter if it is praise, critique, or general discussion. Thus, I hope that the following criticism will not be taken the wrong way, that I am someone who doesn't want feedback on her work, which is not the case at all. However, I am at a breaking point and I need to say this. And if this helps someone out there leave a more useful/conscientious review, then that's all I can ask.
I think I can say that 90% of the reviews I've gotten have had a positive impact on myself and/or my writing. That's a fantastic thing. However, the other 10% make me never want to write another word. Again. Ever. Or if I write it, I don't want to post it. Does this have to do with self-esteem? No -- you could probably tell me that you hate my writing, that it's a pile of donkey dung, and I'll laugh and go on unperturbed (unless enough people say it, in which case I ought to evaluate what I'm doing). The reason I wouldn't want to post another word would simply be to spite these people. These people who leave the most baffling, nonsensical, unhelpful reviews known to man. Please bear with me as I give examples of what I feel constitutes such reviews (and please, PLEASE keep in mind that the majority of you out there are WONDERFUL, and I hope this won't discourage you from continuing your good work).
1) Demanding that we write faster. Initially, this didn't bother me; I saw it as an indication that people were genuinely interested in the story and wanted to see it progress. What's wrong with that? But it didn't take long to start getting the feeling that the people who leave these reviews have zero appreciation for the time and effort it takes to write. All they want is immediate gratification. They probably didn't even fully appreciate what they read.
And -- if you think it's that easy to churn out quality fiction amidst real-life considerations and other distractions, you do it. I think most of us try and write as fast as we possibly can, and rushing through it can only be a detriment to the story. To those who would say, "We don't care, we just want to know what happens!" I say this: Ultimately, I write for me, not you, and I'm not going to compromise my story for you. If that sounds haughty or bitchy, I'm sorry, but that's how it goes.
2) Asking for a sequel or continuation of a story clearly marked as complete. This really, really bothers me. Again, initally I saw this as a compliment. A reader enjoyed the story so much that she didn't want to see it end. And I still do consider it a compliment -- somewhat. However, when a review consists of nothing but, "Are you going to write a sequel?" or "When's the next part?" it aggravates me more than anything. First of all, I have already indicated that the story is complete, so there is no next part. If you're not paying attention enough to even realize that, then maybe you should take more care in reading the story instead of giving the impression that you zipped through it without any thought to the work put to it.
Secondly, I do not believe that every ending has to be pat and tie everything up before the story is at an end. The story has ended when the tale the writer wanted to tell has been told. That's it. NOT EVERY STORY HAS TO HAVE A SEQUEL. Gah. I have found the HP fandom to be very frustrating in this regard; short stories are not in the least appreciated. Instead, what people seem to want are WIPs that go pointlessly on and on. I'm sorry -- when I write, I have a purpose, and when that purpose is satisfied, I'm done. One of the hardest things for a writer is to end a story when it should end, rather than when she or readers want it to end. If I write a sequel, it will be because the sequel has its own merit and is deserving to be a continuation of the original, not because I want to go back and revisit that universe. If I did my job correctly the first time, there's no reason to do so, even if I loved it. (See the exceptions noted above.)
3) Leaving a relatively low review score without indicating why. How am I suppose to improve if you don't give me any critique? Or is it that you have no reasons other than an arbitrary nature and/or you think you're really cool?
4) Leaving a low review score because you didn't like certain elements and/or pairings. These are the worst. If I tell you up front that there's going to be D/G in the story and you don't like D/G, then don't read it. Your personal preferences have no place in a critical review of the merits of a story (meaning writing skill, characterization, plot development).
5) Demanding certain developments/elements. Suggestions are always welcome. They may spark ideas and creativity. Demands (often made rudely and without any true understanding of the story) are likely to encourage me to do the exact opposite of what you want. It's my story, and I know what I want from it and what should happen. And just a tip: If your grammar and spelling indicate that you're the last person who should be suggesting anything to a writer, you can be sure that you won't be taken seriously.
Well, that's really all I can think of right now. That's not too many gripes, is it? I hate even risking the idea that I'm unappreciative of reviewers, but I have gotten reviews in the last couple of days that truly made me so irritated that the last thing I wanted to do was write (ironic given that many of them were "OMG plz write more and faster!" reviews).
And thus ends the whining. For today.
Edited to say: This quiz result has fractionally improved my mood.
With Which Harry Potter Male Are You Most Sexually Compatible?
brought to you by Quizilla
kstanley. It bothered me so much I had to go to the bathroom and be sick.And now, please pardon me while I indulge in a little whining. Let me say first that, as a writer, I absolutely appreciate reviewers. You guys are awesome; you motivate us and challenge us, and make the sometimes-arduous task of writing worth every drop of blood that we put into our stories. Without you there would be no reason to post our work; every bit of effort you take in leaving a review for a story is a thousand times appreciated -- no matter if it is praise, critique, or general discussion. Thus, I hope that the following criticism will not be taken the wrong way, that I am someone who doesn't want feedback on her work, which is not the case at all. However, I am at a breaking point and I need to say this. And if this helps someone out there leave a more useful/conscientious review, then that's all I can ask.
I think I can say that 90% of the reviews I've gotten have had a positive impact on myself and/or my writing. That's a fantastic thing. However, the other 10% make me never want to write another word. Again. Ever. Or if I write it, I don't want to post it. Does this have to do with self-esteem? No -- you could probably tell me that you hate my writing, that it's a pile of donkey dung, and I'll laugh and go on unperturbed (unless enough people say it, in which case I ought to evaluate what I'm doing). The reason I wouldn't want to post another word would simply be to spite these people. These people who leave the most baffling, nonsensical, unhelpful reviews known to man. Please bear with me as I give examples of what I feel constitutes such reviews (and please, PLEASE keep in mind that the majority of you out there are WONDERFUL, and I hope this won't discourage you from continuing your good work).
1) Demanding that we write faster. Initially, this didn't bother me; I saw it as an indication that people were genuinely interested in the story and wanted to see it progress. What's wrong with that? But it didn't take long to start getting the feeling that the people who leave these reviews have zero appreciation for the time and effort it takes to write. All they want is immediate gratification. They probably didn't even fully appreciate what they read.
And -- if you think it's that easy to churn out quality fiction amidst real-life considerations and other distractions, you do it. I think most of us try and write as fast as we possibly can, and rushing through it can only be a detriment to the story. To those who would say, "We don't care, we just want to know what happens!" I say this: Ultimately, I write for me, not you, and I'm not going to compromise my story for you. If that sounds haughty or bitchy, I'm sorry, but that's how it goes.
2) Asking for a sequel or continuation of a story clearly marked as complete. This really, really bothers me. Again, initally I saw this as a compliment. A reader enjoyed the story so much that she didn't want to see it end. And I still do consider it a compliment -- somewhat. However, when a review consists of nothing but, "Are you going to write a sequel?" or "When's the next part?" it aggravates me more than anything. First of all, I have already indicated that the story is complete, so there is no next part. If you're not paying attention enough to even realize that, then maybe you should take more care in reading the story instead of giving the impression that you zipped through it without any thought to the work put to it.
Secondly, I do not believe that every ending has to be pat and tie everything up before the story is at an end. The story has ended when the tale the writer wanted to tell has been told. That's it. NOT EVERY STORY HAS TO HAVE A SEQUEL. Gah. I have found the HP fandom to be very frustrating in this regard; short stories are not in the least appreciated. Instead, what people seem to want are WIPs that go pointlessly on and on. I'm sorry -- when I write, I have a purpose, and when that purpose is satisfied, I'm done. One of the hardest things for a writer is to end a story when it should end, rather than when she or readers want it to end. If I write a sequel, it will be because the sequel has its own merit and is deserving to be a continuation of the original, not because I want to go back and revisit that universe. If I did my job correctly the first time, there's no reason to do so, even if I loved it. (See the exceptions noted above.)
3) Leaving a relatively low review score without indicating why. How am I suppose to improve if you don't give me any critique? Or is it that you have no reasons other than an arbitrary nature and/or you think you're really cool?
4) Leaving a low review score because you didn't like certain elements and/or pairings. These are the worst. If I tell you up front that there's going to be D/G in the story and you don't like D/G, then don't read it. Your personal preferences have no place in a critical review of the merits of a story (meaning writing skill, characterization, plot development).
5) Demanding certain developments/elements. Suggestions are always welcome. They may spark ideas and creativity. Demands (often made rudely and without any true understanding of the story) are likely to encourage me to do the exact opposite of what you want. It's my story, and I know what I want from it and what should happen. And just a tip: If your grammar and spelling indicate that you're the last person who should be suggesting anything to a writer, you can be sure that you won't be taken seriously.
Well, that's really all I can think of right now. That's not too many gripes, is it? I hate even risking the idea that I'm unappreciative of reviewers, but I have gotten reviews in the last couple of days that truly made me so irritated that the last thing I wanted to do was write (ironic given that many of them were "OMG plz write more and faster!" reviews).
And thus ends the whining. For today.
Edited to say: This quiz result has fractionally improved my mood.
With Which Harry Potter Male Are You Most Sexually Compatible?
brought to you by Quizilla
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 02:25 pm (UTC)You know, I think every author experiences what you've outlined above at some stage. I sure know I have. I could swap stories with you, lovely.
I find it extremely hard to believe that anyone could leave you negative reviews. Are they kidding? I have never found fault with any of your work. You are one of the best writers in this fandom, hands down, no questions asked.
You have the right frame of mind - you're writing for you. People who are waiting for WIPs (me! me!) will wait. I know how hard it is to write multi-chaptered fics. It takes hours and hours of plotting and planning.
So don't let people get you down. Any emails you get that are not full of the praise you deserve, pass 'em to me. Unleash the Liss.
*huggles*
Liss, who adores you and your writing!
no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 02:41 pm (UTC)But yeah. You've made some good points here today.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 02:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 03:07 pm (UTC)Edited to say: This quiz result has fractionally improved my mood.
This would improve anyone's mood.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 04:38 pm (UTC)Thank you so much for your kind words about my writing; you're high on the crack but at least it's cheered me somewhat. *hugs*
Re:
Date: 2003-07-09 04:42 pm (UTC)Thank you so much for your kind words about my writing; you're high on the crack but at least it's cheered me somewhat.
LOL! Nope, not the crack talking. You know I adore you and Jade. That's why I've printed your entire catalogue out *g*
no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 04:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 05:05 pm (UTC)But okay, the bitching about reviews is Portkey. :D
Re:
Date: 2003-07-09 05:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 06:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 06:54 pm (UTC)On 'faster' demands: I'm a very slow writer. I take ages to come out with a decent story/chapter. I don't like rushing my work because the end product will turn out shoddy and inferior. However, it saddens me to get a relatively low rating just because I don't update fast enough. I actually had a reviewer telling me that 'I'm giving you this rating because you haven't updated in ages'. Is two weeks a very long time?
On sequels: I can't really relate to this because all of my Harry Potter works have still in progress.
On elements and low scores: I feel your pain.
~ Rhea
no subject
Date: 2003-07-10 10:22 am (UTC)I know it's very hard to do, but do try to not let it get you down for very long. Your writing is amazing, and I love to read each new story/chapter as it comes out.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-10 11:31 am (UTC)Sorry! I'm always surprised every year when I hear these stories. Tsk, tsk.
I would just ignore reviews that aren't constructive if I were you. Honestly, even if people say things like "I loved it!" without saying why--I mean it's nice to hear, but it's not all that useful or satisfying.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-10 01:18 pm (UTC)short stories are not in the least appreciated. Instead, what people seem to want are WIPs that go pointlessly on and on
Often times I see authors buckling to the pressure of people wanting more to the story and it just gets progressively worse and worse, and what started out as a very intriguing and well written story just goes to drivel as the chapters drag on, so I'm glad in some ways that you don't succumb to those reviews. Lack of closure is always a bit annoying to me in a tv series or whatever, but then at least you're free to imagine an ending you like instead of reading a forced unnatural ending by the author that has to be accepted. And I like short stories (especially your D/G, snerk) because I can read them in one sitting; it's just impossible to find the good ones in the sea of garbage that is floating around the various fanfic archives, and they pretty much get lost in the midst WIPs which are updated and bumped up. Just the way things work in a fandom that this huge, unfortunately.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-10 03:25 pm (UTC)LOL, yes, that's a constant complaint of mine. :D You're absolutely right: people are just getting more apathetic all the time. The lack of social skills astounds me. I mean -- simple courtesy is really not that much to ask for.
Thanks so much for your kind words about my writing; I really didn't set out for this to be a "please stroke my ego" post, but hey, I'll take it. <g>
no subject
Date: 2003-07-10 03:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-10 03:42 pm (UTC)The idea of a story starting out well and then pandering to the lowest common denominator is really, really depressing. I'm not sure if I've seen this phenomenon in action, but generally I think the practice of posting WIPs with no clue where they're going is baaaaad. Actually, I have to make an exception. A good writer could pull it off. A real writer could pull it off. But the problem is, I don't think many of the people who post stories are writers. That sounds snobby, but ... okay, it's snobby. :D It's part of my theory that many of the people who post stories on places like ff.net are not writers but attention-seekers. (The worst offenders of this are people who can't even be arsed to write up original stuff, and instead just rip off someone else's work and pass it off as their own, just to get the attention. Doesn't matter that the praise isn't really for them.) It's a quick and easy way to get acknowledgement. There's no care there for the characters, for the story, for the relationships. All they care about is pleasing others, not themselves, wrt the story. And that is the wrong way to approach any kind of writing. It's depressing on many levels, but ... that's the only way I've been able to explain it. *sigh*
You're so right, though -- LJ does prompt the more intelligent and well-meaning reviews. Possibly because there are real personalities associated w/ our accounts; it's not a fly-by sort of deal. If it's your friends, they "know" you as someone more than just an anonymous writer; and if they're strangers who just came by and saw your story, if they're going to leave a comment they're probably far more likely to only do so if they actually have something worthwhile to say (because then you could go to their LJ and learn about them, so it's not nearly as anonymous as a review board).
no subject
Date: 2003-07-10 04:40 pm (UTC)But anyway, the fics that start well and go to hell because reviewers asked for more chapters--I've seen a couple of D/G fics that I had rec-ced on F&I originally when they were lovely, angsty one shots evolve to these monstrosities five chapters later because reviewers kept begging for more since they were dissatisfied with the original angsty ending. I'm really highly tempted to unlink them because it drives me crazy.
As to experience, a seasoned writer might be able to pull it off (but not necessarily, see below), but the people who write these fanfics tend to be attention-hungry novices who know that if you keep writing, your story will get bumped up as the most recent, and more people will read it, so the quality just gets worse as they drag it out. I guess it's the same for books and movies and tv shows that are successful, sometimes they just don't know when to stop b/c they want to continue milking it for all it's worth, even though the story that you wanted to tell and made sense to end is already over, so it's hard to fault the thirteen-year olds for doing the same in writing fanfic. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to tear my hair out whenever I see it happening. :P
no subject
Date: 2003-07-18 10:08 pm (UTC)*applauds a lot*
I'm always so very annoyed by people who demand I write faster; I used to feel a bit guilty about that. Now I keep gritting my teeth and resisting the urge to shout back, "You know, I'm not doing this for you!" *grrr*
no subject
Date: 2003-07-19 12:53 pm (UTC)I've just entered the fray of fanfic writing, and most of what I do is one-shot smut. I do have my one novel-length fic ("Bound Together", posted at FFN, Schnoogle, and Portkey under thephotoman), but I get a lot of demands to continue my one-shots. My main problem is that it's PWP--what's there to continue? They've gotten their jollies, rolled over and gone to sleep. What more do they want?
As for the "write faster" reviews, I more often get "You'd better continue this--or else" reviews for BT. That one is so obviously a novel-length fic (no individual chapter tells an independent story) that it would be irresponsible to my writing to stop. Granted, there was a 24-hour period just after OotP where I seriously considered stopping (I got a lot of "continue or else" reviews then), but kept going because I didn't want to leave myself dangling. I may have the general plot line set up, but the sub-plots are evolving as I write.
Netspeak reviews are the worst. I can barely understand netspeak. Why it came about, I don't know. I think it was because of text messaging on cellular phones and AIM (which encouraged use of netspeak once upon a time), but I'm not sure. Why text messaging even exists, I don't know. It's a phone! Dial the 7 to 11 numbers and just talk to the person! It's easier than punching out text messages.
Some people just don't understand that fanfic writers are writers, first and foremost, who chose to write using somebody else's characters, then post online for the world to read. They think we're netfolk, who don't mind the badgering and netculture. True, we publish online, but that's because we can't publish in print.
thephotoman, a proud fanfic writer
no subject
Date: 2003-07-25 07:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-25 05:28 pm (UTC)What I take issue with in my post are people who seem to take our work and the stories we create for granted. People who do not express appreciation, but rather demand more (usually not very politely), as if it is our obligation to churn out chapter after chapter for them, regardless of quality, and with no respect for the writing process. These people do not share any real "feedback," and when I get the types of reviews that basically say "R U EVER GOING TO UPDATE" my reaction is that I never want to write another word. (Or at least, never post another word.) But of course, I wouldn't do that to the majority of feedbackers/readers who are wonderful. Can't let one or two rotten apples spoil it for everyone -- but you can imagine that it's pretty frustrating. Jade spells it out pretty well in here post here. ()
And finally, I was also taking issue with some of what goes on at Portkey wrt the rating system. Once, I received a "7" with the comment, "This is a great story, I'm really enjoying it!" to paraphrase. Now, the lower rating itself is not an issue. But if you're going to critique me in the rating, but share no valuable feedback in your comments about how I can improve, then that's useless to me. Portkey has a great "etiquette" document written by
So ... aren't you sorry you asked? ; ) Sorry for the long-winded answer, which is basically my rant all over again, but I really did want to make clear that I have zero problem with most reviews, and am in fact grateful for all of them. It's a few specific kinds of reviews that upset me -- when I wrote this post, I had gotten several of them in a row, and needed to get my frustration off my chest.
no subject
Date: 2003-08-27 06:02 am (UTC)short stories are not in the least appreciated. Instead, what people seem to want are WIPs that go pointlessly on and on
And a mighty big Thank You! for this.
no subject
Date: 2003-08-27 09:58 am (UTC)