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This is why
I would hate to actually be a fly on the wall when others are discussing my stories. I'm dabbling in another (very large) fandom. Through various sources I've discovered, to my surprise and delight, that I've been rec'd on a few sites. I also discovered one person who HATES the story that was rec'd. This was quite a blow to my swollen ego, and I realized that people almost never say anything really bad -- or should I say critical -- about my writing. That caused me to dwell on how a person would feel if they never got praise and ONLY got reactions such as I generated in this certain reader (and mind you, her criticisms were totally valid...ouch ouch ouch). I'm pretty comfy with my workmanlike writing skills; that is, I know I'm not great but I know I don't suck, and when it comes to fanfic I'm content. And her remark still rankled. I think my conclusion is that I need my stuff criticized more so I'm more comfortable with opinions other than "great." I also wonder how many people who'd be perfectly able to offer those opinions (in MFU, since that's where the bulk of my stuff is) are remaining silent for fear of offending or of simply being ignored or insulted. This has been discussed in many forums in MFU (and probably in this other huge fandom as well) but despite a writer saying "Go ahead, let me have it" people rarely do it. I find myself wondering if a part of me isn't grateful for that -- but that's the sucky cowardly part of me. I prefer the truth, even when it hurts. This is probably mostly because in the final analysis I'll write what I want and not really care if people like it or hate it. All the same, I feel bad in a kind of abstract way that this one reader wasted her time on my story. I know how it feels to read something I dislike so much I want to email the writer a bitchslap. :) Sigh. I'm comforted that the voice of the hater was in the minority (at least the minority of the vocal people...how can a person ever know what all those silent readers are thinking?). So I'm left, again, wondering if it's not really better to simply stay out of the places where one's writing is discussed (at least in fandom) in order to not feel influenced by that which should really not influence one.
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Well, it's important to remember that your stories are not you. In the end, it's just a story.
I suspect this person has had such a negative response *because* others are reccing it. I had much the same reaction to the movie 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. So many fans raved about it like it was the bestest movie ever: I saw it and was mildly amused in parts, but felt it was patchy at best.
My responses are often shaped by the views of others. The more a fic is recced, the more my expectations are raised. So the possibility of disappointment is also much greater.
Maybe that's what has happened in this case. Often our responses are affected by external events that are outside your control. But in any case, I still think it is worth reading her comments to find out why it didn't work for her. It may help clarify for you what *you* really want to get across in your writing.
Yeah.
Yeah. I think so. From the little I gather her tastes are a bit extreme and my stuff is very middle of the road, so she might easily have had to plummet far from her hopes.
But in any case, I still think it is worth reading her comments to find out why it didn't work for her. It may help clarify for you what *you* really want to get across in your writing.
Totally agree here. I always want specifics. She comment on cliched plotline (she was dead right) and an error of fact (again, dead right) but neither accounts for the vitriol I perceived, unless I was misreading that, which is possible.
This of course goes back to the idea of constructive criticism, rather than "I hated it." That's a valid response, but a useless criticism. This reader's crits were actually informative, though truth be told they won't alter how I do fanfic. Face it, I'm a lazy sod. :)