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dragonlady7via http://ift.tt/1PnqFCA:
fieldbears:
actualmenacebuckybarnes:
fathappyhippo:
quicklikelight:
ieatmypizzawithaforkandknife:
foxerica:
If you don’t like a fanfic, just stop reading it and close the tab.
It is not that fucking hard, okay? Don’t waste your time reading something you don’t like, and don’t fucking waste your time letting the author know. Fanfiction is something that people do because they love something, they want to explore that love, and they want to create something for what they love. Don’t be negative or rude. Just don’t.This is a comment I found on a piece of fanfiction that I just read, which I will not link. There is literally no reason to leave this kind of a comment. This could have been the writer’s first piece of writing, they might not speak or write or read English as a first language, and why the fuck do you think your opinion is worth so much? You could have potentially made the writer cry, could be the reason that they had a shitty ass day, and you could be the reason that they no longer write. All because you think it’s important that the author know that you didn’t like their story?
Do you know way this comment shouldn’t be on any sort of piece of art? Because it offers no constructive criticism. Not only does it not offer any tips of how to improve, etc, it’s rude. “Wow I don’t like this story.” - that is an opinion, that is a personal preference, and guess what? It’s negative and offers the writer nothing. “Most of the sentences didn’t even make sense” - now, I didn’t look into the author of this particular fic, but I do know that there are a lot of people who are writing and participating in fandom things that do not speak or write English as a first language. Don’t be a dick. And even if the author has been writing for years, has English as a first language, and whatever else, this still isn’t okay.
Fanfiction writers are writing stuff for free. They’re doing this on their own personal time. It doesn’t matter what age they are. They are taking time out of their day to write something in a world they love. Don’t fucking take it away from them. Don’t ruin someone’s happy place with a rude comment like this. You don’t know where someone is in their life, you don’t know if writing is their escape, their safe place.
And here’s another thing: not every author looks for comments of constructive criticism. Please find out before you do offer long comments of constructive criticism if the authors even want it. A lot of times writers are just writing silly things for their own enjoyment, and sharing it with people.
Personally, I look at each writing piece as an exercise. Something that I can learn and work from. I make sure I write for my enjoyment first, and not others. It’s how I’ve become comfortable posting ficlets and fics and unbeta’d stuff and underdeveloped stuff.
However, not everyone feels comfortable posting their stuff. It can make writers seriously anxious, constantly checking their notifications, reading and memorizing every word in the comments, obsessing over notes or kudos.
Don’t ruin someone’s day. I understand that when people post constructive criticism, they think they’re making someone’s work better, that they want to offer advice so a writer can learn. But you know what, unless they’ve asked for that - just don’t do it.
And if they have asked for constructive criticism, do it privately. Write them a message on tumblr. Make sure your comment is going to actually be useful to the writer. Please don’t do it so publicly.
People are kindly sharing their stuff with you, so be kind to them.
I’m asking you to consider these things the next time you read a fic.
If you don’t like a fic: just quit reading and exit the tab. Don’t ruin someone else’s day.
Keep the fandom a nice, safe place.
I think OP is trying to do a good thing, but the kind of sentiment expressed above does more harm than good. Yes, let’s keep fandoms as safe as we possibly can. But safe is not the same as no dissenting opinions. I agree that the commenter could have had more tact (which is saying something, coming from one who has no tact) - they definitely could have expanded upon what they said in a productive way -, but from that little snapshot of a comment, we know very little else. The commenter actually did offer some constructive criticism, even if it was worded poorly. They said that the sentences weren’t making sense and they were unable to even continue reading because of that.
Yes, it’s true that that kind of comment would upset most people. That’s where the tact comes in. The commenter could have gone about pointing out the flaws they saw in the writing in a much nicer way. However, we don’t know what the original fic looked like. Or any comments the author may have put on it. It could very well be that it was almost incomprehensible, for whatever reason (whether it was a foreign language issue or not), and it could very well be that the author encouraged reviewers to “tell it like it is” and not mince words. We just. Don’t. Know.
tl;dr - Keep the fandom a nice, safe place. Dissenting opinions are good, so long as they are presented in a productive and kind way.
No.
Unless a fic writer or fan worker specifically requests concrit, it’s incredibly rude to give it. Seriously. Don’t do that. And even then, posting it publicly in the comments can easily lead to a pile-on which can be extremely damaging to the author.
It’s not your job to make fic writers better writers. If they want your opinions, they’ll specifically ask for them - preferably by seeking your help as a beta. Even still, there’s not actually anything constructive about the above comment - “the sentences don’t make sense” isn’t constructive. If they had said “Your subject-verb agreement is off and it confuses me” or “I’m not sure which tense we’re using” or “Sentences 12 and 13 are fragments - maybe connect them?” then that would be constructive criticism. That’s the point of constructive criticism, to give the writer something concrete to fix. What they said was vague and insulting, and even if the author had requested concrit, it wouldn’t be okay.
TL;DR - Don’t give concrit unless specifically asked. If specifically asked, try to deliver it privately, offer to beta their next piece ahead of time, and make your criticism as specific as you can in order to address specific flaws. And do not ever leave comments like the one above. Ever.
I agree with OP and @quicklikelight, and I’m the kind of person who thinks people should feel free to leave negative reviews saying “this book was trash” on their blogs or on goodreads re: published work! (seriously people, it’s not rude or mean to say a book is garbage in your own sphere, just don’t tag the author or wtv)But there’s a very clear difference between a professional author publishing a book and you talking about it in a sphere that is clearly for other readers, and a fanfic author writing for fun/for free and leaving a negative comment in what is basically a direct message to the author. Also, honestly, people just don’t want your ~~critical, helpful~~ opinion about stuff, especially something like writing. Because why should they? What sort of expert are you? A writer who takes in all criticism without carefully screening the source is going to get a lot of crap, uneducated opinions from people who may not be their target audience in the first place. I’m a publishing professional (and proofreader!) and I STILL don’t give out my critical opinion to all and sundry because I recognize when I am a good, productive, and desired source of feedback and when I am not. (And only a bit because I am actually paid for my expertise and I’m not running an editorial charity here.) I get that this is tough for some people to digest, but I’ll repeat it: your opinion is not a highly coveted thing that people should be grateful for, if it was they would be begging you for it.
^^ bolded because TRUTH. it’s pure arrogance to leave unasked-for concrit and expect it to be appreciated or even read.
Yep. Also, trashing something isn’t the same as providing concrit.
If you don’t have time to add the “constructive” to your “criticism”, then hit X and move on to something else.
I feel like— and I know this varies a little with some authors, but— same rule of thumb as for commenting on someone’s appearance. You say “you look nice”-level stuff if you’re not good at it and you want them to keep showing up (i.e. “love this story!”, the cute comments I like getting as a writer). You say, “oh that color really suits you,” if it does and you’re a little better at this sort of thing (the “wow such good use of [technique]“ kind of comments that I love getting as a writer). And you say “oh gosh I think you’ve got something in your teeth”, maybe (“i think you left a word out of this sentence”) or “let me fix your collar, it’s stuck under” (“i think that’s the wrong spelling of there!”)— the rule of thumb is, if it’s something they can fix themselves in a couple of seconds, it’s kind to point out (but in this case, maybe skim and see if someone else already has, you don’t want to bombard them). If it’s something they can’t, don’t mention it, you’ll only make them feel crappy. Unless you’re their friend and you’ve been asked to give your opinion on their outfit. The only real exception is things like “oh gosh polka dots give some people seizures” (if that were true)— I hate being told I’ve not tagged something, or that I’ve inadvertently said something really shitty, but I’d rather be told than find out from someone going off about it behind my back. Especially if it’s something that could really hurt someone. Another type of comment that never ever ever belongs on a fanfic? ANY kind of demand about how the story should go! I get this a fair amount and it makes me feel so icky! People certainly *can* say “oh gosh I hope they kiss soon” kind of stuff, of course, but when someone comes in and says, “THAT CHARACTER ISN’T GAY IN CANON” ohhhhh son you are in the wrong place.
fieldbears:
actualmenacebuckybarnes:
fathappyhippo:
quicklikelight:
ieatmypizzawithaforkandknife:
foxerica:
If you don’t like a fanfic, just stop reading it and close the tab.
It is not that fucking hard, okay? Don’t waste your time reading something you don’t like, and don’t fucking waste your time letting the author know. Fanfiction is something that people do because they love something, they want to explore that love, and they want to create something for what they love. Don’t be negative or rude. Just don’t.This is a comment I found on a piece of fanfiction that I just read, which I will not link. There is literally no reason to leave this kind of a comment. This could have been the writer’s first piece of writing, they might not speak or write or read English as a first language, and why the fuck do you think your opinion is worth so much? You could have potentially made the writer cry, could be the reason that they had a shitty ass day, and you could be the reason that they no longer write. All because you think it’s important that the author know that you didn’t like their story?
Do you know way this comment shouldn’t be on any sort of piece of art? Because it offers no constructive criticism. Not only does it not offer any tips of how to improve, etc, it’s rude. “Wow I don’t like this story.” - that is an opinion, that is a personal preference, and guess what? It’s negative and offers the writer nothing. “Most of the sentences didn’t even make sense” - now, I didn’t look into the author of this particular fic, but I do know that there are a lot of people who are writing and participating in fandom things that do not speak or write English as a first language. Don’t be a dick. And even if the author has been writing for years, has English as a first language, and whatever else, this still isn’t okay.
Fanfiction writers are writing stuff for free. They’re doing this on their own personal time. It doesn’t matter what age they are. They are taking time out of their day to write something in a world they love. Don’t fucking take it away from them. Don’t ruin someone’s happy place with a rude comment like this. You don’t know where someone is in their life, you don’t know if writing is their escape, their safe place.
And here’s another thing: not every author looks for comments of constructive criticism. Please find out before you do offer long comments of constructive criticism if the authors even want it. A lot of times writers are just writing silly things for their own enjoyment, and sharing it with people.
Personally, I look at each writing piece as an exercise. Something that I can learn and work from. I make sure I write for my enjoyment first, and not others. It’s how I’ve become comfortable posting ficlets and fics and unbeta’d stuff and underdeveloped stuff.
However, not everyone feels comfortable posting their stuff. It can make writers seriously anxious, constantly checking their notifications, reading and memorizing every word in the comments, obsessing over notes or kudos.
Don’t ruin someone’s day. I understand that when people post constructive criticism, they think they’re making someone’s work better, that they want to offer advice so a writer can learn. But you know what, unless they’ve asked for that - just don’t do it.
And if they have asked for constructive criticism, do it privately. Write them a message on tumblr. Make sure your comment is going to actually be useful to the writer. Please don’t do it so publicly.
People are kindly sharing their stuff with you, so be kind to them.
I’m asking you to consider these things the next time you read a fic.
If you don’t like a fic: just quit reading and exit the tab. Don’t ruin someone else’s day.
Keep the fandom a nice, safe place.
I think OP is trying to do a good thing, but the kind of sentiment expressed above does more harm than good. Yes, let’s keep fandoms as safe as we possibly can. But safe is not the same as no dissenting opinions. I agree that the commenter could have had more tact (which is saying something, coming from one who has no tact) - they definitely could have expanded upon what they said in a productive way -, but from that little snapshot of a comment, we know very little else. The commenter actually did offer some constructive criticism, even if it was worded poorly. They said that the sentences weren’t making sense and they were unable to even continue reading because of that.
Yes, it’s true that that kind of comment would upset most people. That’s where the tact comes in. The commenter could have gone about pointing out the flaws they saw in the writing in a much nicer way. However, we don’t know what the original fic looked like. Or any comments the author may have put on it. It could very well be that it was almost incomprehensible, for whatever reason (whether it was a foreign language issue or not), and it could very well be that the author encouraged reviewers to “tell it like it is” and not mince words. We just. Don’t. Know.
tl;dr - Keep the fandom a nice, safe place. Dissenting opinions are good, so long as they are presented in a productive and kind way.
No.
Unless a fic writer or fan worker specifically requests concrit, it’s incredibly rude to give it. Seriously. Don’t do that. And even then, posting it publicly in the comments can easily lead to a pile-on which can be extremely damaging to the author.
It’s not your job to make fic writers better writers. If they want your opinions, they’ll specifically ask for them - preferably by seeking your help as a beta. Even still, there’s not actually anything constructive about the above comment - “the sentences don’t make sense” isn’t constructive. If they had said “Your subject-verb agreement is off and it confuses me” or “I’m not sure which tense we’re using” or “Sentences 12 and 13 are fragments - maybe connect them?” then that would be constructive criticism. That’s the point of constructive criticism, to give the writer something concrete to fix. What they said was vague and insulting, and even if the author had requested concrit, it wouldn’t be okay.
TL;DR - Don’t give concrit unless specifically asked. If specifically asked, try to deliver it privately, offer to beta their next piece ahead of time, and make your criticism as specific as you can in order to address specific flaws. And do not ever leave comments like the one above. Ever.
I agree with OP and @quicklikelight, and I’m the kind of person who thinks people should feel free to leave negative reviews saying “this book was trash” on their blogs or on goodreads re: published work! (seriously people, it’s not rude or mean to say a book is garbage in your own sphere, just don’t tag the author or wtv)But there’s a very clear difference between a professional author publishing a book and you talking about it in a sphere that is clearly for other readers, and a fanfic author writing for fun/for free and leaving a negative comment in what is basically a direct message to the author. Also, honestly, people just don’t want your ~~critical, helpful~~ opinion about stuff, especially something like writing. Because why should they? What sort of expert are you? A writer who takes in all criticism without carefully screening the source is going to get a lot of crap, uneducated opinions from people who may not be their target audience in the first place. I’m a publishing professional (and proofreader!) and I STILL don’t give out my critical opinion to all and sundry because I recognize when I am a good, productive, and desired source of feedback and when I am not. (And only a bit because I am actually paid for my expertise and I’m not running an editorial charity here.) I get that this is tough for some people to digest, but I’ll repeat it: your opinion is not a highly coveted thing that people should be grateful for, if it was they would be begging you for it.
^^ bolded because TRUTH. it’s pure arrogance to leave unasked-for concrit and expect it to be appreciated or even read.
Yep. Also, trashing something isn’t the same as providing concrit.
If you don’t have time to add the “constructive” to your “criticism”, then hit X and move on to something else.
I feel like— and I know this varies a little with some authors, but— same rule of thumb as for commenting on someone’s appearance. You say “you look nice”-level stuff if you’re not good at it and you want them to keep showing up (i.e. “love this story!”, the cute comments I like getting as a writer). You say, “oh that color really suits you,” if it does and you’re a little better at this sort of thing (the “wow such good use of [technique]“ kind of comments that I love getting as a writer). And you say “oh gosh I think you’ve got something in your teeth”, maybe (“i think you left a word out of this sentence”) or “let me fix your collar, it’s stuck under” (“i think that’s the wrong spelling of there!”)— the rule of thumb is, if it’s something they can fix themselves in a couple of seconds, it’s kind to point out (but in this case, maybe skim and see if someone else already has, you don’t want to bombard them). If it’s something they can’t, don’t mention it, you’ll only make them feel crappy. Unless you’re their friend and you’ve been asked to give your opinion on their outfit. The only real exception is things like “oh gosh polka dots give some people seizures” (if that were true)— I hate being told I’ve not tagged something, or that I’ve inadvertently said something really shitty, but I’d rather be told than find out from someone going off about it behind my back. Especially if it’s something that could really hurt someone. Another type of comment that never ever ever belongs on a fanfic? ANY kind of demand about how the story should go! I get this a fair amount and it makes me feel so icky! People certainly *can* say “oh gosh I hope they kiss soon” kind of stuff, of course, but when someone comes in and says, “THAT CHARACTER ISN’T GAY IN CANON” ohhhhh son you are in the wrong place.
