As a Writer (on feedback/concrit/litcrit)

[butterfly]

So, there is a thing happening on the sidelines of my flist -- seems to be mostly SGA-related, which is not my area of focus, so I will not be getting involved in any of the details. Anyway, the thing in question is about whether or not public crit of fanfiction should be allowed, and if it should, whether the author's intentions should be taken into account.

For the record -- I do not, and feel that I should not, have any say in what people say about my stories. If you love them, yay. If you hate them, I'm curious as to why. If you mostly like them except for one or two (or twelve) things, then I really, really want to know. Because I want to know how good a job I'm doing and how to improve. Writing is communication. If people don't understand me, then I didn't succeed in communicating to them. And, to me, that is what matters.

So, I pay attention to my feedback. I notice what people point out as their favorite spots (especially if it's mentioned by several people -- I'm still thrilled to bits over people praising my Leia characterization), and I also notice when people mention that something doesn't seem to fit.

There are three recent cases that specifically stand out to me -- one where I disagreed with the feedback and two where I agreed.

In one case, someone disagreed with my characterization of Anakin as dropping his lightsaber perhaps more easily than most. I disagreed, citing Attack of the Clones as a reference point -- they were focusing more on his characterization in Revenge of the Sith. As the story in question has an Anakin who is between those two states of being, and because the point of view was Obi-Wan, who would remember all the earlier times Anakin wasn't so great at holding onto his lightsaber, I decided that my story worked as it was and didn't need adjusting.

In the second case, someone disagreed with a thought that I had Anakin actively thinking -- I reread the thought in question and while I thought that it was potentially in-character, in the end, I agreed that it disrupted the story's focus, twisting what was originally a tense moment into something more humorous. In this case, I deleted the line from the chapter.

In the third case, I was told that my story didn't flow quite right in a certain section and a couple of paragraphs felt a little choppy -- I ended up adjusting the section and actually writing a few extra lines to give the story the push that it needed.

All of which is to say -- if you are moved by my fiction on a level deep enough to comment on it, please don't feel that you need to sugarcoat your words. I can take the truth.

More than that, if you don't want to, you don't need to inform me of your comments -- speaking from experience, many rec journals don't actually tell the authors that they've been recommended. They have that right and so do crit communities. Once my stories exist outside my head, they are no longer my sole property, though I retain the right to edit them as I please and repost them -- much as George Lucas has done with the earlier Star Wars movies. But any earlier versions do still potentially exist, of course -- if nowhere else, they exist in the minds of the people who read them and remember them. Theoretically, a story that was only under friendslock exists outside these boundaries, as it is not public, but as I post my stories public, this does not apply to me.

Now, if an author dislikes being criticized in public, then each reader does have to decide if they want to move forward anyway, balancing the risks (if an author takes crit to heart or feels that they're being personally attacked, they may leave fandom) against the rewards (honest and open discussion of a particular story). And the potential always exists that the author will feel insulted or hurt, because our stories are like dearly beloveds, in many ways.

But, bottom-line, I don't believe that readers (or any consumers of public media) require permission to speak about something that has been publicly released in any form, web or otherwise. 

Though if you'd prefer to have the author's permission before dissecting a story of theirs, I'm giving that permission right now.

Comments

[imadra-blue.livejournal.com]

I tend to make myself pretty public, so I guess that's why I've come to accept the flames and the trolls. I recently got some girl who popped up in my journal that told me that I was "pretentious" (never said why), and that my fics were like HP intellislash, and basically that she hates me. With a troll journal. I'm still kinda baffled about the whys and wherefores of this. It stung, but after a while, I laughed because she garbled her insult so badly that it made no sense. XD

Yeah, I don't read outside my preferred ships and genfic much. I flee from certain pairings and scenarios. Very little can move me to read it. However, I'm more likely to not enjoy Anakin/Obi-Wan, because I, like the Harmoniums, have a very limited range of what I accept and hold dear, and want from that pairing. It's so dear to me that few live up to my expectations. I recognize I'm being over-picky, but there's nothing I can do about it. XD

Ahahaha. My internet crush is not the Slytherin queen of life I ever expected to crush on. XD She is very different from my normal type, so yeah. Fate's cruel.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I tend to make myself pretty public, so I guess that's why I've come to accept the flames and the trolls. I recently got some girl who popped up in my journal that told me that I was "pretentious" (never said why), and that my fics were like HP intellislash, and basically that she hates me. With a troll journal. I'm still kinda baffled about the whys and wherefores of this. It stung, but after a while, I laughed because she garbled her insult so badly that it made no sense.

I remember seeing that comment! You were very classy in your response.

Yeah, I don't read outside my preferred ships and genfic much. I flee from certain pairings and scenarios. Very little can move me to read it. However, I'm more likely to not enjoy Anakin/Obi-Wan, because I, like the Harmoniums, have a very limited range of what I accept and hold dear, and want from that pairing. It's so dear to me that few live up to my expectations. I recognize I'm being over-picky, but there's nothing I can do about it.

Well, I suppose the pickiness is part of what led me to write my own version of the pairing that fit into my range better (well, that and the overwhelming compellingness of the characters and their relationship, of course). And I can't see that as such a bad thing.

Ahahaha. My internet crush is not the Slytherin queen of life I ever expected to crush on. XD She is very different from my normal type, so yeah. Fate's cruel.

Very much so, yes. I actually had a crush on my current roommate for the first month before I moved in with her to about the first month after. Though I maintain that this is not my fault as I'm attracted to women and we're sleeping in the same bed. But yes, there was a period when I spent a lot of time wanting to jump her, but also knowing that it so completely did not actually fit into our purely friendship-type relationship. I'm actually pretty glad that it faded back into friendship, because that is not a fun situation.

[imadra-blue.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing that comment! You were very classy in your response.

Thank you. It just frustrates me, because I'd at least like to know why I'm so hate-able. XD

Well, I suppose the pickiness is part of what led me to write my own version of the pairing that fit into my range better (well, that and the overwhelming compellingness of the characters and their relationship, of course). And I can't see that as such a bad thing.

Naturally. Same here. I just wind up writing it the way I like it. XD And I read people who at least are on the same level playing field that I'm on. If it's too different, I'm out.

I actually had a crush on my current roommate for the first month before I moved in with her to about the first month after.

Omg. I so totally know how you feel. I once crushed on one of my co-workers for a little while, before it luckily faded away. But having a friendship versus sexual thing is very sticky. I've been in a relationship that emotionally was more intense than any romantic relationship, but we never actually had sex. Came close, though. Too many weird friendship type barriers for us.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It just frustrates me, because I'd at least like to know why I'm so hate-able. XD

I've noticed that there are people (generally, the straight-forward, vocal types) who tend to attract more extreme reactions, the 'love them or hate them' type. And, for example, in people where I see intelligence and bravery, someone else sees pretension and arrogance.

Naturally. Same here. I just wind up writing it the way I like it. XD And I read people who at least are on the same level playing field that I'm on. If it's too different, I'm out.

Right -- I can read variations on fic, but I have a fairly narrow threshold of what I feel is 'in-character' and if it doesn't feel in-character, I'm not interested in reading it, because I want to read about these characters that I love, not some random people who happen to have their names.

Omg. I so totally know how you feel. I once crushed on one of my co-workers for a little while, before it luckily faded away. But having a friendship versus sexual thing is very sticky. I've been in a relationship that emotionally was more intense than any romantic relationship, but we never actually had sex. Came close, though. Too many weird friendship type barriers for us.

Well, the whole 'friendship' thing is something that I'm still working on, to be honest. I'm not terribly experienced at it. And to then spend a lot of time with someone who is, by nature, very tactile (and I'm so very not -- I can feel uncomfortable hugging my mom.). Well, it's confusing. The physical/emotional divide for me is not as clear as it could be.

[imadra-blue.livejournal.com]

And, for example, in people where I see intelligence and bravery, someone else sees pretension and arrogance.

Yeah, same here. A particularly nasty troll flamed one of my good friends, and I'm still pissed, even though it wasn't directed at me. The assumptions people make, just because someone expresses an opinion is what pisses me off about fandom. And one thing I'm especially annoyed with lately in the SW fandom is how expression of an opinion, a peeve, or a rant somehow equals being pretentious. It makes my face go desky.

I can read variations on fic, but I have a fairly narrow threshold of what I feel is 'in-character' and if it doesn't feel in-character, I'm not interested in reading it, because I want to read about these characters that I love, not some random people who happen to have their names.

Word. I've been turned off from well-written fics before, because I wtf'ing all through the characterization and dialogue. Characterization is the most important thing to me. You can fuck up how to spell the Death Star, and I'll get over it. If you fuck up Obi-Wan or Anakin, I'm out. Granted, it's all in my head, and I'm not saying right -- but it's all subjective perception.

Well, the whole 'friendship' thing is something that I'm still working on, to be honest.

Luckily, my friendship with the girl I crushed on was completely not physical, so i didn't have your confusion. I had that with my ex, because we were very tactile and very emotionally intense (like Anakin/Obi-Wan co-dependent intense, complete with nasty break-up -- had I a lightsaber, she so would have been delimbed). I'm not normally a tactile person, either, so if you have me being cuddly, J. is going to be one confused bunny.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

And one thing I'm especially annoyed with lately in the SW fandom is how expression of an opinion, a peeve, or a rant somehow equals being pretentious. It makes my face go desky.

That is frustrating. Personally, I seem to slip under the radar of wanky people, possibly because I always try to be diplomatic in the extreme (Because being emotional and letting people get to me makes me feel like I'm weak. Ah, issues.), possibly because I'm just not interesting enough. Some people are just lightning rods, while other people aren't. I've only had problems on lj with one other person, which is a pretty good ratio.

Word. I've been turned off from well-written fics before, because I wtf'ing all through the characterization and dialogue. Characterization is the most important thing to me. You can fuck up how to spell the Death Star, and I'll get over it. If you fuck up Obi-Wan or Anakin, I'm out. Granted, it's all in my head, and I'm not saying right -- but it's all subjective perception.

*tries to picture a misspelling of Death Star*

My brain hurts now.

But yes, I agree totally.

Luckily, my friendship with the girl I crushed on was completely not physical, so i didn't have your confusion. I had that with my ex, because we were very tactile and very emotionally intense (like Anakin/Obi-Wan co-dependent intense, complete with nasty break-up -- had I a lightsaber, she so would have been delimbed). I'm not normally a tactile person, either, so if you have me being cuddly, J. is going to be one confused bunny.

Wow, that's pretty intense, yo.

Up to now, I've managed to avoid deep emotional relationships. I'm still trying very hard to, actually. Because, well, they terrify me (my parents had a truly nasty divorce). That may be part of why I'm so drawn to those intense dynamic in so many different couples. Because that edge is fascinating to me because there are a lot of ways that I don't understand it. So, I keep approaching it from different directions, asking, "this is how these characters respond, what does that say about the situation?".

[imadra-blue.livejournal.com]

Personally, I seem to slip under the radar of wanky people, possibly because I always try to be diplomatic in the extreme

Oh, how I wish I could like you. I can't keep my motuh shut. Something pisses me off, I say something about it. I wish I could just slip under the radar and nobody would refer to me as the opinionated bitch I really am, but I can't seem to avoid it...

Because that edge is fascinating to me because there are a lot of ways that I don't understand it.

I can totally see that. Having been in such an intense relationship, my interest is a bit more intense. It's almost at points like I'm replaying bits of my own life, and because I ultimately see happy endings (evne in Ani/Obi, in RotJ), it gets to turn out better than my life. I dunno. I think I'm weird. Your way probably works better, you ask more questions.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Oh, how I wish I could like you. I can't keep my motuh shut. Something pisses me off, I say something about it. I wish I could just slip under the radar and nobody would refer to me as the opinionated bitch I really am, but I can't seem to avoid it...

Whereas I'm over here, admiring the hell out of the people who aren't afraid to say something without sugarcoating it twenty ways to Wednesday. I have a lot of very outspoken and opinionated people on my flist that I respect very highly.

I can totally see that. Having been in such an intense relationship, my interest is a bit more intense. It's almost at points like I'm replaying bits of my own life, and because I ultimately see happy endings (evne in Ani/Obi, in RotJ), it gets to turn out better than my life. I dunno. I think I'm weird. Your way probably works better, you ask more questions.

My way is less brave, in many ways. I ask the questions because the idea of gaining the experience the hard way terrifies me. I have something of a safe distance from the intensity of it all. And even then, I never feel safe enough. I'm constantly caught between trying to pull away from emotional situations, in fear, and trying to get closer, in fascination.