[ SECRET POST #4663 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #4663 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 36 secrets from Secret Submission Post #668.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

02. https://i.imgur.com/LmhcApO.png

[(Anonymous)]

Hmm, I don't think I've ever seen someone react like that if they ask for criticism. Then again, I rarely see criticism anymore.

[(Anonymous)]

1) Offer to beta for people
2) Be a competent beta, as in, not just a glorified proof reader
3) Beta the fic

And you will.

[(Anonymous)]

I made the mistake of betaing for one of these types once. Never again.

[(Anonymous)]

maybe you're being a dick about it

[(Anonymous)]

That's possible, but not necessarily the case. Plenty of writers overestimate how open they are to constructive criticism. They'll actively solicit it, emphasize that they're cool with it, and then when you point out that the capital of California isn't Los Angeles, they absolutely lose their shit.

[(Anonymous)]

The other month I saw a blog post from a writer I follow, complaining that someone posted a comment on one of her stories which (she copy-pasted it, but I don't recall the exact wording) boiled down to: 'Hey, you used [word A], when I'm pretty sure you meant [word B]. [Word B] means [meaning]! :)"
Yes, smiley face and all.
According to this writer, this was an incredibly rude comment, surely no-one should expect her to know what the words she's using actually mean, and they didn't even say anything nice about her story first! Et cetera, et cetera, for another few hundred words.
Naturally, I unfollowed her, but it has rather stuck with me.

[(Anonymous)]

Yep, I've seen that with writers and it drives me insane. I have a friend that, when she reads my fics, points out every grammar mistake that I make AND I APPRECIATE IT. I go back, fix it, update the chapter to thank her, and move on. She's doing me a really big favor!

[(Anonymous)]

Possible, but not guaranteed. Writers as a whole tend to be a sensitive bunch. Very few of them can accept criticism graciously. Hell, does anyone remember Anne Rice's infamous tantrum? She's not alone. Many writers ask for feedback and imply (or come right out and say) that they're fine with critiques when what they actually want is praise. Just praise, nothing but praise. Anything but gushing praise is a nasty shock to them, and they'll react accordingly.

I don't beta for people I don't know very well for this reason. Too many people ask me, I warn them that I'm not a soft beta reader and they go, "Oh good, because I really need a tough beta!" Then I'll return my feedback - and I'm very careful to praise them for the parts I think are well done - and there's been times when it's 98% praise and 2% "Oh hey, in chapter three you mentioned that Henry VIII was the king of Norway when he was the king of England. Great dialogue, BTW!"

And I'll get an angry, defensive rant back about how awful I am and how they tried soooooo hard but I'm cruel and unreasonable and should really watch my tone because if I'd been nicer about pointing this out, of course they would've accepted it cheerfully and it's my fault, really.

[(Anonymous)]

Honestly, I kinda wonder if there's some sort of Anne Rice wank generation gap aspect to this. I seem to recall 'interrogating the text from the wrong perspective' and 'flames will be used to toast marshmellows' peaking at about the same time.

[(Anonymous)]

I hadn't been in fandom long when I saw someone asking for constructive criticism, which I gave. She was so angry that I criticised her character (I said that she probably wouldn't be able to safely and competently go on a mission and use a semi-automatic weapon with no training hours after giving birth) that she told me that if she ever saw me she was going to run me over in her car.

[(Anonymous)]

Hachi machi