fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2503 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2503 ⌋

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

01.

__________________________________________________

02.

__________________________________________________

03.

__________________________________________________

04.

__________________________________________________

05.

__________________________________________________

06.

__________________________________________________

07.

__________________________________________________

08.

__________________________________________________

09.

__________________________________________________

10.

__________________________________________________

11.

__________________________________________________

12.

__________________________________________________

13.

__________________________________________________

14.

__________________________________________________

15.

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 05 pages, 105 secrets from Secret Submission Post #358.
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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Okay first of I’m just going to say I’ve had good and bad experiences on reddit. (inb4”ugh it’s reddit though”) And honestly this thing I’m talking about this attitude is everywhere on the internet

Someone advertised a critique community (when there’s already two communities exactly like that. Someone says “we already have this and links to the subreddit. then someone else makes a comment that annoys me “oh but that’s not critique it’s coddling. I went in the community and took a look at some of the stuff there. In my time of looking I saw good LONG critiques that covered a host of grammar writing and wording problems , I saw some harsh but good critiques , someone telling the author their working was pretentious, was confusing, had bat formatting.

Even the harshest critiques still had some level of respect for the author. They didn’t call the author names or say it was “just shitty” , they pointed out bluntly ‘this is a cliche you probably shouldn’t use.”

This is what is ‘coddling’ to people? Honestly? I just… ugh. I’m so sick of people acting like any critique that is even a little bit positive is inferior. I’m sick of people thinking they’re good critics if they can stomp out a person’s confidence completely. The only person who’s allowed to have any confidence in themselves is the “critic” everyone else has to hang their head low and agree that they’re just “full of shit” and should quit.

sorry about all this I just had to get this out.

Yeah, a critique kind of loses its credibility if it has to resort to attacking. And frankly, I don't see any critique as constructive if it doesn't highlight or encourage at least some positivity. If the review is intended for the author to get better, it should have good and bad points, period. Language is important, too. There's a league of difference between saying, "Your story is crap" and "This wasn't really effective for me".

There's a league of difference between saying, "Your story is crap" and "This wasn't really effective for me".

Amen. The first is stating a value judgement as if it's fact; the second is clearly subjective.

Yeah that's a big pet peeve of mine when it comes to critiquing: you don't have to be negative about everything. People who make things usually come up with clever things; you can point those out too!

My style of critiquing is to point out things I like and dislike, say why I like what I like, suggest how to improve what I don't, and try to be friendly as a whole.

Oh no, I totally agree with you. As someone who does a lot of reviews, I try to always put something positive in there, and at least keep some respect for the fans and people who care.

I know someone who is the complete opposite; he has no qualms about saying something is pure garbage without much backing, and he says what he thinks, even if it's insulting. But then he wonders why it loses him some friends.

Positive reviews aren't bad, but reviews that say nothing but "this is amazing!" aren't very helpful. But negative reviews that say nothing but "this is shit" aren't anymore helpful, either. A good review is constructive, supporting the review, and showing some respect.

I've seen it on Tumblr this idea that someone who can't take their criticism (which amounted to being cruel) wasn't a "real" artist/writer. I will agree that older artists have to learn to develop a thick skin if they're going into school for something like art or writing. But that doesn't mean cussing out a 14 -year old's drawing/story isn't jackassish for example. (also gaining a thick skin doesn't mean one should have to tolerate and be nice to people who talk to you with no respect at all)

Also people don't realize not every kind of "harsh" is a good "harsh". Slightly off topic example : If you're in art school a teachers going to say "you need to fix this , this and this , and this and this is out of perspective" .They don't say "What is this bullshit, you suck and this , and that and this looks like shit"

Good art teachers will be as blunt and harsh as they NEED to be, but they won't go over the top.

"But then he wonders why it loses him some friends. "

Huh...I see a lot of the people who are like this tend to brush it off as"well they can't handle me/ can't take the truth"

Heh, that boggles me. Only brutality is considered acceptable?

(Now, when you have an "in-person" writers' group, sometimes very heavy crit is the only way to get most people to be totally honest rather than "nice" about critique, but there you also have body language and inflection to balance out the tough love.)

(I have to add that it also makes me laugh at the irony, becayuse of course in other spaces (I'm looking at you, FF.net), even the slightest constructive criticism is often labelled as "flaming."

It does really depend on where you are. But I just see a lot of this attitude on places for writing or art. (dA is horrible about it.) Hell sometimes a place has oversenstivite artists and and overly rude critics at the same time in different parts.

lately it feels like online, it's a big ol' contest to see who can be the nastiest or the most opinionated.

Even in super SJW circles where they pretend to be all about political correctness and avoiding triggers it's like when you "correct" someone it's telling them they're an awful oppressive person who should die.

In writing circles it's telling people that they're just the most awful unoriginal author ever and their character is the WORST mary sue ever and they should just never be allowed to write.

A lot of things on the internet seem to be much harsher because people take for granted the fact they're hiding behind a screen. I mean yeah you have caustic critics in IRL but it's just so much worse on the internet.

Saw something on Tumblr (lol irony) that more people need to listen to. "being mean doesn't make you cool (or more sincere)."

I'm not on reddit AT ALL, but the former kinds of critic communities you describe are making me want to join. Do either/any of the critique threads/communities/~~IDK how reddit works~~ deal with fanfiction? I miss the days when I could 'crowdsource' critiques on a fanfic instead of depending on one or two betas, and I am willing to try reddit if I can get that back again. :)

There's /r/FanFiction which seems to give out some. and I know that /r/Keep Writing has only one rule and that's to assist others.

Thank you! ♥

[ SECRET POST #2503 ]

A rant about critiquing and respect

Re: A rant about critiquing and respect

Re: A rant about critiquing and respect

Re: A rant about critiquing and respect

Re: A rant about critiquing and respect

Re: A rant about critiquing and respect

Re: A rant about critiquing and respect

AYRT

I agree

Re: A rant about critiquing and respect

AYRT

Re: AYRT