I was expecting something a little different from the "feedback" section. It's hardly about the actual content and more about technicalities.
It's usually difficult to critique actual content. As everyone here and elsewhere keeps saying, a good writer can make a good story out of almost anything. So, to some extent, content doesn't matter. Technicalities do, though - it's technique that can mean the difference between a good story and a bad story, regardless of content.
i don't think so. if i read something, i can give my OPINION on what i read. not nitpick "omg, you didn't put a comma there so I couldn't read it!"
There's a difference between an opinion about the subject matter and critiquing the piece. I would save the opinion for a book review or something like that. When you critique, you aren't trying to get the writer to change the subject matter. You're trying to help him/her improve the writing.
I'm sorry, but aren't critics people who give their opinion on something!? I guess I got those two things confused. I want people to REVIEW my work like Siskel & Ebert review a film. They talk about the content, they don't nitpick "on scene 4, there was a bad edit and it ruined the movie for me" or "in one scene, the character says something that's not grammatically correct, so I walked out" #ImSnarky
There's a difference between a critique and a review. A critique is designed to help the writer find and fix possible problems; a review is designed to help the reader decide whether the book is worth reading.
I suggest you read the material collected under the heading Important Information on the site home page. Pay particular attention to Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? and How to Use the Writing Workshop. They may help you understand how critique works here, and why, so you can adjust your expectations.
Just seconds ago, I read in another thread that you were "going to let this go now". Is this complaint somehow different from your complaint in that thread?
Not sure how much I agree with the OP--I think you do have some critiquers who work on mostly the mechanics--grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Those are your line-by-liners, and while they will stop from time to time to make a comment on the plot unfolding (or unraveling, in my case--lol), they will mostly be looking at SPAG. Others will read the entire piece and then comment on content--characterization, plot development, tension, etc. Personally, I'm more the first kind--the line-by-liners. I love those, and you see less of these kind, especially on longer pieces--anything over 1,000 words. These kinds of crits are far more time-consuming, and much harder to come by. I've spent 3 hours on a line-by-line when posting on sites like this one. Get those when you can. : )
Tonnes of people gave you rather detailed feedback, some of which included grammar. I don't get it, why are you complaining? Look, if enough people couldn't look pass your grammar, what you should ask isn't, "Can't they stop being so uptight?" and rather say, "So it's hindering the story *that* much, which means I should really start brushing up on my grammar." And besides, what's so bad anyway about someone helping you with grammar? It looks like, from what I've seen on the thread where you posted your work, that you're hurt over the fact that you got more critiques than praises, your work was worse than you expected (not saying it's necessarily bad, but definitely not as good as you thought it was), and now instead of actually polishing your work up, you've chosen to criticise the critiques. And the only fault you can pick with it is the focus on grammar, which in itself isn't even a fault. I will leave a little feedback on content for you - but it remains that your piece require quite a bit of work. Rather focus on writing, and stop letting the critiques eat you up. I know you tried really hard to take on the critiques - I saw the way you responded, you were kind and quite humble and really trying to accept the criticism rather than fight - still I get the feeling that the critiques have rather burnt you. Let yourself cool down - it feels like crap when people tell you your work isn't great - give yourself some time rather than vent by going off in a different but related direction.
Personally, when I write critiques I focus a little on grammar and technicalities, but I also focus more on content and literary execution. Generally, I comment on the grammar and technicalities on the first read-through because they stick out the most. Then I re-read the entire excerpt again and comment on the deeper stuff. If your excerpt is too long, or if they don't have enough time to read through it twice, or if they are simply inexperienced at critiquing, they might not be able to offer much more than the surface-level stuff. I'd recommend focusing your attention more on the helpful critiques, while not completely ignoring the surface-level ones. Perhaps you have higher expectations for this site than you should. It's a pretty good resource, but it is nothing compared to taking a creative writing class with a good teacher or doing a writing circle with some friends who write. Generally speaking, teachers, classmates, and friends will be more invested in giving you an in-depth critique, whereas random people on the internet will not. Have you ever been in a writing circle? Maybe you could ask some friends or co-workers if they'd like to start one with you.
