I'm curious If I am the only person who does this. Do you sent your working progress/short story etc. to more than one forum for a second opinion? I am a member of three forums including this one, and I have found that different forums attract different types of people/writers/ beginners or intermediates or professionals (published writers) and if I send the same piece of work out I get a different critiques depending on the forum I sent it too. I find it gives me a more balance analysis of my work. Perhaps its just the kind of person I am. When I research something on Google I always search at least three separate sites, sometimes more and if the information tallies I know its accurate. Am I the only person who does this? (the second opinion thing)
I take my pieces to two writers critique groups, but it's because the first group doesn't want to read them again after I make changes based on their critiques.
Yes, I actually just started doing this. It spreads me a little thin so half the time I can't be bothered talking on their forums except to make a comment here and there. The good thing about some of the other sites is you can get people who don't automatically cringe at the size of your piece. Because everyone elses is just as long! Plus, getting an assortment of feedback is also very helpful.
All critique is subjective. And, yes, differing sites do tend to slant towards certain aspects of the craft than others. The important thing is to take what works for you -- and along the way, look to improve your own craft, whether you're looking into thematics, character arc, etc. Also, it depends on why you write. If you want to get published, then you may need to cater towards what they're looking for. And, if you want to be read, know your audience. If you write for yourself. . .
I signed up for a couple of other sites, but I never visit them because the traffic is so low compared to this one. Also, on one of them, everyone just wanted to discuss the Meaning of Life instead of writing, and frankly, if I want to discuss the Meaning of Life, I'll write a story instead of a forum post. So I just stay here. At least people focus (mostly) on writing here.
T.Trian and I have done this too. In some places your work gets slaughtered, in some places no one bothers to read it, and some places offer real good advice. We also have beta readers, but forums put the piece out for different kind of people, and many of them aren't your friends so they can afford to be dead-honest and don't sugar-coat their comments. It's hard to stay active in several places (and to be honest, we also got banned from one forum -- which btw had no rules or guidelines -- so the mods and some, like two, fellow forumites freaked out at the mention of "gun porn" in one thread. They thought it meant, you know, people screwing guns. Not enough 'Muricans there, I s'pose. J/k.), because you don't really wanna go there just to have your work praised or shredded apart. You wanna contribute to the community and help others too, but it kinda requires the forum to be 1) active 2) your type of a place.
