Cogito, it didn't happen here, but on another board (AW) that for other aspects I liked, it's a quite active community and the members immediately answered to my posts in various areas. I had the bad idea to post the first two pages of my work, underlining that I had problems with the beginning and that some sentences were too convoluted so I needed some help to rework it. I opened the thread in the specific area, got 30 visitors and the only comment was from...well a published author! At least, on her signature there was a link to her personal pages with her works. So she told me that: 1)The first character I showed was a stereotyped peggy sue 2)The scene of the dressing was a clichè 3)The dialogues were unrealistic and clumsy 4)The general writing was horrible 5)I didn't have a story 6)Nobody in the professional world would ever read such a work So I've said that it was enough, I deleted my first post and I asked the moderators to delete the thread. All I got was a answer that I got offended for nothing and if I wanted "soft" criticism that wasn't the place. I answered her that I didn't mind harsh criticism but I was looking for some solution to the problems of my first pages, then I left the board. As you may understand, I'm not too eager to share my work on this board too.
Neither, although I get more reliable and constructive criticism from strangers. That's just the way it goes.
I can't say that anything hurts me when I receive an honest review. I believe there is always something that can be improved. No writing is 100% and is open to honest critique. If someone told me, they wouldn't change a thing, I would wonder if they even read it through. There has to be something you would like to see deleted, added, or altered in some way. Becoming hurt over a review is a waste of time and effort, we are writers and the only way to improve is to over come our insecurities by becoming vulnerable. Writers are some of the strongest people I know. You have to trust in yourself and your craft.
I think that's a good question. I would not have a problem with either stranger or close friend if I respected their opinions. That would be my feeling as well. Even if I hated a review, I might lick my wounds by myself for a while, but it wouldn't stop me from writing.
I think as an art form, writing should be open to anyone and that it's effect on the reader is subjective. Whether the reader is an informed stranger or an ignorant friend, the opinions/critiques or lack of themm, to me are equally valid. If your art cannot evoke enough of a reaction from your friends, you'd do well to question either your friends or the piece itself. I always seek to write what I mean in the context of what I mean, not in the context of how it will be recieved. Know what I mean ?
Sorry to post twice. To answer teh question directly: I probably take more offence at negative feedback from a friend as I'd probably shown them it with the hope they'd like it based on my understanding of the person.
LOL! That sounds like something my teacher said to one of the students in the creative writing class I took! He was a tad nicer about it, like not saying the general writing was horrible, but that it needed massive work. He would tell people they had no story, and most of the time he was right. All the things you have listed here are common mistakes that beginner writers make. Stories that lack conflict, making it lack any type of interest in reading it. Characters that are too stereotypical. Use of cliches. Funky sentence structure, misspellings, and other grammatical boo-boos. I do think the writer could have offered some advice by picking out parts that were the worst offenders and showing you how to fix them, but maybe she didn't have time, in which, she probably shouldn't have critiqued. I always believe that most people can improve and shouldn't stop writing. Writing is a skill that takes time to learn and is only learnable through doing. It's on the job training. I've never minded harsh critiques, but now that I have been writing for years, I can spot people who are just jerks who's critiques aren't worth the time they took to write them. I know I don't show people close to me any of my work, at least not until it is super polished and sparkly clean. It's kind of like that with jewelry making too for me. I hate having someone see something that isn't finished, and for me finished is next to perfect. If there's a little dent in a wire, or something just isn't working right, then I start over. Same with writing for me. This is why I don't post much on here, but am active in discussions and give critiques when I have time. I like things to be finished before I ask if anything can be improved upon. It's always best to show your best effort when asking for critiques.
This is an important point. I am a sinner; I've recently posted a couple of pieces for review I've had to later edit due to typos. Thank you for reminding me
I tend to feel a little hurt when a friend or someone I really admire doesn't like my work. What's worse, though, is someone reads it quickly without really absorbing it and then says 'it's great', thinking that they've actually been helpful. ~Eliza
Seems like a lot of people feel that way. I finally had a family member give me an honest critique of one of my stories. She told me my character development was spot on but my details on the setting were lacking. Now that's a lot more helpful than "great! Keep up the good work!" Of course the people I've been giving my stories to don't read read a lot and probably don't feel they can give a proper review. It's frustrating when you're trying so hard to improve. Unfortunately all of the writing clubs around me are pretty far away and I'm too cheap to spend money on the gas lol
No matter who it comes from, my first review of a piece is always the hardest. This is the time that I am blind to every remaining mistake since I've already read and reread my piece to make sure it's "perfect." It's the time when significant plot holes that I flat out missed are pointed out to me and it's the time that I have no other reviews to fall back on when the reviewer says something that I totally disagree with.
Meh. We all sin in this sometimes. I've done it enough times and been called out on it. It seems the older I get the more anal I am about things. Of course, I don't post for critique here very often, not for dislike of being critiqued by those here, because everyone is always helpful, but for lack of time to write short stories, or small pieces of things I don't plan to publish at some point. I won't post things online that I plan to publish. I might do an email exchange with someone at some point, but not online. Too scared that copyright issues could arise. ^^ That is one reason I wouldn't critique someone I am close to, especially if they aren't dedicated to being a writer, or if they are a beginner. If I had a close person who was nearly publishable or was published, reading for them wouldn't be as relationship crushing. Of course, that is also why I don't give anything I write to my friends or family, I think no response is worse than a flippant one. Had that happen once, never again though. The person never said anything about it, so I didn't ask. Assumed it was so bad they didn't want to hurt my feelings. However, saying nothing was worse than if they had said "this was crap, couldn't get through the first page." Saying nothing is right up there with the tactful, "well, it was good." fake response.
Lol I would do quite the opposite, but I'm known for brutal honesty. Besides I would give a fair warning. I want nothing less than honesty and I will give nothing less. If any of my friends were that emotionally reactive, well they probably wouldn't be my friends lol. Oh wait I do have a friend like that, and I bust his balls for it I'm a guy.
HAHAHAHAHA! That's hilarious Fox. Luckily, I don't know anyone who thinks they are a writer, so I've dodged that bullet for the most part. Except once, my hubby asked me to read a paper he was submitting for a college course. We didn't talk for a week after that. I was hard on him with the red pen, and he couldn't hack it. He got over it though after he got an A+ with my fixes, after getting a C on his last paper without my help.
Lmao. I had a friend like that... she was absolutely horrible with her punctuation (we were high school freshman) and her papers would covered in markings. At first she would be offended, but then she, like your husband, got over it.
lol Kind of reminds of my dad, he flips out if you correct him on anything, and of course I have no problem telling him when he's wrong lol. I think a lot of us get like that, but with me I turn it around to a positive light and am thankful to now possess the correct information. I have a bunch of friends that are straight up blunt, and then there's a guy who can't handle being told he's bad at a video game. We're conditioning him though. He's got a big ego too, that might just be it. Some of us get so full of ourselves that when we're not told we're the hottest stuff we flip out. Just an idea.
Well I would say it hurts the most when people I know do it. I really appreciate when they tell me what they liked and what not and not just oh you're good. That's why I'm opposed to showing my writing to some people. If someone else does it and gives me a review telling me what they don't like, I think that makes me a better writer. That's why I try to tell people if I liked what they wrote and If I liked it I don't think there would be anything bad to say.
Probably people close to me. I have little difficulty posting something on here or another online forum, but I have a super hard time handing things to my mom, and don't even get me started about my brother. Not that they criticize me, generally - usually with people my mom shows my poems to it's oo-ing and awww-ing, but I hate showing my work to people I know well. Maybe it's because they don't critique it. Cheers, lavendershy
I usually don't get offended by critques unless they are highly sarcastic and intended to hurt, and even then I try and simply let them roll off my shoulders. However, that doesn't mean it always works...
I hadn't had a story critiqued in over 6 years before posting a story on here. Someone who critiqued it proved that by her comments! haha....no.. It had been a long time and it was a jolt. After the initial sting, I got over it and am a better writer, but maybe more importantly, a more focused and challenged writer than i was before. I don't love harsh words, and I have found reviews to be respectful in their honesty for the most part. But I do relish the criticisms and things that might make me cringe because, as many of you have already mentioned, those words us better.
Hmmmm... I just recently got this from a few friends, "It's pretty good so far. I haven't finished it yet though." My response, "It's less than 3000 words and you read really fast." I don't even know what to think of that. Either way I'm not sending them anything new, I haven't even mentioned the new flash fics I'm writing.
When your friend says 'thats really good' or that's great' and gives it back, and then they moan at you when they ask you to help them with English Coursework and you give them a constructive critique
People I know won’t give me negative feedback *sigh* I’m forced to post random pieces of writing on the internet to get constructive criticism. And then sorting through what advice to embrace and what to discard is no easy task. But every comment I get that is not praise stings with the unbearable pain of a thousand needles
Let me preface this reply by admitting I did not read most of the comments, so if I am repeating somebody else... whoopsy-doodle. Anyhow. What bothers me more between those two options? Well, let me go out on a limb here and admit that both suck out loud. I hate it when somebody reads my work and finds faults, why wouldn't I? I suppose I could be higher than thou and pretend it's awesome to have either a close friend or a complete stranger pick apart a piece of work that I love. Not only are you being judged, and being judged sucks, but you're being rejected. I'm sorry but when I ask somebody out on a date and they give me a laundry list of things I need to improve in order to pay for a dinner for them and try my hardest to entertain them I am immediately turned off. I know, I'm odd. I know, I know, I must be immature and unable to deal with criticism... your damn right I am. I hate being judged and told by others my work is wrong or otherwise bad. However, I'm coming from the position of a writer who writes for the enjoyment of writing, not to appease my fan base - to which there is no one... except my mom. In fairness, I've never really tried to get my work published, it's something that is secondary. So I suppose that I am an unfair person to ask this question. In the end I hate being criticized because I hate failing myself. As a writer, somebody who is absolutely addicted to the process of telling a good story, I am disheartened when I fail.
I agree, but I generally attribute this to those of my critics that don't generally know anything about writing or literature. Even though I was the kid in the back of English class drawing instead of reading, I knew exactly what we were doing, and how to do it. I could critique other peoples' writing, I could teach them how to read the subject, I could beat it into their head as long as I wanted -- they just wanted to get through the class. That's the kind of dote I usually deal with in these circumstances. As for the question of what hurts the most, though... I would have to say when they refuse to do it due to either laziness or inability. "English, motherf*****, do you speak it?!" usually runs through my head at this point.
