Hey Kathleen! I get what you're saying. I haven't been through the SB today, so I'm at a remove. I have been on a forum though that has a thread called something like "what I hate in a fanfic" and I finally just suggested that we have a "what I like in a fanfic" because everybody hates something, and so what? There is another active thread in which there is a lot of discussion of deus ex machina in a particular (mostly beloved) fic, and there is a full spectrum of thought about its use, from "totally works" to "nope". It's a story with a lot of spirituality in it, so the hand of god isn't exactly surprising
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"I just see an issue that is difficult to resolve: is fanfic a hobby or is it art?" Ooh, EXCELLENT point! Sunalso and Zabjade pretty much reached the same thing in different words in the SB: some authors want to get better, some want to have fun in peace.
I see fic mostly as art, I think, so for my part, I can even feel a bit offended if someone omits all criticism and gives me praise that I feel is exaggerated. It can sometimes feel like they don't respect me enough to be honest or like they don't care if I succeed at doing the thing well. And I know general discussion of how not to write has helped me.
It's like one cannot win when talking about fic. :D Unless everyone involved has been painstakingly clear about what they expect, that is.
I guess erring on the side of too much positivity *is* the safer way to go.
I don't think there's a clear difference between a hobby and an art, nor do all pursuers of hobbies or art have the same opinions about wanting to improve or not.
I think the question of whether a negative review helps you improve or not is probably more relevant. By a negative review, I mean an "ew, what a terrible premise" review, not a thoughtful "hey, have you considered x?" review." I think a review like that doesn't help anyone improve, and therefore whether you wanted to improve or not is sort of moot.
"By a negative review, I mean an "ew, what a terrible premise" review, not a thoughtful "hey, have you considered x?" review." I think a review like that doesn't help anyone improve" Of course it doesn't.
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I see fic mostly as art, I think, so for my part, I can even feel a bit offended if someone omits all criticism and gives me praise that I feel is exaggerated. It can sometimes feel like they don't respect me enough to be honest or like they don't care if I succeed at doing the thing well. And I know general discussion of how not to write has helped me.
It's like one cannot win when talking about fic. :D Unless everyone involved has been painstakingly clear about what they expect, that is.
I guess erring on the side of too much positivity *is* the safer way to go.
Reply
I think the question of whether a negative review helps you improve or not is probably more relevant. By a negative review, I mean an "ew, what a terrible premise" review, not a thoughtful "hey, have you considered x?" review." I think a review like that doesn't help anyone improve, and therefore whether you wanted to improve or not is sort of moot.
Reply
"By a negative review, I mean an "ew, what a terrible premise" review, not a thoughtful "hey, have you considered x?" review." I think a review like that doesn't help anyone improve" Of course it doesn't.
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