I'm sorry you felt attacked, Zab. I was just so happy to see a few people standing up for some the same opinions I have, I wanted to cheer. Since I've said many times why I don't care for AH fics, I was just pleased to seem others articulating the same thoughts and didn't think I needed to chime in. Perhaps I should have offered more support?
And I'm perfectly comfortable with those who don't like claims. It doesn't hurt my feelings that many people think they are icky or unrealistic or whatever. It's a trope. You either like it or you don't. I don't take it personally or consider it a slam at me or my taste in tropes. Sometimes I find them useful for my plot, sometimes I don't, so there isn't one. If people who don't like them don't read a particular story because it's in there, I don't take that personally. A nasty review might irritate me - but something like "I wanted to read this, but claims give me the heebie jeebies" wouldn't make me feel attacked. Sorry, here, try this fic that doesn't have a claim in it.
I am not what anyone would consider a particularly sensitive person and never have been. Now I'm old and cranky. LOL On the other hand, I'm willing to hear other opinions on things and they may (or may not - see old and cranky) actually tweak my opinion of that particular trope or genre. It was actually quite a relief when the BSV loosened its requirement that a story contain blood play, because it freed me from feeling I had to shoehorn biting or a claim into every story I wrote.
As far as criticism goes - when I was first starting out, it's probable a review that said my writing sucked would have hurt. Of course it would have. Even if it pointed out all the sucky things I was doing. But once I got over being hurt, I might very well have rethought my use of some of those sucky (pun not intended) things. I still get the occasional ff.net review that is what the reviewer considers constructive criticism. If they are polite and making a good point, I'll thank them and decide for myself if I agree. If they are wrong (if you're a sophomore in high school, please don't try to get into a grammar or punctuation argument with me. I will throw the entire Chicago Manual of Style at you.), I may or may not respond depending upon my mood and their approach. Either way, my feelings aren't hurt.
Back in the day, if I read something in a conversation on LJ in which people whose opinions and writing I respected were discussing a writing tic (use of epithets, for instance) I used a lot, I wouldn't have been hurt by their negative comments or feel they were aimed at me specifically. I would have been grateful for the information that I had picked up a writing tic that wasn't actually indicative of "good writing".
I was never a fiction writer until I discovered fanfic, so many of my writing tics when I first started out were based on copying what I'd seen from others when I first started reading it voraciously. Not all of it was worth emulating..... I feel like the information I picked up from LJ conversations (and things like the SB on other archives) was useful and worthwhile and helped me clean up my act quite a bit. Not being familiar with this type of writing, I assumed some of the things I found odd were part and parcel of the genre and expected to be there. It was quite a relief to find out it was okay not to emulate everything I'd seen. :)
And yes, if the discussion was taking place where most of the comments were from like-minding people, it could get a little uncomfortable. Hearing people you respect mocking something you know you do is going to be a little ouchy. But in my case, I would then take a look at what they were saying, and could then make an informed decision about whether I wanted to change that particular writing tic, or decide I liked it and phooey on them. :)
All of which is a long way around of saying, I'm totally with you on AH, and that doesn't make either one of us evil people unless we start leaving comments like "how can you possibly like this drivel?" Which no one did that I noticed. There was a lot of defensiveness in that conversation, and that never goes well for anyone.
And I'm perfectly comfortable with those who don't like claims. It doesn't hurt my feelings that many people think they are icky or unrealistic or whatever. It's a trope. You either like it or you don't. I don't take it personally or consider it a slam at me or my taste in tropes. Sometimes I find them useful for my plot, sometimes I don't, so there isn't one. If people who don't like them don't read a particular story because it's in there, I don't take that personally. A nasty review might irritate me - but something like "I wanted to read this, but claims give me the heebie jeebies" wouldn't make me feel attacked. Sorry, here, try this fic that doesn't have a claim in it.
I am not what anyone would consider a particularly sensitive person and never have been. Now I'm old and cranky. LOL On the other hand, I'm willing to hear other opinions on things and they may (or may not - see old and cranky) actually tweak my opinion of that particular trope or genre. It was actually quite a relief when the BSV loosened its requirement that a story contain blood play, because it freed me from feeling I had to shoehorn biting or a claim into every story I wrote.
As far as criticism goes - when I was first starting out, it's probable a review that said my writing sucked would have hurt. Of course it would have. Even if it pointed out all the sucky things I was doing. But once I got over being hurt, I might very well have rethought my use of some of those sucky (pun not intended) things. I still get the occasional ff.net review that is what the reviewer considers constructive criticism. If they are polite and making a good point, I'll thank them and decide for myself if I agree. If they are wrong (if you're a sophomore in high school, please don't try to get into a grammar or punctuation argument with me. I will throw the entire Chicago Manual of Style at you.), I may or may not respond depending upon my mood and their approach. Either way, my feelings aren't hurt.
Back in the day, if I read something in a conversation on LJ in which people whose opinions and writing I respected were discussing a writing tic (use of epithets, for instance) I used a lot, I wouldn't have been hurt by their negative comments or feel they were aimed at me specifically. I would have been grateful for the information that I had picked up a writing tic that wasn't actually indicative of "good writing".
I was never a fiction writer until I discovered fanfic, so many of my writing tics when I first started out were based on copying what I'd seen from others when I first started reading it voraciously. Not all of it was worth emulating..... I feel like the information I picked up from LJ conversations (and things like the SB on other archives) was useful and worthwhile and helped me clean up my act quite a bit. Not being familiar with this type of writing, I assumed some of the things I found odd were part and parcel of the genre and expected to be there. It was quite a relief to find out it was okay not to emulate everything I'd seen. :)
And yes, if the discussion was taking place where most of the comments were from like-minding people, it could get a little uncomfortable. Hearing people you respect mocking something you know you do is going to be a little ouchy. But in my case, I would then take a look at what they were saying, and could then make an informed decision about whether I wanted to change that particular writing tic, or decide I liked it and phooey on them. :)
All of which is a long way around of saying, I'm totally with you on AH, and that doesn't make either one of us evil people unless we start leaving comments like "how can you possibly like this drivel?" Which no one did that I noticed. There was a lot of defensiveness in that conversation, and that never goes well for anyone.
Reply
Leave a comment