I admit, I'm very sensitive to criticism... and sometimes I'm like, "Well, who are you" when someone points something out... not as in "who are you" as a writer, but "who are you that I should trust your judgement over my own." But the times that has happened have been in real life, where the tone of voice has really been part of the insult. Also, the more personal and difficult it was more to write something, the more sensitive I am about it. Thing is, even when someone is probably right, criticism is difficult for me to hear, so mocking my poetry is far more likely to bother me than picking apart my critical essays. Fic falls somewhere in the middle. But such sensitivity to criticism is MY issue, in a way, and I know it.
So the question is, what do you know about the author's reaction to criticism, if anything? I'd say if you told the author what you told us - that she is an all time favorite, that you reread her stories and love them - and then said, "there's a minor thing that bothered me in this last story. I don't know if you were aware of it, but you used the word 'grimaced' a few dozen times. I found the repetition a bit jarring and distracting" - and then followed that with the reassurance that the story was still excellent overall - that there is a very good chance that would be ok with her. It's not a sure bet or anything, but a good chance. And no one could say your feedback was rude or out of line, even if it wasn't appreciated.
Or, you could say, "I loved this fic because x y z... I had one quibble, though... do like to get constructive criticism, or would you rather not?" And then that leaves it in her court. (I got that idea from AAS's Guide to Giving Feedback.
(Thanks to elinora for the link on have_a_bicky, which is a comm for discussing feedback.)
Um, I implied this, but not sure I made it clear...
IMHO, inappropriate/non-deliberate word repetition can be construed as a mistake... as in I've had professors mark it, and if I notice it when I'm beta'ing, I mark it. Because it's not something the writer may notice when writing, but the reader does notice. So in this case, if you sent me this feedback, I might feel foolish, but I probably would not ask, "well, who are you to give this feedback?" Because while the extent that it bothered you is a matter of individual reaction, if she really was using an unusual word every few paragraphs, and it was not deliberate, then it's objectively (rather than subjectively) a mistake. You see what I'm saying? So you're on pretty solid ground there.
Or, you could say, "I loved this fic because x y z... I had one quibble, though... do like to get constructive criticism, or would you rather not?" And then that leaves it in her court.
You know, I really don't know her take on receiving critical fb. I have written her several times for several stories, but it's always been high praise and pleas for more, which is the only kind of fb I give. So I don't know if she's open or not.
I feel that I will not say anything though. I'm over the initial "ow, my brain with that word!" reaction, so it doesn't seem quite as important.
Thank you so much for your comments of this sensitive subject. It means a lot to me that you commented!
No problem! It was an interesting question. And I understand about not wanting to send critical fb, because I don't do it either. I guess maybe because I also write, and I know that for all I know I'm making far worse mistakes. So actually, being a writer doesn't make the crit any easier to give.
So the question is, what do you know about the author's reaction to criticism, if anything? I'd say if you told the author what you told us - that she is an all time favorite, that you reread her stories and love them - and then said, "there's a minor thing that bothered me in this last story. I don't know if you were aware of it, but you used the word 'grimaced' a few dozen times. I found the repetition a bit jarring and distracting" - and then followed that with the reassurance that the story was still excellent overall - that there is a very good chance that would be ok with her. It's not a sure bet or anything, but a good chance. And no one could say your feedback was rude or out of line, even if it wasn't appreciated.
Or, you could say, "I loved this fic because x y z... I had one quibble, though... do like to get constructive criticism, or would you rather not?" And then that leaves it in her court. (I got that idea from AAS's Guide to Giving Feedback.
(Thanks to elinora for the link on have_a_bicky, which is a comm for discussing feedback.)
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IMHO, inappropriate/non-deliberate word repetition can be construed as a mistake... as in I've had professors mark it, and if I notice it when I'm beta'ing, I mark it. Because it's not something the writer may notice when writing, but the reader does notice. So in this case, if you sent me this feedback, I might feel foolish, but I probably would not ask, "well, who are you to give this feedback?" Because while the extent that it bothered you is a matter of individual reaction, if she really was using an unusual word every few paragraphs, and it was not deliberate, then it's objectively (rather than subjectively) a mistake. You see what I'm saying? So you're on pretty solid ground there.
*goes to look for caffeine*
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Brilliant.
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I feel that I will not say anything though. I'm over the initial "ow, my brain with that word!" reaction, so it doesn't seem quite as important.
Thank you so much for your comments of this sensitive subject. It means a lot to me that you commented!
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