Potpourri

[silburygirl]

It occurs to me, as I sit here atop the bookshop's space heater, nibbling at my breakfast burrito and contemplating life, that I suck at leaving reviews. It seems particularly relevant at the moment, because the sshg_exchange is posting, which means that I have to review rather a lot of fic.

Comments

[harmony_bites]

I have a hard time reviewing, and for a lot of the reasons you've expressed. Well, here's the thing, I'd have one of say 4 reactions to a fic:

1) I hated it. Well, when it comes to the Exchange I suck it up and review anyway, because I want to support the Exchange, I realize how brave and challenging it is to write to a prompt and on deadline and I feel it's part of being a good citizen when I've taken part. Other than in the Exchange I've sometimes reviewed fics I've hated to be supportive of a friend or newbie and when I've had often it's come back to bite me (and the biter usually has rabies)

2) I mostly disliked it, but it had things I really liked. Well, concrit is discouraged on the Exchange and I rather agree with that (See, the part about writing to prompts on deadline) And even when it's not the Exchange, I've found leaving crit in reviews pretty thankless. Most people in this ship don't want it and don't appreciate it--even if they say they do. So then I try to point out what I liked, and gently at most allude to what I disliked as a question (and sometimes how I feel seeps through anyway to my chagrin)

3) I loved it, but it had things I disagree with (see above)

4) I loved it. Believe it or not, I often find this the hardest to express w/o coming across as a complete boob. I find it hard to give praise in ways that really do justice to what I loved actually.

[silburygirl]

I'm completely with you on all of those-I feel like anytime I review something I don't like, the author can tell... I can see it in their responses.

Or maybe I'm just paranoid.

[harmony_bites]

Or maybe I'm just paranoid.

Paranoids have enemies too....

Most people aren't that good at reviews. I've rarely seen ones that are long, meaty and insightful both in praise and crit. Maybe if we were more encouraging of crit, of the practice of expressing those parts of a story that didn't work for us, we'd be better at the praise part, and it would come across more often as sincere.