Sickened Cynic Soaring Sadly
This rant isn't rhetorical. I'm making it public because I would really like some answers. Even if someone doesn't have an LJ account, feel free to post anonymously or something. Please. Also, if you missed the text cut, skip if rants annoy your socks off.
So, I just went into the One Piece fanfiction archives and looked at the reviews of a fic that ( Read more... )
1) I am lazy. I'll admit it. I am. It's easier to just either not say anything or drop a quick line saying, "Hey, nice job!" Full on critiquing is serious business, and I just don't wanna do it most of the time. I read for recreation! *whine, moan, complain* That having been said, I do beta read on occasion, and I do try to take that very seriously.
2) I don't like to feel like I'm being mean. I like the Thumper philosophy--"If you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nothin' at all." I try to include something positive with every negative thing I have to say, and sometimes it's hard to find enough good. I also start to feel like I might be nit-picky, and I hate that!
3) I had someone once tell me that a review was not the place to point out errors, and while I disagree to an extent, I get that. A review really ought to be more a place to express your overall impression of a piece. Now, unless it's something quick, I tend to bite my figurative tongue or send more extensive editorial diatribe in a PM, but only if the author asks for it. (Yeah, 3 is sort of connected to 2...)
What they hey, I'll throw in a number 4 that I think is probably a big part of people refraining.
4) Serious concrit is rarely well-received by the people who really need it, anyway. Get enough ungracious responses and people ignoring you deliberately, and you tend to stop trying. Even when people say they want concrit, they don't always mean it. It can be a bitter pill to swallow sometimes.
Sorry if that sounds super cynical... ;_; (I'm a bit of a pessimist, you see.)
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