Lifetime Fic Bingo: 2012

[tinturtle]

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It's 2012, and people are talking a variety of nonsense about the Mayan calendar. Psy is on the radio. Here in the USA, the year's top film is The Avengers. New terms coined include: escape room, generative AI, hot take, JOMO, and reaction GIF

Comments

[dancingpony]

Just an addendum: That particular thread was posted while I was traveling to my father’s funeral, so I didn’t see it. But my opinion is still basically the same as what I wrote above, ie, that it’s sad if fanfic writers want only generalized gushing and get upset over constructive criticism.

It might help any anxiety you feel over hurting a writer’s feelings to keep in mind that a review of a newly posted story and a review of an older story are different to some extent. If someone is posting a new story and you post a review, they’re most likely going to see it. And there are things the writer can do to head off negative comments if they don’t want to see them. They can post in a place where the community understanding is that only positive comments are acceptable. Or, if they’re posting to someplace like AO3, they can include a note that they’d prefer not to receive critical comments and/or select a setting where comments have to be approved.

On the other hand, you’re posting reviews of stories that were posted a long time ago. There’s a good chance that many of the writers will never see what you write … so you’re reviewing the stories more to help other readers (who might want to check them out) than to praise the writer or to point out a problem. So I still think it’s appropriate for you to explain - as long as you do it nicely - why you didn’t care for a story. It’s not hurting a writer (who might not ever see it) for you to say that you don’t care for a particular form of characterization or particular theme. But it can help other readers.

[tinturtle]

Thanks for checking out the thread and for your thoughtful response. Probably I should keep doing what I've been doing. Nobody has reacted negatively to my actual posts.

It's true that with older fics, many authors will never see my reviews. I've had quite a few respond, though. (olden_fan, whose user name I had not connected to her pen name, was very gracious about my review of The Traitor Within the Gates Affair from 1987. I thought that fic was very good overall, but discussed my quibbles at some length.) In the case of the fic I didn't like from this year, the author is very active on LiveJournal, though I don't think she reads my posts and I didn't earburn her.

For fics posted on AO3, I often convert my reviews into comments. I only do that with the positive ones, though, or the positive portions of the mixed ones. Comments are for the author, not for other readers in the way my write-ups are, and there is definitely a norm that they should only include criticism if requested.

[olden_fan]

I read your reviews, at least for MFU fics. I’m afraid it is my only fandom!

You do you. You are wise and insightful, and I admire your persistence!