Everyone is talking about how hurtful it is to mention that you don't like something and to maybe discuss why this might be when something similar appeals. It's also hurtful to be attacked for not liking something when you've gone out of your way to make it known that you have nothing against the people who do happen to like that thing. Especially in a discussion that started out with explaining the possible origins of that dislike. A discussion that was supposed to be about understanding ended up with some people attacking others about daring to express a negative opinion about something (which is what I meant when speaking about negativity. Not people treating others badly or saying nasty things, just that some people are going to think negatively about things that don't appeal to them. "No, I don't like that genre" isn't a bad thing to say. It is, however, technically negative
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Hey, you aren't alone! I don't like AH fic either. If it is supposed to be about Spike, it needs to be about a vampire. Not some man called Spike! I've read it, and it just doesn't float my boat. Like slash. That doesn't either. But try telling people you don't like that!
It's this whole thing of some people are just unable to accept that others may not love the things they love and so therefore they must not have done it right and if they only tried they would.
I have long since learned to quietly pass by and just not comment. But I wanted to say I know how you feel, and *hugs*.
My response to you as someone who enjoys slash is... cool! ^__^ It's great that we all have different likes and dislikes. *hugs* Thank you for the supportive reply.
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
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Kathleen? I love your fic. Some of my favourites of your fics are saved on my hard drive so that I can still re read them when the internet is down! You are generous, and supportive to writers. When I look at the comments in sites like EF, your comment is always constructive and positive (even if I personally thought the grammatical errors and tense switches in the story concerned made it almost unreadable!)
Don't let a few idiots put you off, please. PLEASE! (supportive, not aggressive!)
Hey Kathleen! I get what you're saying. I haven't been through the SB today, so I'm at a remove. I have been on a forum though that has a thread called something like "what I hate in a fanfic" and I finally just suggested that we have a "what I like in a fanfic" because everybody hates something, and so what? There is another active thread in which there is a lot of discussion of deus ex machina in a particular (mostly beloved) fic, and there is a full spectrum of thought about its use, from "totally works" to "nope". It's a story with a lot of spirituality in it, so the hand of god isn't exactly surprising
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"I just see an issue that is difficult to resolve: is fanfic a hobby or is it art?" Ooh, EXCELLENT point! Sunalso and Zabjade pretty much reached the same thing in different words in the SB: some authors want to get better, some want to have fun in peace.
I see fic mostly as art, I think, so for my part, I can even feel a bit offended if someone omits all criticism and gives me praise that I feel is exaggerated. It can sometimes feel like they don't respect me enough to be honest or like they don't care if I succeed at doing the thing well. And I know general discussion of how not to write has helped me.
It's like one cannot win when talking about fic. :D Unless everyone involved has been painstakingly clear about what they expect, that is.
I guess erring on the side of too much positivity *is* the safer way to go.
I don't think there's a clear difference between a hobby and an art, nor do all pursuers of hobbies or art have the same opinions about wanting to improve or not.
I think the question of whether a negative review helps you improve or not is probably more relevant. By a negative review, I mean an "ew, what a terrible premise" review, not a thoughtful "hey, have you considered x?" review." I think a review like that doesn't help anyone improve, and therefore whether you wanted to improve or not is sort of moot.
"Perhaps a better way to phrase an opinion like that would be to say something along the lines of, "the reason XYZ doesn't appeal to my tastes is..." instead of using emotionally charged words like hate or ick or the like..." This is a good idea. I like and admire you very much. I'm sorry to hear you have such a tough time with criticism. *hugs*
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It's this whole thing of some people are just unable to accept that others may not love the things they love and so therefore they must not have done it right and if they only tried they would.
I have long since learned to quietly pass by and just not comment. But I wanted to say I know how you feel, and *hugs*.
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Don't let a few idiots put you off, please. PLEASE! (supportive, not aggressive!)
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I see fic mostly as art, I think, so for my part, I can even feel a bit offended if someone omits all criticism and gives me praise that I feel is exaggerated. It can sometimes feel like they don't respect me enough to be honest or like they don't care if I succeed at doing the thing well. And I know general discussion of how not to write has helped me.
It's like one cannot win when talking about fic. :D Unless everyone involved has been painstakingly clear about what they expect, that is.
I guess erring on the side of too much positivity *is* the safer way to go.
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I think the question of whether a negative review helps you improve or not is probably more relevant. By a negative review, I mean an "ew, what a terrible premise" review, not a thoughtful "hey, have you considered x?" review." I think a review like that doesn't help anyone improve, and therefore whether you wanted to improve or not is sort of moot.
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