I hate it when Sol takes my responses away....

dracognan wrote:

It is a (though) [tough] job to be objective when reviewing, it is tougher still when you see a glimmer of a promise in what, let's be sincere, you wouldn't read in any other place or site but here...The question for me its whether a writer will accept a th[or]ough review, one that will probably sound harsh, or callous but that is not in reality.  Do we have to step lightly while we review a work that could be better by pointing out the myriad of problems that we see?...It doesn't mean we have to bash stories just for the heck of it, but if we see the promise of something that is being derailed by the author. I think the honest thing to do is to tell them they are screwing up so they can get better.
My two cents.
Saludos!

Hi dracognan - I agree with you, amigo. Yes, the honest thing is to tell the writer he or she is screwing up. However, given human nature, it is HOW you tell them they are screwing up that determines whether your critiques are heeded or not.

Of course, starting out a review by mentioning some positive aspect or two of the writer's work is always the best way to begin. I like to use humor myself and often point out my own similar shortcomings when I first began to write and post on the site. In other words, simply demonstrate a respect for that person and your wish to improve their work, not judge them.

True, some will never accept any criticism, primarily because they are here for warm and fuzzy, uncritical confirmation and not for improvement. If you get a negative reaction, though you have done your best as stated above, smile, say thanks for the feedback and move on to another writer who will be more inclined to benefit from your time, effort and insights.

Hang around, there are many good writers on this site!

Ciao - R A Keen

Hi, I am just beginning today and your information and suggestions are very helpful.

Thanks, mistygreen

Hi, L.P. I wish everyone would read this post. On Sunday I had someone attack my short story, accusing me of being very bitter and other things. Not to mention the person gave me a 2 rating. Well I became wary that others might feel the same way and deleted my story. But then I thought, why should I let them tell me how to write? So I reposted. My story's not a memoir because I don't think it would be possible to transfer to a peanut, though I'd like to sometimes. For fun I changed the title of my fiction to "Memoir of a Peanut." I guess I hit that reader's nerve. )

Mahgol wrote:

Hi, L.P. I wish everyone would read this post. On Sunday I had someone attack my short story, accusing me of being very bitter and other things. Not to mention the person gave me a 2 rating. Well I became wary that others might feel the same way and deleted my story. But then I thought, why should I let them tell me how to write? So I reposted. My story's not a memoir because I don't think it would be possible to transfer to a peanut, though I'd like to sometimes. For fun I changed the title of my fiction to "Memoir of a Peanut." I guess I hit that reader's nerve. )

You may think it was a bad review - very well may be - but obviously, it made you think about what you had written. Food for thought is really what getting a review is all about; you take from it what you can/wish while ignoring the rest. When you get to that point, then you may consider yourself to have arrived at what learning is all about and you lose no sleep, waste no energy on what you might consider someone's ignorance. Just my opinion, which also includes the numbers being meaningless the way they are used. Good luck. Take care. Vern

Last edited by vern (06-24-2010 12:01:20)

R A Keen wrote:

dracognan wrote:

It is a (though) [tough] job to be objective when reviewing, it is tougher still when you see a glimmer of a promise in what, let's be sincere, you wouldn't read in any other place or site but here...The question for me its whether a writer will accept a th[or]ough review, one that will probably sound harsh, or callous but that is not in reality.  Do we have to step lightly while we review a work that could be better by pointing out the myriad of problems that we see?...It doesn't mean we have to bash stories just for the heck of it, but if we see the promise of something that is being derailed by the author. I think the honest thing to do is to tell them they are screwing up so they can get better.
My two cents.
Saludos!

Hi dracognan - I agree with you, amigo. Yes, the honest thing is to tell the writer he or she is screwing up. However, given human nature, it is HOW you tell them they are screwing up that determines whether your critiques are heeded or not.

Of course, starting out a review by mentioning some positive aspect or two of the writer's work is always the best way to begin. I like to use humor myself and often point out my own similar shortcomings when I first began to write and post on the site. In other words, simply demonstrate a respect for that person and your wish to improve their work, not judge them.

True, some will never accept any criticism, primarily because they are here for warm and fuzzy, uncritical confirmation and not for improvement. If you get a negative reaction, though you have done your best as stated above, smile, say thanks for the feedback and move on to another writer who will be more inclined to benefit from your time, effort and insights.

Hang around, there are many good writers on this site!

Ciao - R A Keen

A novel idea.

Mahgol, I really like your name.

Hey, I just read for my first review.  Impressed overall, there are a zillion or so "bits" having to do with mundane matters like punctuation and pronoun reference.  What to do?  Personally, I'd appreciate "catches" in name of editing.  Others (whom I don't know and who don't know me) . . . wish me luck!  And no, I'm not saying who I am or whom I read!  Ha!

There were really people who you could hardly understand, and what annoying about them was that they will talk trash about you just because they didn't like what you wrote, well this should be the deal, criticize the literary piece but not the author,..

well, i guess you just can't please everyone, right?