ACADEMY: A Guide to Giving and Receiving Criticism

[AceTrainer14]

Community Feedback:
A Guide to Giving and Receiving Criticism​

Reviewing is one of the most fundamental parts of fan fiction, but it is also one of the most difficult juggling acts we all take part in. Everyone wants to be reviewed, and at the end of the day, nearly all of us need it, but it is a difficult art to get right. It is tricky to give people feedback without outright offending them, and as an author, it can be just as hard to respond to the reviews: if someone just spent 500 words telling you your story is shit, are you then meant to thank them or tell them to fuck off?

I am no stranger to these issues. I very rarely review, something I constantly feel guilty about, and when I do get the rare review myself, I am prone to deconstruct my feedback. I do so as I want to get the most out of the review and know specifically what the person means, but it can be difficult to respond to a reviewer and not come across as a defensive douchebag.

In this month’s lesson, I wanted to provide some tips on getting the balance right. Over the years, various moderators have discussed the nature of writing reviews and being civil to one another (AetherX’s lesson still holds up after three years and is worth reading for a guide on what to put into your reviews), but this lesson will examine deeper not only how you should be reviewing, but how to do so as part of a community – and what to do when you disagree with the feedback.

The Reviewer
The first thing to note about reviewing is that anyone can write a review. I often see people saying they won’t review because they never know what to say, but reviewing isn’t some intricate, difficult act. All you have to do is state what you like and dislike about the story: anyone can read something and notice quotes, characters, scenes, descriptions that either bother them or make them want to read more. A review is simply writing those thoughts down and letting the author know what you think. If you read a chapter, there is nothing to stop you from posting a sentence or two sharing your thoughts and letting the author know you have read the story.

At the same time, as AetherX pointed out in his lesson, writing only a few lines is generally considered more of a response. Again, there is nothing wrong with that (and really, we should all be doing it), but reviews are generally a lot meatier, dissecting the entire chapter (or chapters) and going into much greater detail. Aether’s lesson covers the sort of things you can bring up in a review and how you can structure it, so in this lesson, I wanted to cover some etiquette things around reviewing.

- Firstly, a giant wall of negativity is never helpful. If your review constitutes a couple hundred words pointing out everything that’s wrong with the story, and only the flaws, you are more likely to annoy and/or disenchant the author than actually help them (especially if you just point out typos and grammatical errors – don’t be that guy, no one likes that guy). Even if you really didn’t like the story/chapter or there are too many issues to count, always aim to be constructive and reassuring.

- When being critical, be specific. Don’t just say something is terrible and have that simply be your review; that is the least helpful thing you could possibly post. Focus your criticism on specific areas, and if you want to be a really good reviewer, offer suggestions on how it could be improved. Authors need detail like that to improve. Don’t just list faults, offer solutions.

- On a similar note, avoid making overly-general comments. I cannot count the number of reviews I’ve received where people have told me “certain scenes” need improving but didn’t elaborate. If there are scenes you think need improving then just say what those scenes are: there is no word count to reviews, so you can say as much as you want. The less you give away in reviews the less helpful it will be to the author.

- Several other websites have brought about the rise of the sassy, funny critic, who will caustically tear apart your story, but there are jokes, so that makes all the cruel things they say totally fine, right? Well, on depends who it is. Some of those reviewers get requests from authors wanting to have their story hilariously ripped to shreds, either to feel acknowledged though more likely for some masochistic reasons, but not everyone is going to appreciate that style of criticism.

If you are reviewing someone’s story for the first time, probably don’t fill the review with quips like your Joss Whedon forcing yourself through the next Avengers script. Metaphors, jokes and references, especially bad ones, could distract the author from your actual criticism, and sarcasm can be easily misinterpreted on the internet. Most authors will think you’re a dick if you try and lighten up your review with nasty humour, and it’s more than likely to cause arguments. Once you have struck up a rapport with the author, you can really say what you want, but if you want them to take your first review seriously, try and be, for lack of a better word, professional.

- And just remember: praise is as important as criticism. Letting an author know what they have done well is just as important as telling them what they need to improve, and a few kind words will help soften the blow around what you had to criticise. Praise falls under the same rules as above: just posting at the end of a long list of criticisms “it was a good chapter” could give off conflicting vibes. Highlighting specific quotes, interactions, descriptions, whatever could brighten your author’s day.

In his lesson, Aether suggested three different ways you could structure your review. I personally find the ‘Quote Bomb’ (where the reviewer quotes every line/paragraph they want to respond to) the most useful when receiving reviews, but anything structured works. Working through the chapter in chronological order with a summary statement is probably the easiest way to do it.

@Beth Pavell wrote something in one of his old blog-based lessons I wanted to end this section with: when writing a review, before you post it, just ask yourself Is this the kind of review I’d like to get?

The Reviewee
One of the toughest things for any author to go through, especially a new one, is receiving criticism. We all crave reviews hoping people will tell us how utterly brilliant we are, but at the end of the day, mostly we will just get told how many times we misused ‘your’ and ‘you’re’. You have to leave it up to your readers how they review, but as an author, it is important not to gloss over or ignore the reviews you get.

- Firstly, try and take as much criticism on board as possible. Before you respond to the review in any way, perhaps read over the chapter again with their feedback in mind and see if they have a point. If a lot of people are bringing up the same criticisms time and time again, it would definitely be worth going over your story and seeing if you need a rewrite.

- Always remember that this is your story – you know where the plot and characters are going, you know how it’s all going to end. Fan fiction is like television or comics in a way, in that the story is being told in segments instead of being read at once like a book: people are only going to judge it on the most recent instalment, not the big revelation you have coming in ten chapters. Some people may not like a character, but they aren’t supposed to! The plot may be confusing, but that could be your intention. You don’t have to change your grand plan just because people don’t like where things are at in the moment: trust in your story and characters. However, going back to my first point, if most of the readers are complaining about certain elements, it may be worth exploring the earlier chapters again: that grand plan may fall apart if you haven’t put it together properly.

- In a similar vein: you don't have to take criticism lying down. This may sound controversial to some, but just because someone reviewed your story doesn't mean they are automatically right. If you think they misinterpreted a scene or don’t understand a character, or their criticism was vague and you don’t understand it, you have a right to respond. However, when responding to reviews, remember to be civil and argue your case calmly. If you reply with an overly defensive, expletive ridden rant defending your brilliance, they, and others, probably won’t come calling again. You have a right to reply, but exercise it carefully.

Ultimately, you should just accept the criticism, process it, evaluate your work, and carry on with the story. You are allowed to ask for more from your reviews, but don’t spend your whole life tearing apart the reviews – only ask questions/respond if you feel you absolutely have to. I am very guilty of being quite defensive of my work, but over the past year have begun to appreciate that fixing up old chapters is probably for the benefit of the story and characters. And really, if you have a dozen different people pointing out the same flaws, maybe they might be right?

The Reviewer Responds
I’ll be clear straight away: this could easily just be something I want to see more of and no one else cares about. However, a lot of the time when I respond to reviews, I’ll ask the reviewer to clarify something or bring up my own points but then will never get a response. As a reviewee, you could spend hours crafting an impeccable (in your eyes) review that covers every comma, full stop and quotation mark, but if the author doesn’t get what you are trying to say, then all that time is wasted.

- Firstly, respond to them calmly and rationally. You may be annoyed that the author is apparently ignoring all that criticism you gave them, but they are allowed to and there is nothing you can do to stop them. Really, you should be complimented that they even acknowledged your hard work. Whatever you do, never tell them they have to accept your criticism and must improve their story. You have to respond rationally and calmly, even if they didn’t, and explain your reasons.

- Try to answer their questions and expand on the criticism. If someone is asking for you to be more specific, then you might just have to accept the fact you weren’t in your initial review. Read your review again, maybe re-read the chapter, and make sure you get everything you want to say across with this second opportunity.

For both parties, don’t descend into an argument. If the author responds a second time, feel free to move on from the conversation: explaining yourself twice is the more than most people would do. They will likely get what you are saying in time, but don’t push them to accept your review as gospel.

In Review…
Fundamentally, there are two things to remember:

- If you are the reviewer, you want the person to take both your criticism and praise on board. You are wasting everyone’s time if your review makes no sense or distracts in any way from the feedback you are trying to get across

- If you are the reviewee, remember that the people reviewing are only trying to help you. You may not like what they say, and you can disagree, but very few people on this site review simply to be cruel. No one is going to tear apart your story because they feel like it.

Reviews are tricky. I’ve gotten reviews that have made me laugh, made me angry, and a few that have made me question the point of writing. Yet the single harshest, borderline cruel (in my eyes anyway) review I have ever received is the one that finally convinced me to look back over the first chapters of Eight Easy Steps. I wouldn’t have wished anyone else receive that level of criticism, and would not recommend anyone make that the norm, but there is a benefit to all types of reviews.

Reviews make fan fiction go around. If you are expecting people to review your stories, you should be prepared to do the same for them, even if you just tell them you are enjoying the story (remember, don’t post a one-sentence review just to tell them the story is shit). However, if you are going to take the time to review a story in depth, make sure you are as clear, to the point and civil as possible: be rude or vague and don’t be surprised if the author doesn’t accept your view.

And if someone takes the time to review your story, the least you can do is acknowledge them. You make think they are a horrible person because they don’t like your main character, but at the end of the day, they are doing you a favour: the very least you can do is thank them.


What do you think is the best way to review a story? How do you respond when you get hit with a wave of negative criticism? Are there any reviewers/authors you think have struck the perfect balance? Join the discussion!

 

[Sike Saner]

What do you think is the best way to review a story? How do you respond when you get hit with a wave of negative criticism? Are there any reviewers/authors you think have struck the perfect balance? Join the discussion!

1. Depends on the reviewer, the story, AND the author--there's no universally best anything when it comes to reacting to art; 2. I end up agreeing with the majority of critiques, though I don't always obey them, so to speak. When I don't, it's because a.) I still don't know what the proper fix is, b.) I'm something of a recovering perfectionist and trying to let a flaw slide so that I actually write forward rather than obsessively editing the same bit again and again and again, or c.) a bit of both; 3. Can't say. I make a point not to read reviews for other people's stories so's I don't subconsciously edit mine to make them fit in, so there's certainly a big chunk of the picture I'm not seeing. Really gauging the ability of a reviewer would require me to look over their responses to a large sample of stories/authors.

Haven't got much else to say at the moment, other than that I am proud as [insert expletive of choice here] that you bothered to mention that hey, sometimes the customer ain't right, and we're not actually obligated to cater to anyone. It's literally impossible to please every member of your audience, and blindly incorporating every bit of criticism is just as foolish as blindly rejecting it all. It took me entirely too long to really get that through my head. Hopefully anyone else who reads your post will have an easier time realizing that no, you really don't have to be everything to everyone.

 

[AceTrainer14]

It's important to remember to examine the criticism/feedback you receive carefully. The person will always have a point even if you don't agree with it, and criticism should not be automatically written off - especially if you have more than one person bringing up the same points.

However, it is equally keen to remember that it is your story at the end of the day, and that's something I think people need to be more aware of. I've faced plenty of criticism over Alaska and how she should be reacting to the events around her, and while I have taken notes and plan to make small changes in rewrites, her path of rejection, facing the consequences and slowly accepting her situation is how I have always intended it to be, and it would be a very different story if I had changed my plans.

 

[Beth Pavell]

Criticism shows up the line where writing really is an art. That's something often forgotten, but it's true - writing fiction is as much an art as making music or painting pictures. George Martin has this wonderful phrase I like to keep quoting: "Art is not a democracy". It's a nicely pithy phrase that cuts right to the heart of the matter. The artist isn't under any obligation to please his audience, assuming he's not expecting to be paid for his efforts.

But looking at this in the context of fanfiction - where by and large if an author puts up their work for public reading the assumption is that they want people to like it - a wise author listens to their audience. In practice that really means looking at criticism neutrally, at first. If your first reaction is to either accept it wholeheartedly or defend it insistently, then you're really not going to get much benefit from it.

Responding well publicly is a matter of being gracious. Personally, if I come across a comment that I think shows the reader has completely missed the point (Which is probably the most common comment I flat-out disagree with, and those are rare), I simply don't mention it. What would I have to gain from arguing my point? Art is not a democracy and it's my story, so in all practicality I really don't have to. I'd rather just say thank you for the review. Unless I come across something that's being nasty for the sake of nasty. Then I just ignore it

 

[AceTrainer14]

I strongly agree that criticism should be read neutrally. I try now to read every review a few times before responding in any way to ensure I have read it correctly, and try not to have any knee-jerk reactions unless the reviewer was particularly vile (but thankfully I've only ever gotten or seen a few reviews that have really disgusted me with how unpleasantly the reviewer framed their criticism.)

I think it is fine to ignore comments, but I also think it can do more harm than good to simply ignore comments or brush past them. If someone is going to keep reading and reviewing your story, and is going to keep bringing up the same incorrect points, you are doing them a disservice by allowing them to waste their time, and if you simply thank them for reviewing they will likely think they are doing a good job and keep going. I'll bring up the reviews I received for the second-to-last chapter of Eight Easy Steps, where kintsugi and Aether both criticised the campness of Bertram. His little remarks and jokes were my intention, and while they are welcome to dislike it, and it is a fair thing to criticise, I simply wanted to make it clear that was my goal. They are welcome to still feel the same way about it afterwards (I didn't exactly grill them in depth afterwards on whether they agreed with my POV), but I don't see any harm with authors simply stating what their intentions are. I for like to know what the author thinks of what I have to say, and actually get quite disappointed if they simply thank me: it comes across as an empty or obligatory acknowledgement that I reviewed rather than any hint that they showed any interest in what I had to say, whether positive or negative.

 

[1023475849038261304976210]

I disagree with specifics. I think that sometimes over the long course of a fanfic story there are vibes in events/characters/ etc that aren't easily picked up on in a single chapter, and focusing on very specific lines or paragraphs isn't helpful. Even within a long one-shot or chapter I feel that being too insistent on the specifics of why and where did it come off as this way can miss the point.

What do you think is the best way to review a story?

Clearly delineating personal responses vs general responses vs asking if that is how it is supposed to be/portrayed vs a review in a post is a good idea, though lengthy.

Letting someone know how their fanfiction came across as is important to reviewing, letting someone know I dislike this character/plot point/dialogue strongly vs This character comes across as (x) vs Is that the way you wanted them to be portrayed? vs (if no) Here are some suggestions so they come across as y(If reviewer has any suggestions).

Overall active reading, sharing one's opinion on it, and asking if the author meant it that way.

 

[Lord Kyuubi]

I'm not so good a person to have speaking on this topic really, but one thing I think is important to highlight in receiving reviews is that, as I believe has been mentioned, the reviewer is not always right as such, but they do always have a reason for saying whatever it is they're saying. Someone may criticise that a character is acting in a strange or unbelievable way when, just next chapter, it'll turn out that was deliberate and there was a good reason for it (ugh, generic examples, sorry, I can't do better without referring to an actual story). This doesn't tell the author that there's a problem with the characterisation as such, but rather that they didn't handle that scene or chapter properly - perhaps they should have given some more background or foreshadowing to the character acting like this, or simply just acknowledged in-story that they were acting oddly. Or something.

Don't have much else to say really, mostly I just agree with everything you've written here already, this was just one point I figured was worth drawing extra attention to because I felt it was important.

 

[Juliko]

I personally love it when readers and reviewers give me feedback or leave reviews on my work, especially concrit. I've gotten a couple of flames in my ten to eleven years of writing fan fics, but I always ignored them. I'll admit, I've come a long way since my very first fics from way back in 2005, especially my super terrible Super Robot Monkey Team fan fics from 7th grade. However, over the past two years, I've noticed that a lot of critics nowadays focus much more on faultfinding and attacking authors even for writing things readers don't like rather than offering constructive critique that actually helps a person see the flaws in their work. I've even seen some critics say that if writers don't conform to their demands, then they're bad people who don't care about anyone but themselves.

If anyone doesn't mind, I'd like to provide some examples of good concrit and bad concrit, because I think these will illustrate my point better than when I just explain it. (Some of these are long so I'm putting them under spoilers)

Good Concrit Examples:

Spoiler: Example 1

Hi! So, I just got caught up on this fic, and I wanted to say, I think you have some really good ideas for a Pokemon fic. It's rare to see a character who is confirmed as autistic as opposed to falling under the "Ambiguous Disorder" trope. So good for thinking of trying that!

I also wanted to say that I thought the conversation between Julia and her mother was very sweet. I got the sense that the mother really felt bad about Amara and was doing her best to help Julia understand, and the idea of them trying to reach out to Amara really looks like the start of something good! Well done on that!

That being said, there were two things in the most recent chapter that's been bothering me, both having to do with Morty's behavior (which is incredibly OOC for him, incidentally). I understand that you're writing this fic to combat stereotypes about autism, and that's he did to Julia - refusing to fight her because she was autistic - was rude and her being offended was perfectly understandable. But Morty refuses to fight her on the grounds that she'll throw a tantrum if she doesn't win and Julia reacts... by throwing something at his head and screaming at him.

So she pretty much DOES throw a tantrum.

Yes, I can understand her being frustrated. But I feel it would uphold the point being made and help Julia look like the better person if she fought her frustration and, say, chose to walk out on Morty with her head held high, proving that just because she was autistic didn't mean she couldn't keep a handle on her emotions. She could still break down, but maybe it would happen elsewhere, showing that even if she breaks down, it's on her terms. As it is, it just comes across as Morty being right about her. And that's something I really don't want to see, because I know what it's like to be so backed in a corner that I want to snap. I really want to be on Julia's side here. And I don't think it would be too hard for this to go so that I am.

The other thing that was bothering me is that while I'm sure you didn't intend it, there's really a double standard going on here. Earlier, you had Amara beating Whitney in a fair fight, but then Whitney refused to give her the badge because she claimed it was perfectly legal for gym leaders to deny trainers the badges at their own discretion. If that's the case, why is it so illegal for a gym leader to decide not to battle a trainer at their own discretion?

In both cases, the gym leader makes a decision that goes against conventional gym protocol, Amara and Julia both scream at them, but Whitney is treated as a hero and Amara a bratty child, while Morty apparently committed a severe crime and Julia is a hero. If we're supposed to think that Julia's justified in not being taken seriously, why not Amara? We only have Whitney's word about what Amara did wrong (and by Caiseal's own admission, he thought Whitney was a "crybaby and a ditz", which doesn't make her sound like a particularly reasonable authority figure). So if we're to accept that Whitney was in the right to deny Amara something she won, it seems unfair to also buy that Morty deserves a suspension. To be called out on his behavior, oh yes, definitely.

In the anime, Ash got his first two badges despite not actually finishing his battles against Brock and Misty, while Erika refused to battle him solely because he insulted perfume. Giovanni, meanwhile, used a Pokemon that was genetically engineered to be so powerful, it really probably fell under some sort of illegal advantage. My point is, The rules governing gym leader behavior don't strike me as being so strict that he'd be suspended for two months. Honestly, it'd make more sense if what he did wasn't actually illegal, but Julia was able to get him to understand just how hurtful what he said was and then get him to have a Pokemon battle with her, leading to him deciding to take a two-month sabbatical to learn more and avoid making the mistake of trusting stereotypes or wrong information the way he did.

I also thought it was a bit... much to have an actual Legendary Pokemon show up to congratulate him. It's great that Morty resolved to learn more about autism, but I think him just seeing the rainbow and, perhaps, Ho-Oh would have been sufficient. It strikes me as a very intimate moment of personal growth, so it would seem to me that a more natural, subtle symbol of this would fit better.

Spoiler: Example 2

Good evening, SaoirseParisa!

This story made me smile. There are so many wonderful things happening in this first chapter. I thought the story started at exactly the right place, introducting the main character Julia reading a Pokemon book on the day she was to be getting her very first Pokemon. It was fitting and it was easy to get into.

I want to talk about Julia and how much I adore her. I thought she sounded and acted exactly like an eleven year old would. Her ideas, her mannerisms, her decision-making…all of it was on point. The way she understands events and relates them back, of her mom being sad or her sister being angry or even her own wish for bravery…I loved the main character.

Kassia seems like the typical overworked mother dealing with a rowdy teenage daughter going through a phase. I like her, but I wish she was referred to as ‘Mom’ or ‘Mother’ instead of ‘Kassia’, as that is a little confusing. And, Julia’s father is referred to as ‘father’, so consistency here would be nice.

Amara. Something important is happening with Amara in the story. The first major crisis event in the chapter occurs when Amara is upset and shouting. Then we learn she used to have a totodile but beat it up numerous times and was blacklisted from ever owning another. This seems very, VERY important, and it comes across that way. In the real world, children who abuse animals are more likely to commit violent crimes, so as the reader here, Amara is making many alarm bells ring in my head.

The conflict on the way back to the Professor’s lab was particularly well written, and I think my favorite part of the chapter. The way the pichu tries to defend Julia warmed my heart, and I really enjoyed that part.

I think you have a really solid storyboard, with solid characterizations and great pacing. What I would recommend now is tightening word choice.

There is a lot of smiling and lips curling upward and chirruping in the piece. I don’t think anything is lost by simply cutting these out. Cliche phrasing like “eyes wide like saucers”, “breathing heavily like it had run a marathon”, and “stopped her in her tracks” tend to fly over like buzz words. Instead, when trying to describe how something is/feels, pick the third or fourth metaphor/simile that comes to mind. Memorable phrasing will make readers want to read the story again.

And the biggest editorial advice I have is to proofread for adverbs. In some places, like the scene with the beedrill attack, there was NONE and the writing was superb! I didn’t want to stop reading it!

But then when we get into dialogue heavy passages, more adverbs start to crop up. They sit heavy in the reader’s mind as they continue, and when used repeatedly, tend to pull readers out of the story. Because I thought there might be an overabundance of them, I tracked the adverbs through the end of the chapter, along with their frequencies:

Happily x3, cheerfully, curiously, simply x3, sweetly x2, gently x3, suddenly x4, quietly x4, diligently x2, nervously, gratefully, usually, certainly x2, luckily x2, badly, contentedly x2, willfully
potentially, insouciantly, ruefully, loudly, especially, heavily, normally x2, severely x2, completely x2, gradually, shyly, joyfully, definitely, recently, carefully, politely, funnily, sheepishly

If you can remove even half of these, your writing will be much tighter and leave more of a punch.

But really, the world building here was truly fantastic. I’m only vaguely familiar with Pokemon, yet I didn’t have any questions about the rules of the world by the end. All of the bases were covered, everything was fleshed out…it was a delight to read. I hope you continue to write. You are very talented.

Spoiler: Example 3

This was a bittersweet tale. I really loved how the narrator (who I'm guessing is Lucas, based on your character tags) is talking to his brother. I do wish the reader knew exactly how this was being presented, though. Is it in letter form? Or is he standing at the grave site, speaking with him? Though I liked the story and I realize the audience was meant to have a view inside Lucas' head, I felt like there were some parts that felt unnatural...

Mainly the part where he speaks about how his mother died. I don't know Lucas' age, but I wonder if any child would say, "Oh, do you remember how that creature took Mom into its mouth and ate her up?" Now, I do understand you're trying to describe the scene, and no matter what Lucas' age is, I'm sure he has a memory of it. However, I feel like it might serve the story better if it was a bit more showing over telling.

Perhaps some thoughts about the death instead. For example:

Do your remember how Mom died? I sure do. The memory of it... I wake up screaming in the middle of the night. All I can see is that...thing...taking her into its mouth. Seeing those teeth in her chest... (and then I might have the character trail off). Then mention the bit about the father...and then he could say how the image of the teeth in his mother's chest is etched into his memory forever.

Something like that. I feel like the way you have it written actually has less of an impact, and I might do the same technique with him remembering what happened to his brother. I realize in a story where there is no dialogue, it's a bit more difficult to show over tell, but I think changing things around a bit and adding the emotion in the narrator's voice that way will make this story pop a bit more.

However, I will say that I thought you did an amazing job of portraying what Lucas went through. I will say the emotion did come through at the end, but I'd love to see it more throughout the piece, because even if it's been a while since it happened, revisiting such events would take a toll on any person. I love that he apologizes to his mother and brother.

I also love that you have a light at the end of the tunnel...that he did get help and that their father did as we;;. I also love that he says he doesn't want to be sad forever. It's not easy to deal with the death of two family members in what I think was a war or battle of some sort.

This was a beautiful piece. I didn't see any SPAG errors, so kudos there. I feel like you could have brought the emotion out a bit more in spots, but overall, well done!

^The above examples I spoilered are what I consider to be good concrit, because not only do they explain certain aspects of the stories they refer to and their flaws in a professional, civilized manner, they offer suggestions on how to improve on them and manage to slip in some genuine praise on the parts they consider to be good. They keep their concrit civil, down-to-earth, and let the authors know that what they do with their story is up to them, accepting that the author has a right to refuse their advice. This is the kind of concrit that people should use.

Bad Concrit Examples: (Warning: Some of these drop the F bomb, which is another reason why I'm putting them under spoilers)

Spoiler: Example 1

To be honest I don't think there's any saving this? No matter what you do and how much you revamp, it's always going to be hugely problematic, offensive, and outright racist. In all honesty, it should be scrapped entirely.

Spoiler: Example 2

Hello uh

So. Rape scene. And abuse. In a Precure fanseries.

You keep saying in those fancure confessions that you promised to improve in them but... honestly, where is it? Where's the fucking improvement? Because frankly I barely see them. And actually, I doubt you even improved at all.

Do you really fuckign think that something like RAPE and ABUSE and RAMPANT ABLEISM IS ACCEPTABLE IN A /PRECURE FANSERIES?!/

Like please. Fucking amuse me. What made you think that ANY OF THESE IS FUCKING OKAY? You said that there would be a good ending? Yeah sure okay I'll fucking bite. BUT AT WHAT FUCKING COST?! THE MURDER?! holy shit it's not even worth it it's just a fucking murderfest. a dark and edgy /afterschool special/ that is supposed to be a PRECURE FANSERIES? A SHOW ABOUT LITTLE GIRLS FIGHTING FOR HOPE AND LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP? bruh

I... I absolutely have no other words oh my god YOU TRIGGERED ONE OF MY FRIENDS, ACTUALLY. INCREDIBLE

of course my inbox will always be open to any of your whiteknights who are utterly imbecilic enough to defend this problematic mess

Spoiler: Example 3

As a person on the spectrum, who also has an older brother that's also higher on the spectrum than I am, Twilight Precure is offensive. You spend so much time s*** on your characters to make people feel sorry for them, rather than try and write a realistic story with real characters, and the result is something that quite honestly is atrocious. What's more instead of actually listening to the crit you get, you instead run back to safe waters where everyone has already shown a clear bias towards you and your fanseries to pat you on the back and tell you that your story and writing is okay, rather than try to actually improve- and that's no good. That's a trap. It's easy to fall back onto the reassurances of people who will tell you what you want to hear, but you will never improve that way. Take the crit you get, buckle up, and learn from it.

Spoiler: Example 4

One of the very first things I told you when I gave you crit was that the whole "gangbanger r-apist" thing was unnecessary. I distinctly remember telling you that something else - like a corrupt politician, perhaps - would be better for the story as a whole. The reason I brought it up was not because of Marina's ridiculous "here is my tragic backstory spiel" but because a gangbanger r-apist is entirely inappropriate for a setting is a franchise aimed at 5 year old girls.

So, uh, episode 13? With the whole "Marina's dad is a gangbanger r-apist who not only r-aped his wife repeatedly but then r-aped and murdered a 5 year old kid and that's why he's in jail"?

I, uh. I don't have any nice way to say this, so I'm just going to be really REALLY frank.

What the hell is wrong with you?

Why in god's name would you ever - E V E R - think that was appropriate? Especially with your complete ineptitude to handle ANYTHING SERIOUS with the grace and respect it outright deserves? I seriously want to know what your thought process was for "So I want to give my bully character a sad backstory that explains why she's so mean to everyone else - OH I KNOW. LET'S MAKE HER DAD A MURDERING R-APIST P***." Did you seriously think that was okay? Because it's not. Maybe in the hands of a capable writer, a story about what happens when a father does something completely disgusting and how it affects the rest of the family could be amazing. But you? You shove it into an episode with complete disrespect to people who have been in that situation, for the sake of what? DRAMA? Angst? I can't put faith in a story where the author won't even treat things like that with the gravity and respect they deserve, all for some cheap tragic backstory whatnot. I don't care if you're trying to do something different - there's a goddamn line. And the line is "don't ever put something in a story if you're not going to delve into it properly." Things like r*** and murder, p***, child death, homophobia... - these are all serious damn things. And if you can't write them properly, they shouldn't be in your story at all, much less a Precure fanseries. This isn't about rewriting your chapters and looking for a beta, this is about you *sincerely looking at everything you've written so far* and asking yourself "Is this appropriate? Am I writing this well? Am I handling this tactfully and not beating people over the head with it?" Your track record has been pretty abysmal so far, to be honest.

^As you can see, not only do these particular examples focus only on the bad parts of the story, or the parts of the stories they personally don't like, but they make demands as though they own the story and claim that the author is a bad person and make a huge spectacle out of a problem instead of engaging in a civilized dialogue about it. They also put words in the author's mouths, act completely irrational, and act as though they know the author's motivations better than they do. Concrit should be about HELPING people, not jumping to conclusions about them, putting words in their mouths, and making them out to be bad people, whether they didn't write sensitive issues well or writing about criminals or stuff like that.

It also doesn't help that some of these people not only don't offer solutions to the problem, but they instead resort to calling names and catastrophizing the problem. As a result, any concrit they offer and valid points they attempt to make are invalidated by their immaturity. So, instead of helping or offering solutions, they're flaming, name calling, degrading, demeaning, exaggerating, and catastrophizing. This is not helpful to ANYONE no matter what they write or their skill level, and this kind of behavior should not be encouraged or condoned. Trust me, I speak from experience.

 

[Beth Pavell]

This actually brings to mind something I'd forgotten about: where "Don't like, don't read" becomes appropriate. For me the line is pretty clear - if, as a casual reader, you find yourself hating a story and keep on reading anyway just to throw bile at it, then it's appropriate to have "Don't like, don't read" said to you. And certainly as far as the Workshop is concerned, if your reviews cross the line over to outright flames, then you're in trouble.

 

[Drakon]

There's one element of reviewing that hasn't been covered yet.

Keep your ego/skillset out of your reviews.

By that, I mean don't flaunt your writing abilities or authorial credentials or such. It does nothing to enhance the review and it comes off as quite insulting.

---------------

As for a review dissection, this is a really dickish review someone sent me:

Your writing is legible. For your ego's sake, it's best I leave it at that.
'Cept I won't.

Your dialogue punctuation is incorrect, you can't stick to a single character's perspective, the exposition is drab and utilitarian, the dialogue stilted, your comma placement (or non-placement, in many cases) is skewered, the plot progression rushed, your homonym usage wrong, the descriptions repetitive, and the characters are far too accepting to feel realistic or develop in any meaningful way over the course of the story.

And that's the "short" version.

If you can swallow that bitter pill and say "please" with enough inflection, I might be persuaded to throw some tips your way.

Let's see what's wrong with it...

Your writing is legible. For your ego's sake, it's best I leave it at that.
'Cept I won't.

Mocking the author with a backhanded complement.
Openly stating they don't care about the writer's feelings

Your dialogue punctuation is incorrect, you can't stick to a single character's perspective, the exposition is drab and utilitarian, the dialogue stilted, your comma placement (or non-placement, in many cases) is skewered, the plot progression rushed, your homonym usage wrong, the descriptions repetitive, and the characters are far too accepting to feel realistic or develop in any meaningful way over the course of the story.

No examples nor suggestions provided.

If you can swallow that bitter pill and say "please" with enough inflection, I might be persuaded to throw some tips your way.

Flaunting of reviewer's ego and arrogance
Mocking author by demanding they beg for reviews

------------------

I'd also like to dispel the notion by some "critics" that harsh or even abrasive criticism is better for writers than polite criticism.

It makes writers less likely to listen to other critics who may actually be polite.

It ruins the critic's credibility.

 

[AceTrainer14]

@Drakon: I did discuss briefly in the article about reviewers who are sassy and rude for the sake of being sassy and rude, though I did not look at it from the ego angle. I think ego generally is an issue in fan fiction: I think when people get too much validation and recognition, they generally seem to view themselves and their work as being more worthy than other people's. I think in reviewing it is more that some people have seen 'success' in being bitchy and horrible to other people, and it is now a style that I think many on the internet try to copy as they try to 'stand out' or seem like a big man to strangers on the internet. That review you shared is a perfect example of this type of vile bullying that exists online, but the sad thing is some people seem to enjoy getting that level of criticism.

 

[Octomo]

Reviewing is something that a writer would brag about it in the back of their book. Well, that what my teacher would say. But in my opinion, reviewing a writer's story is helpful to the writer, who could improve and get better at it, and the readers who want to read it but not sure if it worth it. I agree that receiving and giving criticism is hard to shallow. If the writer is sensitive (like myself) of critique, how would they improve? If the reader is sensitive, how would he/she be helper to the writer?

My teacher once said about the difference between feedback and critique. Feedbacks are nice comments to the plot, characters, scenes, etc. While critique is more of how the writer writes, how he/she describe the scenes, the characters and their roles, the dialogue, etc. Some people would rather have feedback than critique, feedback is nice to have at times but critique is more important. I haven't wrote any fanfic for a while so I can't say much about the feedback and critique in that topic.

 

[Juliko]

I'd also like to dispel the notion by some "critics" that harsh or even abrasive criticism is better for writers than polite criticism.

It makes writers less likely to listen to other critics who may actually be polite.

It ruins the critic's credibility.

I agree with this SO HARD. I personally don't mind concrit, in fact I love it, as long as its rational, calm, and civil. But if it's too harsh and more about pointing out a fic's flaws in an abrasive manner, then I don't see why some people have to listen.

 

[Charles Legend]

Look the thing that bothers me is when reviewers solely focus on the issues they with the authors, and do not say anything really about what was happening within the chapter itself. Now as fas how I review I will not that I do respect the author's artistic licenses even if something doesn't make much logical sense.

 

[AceTrainer14]

Look the thing that bothers me is when reviewers solely focus on the issues they with the authors, and do not say anything really about what was happening within the chapter itself. Now as fas how I review I will not that I do respect the author's artistic licenses even if something doesn't make much logical sense.

What do you mean by 'issues they (have, I assume?) with the author'?

I do strongly believe that people should try and see things from the author's perspective when reading/reviewing, but if it is a matter of logic, the reviewer still can and should be allowed to point out any flaws: if it is a logical error, it could easily mean the author perhaps did not plan properly or made a mistake, and fixing it could be to the benefit of the story.

 

[Charles Legend]

What do you mean by 'issues they (have, I assume?) with the author'?

I do strongly believe that people should try and see things from the author's perspective when reading/reviewing, but if it is a matter of logic, the reviewer still can and should be allowed to point out any flaws: if it is a logical error, it could easily mean the author perhaps did not plan properly or made a mistake, and fixing it could be to the benefit of the story.

What I was namilly talking about how I have a bad habit of writing in lemons into my story, that and I love to write about my main character getting genderbent from male to female... XD

While I do agree with you, the problem however is that sometimes there can be reviewers who flat out flame the author for apparently being a bad writer instead of at least trying to help them out become a better writer.

 

[AceTrainer14]

While I do agree with you, the problem however is that sometimes there can be reviewers who flat out flame the author for apparently being a bad writer instead of at least trying to help them out become a better writer.

Hence this lesson on how people should not be doing that If someone is just obviously being rude and personal, the easiest thing to do is to avoid them and, if your on this site, report them so we can investigate (I wouldn't recommend reporting on FF.net, just because that doesn't seem to have any effect). If you try and argue with someone who is only out to hurt you, then you are letting them win. Just ignore them and move on with your day.

 

[Charles Legend]

Hence this lesson on how people should not be doing that If someone is just obviously being rude and personal, the easiest thing to do is to avoid them and, if you're on this site, report them so we can investigate (I wouldn't recommend reporting on FF.net, just because that doesn't seem to have any effect). If you try and argue with someone who is only out to hurt you, then you are letting them win. Just ignore them and move on with your day.

Actually it was not here or FF.net, however it's still good advice none the less. for that I thank you for your helpful and friendly advice.

Anyways for how I review to tell you the truth I haven't really done any as of late, however I more often will point out the good stuff in the chapters rather than pointing out problems unless I can actually tell it's a parable.

 

[Drakon]

Another thing I've seen reviewers do is assail an author for going against commonly held fan beliefs or fanon.

It's called fanon for a reason. It's something the fans came up with. Authors are not beholden to them and it incredibly entitled to think that they must adhere to what the fans believe.

The last two are things I've seen Farla on FF.net do:

1.) Don't post your reviews and replies you get somewhere else and pair them with caustic commentary. Far too often, something like this turns into a digital lynching of the story and author.

2.) Don't attack authors for offending your principles and imply that they're incompetent or bad people.

 

[Juliko]

2.) Don't attack authors for offending your principles and imply that they're incompetent or bad people.

More people should definitely follow this rule. I've been on the receiving end of this in another fandom before this, and I don't want that happening to others, too. I've seen one of my friends be unnecessarily lambasted all because she wanted to write an original story about sentient shapes who go to Earth and save it from evil, but people were too hung up on her giving them genders and accusing her of sexism and "implying that non-binary people don't exist."

The last two are things I've seen Farla on FF.net do:

Is this person famous or something? I've gotten one review from her, but it was decent. Though I have noticed that they seem to post the same grammar rules in every single review they write.