Alright. Someone has to say this. Might as well be me.

[stoney321]

I'm the mean girl, right? The one who thinks it's okay for people to have an opinion? To believe in criticism? Yes, I've mocked stuff, but CREAM OF CUM? Oh, please. I don't mock people who are genuine and sincere in their drive to be good writers. And I NEVER name names, because I'm not in junior high. But do I believe that everything being written in the fandoms I follow is gold? Oh, hell no. This "cult of nice" we have taking over is driving me nuts.

Everything your friend writes isn't wonderful. Everything YOU write isn't wonderful (before the wank begins, please know that I'm including myself in that.) Just because you've written one thing that got "praise" or "acclaim" doesn't mean that EVERYTHING you produce after is as good. Or should be pimped. Or recced. Or listed in a newsletter. There are people, such as myself, that depend on newsletters like the Herald and Jedi_News, for example, to find the good fic. I don't want to read a story filled with spellin erars and bad punctuat-ion.; I count on the EDITORS - did you see that word? They are editors. Which means they have the right to not list junk - that's the JOB DESCRIPTION. I count on them to find the good stuff. People who whine and wage little passive-agressive wars to get their fic/whatever recced are missing the point - and undermining the editors' jobs.

You aren't getting pimped? THERE IS A REASON. It's a hard reason, sure. I'm not listed every time I write something. And you know what? That's fine - it makes the times that I am that much sweeter. It means I've improved. I've written something noteworthy. Not that I've simply written something. I don't get pimped a lot. I don't get recced a lot. You know what? I'm taking the time to analyze my writing and GET BETTER. I'm not creating a cabal and fabricating reasons due to BNFism and so forth. That's a very easy way to be lazy and not improve as a writer. Also, if someone leaves a comment that has beta-remarks in it, that is NOT a flame. Paynbow left a beta-remark on a fic I wrote a while back, and I grumbled to myself, because I didn't want to hear it. You know what? SHE WAS RIGHT. And I like my fic more because of the correction she offered. How is that bad?

WANTING excellence from our fellow fen isn't a bad thing. It's making us better. Why on earth is this "mean?" Now, I'm not in any way saying that people shouldn't write what they're going to write. But this hiding behind your "muse" (god, I LOATHE that word) and saying what you do is "art" and there are errors all over the place and I can't recognize who the HELL you are writing about except that I know the name? That ain't art. That's crack. And there ain't nothing wrong with a little crack. Just own up to being a Garwood and not Garfunkle. Garwood sells a lot of books at the supermarket. But I know I'd rather be Garfunkle and have "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" on my resume*.

Thoughts? Gripes? Complaints? Fling poo at me? (And I swear to god, I read one more Sparrington fic where Jack and Norrington hold hands and skip, and my hed gonna asplode.)

* Garfunkle did not write the words, but helped with music and arrangements, and you GET MY POINT SMASH. Hahaha!

Comments

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

Is that Campbell's Cream of Cum?

I think they served that at my work's restaurant today.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh, you mean this? *points to icon* I mean, HONESTLY. Cream of CUM. Without IRONY.

[elisi]

Yay! ::appalauds::

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Feel free to toss in your two cents. I am ALL ears. Except for the bits that are arms and legs and eyes and such.

[luvs-phoenix.livejournal.com]

Reading this I had JUST the author in mind. I've stopped reading her (okay stopped shortly after starting, LOL) because of the very things you mentioned. I could take the bad stories (I just pretend she wrote them that way) but her "I'm so special and if you don't know that your just jealous!" drove me up a tree.

Grow the fuck up ya know?

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

It's just... I don't care about bad!fic. Jesus, I've written Wee!Spike (albeit with irony, ahem.) But to pretend you are giving us high art, and the foot stomping that occurs...

Friggin' own up. Stephen King doesn't pretend to be Proust.

[smashsc.livejournal.com]

Paul Simon wrote "Bridge Over Troubled Water" not Art. Garfunkle wrote only when he needed to and otherwise just hit the harmony & backup and made it work. I think he gets writing credit on like two Simon & Garfunkle songs.

:-P you know I love you.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha!! YOU ARE RUINING MY ALITERATION BECAUSE YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND MY ART.

*stomps and makes flocked posts*
*also, googles him to get it right*

[(Anonymous)]

Hey di ho- I'm not sure why some things don't get rec'ced, though- including a couple of very nice gen fics by yorick28 which more people should read.

On the other hand, I've been anonymized and nothing much makes sense to me today. Although I've got a crocus in bloom; I just hope this doesn't mean it's the only crocus the squirrels and gophers have left me.

Julia, starting day 2 of lj nonexistance with another Turing test

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Well, in some cases, it's good to have people drop emails and such to editors of these things. There are new writers/vidders/etc/ coming into the fandoms all the time, and how do those who have settled into comfort with their flist find out about them?

But it's the pretending that crap isn't crap that bothers me. Or even that crack isn't crack - it may be wonderfully, technically executed, but it's Darth Vader in a tutu. That ain't high art. Except when he rondules, because that is difficult with all that metal.

(frozen)

[ruric.livejournal.com]

This "cult of nice" we have taking over is driving me nuts.

Oh god, me too. I am tired of seeing badly written, badly spelled, none grammatical, OOC stories recc'd as something worthy of reading.

I'm also tired of seeing honking great non-work, non-cut tagged manips attached to a story and then the same story spam posted to 10 comms within 2 mins. It shows no respect for (a) people on dial up, (b) people browsing from non-safe locations (c) members of multiple communities. You spam and you attach non cut tagged graphics? Dude I'm not gonna read you no matter what you're writing. *cough* but that is another discussion.

I'd sell my soul for constructive criticism. Yes I use beta's (not always but mostly), but for someone to read a story and come back with comments (no matter whether I appreciate them the second they're delivered or not - sometimes I need a little while to get some objectivity involved *G*)? For them to spend valuable amounts of their time and then be motivated enough to take the time to comment and say you got this right or wrong? These are people to be cherished.

I hate the cult of nice because it equates to the dumbing down that we see all around us. If you want to be good as a writer then you need to be challenged. You need people to stand up and say - this worked/didn't work and why. You may not agree with their opionions but they're making you think about your work, yoru characters, your storytelling ability, your use of language. You can't work in a vacuum as a writer and you need more than people posting - great please write more *g*.

So yes, we should challenge our fellow fen to excellence.

(frozen)

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

UGH. Yes. For example, one of my fandoms that I follow very closely is the PotC fandom. And there will be one story cross posted to EVERYTHING possibly related to PotC within 2 minutes. Now, one thing I will say, they aren't blasted with the manips outside the cut that make the eyes bleed. Oh, they have them, they're just under a cut so i don't have to endure Captain Jack Sparrow as a fish with soft shoulders carressing Norrington the Clam in a loving manner.

I AGREE TO THE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. Tell me what worked. What didn't. TELL ME. I agree with that whole paragraph 100%!!

"Cult of Nice" is a misnomer. It's REALLY: if you don't like US, what WE are doing, then you are MEAN and rude and awful and we'll hold the potential of a kerfuffle over your head so you shut up. Um.... how is that nice?

*high fives you*

(frozen)

[zyrya]

I'm not going to quibble over anyone's desire to write, draw, paint, sculpt, PhotoShop, compose, choreograph and in any way create whatever they want to as long as it isn't harming others. But don't expect me to like it, or to pretend I like it, or to recommend it to others, or to be pleased when it's presented on a rec list as good work if it's rubbish.

Giving constructive criticism, genuine reviewing, and selection standards a bad name weakens the fandom for everyone.

(frozen)

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Yes, and you know by this point that I love you, cookie.

Do what you're gonna do. But quit bitching if everyone doesn't love it. And the whole "BNF" card that gets thrown around? I'm sick of it. How is someone with 500 people on their list having more fun than someone with 40 people on their list? <-- borrowed that shamelessly from Dovil.

If you and your band of merry men want to slap a dress on Wesley and make him dance the cha cha, have at it. But don't expect me to lump it in with the really great stories out there that are finely crafted. Anything by violethamster comes to mind. That girl is so damn good. But how many people recognize her? THAT is a travesty. Crap fic has no business being lumped in with her stories on a recs list. tkp also. Good LORD, those two can write.

[cherusha.livejournal.com]

Stick to the recs, Stoney! ALWAYS stick to the recs! Less chance of blindness, to be sure.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hoppity-Skip


"This is completely your fault, you know."

Jack dipped their bonded hands into the soapy water again.

"I should have hanged you when I got the chance."

Jack applied the wet wash cloth to the problem area and started scrubbing furiously. But their hands still showed no signs of unclasping.

"What are you doing, you're going to make it worse! I already tried that."

"Glarrrrgh!" Jack threw down the wash cloth in frustration and leaned against Norrington tiredly, trying to catch his breath. "It's no use, mate. We're stuck like this."

"That should seem obvious," Norrington replied dryly. He squinted at the script again, hoping against hope that somehow they had both misread it.

It was not to be. For the dreaded words were there -- emblazoned mockingly in 14 pt Comic Sans -- as sure as the sky was blue and as sure as Sparrow desperately needed a bath. A tick developed over Norrington's left eyebrow, and he gritted his teeth.

"Lets try it then," mused Jack. "It might not be as bad as all-" he gave a whimsical wave with his fingers, "-that."

"As if this wasn't bad enough. A Commodore of the Royal Navy! Holding hands with a pirate!"

"An' how do you think I feel? Me! cavorting with the likes of you!" Jack sulked. "'S not like you're the only one with a reputation to uphold."

Norrington glared in disbelief. "That is hardly the same thing."

"And this," he held up their hands. "Hardly qualifies as cavorting."

For the first time since they'd found themselves inexplicably stuck together like this, Jack smirked.

"You've not read page seven, yet, have you?" he said, a wicked gleam shining in his eyes.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

HEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Oh, Ru, this is great. hahaha! And you know I'm curious as to what's on page 7.

(The finger wave before "that?" Hahaha.)

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

You know, I not only really appreciate the distraction of reading this, but I also agree with you, even though I don't think there's anything wrong with the Cult of Nice on some level. I'm a believer in that "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar" thing, but I also recognize that, you know, not everyone WANTS to catch flies. Some people are happy catching dung beetles. I think everyone should do what makes them happy, and if it's not making you happy, you're going about it wrong.

The people I think are BNFs never think that they are, even when I *know* that most of fandom considers them to be BNFs. And I think that's how I know, for sure, that they're cool. :-)

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh, I have no problem with the "sugar vs. vinegar" approach. Not at all. It's this underlying buzz in fandom of "if you say what we are doing is silly/not worthy/not art, then we call you mean and are passive-agressive about it. Everyone must always leave squees and love!" How is that helpful? How does that force you to improve? I don't want to be stagnant as a writer.

Dung beetles. Bwah! (And ditto on the who's cool.)

I know we don't know each other well, but I hear rumblings that things aren't great at your end, and I send you well wishes and better days. Thanks for piping up. Feel free to anytime.

[tabaqui]

Whooooohooo!!
Yis.
:)

Totally agree there, dude, and man - more than ever i want you to come and *rip my fic to bits*!!
:)

*smoooch*

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Dude, tell me which one, and BACK AT YOU. ALthough, as Sue pointed out to me, all of my serious stuff is about Connor, and there's like... four of us reading Connor fic. Ha!

Let's TAKE BACK THE NIGHT! Or FIC! Or SOMETHING! *takes*

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

You know, most writing groups get together and share their stuff because they want to get better. It's kind of ann odd little sociolgical puzzle, isn't it?

"Fearing ostracism, the members of the invisible pack offer choice tidbits to their packmates to build community, even at the expense of of themselves and the growth of the pack. For unless challenged, the pack will stagnate, content to graw over the same bones and grooming one another until bald."

I admit that I tend to be part of the "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." league, unless specifically asked to concrit or beta. Or if it's a close friend. I was lucky enough to have someone, with my very first story, offer to beta for me and help make my fic better, otherwise you'd all be victims of my grammar, etc. Now that I'm further into fandom, I applaud her initiative for taking me under her wing! I should probably get back to beta-ing myself - mean girl for hire.

I stand behind you making various, "Yeah!" and "Word!" gestures.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

YES. If you belonged to a physical writing group, you would sit around and DISCUSS what worked and what didn't. It's a part of the learning process.

I'm obviously discounting the morons who just reply with "FIRST!" and "U sux!" because they're morons. I'm talking about genuine discussion of what was presented. I say bring it on.

[lennongirl.livejournal.com]

Word, word, and word. I'm so anal about these things, probably because I'm not a native and double, triple and quadruple (?) everything before I post, even comments. Also, I prefer to work with betas who kick my ass.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, yes. And see, you left me some con-crit on my Ewan/Hayden RPS that made me realize that I do it ALL THE TIME. The tense switching? That's good stuff to know! It isn't mean. Or bad.

ANd seriously: those of you who aren't native speakers SERIOUSLY impress me with your ability to get something down that really engages me.

*high fives you*

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

AH. Okay, I see what you mean about the line. THe "demand" part.

I can see your point, and I'll think of a better way to reword that. Because something that REALLY pisses me off is when you've posted a chapter and people just have the hand out comment. How about telling me what worked? What didn't? THEN ask for more, or ask if there is more coming, I don't mind that.

Because yes, everything we get out here is a gift, sure. But. Many of us are writing out here to get better. To hone our skills. And just having your friends tell you that you rock isn't helping you. because sometimes friends aren't brutally honest. Or honest. Ha!

Does that make sense?

(frozen)

[wolfling]

I've no problems with people not liking fics/artwork/vids etc. or even saying so and/or offering constructive criticism. I've said for years when it comes to posting fic on the 'net, that if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

That being said, I don't think there is any call or reason to be "mean" or "cruel" when giving said opinions criticism. There seems to be a growing trend in fandom (or maybe I'm just running across it more and it's always been there as much as it seems to be nowadays) that to consider manners and feelings when phrasing such things is somehow giving in and coddling "bad writers".

By all means send constructive criticism, by all means don't rec stories you don't like, or even give your reasons publicly why you don't like a story. But remember the manners we all supposedly learnt as children, and choose your words accordingly. That to me is what being "nice" (and it really does disturb me that suddenly considering others' feelings and trying to take care with them is somehow a character fault) is all about. Not holding your tongue but also taking time to make sure your words aren't inflicting deliberate pain.

Of course there are always going to be people who anything but unabashed praise and worship is considered a flame and they need to get over themselves. They, as I said above, need to get out of the kitchen. But on the other side, there are people who take great pleasure out of ripping people down -- who delight in being "mean" and who can't seem to separate pointing out things they don't like in a story with mocking the person who wrote it. Who think just because they're being "honest" that means any rudeness they display is not only allowable but damn well justified and anyone who says different is just a whiner and a member of the "Cult of Nice" and who should also be mocked mercilessly. Those people are as bad as the people who won't accept any criticism at all.

Frankly, if you are defending something you said with "I wasn't being rude, I was being honest!" (a la Simon Cowell) then you are being rude and I'm going to give your opinion that much less weight because of it.

By all means stay out of the kitchen if you can't stand the heat, but that doesn't mean the cooks should have to deal with someone setting the place ablaze just because they didn't like how you cooked the meal.

(frozen)

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Yes. So, honestly, the folks on my flist - in my 3 fandoms - consist of people that would NEVER reply to a post with "U suX0rs!" or anything base or rude, so I don't come across that type of thing.

I'm talking about grown women replying (and I'll use myself as an example) to my fic with, I liked such and such, and you switched tenses in this spot. Or something like, I'm not sure I buy why he would do that. You've set up the character to be A, and then you have him do B.

That isn't mean. Or a flame. Also, people saying they don't like a certain genre isn't mean. now, if they say "so and so is writing/creating shit, and we should all go over there and point and laugh?" That's ridiculous and shouldn't happen.

The term "cult of nice" is one that has sprung up as a backlash against the need to NEVER speak an opinion any more. It's like everyone is afraid to say what they think (and yes, manners are nice - but you can say I don't like this. That isn't bad manners.) because we are all supposed to love everything that comes down the pike. Well, I don't have to. And it's not mean to voice an opinion.

Now, I've mocked bad!fic. Notice I didn't say the author. Because I'm not making fun of the writer. I'm teasing about the language chosen. "Her vagina snapped like a pissed off aligator?" Come on. But there's a POINT behind the highlighting of that phrase. It's a teaching tool disguised in humor.

But I know I'm thought of as mean for daring to play with silliness and bad phrasing, and I'm okay with that. But your last sentence is very important - and I'm taking that to heart, K?

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

''By all means stay out of the kitchen if you can't stand the heat, but that doesn't mean the cooks should have to deal with someone setting the place ablaze just because they didn't like how you cooked the meal.''

Exactly.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

That was an excellent way to word it, yes. And it's something I'm going to sit and read over and over and let it work its way in.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Well said, Mean Girl.

Is it terrible that I've actually been avioding fics lately? That, I'd rather spend my few internet minutes on lj rather then risking a bad fic?

It's hard when you don't know where to look when you guaranties of quality except maybe looking in your friends memories for recs that you forgot to bookmark.

One point about being rec'd or not... sometimes, as an author who is never rec'd, it's hard to know that if you are simple not well read or not well written. *shrugs*

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

You and me both. If three people I know and trust don't point me to something, I won't read it. I know what you mean.

And you're right: new authors who are fantastic - but NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THEM aren't getting the recognition they deserve. We need more pimping!

[inlovewithnight.livejournal.com]

a beta-remark on a fic I wrote a while back, and I grumbled to myself, because I didn't want to hear it. You know what? SHE WAS RIGHT.

Yes, yes, I hear you. There's always that stinging moment of "Well, STFU, what about the STORY?" And then you blink and go "Oh. Right. That makes it hard to UNDERSTAND the story. My bad."

Finding a beta who won't cut you any slack is GOLD. I sent a story off to someone expecting a quick read-through, "This is good but you left out a verb in paragraph three" style beta, and got hard-core tear-down-and-rebuild concrit back. And yeah, that hurt for a minute ("OMG YOU ARE MEEEEEEEN TO MY STORY DIE"), until I realized that, hey- if I work with her suggestions and rewrite this? It'll be something I'm a lot more PROUD of. What an idea!

And then when I thanked her for her work, she said that she had been terrified of my response, because she was afraid I'd think she was being mean! It's a cycle, a totaly vicious cycle...but now I have her name as a beta-person who rocks, and I'll neverever let her go, muahaha.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

YES. I have two girls that have COMPLETELY different styles of writing look over my fic now. Both will flat out tell me: you ALWAYS misspell this, or drop this word/tense, or what are you doing here?? Break that sentence up, fa crying out loud!

I want that.

[tx-cronopio.livejournal.com]

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

*passes the collection plate*

[amybnnyc.livejournal.com]

My icon, it speaks for me. While I'm weeping with joy at reading this so articulately expressed, when my usual rant along these lines is all curse words and growling, with some throwing of things added to the mix for good measure.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

*puts on padded suit to protect myself from the flying objects*

Speak it loud, and speak it proud. You should be able to voice your opinion, yo!

[savoytruffle.livejournal.com]

While I agree with your other points, I don't know about this:

There are people, such as myself, that depend on newsletters like the Herald and Jedi_News, for example, to find the good fic. I don't want to read a story filled with spellin erars and bad punctuat-ion.; I count on the EDITORS - did you see that word? They are editors. Which means they have the right to not list junk - that's the JOB DESCRIPTION. I count on them to find the good stuff.

My experience with newsletters has been that some great things make it on there and some don't (which is fine), but that there are also a lot of things listed that I would seriously regret reading. This certainly could be a matter of taste, but I suspect it often has more to do with limited time on the editor's part or maybe limited exposure to certain pairings within the fandom (both perfectly human failings).

Which is only to say that whether or not a particular story gets listed seems to me to have very little to do with whether that was one of one's better written stories or not.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Well, this is a more personal thing for me re: the herald, because I want them to be able to make judicious decisions, and I don't think they are allowed to. I may be speaking out of turn here, but I have a lot of love for Sue, one of the editors, and I want her to have more power, I guess, because I trust her ability to find good stuff that I wouldn't, that's all. This is ALL my opinion, and should not be taken as me speaking for her. I wouldn't do that.

But take Jedi_news. Before SW3: RotS came out, it was high quality fic, art, meta. Then the crazy fangirls fell in love with Hayden and spammed with their fic of bad characterization and flooded all of the communities with their hasitly written, poorly thought out fics. I don't want that newsletter to lose its high standards for what they rec. Does that make sense? I can trust what they list because they are "harsh." Read: have high standards.

I was under the assumption that ALL newsletters operated in that manner, which is my fault.

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

When I see the flood of badly-written, poorly characterised, tastelessly illustrated BtVS/Angel fic out there it bugs the hell out of me.

Maybe, with them being over for a while, people have forgotten that for one brief shining eight years or so, there was a show and a spinoff show about vampires and Slayers and Watchers and demons and ordinary people doing extraordinary things and yes, leather pants. Never forget the leather pants.

A show with characters like Spike, a shy, insecure, fairly upper-class human named William, who lived in Victorian England, got turned into a vampire and, as part of his new tough guy image, began to talk a little rougher. Young. A rebel.

And he was soulless, evil, bad to the bone and he would fucking kick your fucking arses from one side of your fucking fairy-littered garden to the other for making him into a pathetic sweetie pie and he'd use a foot inside a Doc Marten, not a fucking hoof, to do it because he's a vampire in a human body not a unicorn. ::breathes::

He could love, yes. He did love. I'd say, for my part, he loved Buffy and Dawn, respected Joyce, adored Drusilla, and had a gorgeously nuanced love/hate thing going on with Angel and Xander.

A fool for love? Oh, yes. A delicate, little wee man prone to heartbroken sobbing with adoring tear-drenched eyes?

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ON? NO!

Angry tears? Once or twice. Followed by a nice, cathartic massacre of an innocent to make him feel better.

But it's an AU so it doesn't count?

AUs are fun. AUs let us step outside the lines Joss drew. AUs have been around forever.

But they're not an AU if the only thing linking your character to the show character is a name and a hair colour.

They're original fic passing itself off as fanfic and they're a fraud, a disappointment and a cheat of the readers.

People can write what they want? Why, yes. Of course they can. Under the get out of jail free card of 'don't like? don't read!' that we all play from time to time, anyone can write anything and obviously they do.

You can't stop them, you can't discriminate against them because, hey, tomorrow the line might get redrawn and your fic, the one you slaved over, is wailing disconsolate in the wilderness.

All or nothing, right?

And so we're left with nothing.

No standards, no sense of responsibility to the characters, no way to express misgivings without getting slammed, no way to express distaste without being labelled 'mean'.

And some of the fic and the travesties of manips that go with them are pretty damn distasteful in my eyes. Sorry, but they are. For every one that's got merit (and I'm not knocking them all; I've seen some yummy ones over the years) there are a score of slapped together, out-of-proportion, laughable pieces of dreck. I cringe. I get hot with embarrassment.

How the hell did it come to this? :;boggles::

Okay, done ranting on your LJ :;backs away sheepishly::

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

If I could give birth to a puppy, potty train it, teach it to not bite, and name it Jane, I would, and then present it to you with a pink ribbon.

HELL YES. I agree with everything you've said.

And I'm also VERY UNEASY with the use of the word "right" that's being bandied about.

Let's have some standards. I have standards for my YARD WORK, you think I'm not going to want some with the things I put in my BRAIN?

Never stop ranting.

[lostakasha.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad that you posted this because I'm struggling, and this post has been helpful in thinking through some things.

Like beadtific I try to be a 'can't say anything nice, don't say anything' person. But it gets dodgy when there are people saying wonderful things about a story of mine -- which amazes and touches me, and yes, I am so lucky to have anybody read my stuff, seriously -- and then they write something, and I feel compelled to read and feed. So I read -- and in most cases try to let the writer know I read it, and if I hated the sotry, at least find a line or an aspect that worked for me and tell them about that. I find that unless I'm asked specifically for that, it's not really expected and could be construed as hurtful.

Worse, almost, is when a truly good writer with a cadre of fans writes a beautiful fic, something well crafted and lyrical -- but the characterization is so off the mark that it renders the piece useless in the fandom it was written for. Does that call for "nice job and congrats on creating a brilliant original character, Farnsworth Needledick?" Or just blows about the head? Will they dis me if I tell them they've totally botched a characterization, or that they need to be clear about the 'experimental' nature of the fic? You betcha!

I just run and hide and seethe, because I have no balls.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I love to feed positive FB to writers, and don't see anything wrong with that. But. If someone has written OF and disguised it by naming the characters familiar names (and man, I have two of my own fics that fall under this category, and was called on it.), I don't see why a private email saying something like:

"This was well written, well crafted, example: ___. however, I would like to say that I have a hard time understanding this as being a piece of fanfic - it seems more like original fic, to me. Maybe change the names and submit it for publication!" That is, if you feel those words fit your thoughts.

They'll accept what you've said, or they'll hate you and bitch in their LJ about you. But those Ones and Zeros can't hurt - maybe they'll make you better, you know? Just know that you can tell ME if I've missed the mark, and that I welcome concrit.

(frozen)

[shapinglight]

wolfling has pretty much said what I wanted to say and far more coherently than I ever could, especially here But remember the manners we all supposedly learnt as children, and choose your words accordingly.

I don't believe in the so-called Cult of Nice and I never have. Seems to me that people use being 'against' it a lot as a reason why they should be allowed to say whatever they like, however hurtful, whenever they like. I also can't for the life of me see why people get so wound up over this. It comes up periodically, regular as clockwork. If people want concrit, they'll ask for it, and if they don't, :shrug: leave them alone to do their thing. After all, you don't have to read it.

(frozen)

[sueworld2003.livejournal.com]

Same here love.

Lifes too bloody short for this type of sillyness.

[fishsanwitt]

Hey there :)

I came here via a million other people and I've friended you.

Please feel free to come and visit my lj, although I've been kind of quiet lately!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I will! Thanks for the invite! And rest assured: I recognize that your flist is a reading list, so if I get a bit much for you, and you need to trim, no hard feelings. It's all about enjoying what you see on screen, right?

And feel free to pipe up anytime you have something to say. I welcome it, here.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes!

I um, don't have anything to say.

I feel like a dittohead.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha!!! Do NOT use Limbaugh words on me!!

And as someone who TEACHES the craft, I know how you feel about achieving your best. No matter what it is, why wouldn't you want to make it the best you can? I don't understand the problem there.