the logic...

[kaigou]

I just discovered that on a certain ranty little LJ comm, several folks drew a curious conclusion. Being a community full of anonymice, people can post as they please (and damn if it don't get confusing - who are you talking to? they're all anonymous!). So someone rec'd me, and used the phrase 'rinse and repeat'. Apparently, because I've used this phrase myself, the conclusion was drawn that I was praising myself as a sockpuppet.

*pauses to consider that for a moment*

Yes! I must have coined the phrase, and therefore all its royalties for use come back to me! Pay up, all you shampoo companies. You OWE me.

*runs off to trademark office*

In the same thread, I was utterly delighted (if bemused) to read this, too:

She achieved her notoriety by sucking up to and praising almost every writer in the fandom. I've seen the personal emails to prove it. What makes her popular is not her fantastic writing style but her gift of gab. She knows how to flatter and stroke egos. We all know the gundam Wing fandom is full of over blown egos. Her being embraced is merely further testament to that.

I'm starting to think that giving concrit - where you compliment a person's work, while trying to diplomatically point out where things could be improved - must be a rare art. Or maybe it is for the anonymous person who wrote that. Or maybe the person isn't a writer and doesn't realize how painful it is for some writers to post their stuff, and how cruel it would be to not have something nice to say in with any constructive critcism. Maybe I'm too Southern, having this silly notion that if I can't say something nice when critting, why say anything at all? I just never thought I'd be put down for doing something that I consider nothing less than principled, and an expression of treating others how I'd want to be treated - with "this is what I liked" mixed in with "this is what (I think) needs work". I mean, really. A good concrit should leave you with suggestions for how to get better (which hopefully prompts your own ideas), and a bit of a warm fuzzy feeling that someone liked your story.

(And I do not agree that the statement, "well, I took the time to review" should be considered enough, in and of itself, to compliment a writer. People will take the time to write some really nasty stuff, and that's not a compliment in the least. Well, unless you're one of those people who says, "hey! the story did provoke a response in someone, so that's good, right?" Well...I guess.)

Although it's always funny to read people's criticisms of my stories and think, "uh, I won't post on a dead thread, but actually, I agree with you."

*snerk*

Comments

[rurounitriv.livejournal.com]

She achieved her notoriety by sucking up to and praising almost every writer in the fandom.

I thought you said they were talking about you, not me... ;)

Seriously, though, the idea of you sucking up is about as likely as... as Howard dressing up in a tutu and becoming a professional ballerina! And I certainly didn't like your stuff because you were saying nice stuff about my work, because when you first showed up on GWA, I wasn't writing, so there wasn't anything for you to comment on.

And yes, concrit is very hard to write, and a smart reviewer - one that actually wants the review to be read instead of just deleted so that the author can go off and have a good cry (or send a nasty flame in response, depending on the author) - will point out the good as well as the bad. Not only is it only fair (hey, there might be flaws, but there's good points too) but it makes it more likely that the author will actually listen to what you're trying to say. If you've got the knack for doing that, go for it - it'll improve the quality of the fics in the fandom.

Me, I generally get lazy and don't mention the bad (or just "could be better") stuff unless I'm pretty sure that the author won't get upset about the crit part and decide that the whole thing is just a thinly-veiled flame. :P

Anonymouse may think that GW fandom is full of overblown egos, but the folks on GWA have nothing on a Mary-Suethor whose creation has just been criticized! LOL

[solitude1056.livejournal.com]

the author won't get upset about the crit part and decide that the whole thing is just a thinly-veiled flame.

whereas I'm so friggin' boneheaded I've actually been flamed - and not in the general 'you suck' but the 'this sucks, and this, and this' and it sure seemed like a crit, so, hey, I took it as a crit. Wasn't until another reviewer saw it that they pointed out it was just a thinly-veiled flame. Oh. Hunh. I didn't even feel toasty, just perplexed because I didn't think the piece was that bad!

Yes. I am a dork sometimes. But a boneheaded dork.

[rurounitriv.livejournal.com]

LOL Well, to be honest, if they were giving specific things that didn't work for them... I might have made the same assumption. Sometimes there's a fine line between a flame and a crit.

I generally don't assume it's a flame unless there's personal insults and/or comments on how the whole story is stupid and poorly-written and I should just quit writing. I'm just arrogant enough to know that I actually do know something about writing - maybe I'm not at a professional level, but skill-wise I know I'm better than at least 75% of the fanauthors I've read.

Hrm. You know, come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had a serious flame on a fic... guess it's a good thing that I don't post my stuff all over the place. Low profile = small target. Or maybe I have been flamed and just didn't notice. *grin*