let's talk about the writing thing.

[amelialourdes]

I'm not a writer. I don't consider myself one. I'm not really good at it. I think once upon a time I had an imagination and creativity to write but I think that I've lost it. That said, I've always received pretty high grades when it came to English, grammar, phonics, reading comprehension, language, etc. I consistently wrote in college and graduated with a degree that is based on literary and visual analysis. I think that I have a pretty firm grasp on the English language. That said, when I see badly written fan fiction? I cringe.

Bad fic? It happens. For whatever reason, people make up what they make up without any regard or consideration of the personality of the characters that they're using. They write what they write without care or acknowledgment of their own terrible spelling and grammar. They don't bother with betas because a few fawning reviews means that they have fans and it doesn't matter what the writing looks like.

That bothers me. It bothers me. Every time someone spells something wrong and it's posted for all to see, it makes the angels cry (quote courtesy of Quinn from Glee). Someone on my flist has recently spoken a lot about the writing process and writing in fandoms and her perceptions are dead on. It's refreshing to find someone who's receptive to critique and commentary about her work. Of course, it wasn't always that way. It's never that way in the beginning. In the beginning, I imagine that people do think that they're good writers and for whatever reason (I blame fawning reviews with no critique) aren't receptive to criticism.

Fandom is supposed to be fun, yes? The stories are just stories. They're not up for Pulitzers or even national writing contests. I understand that. This is just a major, major, MAJOR pet peeve of mine that I want to address for myself and to share with anyone who may feel the same. Or! Feel differently. I'm open to both ideas. I'm not having fun if a large chunk of a story doesn't make sense. I sometimes try to look past the errors to just read the story itself but then it's bad characterization that gets to me.

So, if you're a writer or if you're an active reader, what in fandom fanfiction bothers you if you're bothered by anything at all? No specific fandom here. Any fandom at all. What will turn you off of a story? If you're a writer, why do you/would you not accept constructive criticism? Are you open to constructive criticism?

Comments

[rhiannonhero.livejournal.com]

Personally, I'm open to constructive criticism, and I do try to give it consideration because I've learned so much over the years from concrit. However, sometimes I just disagree with the person, and that disagreement doesn't go away. So, I don't mind getting concrit, so long as the person giving it understands that I might not say, "Ah, yes, you're right. I screwed that up entirely." I will always be friendly and polite, though, even in response to concrit.

(By the way, for an example of some concrit and my response to it, this was left on my last long fic: The first one by ZAM. I didn't agree with him about what he disliked, at all, but I appreciated that he was brave enough to tell me about it, even if I was frustrated that he didn't go on to give the rest of the story a chance to see if he eventually felt as other readers did about the "interruption of flow". :) But, yes, I appreciated his criticism for what it was worth, and I seriously considered the validity of it before replying, and determined that it is likely a different strokes for different folks kind of thing.)

As for things that I can't bear to read in a story:

1. "the older man" or "the ad exec" or "the blond man" or whatever. Unnecessary! Please to be stopping that! :D

2. Voice issues and characterization issues. If I can't hear the character say the lines in my head, then there's a problem there for me. (By the way, sometimes I go back and read some of my own stories and cringe thinking, "How could I ever have imagined that character would say that?")

3. Mechanical sex scenes. Tab A in Slot B. Big orgasm. Yay.

4. Sex scenes involving little bunny foo foo. (LOL!!!!)

That kind of stuff. It just makes me insane. It actually causes me to hit a huge embarrassment squick.

[amelialourdes.livejournal.com]

I like that. I like that though there may be a disagreement and you're firm in your own opinion, that there's that dialogue happening between reader and author. I like that Zam gave you a long review too! Though you didn't agree with it, that's probably the first really critical comment I've seen. Well, I can't say that. Recently I read a certain terrible, terrible badfic and someone (out of the plethora of positive comments) someone finally had the balls to tell him that he wasn't rewriting the Bible and spell check would probably help him.

Great list! I completely agree with this: If I can't hear the character say the lines in my head, then there's a problem there for me.

Shudder to the sex mentions, hahahaha! I just ... that's when it's time to run away and never be seen again. Some people just don't write sex well. They don't.