#concrit

[voxofthevoid]

When it comes to the eternal concrit debate in the Ao3 context, there's this fascinating attitude I see among people who think unsolicited concrit is fine and dandy: They'll say with their whole chest that fic authors should accept all kinds of comments because that's a natural consequence of posting your stories on a public site, but the moment someone counters that posting unsolicited/unwanted concrit on a website with a fully author-controlled comment section means they're also opening themselves up to all kinds of reactions, this hard-on for "freedom" dies.

If you leave a bitchy comment—whether it's actual but unsolicited concrit, personal tastes masquerading as concrit, or simply hateful bullshit—the author can quite easily block you, delete your comment, or tell you to shove it up your ass. But the same people who so staunchly defend their freedom to be a cunt get so fucking scandalized about this.

I guess they want to be cunts without consequences, all while yapping about the consequences of posting on a public site.

Fascinating.

[chaoticdean]

I truly thought we went through this already but I just stumbled upon a post on a FB Destiel group where someone was asking if they could give constructive criticism to a fanfic author because they used “a lot of britishism” in a fic and that bothered OP.

As someone who’s neither a native English speaker nor a professional author… Please don’t do this? Like, I’m actually genuinely puzzled at the number of comments I saw under that post that thought it was an ok thing to do. The general fandom rule about constructive criticism is “unless author has directly stated they are ok with being given concrit, please refrain from giving it”. I thought it was a well-known rule at this point, but apparently not.

Even if you mean well. Even if your intention is to be nice. You don’t know how it’s gonna be received and perceived by the author. Do you really want to make them feel like shit because you thought your opinion mattered most than them sharing their work for free?

You have no idea how much strength it takes for someone to post a story they wrote for free on a free website so that you can read it on your free time. You have no idea of the struggles they might have gone through with their story. You have no idea who they are, and what that story means to them. Do not be a dick is literally the least you can do.

99% of non-native English speakers are taught British English in school. Hell, as a non-native English speaker, the only reason I write in mostly US English is because of how influenced I have been by the tv shows and music I’ve been listening to for two decades, but the basis of what I’ve learned academically are in British English. I was once told it was “clear I was Australian” because my characters were putting butter on their sandwiches, and even though I can laugh about it now, when I received this comment I remember feeling miserable and like I would never be as good of an author as anyone who has English as a first language.

You don’t know if the author is a native English speaker, and even if they are… You do realize America isn’t the center of the world, right? I’ve been told “well the show is an American tv show written by American writers, so if an author doesn’t write in American English, they are a BAD AUTHOR”. Exactly how entitled do you think you can be about something that’s given to you for free with no expectation? Click the goddamn X in the corner if a term you deem “wrong” bothers you that much, Stephanie.

[equality-street]

My biggest regret about "Our Flag Means Death" season 2 is that Ed didn't cut one of Izzy's limbs off (or be responsible for a limb going missing) per episode (until he runs out). Episode 5 would be Izzy's head being cut off from his limbless torso and we'd have a Sir Humphrey Bone situation. Every time he started moaning a crew member could just... roll his head away.

[rinelasheart]

There was not enough hoopla from Nor and Ri’nela when the PC escapes Field Hangar Lima and makes it back to the new Resistance Hideout. Nor and Ri’nela should’ve been beside themselves hearing no info about the PC or Teylan after the party massacre. Ri’nela would of course try to be calm and level headed, but there should’ve still been a hint of noticeable terror in her at their clan of 4 being ripped in half in the blink of an eye. Nor is already anxious about not being “Na’vi enough”, and now their so called clan is in even worse shambles. There should’ve been more emotional interactions with Ri’nela and Nor after the PC returns.

Then once the PC is revealed to be alive, the three of them could’ve been happy to be together but now nervous for Teylan. “Where is he? He could be anywhere across all 3 territories! But which is worse, him being all alone or with Mercer??” The PC had been kidnapped, but they at least have survival skills (gained after being on the frontline for all major events). The chances of Teylan surviving in the wilderness or escaping an RDA facility were significantly much lower than the PC’s. He would have almost zero chance of being able to make it on his own.

Instead of saying “eh he’ll come back when he feels like it”, Ri’nela and the PC should’ve at least tried to search for him. Figure out what happened to him after the attack. It could’ve been an optional side quest that just ends with you figuring out he’s with Mercer earlier than when you see him there in the main quest line.

Plus, Nor not worrying for Teylan at all!! He has even less idea what happened to Teylan than the PC and Ri’nela did, and yet he never asks. Never questions what happened to the fourth member of their clan. If the PC and Ri’nela didn’t go looking for Teylan, then it at least would’ve made sense for Nor to try to go searching only for the two of them to persuade him not to (to continue hiding Teylan’s betrayal.)

I don’t know, I just feel like there should’ve been a LOT more intensely emotional interactions after the party massacre. Sure the Resistance humans had a lot going on, but I definitely feel like outside of them, the Sarentu themselves should’ve had their own fears & anxieties at the forefront given there’s literally only 4 of them left and they’ve already been through so much together.

I’m chalking the lack of intensity down to Ubisoft struggling to write found family, rather than the Sarentu “not being all that close”. Because that second option sucks, so this is one of those very rare times when “this was just poor writing” is bringing me comfort lol

[megamindfandombookclub]

[rowanwritestoomuch]

A Lesson on ConCrit -- how to give & recieve

Criticism is often something we all abhor, but in our artwork of writing, we need to understand how to recieve information about editting and how to give it, because we will not succeed without it.

There is no world in which writing is not a collaborative effort-- unless you never share it, in which case, this post is not for you. Keep on doing what you're doing you funky fresh individual. But for the rest of us with a praise kink, this is an ineffeible truth.

So how do we give *constructive* criticism in writing?

We remain focused on improvement.

Never give criticism to harm, never with malicious intent, never to degrade or belittle. Never. Do. This. If you did not like a work but it has skillful merit, it uses grammar properly, it has structure and themeology, it is OKAY to simply accept 'I did not like this' and move on. But if you have something useful to say, something productive for the writer, something genuinely meant in kindness and to improve, it is important to always keep in mind the 'when this, then that' method.

For example; "When [X character] confessed to his lover, it was the cutest thing I've ever seen, but then [Y character] had very little reaction, and it took me out of the scenes where their greater romance was developed. I would suggest when [Y character] is confronted with this information, perhaps we should include some more emotional beats and actions, like describing their expressions or what they think, to make sure the reader stays engaged. Thank you for posting this, I'm enjoying it!" In this bit of criticism, we have kept a constructive approach in mind. We have addressed that 'when this' happened, it made us feel good, but when we found something we thought needed improvement, 'then that' was discussed. We engaged with the artist in a way that did not degrade them but also did not demand that they take our advice, by framing our suggestions in a way that remembers inherent storytelling aspects, like emotions and actions, and we gave positive but not specific suggestions on how to improve those actions, without injecting our own bias into the artist's work.

This is the meat of constructive criticism. We do not want to put each other down. We do not want to taint another's art with our own voice. We want to focus on improvement and respect someone's vulnerability in sharing their work.

Another example; "I noticed that in this scene, I got really lost when [X & Y] were talking because you used a lot of pronouns and not very many proper nouns. In Chapter 3, you had a scene with [X, Y, Z & Q] and it was really engaging for me, I didn't mind the use of proper nouns because I was able to easily keep track of who was talking when. I think it would help both of us follow along better when the characters' names are used more. Really great work, I'm loving the banter between the two." In this example, we point out an error in the execution of the work, a literary thing such as forgotten proper nouns that pull the reader from the scene. In order to encourage the writer, we made sure to include an example of when they did well to remind them how they did well and encouraged them to improve this scene in the same manner as the previously well executed one. We remembered to let them know that we did enjoy the scene, we just got a little lost, and we collaborated with them on how it would help us, the reader, and them, the writer, follow along better. This same kind of concrit can be used for any literary skill mistake, or instead you could simply say "Would you like some help editting your work?" and collaborate with the artist even further. Grammar errors, spelling mistakes, structure issues, use of words and nouns, you can help with those things without placing any blame or anxiety on the writer, and many would love to have several hands edit their work before they do their final drafting. It is important to remember always that our engagement with an artist is a sensitive subject, and we will not gain more art from this person (content, if you will) if we continuosly demand, degrade, disgrace and disregard the feelings of the creators. Respect has to be given and recieved like a gift, and the gift in our metaphor is writing.

Things that you should not comment on; characters you just didn't like--- you can just not like something, the artist doesn't have to change it for you to enjoy, move on. Plot directions or twists that just weren't your flavor--- not every piece has to fit into your ideal of a trope. Only speak on these things when the plot is completely contrived or needs re-structuring to really hit the point it's trying to make. If you just didn't like where the story went, well, it's not for you. It doesn't mean its bad. Understand how to have a discerning eye for the difference between execution and expression. Stylistic choices that just don't hit with you, like purposefully lowercased words, the changing or reformatting of words into new ones, different dialogue types and tags--- these are things the author did on purpose. You do not tell a painter you did not like the use of orange in their sunflower painting, you just move on. That was a choice, not a mistake or a lesson that needs to be learned, and not everyone has to use words the way you do. Focus on being helpful, not being biased. Art is subjective and exists both in the eyes of the artist and the viewer, it is not supposed to be monotypical. To give criticism, one must also be able to recieve it.

It can be hard for someone to comment on our work with something that suggests we made a mis-step. We must always consider what it is that we have to glean from this new information when it strikes us anxious, instead of becoming mired in our own ego. If a reader has something to say about the improvement of your work, it is not a law, they will not abandon you if you do not heed them, and if they do, another one will most likely enjoy the place you decided to remain. Criticism is a very 'take it or leave it or do something with it'. You can hear the reader out when they say that the interactions between characters fell flat for them, but if it was your intention to display the character as apathetic, uninterested, uninvested, distracted or depressed, maybe then the reader just did not pick up what you were putting down. You could change your work because of this, or you could leave it the same and the next reader, or the many silent readers aside, will most likely feel differently. When someone has a suggestion on the changing of grammar, consider--- is it hard to read? I should probably change this, I'm *glad* they pointed it out. We sometimes write with blinders on, it is not an insult for someone to turn our head and make us look in another direction. It is not an insult for someone to suggest we need improvement, especially when they give examples as to how to help. It is not an insult to share our work and accept that not everyone will like it, and that we can take their advice both with grace and with self-respect. Listen to your readers, listen to your heart, and collaborate with the two.

And always, always remember, write because it hurts if you don't.

[dalniente]

On Constructive Criticism.

Hey friends. You ever want to leave a critique on a fic, and the author says they like constructive criticism/"concrit," but then you leave your critique and you try to make it complimentary but the author still seems less than thrilled with you? You may have missed the point of "constructive!" Don't feel bad, you aren't alone. Took me until I started writing and receiving feedback to really figure it out.

The key to remember is, "constructive" doesn't mean "nice." It doesn't mean phrasing gently, or doing a compliment sandwich (although those are fine things to do as well). "Constructive" feedback is feedback that would make the story as the author has already written it stronger.

"The execution of this character's decision to do XYZ felt a little bit out of nowhere, to me. Was that your intent? It didn't seem like it was meant to be a big twist, either. Maybe some extra foreshadowing would make it stronger, or some shock on the part of the other characters." THAT'S constructive criticism.

This is NOT constructive criticism: "This character doing XYZ thing really doesn't make for as strong a story as it could. I think he should have done NQD thing, instead. That would have been better."

The first example offers some ideas on how to help a character's decision land better when the reader couldn't tell what the author's intent was. It's possible the reader didn't like the decision and that's why they noticed - maybe some foreshadowing would have helped them accept it better, or some indication that it was meant to be shocking would have validated the reader's surprise & displeasure. But, crucially, the reader did not suggest anything that would require a massive rewrite to change. Some tweaking, sure, maybe the addition of a few paragraphs. But not a change to the character's decision as a whole, the way the second example suggested. The second example does describe something the reader thinks would make for a stronger story...but it is not something that would make THIS story stronger. It is describing a different story than the one the author has already written so far, so it's just plain ol' criticism. Constructive criticism makes the existing story stronger.

That's the difference. You aren't workshopping. You are commenting on something that is already being written, that is already planned to the point where someone is already posting it. Or it's already complete!There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between helping workshop a story and simply giving concrit. Unless the author has specifically asked for workshop-style help, offering things to do differently from what was already written is worse than useless. Don't.

Rule of thumb: if what you're saying can be boiled down to "I think this cake would be better if it was pie," say something else. The cake is not pie. It's not GOING to be pie. I didn't ask what you think I should bake, I put cake on the table and asked what you thought of this cake. Tell me what would make THIS cake better. Not the pie you were thinking of, and not a different cake you might have liked better. THIS CAKE.

[shards-of-silver]

Actionable Feedback

So a lot of corporate buzzwords are actually nonsense, but one that I do like that my job pushes is the concept of "actionable feedback." It's the idea that you want to make sure any advice you give to another person is something they can use. Don't just write "good job on this!" Actually point out what made the job good. Don't say "you messed up big time." Tell them what their mistake was and how they can address a similar situation going forward.

Seems obvious, but think about it in the concept of fic comments or beta reading. We all like hearing that we did a good job, but if you actually want to gather opinions on a fic, that's not much of an indicator. After a while, it may even feel insincere. On the other end, "this sucks" is just demoralizing. Actually hearing what people didn't like can help you decide if their criticism is something you want to consider.

Actionable feedback is a way to do constructive criticism/particular praise well. It takes more effort on the reader's part, sure, but it's also more rewarding for the author and can lead to a deeper connection between the parties. For me, offering concrit means I believe in an author's abilities and genuinely think they can do better. It's me having faith in them. Actionable feedback is just a way to convey that trust I have in their writing.

[miriam-heddy]

Did an AI write this?

FWIW: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/writing-tips/what-is-a-cliche/

[iamlivingmusic]

Onyx storm spoilers below the cut - my hot take on...

...why this felt so chaotic and retcon-y.

Because holy fuck did the first 5 or so chapters feel like the first session of a new dungeons and dragons campaign in a new homebrew world. Then in the second half, changing the whole magic system? Violet never noticing any hint of a second signet from anyone else before now?

It felt like she'd heard the criticism of the lore/world building being weak, went well I'll show you. A couple of people have said something similar, I think she's been reading the fic, or tumblr, or reddit or whatever. It teads like fanfiction, from the depictions of Violet and Xaden to the clear (to me) well i want Andarna to find them and go with them and this pacifist plot twist but i still want to magically save Aretia with the wards so here's how i do both.

I think she read all the theories and the concrit, and instead of accpeting that and answering some questions, made up a whole lot of unnecessary lore to make it all "work" e.g. with the second signet instead of just ignoring what is clearly an editoring error. It's feels very of course *I* didn't make a mistake, *you're* just too stupid to see a major battle advantage that was only mentioned once in passing in two whole books.

The magic changing stuff i think is because she's plotted out what is needed for 4&5, and made changes to make that work. That's, I think, inevitable with a wildly popular fantasy world from an author who's never written fantasy before and is pressured to churn out two more books in 18 months. Understandable but, frankly, the responsibility of the publisher and editor to help prevent. Like, keeping the fanfic comparison, a good beta reader would've asked the questions we're asking.

There are a lot of scenes and moments i enjoyed, but in the same way I enjoy fic. As the actual canon, I think it was lacking it bit. I'm hoping there'll be some good book four style fix it fics.

I lived through the disappointment of books five and six of she who shall not be named and the redirection that happened there with oh shit I need to find a way to finish this and I didn't actually plan it, so I'll probably keep reading. Honestly, if for no other reason than I really love this fandom and it's authors, and I want to keep up with them.

[oddmawd]

8 9 18

8 - what’s your relationship with constructive criticism and feedback like? do you seek it out? how well do you take it?

i don't seek it out unless i know and trust the abilities/tastes of the person giving the concrit

not to be controversial on main but a lot of people who are eager to give unsolicited concrit are, uh...fuckin' terrible at it? most people know as much about giving good and effective concrit as they do about politics, which is to say they don't know shit but have loud opinions anyway LMAO

if i've actively sought out feedback from a person with a proven ability to give effective concrit, i take that feedback like a champ, but i delete unsolicited feedback from randos with a superiority complexes on sight (i have a formal background in writing and rhetoric and can spot that shit from a mile away LMAO)

9 - in an ideal world where you’re already super successful and published, would you want to see a tv or movie adaptation of your work? why or why not?

oh hell yeah, that would be sick!

fanwork is near and dear to my heart and a tv/movie adaptation is basically just another artist interpreting your work through their creative lens...it's essentially fanfic/transformative work and that's fuckin' amazing, and i don't even care how faithful the adaptation would be so long as i get to see someone else's interpretation of my work...artistic exchange is a fundamental part of the arts and i'm totally here for the joy of that

18 - what is your most and least favorite part of writing?

least fav: the physical toll it takes on my body (i have some mobility issues and typing hurts after a point)...also just the excruciating time it takes to actually bring a story to life, brick by brick and word by word...i want to just download my brain onto paper and be done with it LOL

most fav: the excruciatingly painful joy of taking the time to actually bring a story to life, brick by brick and word by word...ironic we find joy and pain in the same process...when i get on a roll and the words are flowing, i write while grinning, it just brings me so much joy y'know?

find the fanfic writer ask game here!

[amunetred]

Comment on one of my YouTube videos, with a link to your story, if you’d like me to do a read & crit for you.

[rabpitpie]

Good fanwork critique is hard to find, hard to write, and turns rotten if aimed at people who don't want it.

I reckon concritters should strive to improve their craft. Imo they should ask for feedback too!

Anyway, if you want concrit on your fanwork, you need to ask for it in a/ns or optionally on ao3, you have the option to [ tag it ].

[megamindfandombookclub]

[megamindfandombookclub]

Rage Rage FUCKING RAGE

About the AO3 "No Guest Comments for a while" warning

If you're not following any of AO3's social media accounts you might be in the dark as to what kind of "spam comments" have engendered this banner at the top of the site:

These spam comments have been posted about a great deal on the AO3 subreddit for the past couple of days. Initially they comprised a bunch of guest (logged out users) bot comments that insulted authors by suggesting they were using AI and not writing their own fics. Some examples, from the subreddit:

But it then escalated to outright graphic porn images and gifs being posted in comments, again by logged out 'Guest' accounts. Obviously, I'm not going to give examples of those, but between these two bot infestations, AO3 has clearly decided to act and has temporarily closed the ability to post comments for users who are not logged in with an AO3 account.

Unfortunately, this means that genuine readers who don't have an AO3 account won't be able to leave comments on fics that they enjoy.

If you are a genuine reader who doesn't yet have an AO3 account, I strongly suggest getting yourself on the waiting list for one. More and more AO3 authors are now locking their fics down to registered users only - either due to these bot comments or concerns about AI scraping their work - which means you're probably missing out on a lot of great stuff.

Hopefully guest commenting will be enabled again at some point soon, but I suggest not waiting until then. Get yourself on that list.

Wait times are going to be longer than usual at the moment, due to the current Wattpad purge [info on Fanlore | Wattpad subreddit thread], but if you're in line, then your invite will come through eventually.

Update: There's now a Megathread about this on the AO3 subreddit.

[megamindfandombookclub]

April's Book Club winner is... @berrymarais! Thanks for submitting @buginateacup's fic: Haute Water!

by impatientseamstress Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Fandoms: Megamind (2010) Relationships: Minion & Roxanne Ritchi Characters: Roxanne Ritchi, Minion (Megamind), Megamind (Megamind) Additional Tags: Met Gala, fashion - Freeform, Inspired entirely by the line "You know who would serve absolute cunt at the Met Gala? Megamind", and an entirely lacklustre 2022 Met Gala, The fact I resisted calling this Haute Cunture deserves applause, Presentation!, featuring Megamind and Roxanne in haute couture, Minion having the time of his life being a drama queen, Megamind in an Iris van Herpen inspired outfit, in universe punishment of people who don't understand the assignment, Roxanne in GILLS, Minion in PEARLS, Megamind in SPIKES, Absolute high nonsense, pre Megamind/Roxanne/Minion polycule if you really squint, And a little flirting, because why not, strict research was done on making a believable sounding Met Gala theme and NOTHING ELSE! ​ Summary: Roxanne admits she has an invite as Metro Man's plus one to the Met Gala. Megamind and Minion decide to offer their assistance… Words: 6,630 | Chapters: 1/1 | Language: English | Published: 2022-05-15

As before, it's highly encourage to leave positive feedback for our wonderful and talented writers:

After all, fanfic is a lover letter to Fandom and what better way to say "Thank you" than to let them know in a review? Encouragement goes a long way!