Yeah, I do get more frustrated with people that I know are older, thinking "You should know better than this, dammit!"
But then, when I think about it some more, I have to acknowledge that youth in writing is not necessarily a function of chronological age. If a 28-year-old decides one day out of the blue to write something, never having written anything before and never having taken a creative writing class or read any books about how to write well or anything of that sort, then they are no more apt to write something better/less cliched than what a similarly experience-less 13-year-old would write.
So really, before I will even think about possibly passing judgment on someone, I have to know a little something about them, especially how long they've been writing. That isn't always readily apparent from, say, an FF.net profile. I mean, if you look at my story list on FF.net, you might think I've only been writing since 2001 when I've actually been writing since the 70s. (So, you know, I should know much, much better, but...meh
( ... )
One of the many reasons I stopped going to FF.net is the cut and paste review from the readers (rarely writers themselves) who have taken it upon themselves to be the critique Nazis. They're rude and thoughtless in their reviews because they don't know anything about writing and they've probably not even read the story. And when called on it, they claim they know everything and the writer is a hack so shutup. Sigh. Then they taunt you to report them and block them. Argh! Okay, that's my little rant for the day.
I've seen a bit of that, here and there. When I do, I am tempted to PM them with a detailed review of their review, pointing out, for instance, their egregious spelling and grammar errors and such. I have not yet done this...but I've been sorely tempted more than once.
I guess, in the end, people have no idea how to review/critique any more than they have any idea how to write. Yippee. :|
Obviously, I am a person who likes tf_afts. I try not to make fun of the writers, but rather, share the LOLs I get out of their stories. Sometimes, they're just too silly and ridiculous to not share.
And at the same time, I AM protective, sometimes, of the bad!writers at ff.net. I certainly was one of them a decade ago (thank God we didn't have internet then!) and the three boxes of hand-written fics under my bed are a constant reminder of this. Some of the stuff I write now -like you said- is utterly horrible and never leaves the privacy of my harddrive/notebooks. But I have to remind myself (usually when I get depressed because I'm gaga over a piece I wrote and it hardly gets any reviews -- It often seems other people don't get as excited about the things I write as I do) and remind myself constantly that I'm writing for one person first and foremost: Myself
( ... )
As an amateur hobby writer myself I tend to pretty tolerant when it comes to fanfiction. If there is a good story line or plot in the making than as a general rule I can ignore some bad grammar or spelling. If a writer can take a cliche or a Mary Sue and make them interesting I can get over the fact that the story or character falls into one of those categories
( ... )
No writer is perfect. That's a fact. My best friend who I live with ATM has now had two books published, one as part of a three book deal with an American publisher, and as well as one currently with her agent making the rounds at publishing houses at the moment. In my opinion, her story telling is great and her skills are amazing. That didn't stop her agent sending back 11 pages worth of edits. Lol
( ... )
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But then, when I think about it some more, I have to acknowledge that youth in writing is not necessarily a function of chronological age. If a 28-year-old decides one day out of the blue to write something, never having written anything before and never having taken a creative writing class or read any books about how to write well or anything of that sort, then they are no more apt to write something better/less cliched than what a similarly experience-less 13-year-old would write.
So really, before I will even think about possibly passing judgment on someone, I have to know a little something about them, especially how long they've been writing. That isn't always readily apparent from, say, an FF.net profile. I mean, if you look at my story list on FF.net, you might think I've only been writing since 2001 when I've actually been writing since the 70s. (So, you know, I should know much, much better, but...meh ( ... )
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I guess, in the end, people have no idea how to review/critique any more than they have any idea how to write. Yippee. :|
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And at the same time, I AM protective, sometimes, of the bad!writers at ff.net. I certainly was one of them a decade ago (thank God we didn't have internet then!) and the three boxes of hand-written fics under my bed are a constant reminder of this. Some of the stuff I write now -like you said- is utterly horrible and never leaves the privacy of my harddrive/notebooks. But I have to remind myself (usually when I get depressed because I'm gaga over a piece I wrote and it hardly gets any reviews -- It often seems other people don't get as excited about the things I write as I do) and remind myself constantly that I'm writing for one person first and foremost: Myself ( ... )
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