OMGWTF it's attack of the meta.

[hackthis_archive]

theantimodel was postulating on giving authors criticism, constructive or otherwise, and why some authors just can't stand the heat in the kitchen. I started writing an answer, which then degenerated into much thoughtfulness that should not be happening so soon after holiday.


I have, what I think, are some of the best betas ever -- but hopefully all writers feel this way about the people who help them better their writing. That doesn't mean, however, that we're not human, and therefore, immune to mistakes. Grammar, spelling, the wrong word in the wrong place, and the comma thing, well, I never liked that unit in school anyway (this puts serialkarma in fits on a regular basis).

Regardless, I know that my stories are not perfect. I know that they never will be. I know that my stories will inevitably have a word in the wrong place or a punctuation mark on the wrong side of a word, or something to this affect. I know this. I have accepted this. I have tried to fix this, but some shit is inevitable, and I am not fastidious enough to go back through every story I've ever written and right these wrongs.

There are some people who do this; I'm not one of them.

I write for content and clarity, but I'm not a copy editor. Semi-colons are not my strong point, but I like to think that my characters are, and they're more important to me than whether or not I put two spaces after the full stop or three. This doesn't mean I want my stories to be full of POV issues or historical snafus. If I make a glaring error, you can call me on it, but like pretty much every other person in existence, I prefer to be treated the way I treat other people. That means if I don’t go around rudely telling you you're dressed like a slapper or like a colour-blind manky git, don't do the same to me.

Have manners. They're free.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm never satisfied with a story and even after posting will continue to edit sentences and find wording errors. Sometimes I add whole sentences or change paragraphs completely, and I'm always tweaking my endings. My stories are always a work in progress, but sometimes when I think something's done and dusted, it stings to hear someone say, "Yeah, regardless of whatever masterpiece you think you have going on, I see you splattered paint in the wrong place."

IMO, delivery has a lot to do with how people perceive constructive criticism, or criticism in general. You don't have to like what I do, it doesn't make it wrong, it just makes it different, and different is not a four-letter word, no matter what anyone tells you.

Mary Poppins sang that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, and I'm not saying you should have to soothe a writer's ego before you tell them that they're walking around with their flies open, but I'm saying that it doesn't hurt. This doesn't mean that if I put crack instead of cock, for frakking sake, you can't just tell me. But -- if you're going to roll up and say 'I think your characterisation sucks!' you're going to have to at least tell me why you feel this way, and it helps if you tells me what does work for you so that I've got some sort of barometer to judge it by.

At the end of the day, I believe that what makes a story work isn't your spelling or your commas, but I do think they are good to have.

I think betas are even better to have.

I think that authors should put their best writing foot forward, and I think that they should be respected for it, but I also know that respect has to be earned.

I know that you're only as good as the people who support you and make you try harder.

So if your goal in nit-picking an author is to support them and make them better, more power to you. If your goal is to be annoying fucker who just wants the attention and hasn't got anything better to do – get a life.


In more joyous news, Happy Birthday to the most fatabulous and lovely estrella30. It is a honour to be around your infectuous enthusiasm and I'm so pleased to know you. I wish you many, many happy returns of the day, sweetie.*

*I heard you have discovered the wonder that is Entourage. Let's hug it out, bitch!

Comments

[cyanei.livejournal.com]

If I'm walking around with my fly open, I expect to be told in the most direct manner possible.

Honestly, I spend a lot of time worrying about my fly. I don't think anyone's noticed, but I do a lot of little surruptitious zipper-checks throughout the day. I'm always wondering if it looks like I'm grabbing my crotch all the time.

In fact, it probably does. Which explains some things about my reputation.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

*snicker*

[psycho-llama.livejournal.com]

Ahaha! Nice.

See, my favourite pair of pants actually has a broken fly. I spend my entire day pulling the damn thing back up. My reputation is pretty much shot, especially at work!