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Bad Reviews

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the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:

--- Quote from: Paige on December 20, 2006, 02:57:38 PM ---Whichever the case negative feed back is rough. Really rough.

--- End quote ---

It can be, but it seems to me that honest negative feedback is pretty much universally more useful than a review that is nice for the sake of being nice and does not point you at ways the writing could actually be improved.


--- Quote from: Paige on December 20, 2006, 02:57:38 PM --- It’s difficult, if not impossible for a reader, especially a non-writing reader, to understand the emotional connection a writer has to his or her work.

--- End quote ---

The thought of first-readers who are not themselves writers gives me hives, tbh.

Jack_of_Names:
Paige; I'm 21, younger than many, older than some. It's a pain of an age when you're not a kid but you're not "really" an adult lol. And my mum knws better than to try turn my course lol. Bullheadidness runs in the family. Both sides.

There is some excellant advice coming out here :D

I just hope my official proof readers come back to me with more constructive reviews, of the kind that you all have detailed!

EDIT: Anyway, have any of you fine people ever had a review, personal or proffesional, that's just made you go "Ouch..."?

trboturtle:
It's a fact of human nature that not everyone is going to like your writing. People's tastes are different. Take for example, Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Some people love those long involved books, others can't stand them. I read several and decided that I really didn't like them. That doesn't mean Jorden's writing is junk, it just means his writing don't entice me like Jim Butcher's does. It's just a matter of taste.

Best thing is to get more then one opinion about a piece. If different people are citing  the same thing they don't like, you might want to reconsider rewriting that section. If most of your prereaders like a section, but a couple of others don't, find out what they don't like about it, and see if it need to be tweaked.

In the end, you are the final arbitrator of your writing. You are the one who has to be 100% sastified with the result.

Craig

James:
I agree with Iago never react badly to criticism or bad reviews. At the end of the day they went out the way to take time to read or watch your piece of work. Also remember you will not get everyone to like your work, some people will like it, some will hate and others will be indifferent towards it.


--- Quote from: Paige on December 20, 2006, 02:57:38 PM ---And then I read your second post and realized you are likely young enough your mother might be thinking she's doing you a favor...saving you from years of disappointment and possibly ultimate failure...better to be a doctor, or a lawyer!   ::)

--- End quote ---


--- Quote from: Jack_of_Names on December 20, 2006, 05:34:03 PM ---Paige; I'm 21, younger than many, older than some. It's a pain of an age when you're not a kid but you're not "really" an adult lol.

--- End quote ---

From your reply to Paige I presume you are from America and this is what really shocked me when I visited several years ago and to my amazement I was treated as a child at the age of 19. Being from Wales and being treated as an adulted for the best part of 2 years it was a real shock. I knew the drinking age was 21 but didn't realise that you are not an adult until then.

Jack_of_Names:
lol No, I'm from England (Dont' hate me, I'm a quater Welsh lol). What I meant about not being a kid, but not being an adult is that kids think of you as old, and people who're older think of you as a kid. Like, when you're seven, you know everyone is going to think og you as "young" and when you're 27 people will thinkof you as an adult. You're pretty much thought of as a kidall through your teens, but when you hit 21, you're not quite either. It's a transition age. It's a weird age. I wish I was seven. Things were SWEET when I was seven lol.

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