For those who submit their work here, what type of feedback are you hoping for with your stories and poems?
And when you do receive constructive criticism how do you really feel about it? Do you prefer the kind of feedback that makes you think or is a general comment more along the lines of what you're expecting?
For those who are here to read, do you hold back on your comments and mainly give praise due to worrying about hurting the writer's feelings?
I'm guilty of giving too much praise at times. Especially if I don't know the writer.
Many writers misinterpret criticism.
I would much rather encourage a writer.
If I do criticise or give extreme praise, I try to do it privately.
I tend to post pieces here that I am generally happy with. I have a writing group where I can get detailed critiques and, for me, Stories Space is more about sharing. That said, if someone takes the time to give me feedback then I welcome it. After nearly two years of serious writing I've learned how to take criticism better than I used to. People's opinions are their opinions. You may not agree with them, but why take offence when you can pick them apart and see what you can learn from them.
When I read other people's work, I like to try and pick up on one thing to praise and one thing that could be improved. I also try to explain my reasoning. But, I am wary about being overly critical, since there is no way to tell what sort of feedback a writer wants here. In my writing group I know were all there for the same reasons, and none of us hold back in picking each other's work to pieces. Here there are different people with different agendas.
I remember the days of sitting around a table and just bouncing ideas off each other while writing. The one thing we always tried to remember was that we all loved writing. No matter the subjective, the outcome was the objective.
My personal favourite writing is poetry. But, while another site, I tried a short story. One of the comments was something to the effect of, 'begin a new sentence every time someone else speaks.'
That comment was due to the fact that my dialogue was contained within the same paragraph while two parties were conversing. I constantly repeat that one to myself, and I'm always up for more enlightenment.
I don't think anyone here wants to hurt feelings so a lot of times nothing is said or false praise may be given.. this will be a good place to be honest and outspoken without being mean.. I for one won't take offense at anyone who has taken the effort to read my stuff and hopefully give me some positive feedback.. and I say positive because even if it is quite critical it is meant to be positive on your behalf.. anyways.. bring on the joust.. I expect Alan is going to tear me a new one...
I'd love to critique some of your work Lisa,
But you haven't written anything here...):
I guess I'll have to follow you around the forums, or maybe join the critique groups..(:
Is there an entry fee?
Private critique - full of course!
I think if I was asking for a complete critique of anything that I published on here I would want a PM, whereas just general comments are fine.
In all honesty Lisa,
I'd love to be a part of this.
This IS like the premier writing site on the Internet. Hands down.
I love this place
My desire to be understood is far greater than my desire to be liked. That's partly why I write.
I think there's nothing more damning, or depressing, than false praise. I would prefer the truth, and negative criticism to none at all. I don't really see the point of posting stories otherwise. On the other hand, I don't criticize stories here as it is not expected, nor do I feel it would be appreciated.
Having a separate Forum for criticism is a very good idea.
I am a member of Desdmona's Fish Tank, a writer's group for authors of erotic fiction, where detailed, constructive criticism is given and expected. These are some of their guidelines:
Make two positive remarks.
Make two suggestions for improvement.
Try not to repeat.
This is what we call our 2+2 review. If you want to review a different way, that’s fine too. Just remember to temper any of your suggestions with some positive remarks.
Be specific. Ideally, cite examples. Ideas come from the strangest places, and even if your suggestion isn’t itself useful, it may spark the author’s imagination and inspire a change that is useful.
The best thing you can do for an author is to give your personal impression of the piece. He already knows how he feels about the story, and he knows what he is trying to get across. But he now wants to see if his points have trickled through to you, his audience.
It is common for people’s impressions to differ. With readers of varying nationalities and drastically different backgrounds, we sometimes see a wide range of opinions. This does not mean that one impression is wrong and another is right. Impressions are impressions. The real difference between a good reviewer and a bad reviewer is not the quality of the impressions; it is the ability to clearly and tactfully communicate those impressions.
So do not expect to agree with the comments of every other reviewer. Disagreement is OK. Honesty is more important than unanimity. If you disagree with someone, just make a special effort to be polite.
This'll be fun!
