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Okay, so, me and reviews, crit, feedback, recs etc:
As a general rule, with one or two notable exceptions, I actually like the stories I produce. I'm pleased with them, for whatever reason, and I want everyone who reads them to be pleased with them as well, to like them and to not feel like they wasted their time reading them. Positive feedback makes me happy, seeing something I wrote being reviewed highly or rec'ed makes me happy.
That said - I don't expect everyone who reads my stuff to like it. I don't expect everyone who reads it to think that it's good. For whatever reason, from 'I hate that pairing,' to 'you have a glaring plot hole,' to 'yeah, and by the way, that's not how you spell that and it's a misspelling that drives me insane'.
And here's the thing: I have the right to post something in my journal, or in a community, that other people don't enjoy or don't like. If someone came along and tried to stop me, I'd be pretty pissed off.
With that in mind - how can I go around trying to stop people from saying that they didn't like it, or didn't think it was good, or liked it apart from this bit, or thought it could be improved? In their journal, in a community, in someone else's journal, in my journal. If I want people to say nice things about what I write, then I have to accept that sometimes they won't say nice things, and sometimes they'll say things I don't like to hear. But they have as much right to do that as I do to write the stuff they don't enjoy.
This is where I should say that I like getting concrit; the truth is, I benefit from it, which is not quite the same as liking it. That said, I'd rather someone left a review saying 'I wasn't wild about this because...' than that they said nothing at all. Judging from my own behaviour, people probably *don't* do that, though, hey, if you ever read something of mine and wondered about whether to leave something critical, go ahead.
This is my other thing about comments that aren't positive, wherever they are: you don't have to agree. If the person writing fic isn't privileged, then the person reviewing it isn't either. Just because they review stuff, it doesn't automatically mean they're correct (which isn't to say that it automtically means they aren't, just that they're no more speaking the gospel from on high than anyone else). People have tagged my stories on del.icio.us and I've read the comment and wondered what the hell they were smoking when they read the story to get this (I've also read comments that have made me grin all day from remembering them, and comments that made me go 'okay, actually, that's a good point, I'm glad someone said that where I could see it'). If you feel that strongly that you have to explain, most people won't mind if you do. People like what they like, and they have types that they prefer. I really love angst and heartbreak, and that moment when someone is really hurting and it makes your heart clench. I love hugs and comfort and people being caring. If that's what I've written, and the person reading it is into, I don't know, wacky adventures, they're going to dislike it. And sometimes they're going to say so, and not always directly to me, and sometimes I'm going to know and sometimes I'm not.
I think I wandered a bit off the point there, if I had a point to begin with (debatable!), so maybe this is the summary: if you post it publicly, you have to be prepared for people reacting to it in whatever way they choose. If they do this anywhere other than your journal, or the community where you're the mod and can set the rules, you don't have to like it, but you do have to live with it. This is the price you pay for all the people who tell you they love what you've written and rec you far and wide. You might like to have one without the other, but, sorry, you can't.
But in case you've ever wondered: pretty much all the content in this journal, baring maybe two entries, is unlocked. As far as I'm concerned, with my own content, posting it unlocked means free rein (reign?) to anyone to comment, criticise, recommend, review, link, disagree, say nice things, correct my spelling, tell me what they liked/didn't like or anything else. Here, or somewhere else, and maybe I'll argue back, and if you get really rude in my journal (which, yes, is an arbitrary thing that I'll define on any given day) you'll get slapped down, metaphorically speaking, but the chances are, I'll go hmm, think about what you said and not do it next time.
As a general rule, with one or two notable exceptions, I actually like the stories I produce. I'm pleased with them, for whatever reason, and I want everyone who reads them to be pleased with them as well, to like them and to not feel like they wasted their time reading them. Positive feedback makes me happy, seeing something I wrote being reviewed highly or rec'ed makes me happy.
That said - I don't expect everyone who reads my stuff to like it. I don't expect everyone who reads it to think that it's good. For whatever reason, from 'I hate that pairing,' to 'you have a glaring plot hole,' to 'yeah, and by the way, that's not how you spell that and it's a misspelling that drives me insane'.
And here's the thing: I have the right to post something in my journal, or in a community, that other people don't enjoy or don't like. If someone came along and tried to stop me, I'd be pretty pissed off.
With that in mind - how can I go around trying to stop people from saying that they didn't like it, or didn't think it was good, or liked it apart from this bit, or thought it could be improved? In their journal, in a community, in someone else's journal, in my journal. If I want people to say nice things about what I write, then I have to accept that sometimes they won't say nice things, and sometimes they'll say things I don't like to hear. But they have as much right to do that as I do to write the stuff they don't enjoy.
This is where I should say that I like getting concrit; the truth is, I benefit from it, which is not quite the same as liking it. That said, I'd rather someone left a review saying 'I wasn't wild about this because...' than that they said nothing at all. Judging from my own behaviour, people probably *don't* do that, though, hey, if you ever read something of mine and wondered about whether to leave something critical, go ahead.
This is my other thing about comments that aren't positive, wherever they are: you don't have to agree. If the person writing fic isn't privileged, then the person reviewing it isn't either. Just because they review stuff, it doesn't automatically mean they're correct (which isn't to say that it automtically means they aren't, just that they're no more speaking the gospel from on high than anyone else). People have tagged my stories on del.icio.us and I've read the comment and wondered what the hell they were smoking when they read the story to get this (I've also read comments that have made me grin all day from remembering them, and comments that made me go 'okay, actually, that's a good point, I'm glad someone said that where I could see it'). If you feel that strongly that you have to explain, most people won't mind if you do. People like what they like, and they have types that they prefer. I really love angst and heartbreak, and that moment when someone is really hurting and it makes your heart clench. I love hugs and comfort and people being caring. If that's what I've written, and the person reading it is into, I don't know, wacky adventures, they're going to dislike it. And sometimes they're going to say so, and not always directly to me, and sometimes I'm going to know and sometimes I'm not.
I think I wandered a bit off the point there, if I had a point to begin with (debatable!), so maybe this is the summary: if you post it publicly, you have to be prepared for people reacting to it in whatever way they choose. If they do this anywhere other than your journal, or the community where you're the mod and can set the rules, you don't have to like it, but you do have to live with it. This is the price you pay for all the people who tell you they love what you've written and rec you far and wide. You might like to have one without the other, but, sorry, you can't.
But in case you've ever wondered: pretty much all the content in this journal, baring maybe two entries, is unlocked. As far as I'm concerned, with my own content, posting it unlocked means free rein (reign?) to anyone to comment, criticise, recommend, review, link, disagree, say nice things, correct my spelling, tell me what they liked/didn't like or anything else. Here, or somewhere else, and maybe I'll argue back, and if you get really rude in my journal (which, yes, is an arbitrary thing that I'll define on any given day) you'll get slapped down, metaphorically speaking, but the chances are, I'll go hmm, think about what you said and not do it next time.