Annoying reviews

[tessa]

...

[Eponine]

LOL tessa....

yes, this CRAP argument is getting comical...

if i could interject- just a tiny squeak of an opinion from someone new to the forums, but -

Yes, the definition of CRAP is subjective, but only up to a certain point because there are agreed-upon standards of quality, at least in terms of writing technique- is that what you mean, H Dean?

And between the two who are most heated in the debate- mkemse and H Dean- from the posts and reviews of yours that i've read, you both have a sense of that standard, anyway.

ok, that's just my little two cents.

spank me if i'm wrong.
hell, spank me if i'm right

[tessa]

LOL tessa....

yes, this CRAP argument is getting comical...
ok, that's just my little two cents.

spank me if i'm wrong.
hell, spank me if i'm right

If she gets spanked, I wanna watch.

[Dragon's muse]

i want to know where the sign-up sheet for the spanking is.

[tessa]

There's a spanking sign-up sheet?

Have pen, will sign.

[H Dean]

Crap is like a wife: take my crap, please.

[tessa]

Buhdum Bumm

[isabeau6]

i have written reviews on the site, and what annoys me to hell and back is the author acknowledging everyone but me..now i'm not vain, nor do i want attention but gesh i take the time to read the story first..then i take more time to write an intelligent review..and i get ignored???? dayum...i also in the past have emailed authors...it's nice when they respond back...i've had those who have not.. and now thanks to my writing to this one author about his story and writing a review, he has sent me the finished version of his story and another book he wrote, all because i took the time to write and also he would like a female's view of the next story he plans on writing..and i will say wow..he is diabolical to the extreme and his tortures eeks..but it's all so well written, including the snuff which i have grown to accept if it's incorporated well in the plot.. that i find his stories fascinating and intriguing...

[RiverOtter]

Do you mean the author should send an email to the reviewer, or reply to the post on the review page?

I'm fairly new to the site, and I hesitate to write reviews of stories I don't like, since 1) I'm not likely to finish the story anyway and 2) I find that the wirters of badly written stories are much less receptive to criticism (wonder if there's a correlation there?)

Oh, and as for "Petrol Station," I thought it was fine, except it needed to take place in Disneyland and be about a plot to assassinate the Prime Minister of Canada. Also, in the ending Twinkles the pink magic dragon should have appeared and taken everyone to Happyland.
--Wait a minute...you mean the review should be based on what's actually *in* the story, not what you think should be in it. I gotcha.

[ElectricBadger]

I've encountered some angst from authors too, and now I'm a bit more hesitant to give feedback to anyone who doesn't ask for it. Usually, though, if you say something good (even if it's just, "Thanks for sharing with us,") people will hear you out.

[Mad Lews]

i have written reviews on the site, and what annoys me to hell and back is the author acknowledging everyone but me..now i'm not vain, nor do i want attention but gesh i take the time to read the story first..then i take more time to write an intelligent review..and i get ignored???? dayum...i also in the past have emailed authors...it's nice when they respond back...i've had those who have not.. and now thanks to my writing to this one author about his story and writing a review, he has sent me the finished version of his story and another book he wrote, all because i took the time to write and also he would like a female's view of the next story he plans on writing..and i will say wow..he is diabolical to the extreme and his tortures eeks..but it's all so well written, including the snuff which i have grown to accept if it's incorporated well in the plot.. that i find his stories fascinating and intriguing...

Now I need to check my stories reviews to see if I'm the culprit here.
As a line of defense I should say the author isn't given a notice when there's a new review. Used to be that way but not so any more. If you want to post public remarks go the review route. It's appreciated by most writers. For a more personal exchange e-mail might work better as your experience shows.
Mad Lews

[H Dean]

I've encountered some angst from authors too, and now I'm a bit more hesitant to give feedback to anyone who doesn't ask for it. Usually, though, if you say something good (even if it's just, "Thanks for sharing with us,") people will hear you out.

So long as a review is thought out and based upon valid story components no author should object to any review. Unfortunately, too many people complain about the story contents - I don't like ass fucking so I give this story a 2. I hate those assholes and will always give them a piece of my mind.

Though, I will admit that when someone posted a "2" which indicates that my grammar was complete shit, it irked me rather dramatically. I almost took my ball and went home. Fortunately, I was able to suck in my gut and stand tall. Yes, I just assumed that person to be an utter jack ass.

I must be in a mood.

[Snark]

Petrol Station was enjoyable, I'd read more of Jamb's work based on it. As for reviews, I tend to respond to either good work or very bad work. As an example of crap, misspellings with run-on words, revolving tenses, wrong version of the word (to, too, two?) get in the way to the point of not being able to follow the story. If English is not the writer's native language, fine; get a proof reader or wait until he/she has a better grasp of the language, or post it in the native language. Maybe the reviews will be better. A review should impart information that the writer can use to improve his work. Unless, of course, you review for the NY Times. I must admit I never expected to read a discourse on Ceasar in this forum. It demonstrates a refreshing depth of reading experiences!
And Tessa & Muse...I'll be posting a sign up sheet soon.

[mirage]

considering even the best stories in the sites doesn't get average more than 10 reviews.
why not change to a "rate this story" without the comments thread.

I read many stories, could rate them but often have no comments to make.

it's a pity that most stories that are read by thousands should get a average ratings of hundreds at least, not 5-10.

[ElectricBadger]

Can always simply say, "Thank you for sharing" and post a score -- certainly better than nothing! Honestly, though, as an author just getting a number doesn't help much.

[rach]

I'm always so wary of giving reviews other than that's good as it seems to presume a knowledge I'm not sure I have. I do write, but not BDSM and I don't know if people would appreciate reviews.

[Euryleia]

I'm always so wary of giving reviews other than that's good as it seems to presume a knowledge I'm not sure I have. I do write, but not BDSM and I don't know if people would appreciate reviews.

Rach, as a feedback whore, I really, really appreciate reviews. But what helps me more is constructive criticism--I get better as a writer when I learn about my strengths and weaknesses. I'm very grateful to several of the authors on this site who have sent me emails with feedback and suggestions.

[DarkPoet]

I'm always so wary of giving reviews other than that's good as it seems to presume a knowledge I'm not sure I have. I do write, but not BDSM and I don't know if people would appreciate reviews.

I can only second Euryleia there. I'd never object to a "nicely done", but it's people pointing out mistakes and ways to put something better who help improve my writing, no matter if it's a bdsm fic or a classic short story. This needn't always be a complete analysis of what went wrong. If I'd get three reviews in a row telling me "there's something off in the middle of the story, but I can't really name it", I might be able to spot it myself.

[Rubberwolf]

I have posted one review. I believe that if you like someones work you should tell them about it. That said, some of the negative ones that I have recieved have pointed out typos etc. So they are constructive, in that they help you improve your story writing.

The reviews that I hate are the pointless ones that slate your work, but have no substance. E.G. Invitation to a Fetish Party recieved general favourable reviews, appart from one guy who gave me a poor rating because it reminded him of a childrens cartoon or something similar. (P.S. If you are reading this, perhaps a link would be nice so that I could form my own oppinion.).

I digress. The interesting thing about these caustic individuals is that when you click on their names, you find that they have not actually written anything themselves. I don't mind a poor review. Laura Feline has been giving honest reviews of my work for years. But then, she has written stacks and I feel that her oppinion has some weight. I saw a review recently where Parker gave a nice review. It turns out that Parker is one of the reviewees favourate authors and the positive review gave her a great deal of encouragement. But it is these sad little snipers who do not let us see their work, but proclaim venomous little rants, that serve no purpose than demoralizing tallented writers that should be actively ignored by any author. I like what I write, I enjoyed writing it and sharing it with others.

P.S. Loved Petrol Station. Well written, nice pace, good charactorisation.

Rubberwolf

[nakdsub]

As a first time author, I was looking for constructive criticism for my first story. Instead my first critic was a person who gave me a 1 because he didn't like reading stories with an under age character. Now, in my synopsis, I mentioned the main character was 15 years old. If he didn't like reading these stories OK but to read it then give it a 1 for content is just ridiculous. My second critic really cut the story down saying it read like a children's book. Everyone has a right to their opinion but what gets me is that this person misspelled several words and used "to" instead of "too" in the revue. When I checked for stories written by this person there were zero. Isn't that always the way.
So far the rest of the revues have been very positive.
Please don't get me wrong, if you have legitimate and constructive criticism, I am always willing to learn.
Thanks.

[Dragon's muse]

Anytime you put a piece up for review you run the risk of negative feedback. Professional writers, who hit the bestseller lists with appalling regularity, get blasted by critics and others based on content.

Do you really think that people who don't post stories should not voice an opinion? i only have one story posted on the main story side, but that doesn't make my thoughts and feelings about a story any less worthy of consideration. A reader's opinion is just as valid as a writer's opinion.

Bottom line, all reviews are just opinions. There has never been a writer in the history of the world whose work was universally well-received; it is pretty unlikely that you or i will be the first. Take what works for you, and don't worry about the rest.

[ThisYouWillDo]

I wonder how many published authors have never been read by people who do not write. Answers in round figures, please.

[Dragon's muse]

My very dear TYWD, it is the roundest figure of them all -- 0.000000000

[Dragon's muse]

Nakdsub,

Just FYI, the search by author function on the story side is not foolproof. If you search by my name, i don't have any stories there. But, if you search by the title, it shows up.
*shrugs* Go figure.

[nakdsub]

Muse,
I agree with everything you said.

[H Dean]

Hey kids - ignore this post

[H Dean]

As a first time author, I was looking for constructive criticism for my first story. Instead my first critic was a person who gave me a 1 because he didn't like reading stories with an under age character. Now, in my synopsis, I mentioned the main character was 15 years old. If he didn't like reading these stories OK but to read it then give it a 1 for content is just ridiculous.

Apparently, he is an idiot.

My second critic really cut the story down saying it read like a children's book. Everyone has a right to their opinion but what gets me is that this person misspelled several words and used "to" instead of "too" in the revue. When I checked for stories written by this person there were zero. Isn't that always the way.
So far the rest of the revues have been very positive.
Please don't get me wrong, if you have legitimate and constructive criticism, I am always willing to learn.
Thanks.

I see that you are suggesting that poor grammar or bad spelling in a review negates the truth or accuracy of the review. This is one of the more asinine complaints I have ever read about a review.

I will note that your complaint contained the word "revues". I will also note that you seem to have difficulty knowing where to use a comma. You are, essentially, reviewing the review you are complaining about and displaying poor spelling and technical skills. Isn't that ironic?

[nakdsub]

Guilty as charged, how embarrassing!

[James P]

What about this one - Some guy gave me 1 star because I advertised my personal story site at the beginning of the story (The Johnsons). Not sure what you folks think of that one, but I only wish he'd have judged the story on his merits rather than on his personal beliefs.

[Alex Bragi]

What about this one - Some guy gave me 1 star because I advertised my personal story site at the beginning of the story (The Johnsons). Not sure what you folks think of that one, but I only wish he'd have judged the story on his merits rather than on his personal beliefs.

Well, James, in this instance, you could try to make contact with the reviewer and try to reason with them to alter their rating of your story. I have seen authors do that with some success.