It's been a while: Fanfic rant!

[la_belle_laide]

While I was on break last month, I had some free time and was happily enjoying a Resident Evil fanfic. Typical fare: violent, sexy, angsty, totally gratuitous, and yet still amazingly in character. I would call these fics a "guilty pleasure" but really, I feel no guilt for the things I enjoy, from gratuitous fanfiction to a pint of ice cream, to listening to ABBA. So I whiled away a few hours on this interesting fic and thought about leaving a review. I ended up not doing so.

Some anonymous reviewer had caught an error and pointed it out. The author went into diva mode and flipped her junk. I immediately disengaged.

I have this thing were I can't separate the "art" from the artist. (Yeah, "art" is in quotes because I'd be laughing at myself if I called gratuitous fanfiction "art." I wrote it for years – I know better.) Maybe that's unfortunate, and it really is my problem. Once the creator of something I like turns out to be icky in any way, I can't enjoy their work anymore. I can tell you that at least one of my f-listers out there who shall remain unnamed (*cough*beerdudess*coughcough*) has, even years ago, listened to me rant endlessly about this pet peeve of mine. Writer, artist, whatever you are: Once you go Diva, I start to point and laugh.

Today I popped by the fic (I'm supposed to be studying for a mid-term, but I am Princess Procrastination,) to see if maybe they had cleared it up, worked it out. Instead, the author has removed the negative critiques.

Dude, WHAT? Seriously? Are we that touchy about our SEX!ANGST!Leon Kennedy story? Is it really that much SRS BZNZ?

One thing I can say about me: Back when I was writing fanfictions, and even now when I'm writing my own stuff, and in all the time I've been writing, I've never, ever gotten rid of a critique. Never even ignored them. I know I'm not hugely successful and definitely not the hottest stuff out there (I'm not being disingenuous – there are tons of writers, published and not, who can write circles around me,) but I like to think I can string words together in a decent enough way. I've gotten a crap-ton of reviews and critiques over the years and I am grateful for every last one. I don't care if they're brusque, or even mean, and I don't even care if I ultimately disagree with the critique. I've kept every last one and have even cherished them. My response to every criticism I get is "Thank you," and I consider it carefully. Even if it seems dumb on the surface. There's always something to a criticism, something I've overlooked, and maybe it will make sense down the road.

A lot of authors, especially in fanfiction, get involved in these circle jerk reviews. They all flatter each other in return for more flattery. There's usually one writer in the circle who is better than the rest of them, and the others all know it. So she gets to sort of stand in the middle. Once in a while she'll dole out a little bitty ego-stroke to some of the others who aren't that bad, and then everyone starts clamoring all over her. Then she'll have a journal or even a web page where everyone can bring her gifties. I've watched fandoms for years; I know how this stuff goes.

I have to imagine that it's nothing like this in the world of professional publishing. You don't see this kind of thing with authors who have books on shelves. Or maybe you do, and I obviously just don't know about it yet.

But I'm happy to say that I've never gotten any of my fics into a pissing contest, I've never been part of a circle jerk, and I've never gone Diva over a review. Maybe that mindset helps, when it comes to getting published. I think it must. The ability to gracefully take negative criticism is a huge step in publishing, or so I'm told. I look forward to every critique, and I don't take it to heart; I take it to mind. Then, I work harder.

So that's the end of my rant, and if anyone out there can recommend a pissiness-free Leon Kennedy story, hook me up, 'cause I'm in the mood for Leon these days. :)


ETA: My personal rule for accepting critiques is this: Whether I like it or not, whether I agree with it or not, whether it is a full, nit-picking review, or one line saying "this didn't work" or "there are some errors," I have one reaction. "Thank you." Sure, a juicy crit makes me wiggle a lot more, and I love those. But a one-line crit can also be helpful. I don't care if they have an MFA in writing or if they drool while they type. Someone took the time to read my work and to make a comment. Every comment makes me think more critically, even if my final assessment is, "LOL, okay, gotta disagree with that." Though, more often than not, I do agree with critiques and make changes. I actually quite like making changes. It feels empowering.

But that's just how I go about it. :)

Comments

[shikei-and-cz.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Hate that. A few friends of mine over on a game forum write for fun's sake, but they always point out easily fixable stuff and offer serious critiques if asked, and take critiques very well. But there was one writer that was 'the shit' as far as the rest of the forum was concerned because frankly, if he got enough digital blowjobs, he would writer people's characters into his stories. He's made a grand fuss when someone would point out these huge gaping plot holes or incomprehensible scene changes or character interactions, but he had absolutely no problem getting nit-picky and technical (and sometimes mean) about his critiques for someone else.

Finally got to the point my friends just would ignore his ass, then when one of them became a forum mod and made a couple of changes to the writing forum (put short single stories in this sub-forum, put long chapter novels in this forum, and don't flood- let the others in the forum (not just the friends I mentioned) have a chance to get their stuff read) then all of a sudden it was an attack on his stuff and they were just mad he had more readers and he was gonna go elsewhere, yadda yadda. Never mind there was a lot of people on the forum writing neat stories, but they all got passed over because he'd flood the forum every other day with his stuff and kept keeping his threads bumped so all the new stuff from other people were on page 2 within a couple days.

Ridiculous.

Funny thing was, he'd churn out a TON of fanfic for the game setting these stories were based in, and he swore up and down he was writer material, but when it came time to put his mouth where his money was and write an original story of his own world-making, he couldn't produce a coherent story. And he was gunning for first novel status.

So I know full well the circle-jerking that fanficcers do.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

Digital blowjobs! Yeah, that's exactly the word!

let the others in the forum (not just the friends I mentioned) have a chance to get their stuff read) then all of a sudden it was an attack on his stuff and they were just mad he had more readers and he was gonna go elsewhere, yadda yadda.

Yup yup - exactly this chick.

I actually told her that I had been enjoying the story and was disappointed in the attitude, and she sent me a pissy reply saying she was no one's "punching bag" yadda yadda and would continue to delete reviews that aren't worth Her Majesty's time. If you're not an English major (LMFAO, because I was,) then you're not worth listening to.

Haha. :) Silly people.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

ETA: Aww. And she got all butthurt and replied here too, about how she was deleting me. Silly!

The thing is, not everyone has the time or inclination to be a supa-fly fantastico beta for pornfic. Sometimes all you can manage is, "This isn't bad but there were some mistakes" etc. That's not good enough for Her Majesty. Oh, also because I didn't bother to look at her many other pages. Aww. Wah. :)


But her reply didn't point out anything specific or help me improve, and she's not an English major, so I deleted it. ^_^

And yeah, before anyone asks? I do occasionally love to engage pissy writers. ^_^

[shikei-and-cz.livejournal.com]

XD

They do ask for it. If you're going to cop an attitude, you better be damn well prepared to get it delivered back in spades, is all I got to say. And that's the kind of attitude that doesn't get you far if you plan on writing professionally. Same rule applies to artists.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

Exactly times ten. I see this less in visual artists, but you probably see a lot of it, being a part of that community.

I dunno, once in a while I take a wild hair and have to rant. :) A guilty pleasure? Nah, I don't really feel guilty. ;D

Also, your icon cracks me up, as usual.

[lisa-s.livejournal.com]

The thing is, not everyone has the time or inclination to be a supa-fly fantastico beta for pornfic.

But if the pornfic is not supa-fly fantastico beta-ed by every single person who reads it....yeah, I don't know how to end that. With some dire, I'm sure.

Won't someone please think of the poor little pornfic author? All she asks is five hours of your time! ;-)

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

Oh dude, you have no idea. The ranty PMs full of vulgarities because I just don't understaaaand. Man, I have a way of finding the one hornet's nest with Queen Creeper, don't I? And then kicking it. ^_^

Thing is, I'd gladly give five hours of my time to a really awesome sexytimes story (umm, which you know, LOL.) But I gotta be on board.

Speaking of. *Poke*

[reanimated.livejournal.com]

i don't really have anything to add, except that my own slash love has just been given a kickstart. i have a new drug. depeche mode slash. wtf, right? but there's an AWESOME community on LJ with several REALLY good writers. ahhhh right like i need a new drug.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

Ahh, but my squick point is with real person fanfic. I have a thing about it. But I just dote on stories about fictional people, so I stick with those. :)