Question

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

This is for anyone who writes fic - how do you feel about constructive criticism?  I mean anything from politely pointing out typos or grammar mistakes to more ambiguous stuff like Brit-picking (you might feel, for example, that a British character could plausibly use an American expression in the context you've used it in).  Or in the case of the particular instance I'm thinking of, where a character uses a French expression which, while perfectly correct, doesn't feel right to you because of your knowledge of the specific instances where French speakers use "tu" and "vous".

The reason I ask is because I really don't want to come across as patronising and I know my language abilities aren't unusual when measured against everyone else here.  So if there's anyone here whose response to this would be: "I don't need a beta, thanks" or "I already have one", it would be helpful to know just so I avoid putting my foot in it. :)

Comments

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

If I've done something incorrectly, I'd rather know about it sooner than later. But I work in a business where people readily tell you when they find mistakes in your writing, so I think it's an individual opinion. Not everybody wants to hear it. But as long as you aren't rude about telling them, I think you have a 95 percent chance of being appreciated for it.

[rosecathy1.livejournal.com]

Hee. I once read a super filthy smutfic in which one of the characters begged the other to bring him off...using vous. I mean I'm aware that some couples do vouvoie each other as a matter of course, but it was disconcerting in the context.

Anyway, I would hope that if someone already had a beta, they would give credit somewhere. If not, I imagine most people (including me) would be at least willing to discuss the types of issues you mentioned — maybe consider why they chose to use a certain expression and whether it could be replaced — as long as you don't approach it in a shaming or overly didactic way (not saying you would!).

At the same time, some people just write in their own dialects without trying to achieve 100% Britishness (or whatever it is), which is okay. There's probably a point at which you can't address everything.

[daasgrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm quite happy to receive constructive criticism:

1. preferably in private
2. if the person knows what they're talking about - not talking about you, but I LOATHE being 'corrected' on things where I am demonstrably right in the first place, and the person would have discovered this if they'd only google/research/not talk out of their arse before trying to correct others. Yes, I have issues *cough*
3. all that said, I personally would be very reluctant to GIVE unasked-for constructive criticism, because most of the time I very much doubt it'd be appreciated

:)

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

ALL THE THINGS GIVE ME ALL THE THINGS ALWAYS CONCRIT NOM. *ahem*

[derien.livejournal.com]

I love concrit when it's offered respectfully. I did have one person who volunteered as a beta, years back, berate me on at least ten different points in my story which she said were totally unlike the source material, and that character would never say that, when in fact I could find the pages in the source material where he did say exactly that phrase. And possibly that's why I haven't been writing as much, since then, not begging for concrit. ;) No, probably not. But I need all the help I can get, honestly, I can't turn it down.

[lordvalerymimes.livejournal.com]

I am so green to all of this stuff and so woefully out of practice with writing that I would happily accept constructive criticism on any of my works. I'm sure a part of me will be a bit sad and mopey about it (because I've gotten such joy out of all of my writing so far and I'd hate to think that it might suck a bit), but I would consider it for my own good. I read some of the things that everyone else has written and I think, "Geez, I wish I was that good." I just keep hoping I'll get better at it. :D

I had a wonderful Beta reader for my long fic and I found it ridiculously helpful. She's not into the fandom though, so I'm reluctant to bother her for the smaller more smutty fics which I don't agonize over quite so much. Even with having a Beta reader for that fic, I went back to reread it a bit yesterday and I found some of it really... eh... not good, I think I should have spent a bit more time on it. I don't think I'm ever 100% happy with anything that I write though. Is anyone?

So yeah, having mistakes pointed out will probably smart a bit, but I'll sniffle a bit in the corner while I frantically fix the problem and be intensely grateful that someone pointed it out. ;)

I'm new though, so yeah, if I'd been doing this for years and doing it well, I'd probably have a much different attitude about it all. :)