Recently I've had my first experience with negative reviews. Now, with that said, I know I'm not a perfect writer. My chosen profession is as a real estate appraiser and I worked hard for my degree. I haven't had any writing classes since high school and I graduated nearly 25 years ago. If it weren't for my pre-readers and betas I'd be ashamed to post a chapter of anything I write now. LDTW was my first attempt at writing since 1987. Some of you weren't even born yet. I didn't know about betas so I wrote and posted the first 5-6 chapters of LDTW strictly using spell check. Yep. True. I know those chapters are a mess, BUT I chose to leave them be for now so I can look back and gauge my improvement.
Which brings me to my reason for being here today.
I don't agree with the Guest Review option in Fan Fiction. It gives the reader a forum, but the writer doesn't have equal opportunity to comment or defend, as it were, their actions. I think all readers have the right to voice their opinion, but in order to do that, I think they should be required to log in. Fan Fiction dropped the ball on this feature...especially when anonymous review option is turned off on my account.
And now my rant begins...
Readers, you have the option to flounce. No one makes you read a certain story. If I insult you, your Mother or your dog, by name, by all means, call me out on it. I'd do the same thing. However, flaming up about the writer's choice in how they depict the characters in their stories is not up to you or is it in your rights to come apart about it publicly. Reviews are meant or praises and constructive criticism. Constructive criticism should be said in a non-degrading fashion and there needs to be a strong reasoning behind them. Not "I hate when writers make Bella wimpy" or "I can't read a story that has so many stretches on the truth. Have you tried Googling your facts?"
Um, these comments are not likely to make the writer want to fall over their feet to please you. These stories are fictional, not autobiographies or history books. The writer has the right to bend the story as they see fit. Thats the beauty of Fan Fiction. Do you remember the book that began all this craze? It was a story about an insecure teenage girl and a teenage vampire that fall in love...oh, and there was that crazy part with the teenage Native Americans that shape shift into huge wolves designed to kill vampires. Totally happens where I live daily. What? That's fictional? Oh, yeah! That's right! It was written for entertainment!!
I guess the old adage "If you can't say something nice, say nothing" fits. Try and remember that and all the hard work and spare time amateur writers put into their stories. Okay?
Thanks!!
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