Writing for the approbation of other authors

[Off_base]

There are two things I'd like to comment on here. First is the criticism itself. Second is the effect it has had on you.

I haven't read the story in question but like @PennyThompson, I read the comment to which you're referring, as well as your comment in response to it. As a writer, you owe it to your craft to weight the criticism and decide whether it's on point or off base. And it's important to remember that even excellent and well-respected authors can offer criticism that sometimes misses the mark.

For what it's worth, it was clear to me that you carefully considered each point raised by the commenter in your response, and you gave solid reasons for disagreeing with their comments. That's the exact right approach. You can (and should!) dismiss criticism if you evaluate it objectively and decide it is off the mark.

Again, I've not read the story, but I agree with your perspective on the boot camp thing. Just because a character derives self esteem from changing her appearance does not mean that you are trying to tell your audience that they have to look a certain way to feel good. In my opinion, the commenter was wrongly assuming that the character's intrinsic motivations aligned with the writer's message to his/her audience. I feel the same way about the commenter's disapproval about a character drinking and driving. That's not a message that you are delivering as a writer. That's the behavior of a flawed character that you are portraying, and that is perfectly fine and acceptable in a work of fiction.

You also provided an explanation for why Stacy never visited home in you response to the comment. Now, maybe the commenter is correct that you didn't do enough as a writer to convey Stacy's reasoning in the story. Or maybe you are correct and the commenter just didn't pick up on the details you included to establish Stacy's motivation. It's up to you as a writer to decide that one.

Putting aside the validity of the criticism itself, I would also suggest that you owe it to yourself and your craft not to let a single comment suck the joy from your writing, regardless of the comment's source. Believe in yourself and your writing. Be receptive to criticism as a way to hone your craft, but keep in mind that any criticism offered in good faith (and I believe that this commenter's criticism was offered in good faith) is a critique of the success of the work itself, not the worth of the writer. There's a reason this same commenter has praised your other work. Don't get so consumed by this single negative comment that you lose sight of all the positive feedback you've received!

As others have suggested, you might PM the person who left the comment. Tone is hard to convey in a comment, and it's very possible that the commenter may be horrified to learn that their words have had such a negative effect on you. A private conversation may help you recover your equilibrium. Best of luck, and please keep writing.

It's like you read my mind. Thank you for this. So much!

 

[Britva415]

from a respected author, it landed hard

What have they done to earn respect?

They may have written some good stories, but are you sure they aren't just an asshole of a person?

Has this author left you feedback/comments on any of your other works?

And besides yours, @OP, do they have a pattern of leaving unnecessarily douchey comments on other people's stories?

 

[DeMont]

I saw a comment elsewhere that some writers (me included) put greater weight on feedback from other authors than general readers. Contrawise some other writers say they care more about what their readers think than other writers.

I wondered about your motivations. For me, I’m much happier if a writer I respect pays me a compliment, than if it is a non-writer, or a writer whose work I am unfamiliar with does the same.

Does that mean I’m writing for other writers? How about you?

@EmilyMiller,
Good morning my dear colleague, what a terrific and thought provoking question. It really does make one consider their motivations.

As I've mentioned before I consider any comment to my stories that conveys something useful in its content is, in my mind, most welcome. Having said that I have had comments from one "Anonymous" person who criticised the work but actually added a suggestion/comment, perhaps a little tersely, at the end - awesome, I've had one very well respected author here who commented that my work was "a decent effort" but had suggestions for improvement, I had another author give a quite simple, and very positive, congratulations on a job well done. I have also experienced reader comments along these, and similar, lines.

I welcome them all but I will freely admit that the fellow authors comments are the ones I tend to put at the top of the "Improvements needed" list that I have.

In short I write for everyone except the anonymous haters who can "Blow me!"
Most respectfully, of course,
D.

 

[SugarStorm]

Just because someone is considered by some to be a "respected author " doesn't mean they cant be an asshole.

Trust me, I've met several here.

Shots fired! I imagine the next time the “respected authors” convene at BUNS (Benevolent Union of Notable Scribes), this will be at the top of the agenda. Splinters will form, factions will rise, and Lit as we know it will fall, only to be reborn as the Lit Battle Royale.

Only one shall remain standing, and from the ashes, a new Lit will rise, free of AI rejections and cursed control panels.

Joking aside, I see the same. I also know text can be hard to read clearly, as tone doesn’t always come through... but being respected for what you publish doesn’t give anyone a free pass for how they behave. Writing skill isn’t the same as character, and reputation shouldn’t be used as cover for disrespect.

 

[StillStunned]

Would this be a good time to revive the Rip Me To Shreds thread?

 

[kreemi_pi]

I saw a comment elsewhere that some writers (me included) put greater weight on feedback from other authors than general readers. Contrawise some other writers say they care more about what their readers think than other writers.

I wondered about your motivations. For me, I’m much happier if a writer I respect pays me a compliment, than if it is a non-writer, or a writer whose work I am unfamiliar with does the same.

Does that mean I’m writing for other writers? How about you?

 

[Off_base]

What have they done to earn respect?

They may have written some good stories, but are you sure they aren't just an asshole of a person?

They have not only authored some great stories, they also help other writers become more successful. Their respect has been earned, and not just for writing, which increased the weight of the comment I posted about. Definitely not just an asshole of a person, or I wouldn't have been bothered by it. We've communicated and clarified things a bit, so that hard landing feels a little softer today.

 

[yowser]

How do you cope when another author that you like, basically rips one of your stories a new ass with a negative comment, dismantling your premise and the behaviors of your MCs, and accuses you of sending terrible messages with your story?
All of the other feedback I've received on the same story has been positive, and the stats are solid.

If it had been a random reader, I could have filled it away and moved on, but from a respected author, it landed hard.
Any advice on getting past this jump would be appreciated.

You have described an interesting situation that may bear some thought.

It definitely hits harder when you get criticism from someone who knows what they're doing. Your issue is a main reason why I don't comment on stories more (and I do a fair amount.)

Unless I know (from the author's bio or appending note to a story, that they WANT constructive feedback or otherwise indicate they can deal with a negative comment) I will keep my comments largely positive. Even then I have offended some, while taking their words at face value.

A lot of authors SAY they want real feedback (How come my brilliant work doesn't get more comments? If you're going to give me a lousy rating, tell me why!) but then collapse with complaints when honest feedback is offered (I differentiate between provoking or malicious or shaming commentary, which while quite common, doesn't do anything for anyone.)

I'd offer more critique on stories, but my general sense is that writers here don't really want that. It's not an easy skill to accept a critical response but those who profess to want to improve their craft need to take that deep breath and listen carefully if progress is truly their goal.

 

[AchtungNight]

Getting feedback from another writer is always great. Feedback in general is good. For choosing my favorite feedback of all time, however- the troll who bashed me for featuring a dedicated Scientologist as a major character in my stories and then when I told him I was actually casting her as a rebel against the abuses of that religion who became a bisexual swinger responded with “freaking awesome!” Heh.

I should also add that if a fellow writer sends me feedback I generally return the favor in due time.

 

[Trionyx]

"Writing for the approbation of other authors"​

What's a scientifically-based person doing throwing around highfalutin literary words like that?

 

[EmilyMiller]

"Writing for the approbation of other authors"​

What's a scientifically-based person doing throwing around highfalutin literary words like that?

Imagine a Venn diagram with literary in the right set and scientific in the left. Now inscribe the letters E, m, i, l, and y in the intersection .

I use the term, ‘perfidious interlocutor,’ in my WIP novel.

 

[StillStunned]

Imagine a Venn diagram with literary in the right set and scientific in the left. Now inscribe the letters E, m, i, l, and y in the intersection .

I use the term, ‘perfidious interlocutor,’ in my WIP novel.

Except that the overlap is the letters I, T and E.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Except that the overlap is the letters I, T and E.

Yeah - confusing letters in the names of sets / names of set elements with the contents of the sets, but I’ll let it pass.

 

[EmilyMiller]

To further illustrate my point, the same novel includes:

Dr. Tochen’s addition of inositol and pyridoxine appears to have reduced the number of failures we previously experienced to a manageable level.

 

[EmilyMiller]

To further illustrate my point, the same novel includes:

Dr. Tochen’s addition of inositol and pyridoxine appears to have reduced the number of failures we previously experienced to a manageable level.

To explain, while viewed by some as just supplements, the two compounds are sometimes used in tissue culture as well.

 

[EmilyMiller]

To explain, while viewed by some as just supplements, the two compounds are sometimes used in tissue culture as well.

See also:

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/write-a-controversial-opinion.1642372/post-101742742

 

[Statius]

See also:

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/write-a-controversial-opinion.1642372/post-101742742

Like I said in controversial opinions, mumbo jumbo/ witch craft! Why? Because it's beyond me so it must be bad!

 

[EmilyMiller]

Like I said in controversial opinions, mumbo jumbo/ witch craft! Why? Because it's beyond me so it must be bad!

I tried not to use too much jargon

 

[mistressjenny32]

I tried not to use too much jargon

 

[Statius]

I tried not to use too much jargon

Use all the jargon you want/ need to! Don't mind my jokes.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Use all the jargon you want/ need to! Don't mind my jokes.

G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) exhibit a spectrum of functional behaviours in response to natural and synthetic ligands. Recent crystal structures provide insights into inactive states of several GPCRs. Efforts to obtain an agonist-bound active-state GPCR structure have proven difficult due to the inherent instability of this state in the absence of a G protein. We generated a camelid antibody fragment (nanobody) to the human β(2) adrenergic receptor (β(2)AR) that exhibits G protein-like behaviour, and obtained an agonist-bound, active-state crystal structure of the receptor-nanobody complex. Comparison with the inactive β(2)AR structure reveals subtle changes in the binding pocket; however, these small changes are associated with an 11 Å outward movement of the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane segment 6, and rearrangements of transmembrane segments 5 and 7 that are remarkably similar to those observed in opsin, an active form of rhodopsin. This structure provides insights into the process of agonist binding and activation.

 

[EmilyMiller]

G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) exhibit a spectrum of functional behaviours in response to natural and synthetic ligands. Recent crystal structures provide insights into inactive states of several GPCRs. Efforts to obtain an agonist-bound active-state GPCR structure have proven difficult due to the inherent instability of this state in the absence of a G protein. We generated a camelid antibody fragment (nanobody) to the human β(2) adrenergic receptor (β(2)AR) that exhibits G protein-like behaviour, and obtained an agonist-bound, active-state crystal structure of the receptor-nanobody complex. Comparison with the inactive β(2)AR structure reveals subtle changes in the binding pocket; however, these small changes are associated with an 11 Å outward movement of the cytoplasmic end of transmembrane segment 6, and rearrangements of transmembrane segments 5 and 7 that are remarkably similar to those observed in opsin, an active form of rhodopsin. This structure provides insights into the process of agonist binding and activation.

And that will get you a Nobel Prize.

 

[Statius]

And that will get you a Nobel Prize.

What about a Pulitzer? Or Booker?
Oh, and not me. I'm into science, was really into human evolution for a long time, BUT most of it is above my head. I do really well with concepts and ideas, but facts and memorizing them, the black and white of it baffles me. My brain just doesn't function that way, sadly. Takes a very long time for me to absorb information like that and to understand it properly. I admire those who can learn it and comprehend.

 

[EmilyMiller]

What about a Pulitzer? Or Booker?

Yeah - no.

 

[Statius]

Yeah - no.

Yeah, it was a joke.