Has Anyone Noticed...

[Elianna]

I wasn't complaining about you, m'dear.

 

[Pure]

here!

i'm still moderating the SDC as i believe penny is.

help, of course, is welcome.

pure,

j.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

i'm still moderating the SDC as i believe penny is.

help, of course, is welcome.

pure,

j.

as is, I'm sure, participation.

 

[manyeyedhydra]

I'm always happy to toss up stories to the SDC for summary evisceration. I'm surprised people seem to find it intimidating. The discussions I've seen have been mainly positive and it's good to have some of the best writers around here give suggestions on how a story might be improved. I found it very helpful in any case.

I've got a sequel to an old story already discussed in the SDC I might stick up for dissection. That's if it survives the lynching the hearts and flowers brigade are going to give it (and probably me) for putting it in the V-day contest

 

[sr71plt]

Unfortunately, just because critique is given on the Story Feedback board doesn't make it constructive or even particularly beneficial. One-time regular critiquers like Jenny knew a few basic techniques that the regular critiquers themselves preferred to see in stories (and generally presented them as "everyone does"), but she and others habitually couldn't even tell the difference between voice and tense. In many cases, no guidance at all was much better than what was being given. Sorry, but there it is. The first rule in giving editorial help is "do no harm."

 

[Selena_Kitt]

The first rule in giving editorial help is "do no harm."

With perhaps slightly less serious consequences than the Hippocratic oath?

 

[sr71plt]

With perhaps slightly less serious consequences than the Hippocratic oath?

Yes, somewhere between that and "Well, I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night."

I might go on to say that much of the advice was condescending and delivered nastily--as well as being off base. The blind leading the blind are still blind.

 

[tickledkitty]

Unfortunately, just because critique is given on the Story Feedback board doesn't make it constructive or even particularly beneficial. One-time regular critiquers like Jenny knew a few basic techniques that the regular critiquers themselves preferred to see in stories (and generally presented them as "everyone does"), but she and others habitually couldn't even tell the difference between voice and tense. In many cases, no guidance at all was much better than what was being given. Sorry, but there it is. The first rule in giving editorial help is "do no harm."

With the consequence that everybody ends up arguing and nobody gets help. Then the forum dies because nobody wants to deal with it.

I think you underestimate peoples' ability to separate the wheat from the chaff.

 

[Elianna]

I also think that the whole point of discussion is to teach and learn. (Anyone heard of reciprocal teaching?) Like I said, I KNOW I'm not very good at editing and critiquing. I hesitate to say anything about writing because, well, a music and a math degree didn't lend itself to the discussion.

However, some people DO know what they're doing. Sometimes they're not very nice about it, but I'd rather people discuss and dialogue and *gasp* argue than just keep silent. Otherwise, how are we supposed to learn from each other?

Can't we behave like adults and critique each other with the intent of being helpful? If someone is wrong and doesn't know the difference between "tense" and "voice" *raises hand* what better way to learn than to read a discussion about it when someone messes that up in a story?

Do no harm? I think that ignoring someone asking for help is just as harmful. Just like anything, not all suggestions are correct, but they do make you think.

 

[damppanties]

Unfortunately, just because critique is given on the Story Feedback board doesn't make it constructive or even particularly beneficial. One-time regular critiquers like Jenny knew a few basic techniques that the regular critiquers themselves preferred to see in stories (and generally presented them as "everyone does"), but she and others habitually couldn't even tell the difference between voice and tense. In many cases, no guidance at all was much better than what was being given. Sorry, but there it is. The first rule in giving editorial help is "do no harm."

As an experiment, you should try to say nothing but positive things for a whole week. Say, five positive things a day at least, for the whole week. I'm interested to see how that turns out.

 

[_Lynn_]

Unfortunately, just because critique is given on the Story Feedback board doesn't make it constructive or even particularly beneficial. One-time regular critiquers like Jenny knew a few basic techniques that the regular critiquers themselves preferred to see in stories (and generally presented them as "everyone does"), but she and others habitually couldn't even tell the difference between voice and tense. In many cases, no guidance at all was much better than what was being given. Sorry, but there it is. The first rule in giving editorial help is "do no harm."

**Checking the CMS for the first rule **


Slipping back to my corner now before I get into trouble.


You could always do a critique in the SDC for us.

 

[sr71plt]

As an experiment, you should try to say nothing but positive things for a whole week. Say, five positive things a day at least, for the whole week. I'm interested to see how that turns out.

Your Avatar is murky; your Avatar is murky; your Avatar is murky; your Avatar is murky; your Avatar is murky. There, that's something I'm pretty positive about, and there are five of them.

God, I love Pollyanas who don't care who gets hurt as long as everyone is smiling.

 

[sr71plt]

**Checking the CMS for the first rule **

It might even be there.

It's plastered across the top of my editing degree from UVa. Not in Latin, though, so it might not be legal.

I will say that it's fascinating to me that people who ask editorial type questions on Web sites like this don't seem to care if they get useful answers--they are just looking for friends.

 

[damppanties]

Your Avatar is murky; your Avatar is murky; your Avatar is murky; your Avatar is murky; your Avatar is murky. There, that's something I'm pretty positive about, and there are five of them.

God, I love Pollyanas who don't care who gets hurt as long as everyone is smiling.

It's not about this. You complain generally. About everything. Incessantly. But nevermind.

 

[sr71plt]

It's not about this. You complain generally. About everything. Incessantly. But nevermind.

Well, actually I don't. So no problem with the "nevermind" part.