I let a comment get under my skin

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

Usually I take criticism pretty well. I know my writing needs a lot of work so usually I will listen to what people have to say, sadly though today I got a comment that just struck me the wrong way and even worse...I replied to it negatively!

Here's the comment that was left.
going nowhere
12/03/16 By: Anonymous
Sorry, I did not enjoy it. The plot needs more color , where were they, describe the city, the room, even the bed. I skimmed fast. The ring was a nice shot. She should hock it if it was worth something.

I guess what bothers me most is they even say they skimmed it. I feel like they should have actually read the story if they wanted to leave a comment.
The part about hocking the ring, if they had actually read the story they would have seen it came from a gumball machine so no it's not worth anything except about twenty five cents!

I'm just angry with myself for letting someone's opinion bother me.

 

[moonflasher]

People will do to you what you let them .....Don't let it bother you,keep doing what you want not what they want.

 

[oneshotofsinglemalt]

I'm very new to writing on this site, but I've written a few other things that were open to public comments. There are a few types of commenters. There are the ones who actually want to offer something to you, some advice, some kernel of wisdom that may or may not actually help you, but it's done in the spirit of helping you grow as a writer whether you actually take it to heart or not. There are people who just love to hate on other people's work, whether they're just unhappy or they honestly believe that what you have created is terrible, and they just can't be bothered to shut up and move on, or offer a tip or two or a suggestion on how they thought it could be better. And then there are people like that one, who probably have a consideration for their own opinion that is wildly higher than it has any right to be, and who have the kind of personality that leads them to offer it on something they didn't actually read. In other words, probably not the sort of person who you'd actually want to hang out with. Commenter didn't read it, so commenter's comment is the worst kind of useless.d

 

[ElectricBlue]

That's a fairly "soft" comment really, not worth getting upset about. At least they gave you a few reasons why they didn't like your story.

Let it go, it's just one person's opinion - how many others have viewed your story, scored it?

Although I do know what you mean. I copped critique from a reader who didn't like my style, didn't finish a story - and therefore diidn't read as far as the key plot turn, thus missed the whole point of the story entirely. Irony is, it's one of my best ever stories in terms of reader reception.

 

[MindsMirror]

We've received some of the most negative comments on stories that scored well. They seem to come from this Anony Mouse, whose fairly famous. We've left nearly every comment that's been posted. We took exception with some personal attacks. One commenter told us to fuck ourselves (which we did) and then we responded poorly We left that posted as well. They sting at first, but as time passes, they have a humor to them. Keep writing.
-MM

 

[Nezhul]

The question is: do YOU think that your story could have benefited from more description and a better plot?

If you do, then you just ignore the hate and try to view this comment as feedback, pay more attention to it.

As a writer I found that when I'm writing I have these pictures in my head of every scene, every room, every characters. What color the walls are, what's used for the sheets on the bed, what the characters are dressed in and what are their haircuts.

But because it all made perfect sense to me, in my early works I made a mistake of skimming past the descriptions, describing mostly the actions that the characters did.

That's a big mistake when it comes to literature. You should understand that when you say "bedroom" - every one of us will imagine something different. Yet surroundings are VERY important for the scene, for the atmosphere. If you leave it at that, basically what you are getting is every one of your readers gets a different feeling of the place, different atmosphere, and this can result even in some things your characters do seem implausible.
Also there's nothing like having to re-imagine the scene on the fly as a mood breaker for me. For example you say that they are in a bedroom, and I imagine them having sex on this big King-sized bed. But then halfway through the scene you suddenly say that it's a small bed for one person, actually, and I have to completely erase my previous picture and draw a new one, which breaks the mood completely.
So in short, this comment is not necessarily a bad piece of feedback.

 

[MSTarot]

One thing this site excels at is toughening up the skin of writers. A publisher isn't going to be more pleasant.

To start with, the first question you have to ask is what do you want from your writing? That's a damn important question when it comes to comments. If you're seeking fame and fortune then you will need hide like a rhino to survive to that point. Even vitriol comments where they cut you to shreds will not hurt.

If this is your hobby, that you do for fun, that's awesome as well. Learn what you can from the comments and move on to the next story. You're trying to have fun and bad comments are no fun.

If It's a polishing of the craft, your skills, and the ability to tell a story that you're after, then take their comments to heart. but don't let it make you bitter.

On Literotica you will learn what you can learn.

To take the good with the bad is a needed lession.

 

[NicoleZ]

There are some readers who just love being contrary and whose comments seem so obviously designed to belittle you publicly that it makes you wonder who is hiding behind the "Anonymous" or ID. In the latter case, inspection always reveals that the ID has been a long-time member but doesn't offer any personal information whatsoever nor has made any contributions themselves. I agree with you though. To skim someone's story, give up before reading it through and then vote/comment is offensive!

 

[Hypoxia]

I agree with you though. To skim someone's story, give up before reading it through and then vote/comment is offensive!

But all too common.

With death-threats attached.

Just think of them as presidential tweets.

 

[AlliaPotestas]

I agree it seems unfair to give feedback to something the reader has only skimmed. In terms of general negative feedback, I am new to writing, but I am trying to take anything constructive on board because this is a massive learning curve. I did receive one piece of very negative feedback which, like you, upset me. I am glad I didn't respond straight away, I waited a day or two to get some perspective. As it happens someone else must have taken offence at 'anonymous' and reported it as was removed a few days later, and my response now floats alone un-tethered to the original complaint and thus lacking context...

I was lucky in that some kind soul happened to email me some very positive feedback about the same time, and I thought about whether I really wanted to do a story everyone liked... I don't think it's possible, but if you could get close, what would that look like? it would have to be fairly inoffensive given how wide ranging our reactions are to different genres and kinks, in short it would have to be bland. So be proud if you write something that splits opinion

If you find yourself really disheartened, look up the reviews for one of your favourite authors on a booksellers website. Salmon Rushdie's Midnight's Children is one of my favourite books and a masterpiece, yet the book that was voted "Booker of Bookers" received the following one star praise on Amazon:

"fragmented and boring"

"Very boring. Just a lot of words put together with no story."

"Too Wordy"

"The worst book I have ever read!"

Even genius' can't please everyone, and some people just like to post contrary opinions, good luck and keep your chin up, x

 

[NOIRTRASH]

I posted a Fritz Perls video that addressed insults. Perls said, WHEN SOMEONE CALLS YOU A SON OF A BITCH THEYVE DONE NOTHING TO YOU, TOU ARENT INJURED OR CHANGED IN ANY WAY, ITS YOUR VANUTY THATS UPSET.

Most of us are trapped within our high opinions of ourselves.

 

[hylas_]

I think it's entirely fair to only skim a story. What this commenter is telling you is that the story failed to grab them. That's a legitimate criticism.

 

[holliday1960]

Usually I take criticism pretty well. I know my writing needs a lot of work so usually I will listen to what people have to say, sadly though today I got a comment that just struck me the wrong way and even worse...I replied to it negatively!

Here's the comment that was left.
going nowhere
12/03/16 By: Anonymous
Sorry, I did not enjoy it. The plot needs more color , where were they, describe the city, the room, even the bed. I skimmed fast. The ring was a nice shot. She should hock it if it was worth something.

I guess what bothers me most is they even say they skimmed it. I feel like they should have actually read the story if they wanted to leave a comment.
The part about hocking the ring, if they had actually read the story they would have seen it came from a gumball machine so no it's not worth anything except about twenty five cents!

I'm just angry with myself for letting someone's opinion bother me.

Well, little Monkey, we all do things we regret at one time or another. The thing is that on a different day, the comment probably wouldn't have bothered you at all. To dwell on it now isn't going to help. The clash sounds like a minor one and it is doubtful the reader will bother to even read your response. (If they didn't read the story the first time, what are the odds they will do a repeat?) You can still delete your own response, or both comments, and just put the matter behind you. In the grand scheme of things, it isn't going to change your life one bit, so don't sweat the small stuff. I hope you are having a better day today!

 

[ElectricBlue]

As it happens someone else must have taken offence at 'anonymous' and reported it as was removed a few days later, and my response now floats alone un-tethered to the original complaint and thus lacking context...

You can always delete comments, including your own - especially if it no longer makes sense.

Just go to your Control Panel, View Submissions, go to the story, then Moderate Comments. You can delete any comment - as author it is completely up to you which comments stay, which go. It is your call.

 

[AlliaPotestas]

I think it's entirely fair to only skim a story. What this commenter is telling you is that the story failed to grab them. That's a legitimate criticism.

I think that's a fair point, but the reviewer doesn't come out of this well by picking holes in an element that was explained had he/she read the story... if the review had stated, I skimmed this because it failed to hold my attention, fair enough. I often skim stories myself but wouldn't dream of scoring someone on it, not least because my decision as to whether to skim or commit, is often down entirely to my mood and the type of story I am looking for at the time. It's normally no reflection on the author, x

You can always delete comments, including your own - especially if it no longer makes sense.

Just go to your Control Panel, View Submissions, go to the story, then Moderate Comments. You can delete any comment - as author it is completely up to you which comments stay, which go. It is your call.

Oh - I didn't know that, thank you. It does make sense to ditch mine, since the original comment is no longer there. I didn't mind the critical one staying (despite them comparing my writing to a 9th grader - which might be true), everyone's entitled to an opinion, and my response was very polite. It's probably not what I would have said if I'd responded straight away

 

[NicoleZ]

I think it's entirely fair to only skim a story. What this commenter is telling you is that the story failed to grab them. That's a legitimate criticism.

Sorry to disagree with you, but it is definitely NOT "legitimate criticism". In order to be valid, that is of use, criticism has to tell you the reasons. If it does not, it's not criticism, it's a complaint, plain whingeing. Comments such as "I didn't like it", "I only skimmed it" or "Does nothing for me" say nothing about the story as they are only relevant to the person who posted the comment because only he/she knows why. Therefore they are less than useless to the writer/author and anything but "legitimate" and "criticism".

In this case, Anon left detailed criticism but admitted that he/she had only "skimmed it fast" and, as the OP pointed out, got at least parts of it wrong. To do so is very rude because if you wish to leave such detailed critcism, you should at least have read the story.

 

[NicoleZ]

I posted a Fritz Perls video that addressed insults. Perls said, WHEN SOMEONE CALLS YOU A SON OF A BITCH THEYVE DONE NOTHING TO YOU, TOU ARENT INJURED OR CHANGED IN ANY WAY, ITS YOUR VANUTY THATS UPSET.

Most of us are trapped within our high opinions of ourselves.

That's only partially true. What about people reading the comments and being influenced in their opinion of a story, predisposed to disliking it because XYZ? This is what some of those negative comments left aim at and if and when they succeed, it definitely more than simply the vanity of the writer that has been affected.

 

[CyranoJ]

I think it's entirely fair to only skim a story. What this commenter is telling you is that the story failed to grab them. That's a legitimate criticism.

It's fair to say "this story didn't grab me, and I didn't really get past the first page." But it's pretty ridonkulous to say something like that and then pretend you have detailed criticisms to offer about the rest of the story.

But to the OP, count me in the "wouldn't lose sleep over it" category. Basically it's the sort of thing I would just chalk up as a no-content comment and zap.

 

[HandsInTheDark]

OP: you'll get over it. You're on a site where good stories get 1 bombed when they get to the top lists, where people are mad at you when you don't write their fetish their way, and where stories that barely qualify as coherent can break a 4.0 because lots of people want to read about the maid being spanked... again. Someone didn't like your stuff? Ask to read theirs. Oh, they don't write? Move on. Anyone can criticize; few can do it well.

No reason to post about these things here, by the way. You're just encouraging more negative comments. There are people here - and not all of them are readers - who more or less can't feel their own existence unless they're making someone else unhappy. Never feed negative commentors. Delete what you consider unfair. And above all move on.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

OP: you'll get over it. You're on a site where good stories get 1 bombed when they get to the top lists, where people are mad at you when you don't write their fetish their way, and where stories that barely qualify as coherent can break a 4.0 because lots of people want to read about the maid being spanked... again. Someone didn't like your stuff? Ask to read theirs. Oh, they don't write? Move on. Anyone can criticize; few can do it well.

No reason to post about these things here, by the way. You're just encouraging more negative comments. There are people here - and not all of them are readers - who more or less can't feel their own existence unless they're making someone else unhappy. Never feed negative commentors. Delete what you consider unfair. And above all move on.

I recall the OP came to the AH EXPRESSING a similar whine about reader feedback, and her scores for the affected stories were quite high. She has an inflated vanity. I recall her wares are better than most but I'm not sympathetic to feeding egos.

I delete best selling writers from my Kindle all the time. Ted Williams got a hit 40% of the time at bat. SUCK HAPPENS.

 

[Writer_Writerson]

Just a quick question from a novice:

Do you get less hate if you disable anonymous comments? That is possible, right?

 

[oggbashan]

Just a quick question from a novice:

Do you get less hate if you disable anonymous comments? That is possible, right?

Yes, but you will still get some.

Some people have several alts - alternate identities - that they use just for trolling.

 

[Writer_Writerson]

That's... Real mature. Wow!

So, there's nothing for it but to ignore the bad reviews? Treat them as noise, so to speak?

 

[CyranoJ]

There's a difference between legit criticism, essentially content-free drive-by's and outright trolling. Personally I just ignore the latter two.

 

[Writer_Writerson]

Sounds like excellent advice! I'll take it.