Is negative positive?

[Whispersecret]

I've noticed that sometimes when people get a strong negative response from a reader, they look on that as an accomplishment. They see their writing as provoking a response. Sure, it's a negative one, but some people say, screw 'em. It's better than indifference.

I disagree. It's easy to provoke a negative response. Being offended is so popular these days, it's practically a hobby for many Americans, one that can make lots of money in lawsuits, too, by the way. But I digress.

I'm not so sure that getting negative feedback is something to look favorably upon. When I get it, I usually shrug it off because it's usually some objection to the non-consent aspect of "Hostile Takeover." Non-consent isn't everyone's bag. However, if someone ever wrote me and said, "I hated your story. It sucked!" I can't ever see myself looking on that as a true accomplishment.

What are your thoughts?

(Edited to make my position clearer)

 

[horny_giraffe]

Yeah. Negative feedback is better than no feedback, for me.

 

[sirhugs]

I posted the opposite view on another thread already. I think it depends on the story, and the feedback. Challenging preconceived ideas is good, but Literotica is primarily about entertainment. I think if a writer is trying to change the world, there are better places to do it. I think if a writer successfully makes a reader go " hmm, never thught of it that way". the feedback will not be negative.

 

[Whispersecret]

sirhugs, I realized when I read your post that my original post made it sound like I thought negative feedback was good. I've since edited it to be clearer.

 

[OT]

is negative positive

If you manage to provoke a full fledged relevant rant replete with details, then the positive spin is that you have successfully communicated.

Othewise, I agree -- negative is undesirable.

It is far easier to annoy someone than win them over.

 

[PaulX35]

positive & negative

Erotic stories are emotionally often your "kids of fantasy", at least they are for me.

Seeing people write "it sucks" can be confronting then, but I think one should be prepared for people not getting it when you write something.

Negative criticism on writing that can indeed be improved a lot is perfectly ok with me; that's why I post and ask for feedback. It's a voluntary act, so you should be prepared to enjoy the pain

 

[ronde]

It depends on the form of the negative feedback, i.e. are the statements constructive or merely intended to hurt.

I have received negative comments that were truly on the mark and taught me a thing or two about researching topics and what readers enjoy. In some cases, the comments were made with tact, while others had all the sublety of a slap in the face, but I consider this feedback to be very valuable.

If I were to receive something truly vitriolic in nature, I would be angered. It is a disservice to any author, no matter how poorly written the work, to reply without common courtesy and some attempt at a meaningful critique. In no way would I consider this type of feedback an accomplishment.

 

[Singularity]

Three Kinds of Feedback

I think it is important to sort the feedback one gets into three piles:

1. The positive "this is great and I really enjoyed it" pile, which of course is never too big.

2. The negative, "I hated it and here is why..." or the "here is what you did wrong and you are a moron to have done it. Any writer who knew what they were doing would have done it better".

3. The constructive feedback that tells the author what the reader liked, and what tripped them up or led them off the main track or distracted them, or just didnt feel right.

The key difference between 2 and 3 is in how the feedback is delivered. "Negative" feedback is easy to do. To easy, in fact.

Giving "constructive" and useful feedback while not skewering the author for being an apparent imbecile is harder to do than it looks. It takes time and effort and thought, and a delicate touch.

What makes constructive feedback hard to do well is that it can often come out sounding negative. The person who writes feedback should be as careful with words and phrasing as an author writing a story. Being hasty or quick to respond can have result in unintended offence being taken.

Those that make the effort should be hoisted on a pedestal and saluted.

 

[Whispersecret]

Re: Three Kinds of Feedback

What makes constructive feedback hard to do well is that it can often come out sounding negative. The person who writes feedback should be as careful with words and phrasing as an author writing a story. Being hasty or quick to respond can have result in unintended offence being taken.

Ain't that the truth. It takes time to be "gentle." I find that sometimes forming the comment in the form of a question can soften the blow.

For example, instead of "Don't quote measurements in physical descriptions." Try, "Have you thought about trying to describe the character's physical attributes in a more creative fashion?"

Also, the phrase, "You might want to consider..." comes in handy too.