Tips for fanfiction READERS

[Oddball]

I found this linked from a blog I frequent and felt the whole thing was worth sharing, so I'm copying it all and posting it here. Think of it as me reblogging it without the blogging part.

Original source:

Your Guide To Reviews
The Problem

Fic writers wonder why people don’t review. They honestly can’t understand the silence. Writers assume that readers:

usually have something to add/criticize/say
know how to articulate their own thoughts/feelings
withhold feedback because they’re lazy or apathetic
don’t appreciate how much time/effort/energy goes into writing

On the flip-side, readers assume that:

the writer already knows how ‘good’ their work is
someone else will review because this fic is ‘obviously’ awesome
if a fic is already ‘popular,’ their feedback won’t matter
if they comment, they ‘must’ leave an awesome, insightful, detailed comment that 100% reflects their love for a fic
since words aren’t adequate, it’s better to stfu and just click the kudos button/favotite/bookmark

None of these assumptions are accurate.

The reality is that:

there is no reason for a writer to post their work except to get feedback that validates their vision, helps them improve and/or gives them an outsider perspective/interpretation of their work (which can be absolutely mind-blowing)
like, you can and should write for yourself, but if that’s 100% the case, every good fic would be wasting away in a private word document
‘readers’ are not always ‘writers’
‘writers’ can naturally put their ideas and emotions into words
‘readers’ usually don’t know what to say, which words to use to express themselves, and belittle the importance of their perspective
many ‘readers’ don’t write, so they can’t empathize with the struggle of writing a fic for a silent but attentive audience

Basically, readers don’t understand writers and vice-versa. Both parties are wired differently. Readers who also write are more likely to review because they empathize with both sides of the equation.
The Solution

Writers

Be patient, understanding, and persistent
Appreciate those who do review
Don’t get bitter, discontinue a beloved story, or assume the worst of your readers
Realize that everyone is really trying their best

Readers

Be patient, supportive, honest, and empathetic
Realize that there’s no minimum! Even two words (like ‘good work!’) can have a huge impact

Review Templates

Things to say when you’re tongue-tied:

Verbs

I liked the part where/when…
I wonder why…
I smiled/laughed when…
I was confused when…
I think that…
I predict…
I was sad/happy/angry/[other emotion] when…

Nouns

[character] did/said/felt/will do [this thing]
because… (if applicable)
[insert plot point/event]

Example: I think that [this guy] ran away from [his friend] because he was trying to protect him.

And that’s it. You don’t have to say anything else. One sentence is more than enough, but you’ll notice that once you get started, you’ll have a lot to say- so say it!

Author’s style

Your writing is:

Detailed/descriptive
Vivid
Concise (to the point)
Funny
Serious
Surreal
Unique
Compelling
Provocative
Leaves me wondering about a lot of things, and I’m curious about what happens next
Confused me a little at times (talk about what confused you! The author will be more than happy to clear things up!)

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t

Worry about grammar/typos in your review
Suggest a direction for the story (most writers know what they’re doing and you just gotta trust them)
Think that clicking the kudos button is all you can do! Your opinion is important!
Tell the author to do more of [this] and less of [that]
Ask them to update without leaving any other feedback

Do

Leave short comments if you can’t think of anything else to say (“I like this” is more than acceptable, seriously)
Inform the author of typos (be specific)- many fics are un-beta’d. The writer will appreciate your attention to detail.
Express your own perspective even if it isn’t ‘correct-’ I think [character] did this because she was jealous, which explains why…
Understand that your unique interpretation of motives/symbolism/foreshadowing/anything is extremely valuable
Be honest, but diplomatic
Bookmark/rec works if you enjoy them, esp to help lesser-known writers

You can copy/paste from this post into your reviews. It’s hard to find the right words sometimes, but for writers, anything is better than silence.

[Silentcook]

*Whew* scored 99% on the survey! I'm good!


...It wasn't a survey?

Oh.


Yes, I'm kidding.

[Downix]

I have worked as a writer for 6 years, in journalism mind you, and I have to second this entirely. A few kind words, and even constructive criticism, have done far more for my general feeling of well being than anything else. Fan letters and reviews make me feel like the long hours are worth it. That is why whenever I read a piece on here, no matter what, I will comment to tell the writer how much I enjoyed it.

[Oddball]

You could even tell me you DIDN'T like what I've written. At least I know somebody read it.

[Craftyatom]

An interesting read, certainly a good primer for anyone who spends time on a forum like this one. I've made many of the writer's assumptions listed before.

My only issue with this post is the distinction between 'readers' and 'writers' - in my experience, all writers (or at least all decent ones) are readers, and on a forum like this, many of your readers will be writers. The points listed still apply, but it would perhaps be more apt to distinguish between 'writers' and 'non-writers', instead of implying that nobody is both a reader and a writer. Bit of a nitpick, I know, but it seemed off to me.

And, as others have said, receiving a critical review is almost always better than silence. As for positive feedback, I keep a list of the nice things people have said about my work, and look at it when I feel down - even simple praise is appreciated.

[Downix]

You could even tell me you DIDN'T like what I've written. At least I know somebody read it.

I would, but I've liked everything you've written so far.

[ProfAllister]

Advanced Class

Many many moons ago, I was relatively heavily involved in a visual arts-oriented forum, focused on improvement/development of skills. As such, critique was emphasised as a major element of good citizenship. A few of the principles they worked on:

When critiquing, remember:

- To highlight both the good and the bad about the piece. Comments without actual points of how to make the piece better are near-useless for the purposes of this forum. [This] is not a Gallery Showcase forum. It strives on helping people get better. Even if something seems faultless, look closer. There's always at least minor nitpicks to offer. In contrast, a post full of critique and not a single word on the merits of the piece, while would be very useful to an artist, might also upset him or demotivate him. Therefore please remember to say what you like about a piece as well.
- To be articulate. When possible, go into detail explaining the reasoning behind your observation. It's one thing to say 'that arm looks broken, lol' and another to explain how the underlying muscle structure would work and why it gives you the impression it's broken, and finally, which would be probable means of fixing it. Optimally, the latter is what we're going for.
- To Edit! There's only so much words can say to get your point across, sometimes you have to edit the piece. [Here], when you post a piece of artwork, you are agreeing to have your work potentially edited. Malicious edits or useless edits are frowned upon and discouraged, respectively, but otherwise, consider it a honor somebody else put the time to try to show how your piece could be better.
- Don't post one-liners unless they are actually helpful. Things like "I like this", "awesome", "could be better" and the likes do not really help and are not constructive critique.

And, if you're concerned about being too hard on someone, they also touched on the flip side:

Someone gave me really harsh critique and pointed out lots of stuff... I meant to make that leg extra long, it's not a mistake!

The only thing harder than giving critique is receiving it. Many people ask for critique but don't REALLY want it. They're only interested in praise, or what is generally termed as 'ass-patting'. Everyone, at one time or another has been irritated that someone was harsh on their work pointed out every single mistake, but you should try to appreciate their point of view and avoid taking anything in critique personally, unless they're attacking you, in which case you should report that behavior.

The first natural reaction people have is to make excuses like "That's just my style, I meant to do that. This is just a practice [work] anyway, so it doesn't matter. I was just messing around, it's not supposed to be perfect." If you find yourself doing this, just back away from the computer for a bit until you can calm down and then take a serious look at your [work] and see if there are some valid points in the critique you've received. It IS entirely possible that you really DID intend some things, or that you really WERE just focusing on coloring and not the anatomy, or what-have-you, and you should express that when you first post the [work], not just after someone calls you on it.

And be honest with yourself... if you didn't consciously decide to do it when you created the [work], it's probably a mistake. And that's absolutely fine, because now someone has pointed it out to you so you can fix it.

Now, none of this is meant to contradict what Oddball posted above. This is more for people who want to "up their comment game", so to speak.

And if you really want to make an author's day (I know I'd like it; can't guarantee for others), take notes on every chapter/entry of an extended work, then talk about what specifically hit you about each chapter (ideally followed by an "overall impressions" comment).

Some authors are a little touchy, and many will reflexively try to justify themselves in the face of critique. That doesn't mean your critique was bad, nor that it was wrong. It may not look like the author listened to you, but you may be surprised. Also, there's an audience that might appreciate your critique, even if the author is impenetrable. I can't speak for others, but I know I've improved by way of taking to heart criticism directed at someone else.