Comments@@
<SNIP>
But hating something because it is SHOUJO, rather
because of the WRITING is a different story.
If I'm interpreting this correctly, it seems to me that the problem is
getting C&C from people who don't like Shoujo in general. They are biased
against the genre, so their comments would not reflect the actual quality of
the work. Also, from reading the rest of the rant, I gather that a majority of
the ffml have this bias.
@@I get that idea(from the post) also. But I'm not sure there is an actual
bias against Shoujo on the FFML. �There _might_ be one against Shoujo
"Fanfiction", which is a slightly different matter. But since I only look at
[SI] and [Dark] tags I can't really say, one way or the other.
This is the first [Shoujo] tag I can recall seeing, which is one reason I read
the story. I LIKE Shoujo. ^_*
@@@@
This got me thinking:
Should a C&Cer 'change his tastes' to suit the genre of a work he is
reviewing? <SNIP> I would want to send some C&C to the author telling him what
I didn't like about his fic and how he could change it so I'd like it.
In this case, would it be wrong for me to ask for changes that would result
in the fic not being dark anymore? The same question goes for Shoujo anime:
would it be wrong for me to complain about aspects of a fic that I do not like
if those aspects are supposed to be part of the fic's flavor? I don't like
sweetness and mush. I hate Tamahome-esque heroes. I can't stand long speeches
about how love and/or friendship will prevail in the end. Would it be wrong
for me to complain about these things if the author tagged his fic as
'Shoujo'?
Can I take a lemon and send C&C to the author to the effect of, "Get rid of
all the sex and I'd love it."?
When I C&C, I don't really take the fic's genre into account. Am I going
about it the wrong way?
@@yes and no. ^)*
I LOVE this question, because it goes, IMO, to the heart of C&C.
Let's say you were reviewing "Riders of the Purple Sage" and said,
"This was a good story, except for all those cowboys!"
OR
"I liked 'Hound of the Baskervilles', but it would be
better w/o all that detecting."
Which sounds pretty silly on the face of it, since "Riders" is
a classic western and "Hound" is a classic detective story.
BUT . . .
Watt-Evans' Sixth Law of Fantasy: If a story can be written without a fantasy element, then don't bother with the fantasy element.
http://www.sff.net/people/lwe/miscellaneous/laws.htm
Works for ALL writing. Some stories have elements that are forced, or
just badly written. Cowboys and Indians do not a good western make, and
just because the hero has a deerstalker cap, doesn't make him Sherlock
Holmes.
(IN YOUR opinion! It's always important to keep in mind that there are NO
absolutes in fiction writing or reviewing.
If you don't believe that . . . go look at:
John Fowles "Magus" or "Daniel Martin". For more "Magic Realism" try
Gabriel Garcia Marquez in Colombia, Gunter Grass in Germany.)
IF the C&Cer doesn't like "Sweetness and Mush" the "S&M" is going to
get short shrift from him/her. OTOH, Robert A. Heinlein had an
editor that detested him and hated his stories. But, she LOVED what
he did for her division's bottom line.
What does this all mean?
1)READER: C&C whatever you want. NEVER censor what you write. Give your
honest opinion as best you can, and the reasons. If you read a lemon, and
honestly think it would be a better story, sans sex, then say so. If you read a Shoujo and the "S&M" are enough to give a bronze statue diabetes, tell the author what you think.
2)AUTHOR: Maybe you can learn something. Just because a story has
cowboys, doesn't mean it's a workable western. If the story "feels" wrong,
if the 'voice' is more 13 th century China, than 1840 Montana, then
it's not going to work as a western, no matter how many trusty sidekicks
and pesky Redskins you scatter over the landscape.
This goes for ANY story. It's not enough to have all the
elements of Shoujo (for example). All the sweetness & mush or caring
wise male figures in the world won't make up for bad or careless
writing. OTOH the BEST Shoujo in the world, won't make a convert
from someone who hates that sort of thing.
Certainly it's true that you may get C&C from someone who simply
doesn't like your genre. You've written a DARK story and the C&Cer
doesn't like DARK. They REALLY want you to write a happy ending (happy in
this case being the death of Akane - - Happened to me. ^_*) As author, it's YOUR story. Write it the way YOU want to write.
BUT . . .
Don't make the mistake of automatically dismissing even this sort of
criticism. IF the reader took the time to read your story, they may have some insight. They may see something you missed.
Maybe they don't like DARKfics in general, or perhaps it's simply that
DARKfics aren't that particular author's forte. It can be difficult to tell.
And the C&Cer him/herself may not know precisely WHY they don't like the
story. It's up to the AUTHOR to dig through the C&C and see what, if anything is useful.
READER: C&C away, with your honest opinion. Tell the writer what you liked
AND what you didn't like.
AUTHOR: LISTEN carefully to what the READER has to say. If you're trying to write for a broader audience this feedback can tell you what works, and what doesn't. �Perhaps the C&C you get isn't helpful. Maybe the reader simply doesn't like your style or the genre. (I don't like a lot of quite fine authors. Faulkner? <shudder>, O'Neil? < whimper>, Joyce <sob>)
I honestly believe that in most cases an author can get _something_ useful
from any C&C.
BUT . . .
It's possible that the C&C you get really is worthless, for one reason or
another. In that case, just send a polite thank you for the time taken to C&C(the C&Cer could have been spending time with their family, or taking a nap, instead of writing C&C) delete the C&C and move on.
Jose Argao
PS: For some strange reason, I kinda sorta liked To Heart. What's up with
that?
@@ It's a lack of Folic Acid and B vitamins.
Cod Liver oil and prunes will fix that right up. ^_*
@@@@
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