author_by_night (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
author_by_night) wrote2006-03-28 08:58 pm
author_by_night) wrote2006-03-28 08:58 pm
Am I a new member of the Cult of Mean?
So at a site, I read a fanfic that was... well, to say the least, it needed a lot of work. The chapters ranged from about two paragraphs to one page long, and the author really doesn't have a sense of punctuation.
So I left what I thought was a very constructively critical review.
Here's what I said:
Okay. This is promising, but there are a few problems. I really hope you understand that I am not trying to flame or be offensive - take these as tips.![[Smile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/e67ad65c4bfd/940929-125858/ecfans.com/forums/smile.gif)
First, you can't start your first story with "testing." It throws people off, you know? Plus, it's a little annoying when you expect to see a story and see "testing."
Second, you really need to write longer chapters. Some of them are a little too short, and could easily be merged. In fairness, a lot of people on this site post short chapters - even I used to - but it is easier to be drawn into a story with longer ones. Here's an idea - write your fic in Notepad, Word or another Word Processor, then post. That way, you won't run out of time.
Finally, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, you need to work on your punctuation a bit. All sentences end with a period, and there should be a comma before the last quotation. For instance:
"Yes," said Mark, laughing. "I agree."
I hope that helped. If you have any more questions, drop me a PM.
Well, apparently, I very much offended the person, as they replied:
Ok Ok I see what you mean OK BUT I AM DOING IT IN WORD BUT RATHER FEEL THAT I CANT TYPE SO MUCH SO SORTLY SO GO #%^#$^#@ $^&@^$ %&*&#$$#%![[Mad]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/ca7f2590d58b/940929-125858/ecfans.com/forums/mad.gif)
[INFINITE]
And, naturally, their next reply was"beter now". (Written like that).
I'm not sure what I said that merited that response.
On one hand, I do see where I could've been a bit harsh. I mean, it was obviously a first fic, and truth be told, the site in question - ecfans.com - really isn't like Sugar Quill or Fiction Alley. The purpose isn't fanfiction - the fanfiction was a site add-on.
On the other hand, it is still public writing, and I feel you are expected to recieve any feedback.
Thoughts?
Okay. This is promising, but there are a few problems. I really hope you understand that I am not trying to flame or be offensive - take these as tips.
First, you can't start your first story with "testing." It throws people off, you know? Plus, it's a little annoying when you expect to see a story and see "testing."
Second, you really need to write longer chapters. Some of them are a little too short, and could easily be merged. In fairness, a lot of people on this site post short chapters - even I used to - but it is easier to be drawn into a story with longer ones. Here's an idea - write your fic in Notepad, Word or another Word Processor, then post. That way, you won't run out of time.
Finally, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, you need to work on your punctuation a bit. All sentences end with a period, and there should be a comma before the last quotation. For instance:
"Yes," said Mark, laughing. "I agree."
I hope that helped. If you have any more questions, drop me a PM.
Well, apparently, I very much offended the person, as they replied:
Ok Ok I see what you mean OK BUT I AM DOING IT IN WORD BUT RATHER FEEL THAT I CANT TYPE SO MUCH SO SORTLY SO GO #%^#$^#@ $^&@^$ %&*&#$$#%
[INFINITE]And, naturally, their next reply was"beter now". (Written like that).
I'm not sure what I said that merited that response.
On one hand, I do see where I could've been a bit harsh. I mean, it was obviously a first fic, and truth be told, the site in question - ecfans.com - really isn't like Sugar Quill or Fiction Alley. The purpose isn't fanfiction - the fanfiction was a site add-on.
On the other hand, it is still public writing, and I feel you are expected to recieve any feedback.
Thoughts?
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