tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post8138494046642470952..comments2024-03-04T02:09:30.979-06:00Comments on One Man's Pony Ramblings: My Days at FF.net, or: Why I Rarely Critique People's StoriesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-14679699540992164112011-12-16T00:04:31.608-06:002011-12-16T00:04:31.608-06:00It really is heartbreaking. Tell someone what I ho...It really is heartbreaking. Tell someone what I honestly feel about a piece of work, point out what, specifically, I think is wrong with it, and the wolves descend.<br /><br />All the while, I find myself wishing someone would do the same for me. Someone completely honest, ready to dig into the deepest cracks of what I've written and tear it apart.<br /><br />I've never written fan fiction before. I never had much respect for it as a whole before Equestria Daily showed me some great ones. Now I'm starting work on one, and really, this is why. The hope that someone will let me know everything I do wrong.Tenyo Sciurushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04031760328861476935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-52277207329829377252011-12-14T17:41:12.908-06:002011-12-14T17:41:12.908-06:00Congrats on the sudden popularity increase! This s...Congrats on the sudden popularity increase! This site does good things.<br /><br />All things aside, I like how you take the POV of the reviewer, rather than the author, as most people usually do. Having written a bit and read A TON on FF.net, I've experienced what you've seen, and realise that a good review is a godsend. Even if it reduces your writing to rubble and spits on the remains, you learn something useful.<br /><br />With all the mindless $@#& (97%, I believe) that is on FF.net, one learns to sort out the rubbish very quickly, and lose patience with low-quality stories so quickly that reviews are so rare.<br /><br />I'm wondering, what stories are you commenting on? 6-stars? Those authors are usually smart enough to recognise good reviews when they see it. <br />Also, I really hope character wars and our "Love and Toleration" won't begin to tear this fandom apart...because that could totally happen right now.D.Rugonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-66316515742473257012011-12-14T08:22:03.039-06:002011-12-14T08:22:03.039-06:00I can relate to this very strongly at the moment. ...I can relate to this very strongly at the moment. <br /><br />I am in the process of completely revising and overhauling my story due to criticisms made on both Eqd and on FFN - some very helpful, insightful and polite, some utterly appalling, verging on flames. I certainly didn't ignore the points made, though I have ignored the personal insults that came with them.<br /><br />It made me realise that although I had begun the story lightheartedly as a way of amusing myself and others whilst I'm out of work, others don't see it quite so flippantly. <br /><br />I agree with all of the above. I feel that if someone has taken the time to firstly read your story, and secondly take the time to make thoughtful suggestions for positive change, then you've been granted a privilege. You can now fix it. Or not. Either way, you've been informed.<br /><br />I do wish, however, that some reviewers could remember that the authors are in fact breathing, feeling humans, and not soulless emotionless robots.determamfiddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06026365127633761340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-20026341624431180122011-11-10T20:54:03.691-06:002011-11-10T20:54:03.691-06:00I'm a little surprised but highly gratified to...I'm a little surprised but highly gratified to see these thoughtful comments (honestly, I wasn't sure if anyone would read this post at all). I do agree that the overall quality of pony fiction is higher than in the other fandoms I've been a part of, no doubt for the reasons you all mentioned. <br /><br />I hope that the attitude towards fanfiction and reviewership among Pony fans will continue to defy what is the norm in most fanfiction circles. If it does, it will be a credit to both the authors and readers in this community.<br /><br />My fingers are crossed.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11581572699330155065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-65467563867839782182011-11-10T03:39:02.322-06:002011-11-10T03:39:02.322-06:00I helped create - and still participate in - the t...I helped create - and still participate in - the training grounds on ponychan. The idea there was to help those who sent their fanfics to EqD (where I also pre-read) to fix issues and improve the quality of their writing. Some stories would be fine to go up... but the story in question just deserves the author going that extra mile. When the training grounds started producing that sort of result I was overjoyed. We have and have had some rather caustic reviewers, but even the harsh ones were constructive in their harshness. More than once I've said "you don't have to like how you're being spoken to, but do not ignore what is being said".<br /><br />Those who can take constructive criticism and make something better truly make me happy - and quite frankly it's nice that I sometimes feel jealous when an author knuckles down and produces something better than I can do and it receives the praise it deserves.<br /><br />Molly-coddling and hug-boxing do nobody favours when you are attempting to actually get your work published.midnight shadownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-84884782531029002312011-11-10T03:27:25.452-06:002011-11-10T03:27:25.452-06:00So very, very true. For the most part I've fou...So very, very true. For the most part I've found the fandom to be *mostly* receptive to reviewing help and the like. I've also edited several big-name stories (some of which, like the last three chapters of Past Sins, I am not too proud of) during my tenure in bronydom. From a quality standpoint I'd say that, thanks to EqD having something that passes as standards, we have an above-average level of quality on the fan fiction side of things. I mean, we even have a good Sonic crossover! What other fandom can claim that?Lightsideluchttp://lightsideluc.deviantart.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-13452544753248803502011-11-09T05:06:30.980-06:002011-11-09T05:06:30.980-06:00Agreed. I think I'm right in saying that we ha...Agreed. I think I'm right in saying that we have a fair bit more quality fanfic than a lot of fandoms, thanks to the maturity of the community in regards to criticism and the work of EqDaily's pre-readers (although they let some trainwrecks through every now and then).<br /><br />If we ever get to the point were ponyfic becomes a huge circle-jerk like much of the rest of fanfiction on the internet, it'll be a damn shame. Fanfic can be good - that's what bronies have taught me. It deserves to be held to the same standard as original fiction, and it should be appraised in a manner benefiting the reader, not the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com