A Question About Reviews

[OSUSprinks]

So here is an awkward question for you, but I promise it was not prompted by anyone here on the site, so hopefully it won't be too awkward for us to discuss.

What do you do when you read something that you don't enjoy? Do you leave a bland review? Are you honest? Do you not review at all? Does it change things if it is someone you have corresponded with? What if the intent is good, but the grammar and syntax are poor?

I try to review everything I read, but I have come across this dilemma several times and I'm wondering how others deal with it.

[Smaug]

All cowards raise their hand. *Raises hand*

If I didn't like it, or if it was bland I'm most likely to not review. I know it's awful. But it's hard to say 'It was boring' or words to that effect. The problem is I try very hard with reviews to say more than just 'It was really good, update soon!' because foci guilted me into it once upon a time. And she's right, it matters. I'd trade all of the reviews that just say 'Omg I love it!' for one which just says why, properly.

So, if it's grammar/spelling I'm getting better at just being honest about that, because it's hardly a slur on someone, it's just a helpful prod. I think I just worry about how people will take it. And I know I shouldn't care, hell, if this were any other aspect of my life I'd be scathing. But honestly, I either care too little, or I care too much and want a peaceful life.

I attempt many times to be honest, but I chicken out. I want to do it, but I don't want to rock the boat. I like it as it is. If it's someone I know... well, I've never had that problem with people I know. Because I do think that you're all wonderful writers. I think I would find it easier to constructively criticise if I had something to suggest, because I know they know me and wouldn't take it the wrong way.

[stefdarlin]

I find that if I don't like something I am reading I tend to go on to something else and not finish. *ducks in embarrassment and shame* Unfortunately, if I don't like it though I find my mind wandering. I also don't leave a review because I feel it would be unjust to do so as I probably didn't comprehend what I was reading in the first place. I also, do not like to rock the boat as EloquentPhoenix said. I know how I would feel if someone were to blatantly criticize or flame what I had written and I try to think on that before I leave a review.

I love reviews...what author doesn't, as long as, like EloquentPhoenix said, they contain constructive criticism. I do want to improve my writing so that everyone may enjoy it. However, I also realize not all pairings are well liked by everyone or a person may not write a character correctly. (Which seems to bother people a bit.)

On the other hand, I don't want people to feel obligated to leave a review either and it seems to me they don't. Even if they like what they have read they may not leave a review.*again ducks head in shame* I am getting better at that especially if I like what I read. However, if I am dead tired from reading I may wait to write a review because I want a fresh mind when I do so. I don't like to leave a horribly typed review or an incoherent one.

I can admit that if you have corresponded with them and don't leave a review it could be awkward but I respect your right to exercise what you do or do not leave a review for. Not every story is good to everyone and I would hope that if you simply didn't wish to leave a review you don't feel pressure to do so...although I admit that I probably would still do so just because that is my nature and stays with not wanting to rock the boat. (Yes, I have a guilt complex....I deeply dislike hurting people's feelings, even at the punishment of my own.)

Alright....terribly sorry for the long reply,

Cheers!

Stef =o)

P.S. BTW, EloquentPhoenix, I don't think you are a coward at all.

[SakiJune]

I rarely read a long story, because I'm not mothertongue and the font is really too small to understand everything.
I like reading flashfics and drabbles, and I usually review them. But I am awkward at writing in English, so my reviews are short and lame. Then, I am not able to judge grammar in a fic, but the contrary is true: people can laugh at my reviews.
But I'll answer to the question in the end... When I don't like a story (I mean its plot) I don't review it. Why should I? Only if I find something really wrong (when someone writes that the Leaky Cauldron is at Hogsmeade, e.g.) I leave two lines, so the author can correct it...

[morethanacrush]

When I find something I don't really like, I don't review. It's not that I don't want too, it's just that I'm rarely on, so when I am on, and I do find something I don't like, someone has already pointed out exactly what's wrong with it. I would probably point it out if no one else had. For the most part, it's usually things like the story is going to fast, or not enough detail (I like my details lol) and it's basically just dialouge *which I don't really like!!*. Oh, and grammar and spelling.

But this one time, I found myself in a right fit (I refused to go on the computer for days lol) because I knew I would end up getting another fight with a person (who shall remain nameless). I was sticking up for another girl who had written a story, and her intent and plot line was really good, but the story was going too fast, and her spelling wasn't that well. But her grammar was pretty good. Anyway this other person left her a really nasty flame, and I told her to ignore that person, but that person came back and told me to shove off and quit being so bloody nice.

I was ready to blow!!
But I didn't, I just kinda ignored it. Because as long as your intentions are good, and you get them across well, I think people will understand. I think as along as your nice about giving criticisim, people will appreciate it.

[iheartdinozzo]

I think being honest is the best favour you can do for a person. I'm all for being upfront, it's just you have to be polite about it.

[MMADfan]

I just found this thread, so I thought I'd give my two cents.

If I don't like something, I generally don't review it at all, and, of course, I don't go back and read any new chapters. Very often, the reason I don't like it has nothing to do with anything the author would -- or SHOULD -- change -- I think the premise is stupid, I dislike the pairing, I think it's an unlikely scenario, whatever. I think that when it comes to fanfic, if people enjoy writing something and they have an idea they like, they should feel free to write it without my personal taste coming in and putting a wet blanket on it, particularly since some people might like it. If I think a subject is emotionally unhealthy and bordering on the truly criminally pornographic -- sex w/ minors, rapefics (rape glorified and written for titillation), etc. -- I might say something then (though I try very hard to avoid anything that might be like that in the first place). Otherwise, it would be like someone offering me a critique of RaM because they don't like the ADMM pairing (why are they reading it?) or the fact that it's "too long." I'm not liable to change the story based on the person's dislike of the pairing, and the length is part of my overall design of the story.

Despite the designation of "review" and the recommendations of various sites such as ffnet, I actually think that, unless you have something minor AND constructive to say in terms of true critique, and you also have a lot of positive things to say, too, a review isn't really the place for criticism, even constructive criticism. I think that especially young authors find it very discouraging. I think that one of the few things I might say if the ideas seemed promising, etc., but the writing was bad, would be to say that the story is interesting, yada yada, but it's such a good idea it's a pity not to polish it up a bit, and then I would recommend the person look into getting a beta, because it's worth the time, since the story is otherwise so good (I might even go a bit over the top saying it was good if I thought it would encourage the person to get the fic beta'd). Unless someone explicitly said in their author's notes that they wanted constructive criticism, I wouldn't offer it in a review.

I think that pointing out typos, spelling errors, formatting problems, etc., should always (or almost always) be done by email or PM, particularly on regular archive sites -- it's one of the things recommended on TPP in their Terms of Use, and I think it's quite wise. I recently had someone tell me in a review that I had misspelled something, and I hadn't -- it was the British spelling. It was over on TPP, so I was able to point that out in a review response that was also public (unlike on ffnet). However, even when there is a genuine typo or misspelling, once a person goes in and fixes it, it's not there any longer, but the review is out there forever and ever.

Basically, I like to use a review to express appreciation for a story, to ask a question, or to encourage an author. There are other times and places in life when I think it's necessary and appropriate to give critique, even blunt critique and even publicly, but I don't feel that fanfiction is one of those places, 99% of the time. Of course, if there's an author who persistently writes negative things about others' writing or who basically behaves like an a-hole, I think that creates an exception!

I also think that some people deliberately write something obnoxious (a fanfic "parody" that isn't a real parody but is a way of making nasty, mean fun of fans of a particular pairing or genre), and I think that they are inviting reviews in keeping with the spirit of their own fic.

Anyway, that is my feeling about reviews.