and_chocolate | Constructive criticism?

(Crossposting this to my non-RPS journal as well, because I think it applies to all genres/subgenres of slash that I write.)

I love writing. A lot of what I love about writing is taking a story that starts out inside my brain and putting it into words to share with other people, so that it ends up in their brains and, I hope, hearts. Which means that it's important to me to understand what is and is not effective about my writing.

That's where y'all come in. *g*

I know that I've got a reasonably good grasp of the mechanics of writing; I can put together a sentence with correct spelling and punctuation, a paragraph that makes sense, and a story that gets from Point A to Point B with some semblance of a plot. That said, what I don't know is what my writing is missing. There are a lot of folks out there who write with no more technical skill than me, but whose stories are highly praised.

Why? What does [insert author of your choice here]'s fiction have that mine doesn't?

What I don't want: reassurances or praise.

What I do want: people to rip my fiction apart and give me strong constructive criticism on anything -- prose style, technical skill, subject matter, etc. -- that they find lacking. Please?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

We haven't been in the same fannish place in a while, so I haven't read much of your newer stuff. So, take this with a grain of salt? Also this is about getting a "Wow, brilliant!" reaction to a fan fiction story, from other fans, and not so much about enhancing skill.

Also I have a deep fear that I'm going to sound like a pompous ass, so, um. Anyway.

What Kaneko and some of the others above seem to be getting at is less about adjectives vs adverbs or description vs. action, and more about skill vs. cunning, if that makes any sense.

There's a tendency among fan writers who are really really good, technically and stylistically, to feel stumped in just the same way you seem to. You're clearly at the top of your game in every technical sense, you have a firm grasp of the styles you favor, and from what you've said above, you're practically religious in your revision-beta-revision-beta process. So given that you've perfected your art, and you're still not getting the reactions you want to get -- what's missing?

This is all just my opinion, so please feel free to totally disregard it. But I think what's missing is imperfection.

Messiness. You know how you have to know the rules to know when to break them? It's like that. Perfect stories are good, and people like them, but if you file off all the rough edges, if everything makes sense and is tidy and shiny and clean -- even grit can be written too shiny -- good is as good as you get.

What pushes a story out of "Hey, that was pretty good" and into "Wow, that was fucking brilliant!" for me is the element of surprise. 99% of fanfic, my own included, consists of characters doing things that create conflict that is then resolved or not resolved in ways that are fairly consistent with the kind of story being written. But that last percent -- that's characters doing and saying horrible, unforgivable things and then being forgiven for them, against all expectation; that's the characters in the viciously grim story actually finding a way to be happy, or the characters in the happy thrilling story ever quite working things out. It's characters whose emotions don't really make any sense but you have to work with them anyway, and so do the other characters, whose emotions also don't really make any sense.

I'm not saying any of this very well. I think it's about taking risks. Use adverbs, even though everyone says you're not supposed to, even if you feel like you're not supposed to; if doing what you feel like you're supposed to were getting you the results you wanted, you wouldn't have asked this question. Don't use four betas, because once a story's edges have been whittled down enough to please four different people, it's tame, and tame stories can only ever aspire to "good". Tell instead of showing, because sometimes showing is just tedious and gets in the way and telling can cut right to the heart. Stop before you write the next line of dialogue and write a different line of dialogue instead, just to see what happens. Worry more about writing a story with emotional turbulence or strength than about maintaining your style or structure or tone. Style and structure and tone are less important to fannish readers than feeling an emotional connection to the characters.

I think what people are trying to say is that you've gone as far as a writer can go in terms of proficiency, so it's something else, something not having to do with technical skill. The best way to figure out what that is, in my opinion, is to take some real risks. Fans remember the stuff that makes them feel the most; we're emotional junkies, every single one of us. All that differs is what kind of stuff we want to feel.

And, um, that's pretty much all I got. So, like I said, maybe I'm on crack, but that's what it looks like from the cheap seats.

we're emotional junkies, every single one of us. All that differs is what kind of stuff we want to feel.

pardon me while i just *fangirl* you for that perfect description of fangirl!me -- thank you :)

Also I have a deep fear that I'm going to sound like a pompous ass, so, um. Anyway.

You? Never. *ducks and runs*
Seriously, though, you're someone whose opinions I trust; you craft the kind of story that I want to be able to write, and while I know that being able to do something doesn't always equate to being able to teach others to do that same thing, I'm willing to let you have a swing at it.

I think it's about taking risks. ... Worry more about writing a story with emotional turbulence or strength than about maintaining your style or structure or tone. ... Fans remember the stuff that makes them feel the most; we're emotional junkies, every single one of us.

This makes so much sense. I'm looking back at some of my favorite stories with this in mind, and it just...yeah. I guess my problem, when writing, is that I'm really harsh on myself when it comes to character motivations. A scene that I wouldn't think twice about (or would absolutely love) in someone else's story, makes me cringe and rewrite it because I feel like the characters are acting too much like 13-year-old girls.

And, um, that's pretty much all I got. So, like I said, maybe I'm on crack, but that's what it looks like from the cheap seats.

Obviously, the cheap seats are the place with the best view in this arena, because I think that was a pretty damn good recap of the action. Thank you!

The hard part is going to be implmenting the necessary changes. *g*

Constructive criticism?

you asked for honest!

Re: you asked for honest!

Re: you asked for honest!