Critique Forum?

[Stacy]

We're all nice people who respect each other here, so I think we could handle critique without getting mean or hurtful about it.

I do think it's one thing that's missing in the Sims community - it blew my mind when someone suggested that criticism was only acceptable in the Sims culture when it was anonymous, hence the secrets.

I wish Shadey would come post here - she gave me some great comments on the 10.02 draft. Although I guess most of us wouldn't want to post drafts of entire entries of our main stories because we wouldn't want to spoil things. But maybe we could post a couple of paragraphs or side projects or whatever?

Thoughts?

[thelunarfox]

Honestly, I think if any place could have a critique forum, it would be this forum.

Personally, I'm not very good at giving or getting critiques. So unless someone were to go, "What's wrong with this sentence?" I probably wouldn't join in.

[mdpthatsme]

Ick...critiques...my brain jumps right to criticism...but I wouldn't mind helping someone who wants help.

[tesseracta]

I never give anyone unsolicited constructive criticism, because one never knows how one will react. (I like it personally, because I'm tough that way. It helps me learn!)

If there was a forum, then people might be more forward with posting constructive criticism, knowing they have permission.

I love giving unsolicited praise though, but I try to make that constructive too by stating why I liked something. : P

[mdpthatsme]

tesseracta: well, I'm glad someone can take it.

[sigh] the life of an editor...

[Stacy]

Yay I finally got brave enough to read the replies, lol.

Well, it's almost bedtime tonight but I'll set it up tomorrow and we can try it out. I guess if you're brave you could just post a link to your latest update of your main story there and ask for critique on it.

Hmm - I could make a thread and we could brainstorm about...gah, I don't like the word rules. Let's go with suggestions, for like how to critique and at the same time preserve everyone's writerly egos.

[mountainshade1]

Hey, I really like this idea.

As tesseracta says it can be hard to judge if writers want critiques of their work or not, but if a piece of writing is posted in the critique forum then we know for sure that the writer is after a critique.
Often do I find myself wanting to give a writer some pointers as to how the story might be IMO improved, but am vary of telling them straight because the writer in question may feel very strongly about their story (which of course is perfectly understandable) and I may end up hurting or offending them. I'd just like to add that I have, as far as I know, never done either. Often I will PM the writer offering a crit, and if they don't respond I will know to leave well alone.

So yes, I really like this idea.

[Stacy]

Jun 29, 2010 18:00:46 GMT -5 mountainshade1 said:

Hey, I really like this idea.

As tesseracta says it can be hard to judge if writers want critiques of their work or not, but if a piece of writing is posted in the critique forum then we know for sure that the writer is after a critique.
Often do I find myself wanting to give a writer some pointers as to how the story might be IMO improved, but am vary of telling them straight because the writer in question may feel very strongly about their story (which of course is perfectly understandable) and I may end up hurting or offending them. I'd just like to add that I have, as far as I know, never done either. Often I will PM the writer offering a crit, and if they don't respond I will know to leave well alone.

So yes, I really like this idea.

Yay!

I made the forum this afternoon while I was at work - only registered members can see it. I don't like closed stuff like that in general (like I think one reason the two people I appointed as mods wandered off is because there's not a secret mod forum, lol - or much for a mod to do, really) but I figured this was a special case.

I'm thinking that I might post the Farmer Brown story there when I get it written.