Icon Is Showing Anon Flamer Where To Kiss It

[teddy_radiator]

Today I am very grateful that ff.net has this wonderful capability when it comes to recieving anonymous reviews. Since an author is unable to reply to an anonymous comment, it does allow you to accept it before it posts, or you can delete it without anyone seeing it. Today I received this review for Lay Me Low, which said, and I quote:

"This is constructive criticism so bear that in mind.
I honestly wanted to love this story because the summary and length of the completed story appealed to me. However i was only able to read about 60 pages in before I literally couldn't read anymore. The plot made no logical sense, the dialogue was equallly [sic] unnatural and everyone was OOC. While I'm sure the story probably gets better, the beginning made no sense. So I'm sorry but I can't continue."

Duh-Leet.

What's so strange is that, on the way home from work, TheHubs™ and I were listening to the song which inspired this story, and I told him how proud I was of it, how that song and this story had made me a writer. Then I came home to this.

 It pissed me off that she kept saying it 'made no sense.' I also loved the fact that it was 'constructive criticism' and that she was 'sorry but I can't continue'.

Well, cry me a fuckin' river, sunshine.

I am tremendously proud of this story. Is it perfect? Oh, no. Is it for everyone? Probably not. But it is a good story, with depth and care, and it makes perfect sense, the dialogue is as natural as dialogue can be, and it's about as OOC as any fanfiction tends to be. This story has had more reviews that all my other fics combined, and of those I've had possibly six negative reviews from it.

And I can hold my head up and say that while it may not be for everyone, godammit, that anonymous reader can kiss my fat arse.

Comments

[akatnamedeaster.livejournal.com]

Hey, at least you're brave enough to allow anon comments. ;)

Don't pay it any mind. Any one of us who puts out work gets a few shit heads in the mix. Just the price for sharing.

Glad you've not allowed it to get under your skin and make you doubt yourself. If you were proud of it before, one rando's opinion shouldn't sway that. (I always let it get under my skin, which is why I'm not sharing much anymore.)

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

I think it will always get under my skin in some way or another. I forget the many lovely comments I receive, and focus on the one negative one - that's always been my habit.

I've been horrific these last two weeks about reading or commenting here because work has kicked my butt from here to kingdom come. I am feeling guilty about it.

[akatnamedeaster.livejournal.com]

I think we all do the same thing. I mean, if you get a bunch of nice comments that one ugly one is going to stick out like a sore thumb. It's natural.

I've been a creative wreck since the beginning Oct., very haphazard, and getting to where I'm not being too fussed about it. The shippy movies play fine in my head and I get to enjoy them without going through all the effort to put them on paper just to get snarky comments or talk to myself.

(I'm sorry I've never read your novel. I keep meaning to. I just need to download it and have it on hand for downtime.)

[arwitchywoman.livejournal.com]

I think I've read that story four, maybe six times? It's my all time favorite, next to Care for Magical Creatures. Sorry, Teddy, but it is equal footing in my #1 spot. The thing I think I like the most about that story is how Severus is always calling Hermione "Lass." That one word speaks so much.

I am actually re-reading The Witchhiker's Guide to the Beltane right now (because its that time of year) and I can remember the first time I read it I felt disappointed because of the NC-17 rating - I got to the end and thought "where is the smut?" I even thought I would look back through the reviews because I felt like I might have mentioned that and I was going to apologize because today I hit Chapter 8: Amulet and Talisman and I know I missed that chapter somehow or other the first time I read it - WHOA NELLY that is some sweet, raw sex in that chapter!

Fuck anon reviewers. Just forget them all. Write for you, and if I'm lucky, you write for me!

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

Thank you, sweetie! That is a beautiful thing to say - CoMC is one of the great classics of our ship - to be in that company is extremely gratifying.

As I was telling Cat, I have been blessed with great comments and reviews and supportive readers who enjoy what I write. That's who I do it for. I just hate that people like this hide behind anonymity and don't have the courage to say these things in a forum where their comments can be discussed.

I'm glad you found chapter 8 - I was going to say - I thought I had a pretty hot chapter there! LOL

[arwitchywoman.livejournal.com]

And BTW, you know I love the yummy stuff. I will always consider chapters 14 and 15 of Lay Me Low the sexiest literature I've ever read, hands down.

[bonsaibetz.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. That is positively tame compared the the 'lovely' review I received one for "And They Didn't Live Happily Ever After":

I can't imagine that I'll ever come back to this, and I have no idea why I skimmed through the couple of chapters that I did. I just want to be what I assume is the only person here who says that Ginny is a complete fucking worthless slut, and I hope that there are real repercussions to what she is doing. Hermione as well. I have no sympathy for either of them. I suppose I'm not the sort of person who should be reading crap like this, you know, standards and all, but it would be nice to see some consequences for fucking around. It'll never happen, I'm sure Harry and Ron will turn into a bunch of cuckolding queers, but whatever makes you readers happy.

The person's member name gave me a strong suspicion this was a guy, and my spidey senses tell me that this guy had a girlfriend who cheated on him once. Just instincts from the tone the guy used.

There is always one reviewer who decides that what you're writing in not their cup of tea and they leave a shitty review for any number of reasons. Some bad reviewers feel empowered to write shit about your work because to find fault is to somehow show how they are superior to you in the fact they can point out your "faults."

Fuck them. Just as there are shitty movie reviewers who thrash wonderful movies (my local movie critic always badmouths good sci-fi/fantasy and praises artsy-fartsy rambling shit with no plot all the time), there will always be a reviewer who decides to trash our work. Don't let the trolls bring you down, dear. Hold your head up high and keep on writing.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

What an asshole. I honestly think people who write those sorts of comments are the type who have to put others down to make themselves feel better. I know what you means about critics - they think extolling the virtues of some airy-fairy piece of pretentious claptrap makes them sound deep and interesting. People who have to put others down to build themselves up are using some pretty unstable bricks, but all we can do is just keep going. But it did feel good to have a little mini rant here, especially since TheHubs™ and I had just been talking about it an hour before I received it. Screw 'em. I'm still proud of it.

[nocturnus33]

I don't agree with her appreciation of "Lay me low", I like that fic.

For me this part isn't a constructive criticism: "However I was only able to read about 60 pages in before I literally couldn't read anymore". That is an aggression.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

I agree. That kind of passive/aggressive crap doesn't wash, especially anonymously. You're right; there is nothing concrit about it.

Thank you for reading Lay Me Low. I'm glad you liked it.

[toblass.livejournal.com]

Where is the constructive criticism? I don't see anywhere in there where there are suggestions to improve your story. What a load of bulllshit. It's like, ok fine...ya didn't like it, so move on. No need to talk your mighty talk about how you didn't like it. No one gives a rat's ass what you as an anon reader thinks.
Fucking idiot.

Ahem. Sorry. That was my retaliation rant. Assholes like that need to just STFU.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

{{{Hugs}}} you so hard.

[starduchess.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear, well, don't worry about it. There's always one asshole in the bunch. (And I'm surprised I don't get a whole lot more of those!) Be proud of what you've made, because writing is HARD and any creative effort INCREASES the universe. So, go you! Kudos and hugs and all that. :D

And I love that the anon reader got through 60 pages before deciding they didn't like it. Perhaps they were just angry at themselves for wasting their own time. That's not your fault, dear. Stay calm and carry on.

[stgulik.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear! Concrit is for a work in progress, when someone can make use of advice during the writing process. She wasnt offering concrit; she really just wanted to beesh. I applaud her for giving the story an honest try, but if she didnt like it, the best thing to do was to close the tab.

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

The poor dear doesn't know what constructive criticism is. Awwww.

[mimimanderly.livejournal.com]

I think that one should feel sorry for poor "Anonymous" instead. She read about 60 pages before she literally could not read anymore??? Literally? Really? I mean, was she struck blind? Did she suddenly develop dyslexia or some rare form of amnesia where she simply forgot how to read? Or maybe she just needs to refer to her dictionary to look up the meaning of the word "literally". But this is all just constructive criticism, mind....

[arwitchywoman.livejournal.com]

I don't understand - she read 60 pages (I'm assuming a page is a chapter), but there are 40 chapters in that story? What am I missing here?

[adelaidearcher.livejournal.com]

I will never understand why people leave negative reviews. If you don't like something, stop reading it and move on! I adored Lay Me Low, as I've adored all of your fics. (My absolute favourite is Something like a Rose, though.)
Lay Me Low is a beautifully constructed, multi-layered, real and honest story that you should be very proud of. Your Northern Severus is perfect.
Tell 'em to get stuffed!