What is Your Pet Peeve?

[k_alexander]

Oh, and one more thing:

Characterisation. I remember one of the first fanfics that I read very vividly. The storyline was fabulous, the writing was solid, and the grammar near perfect. And the main character? In a position of authority... with the personality of a 14-year old boy coming into his hormones. It was horribly distracting.

[xkl]

Pet peeves? I’ve a few. The idea that writers should be coddled, and that they should be treated so gently so as to avoid bruising their feelings is the worst. Among most groups, forums, and websites there is a cloying sweetness that writers are gods, to be worshiped with never a word to be spoken against their writings. This is the real world people, it’s brutal, and the only way a writer is to improve is to see honest, yes even harsh, criticism about their work. The rules on this site barely allow for even a hint of criticism, and sadly like too many other sites, this one has fallen into the trap of handling writers as grammar school children. When offering honest critique along with praise as a recommendation on this site, my posts are deleted! How is that for free speech?

Another pet peeve? The use to the term bard. To be known as a bard implies significant skill writing, and many, if not most, so-called bards in this site should not have that title attached to their nom de plume.

I could continue, but this will likely be deleted anyway.

[Bardeyes]

Okayyyy… Where to start? Instead of treated this as flame-bait, I’ll try to answer it in my typically brief way.

Pet peeves? I’ve a few. The idea that writers should be coddled, and that they should be treated so gently so as to avoid bruising their feelings is the worst. Among most groups, forums, and websites there is a cloying sweetness that writers are gods, to be worshiped with never a word to be spoken against their writings. This is the real world people, it’s brutal, and the only way a writer is to improve is to see honest, yes even harsh, criticism about their work. The rules on this site barely allow for even a hint of criticism, and sadly like too many other sites, this one has fallen into the trap of handling writers as grammar school children. When offering honest critique along with praise as a recommendation on this site, my posts are deleted! How is that for free speech?

Lets get that sticky point out have the way first - the deleting of posts submitted using our Recommend form, and our...er...assault against free speech.

Here’s what’s shown on our Recommend form: Please remember to use this form for story recommendations only. Constructive criticism should be sent directly to the author, and is not permitted in our recommendations. Simple enough, no? If you feel the story isn’t worth recommending, don’t recommend it. We always feel constructive criticism should be sent to writer. It also saves us from having 50, 60, or Goddess only knows how many posts on the same story from those that hate the story vs. those that love it. We did try allowing criticism when we first began using a comments/recommendations feature. The first real discussion turned into a flame war.

As for deleting posts, there are three kinds of post that we’ll remove from our recommend feature:
Criticism (for the above reasons)
Porn spam. A daily problem – the price we pay for allowing anonymous recommendations.
Potential stalker posts. People that give their phone numbers/e-mails wanting to meet with a writer.

Free speech? On one itty bitty corner of the internet, on a privately owned site, in an attempt to keep the dialogue reasonably polite on a recommend form, we do enforce a little bit of editorial control over our own site. It’s a big internet, and if you don’t like our extremely modest rules, please feel free to post your comments somewhere else – there are thousands of fiction groups/forums out there.

For allowing criticism on the forum, we have individual bard forums where a writer can set whatever level of public and private feedback they wish to have. If they want a full and lively critical discussion of their work in their bard forum, they will say so.

I do agree with one point you make. The real world is brutal. We’d like The Athenaeum to be a pleasant bastion against the real world, and a place where all writers can feel comfortable sharing their writing with others – even if they are first time writers. If writer's want to improve their craft through feedback, they absolutely are encouraged to do so. If they are happy with their writing, sometimes with warts and all, or they do not have to time, or desire to continue into the finer aspects of creative writing, they are free to do that as well. The Athenaeum is a place for enjoyment, not just for the readers, but for the writers as well. In our opinion treating each other with the cold brutal unappreciative manor that most of us are familiar with in the real world workplace is not the way to help encourage writers to pick up that virtual pen, and begin, or continue, to write.

Another pet peeve? The use to the term bard. To be known as a bard implies significant skill writing, and many, if not most, so-called bards in this site should not have that title attached to their nom de plume.

As to your statement about called writers bards… At least, I think that’s what you were talking about, you’re grammar was a bit on the confusing side. I suggest you go watch a few seasons of X:WP to get a sense of why we use the term on a website that has a url of xenafiction.net and was originally created to list, well…Xena fiction.

I could continue, but this will likely be deleted anyway.

Not even close to being deleted.


I hope everyone is well this week,
Bardeyes

[Bardeyes]

My thoughts on this topic:

4) Perfection and soulmates. The most intense black-haired blue-eyed six-foot tall woman who can chop through a safe with the edge of her hand, sing an area from "Der Zauberflote" and simultaneously knit her grammy an angora sweater at the same time... so very unappealing. Similarly, soulmates. The ending is hardly likely to surprise you, isn't it? Give me flawed any way.

Now this one is a lot more fun to answer...and had me giggling. "chop through a safe with the edge of her hand, sing an area from "Der Zauberflote" and simultaneously knit her grammy an angora sweater at the same time"

Not speaking for The Athenaeum here... I personally love flawed characters as well, but I'll admit that I like perfection on occasion, and those sweet sappy stories about soulmates. Depressing endings? Ummm...I get depressed far too easily anyway so I'm happier to read stories that at least have a fair possibility of having an uplifting ending - flawed characters and all. I know, I know...but I'm a bit of a wimp.

Bardeyes

[darkenedkarma]

Another pet peeve? The use to the term bard. To be known as a bard implies significant skill writing, and many, if not most, so-called bards in this site should not have that title attached to their nom de plume.

Some writers enjoy constructive feedback on their writing, while other writers don't. But, as has been pointed out, the recommendations page is not the place for that kind of discussion. I have to say I think posting critisism on the recommendations forum, whether constructive or just critical, is somewhat cowardly. If you truly wanted to assist the writer in improving then you would email them and begin a dialogue about their work. An anonymous post becomes more like an attack.

The most important thing to remember is that these people are spending a vast amount of time writing stories that we are all able to enjoy for FREE (Thanks to Bardeyes and Webwarrior also - seriously, thank you both).

You know what they say, "Those who can write, do. Those who can't write, criticize those who do." Okay, so I'm taking a liberty with the quote. Sue me.

My pet peeve is malicious critisism.

~darkenedkarma~

[k_alexander]

The idea that writers should be coddled, and that they should be treated so gently so as to avoid bruising their feelings is the worst. Among most groups, forums, and websites there is a cloying sweetness that writers are gods, to be worshiped with never a word to be spoken against their writings.

As a staunch supporter of "the real world" I do agree to a degree that there should be no reason why readers can't provide honest feedback, be it positive or negative.
However, this isn't a professional writing site, and it makes no claim to be. As an advocate of the real world and a fighter against all cloying and sweet, you should be able to acknowledge that fanfic as a genre doesn't conform to any standard, due to the high volume and large amount of amateurs trying their hand at something they enjoy. In other words - you know what you're letting yourself in for. And if you do, and you still keep coming back and griping and grousing (see how nicely it works?), then you may want to seek treatment for masochism.

If you have constructive criticism, send it to the writer. That would be much more effective, in any case.

Another pet peeve? The use to the term bard. To be known as a bard implies significant skill writing, and many, if not most, so-called bards in this site should not have that title attached to their nom de plume.

The rest of your comment was fairly solid and rational, but this one smells like sour grapes.

[lynettemae]

I absolutely agree with K Alexander. Feedback is extremeley important. I use all constructive criticism to improve upon my writing. Compliments are wonderful and welcome, but the critical comments are actually the most helpful. In my earlier post, I mentioned a reader's comments. Much of what she said was helpful if only for future reference and I did make some adjustments to the story based upon them. Please keep the comments coming.
Lynette

[scorpio_2097]

My Pet peeve is the people that come on this site and think they have the right to moan and spout free speech idioms just because they cant be negative or criticise a writers work. I totally agree with bardeyes

We always feel constructive criticism should be sent to writer. It also saves us from having 50, 60, or Goddess only knows how many posts on the same story from those that hate the story vs. those that love it. We did try allowing criticism when we first began using a comments/recommendations feature. The first real discussion turned into a flame war.

and darkendkarma

I have to say I think posting critisism on the recommendations forum, whether constructive or just critical, is somewhat cowardly. If you truly wanted to assist the writer in improving then you would email them and begin a dialogue about their work. An anonymous post becomes more like an attack.

The most important thing to remember is that these people are spending a vast amount of time writing stories that we are all able to enjoy for FREE (Thanks to Bardeyes and Webwarrior also - seriously, thank you both).

If you think the story you read could have been better written, the grammar is incorrect or anything like that, then by all means email and tell the author they all have a links on their stories so you can offer your opinion. I come on this site to read the great stories and chat to people who enjoy them I dont come on here to read flame posts and personal attacks made towards the authors, as I have stated in previous post it puts me off a site and forum.

When you have the guts to put something so personal as your thoughts and ideas into a story and then to make it public then you deserve to have respect and consideration shown. One ofthe main reasons people read and write fiction is because the world is not reflecting their wants and needs, so for someone to be negative and overly critical of your work and often making personal comments is in my opinion not fair and robbs me, the writers and others of a place and site that allows us to escape from the nasty, cold, crappy real world.

Scorps

[RhB]

I just realised (after reading a very good story) that I do have another of these peeves. If someone in a story speaks in a foreign language (real, made-up, anything), then I want a translation into English. I can just about understand when the character whose POV we are following does not understand but I can live without a translation for so long. I can't help feeling that I've missed something important and having to stop every five minutes to check out Google translator (if I'm lucky) or some dictionary of an obscure language (more usually) or even worse trying to fathom the unfathomable of some made-up lingo is not my idea of fun.
Ok. Enough with the rant. Sorry but I had to get that off my chest.
RB

[Katkat]

I can live with a little grammars & spelling mistakes here and there as long as there were not too much to give me a headache. I do not expect perfection from stories posted here and other fanfic sites but if I have to pay for a book then I expected the spellings & grammars to be perfect then.

I think my only peeve is the usage of the word "shaking her head". It was being used to indicate 'yes' and 'no'. It should be "nodding her head" for "yes" and "shaking her head" for "no".

My other one I think is everyone's peeve too - Unfinished stories. That's why I will not read unfinished stories but unfortunately, sometimes I came across 'finished' stories which were unfinished.

Anyway, I want say a BIG thank you to all the writers for jobs well done. Cheers

[AJMArks]

Pet peeves? I’ve a few. The idea that writers should be coddled, and that they should be treated so gently so as to avoid bruising their feelings is the worst. Among most groups, forums, and websites there is a cloying sweetness that writers are gods, to be worshiped with never a word to be spoken against their writings. This is the real world people, it’s brutal, and the only way a writer is to improve is to see honest, yes even harsh, criticism about their work. The rules on this site barely allow for even a hint of criticism, and sadly like too many other sites, this one has fallen into the trap of handling writers as grammar school children. When offering honest critique along with praise as a recommendation on this site, my posts are deleted! How is that for free speech?

Another pet peeve? The use to the term bard. To be known as a bard implies significant skill writing, and many, if not most, so-called bards in this site should not have that title attached to their nom de plume.

I could continue, but this will likely be deleted anyway.

I know as a writer (I know I'm not that great) I enjoy all types of feedback. For me posting on this site isn't the place for criticism, but to recommend a story you liked. If you have critism e-mail the writer. I say this because any critism is between you and the writer, not the community. I will say this, be polite. Ask yourself after you write the e-mail if this is something you'd want to receive. I don't know a writer who doesn't want constructive critism, in fact many I know actually lke receiving it. What we don't like, is when someone just rips everything, that's not constructive.

Hope this helps you out.

[jumper23]

Pet peeves? I’ve a few. The idea that writers should be coddled, and that they should be treated so gently so as to avoid bruising their feelings is the worst. Among most groups, forums, and websites there is a cloying sweetness that writers are gods, to be worshiped with never a word to be spoken against their writings. This is the real world people, it’s brutal, and the only way a writer is to improve is to see honest, yes even harsh, criticism about their work. The rules on this site barely allow for even a hint of criticism, and sadly like too many other sites, this one has fallen into the trap of handling writers as grammar school children. When offering honest critique along with praise as a recommendation on this site, my posts are deleted! How is that for free speech?

Another pet peeve? The use to the term bard. To be known as a bard implies significant skill writing, and many, if not most, so-called bards in this site should not have that title attached to their nom de plume.

I could continue, but this will likely be deleted anyway.

you know what my pet peeve is? rude people.

[d80p]

Writers who use "loose" and "lose" in the wrong context. I know it is something small, but it makes me cringe every time.

[scottigrl]

I have a small problem with the incorrect use of wife, wife's, wives, it quite irritates me when used incorrectly. Silly, I know.

[powerbab]

Biggest pet peeve....man! When you find the most awesome of all story plots, get yourself all settled in to read and are just absolutely ecstatic and then you read the first line!!! The little man in the boat decides to just jump over board and abandon ship!!

[Ammc]

Cliches and bad grammar/spelling!

Cliches: k_Alexander put it very well in relation to perfection and soulmates, and others on 'blue orbs looked into green'. Other cliches I have read so many time it makes me cringe: foreheads together, uber-Xena 'asking uber-Gabrielle 'Are you sure' before ravishing her, the famous 'bundle of nerves', etc....

Bad grammar and spelling. Yes, this is not a site for professional writers but surely any inspiring writer should a) use spellcheck; and b) know the difference between its and it's, your and you're, naval and navel, calendar and calender. When I see these or other similar horrors, I tend to despair!

A

[k_alexander]

^ Ammc, you and I may just be soulmates.

[Echodiana]

Apart from bad grammar which has caused me to abandon many stories (i'm not an expert by any means but some things are just unacceptable),my biggest pet peeve would have to be writers who insist on giving female characters male names. I happen to only read the uber/original stories so i find this happens alot. It wouldn't bother me so much if the masculine name just happened to be the shortened form of, or a variation of a female name, or just a unisex name, but if you go by fics alone then many parents just happen to give their daughters male names. yes i know writers do this so we know the character is butch or just gay but really what's wrong with a girl having a feminine name?

[RhB]

That would be a nice prophetic power wouldn't it? Here is my newborn. She's gonna be gay, I can just tell. Not a femme, no way. Butch all the way. So... let's give her a boy's name to avoid confusion (or potentially generate even more...).

[k_alexander]

Ditto re Echodiana. If a leading female character has a male name (not considering abbreviation etc) I put the story down.

One more thing, while I'm here anyway
The popular sentence construction "She moved to get up/she moved to go to the door/etc" will make me the birthmother to a litter of kittens one of these days.