What are the most common criticisms of your writing?

[lovecraft68]

I always have to double check Then/than I usually have to read it aloud

 

[bashfullyshameless]

I get a lot of "Dammit, your story did what it said on the label, and now I'm angry/dissatisfied!"

I tend to have a lot of fun with my warning labels & disclaimers on my erotic stuff. One reader who loved my non-erotic sci-fi novel went to buy my plainly erotic urban fantasy novel and complained that there was too much in the way of explicit sex--which was pretty well obviously going to be in the book when one considered the teaser blurb, the extensive warning on the front page, and the category the book was listed under.

I think I'd call the other usual complaints some strange stripe of misogyny. If I have a female character get laid by more than one guy in a story, someone will inevitably call her a slut. I had someone suggest that if a particular female character wasn't going to bang the hero of the story, she should just get killed off. And so on.

This is generally outweighed by the overwhelming majority of readers (at least those who comment or send feedback) who understand where I'm going with a story and appreciate it... but yeah. That's the sort of critique I get the most that kinda stings.

I've also occasionally gotten "the sex scenes are too long," but I feel like there may be no winning on that one. Short sex scenes often imply no foreplay, and that's just not gonna work for a lot of other readers. It's a case of how you can't please everyone.

I should also note: this is me complaining about a very small percentage of comments/readers. My experience has thus far been overwhelmingly positive and I have nothing but gratitude.

 

[electric1]

Occasionally, I've gotten messages along the lines of "Your story is garbage," but the only specific criticisms I ever get are on moral grounds. My cheating wife story got slammed for having a cheating wife. My fem-dom story got one complaint for making the man a victim.

But as a feminist, I'm happy to say I also got a complaint about one of my stories where a woman is victimized!

 

[glynndah]

I rarely get comments on my stories, positive or negative. Aside from the person who chastised me for blasphemy, the only real complaint I had concerned a man who didn't think watching a guy jack off in a shower would be a woman's ultimate desire.

 

[TE999]

In terms of story content, I get flak about such things as people falling in love too quickly and HIA endings. I guess folks like angst, conflict and misery more than happiness. Sorry, that ain't my style. Hey, it's a fantasy, people.

Why would anyone want to read about fictional misery anyway when the real thing's all around us? I know lots of folks do, it just puzzles me.

I sometimes mess up on usage of contractions like 'it's' versus 'its'. I really peppered a story with those one time.

Altering a character's name in the story is another thing I've done more than once. I never seem to catch it in the editing either. More often than not I end up rewriting when I edit and that can cause inconsistencies.

It's a challenge to realize when you should stop tinkering with a story and just post the damn thing.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I rarely get comments on my stories, positive or negative. Aside from the person who chastised me for blasphemy, the only real complaint I had concerned a man who didn't think watching a guy jack off in a shower would be a woman's ultimate desire.

Youve never posted a term like 'jack off' that I know of. I'm flummoxed.

 

[SevenSquared]

In terms of story content, I get flak about such things as people falling in love too quickly and HIA endings. I guess folks like angst, conflict and misery more than happiness. Sorry, that ain't my style.

I get the opposite criticism, that my endings aren't happy enough. Maybe we should consider a reader exchange program

 

[TimothyM]

I always have to double check Then/than I usually have to read it aloud

At least you DO check

I've seen another popular author (in GM - naming no names ) get a whole comment full of than, than, than because the reader was irritated by the use of then instead of than.

And the annoying part was that until I saw that comment I had mostly overlooked the mistake, but now I notice it every time I read that particular author (and with others as well).

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I get told that what's happening in my stories is impossible, unrealistic, etc. It's all a bit confusing. We are supposed to be writing fiction, no?

 

[luvthedesserts]

I get the opposite criticism, that my endings aren't happy enough. Maybe we should consider a reader exchange program

Men and women have entirely different definitions for Happily ever After. Or happy endings. I forget. I had a few want it all wrapped up in a pretty bow in the last two paragraphs. When life does that for me, I’ll do that for them. Plus, I like the option for a sequel.

I get told that what's happening in my stories is impossible, unrealistic, etc. It's all a bit confusing. We are supposed to be writing fiction, no?

Mine are all autobiographical. Just like my pen name.

 

[sr71plt]

At least you DO check

I've seen another popular author (in GM - naming no names ) get a whole comment full of than, than, than because the reader was irritated by the use of then instead of than.

And the annoying part was that until I saw that comment I had mostly overlooked the mistake, but now I notice it every time I read that particular author (and with others as well).

Hmmm, runs to check comments. I don't remember reading that one (although I'm sure I've had a bout or two with then/than).

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Too fast at times. Too much intro.

 

[TimothyM]

Hmmm, runs to check comments. I don't remember reading that one (although I'm sure I've had a bout or two with then/than).

Don't worry pilot, it wasn't you. Sorry if I had you worried.

 

[oggbashan]

My stories are too long.

My stories are too short.

My stories are all the same.

My stories are too different.

My stories have a restricted audience.

My stories aren't erotic enough.

My stories have implied sex and the reader has to think.

My stories have no sex at all.

Or just WTF was that?

 

[steve44uk]

Too many commas / ellipses / parentheses. *





*Delete where applicable

 

[Sully_M]

I'm still new here, but I had someone say that the segway into the sex was too fast, but that was on one story and others seemed to really enjoy it. I haven't had enough comments yet to see a trend. We shall see as I write more.

 

[NaokoSmith]

My number one complaint is that I don't write often enough.

My favorite complaint came via anonymous private message:

"Your story is as entertaining and predictable as gonorrhea on a five-dollar whore. The next time you have 10,000 words to share with the world, please extend the courtesy of alphabetizing them before you submit. It will save us all a lot of valuable time."

ROFLOL! A comment like that could almost make you feel proud to have written the work that inspired it. I get some critical feedback and occasionally I have Anonymice who sneak on in the night and leave comments so adoring that I even wrote a blogpost for them, celebrating their loveliness. I think because I was writing fluffly romantic erotica, my commentators are shy creatures, that's why they only dare say something about those stories in secret. My main problem with those stories was that they have terrible run on sentences, in which people do something and it leads to this and someone-else's lace cuff is flicked and a bosom heaves against the constraints of its white lace bodice which has a small blue ribbon just peeking above the neckline of the dress their aunt gave them one year when the pear harvest was particularly fecund.

Now I have an editor. I write werewolf stories. The sentences in those are so clipped that she even put an 'and' in one. The other day. Triumph!

Now I get comments complaining that there wasn't enough backstory, which I interpret to mean, I desperately want to know more and if this was a paper book in my hands I would be flicking the pages in a blur to find out. One comment complained that the Chapt 2 sex scene was a side issue, and I should get on with the story. WTF! What site is this I'm publishing to again?!

People say the story is confusing, although they're not very clear why. I'm not sure if it's because there are a lot of characters and they expect to have only one POV, or if it's because I've gone to the other extreme and written less of a story and more of a secret coded message in six words.

 

[ameliajax]

Today I lie (or she lies) on the bed. Yesterday, I lay (or she lay) on the bed. Once I had lain (or she had lain) on the bed, we mated like rabid weasels.

Today I lay her (or she lays me) on the bed. Yesterday, I laid her (she laid me) on the bed. Once I had laid her on the bed, we mated like rabid weasels.

I just caught that I had made this mistake in several stories, so its fresh in my memory.

Oh my god! The best explanation of this I have ever read! Thanks!!!

 

[Ironiclaconic]

Readers want different things. Some want stroke, some want story. Some want incest, some see that as squicky. They seem to get annoyed when they come for one thing but get the other. I typically ignore the comments that are "I wish you were a completely different type of writer" and pay much more attention to "I like the type of writer you are but this is how you can technically improve."

 

[sr71plt]

Oh my god! The best explanation of this I have ever read! Thanks!!!

Except it leaves out "she was lying on the bed" rather than "laying," which I find to be the most frequent use (and decision to have to make). I think that, for most, the false intuitive on this is to use "laying."

 

[luvthedesserts]

ROFLOL! A comment like that could almost make you feel proud to have written the work that inspired it. I get some critical feedback and occasionally I have Anonymice who sneak on in the night and leave comments so adoring that I even wrote a blogpost for them, celebrating their loveliness. I think because I was writing fluffly romantic erotica, my commentators are shy creatures, that's why they only dare say something about those stories in secret. My main problem with those stories was that they have terrible run on sentences, in which people do something and it leads to this and someone-else's lace cuff is flicked and a bosom heaves against the constraints of its white lace bodice which has a small blue ribbon just peeking above the neckline of the dress their aunt gave them one year when the pear harvest was particularly fecund.

Now I have an editor. I write werewolf stories. The sentences in those are so clipped that she even put an 'and' in one. The other day. Triumph!

Now I get comments complaining that there wasn't enough backstory, which I interpret to mean, I desperately want to know more and if this was a paper book in my hands I would be flicking the pages in a blur to find out. One comment complained that the Chapt 2 sex scene was a side issue, and I should get on with the story. WTF! What site is this I'm publishing to again?!

People say the story is confusing, although they're not very clear why. I'm not sure if it's because there are a lot of characters and they expect to have only one POV, or if it's because I've gone to the other extreme and written less of a story and more of a secret coded message in six words.

Your werewolf comment made me curious. I like clipped. I suck at clipped. Cheesy humorous banter is my forte or maybe it’s not.

I did get a comment today about them not liking something. They didn’t know what really. Just something about it. The story didn’t make sense.

I thought it was simple. Boy meets girl. Girl has jerk boyfriend. Boy beats up jerk boyfriend. Girl bangs the boy. The end.

Now I have a whole Balkin Mythology Strigoi/Dhampir/Moroi story bouncing around in my head. Which led me to have to read in the Nonhuman category. It’s fluffy over there, really fluffy. I suck at fluffy. So I clicked on your stories to get a taste. The moron that I am, I already have “A pack of Tales” up and am four paragraphs in.

 

[_Lynn_]

In general I've been fortunate, I haven't gotten blasted much-aside from the over the top stuff you can't take seriously- but the two common themes are

Grammar especially Lay/lie which I seem to have perpetual issues with(and I think spell check has steered me wrong occasionally) I also have no editor so as much as I try a couple of things like there/their slip through.

As for anything else a few have complained of length, (my average piece is around 5-6 lit pages) but most of those come from stroke fans, things like "We didn't need their life story, just get to the sex"

There's a bit on the lay/lie in this thread.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

My stories are too long.

My stories are too short.

My stories are all the same.

My stories are too different.

My stories have a restricted audience.

My stories aren't erotic enough.

My stories have implied sex and the reader has to think.

My stories have no sex at all.

Or just WTF was that?

I used to have trouble figuring yours out, and then I realized that you prefer a kind of subtle, gentle femdom/fetish. If that's what you enjoy, not writing about it makes no sense at all. What better way to start on writing than with your own fantasies?

At least yours weren't so extreme that I had to click back to the story spinner. You like what you like and have the balls to write about it.

 

[TimothyM]

Very helpful link

There's a bit on the lay/lie in this thread.

And loads of other helpful explanations of terms that can be used wrongly. So thank you for pointing to that (and thank you to pilot for all the input over there).

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I pay no attention to comments...good, bad, or whatever. A very long time ago I learned that if you try to please every critic all you do is make a mess of what youre doing, and then no one is happy, especially you.

I think its more useful to work on whatever YOU think needs improvement or development. I sometimes come across writing that has crude prose, and I try and explore the problem, and see if I can master what the other writer failed at. And while I'm obsessed with the latest writing problem I cant care less for what else is in the story. All that matters to me is the present problem.

Critics may be 100% right or fulla shit or whatever, but I have my agenda and they have theirs.