[Caelum's Scrapbook] Use Your Words.

[Taylani]

Thank you Caelum. That is perfectly worded, especially about criticism. When one is working at trying to be a constructive criticizer for something that involves a creative process it is a delicate thing. It is not just words used but tones used in the words, and how many times one says the same thing before allowing the person being criticized time to fix it (can start to feel like a battering ram).

There is also the flip side that one needs to take a step back from being criticized (constructive or not) when one feels a sort of dismay, despair, anger, frustration etc that can come even with the best of constructive criticism particularly if one has poured a lot of time effort and thought into the project.

This is one of the reasons I will never be a published writer. My writing is kind of near and dear to my heart and I have to take into hand my emotions when I am receiving criticism. Which most of the time I am able to do and look at the words constructively again, but there are some times that I have to leave and settle down again..I can't imagine being able to do that if I poured the energy into a novel to have it all tore a part

[Caelum]

Taylani, I completely understand your feelings on that. I cannot tell you how completely devastated I have been (over and over and over) regarding my work in the wake of a hard critique. They unilaterally suck. But for me there are also necessary, and they are necessary because writing is near and dear to my heart. I need help improving my vision, help bringing it to completion, help making it the best it can possibly be so that the story in my heart is genuinely reflected in the story on the page.

[Taylani]

Oh I understand the necessity of them, I just am loath to put myself through it more then on a small scale level such as getting threads graded or what have you. I admire writers who can put themselves out there on a larger scale.

[Elysium]

Katie, you wield language like a weapon and I can't get enough. I'd love to get my hands on a copy of your friend's book, whenever the finished product is ready to go on sale. Seriously.

[Gossamer]

Lately, not to railroad your scrap, I've been finding it really really hard to actually give out criticism in anything anyone is doing. Why? Because in text people always read 'tone' into it even when it isn't there. They pad words into criticism like 'constructive criticism' to make it seem okay to gently correct people in what they are doing. Criticism is criticism really, and if people ask for it I give it.

I actually had someone tell me a few days ago if I bombed smilies into every little note of critique I made on the site - all those gentle 'no its not possible to play a kelvic dragon' type posts - then that would ease the burden of saying no or that it wouldn't work because then people feel you are more sympathetic. Huh?

You say the sky isn't really red but blue and they tend to read all sorts of other things into what you are saying other than what you actually said. I would give my right non-existent nut to have people just take critique at face value sometimes. I swear we should all have to take a class mandatory in grade school on receiving criticism gracefully like you seem to do.

[Caelum]

Elysium, you just made me blush. Damn. Thanks. And I will absolutely shamelessly plug my friend when the time is right. Goss, I get what you’re saying. It’s an unfortunate reality that criticism is by nature difficult to take for, well, most everyone. For the purposes of my writerly meetings, I admit that we have pre-padded ourselves. First off, it is known going in that the purpose here is to critique towards a goal. Not the critic’s goal. The writer’s goal. The writer getting mutilated is asking to be, and they are also allowed and even encouraged to set boundaries. Sometimes a meeting starts out with the writer saying, “Look, I can’t take anything harsh this week. I’m always fucking wrecked over this thing. Be gentle. If it’s glaring and huge, let me know, but otherwise can we talk about fleshing out more things that you like, etc?” We also conduct these meetings via vid-chat. We absolutely do not deliver the critique in text. Absolutely not. Not when it’s this in depth. You can accidentally take out a sensitive artist eye that way. What I’m really saying is that just because a person thinks they want criticism, it doesn’t mean they’re really prepared to take it. Everyone has an opinion how to give it or how to take it or how to make giving it “gentler”. Whatever. My only rule? Be kind. If you’re being kind, and you CAN be kind while critiquing, then it’s really not your fault if the other person isn’t in a place to accept it. It sucks, but it’s not your fault.

[Caelum]

Oh, it needs to be said that I don't always take it gracefully. I may have called one of my friends in this meeting a snarky bitch a couple of months ago and then slammmed outside to smoke a cigarette. Rumor has it.

[Whist Askara]

I know we don't know each other but may I offer some bit of input on this for you? I asked in chat so here goes:

When anyone has the courage to do something creative, it puts him/her up for criticism because it's about interpretation and perfecting a craft. No two styles are exactly the same in the writing area unless it's plagiarism right? Also, when we write, we must wear a mask. Like a metaphor, writing tends to be a noisy costume ball because we don't get to see the facial expression of who we're talking to or hear tone and nuance. This leaves the option of trying to write as clearly and efficiently as possible while still conveying something meaningful or amusing. And yet again, because writing is creative and not an exact science, there will always be something right and wrong about the chosen words in -someone's- point of view.

Video chat critique is still a hard pill to swallow when it comes to someone saying that your creative efforts aren't good enough. It's an art that is always being practiced. Take some solace in that only the bravest of souls embrace the creative arts like you have.

Harsh critiques suck, to put it plainly. However, at least it gives us the opportunity to be creative in our responses to those too harsh critics, yes? OK, I swear I can mentally feel you correcting my atrocious grammar, lol!

[Caelum]

Hand to God, I’m not silently judging your grammar. I largely agree with you, Whist. I think perhaps I should clarify that the writing we’re critiquing in our meetings are active data (works-in-progress). These meetings are specifically for the purpose of seeking informed guidance on scripts we’re laboring over. This is a different thing entirely from critiques on completed/released products, and shouldn’t be approached nor judged in the same manner. As it relates to Mizahar, my opinions here are largely for those who actively seek assistance on a plot structure that they are building, not a battering of a completed thread or quest.

[Elysium]

I just have to say that the guidelines for your writerly meetings make them sound like a BDSM club.