Just want to say thanks for writing this. As a teen I always thought the Mary Sue bashing stuff - fics being ripped apart, rather than general dislike - was just cyber bullying, so I stayed well clear. It was interesting to read how it worked from the other side.
I'm really glad this whole topic has been under discussion recently. Not many of us can handle criticism (of any sort) well when we're just starting out. I see lots of new-to-writing writers in my main fandoms and I know that if I pointed out all the problems in their fics, they'd likely never contribute to the fandom again. Instead I focus on something they did well and encourage them to write more - a few chapters later you can scarcely believe it's the same person. By making them give up on fandom, they don't get the chance to practice and improve.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2010-04-19 09:43 pm (UTC)Just want to say thanks for writing this. As a teen I always thought the Mary Sue bashing stuff - fics being ripped apart, rather than general dislike - was just cyber bullying, so I stayed well clear. It was interesting to read how it worked from the other side.
I'm really glad this whole topic has been under discussion recently. Not many of us can handle criticism (of any sort) well when we're just starting out. I see lots of new-to-writing writers in my main fandoms and I know that if I pointed out all the problems in their fics, they'd likely never contribute to the fandom again. Instead I focus on something they did well and encourage them to write more - a few chapters later you can scarcely believe it's the same person. By making them give up on fandom, they don't get the chance to practice and improve.