edenfalling | Mar. 28th, 2013

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Mar. 28th, 2013

I got this comment today on a slash story from several years ago:

---------------
It's old. It's odd. It's short. And I am homophobic.

But still, it's good for a laugh, and definitely WAFF-y. :) I like it.
---------------

...

Um. That. What???

I sent a neutral response because I can't help suspecting this person is a troll, but I wanted to say something more like this:

Dear [Redacted],

You don't need to tell me that you're homophobic before praising my story. In fact, please don't.

I am willing to concede that your intent may have been along the lines of, "I don't usually like Pairing X but you wrote it well enough that I enjoyed the story anyway," but you know something? I am not thrilled by those reviews either. I understand that they're meant to compliment my writing ability by saying I persuaded readers to like something they usually dislike, but... I don't actually need to know that you usually dislike the aspect in question, whatever it is. Just say you enjoyed the story, no qualifications necessary. That is more than enough of a compliment -- and in this particular case, also avoids the problem of making me feel vaguely icky in a complicit fashion.

--Liz

Current Mood: confused
Current Location: ithaca, ny
Crossposts: http://edenfalling.livejournal.com/679770.html

Tangentially to my last post, because I know people react differently to things:

Poll #13121

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 20

View Respondents

Upon receiving a review of the form, "I usually dislike/hate/don't understand/can't believe in Story Element X, but you made me like it/understand it/see how it could work/enjoy your story anyway," how do you tend to feel?

Flattered: "I'm such a great writer that I changed this reader's mind about X!"
15 (75.0%)

Defensive: "What's wrong with X anyway?!"
3 (15.0%)

Confused: "If you don't like X, why were you reading my story in the first place?"
10 (50.0%)

Something else which I will explain in a comment.
3 (15.0%)

Tickybox!
7 (35.0%)

(The poll is Dreamwidth only, since that's where I have a paid account, but I think you may also be able to vote via OpenID.)

Current Mood: curious
Current Location: ithaca, ny
Crossposts: http://edenfalling.livejournal.com/680045.html

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Elizabeth Culmer

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Page Summary

another dispatch from the department of strange reviews
a poll, because I am curious

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