Glowing reviews for very bad fiction?

[Danyealle]

I know that we ALL have seen this one... you open a fiction because you see it had a score of 5 out of 5 and glowing reviews only to find that it is so poorly written and has such bad grammar that it's all but unreadable. Then you begin to wonder just how it got those reviews and the rating it has.

My question is this... are people who do such a thing doing an author a bad turn by only giving praise and not pointing out serious issues? Does it help them in any way other than to feed their ego? Should people really make those reviews and ratings count by giving the story just what it deserves rather than artificially elevating it? What do you think?

[DemonGoddess]

I'm for giving an honest opinion.

[madlodger]

I know that we ALL have seen this one... you open a fiction because you see it had a score of 5 out of 5 and glowing reviews only to find that it is so poorly written and has such bad grammar that it's all but unreadable. Then you begin to wonder just how it got those reviews and the rating it has.

My question is this... are people who do such a thing doing an author a bad turn by only giving praise and not pointing out serious issues? Does it help them in any way other than to feed their ego? Should people really make those reviews and ratings count by giving the story just what it deserves rather than artificially elevating it? What do you think?

To be objective, we have people from 18 to 80s posting and reviewing fics. There is a huge difference in what diff groups of readers find valuable and score high or low. I've seen some poorly written high scored fics, but it didn't bother me a bit. Some of them had a strong teen following, some didn't. They did strike a chord with many readers, so there is something special in the storyline.

I like what I like and so does any other reader.

[Keith Inc.]

I suspect, though, that not all reviewers are reviewing the actual written effort.

Some seem to be swooning just over the pairing. Someone that thinks show X's characters Y and Z should get together for whoopie smoochies finds a fanfic that reflects that choice, they laud the summary. If the review is not about the story, but centers on the idea of the story, i get leery.

A review that says 'i love how you got Joshua to break down Moses' defenses' is a story review, but if they say 'i've always felt that Saul and David were fated to be together' that's no indication they've read anything past the summary. Maybe the intro.

[Danyealle]

I think everyone is missing what I'm asking far, long and wide. Like the others have mentioned, I have some really bad fiction I like as well. In fact, I'm, at this moment, working on one that i adore but actually fixing the mistakes in it myself to make it more readable. What you like isn't the issue I'm talking about. What I'm asking is this: are those that are leaving absolutely glowing reviews for fictions that need serious work doing the author any favors by just giving them that ego stroke or does there need to be some honesty here in pointing out that there re mistakes? Will they ever learn from the mistakes or grow into their potential if no one does anything but praise them?

[madlodger]

I think everyone is missing what I'm asking far, long and wide. Like the others have mentioned, I have some really bad fiction I like as well. In fact, I'm, at this moment, working on one that i adore but actually fixing the mistakes in it myself to make it more readable. What you like isn't the issue I'm talking about. What I'm asking is this: are those that are leaving absolutely glowing reviews for fictions that need serious work doing the author any favors by just giving them that ego stroke or does there need to be some honesty here in pointing out that there re mistakes? Will they ever learn from the mistakes or grow into their potential if no one does anything but praise them?

This is because this type of authors and reviewers don't have an objective to 'grow into their potential'. Posting fandom fantasies is about making friends, and receiving 'ego stroking' and SQUEEEE!. A relatively small number of authors wish to become actual professional writers in RL. This is a normal occurrence in any fandom.

Personally, I get irritated by wonderfully written faux fanfics posted by professional hackers for 'exposure'. Always good grammar and sentence structure. Except, the fics themselves are just Harlequin type novels casting fandom pairings. Good thing they get removed by the authors after becoming disenchanted with guerilla self-promotion.

[Danyealle]

This is because this type of authors and reviewers don't have an objective to 'grow into their potential'. Posting fandom fantasies is about making friends, and receiving 'ego stroking' and SQUEEEE!. A relatively small number of authors wish to become actual professional writers in RL. This is a normal occurrence in any fandom.

Actually, from what I know when it comes to authors, 90 plus percent of them are looking towards publication of something in the future. I'm a published author that uses fan fiction as 'practice' not to just get my ego stroked. To me, it's used to hone skills and practice what I do. All authors I know want constructive crit, not just the ego stroke thing.

[madlodger]

Actually, from what I know when it comes to authors, 90 plus percent of them are looking towards publication of something in the future. I'm a published author that uses fan fiction as 'practice' not to just get my ego stroked. To me, it's used to hone skills and practice what I do. All authors I know want constructive crit, not just the ego stroke thing.

I dispute the 90% number. Sometimes, when people belong to a peer group and involved with that group for a long time, they start to believe that their group is bigger/more important/more whatever. The peer group of professional authors coexists with other ones, just like any other. Many of those who appear to work towards becoming a pro will never end up making a living out of it. Some will only supplement income from the day job. A large number will end up with a day job, a dream, and spending time socializing at diff author's forums.

[Magi Kavin]

I've seen this more than I care to have seen in my lifetime as a writer. Personally, even if I like the setting, the pairing, even if everything all kind of lines up perfectly.. I still critique it. I point out what I felt the story's weakest points were. That's just me, of course.

For the most part, however, I generally disregard glowing, positive reviews for a bad story as the person's closest friends, group members or even themselves. For all the critique a bad story deserves, equal praise should be offered simply for the effort and bravery of putting their story in the line of fire, so to speak.

[Keith Inc.]

I dispute the 90% number.

I dunno. I'll buy that 90% THINK they're going to be published in the future and think that they're progressing towards that goal.

But that number's going to include those that use fanfic for their 'ministry,' sure that yet another Teen Titans fanfic where Raven and/or her father turn out to be the Antichrist is actually helping fight Satan.

And those that delete anything resembling criticism because the reviewer is a big meanie who hates Edward and what's the big deal about puncutation and spilling, anway.

And those that have ten glowing reviews for their pedophile Pokemon/Jackie Chan fanfic so they can respond to criticism by claiming they're 'the best of the best' AND asking critics to 'give me a break, I'm just an armature at this writing stuff.'

And, of course, those that are sure their Mary Sue character will be incorporated in the gloriously welcomed spin-off created for them.

Ultimately, i doubt that bullshit glowing reviews hurt the author. Concrit can help the author, if the author has the mindset to use them, but if they already are sure they've written the Great American Tweet, nothing anyone can say will affect their writing. And if the reviews just bump an already-swollen ego, then the damage had already been done.

[Petofsuccubus]

Was this very bad fanfiction of which you speak yaoi or a one shot (or a yaoi one shot) by any chance? I've noticed - and not just on AFF - that the general reaction to yaoi is disproportionate. A well written yuri or straight fic, on average, does not get the same mad frenzy of screaming fans that mediocre or even bad yaoi gets. And a one shot reader doesn't always have the attention span to read the whole thing, much less pay attention to the story. A lot of readers just scroll down until they see something resembling sex.

[Danyealle]

Was this very bad fanfiction of which you speak yaoi or a one shot (or a yaoi one shot) by any chance?

oh i've read them from all genre's so i wasn't talking one story in specific, just a generality.

[Magi Kavin]

And a one shot reader doesn't always have the attention span to read the whole thing, much less pay attention to the story. A lot of readers just scroll down until they see something resembling sex.

I know I'm guilty of this myself, but hey. I put sex in nearly every single one of the chapters I've written, and I tell the reader when they reach the chapters that don't have sex. It's all you can do, really, because it caters to the two types of people that visit AFF: the ones there for the writing, and the ones there for the smut. I know there've been more than a few times where I find a promising story and I'm flipping through seven, eight chapters looking for the smut before I finally give up. I prefer to offer the courtesy of differentiating which chapters have sex and which ones don't.

But I digress. I've already submitted my comments on the original topic, I just felt like talking about that when I saw it.

[MorbidFantasy]

I know I'm guilty of this myself, but hey. I put sex in nearly every single one of the chapters I've written, and I tell the reader when they reach the chapters that don't have sex. It's all you can do, really, because it caters to the two types of people that visit AFF: the ones there for the writing, and the ones there for the smut. I know there've been more than a few times where I find a promising story and I'm flipping through seven, eight chapters looking for the smut before I finally give up. I prefer to offer the courtesy of differentiating which chapters have sex and which ones don't.

But I digress. I've already submitted my comments on the original topic, I just felt like talking about that when I saw it.

personally I get much more into a sex scene that has some back story behind it. There's only so many ways you can describe sex so eventually it will probably get old. I have some form of sex in every one of my chapters but that doesn't mean that I put any less effort into coming up with a decent and interesting plot.

but at the end of the day there will always be those who don't have the patience to brave out the buildup, prefering to jump to the climax right away. Whatever works for them, I say, although in my opinion they're not kind of readers that I was hoping for when I started writing.

[Clockwork_Knight]

Bad fics are every where, Sue fics and self inserts off often get far more reviews then anything that some one has worked their ass off for. I've seen fics that had bad gramer, sentice structure and anatomy that was so off I coudlnt tell if they were fondling a woman or a toaster.

Yet they still get glowing reviews.

I have to really dig to find any fic in the fandoms I like to find a fic that has smut that is bearable to read but I like some story to go with my smut.

[Petofsuccubus]

Bad fics are every where, Sue fics and self inserts off often get far more reviews then anything that some one has worked their ass off for. I've seen fics that had bad gramer, sentice structure and anatomy that was so off I coudlnt tell if they were fondling a woman or a toaster.

Yet they still get glowing reviews.

I have to really dig to find any fic in the fandoms I like to find a fic that has smut that is bearable to read but I like some story to go with my smut.

My mind incorrigibly corrupted from the trade channel in WoW, I didn't initially realize you were going for a pun.

Poor grammar ruins sex scenes for me. Quite often I'll run into something along the lines of "And then she takes her bra off and started sucking her nipples making her scream jodie!" After recovering my eyesight, I have to abandon that fic, because there's no saving it.

[Melrick]

Poor grammar ruins sex scenes for me. Quite often I'll run into something along the lines of "And then she takes her bra off and started sucking her nipples making her scream jodie!" After recovering my eyesight, I have to abandon that fic, because there's no saving it.

lol Okay, that's kinda funny.

[Tempestuous]

You know what annoys me, too? You read a good fic, story is good, sex is great, and then out of nowhere the guy or girl pulls out a gun or a knife and shoves it somewhere the sun don't shine, and blood is everywhere...

The end.

WTF. And they didn't specify death in their summary, which is all the more frustrating. I'm all for surprises, but that just really kills my brain, followed by the sound of a flat-lining monitor.

Sure, to each his own, but damn.

[Guest Purple Lizard]

personally I get much more into a sex scene that has some back story behind it. There's only so many ways you can describe sex so eventually it will probably get old. I have some form of sex in every one of my chapters but that doesn't mean that I put any less effort into coming up with a decent and interesting plot.

but at the end of the day there will always be those who don't have the patience to brave out the buildup, prefering to jump to the climax right away. Whatever works for them, I say, although in my opinion they're not kind of readers that I was hoping for when I started writing.

I like this.

I agree with you tenfold.

Sex can only be discibed in so many ways before it gets repetitive, and that is where I think the story helps.

[Jaded_Star]

I think a lot of people are worried about hurting feelings. I've given reviews on stories I've liked that needed some help in the grammar department, good reviews. I usually add in they should do a little more proof reading. An odd run on sentence or misuse of a word doesn't bother me too much, and if its too bad I find it too distracting to even read.

[CloverReef]

I think a lot of people are worried about hurting feelings. I've given reviews on stories I've liked that needed some help in the grammar department, good reviews. I usually add in they should do a little more proof reading. An odd run on sentence or misuse of a word doesn't bother me too much, and if its too bad I find it too distracting to even read.

I totally agree. A lot of the really poorly written fics are fairly new writers, and criticism too harsh can easily discourage them from continuing. That being said, and based on the topic of this thread, naturally some good ol' con-crit would definitely help them grow as writers, provided they're open to it and it's fairly sugar-coated.

When it comes to the legions of "OMG UR AWESOME!!1 SQUEEE!" reviews, they serve a positive purpose as well. They motivate the author to keep writing, and the more the author writes the more they'll likely improve, and maybe even eventually seek out writing strategies and suggestions. I used to be one of those horrid netspeak authors, and didn't get any criticism. After a couple years I started looking up writing tips and whatnot, and now... Um... well, I like to think I improved ^^;

So, as I was saying: concrit = good. SQUEE = good. Harsh discouraging criticism = not so good.

[Guest Chai Xianghua]

My fanfics aren't perfect either, but at least I research the character's personality and world before writing, so I can stay in character as much as I can.

I can see parodies and comedy fics as OoC, but serious fics that try staying faithful to the game/anime/ book/ whatever? Give me a break. Nothing makes me mad more than rival pairings (there must be a damn good reason for this) or pairing up two characters together just because they're hot. I try to delve deeper into character development and their personalities.

So what I'm saying is do your homework before writing a fanfic. That right there is a key to a good story.

[Satai Delenn]

My fanfics aren't perfect either, but at least I research the character's personality and world before writing, so I can stay in character as much as I can.

I can see parodies and comedy fics as OoC, but serious fics that try staying faithful to the game/anime/ book/ whatever? Give me a break. Nothing makes me mad more than rival pairings (there must be a damn good reason for this) or pairing up two characters together just because they're hot. I try to delve deeper into character development and their personalities.

So what I'm saying is do your homework before writing a fanfic. That right there is a key to a good story.

I understand what you're saying. It's why I make the love interest or friend an OC. This way, I can create one character to be who I want, and then I focus on the other, already established character and try to make him/her as close to canon as possible. Though, I've been told that I make my Snape quite a bit too bastardish. I am trying to rein in his bastardness, but it's kind of hard sometimes. My initial writings were really raw, but I've worked hard and tried to learn, and I do think I've improved. Now if I could just find a good beta...

[CloverReef]

I can see parodies and comedy fics as OoC, but serious fics that try staying faithful to the game/anime/ book/ whatever? Give me a break. Nothing makes me mad more than rival pairings (there must be a damn good reason for this)

I don't think that's fair to put pairings you disagree with in a bad fiction thread. In real life a lot of unexpected people hook up without a damn good reason.

That being said, I totally agree with OoC characters in serious fics being a bit annoying. In slash a few people like to make a normally strong character ineffectual and whiny to fit the "bottom" role, and I admit it gets on my nerves sometimes. ^^;

[Guest Alora.Sky]

My question is this... are people who do such a thing doing an author a bad turn by only giving praise and not pointing out serious issues? Does it help them in any way other than to feed their ego? Should people really make those reviews and ratings count by giving the story just what it deserves rather than artificially elevating it? What do you think?

I personally don't believe 100% review praise for a story is a good thing, but I find that there are a lot of author's out there that can't even take a watered down critic for improvement. Now, I'm not talking about Flames. Flames help no one in improving.

I'm thinking more on the lines of, "I love this story, but I felt like {enter a point} should have been elaborated more, or I am confused on how {this point} was possible within the parameters of the story." I think reviewers are afraid to cause discontent for the author if they even say one thing they think was written bad or confusing.

I believe this is because I've also seen some Fanfic writers go into a rampage within the Author's notes over a reviewer, who had expressed a little creative criticism. There are even some FF writers who have discontinued a story for the same reason.

Edited October 20, 2010 by Alora.Sky