Kurahieiritr

Why I hate the star/plus rating system:
Friends will up-vote their friends' stories. No matter how atrocious the writing. Pairings are down-voted just because someone doesn't like them, regardless of how good the story was. Drabbles and Twitfics are down-voted simply because of what they are, regardless of their content. It is utilized as a form of retribution for any number of things. Users will leave a "rating" rather than a review. The last one doesn't bother me so much because I thrive on praise, but because if it sucked, tell me why. I can't get better at writing if you don't tell me what I did wrong.
(Having said that, please, by all means, tell me what I did right as well so I don't keep trying to improve something that is in an acceptable place, but neglect something that is in vast need of improvement.)



Case in point of that:

That review meant the world to me. It told me one thing I needed to know: did I convey what I intended?

And, Daye, I can honestly say that I didn't get a "more" review on any of my stories until 2013-09-05. The story was Published [2013-05-11]. Even then, there was a bit more to it, and it was spelled correctly as well as being a complete sentence.

I will say this - I generally won't 'vote' on a story in the archive (can't say I never have). I will, however, leave a review that will offset the "MOAR" reviews by leaving actual concrit. Anyone who is looking for a solid review would hopefully see that and consider it before simply clicking on the link and being disappointed by a five-star rating.

@ Tigro Spottystripes:
It certainly doesn't hurt to say something like that in a review. It just would be even better if you at least give a bit of an idea what exactly it is you like so much, or of what could have been done better. Perhaps you don't have specific criticism, nothing that stood out like a sore thumb. Maybe it's difficult to exactly pin-point what made the story so enjoyable.
However, even just saying something like "this and this line/scene/conversation made me laugh", or "I cried a little when this/that happened" in an otherwise "plain" review makes it special. Hell, even a line like "I wonder how [character] is going to react to [other character]'s action/revelation/etc." could be enough.
It shows that you read the story and considered it worth another few moments of your time to leave a review, whereas a review like "I liked it. Please update. I wanna read more!" could be meant for any and every story. Nothing in it refers to the fic you just read. It reads like a copy-and-paste response, even when heartfelt by the person leaving it, because it's so generic.

As a reader, somtimes i don't got any specific points to make, but i still feel like thanking the writer or letting them know i enjoyed it enough to wanna read any additional chapters they write, and other stuff along those lines. If these types of reactions aren't appropriate for the most obvious and easy to reach place when you finish reading a story, then how do you suggest i proceed?

Being utterly paranoid, I get all nervous when I hear something nice about my work. Balancing that out, however, is the little monster than needs stroking with some verbal gushing. What helps is hearing why someone likes what I've written. I'd like to know what worked and, even more, what didn't. "I love your story!" is great for the ego, but hearing why they like it, with a few examples helps me feel better about actually working on my craft.

I hate when people continually leave the same generic reviews. It doesn't help the authors, and it feels like the reader is just saying something to be nice. I try to make sure all of my reviews are detailed so the authors know what they did well and what they can improve on. It's too bad that most people just see it as a place to leave generic encouragement- not that encouragement is bad (I'm not saying that!!!!), but just that it needs to be more constructive if it's going to amount to anything more than words on a page.
As to ratings, I don't leave 'em, and I don't really pay attention to 'em. I use summaries to make my decision on what to read; if I happen to like that author's style, I'll look up more of his/her work and check out recommendations.

I agree with Diizoid, but I have a few things that I really wish people would point out and not just let that egg sit on my face.
I have a very descriptive (occasionally florid or over-worked) prose style, that sometimes can get in the way of my plot. I know this about myself, so I try to keep it in mind when editing (I ask myself things like 'Does it matter what precise shade of purple her shirt is?' and 'Can I just say deep purple instead of aubergine?'). But I know that I'm human, and I slip up. One of the best con crits for me is when someone says "this sentence right here, you need to trim that back to under a paragraph." I also have issues with continuity, and because that's also a huge pet peeve when others do it, I like to be reminded when I inadvertently re-name a character. Same issue with not using contractions.

A: All are excellent points that highlight the value of the reader's perspective about stories. I guess I take for granted that revision is for a reader's sole benefit, while some never consider the necessity of considering a reader's feelings at all. So yes, there does come a time when you must consider the audience over your personal feelings when slaving away at a keyboard to create a good story. The published writers in this world have that consideration at some point within their creative endeavor, or they would not be published and making an income from what they love doing.
I often see "write for myself instead of readers" commentaries in many threads throughout these forums. I see the logic of where such comments come from, because without having that element in the writing process, few writers could truly get anything completed. Without interest in the topic, writing an interesting story is impossible. Still, even if the story interests the writer, it is not a guarantee it will be liked by readers. Individual, yet overlapping tastes in topics and writing styles of the reading class is the whole reason "Genres" exist.
I make a point of thinking about readers whenever I am doing revisions because the reader is the most important part of the process of writing. Readers do create the final link in the process to promote a true case of give and take to crafting great reading tales. Without thinking about the readers responses to whatever is crafted, how can writers truly design tales that will keep their readers begging for the next chapter?
Within the publishing industry, readers are the only reason for the writer's existence. Fail to deliver, and the author loses money for the publishing house. So the pro level authors have to understand their reader demographics and write with readers specifically in mind. Knowing about this mandate in the publishing industry, I do my level best to revise for readers instead of for myself. The first raw draft is for my own drive to get the plot bunnies out of my skull. The revisions are solely geared to increase the amusement of those who may read my work. Perhaps it is a long neglected element in many hobby writers' arsenal of techniques.
A: When a story grabs me by the throat and the plot bunnies are beating me over the head, I simply pour it all into the mix, and then go back to revise heavily. Bribery has never worked with the fiends in my head so I do envy you the ability to side track or outright bribe your muses. So I find that I must open a second document and plunk every single off topic into the new doc for later contemplation because a few of the random non working items for the story I am working upon, prove themselves very handy for different stories. Of course this means I have tons of orphan snippets on file to develop into diverse stories over time. Each writer has a unique way of handling said overloads of ideals, and must find the best route to take to curb the imagination it seems. Some of the best tactics are the cached within the gossiped about eccentricities of famed authors over the centuries.

A very good point. Or rather, a few excellent points.
Reader interest. Every story, long or short, has its own particular target group of readers. An author may not realize it, but most of these groups are relatively small, and so the feedback and quota of readers may not be as numerous as we all like to hope they might be. This is especially true in fanfiction with unusual pairings, for example.
Flow is a big deal, I agree. It can also be hard to pin down in a way that benefits the story, and I think that most authors will readily admit that stories--especially those which consume the author's mind with plot and scenes!--are quite capable of and often trend towards overdoing things. How often do we write something that grabs us by the throat and demands to have its own way? There are ways to deal with such stories and muses, of course: a good beta is a blessing, particularly with unruly stories. And stubbornness can go a long way, too. However, for me, I find that distraction is the best tactic.
Here, I can't give you that. What do you think about this, instead? Or, Ooh, look at that! What a neat idea! Why don't you steal it away before these other muses get close? I'll let you pounce on So-and-So later as a reward.
Yes, I occasionally have to bribe my muses. Surely I am not the only one?

A: You guys have brought up some very good points about back story overkill that many writers commit like a cardinal sin. In reality, we do not know the characters when we start reading, and should not know them beyond their actions. To love what you read requires evolving the character with each word crafted to promote action, emotion and understanding for the reader I think. As to the fan fiction writers laziness, I have read a lot of the problem children of said formula. I am not a fan of those either. I pick on the least embellished aspects of characters when I write fan fiction. I delve into the hints, not the head bashes of any fandom I choose to write. I also take the less loved characters and give them a reason for their obnoxious traits which is rarely tapped by the majority. Yet, sadly, I also think a lot of fandom writers are lazy. I see plenty who cannot understand basics of cannon psychology of the characters they are writing also. Makes me cringe personally. Staying cannon takes discipline, and forethought. Many fandom writers ignore everything about the actual universe they are writing within which is tragic.
The bulk of all stories rejected by publishing house editors are due to back story presented as the opening salvo. It is a taboo in the industry because it does not serve any real purpose to the publishing industry standards. Readers have set expectations and back story openings are not among them. Back story needs to be sprinkled through the story as a flavoring. It only has one purpose; clarify specifics. The vast majority of novice writers pour it on, making their tale far less enjoyable for the reader. Most editors of pro level say that they only accept stories which, from the very first word committed to the manuscript, set the character's heels on fire. The character can only recall taking firefighter classes after they are burning. ROFL. Kind of an absurd way to say it, and yet it is a great memory jogger.
I have read numerous back story starters, and can say that I for one do not care how great the story gets starting in Chapter 2. The first chapter put me to sleep because it is nothing but a "get to know me" flop. Such writers needs to get rid of chapter one, and possibly chapter 2 because the actual story starts after the monotonous back story segment. Introduce characters who are active and hopping through hoops to preserve their own hides. I'll be happier getting to know them as a reader. Writing the same way becomes habit with practice. Having a setting that reflects troubles on the horizon, be it mental, or physical is important to engaging a reader's interest. So you may not have the characters dashing madly down the street with their feet flaming, but you do want to have them walking through a gas puddle at the very beginning.

from a published news article:
Hyuk!

I am not a politically correct person, so do not expect me to mince words in this rant. I have plenty to say about the frauds who plague this and other sites. :sarcasm: is now in session because I have already read all of the favorite nauseating, too often written, worn out excuses that have triggered this overwhelmed frustration induced rant. I do apologize in advance for this being such a tactless tirade. I really need to get this off my chest because I am so frustrated with things I continue to read every time I come here.
What is the point of writing if the document is a thoughtless piece of slop without merit pounded out willy-dilly on a whim, and posted without revision? Why do some people insist upon placing such infantile things in the archives, and then get angry when someone with a basic grasp of English structure mentions a few of the problems that need addressing to create a better reading tale? Why do some individuals whine incessantly about contrit feedback, instead of considering that there might be a real problem which can be corrected with a little expended effort? If one does not understand the foundations of proper grammar and spelling, why insist upon being vile to those who seek to give actual valid aide? When did writing become a place for cop outs and egotists? Who ever said that everyone should be patted upon the head simply because they bothered to put something up at a free site like AFFnet, or FFnet? What have the lazy done to earn a touch of praise and accolades for the illiterate slop they insist upon posting?
Absolutely nothing gets done when a poorly written piece is added to the archives is my response. Give feedback to such frauds, and they delete the reviews, or proclaim concrit reviews to be trolling! Such frauds are too infantile to accept that they can improve if they get off their lazy butts and do a little research! YE Gods Forbid that such individuals ever face the wrath of a genuine editor. I can see the suicide rate escalating fast if they ever had to remove the blinders from their eyes. Such people are the bane of the writing hobbiest, and professional alike. What is the point of giving reviews if the writer is unwilling to consider critical mistake portions of an honest review? Why do lazy, insecure asses bother to beg for reviews while remaining too immature to give such reviews any thought toward self improvement? How can people call themselves writers when they are so obstinately unwilling to learn how to take a fair reading story, and make it into a genuinely beautiful tale that is memorable? Why do such frauds feel so compelled to provide a plethora of meaningless excuses for their mistakes, instead of attempting to change for the better?
The reason for my ranting questions: I am so sick and tired of the whining, lame excuses that the vast majority of writers like to pull out of their asses. People seem to love bellyaching, and giving excuses to avoid improving anything they slop together and post. To me, people are flat against learning the diverse aspects, and complex elements involved with writing style. I am also fed up with jerks who refuse to pull their heads out of the asses when it comes to a reasonable review meant to give genuine help. Nobody is attacking when they send a review that something was messed up when they mention grammar/spelling problems.
Any idea why I might be so angry about the plethora of bull I read in forums, and in author's notes in the main archive? Reality Check: I had a massive stroke a few years ago. It took two years to get to the point I could use my right side again. Then, I had to reteach myself from the foundation up how to read and to write a second time. Everything that I know I should recall from my time as an employed editor in the 90's was locked behind a wall of damage that I struggle to break down every single day of my life. I also have Dyslexia problems complicated by fine motor skill nerve damage. Do I use these difficulties as a knee jerk excuse for instances of personal, poor writing? THE ANSWER IS HELL NO!
To my way of thinking, real writers strive to overcome their disabilities, not use them as a crutch to languish within their flaws! I bought grammar based books and read them repeatedly to recover my lost knowledge. Due to a little thing called effort, I regained the vast majority of the information I once lost due to a life threatening medical crisis. Therefore, I do not give crackpot reviews whenever I take time to read over and consider the most glaring problems I see within a story's structures. I fine comb everything I write repeatedly to get rid of every flaw before I post anything. Yes, I do miss things, which I correct as I get a chance. A person who reads my work can return seven months later to find a lot of mistakes are corrected. I abuse my edit chapter button every few weeks, based upon the errors I get told about when someone reviews my stories.
Whenever I give a review to someone, I always endeavor to point out the strengths, and the weaknesses of each story I have read. The reviews I give carry my hopes that the input will help complete strangers to revise their stories to add strength to plots and characters that were devised. It is a real insult to all reviewers who give thoughtful feedback when the reviews get deleted by such frauds who pretend to be writers. Very few writers I have personally reviewed have retained my concrit reviews. Those who have kept their reviews, I am grateful to you for doing so. Your strength in keeping my review prevents me from becoming completely sick and tired of the constant flow of disrespect given to those who take reviewing for others seriously.
Put bluntly, I have seen the signs of a real epidemic of fraudulent whiners begging for reviews that are insincere. The ongoing blasphemy of it all has finally tweaked my last nerve. The majority of said frauds beg for reviews in every single chapter's author notes. My conclusion is that such begging for reviews is a form of blatant "stroke my ego or else" guilt tripping. "Please review because I live for reviews," is a blatant lie 9 times out of 10 in my personal experience with giving reviews. That type of bullshit line now reeks of the biggest attention seeking ploy in existence to me, as a reader. In the vast majority of cases I leave very tame comments compared to my actual reactions to such writer's stories. I refrain form taking every single line and pointing out the problems. If the writing is atrocious enough, I am reduced to perhaps you should use your spell/grammar checking features before posting in the future. Getting reduced to such a flippant response really hurts because I would not be writing a review at all if I did not see some kind of merit within the story. I would simply back click and be done with the author, and everything else they may have posted. I do keep a list of the unreadable slobs so I do not have to hurt my eyes by accidentally clicking on anything the royal stink writers have added.
During the last three weeks, after seeing how often that line accompanies a deletion of my reviews, experience tells me to avoid such authors as if they have the Black Plague. To date, seven out of every ten concretely focused reviews were erased because my input was not a fanpoodle. My honor code from my previous career as a "shred the writing to get it corrected in time for the sales team to make a profit from it" variety editor experience does not condone "I love it so keep writing" variety pat upon heads. I do apologize for this being such a tactless tirade. I had to get this off my chest because I am so frustrated with "poor me syndrome" type commentaries.

A: A very good point got made in this post. So few people actually put the things they liked specifically into reviews that they send. Sometimes, I wonder why a reader will refrain from explaining the elements they enjoy. Many writers seem to have this specific frustration of not knowing the powerful elements that keep their readers involved with the story. The please update with more version does seem to be the normal variety of positive feedback reviewers give to writers.

Nominally, anything that actually says what the reader/reviewer thought, enjoyed, connected with, etc etc. If they liked it, telling me what they liked is better than "Hey this was great, update with more soon!" or some such, as I've received a few times. A review is a review, but some really are better than others in that respect.
Something like what I received from Aya/GossamerSilverglow a few days back really demonstrates the better review type - detailed, constructive, asking questions about things and posing suggestions for errors.

Somewhat Rant Oriented thoughts, so feel free to answer or ignore. I have many people to answer with this post. Complicated topics always take time to untangle also so please bear with me if you do read this thought provoking post.
After reading all three pages of this topic, I must say there is a plethora of concepts getting touched upon. What homophobia is, and the way it is diversified is the core problem in coping with the subject matter. Many people lump too many variables into the definition without forethought. Homosexuality is an irrational fear of same sex male relationships as I understand the concept. Yet, as a whole, there is a massive double standard involved. Much of it is religious dogma based and smacks of the Organized religious sector's need to brainwash those too lazy to crack their own bibles and read them cover to cover so they get the inconsistencies of their own religions. Evangelical bible thumping variety Christianity tends to be the biggest hypocritical forum of this bad habit. They pick and choose forums to preach as their only truth from the Bible and rarely even know the full spectrum I have found. Those alone are the brainwashed variety, so I am not bashing the whole spectrum, just the moronic types who make the rest of us miserable by preaching we're all condemned to hell. I believe God himself said "Judge not lest thou shalt surely be Judged". Would this classify as automatic certainty that those hypocrites will never make it to heaven since they love to judge others which willfully breaks God's own reserved laws?
My youngest son, 21 years old, is bisexual. Due to his torment, I began writing yaoi, or homoerotic fan fiction to help him come to terms with his sexuality. Since he is too shy to sit down and talk about things openly, I put up fanfiction that he reads when he is at a friend's house. It helps him without forcing him into any corners. He recently thanked me for my insight to his specific uncomfortable problem. (His words, not mine) Because my younger son is a bisexual, he feels he is inferior thanks to the ignorant, and brainwashed element within our society. How does a mother with children age ranged later twenties down to recently turned drinking age cope with such a gentle, yet deeply conflicted soul? I've had to walk a few miles within my suffering son's shoes! I never gave any thought to what is or is not homophobic before my youngest hit puberty and almost had a full blown mental breakdown over his multiple faceted conflicting sexuality. In spite of his homophobic and vicious Father, my son has found stabilizing ground because I accept, and still love him regardless of who he chooses to settle with when the time is right for him.
My Point: The Bible is frequently invoked by those who hate same sex male relationships. Even here I saw such points made as if to validate those who practice blind hatred. The Jewish laws spoken of were squarely based in Hygiene Safety measures. It is called the Kosher Laws for a reason. Kosher more or less should be equated with cleanness or Hygiene measures to promote longevity in an unhygienic place. I have read them over and do understand the underpinnings very well. All of those laws are about preventing everything from food poisoning (hence the different cooking pots for different things like meat and vegetable) to premature sickness induced deaths of other scope.
Before soap and water, gay sex led to premature death because they did not have modern plumbing etc. However, we have evolved to a point that we have these wonderfully designed bathrooms and plumbing so that specific fear of death rarely holds valid meaning in our modern era. Soap and water work very well to promote good hygiene which makes that part of an irrational fear of being around a gay person idiotic. Condoms prevent scat related illnesses, and STD problems. As to staying clean, Soap is that oh so ingenious evolution since the Old Testament was written to preserve the Kosher laws of the Jewish people who did not have baths, nor soap, nor condoms to keep their bodies clean so they would not get sick.
Historically there were "pro same sex" religions, mostly found in ancient "Gentile" nations before the overwhelming spread of, at the time excessively militant, Christianity. Reason for mentioning this; those religions that accepted same sex relationships believed that their God(s) had exempted the gay or lesbian from breeding duties to fulfill a vital role somewhere else within their community. Such religions thought parenthood would stifle the important roles such gays and lesbians were meant to fulfill for the whole community's benefit. Most people blindly clump over 300 faiths into the category of (Neo or classic) Pagan/Wicca. However, these faiths are very diverse. This systemic lumping of religions is another form of the hypocrisy disease that has infected so much of the human race.
My point is this: Religious organizations should be the ones who determine who can and can not get "Married" as it were. If a religion has Government Tax exemption, then the government should grant those "married" under any "Christian" "Muslim" "Jewish" "Buddhist" "Pagan" (and into infinity) church that has exemption status identical legal rights. IF the Church has legal stats, it is only fair to treat all separation of Church and State rules equally. That means validating all heterosexuals, homosexuals, and lesbian couples married under the different recognized religious churches without drawing lines in red tape. If a church believes in same sex couples, then the government that gave it exemption stats ought to recognize all the couples who get married there without making any specialized exceptions.
Next Thread topic: As to men who are terrified of getting attacked by other men, . . . I've known three during my longish life. The underlying problem with 2 was that they were actually bisexuals afraid they would convert to gay if they allowed the opportunity to arise so knee jerk hated all gays as a self defense mechanism. Their greatest fear was being alienated by their peers and family if they stumbled. The fear of being isolated plays a fairly strong role in many gay basher's actions. They are prayed upon by an often irrational fear of abandonment by their longest standing friends, and/or family is one thing I have discovered over several decades. My bisexual son is hated by his homophobic father. Never mind that the homophobic father is a "closet gay" terrified of facing his honest sexuality because his mommy and buddies might dump him for daring to step out of line with the group mentality. Daddy can't tolerate the notion of being reviled by his rather brainwashed buddies.
Shedding light on the double standards involved in this specific phobia and prejudice realm is such a huge underlying problem. How can anyone define genuine Homophobia from Hypocrisy and Prejudice in this day and age? I have met several men in the last thirty some odd years whom are extremely violent haters of same gender male relationships. Here's the Kicker; those same men insisted on anal sex with girlfriends or wives! Who has guts enough to explain that irrational, inconsistent hypocrisy within this forum?! These are men whom cop out with "it's a woman so it is therefore fine to do it to her whether she wants it or not." Some of these same men have been known to rape gay men in brutal ways to prove themselves superior in their own minds. I was pleased to see one go to jail for his twisted logic that raping another man who was gay was a richly deserved punishment. HE went so far as to justify his actions with the Bible no less. I divorced such a "Woman hater" man eighteen years ago. Excuse me, sticking your dick into someone's butt is the same no matter which gender you happen to be banging. Stop attempting to rationalize doing the very thing you have condemned in others who decide that they like the anal deal.That is the height of hypocritical bull, and I think it should be revealed as such.
Also, we have the straight man who adores watching lesbian Pornography. Still happens to be same sex, only it is condoned because the hetero leaning man gets his nut bust. Far as I'm concerned, that equals another double standard that should not exist. Men can enjoy masturbating to girl on girl, but women are not supposed to masturbate to guy on guy is another double standard hypocrisy I am sick of seeing. I abhor such behavior.
Hypocrisy is my biggest pet peeve in case anyone missed that. IF a person is uncomfortable or turned off by gay sex, that should be fine. I'm not into BDSM, and find pain a huge turn off. Does that make me BDSM phobic? Not at all. It means I do not like pain, so refrain from placing myself into a painful relationship. It does not make a person a hypocrite if they are turned off by same sex ideals, nor does it make them homophobic. When people screech that nonsense, they cross into the hypocritical zone. If you do not want to watch a stupid movie, then don't watch it. I watched part of Brokeback Mountain and thought it among the most dull things I had ever seen. Then again, I though the same of Twilight number one. Could no more finish watching that movie than Brokeback Mountain. Torturing others to prove yourself superior is wrong, Immoral, and tyrannical. People are diverse in their thoughts, feelings, sexual orientation, and cultural heritage. Intolerance is the ultimate communicable disease. IT is found everywhere, and it is the only thing that genuinely needs to be eradicated from the world! Homophobia, and all other forms of group hatred are Intolerance disease masked with polite little tags such as Alternate Universe in fan fictional writing.
I apologize that this is so long, but like Mary Sue/Gary Stu, Homophobia is one of those topics I have been studying for some time and have formed a very strong opinion about due to all the stupidity so many spout in it's defense.

I can say, having just been through my first experience with being edited for publication, that you need to put your ego on the side and focus on what your editor is trying to do. Their goal is a story that is readable and marketable. They want you to sell books. That means the publisher makes money, and they get paid. They're not being mean, but they're not going to soft-soap things, either.
Now, being very honest, I knew that from friends who'd been published. It still felt awful when it happened to me, and I was ready to chuck it all in at least twice. But I didn't. I stuck with it, listened to what my editor told me, rewrote the bits that needed it, and in the end, my story is enormously better for it.And I apologized to my editor for whining, too.

I notice alot of animes deal with the afterworld, like DeathNote and Bleach. Is there a fascination for this thing?
Anywho...just thought I'd throw that in there.
Randomly.
I like a story that goes along dangerous lines. Very often, I'll have a dream and I'll re-live it over and over making sure I got every detail described down to a "T"
For instance, this morning, I dreampt that we lived on a very remote ranch, and as I opened the door to let our cat in, I saw in the distance, a leopard, a grizzly and a cougar respond to my call.
The hillside was sparsely treed with an old stand of spruce, so I could see them moving toward me, downhill, rushing with a speed that alarmed me. They knew the door was closing, and I didn't want to leave the cat out with THEM, so I had to hold it open. The moment the cat ran in, I closed the door (the leopard was SO close!), and I thought: "Where are my kids?"
There are some nights when I wake up I'm glad there's a body next to me to hang on to.

So it is.
I...can't wrap my mind around that kind of laziness. I understand working with what the creator has revealed, but going purely fan fiction to avoid having to make up back story on a character? The mere thought is giving me a migraine.
True. The ones I deal with tend to have their own methods, that's for sure.

I wish I could like that post more than once.
Yeah, or complete, furious rage. Anger can result in sarcasm. Rage so bad a character is willing to torture another character to death is usually not a fitting moment for a dry remark. Most of those who can't tell the difference between sarcasm and whining are also those who can't tell the difference between descriptive and purple prose or between witty and boring. (-cough- Hey, those sound like key-characteristics of Sue-writers... how surprising-cough-)
Aw, thanks for the compliment.

You had me smirk at that bit of dialogue, Cuzosu.
I agree, sarcasm and snark are wonderful in almost any circumstances. Pity that there are some people out there who apparently never got the key-word: almost. (That, and people who confuse 'sarcasm' with 'whine').
I like it as a writer, because I know it gives my characters backstories and a past without me having to info-dump. I like it as a reader, because it means someone actually thought about their story and what way they want to write it - means they've put in effort.
Ah... but is wisdom not exactly that anyway? Paying heed to life's lessons, I mean.

A valid point, Silenia. Timing and phrasing are very important when introducing skills. If the skill is going to be used shortly, the best three options (in my opinion) are:
to have another character present who already knows about said skill. This character would, at the appropriate time, presumably say something like, "Hey, you still practice that like you used to?" flashbacks. Show a scene where the character was using the skill and so would think of it and act without prompting. to have the main character (or another character, if you'd rather) see the skill being practiced in secret. This person can then bring it up as needed. Of course, there's always the option of having the person seen/caught using a different skill that can lead to being asked about the skill needed.
"So, Char. B. I saw you picking pockets the other day. You, uh...pick locks, too, by any chance?"
Or, for that matter, wearing something that could be considered a tell-tale sign.
"Char. A, you wear arm guards. Do you use knives or am I lucky enough to be on the run with an archer who can pick our enemies off at a distance?"
"Char. C, you've got calluses like a sword master. If I steal a sword, would you fight with it?"

Exactly. If for some reason you have to introduce a skill not long before the skill has to be used, it's better to not do it by having the skill-possessing character mention it out of the blue. (There are exceptions, of course. Can be humorous if done well, especially if followed up by a deadpan snarker along the lines of 'anything else you should have told us about before?', but it's just as easy to do it wrong.)
Perhaps my favorite way is dropping some small hints here-and-there a bit earlier, simple sentences that don't necessarily attract attention but that do hint at the skill (at the very least, hint at it in hindsight), however, that's not always possible - especially when earlier chapters/books/episodes/cartoons/name-media-form-here have already been released.
When not possible, I agree that the ways you mentioned would work very well. Or have it be a skill closely linked to one the readers already know the character possesses. (Say, you have a character that has a lot of experience with potions. It wouldn't be much of an issue to reveal they also have knowledge about poisons. Or, like you said, picking pockets and picking locks.)
Though basically, I guess this all comes down to, "before you tie your plot into a nice pretzel-shape, at least have a clue how to get it straight again". It's difficult to pull something off as anything else than an Ass Pull when it is an Ass Pull. (Also, I apologize for using tvtropes terminology. )

The main thing I try to remember about back story on characters is that, apart from the main characters, I'm probably never going to know their entire past. I don't want to. I have enough details floating around in my head; I don't need that many more to add to my problems.
Also, leaving some details unknown allows for "treats" to give to the readers later, kind of like throwing a dog a bone. Besides, mysterious characters are often a lure, too.
The style I like most, as a reader and as a writer, is to only explain the history of a given character as it comes up...except in special cases, such as when using foreshadowing, where there's typically a flashback or a dream to hint at what lies ahead.
As a writer, I don't like putting all the info on any character's past into only the first few chapters; it's an info dump...and most readers won't remember at least a good portion of the information.

The exception to the rule is Star Wars, where every single thing from the original trilogy has been given a backstory of several books, comics and occasionally video games. It's slightly scary.

i HATE the feel good reviews because they dont tell you anything of use, I want to know what someone liked about my story, why they liked it and what they did not like, and maybe that they caught something here or there too.
i want a real review from someone with half a brain while not being a royal jack ass about it.

When I review, I try to leave an honest, in-depth collection of compliments, critique and suggestions on how to improve.
Generally, I start out with how I felt about the story as a whole, and if I don't have anything positive to say, I don't review. (That whole, "Not all authors have thick skin" thing.) I tell the author if I liked it, if I felt it had potential, if it intrigued me, if it made me laugh.
Next, I note what spelling or grammatical errors I remember seeing, what they should have been and why, AND that it's not a big deal, just something they might want to get a beta for because spell/grammar checks often make mistakes that a human eye can catch.
Then I move on to a scene by scene cover of the chapter/story. I comment on how in character people were if the story is fan fiction, and if they're not in character, I share my thoughts on how acceptable the reasoning for that is. I cover the realism of the emotions felt by the characters, because I'm big on psychological cause and effect. Also because I think it helps the reader connect with the story when the emotions are realistic, whether or not people are in character. If there's action, I'll cover how the fight scene seemed to me and how it might be improved (if I think of that; sometimes I miss that one).
In telling the author what I liked or disliked in each scene and how it might be improved if needed, I also like to throw in what I thought of the interactions between the characters, the way the thoughts came across, and how much attention to detail there was. Some writers are great at dialogue but suck at background details, such as scenery/surroundings. These are also important details, if mostly noted briefly and in passing, and they help a reader grasp the world the author is writing in. For fan fiction, not so much background detail is necessary, but it's still nice to read.
As I'm bringing my review to a close, I usually cover the details that really got to me (good or bad) again, restating why I had the reactions I did and why I felt it was or was not appropriate--and, if not, what suggestions I had to make it more appealing to readers. Then I enthuse a bit more over the story, bringing it to a close on a high note, and end it with my signature phrase and my username, which are as follows:
May the words just flow,
Cuzosu
(I find that "May the words just flow" and similar phrases of writing encouragement often seem to help others get past writer's block, so I try very hard not to leave it out. Encouraging another person to write more is a wonderful way of helping them learn to accept concrit and hopefully getting them to the point of figuring out how to correct some of their own mistakes. It may not always work, but I think it's worth the effort.)