Annoying reviews

OK, I'll be the first to admit that I obsess over certain reviews - frankly I shouldn't, and I should take criticism constructively and that sort of thing, it's just recently I got the most annoying review for one of my stories - Petrol Station. I was expecting average reviews, perhaps people not liking my style of writing, that sort of thing, but I got one good review - which I was delighted by - and then one awful one, bringing my average down to 5.5/10. I would have been fine with this, but the reason given was that I had written the wrong story. It made little to no sense, and a person agreed with me, saying that one should review the story there.
The thing is that I got two really good reviews for that and one one-star one - bringing down my average and probably meaning less people read it.

A-grrrrrr!

I'm definitely taking this too seriously. But still.

Hey jamb Neil Young wrote a sond and a lyric in it went "...and numbers add up to nothing." They are numbers and they mean by themselves nothing. They do not define who we are or why we write. They just simply are numbers. Take a deep breath and ask yourself "Am I having fun yet."

I'd suggest you are you just don't know it at the moment.

OK, I appreciate that. I am having fun, and it doesn't bother me that much, it's just that review angered me quite a bit. I was just a bit amazed that he could say something like that. Oh well.

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Originally Posted by jamb

OK, I appreciate that. I am having fun, and it doesn't bother me that much, it's just that review angered me quite a bit. I was just a bit amazed that he could say something like that. Oh well.

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LOL you should see the reviews my story got ---I published the same story on several other sites ---got all great reviews---published the same story here got slammed ---LOL funny thing is it is one I get a monthly check for every time someone downloads it from a pay site----

My friend you need to write for yourself---if it pleases you ---then it is great ---thank the people who enjoyed it and ignore those who just have to nit pick a story to pieces----I keep telling reviewers -- not to expect litary masterpieces ---if it is readable ---you enjoy the subject ----so what if there are a few grammar or spelling errors ----

so keep on writing --just do it to please yourself ----the ones who do not like it ---so what let them read something else

Petrol Station was a very well written story. Whether someone "gets off" on it or not, they have to admit that whoever wrote it is obviously a good writer. I wouldn't worry about the one bad review you got -- everyone has their own personal tastes.

- Lady Dena

I really appreciate that - it was just very frustrating. Thanks rabbit - I always try to write for myself rather than other people, as really you should just stick to what you know. Cheers Lady Dena too - I'm getting over it...eventually...

If you're still with us jamb....:eek:

Yeah like the others say- you know you're a good writer, right?

Wasn't it Stephen King who was trashed for years? I remember reading somewhere that a writer needs a thick skin more than talent....

And btw- I hate that you're getting paid for it!



Tojo

Haha reviews a double edged sword. when they are great you are exhaulted, when the are bad you are trashed about it.

I always write for myself and take anything said either way with a grain of salt. I know there is always gonna be that one or two reviews that will kinda grate on you but hey, if you are still happy with your work and the review was not constructive, then stand by your work and say to hell with you all. Heh

I haven't reviewed stories here, but in general reviews fall into two kinds: reviews for your writing skills, or reviews for the content.

Obviously if someone doesn't like your content there is the chance they write a bd review, but frankly I think that's very immature. If I don't like the actual content of something I'm reading, I stop reading it, not bitch at the author for not writing the exact story I wanted to see.

Comments on writing structure tend to be far more useful really. Hopefully most people keep that in mind when trying to offer constructive criticism of a piece.

jamb,

Put on your bullet proof superhero underwear and take those reviews with a grain of salt.

I got bashed the other day on a story that won an award. The reviewer complained about my spelling and even took the time to point out a word that bothered them. The word was spelled and used correctly. No kidding.

You can't please everyone, but you can please yourself.

Overtime, you'll recieve higher ratings and the low one will factor out. If it really bothers you, politely ask the person who rated it, to re-rate it based on the rating formulas given and not their personal feelings about the story.

As for me, I when I read the stories in the library, I usually don't look at the ratings. If they seem low, I might look at the reviews first, but I'll give the story a chance if it's about a topic I want to read.

* shakes head *

How could you have written the wrong story?

I'd probably print and save that review to keep in my "I can't believe I got this review" file.

To your success. Write on!

Ruby

I felt Petrol Station was a really good story, stylish and with true sense of the genre. You love Stephen King and half trashy horror movies like The Hitcher and Escape from New York, don't you? Have you seen Kathryn Bigelow's Near Dark where a gang of road cowboys and chopper kids turn out to be modern-day vampires? I'd recommend it to anyone here on the board, it's both frightening, sexy and funny, and with great photography as well.

Your piece moves somewhere between thriller and sex story, it's got real momentum and a sense of mystery. keep up the good work!

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Originally Posted by jamb

, but the reason given was that I had written the wrong story. A-grrrrrr!

I'm definitely taking this too seriously. But still.

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Well you should have checked with the reviewer first shouldn't you, silly! Reminds me of the old Harry Enfield sketches: 'you don't wanna do it like that!'
:old: bless em!

jamb,

After a year of reviewing stories and having my stories reviewed, I learned a few things that helped re-align my perspective, not always, but most of the time.

1. Check the reviewer's ratings for other stories and see if you agreed with some of them. If you see a lot of low scores and the stories have a lot of scores on the high end, rest assured it's not all your writing skills that landed you that number.

2. If the disparity is by a large margin, you could email the person, like Ruby suggested, and politely ask them to re-read the story and adjust the score. The keyword is politely.

3. You can respond politely to the review and say that you will take their remarks under consideration and thank them for reading it.:o

Nikita

Thank you very much everyone - I appreciate it greatly. Thank you very much, Gagged_Louise - have actually not read much Steven King, but do love his sort of style.

How about this. The second 'rewiever' of the very firsts story I posted on Library gave it *2* because - he did not read it! Supposedly the writing was that bad. Fortunately the other rewievers did not agree.

Great review is WOW.

Bad review in which the reviewer EXPLAINS why they think it bad and perhaps give some suggestions is OK.

Reviews based on 'I hate activity A - threfore your story is crap' are - crap.

These lil red stars Do matter - when i just browse and i find something interesting - it is more probale I wll read it if it has five stars.

And - I admit, if I see a story with all highh rating - I WILL check it out.

But, taking reviews TOO seriously is not healty for a writer.

Wow. I read that review. It wasn't annoying. It was stupid. Judging by the brief amount of the story that I read, it was not deserving of a "1" rating - not by a long shot. Maybe that was the reviewers IQ?

Personally, If I don't like the way a story is written I use Thumper's rule: If you can't say something nice about someone, it is better to say nothing at all.

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Originally Posted by Polecat

Personally, If I don't like the way a story is written I use Thumper's rule: If you can't say something nice about someone, it is better to say nothing at all.

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exactly ---or hey good story but the few spelling errors did kind of distract from it

Its difficult for some people to understand the purpose of a review. For someone to get angry with the story about its direction and trash it because of that is not a mark of a mature reader anyway. I can't say I have not been angry about an authors turn of events but it didn't make me trash the story either.

Thumper was wise little bunnie indeed.

Thanks very much again guys - it's not so much of a bother now. I'm interested to see what other ridiculous stories people have about reviewers though as well - it's encouraging...

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Originally Posted by H Dean

Wow. I read that review. It wasn't annoying. It was stupid. Judging by the brief amount of the story that I read, it was not deserving of a "1" rating - not by a long shot. Maybe that was the reviewers IQ?

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lol. Well, he adresses himself with a royal WE so.......


I absolutely agree with thumper rule... there a zillion free stories out there so.... why single out several to throw dung at?

I did point out faults (IMO) in some stories - but these were the ones I LIKED and thought they could be better.

I'm the co-author (well, principal writer) of 'Missy's Misfortune' which is a series about a girl abducted by a group of women, auctioned off to one of them and subsequently abused by them.

Most of the reviews were favourable, which is of course nice but I got really pissed off by one review in particular.

It picked me up on lots of what I'd consider little things such as how many cctv cameras in Malls, how a PC engineer would easily find out that someone's pc had been infected by a virus etc. But seemed to blithely accept the biggest work of fiction in the story; namely that there is a group of professional women who go around abducting teenage girls.

Did make me wonder exactly what the reviewer reads stories for.

Well, (and I'm not a reviewer per se, and certainly not that particular reviewer,) sometimes the devil's in the details.

Any good piece of fiction requires a 'suspension of disbelief' as they say. Put unlikely characters in unlikely situations? Sure. Ask me to pretend everything about the world around them is also unlikely... and a story can lose a lot of appeal...

So attention to detail can pay off. Many wouldn't care about the mall cameras etc., obviously someone did. You can either take such things into account next time or ignore them and perhaps lose some of your readers.

I'm a real bug-a-boo, for example, when it comes to medieval settings. Know the difference between a mace and a morning star. That sort of thing. LOL. You're not going to please everyone regardless of how hard you try.

Mm...as mentioned, yes, the details are a big deal; in many ways a bigger one than the main violations of reality. The review still wasn't bad, though -- an 8 is very respectable -- and probably the reviewer was simply looking for the small details that make a good story great.

I'd comment more, but there seem to be some other issues going on as well; sorry to hear you won't be contributing to that story any more!

I have to offer that I disagree with Thumper's rule. I always try to offer a review for any story I read. If it is good or bad, I try to let the author know why. Of course, I end up pissing off a few authors here and there, but they know why I liked or didn't like their story. If they are an author who is actually interested in improving they will take comments at face value - as honest critisim meant to aid in future writings. If they just want praise they tend to react in a less than stellar manner.

One thing I always try to do, when one of my stories gets a negative review, is to review the reviewer. That is, I check the previous reviews they have offered. If they consistantly flame stories or tend to review bad stories with praise I try to ignore the review. If, on the other hand, they consistantly offer thought out and considerate reviews I tend to pay close attention to the good, the bad and the ugly of their review.

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Originally Posted by H Dean

I have to offer that I disagree with Thumper's rule. I always try to offer a review for any story I read. If it is good or bad, I try to let the author know why. Of course, I end up pissing off a few authors here and there, but they know why I liked or didn't like their story. If they are an author who is actually interested in improving they will take comments at face value - as honest critisim meant to aid in future writings. If they just want praise they tend to react in a less than stellar manner.

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Oh yes, I agree with H Dean here. I have appreciated his honest reviews in the past, even if I did dread what he had to say at times too LOL I know that any comment made was designed to improve my writing and I think it did.

I think it all depends on the way the review is written too. I find that if the reviewer adds positives as well as negatives, it softens the review. Writers need to know what they have done well as much as they need to know the areas that need to be improved.

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Originally Posted by Ozme52

Well, (and I'm not a reviewer per se, and certainly not that particular reviewer,) sometimes the devil's in the details.

Any good piece of fiction requires a 'suspension of disbelief' as they say. Put unlikely characters in unlikely situations? Sure. Ask me to pretend everything about the world around them is also unlikely... and a story can lose a lot of appeal...

So attention to detail can pay off. Many wouldn't care about the mall cameras etc., obviously someone did. You can either take such things into account next time or ignore them and perhaps lose some of your readers.

I'm a real bug-a-boo, for example, when it comes to medieval settings. Know the difference between a mace and a morning star. That sort of thing. LOL. You're not going to please everyone regardless of how hard you try.

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Of course that's true, and I would be the first to admit that my writing skills are limited and if someone hauled me over the coals for bad grammar or frequent repetition of words or phrases I'd plead guilty immediately, but what I was driving at was that reviews like the one I mentioned are like the people who watch American Civil War dramas (for example) and latch onto the fact that one of the characters used a gun that wasn't issued to the U.S. Army until 1870 etc, etc.

There is a bigger picture involved.

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Originally Posted by Ashtree

Of course that's true, and I would be the first to admit that my writing skills are limited and if someone hauled me over the coals for bad grammar or frequent repetition of words or phrases I'd plead guilty immediately, but what I was driving at was that reviews like the one I mentioned are like the people who watch American Civil War dramas (for example) and latch onto the fact that one of the characters used a gun that wasn't issued to the U.S. Army until 1870 etc, etc.

There is a bigger picture involved.

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You are speaking of a fairly big mistake, really. I don't think I would completely trash a story for one mistake like that - there is, as you say, a bigger picture. However, missing obvious things - like video cameras in a mall - is a pretty big mistake.

Writing is like robbing a bank with an empty gun. It all goes smothly until someone notices that the chambers are empty.

Well...for the record on that specifically, I've worked security in malls and to be honest, no, there aren't a ton of cameras on everything, particularly in the promenade. Why WOULD there be, really? No reason to keep the benches and potted plants under 100% surveillance. The stores have their own security if they need it, and those that do rely on something better than a mall rent-a-cop.

The Mall incident referred to actually takes place in the car-park, which I guess would be less under camera surveillance than the Mall itself.