I think just writing a review just to say that someone's work stinks is not even worth reading. If its not constructive then there's no point in me even reading it. I can take criticism very well most writers and artist's have too almost to a degree because there is always going to be someone looking at your work. I like getting a review that tells me there were a few problems here and there but overall the story was great. That just makes me want to work harder on the next chapter and keep the errors to a low. I can honestly say that I have never given a flame to anyone, I wouldn't want anyone to do it to me so I don't do it to anyone else. Besides, most of the stories I read are very good so all I really need to say is great job!

Umm...I think a negative review isn't as harsh and simply says that the reviewer didn't like your story, whereas a flame attempts to offend or discourage the author.

Here are examples of what I think they are...

Negative Review: I didn't like this story. It's seemed too boring and slow paced.

Flame Review: This story is a piece of rubbish! You can't write worth sh*t so stop trying and just give up. You have absolutely no skill in storytelling. You really suck!! Do the world a favour, and go f*ckin' jump off a cliff!! The fanfiction world would be better without you.

...mind you, that flame may have been a little harsh.

Does that help?

What, exactly, is a flame? I am uncomfortable with words I don't have an exact definition for. What differentiates a negative review from a flame?

knifethrower wrote:
What, exactly, is a flame? I am uncomfortable with words I don't have an exact definition for. What differentiates a negative review from a flame?

Though some times it can be hard to tell the difference a negative review, while the reader is not happy with the story, they tend to try and mention how something could be fixed to improve the writing. Also they will tend to use 'I think, I believe, I would/would not'. Which is always a clear indication of it being their opinion.

For a flame they will tell you what you did wrong, not their opinion they will usually write it as if it was a fact, without offering any way to correct the problem. You can usually find cuss words and insults within flames.

This is an example of a review that maybe hard to tell if it's a flame or a negative review. I'll break it down a bit so you may better understand. (By the way, this is from chapter 7 of the void, so some of his complaints may not make sense as they were answered in later chapters.)

I was just thinking. They are in a void for weeks, without water or light. And for no reason at all they start to "make love". I dont know, but somehow the picture I got was dirty, stinky sex. Ewww. Was Kagome a virgin? What did she drink? Humans cant go on for more than a few days without water. Otherwise good story. The rating is off though. Its T, not M. No sex and hardly any violence. I still cant figure out how Jaken managed to smother Miroku. Jaken is a toad youkai. Small. And Miroku wasn't even sleeping. Its just impossible.

First thing he says 'I was just thinking.' Tells you right away that he's referring to his opinion. 'What did she drink? Humans cant go on for more than a few days without water.' He asks a question and explains why he's asking that question. The part about the rating it a bit iffy, because he doesn't say 'I think' however, he uses 'its, the' rather than saying 'my rating' or 'you should have put it T, not M'. 'I still can't figure out...' 'Its just impossible.' Though the second can be a bit iffy, they are both opinions and he states them as such. Overall I count this a a negative review because he never outright attacked me or my work. He simply didn't understand or agree with certain things and questioned them.

Hope that helps ya, if not hope I didn't confuse you more .

knifethrower wrote:
Why do people try to get other people to stop writing? Why does it matter to them? Are they failed writers themselves, or miserable in their real life? Any ideas?

While this can be for any number of reasons, I find the most common is simply they do not like your story or style of writing and lack the maturity to understand how to appropriately tell you. Instead of leaving negative feedback, they flame which does no good for you or them. If someone tells you you shouldn't write, simply ignore them. If they tell you how to better your writing, in regards to grammar and such rather than storyline, take it as a learning experience.

Let's try not to stay on the negative aspects of this subject but in my perspective they're just people who are too critical and close minded. They don't give alot of writers (heck even artists) a chance to express themselves through what they do. And for those people to pick on newbie writers who just love to write to me thats just as bad as scandalizing a young one.

But enough of that, we don't want to turn this into an all out war and besides if I'm not mistaken we;ve had two or three topics around this same discussion so its probably best if we not discuss it so much. All I would advise is to ignore those people and if you happen to catch one of these people picking on a new writer or anyone for that matter please don't confront them in any way just report the incident to an admin.

I think the best way to differentiate constructive criticism is that constructive criticism involves pointing out a fault for the sake of improvement, and a flame points out a fault for the sake of insult.

If I reviewed someone's work and said something like "Your grammar needs work and your style doesn't fit this story," that's obviously very different than saying, "You're a bad writer because your grammar is bad and your story doesn't fit your style."

A lot of things are really borderline, so I think the best thing to do is remain friendly especially when offering constructive criticism!

Who knows what their reasons are? It probably differs from one person to the next. Just ignore them and don't let them get to you. They are the ones with the problem, not you. And their problem goes far beyond the fanfiction world. Something that would no doubt take a lot of money, a lot of years, and a really good shrink to even scratch the surface.

Most of the time I just laugh at them. I had one story on ff that was very well received and reviewed. About half way through it, I got a review that told me how bad my story was and that I should never 'right' again. You have no idea how long I laughed over that one.

Of course I am far past the age where a few insults would bother me. I do feel sorry for the younger writers who have yet to acquire the tough hide that comes with advanced age. That's one of the reasons I always try to review and encourage the newbies. Just remember that rudeness and bad manners are a sign of stupidity. And let them suffer on their own. Karma will get them eventually. And karma really is a b***h.

Love your story, by the way. When is the next update? Soon I hope.

Why do people try to get other people to stop writing? Why does it matter to them? Are they failed writers themselves, or miserable in their real life? Any ideas?