[stylist] Critiquing things you don't like?

[Jacobson, Shawn D]

Tessa

To be sure, taste has a lot to do with your critiquing experience.  As far as I'm concerned, vampires are overdone, if it's a vampire story, It had better be really, really, good.

I recently read a "Year's Best" science fiction collection and realized that I would not be a fan of the genre if that was the sore of thing around when I was young.  The stories were good, but just so bleak that they didn't work as a safe space from life.

Anyway, keep reading, keep writing, and keep critiquing.

Shawn

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tessa via stylist
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2017 6:33 PM
To: stylist at nfbnet.org
Cc: Tessa <puppycat at tbaytel.net>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Critiquing things you don't like?

Thanks all.
Our group is small. Two members submit pieces each month and everyone is expected to comment on them, so we can't really pick and choose what to crit. 

The vampire issue I mentioned earlier was submitted and though I don't like vampires still there were some good scenes some funny dialogue and places where I could find good things to say about the piece. 

With the novel now being submitted the main character hates everyone and everything and shows this in every word, action and thought. The author has done a very good job of making his character unsimpathetic, and I'm sure we've all told him that, the problem is that it just goes on and on and is mentally draining to read. 

The author also writes quite thought provoking science fiction, which can be fairly grim but definitely has some good material. Which I suppose sounds like I'm pretending to be an expert on this stuff, which I'm not, I just know that some things I enjoy and some things are just so darn depressing and demoralizing that it's definitely not my thing.

Anyway thanks for the suggestions.
Tessa

----- Original Message -----
From: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via stylist  <stylist at nfbnet.org>
To: his'Writers' Division Mailing List'"  <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Date: Monday, August 14, 2017 5:16 pm
Subject: Re: [stylist] Critiquing things you don't like?

>
>
> Tessa,
> 
> In my undergrad and now in grad school, we are taught to not judge on 
> subject matter. We may not like a particular topic, but our focus is 
> to discuss the writing and not if we like a topic or not. There's a 
> lot to discuss in creative writing that is not subject or directly 
> related to subject. How is the structure? What is working and not 
> working? What about characterization and scenic development? Is there a satisfying conclusion?
> What about transitions? You can comment on any literary devices used 
> or pacing and voice. There's a lot to comment on that does not have to 
> involve your opinion about the subject.
> 
> Bridgit
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tessa 
> via stylist
> Sent: Monday, August 14, 2017 6:12 AM
> To: stylist at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Tessa <puppycat at tbaytel.net>
> Subject: [stylist] Critiquing things you don't like?
> 
> Hi All
> I'd like to get your thoughts on this issue. 
> One of the members of our local writing group is writing a novel, 
> we're critiquing it chapter by chapter. I find the story to be 
> extremely distasteful, definitely not something I'd read not something 
> I'm even remotely interested in reading. It's challenging when I do my 
> crits for me to find anything good to say about the piece.
> Just wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences and how you 
> dealt with it.
> Tessa
> 
> 
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