I was going to write my Thursday Thoughts about anonymous reviewers who piss all over other people's hard work in complete anonymity, while sites like FFn do nothing to protect their authors from this form of cyber-bullying, and who don't even have the cahones to put a name to their reviews, let alone write their own (obviously, far superior) stories to show us mere mortals how it's done.
But I didn't bother, because, after due consideration, I decided that THE Chick Norris said it so much more eloquently than I ever could.
I will add though, that I'm seriously going to consider allowing anonymous reviews on my stories. Not to bait anyone, I could do without the drama thanks; but because, like Chick, I'm big enough and bad ass enough to handle this shit. I figure if they're busy reading, scrutinising and 'reviewing' my story, they're not picking on some poor teenage kid with a self-esteem complex, who may never pick up a pen again thanks to sad little bitches like this. Maybe it's up to us with the Team Whitlock spirit to stand on the front lines and protect those less fortunate than ourselves.
Nothing these anonymous reviewers could say would ever bother me or stop me writing MY stories and fanfics the way I want to write them, because I don't give a shit what other people think. I write for myself, and only myself, because I enjoy it; that's all.
If, by some fortunate happenstance, someone else reads it and likes it and goes to the trouble to drop by and say 'Hey, love the story, I'm following along with you', then that's just grand. I will thank them, happily and politely, for taking the time to read and review and maybe throw them a spoiler for the next chapter; because I like it when others are entertained or moved enough to want to speak out.
Considering allowing anonymous reviews? Yes. Wondering if my stress levels could cope with how much I would want to lean through the monitor and beat their asses with a spatula? Also yes. Having the privilege to be acquainted with someone as formidable and eloquent as Chick? Priceless.
I just don't like anonymous reviews because I can't respond... positive or negative.
ReplyDeleteSigned reviews can be harsh too... even if they don't necessarily mean to be. I look at it this way, if you're going to put your shit out on the world wide web, you need to be able to take the good and the bad.
I don't mind harsh or negative reviews; you can learn a lot if the person is willing to talk to you about it and help you understand their POV.
ReplyDeleteI just don't like people who feel it's OK to only ever leave negative comments, doing it over and over again under the anonymous tag.