Update progress and some news. · 1:51pm Jul 28th, 2014
Morning folks. Day two of the move to my new apartment is currently in progress. I can now enjoy the luxury a deck plus -significantly- better parking but I'm not completely done yet.
I did want to give an update for the next chapter. It is going to be delayed a bit and that's a good thing. I should probably explain why though.
As you all are probably familiar with, I have some very stringent rules in my comment section in terms of language and behavior that I try my best to enforce. 99 out of 100 times that's when two folks get into a heated discussion and I need to turn down the temperature by force. Comments directed at me that were heated I tended to ignore because that's how I was raised. Ignore the aggressor, don't let them get a rise out of you, etc. This unfortunately has led to some potentially valuable criticism to be ignored because it was framed in an insulting manner. I'm more inclined to completely disregard a critical comment that starts with 'This was stupid because X' rather than a comment that might start with 'I don't understand why X happened and some others had problems too.'
This isn't entirely hypothetical. After forcing myself to reread some of these needlessly negative comments, I was almost ready to disregard them and finish the next chapter when I realized that they were right and the quality of my current chapter was suffering because of it. Because of this realization I'm rewriting the second half of the chapter and I expect it will be -significantly- better in terms of quality.
As valuable as this personal realization is, I'd like to point out that I almost didn't catch it because of how the comment was framed, not the point the comment was trying to make. I know that this is the internet, where sharp comments are the first, second and third tool in the box. However I am much more likely to seriously consider criticism if its not framed in a hostile or potentially offensive manner. I'll keep doing my best but its much easier for me to acknowledge criticism as constructive if the language used is also constructive. I'm confident I can have more fun writing (and you all will have more fun reading) if that can be done.
Now, I don't want this to be taken as me giving the middle finger to anyone who's critical of my writing. You all can help (and have helped!) me improve as a writer. Framing a comment like ''That was stupid/lay because X' doesn't make me want to improve as a writer. It makes me want to quit. :S Constructive criticism I'll welcome and seek to address as I continue to write (or issue fixes to existing works). Some things (plot related) I naturally can't go into until those plot points are revealed, but you all know that.
Thanks in advance for your efforts!
*Generic praise*
My first story, which has since been taken down (I'll put it back whenever I'm ready), was up in 2012. Oh yes, back in those glorious days when the Train Wreck Explores went on shit stories and gave harsh criticism. Well, they wrecked on my story, pretty freaking hard. I had many insults thrown at me, too.
But that harsh criticism made me realize just how bad my work was, the bluntness of their comments helped it get through to me. If it had been phrased nicer, I probably wouldn't be as good a writer as I am today.
But, eh, different strokes for different folks. I understand where you're coming from.
I see, better parking can be translated as an extra 14.3 minutes of pony writing time per day while an inspiring view from your new deck will result in an average of 0.62 additional red herrings per week.
*Overused homophobic insult*
Thats indeed an interesting situation. I hope to learn a thing or two aswell.
Relevant comic.
egscomics.com/comics/20100216_kq6j.png
2322708
Hmm good, when you learned something out of it, would you mind teach it to me? Currently I'm more swiss(preciecly Bern) and thus reealy slow
Well let me know if/when you need me to proofread the rewritten chapter and the upcoming one.... I know what it feels like to want to do the very best you can (though hopefully in the future legitimate criticisms will come with less vitriol).
Also good luck with your moving!
2322718 Just the usual "whom to love and whom to ignore". Im way to sensitive for criticism for my own good.
Main reason why I never posted anything around here.
2322771 just try it, then if someone flips out at you just ask them to rephrase their comment in a non-derogatory way
2322771
)
Hmm we are quite the opposites here... I tend to just ignore everything nonconstructive... at least to a certain point....(and good for those reaching this point to be mostly far far away from me because of the internet
2322809
That. Most of the times it works, if not: just ignore it.(or at least try to.)
*insert typical once I was stuff here*
2322809
2322829
Thx guys, Ill see what I can do with that motivation.
2322880
wel obviously you'll do your best
Who knows, maybe I'll soon have much more to read thanks to you. dl.dropbox.com/u/21167245/FiMFiction/Emoticons/misc_Lyra_happy.png
2322953 Hopefully.
Got it. So any flame wars we start should be careful to only use the 'British' setting on the flamethrower.
"I say, that comment of yours was substantially sub-par and lacked a certain quality of expression. Perhaps you should rephrase it to use more proper tone."
Say does anyone have any hopes for the next X-COM thing?
2323110 What next XCOM thing?
2323275 There is none... yet
I'm asking if anyone has anything that'd like to see in the next X-COM thing
2323307 Alien allies
2323312 Really? Care to elaborate on that?
2323315 I'm leaving it open other wise it might be to limited, but basically they find out that they're not alone in their fight to survive...
we are talking about the game right?
2323318 Yeah, I'm just asking what people would like to see in the next XCOM thing they'll release, wither it be another expansion or a new game entirely.
2322693
*classy dismissal of hominid social weirdness, followed by uplifting nationalistic speech on the merits of terrestrial crustaceans*
Aaaaaaaaaand, mostly moved to my new place. Time to reply!
2322664
*generic thank you*
2322686
Don't you go complicating the issue with your fancy mathematics.
2322680
Criticism is good, sometimes even harsh criticism is necessary. Needlessly harsh criticism helps no one except the person writing the comment. But that's just my opinion. : /
2322693
2322708
As long as you know that there's always something to learn, you'll continue to improve. :)
2322710
Yes, this! The problem with the internet is that everyone thinks they are experts.
2322731
Thanks! I'm hoping to have something for you and the others, soon!
2323084
RE: British setting for flamethrowers.
Seriously though, that's the idea I'm going for. :)
2323110
As much as I'd like an epic like Mass Effect or something similar, I actually hope they stick to the XCOM: EU style of storytelling. Almost entirely player-created cast, anyone can die, etc. Strategy is a plus, especially turn-based. I'd like for the various tiers of weapons to be viable in every stage of the game rather than a strictly linear progression. I'd also love for mod parts/customization for SHIVs and MECs (if they carry to the new game, if it exists) to make them more interesting and viable.
2323388
media.moddb.com/images/groups/1/3/2933/demotivational-posters-mm-hmm-yes.jpg
2323981
Like I said before, different strokes for different folks. Extremely blunt criticism isn't for everyone, and if I ever have anything to critique in your work, I'd put it bluntly but tactfully.
2323981 Indeed, that comic was the first thing I thought of when reading your blog.
2323981 What about Plot? Any desire for a Terror of the Deep type of thing?
2323981 "You never sop learning"
Heck, in the past two years I have been here on FimFiction I learned more about literature and writing then in 8 years of german education.
2323981 All weapon tiers available, like in multiplayer? Eh, I think the low tier weapons would see very little use (except perhaps when a support unit is conserving points) without more reason to use alternative weapons, such as, hmm, resistances or an effect on artifact recovery rates? (I imagine 'Sectoid with bullet in its brain' is worth more than 'charred Sectoid torso' on the Grey market.)
Speaking of multiplayer, I'd like to see that expanded on.
2327682
I was thinking of different weapons having different strengths and weaknesses. I admit it's been years since I've theorycrafted a game's mechanics. Maybe... projectile weapons are good starters but can't compete with other weapons in terms of damage but have a higher ammo count, until you can get together a couple ZA WARUDO+Telekinetic PSI troops to push the bullets with their minds for extra damage. I dunno. :S
Eh, probably going to get downvoted for this.
I'd like to point out that criticizing is essentially telling someone they're wrong. The majority of people aren't capable of levying a legitimate criticism through the written word and not at the least appearing confrontational and hostile without the aid of nonverbal cues and voice inflection to take the sting out. I know I'm pretty incapable of disagreeing through the written word without coming across as a raging asshole, where as I can (usually) say the same thing to your face and there's no issue. I'm too used to my cheery personality and body language picking up the slack of my lack of tactful word selection.
Remember, this is the internet. Being a raging asshole isn't necessarily what people intend. These are people who aren't exactly trained and educated in effective communication via written word outside of essays and term papers. In an informal setting, many people type as they talk, and fail to realize (or in my case, stopped caring) that the words coming out of their mouth may not be the most appropriate words to use when there is no body language or voice inflection.
In the end, potentially ignoring criticism because the guy telling you're wrong isn't going the extra mile to give you a reach around is the wrong answer. Yes, I understand, it's instinct. Someone says something, you want to say something back. Fuck them, and all that shit. Then you want to be the bigger man and not rise to the bait and choose ignore them instead. Only you're foolishly ignoring what may be important because you don't like the package it came in. That's not being the bigger man, that's willful ignorance, and it's most certainly not a virtue. Quite the opposite in fact. Be careful to weigh the information you are given based on it's merits, not how many times the person telling you it said "fuck".
Slight problem: You don't NEED to be an expert to point out something is wrong or makes no sense. You hardly need to be an expert to point out that Goleman is (so far) a pathetic shell of a strawman (admittedly, if he's compromised, being a strawman to the reader is pretty much his job). It's always been a pretty silly assumption that you need an expert to levy a valid criticism on something actually meant for the average person. Don't need to be an engineer to point out there isn't enough leg room in a car.
Ha! Suckers! Original X-Com already did that. Admittedly, it did a piss poor job of it as even against targets that resisted plasma, if you had it, there was still no reason to use anything other heavy plasma. Certainly ruined your day if you got screwed bad enough to see Mutons while you still had rifles though. Ouch.
2323110
Well, I'm a hater, and find the current X-Com vastly inferior to the original, so not really. I got my OpenXcom, so I'm happy :)
Giving constructive criticism is every bit as hard as writing a story. Most people don't know how to do it, really. That's why most of them don't, and the ones who do might not do it very well. I've found that as a writer, one of the most important skills (and greatest trials of patience) is being able to mine out even the most minute of valid criticism from the harshest criticisms.
The less than tactful way such criticisms are often made stings like heck of course, especially when someone tells you something vague like "I didn't find this interesting and this is boring" or "this fic has gone downhill and jumped the shark", but to quote Shining Armor/Cadence in your fic: "a blustering buffoon can be disarmed with patience and a winning smile". Covered by the thorny coat of rudeness there is often a seed of genuine wisdom. I've gotten a lot of useful concrit by going back to such people and asking nicely if they would care to give more details to so help me improve, and nine times out of ten I've actually gotten very useful responses, and those rude critics were interestingly much more polite a second time round when they find you actually care to listen.
If it's anything to cheer you up, in the process of writing my own XCOM fanfic and I found myself automatically putting down the first names of Bradford and Vahlen as 'David' and 'Moira' without thinking. I had to pause and go 'Wait a minute, that's not canon... I thought it was!'. I went ahead as used those first names anyway, because it was such an ingrained thing that point (I hope you don't mind), but congrats, you're fanon now, lol!
Lastly, for a writer to go back and rework despite readers clamouring for deadlines: that takes iron will and integrity. It's hard as a reader to wait for the next update of course, and as a writer too because you want that rush from whenever you release a chapter, but it's worth it to get it right the first time. Of that you should be proud, and of course, by how much you have improved from the beginning of Stardust until now. So keep it up, and don't let the barbs sting you too much :)
ps: Despite being a longtime reader I've never commented, but hey I finally signed up for fimfiction because of you! -4P
2328757 Phalanx? You're on this site too?
2328612
While I generally agree with the first part, there's one caveat I'd like to add. When someone levies criticism, they're saying that the other person is wrong in their opinion. That's not to say that there aren't some criticisms that aren't based on hard facts (like that one Mass Effect novel where there were some quite ridiculous problems lorewise, like Quarians with just face masks and normal clothes) which can be proven wrong as part of the lore.
A -lot- of the harshest criticisms I received was from good ol' Spacebattles where some folks didn't like the direction I took Twily's tech tree and the explanation of Elerium. In their opinion, it cheapened the XCOM side of things... or something, I can't really remember the whole conversation, it was almost a year ago. That was when I learned the valuable lesson that I can't write a story that pleases everyone and to try and do so would be an exercise in futility.
There's also folks who call out plotholes for things I have plans for to address later and make no end of pointing it out at every opportunity.
And then there's folks who do have a nugget of useful information in all the crap. It's hard to find that nugget though.
On your second point, this is the internet and everyone thinks their an expert. :P My problem is that everyone thinks I should value their opinions as though they're the Roger Ebert of the fanfiction world. If criticism is framed with a barbed comment I'm more likely to disregard it as just another internet commenter's opinion.
And your engineer quote. It's true you don't have to be an engineer to point out you need more legroom in the car, but just because the engineer doesn't like the color red doesn't mean that he has a valid point when he says all red cars suck. :)
And I know I didn't frame this blog in a way that states this explicitly states this, but I'll say it now just as a rule/guideline for commenting on my stories: I do my best to read every comment but I'll be more inclined to remember and acknowledge what you're saying if you're polite about it.
2328757
Thanks for joining us, and good luck with your fic!
And I try my best but I often find the most negative comments tend to color all the negative criticisms in a harsh light. I've been called 'fucking lazy' for certain developments in Stardust and at that point I just stopped reading the comment.
And now that I check the time I see I'm running a bit late as I like to get to work early so I can write in the mornings. Sorry I couldn't reply a bit more in depth!
2328773 As of 35 minutes ago, I am now. ;)
2328779 Well, color me surprised. I hope Surgeon's Law is to your liking here, and hopefully you find things to your liking.
2328784
I pretty much signed up to comment, really. As for Strugeon's Law, seeing that I normally hang out on FFN, I somehow doubt it will be a problem for me here :)
2331782 Well enjoy it then
What did you change in the rewrite?