Reviews and A Bit of a Vent. · 12:37pm August 23rd
Did you know I was the Leader of the Reviewer's Mansion, just a few years ago?
Well, if you didn't know. You know now. The group is retired. All the reviewers even myself have moved on. But, I still see lots of blog type reviewers on the site. Not gonna try to name them all. I am sure I would miss people.
But, here is my vent. Why do I feel forgotten? Sure the mansion was only around for a few years, but sometimes it feels all the work I did, including help from some amazing fellow reviewers like Ninjadeadbeard RIP. Applezombi, Jarvy Jared, Stinium Ruide, Swordtune, Firefoxino, even Shakespearcies (Mostly for LEWD stories.) but it feels like we just aren't in the same box.
I don't need the "reviewer" under my name on Fimfiction. The only thing I really wanted was to help. Now here I am years later suffering from depression FROM reviews from some of these blog reviewers. I know it shouldn't bother me, but it does.
Did you know. I put a lot of heart into all I write?
Well, nowadays I can't even type a sentence without utter fear that everything I put to a paper is a piece of garbage and I shouldn't even bother. Because even when I think it's good. Turns out a lot of others don't feel that way...
Kind of just sad, and disheartened and unsure how to process this into me actually writing again. If you have advice. I'm listening. I miss writing. I miss the joy of it. I wish I didn't feel so sad.
There are massive amounts of different types of people in this world. Not a single story ever written has pleased everyone, nor have any ever been flawless.
Write what you enjoy. Others who enjoy it will. Those who enjoy it won't. If you're concerned about the quality of your general prose, get some friends to be editors/beta readers, or find a reading group to share your work and get feedback.
If a review makes you want to stop writing then it's a bad review. Even a well written negative review can give you an idea of how to improve and ignite a want to do better. Just destroying someone's will to create is the total opposite of good criticism.
I know it rarely works, but I personally try to remember this statement I heard a few years back: You can get 100 positive comments, but the 1 negative will be the only one that you remember.
Eventually I had to come to the conclusion that I'm writing for myself. I still want other people to enjoy my writing, but I can't write for other people. With that in mind I enjoy writing more, even if my writing isn't all that good.
I am new here (acc is old, but I had forgotten about it), and have been very happy to see that there are reviewers around, so thanks for participating in those
I have had the pleasure of being reviewed a couple of times, all but one were negative
but that's because the people who reviewed me know what they like, and even those negs found time for a bit of light in their reviews. So, sweet reviewers do exist (thinking of you, Presentperfect, AzureDrache! and Shirlendra). Hopefully, there was still something the neg reviewers liked in yours (maybe a lot!) so try focusing on that as well as thinking whether the other criticisms can be taken on board? Or maybe your reviewers were just mean, in which case, cross out their name for future reviews.
Other people don’t matter and you should write to express yourself. Nothing more