Rules of Criticism · 6:37am Jan 31st, 2014
A little while ago, I was reading some old comments on a favorite story of mine, and I saw that someone had tried to critique it... in the worst way possible. Giving constructive criticism without sounding too harsh is a tough balancing act, and this person failed so hard I think they tripped and missed the ground.
I was going to write my own response to it, but it was a very old comment, and four people had already responded in the 45 weeks since it was posted. So, instead, I thought I'd condense my observations into a few Rules of Constructive Criticism, using this comment as a handy reference guide for what NOT to do.
I'm not going to include the original comment that inspired me, as it really doesn't deserve to be quoted.
Rules of Constructive Criticism
Rule 1: Ending your critique by assuring the reader that you are "not trying to be insulting" does not work if you start with a joke about how stupid the story is.
You can't soften a blow by saying "sorry" afterwards, and calling a story stupid or unintelligent is not helpful for an author.
Rule 2: Humor is subjective, so saying that a Comedy is "unfunny" is pointless (unless it involves Dead Babies.)
Dead Baby Humour is built on being so intentionally bad that it triggers an involuntary spasm that resembles laughter. This is the only kind of humour that can be objectively called Unfunny. A joke may not be to your taste, and it's fine to mention this, but you are not the Final Arbiter of What Is Funny (That would probably be Pinkie Pie's job).
Rule 3: When you tell someone that they are wrong, it's important to know that they are, in fact, wrong.
Fact checking is your friend.
Rule 4: A story is not technically inept just because you don't like it.
While we're at it, a poorly decorated house does not necessarily have architectural flaws.
Rule 5: Just because an author's interpretation of a character doesn't fit your headcannon does not mean they are behaving inconsistently, unbelievably, or illogically.
The words inconsistent, unbelievable, and illogical all have specific definitions. They are not synonyms for "that's not how I would do it."
Rule 6: Downvoting people who disagree with you is not what the button is for
Here's a thought: how about expressing your disagreement with actual comments that could provoke discussion, instead of lashing out anonymously?
Rule 7: Big words don't make you sound smart.
Especially if you don't know what they mean.
Rule 8: Implying that the author is new to writing and will "learn to appreciate critical people" is condescending.
Rule 9: Assuring the author that Equestria Daily won't accept their story and will complain about the same things you do is REALLY condescending.
Rule 10: Saying that the fic's existing popularity proves faves and upvotes "have nothing to do with how good a story is" is condescending, insulting, and STUPID.
If you have your own suggested rules, leave a comment! These are hardly a definitive list, and the more, the merrier!
