On concrit
Feb. 24th, 2006 10:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
indriThis is an expansion of some comments I made on ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rahirah's journal earlier today.
Just to be absolutely one hundred percent crystal clear: I welcome concrit.
Writing concrit is a skill. It takes practice and is often time-consuming. So of course I'm grateful whenever someone takes the time and effort to concrit my work.
One doesn't have to be a good writer of fiction to be a good writer of concrit, although the two skills are related in that both require good reading skills. There are great editors, reviewers and critics who never (or seldom) write fiction of their own. These people are invaluable.
Accepting concrit is a skill. I've experienced this most strongly in my professional life as a scientist: it took me a long time to learn how to read comments from peer reviewers on my submitted journal papers. Half of the time I think, has the reviewer even read my paper? Has (s)he got some bizarre personal agenda or a genuine but irreconcilable point of view? I have to dismiss those comments, at least in the short term. But I have to pay attention to comments from those who seem to understand what I was aiming for and who make suggestions that will improve my paper. I curse those people at first, because it means more work, but then I love them. They help me become a better person.
I don't often write concrit. I don't think I'm particularly good at it and I'd rather spend my fanfic time writing fanfic. I don't feel that I'm failing some fannish obligation by not writing concrit (or even giving much feedback). I prefer to contribute to this community in other ways.
But I am very grateful to those who contribute by writing concrit or feedback.
So -- concrit me at any time. Comment in public on my LJ or email me in private. Use your real name, use your online nom-de-plume or say you're "Someone Wearing a Hat". I don't care. Thank you for your constructive criticism.
rahirah's journal earlier today.Just to be absolutely one hundred percent crystal clear: I welcome concrit.
Writing concrit is a skill. It takes practice and is often time-consuming. So of course I'm grateful whenever someone takes the time and effort to concrit my work.
One doesn't have to be a good writer of fiction to be a good writer of concrit, although the two skills are related in that both require good reading skills. There are great editors, reviewers and critics who never (or seldom) write fiction of their own. These people are invaluable.
Accepting concrit is a skill. I've experienced this most strongly in my professional life as a scientist: it took me a long time to learn how to read comments from peer reviewers on my submitted journal papers. Half of the time I think, has the reviewer even read my paper? Has (s)he got some bizarre personal agenda or a genuine but irreconcilable point of view? I have to dismiss those comments, at least in the short term. But I have to pay attention to comments from those who seem to understand what I was aiming for and who make suggestions that will improve my paper. I curse those people at first, because it means more work, but then I love them. They help me become a better person.
I don't often write concrit. I don't think I'm particularly good at it and I'd rather spend my fanfic time writing fanfic. I don't feel that I'm failing some fannish obligation by not writing concrit (or even giving much feedback). I prefer to contribute to this community in other ways.
But I am very grateful to those who contribute by writing concrit or feedback.
So -- concrit me at any time. Comment in public on my LJ or email me in private. Use your real name, use your online nom-de-plume or say you're "Someone Wearing a Hat". I don't care. Thank you for your constructive criticism.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-24 06:23 pm (UTC)My own view of the receiving part of it is, I'm happy to receive it as long as it's genuine concrit, but not anonymously. I'd rather be engaged in some way with the giver.