Fic ratings - how do YOU do it?
POSTED BY: mal4prez
UPDATED: Tuesday, October 9, 2007 19:28
VIEWED: 14100
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Someone brought up an excellent point on the story warnings thread - it's something I've noticed as well. Fics in the BSR hardly ever rate lower than an 8... and yet I've seen some barely legible stuff in there!
Then there are fics written by real life novelists who obviously put a great deal of care into their craft. But they'll usually get a 9 - the same rating as someone who apparently jotted down a few lines with little care as to the details.
So... I'm curious about the criteria people use when rating. Do you take into account the use of language, the way the writer tells the story? Or is it the events in the storyline and the characterizations that matter to you? Something else entirely? Familiarity the writer's work? Wanting to be nice? (Nice is a good thing!!)
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I'm the president. I don't need to listen.
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Nice is a good thing.
The way I see it, you get points for trying, and having the courage to post it on a public forum.
That said, I guess I rate based on how...real, I guess, the fic feels. I want the story (or lack thereof) to flow, and I want it to be legible. Two different lines by two different characters in the same sentence is, to be truthful, very bloody annoying.
Also, if it's a chapter in a series, I'll rate it against previous chapters and how I think it feels as a piece of a whole.
But, I will admit that I'm very easy to please, and am just glad to actually be reading something set in the 'verse. As such I rate highly, and don't think I've ever given under a seven.
If'n you want more detail, just ask.
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With a fannish spectrum as varied as in Firefly, it's pretty much impossible to make the rating system anything but a tool of flattery for the writers because priorities range so widely. Shippiness is key for some, plot coherency for others, fanciful technical experimentation can be boring for those looking for a re-creation of the show's snappy dialogue. There's so much to choose from in terms of preference that's impossible to compare.
Personally, I only rate the ones I do approve of enough to comment and those tend to get high ratings simply because almost every aspect works for me. I'm picky.
Character voices have to be just right, plot (if applicable) shouldn't have obvious holes and there shouldn't be a pairing that makes my brain twitch in pain. Moral/Philosophical messages in the story (even if unintentional) shouldn't make me cringe. And it has to be interesting. Focus on something I care about. Have a point. Or a cool plot. Or a really captivating style.
Key word here: me me me. It has to match my taste. I can't rate in a neutral light the technical skill of a fic that completely goes against my understanding of certain characters, for example. There is no way to differentiate in the ratings, even if I could. So, I don't rate those. I don't want to punish people for not writing to my taste. I may mock them in my head, but I realize that others love their stuff and even if my head says "wrong-wrong-wrong!" people have the right to like what they like without being declared incapable of writing.
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Quote:
Originally posted by BornToFly:
The way I see it, you get points for trying, and having the courage to post it on a public forum.
Absolutely! It is terrifying to post in public, and I love how comments never get cruel here. At least - not that I've seen. As I hear it, this is one of the strengths of our fandom; FFF is more welcoming than most others. (I don't know for sure, never been a fan of anything else!)
Quote:
Originally posted by AgentRouka:
Personally, I only rate the ones I do approve of enough to comment and those tend to get high ratings simply because almost every aspect works for me. I'm picky.
I'm with you on that! I don't tend to read or rate or offer criticism unless I like it, or see some redeeming qualities in something rough.
Quote:
I don't want to punish people for not writing to my taste. I may mock them in my head, but I realize that others love their stuff and even if my head says "wrong-wrong-wrong!" people have the right to like what they like without being declared incapable of writing.
I get what you're saying... and excellent point! It seems wrong to rate something poorly based on a writer's choice of plot.
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I'm the president. I don't need to listen.
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I don't bother anymore to leave feedback/rate something that I just don't like. I'm real picky when it comes to reading stories in the Firefly 'verse.
Someone above said its about the reader. Well, really, it IS. If the reader is moved by whatever is written (good or bad), its their right to comment on it. I've not run into too many places where there have been outright flames, but there's nothing wrong with an opinion that doesn't agree, so long it doesn't attack the author.
People say they want criticism, but when you actually leave some, you find they really don't. Usually, non-cannon pairing authors tend to be the most sensitive to criticism because they have to do a lot more to convince a reader that pairing is at all believable.
So unless I know the person and know they will truly accept criticism for what it is - my opinion on the way they've written their story, (usually characterization) I just don't bother anymore.
My whole point is, I only rate something now that I bother to read, which isn't much, and are usually authors I know are good or have been suggested to me.
"A government is a body of people usually notably ungoverned."
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If I have an opinion about a fic that I want to share, or that I think will contribute to the experience of the author and/or readers, I will. But I find the numerical ratings generally useless, and don't think I have ever even left one.
I guess it can be used as a way to let the author know you read and enjoyed their work, or as an ongoing way to share an overall reaction from chapter to chapter of a larger work, but if I feel compelled to do that, I prefer to use words. The numerical rating system offers no standardized guidelines, so it means different things to different people. And the fact that it is voluntary means that many people will avoid entering a low rating because their goal is not to tear someone's work down. Combine that with the general difficulty of quantifying the value of an artistic expression, and it's pretty much meaningless, IMHO.
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Ain't. We. Just.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Leiasky:
People say they want criticism, but when you actually leave some, you find they really don't. Usually, non-cannon pairing authors tend to be the most sensitive to criticism because they have to do a lot more to convince a reader that pairing is at all believable.
So unless I know the person and know they will truly accept criticism for what it is - my opinion on the way they've written their story, (usually characterization) I just don't bother anymore.
I am really new to the verse having only gained my love for it this past fall. (What can I say..I'm a late bloomer.)
I have just recently posted my first two fics. I am a person that can take criticism and welcome it as long as I am not being bashed. Constructive criticism helps to make me a better writer.
I am trying to respond to replies so that I can explain a fact that someone may not have seen.
If I recieve a rating I want to know why someone rated it the way they did, whether it's high or low. It doesn't mean I have to feel the same way, but it helps so that I have things to think about for the next thing I write.
Writing is sharing a part of who you are and how you picture the world, or in this case the verse. Many people put so much of themselves into their stories and feel like any criticism is aimed at them personally rather than the story.
Someday I want to finish the novel I have been working on for the past three years and if I can't cut the criticism from fellow fans then I need to stick to my day job.
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Aaahhh, a question that has been nagging at my simple psyche as well. It does flatter the ego to receive a story rating above an eight. However, one of my chapters received a six, which blew me away since I really liked writing the chapter. But I'm willing to accept criticism, especially from those who follow the series so closely. Folks took issue with a particular situation within the story, which was a valid point. Now, that point was addressed in a later chapter, which everyone approved of then, but hey, I'm just glad people are paying close enough attention to be upset by something rather surprising.
I've given mostly high scores, because if I'm willing and able to read a chapter all the way through, it has to have been pretty damn good. Not enough time to waste on bad writing. Now for a good story with decent dialogue and characterizaton, I'll give between an eight and a nine. If the story grabs me, keeps me on the edge of my seat, and has perfect dialogue and characterization, it gets a ten. Am I a Rhodes scholar, heck no. But I've read a book or two in my time, seen a few movies and I know what I like.
To all those thinking of submitting, give it a go. Don't be shy. There's something out there for everyone.
"How did your brain even learn human speech? Really, I'm curious."
Rob O.
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Quote:Welcome to the posting 'verse! Always good to have another writer, especially someone who writes angsty Mal.
Originally posted by aerialla:
I have just recently posted my first two fics. I am a person that can take criticism and welcome it as long as I am not being bashed. Constructive criticism helps to make me a better writer.
Quote:Excellent point - that's my take as well. And you bring up the issue about writers taking comments personally. It's hard not to, because writing is so personal. I'm still working on that. I often have to set aside my beta comments for a few days before I can face them LOL!
Someday I want to finish the novel I have been working on for the past three years and if I can't cut the criticism from fellow fans then I need to stick to my day job.
Anyway, that's part of why I prefer to rate based on the technical aspects of someone's writing, rather than the basic storyline. Everyone's got their own ideas of the situations they want to read about, and that can't be given a number. But if a writer can't form a complete sentence or take the time to notice gaping holes in their plot, I won't give a high score (well, I won't read far and won't comment either!)
So, yeah, kicking guy, I feel for you getting nailed over a story because of a unsettling "situation." That's kind of what I'm trying to plumb with this thread - I suspect that the priority of readers of fanfic is plot, not technique. Kind of makes me sad, because even the best plot falls flat if it's not presented well.
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It burns, it burns! Just kidding. I like the criticism. Like I always say, it makes me better at this writing gig. And if one is a serious writer who plans on attempting a publication, criticism is a HUGE part of the game. Did ANYONE like seeing Wash get speared at the end of Serenity? I don't think so. Did it have a huge impact on the plot? Hell, yeah. Did anyone expect it? Again, I don't think so. Did Joss probably get some hate-mail over it? I'd bet a large portion of my next meager paycheck.
Now, do I think people should go all Simon Cowell on folk, probably not. But the rating system is also anonymous, so fire away, I say.
Rob O.
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