I refuse to critique this fic and if anyone has any question as to why, PM me and ask, I’ll be happy to answer. The author knows how I feel about this fic and how I felt about it being featured and I’m sure she can infer as to why I am making a public refusal to critique it. So, I just wanted to get that out there before I began.
TQ:
I got the idea for this one as I was writing my TQ answer yesterday. What is the greatest compliment you've ever recieved as a writer? Why was it so significant to you?
Over the years as a fanfiction writer I’ve received hundreds of reviews but even I have to admit that some of them just tend to mean a whole lot more than others. I’m going to give you all a list of reviews and comments that I’ve received over the years, even the ones that may not have been positive criticisms.
The first isn’t something I can quote. There is a story on my profile which I obviously need to re-work desperately, but I’ll take the time to do it eventually. However, aside from the obvious grammatical errors, someone I know liked the piece enough that they submitted it to a writing contest. I recieved an email a few weeks later saying that I’d won.
The piece is "To Days of Inspiration" it’s a RENT fanfiction featuring Benny as the main character. Apparently I touched on something profound, without even noticing it. I request that none of you read the piece, as it’s really terrible. But winning the grand prize in a contest with it, even given that it’s as grammatically inept as I’ve ever written, meant a whole lot. I won three hundred dollars, a t-shirt, and a free pass to the movies for a year. I still have the shirt! The fact that I never believed in the piece, but someone else did (and cleaned it up and submitted it) and then I won, well that really meant a lot. I never would have guessed that I had any talent before that point. That’s the only reason I haven’t taken it down from ff.net yet.
Now I’ll start with actual comments I’ve received in reviews on the actual website.
Believe me when I say this is a beautiful piece, perfect in every sense. It is very real, and I thank you for capturing your feelings and combining it with hers to make an absolute amazing story. From: gnbrules
This was the first review I received for my piece "It Wasn’t All Bad," which was the first of a few very emotionally charged pieces I’ve written. Though it’s one of the shortest I’ve ever penned out, it was probably the most profoundly important to me that I’d ever written, at the time.
The fact that this reader said that it was real and that she thanked me for capturing my feelings made me really feel like I’d written something worthwhile. Again, I never thought the piece was very good, but it was this review that made the difference. I really wanted to express something significant in writing that piece, and it was this review that really made me feel like I might have done that. I guess my goal was to touch my readers and I felt like I might just have done that because of that review.
WOW!
I loved the whole thing but, this part is my favourite;
"Frozen minutes passed, even at their sluggish pace, and the sun had long since left them. They sat washed in a sea of snowflakes that danced between city lights."
It really enhances how beautiful your fic is. BY: workinprogress08
Submitted to my story, "Frozen," it was the second challenge piece I wrote. I received a lot of great reviews for that story, both on and off ff.net, but it was this one that really effected me the most. I strive to have a unique writing style, to be just a little different. When someone points out the phrasing of my work and says that it’s especially good, that means more than most other compliments I’ve ever received. I try to be poetic in my prose, not rhyming mind you, but poetic. I fee like the line that person pointed out had that, and it really hit me that someone else saw that too.
Angst and Danny always seem to go so well together, and the Reuben storyline is one of my favorites. Having said that, I have to tell you what a great job you did on this piece, particularly since you haven't written NY before. You captured Danny to a T, from his guilt over Reuban's death to his fierce loyalty to those he cares about (in this case, Rikki). I can very easily picture him finding her on the roof and staying with her, not only to grieve himself but to be with Rikki as she grieves, too. Love it! Great job! BY: Zelda49
Also submitted to "Frozen." I admit that there are a few authors out there in fanfiction land that I have a deep seeded respect for. Zelda is one of them. Ever since her first critique of any of my pieces, where she found both incredibly kind, and incredibly helpful things to say about my work I’ve had a profound admiration for her.
The fact that she, of all people, had such wonderfully kind and positive things to say about my piece struck a deep joy in me. I may never have said anything about it, but it was one of the most truly amazing moments for me as a fanfiction writer.
I’m working up my list on ff.net but I realized that my best review from someone for "Things Fall Apart" may have just been something someone said to me in conversation. They told me that the way I write my prose is distinctive and one of the things they liked best about me as an author. It was always clear that I was writing, weather or not my name was on the piece, and I should take pride in that. Well, I do.
Also, another person told me, via PM for some reason, that I had the characters more in character than they’d seen in a long time in that piece. They said that I had an "incredible grasp on characterization" and that I "shouldn’t take that for granted." According to them I’m talented. *shrugs*
I guess I'm in the minority with my review after reading what everyone else wrote. Not sure why but I just couldn't connect with how you wrote Nick in this fiction. Your grammar and idea was great...just not a fan of your character version of Nick. Sorry. BY: csiviexn28
Submitted to my last challenge piece, "To Rise
Above and Beat it." Honestly, I laughed out loud at that review. But, it was one of the most important I’ve ever received. I’ve been messaging back and forth with that particular reviewer since I received the review, hoping that she could help me with my characterization.
Unfoturnately, the best she could do was to tell me to "watch a couple of episodes and try to figure it out myself." So, honestly I’m not taking her very seriously. I think that this is an attack towards my writing staged by former friend of mine, butterflygal9070, but I could be wrong. However, it did make me re-read all of my work, I’m proud of my characterization. So, this review made me as egocentric as any of the others I’ve mentioned.
I talked briefly a few days ago about the effect that my friend Hanna’s telling me she goes to me for inspriation had on my actual resolve that I’m decent, so I won’t go into that again. I’ll just give you guys to final examples of things people have said to me that have made me all warm and fuzzy inside.
One, a favorite author of mine from middle school wrote me a letter a couple of years back. T. A. Barron. He’d read a fanfiction piece I’d written based on one of his novel series and wanted to sit down and have a chat with me. According to him I had a gift for fantasy and a raw talent for writing. He said that I shouldn’t give up on that. He gave me a seven page explanation on exactly how I would best advance in the writing world and beseached me to try. I’ve never lost the letter, and more than anything it’s made me want to succeed in the writing world. Someday, I will.
The last thing I have to talk about, however, was probably one of the greatest achievements in my tiny little life.
Several months ago now, nearly eight, the forum I’ve been a member of for more than two years went into crisis mode. All of our current members of the time had decided to leave, to walk away, and never look back. Well I wrote a long "speech" about how much our time together had meant to all of us (the ones who were standing by my side and not leaving and the ones who were fed up) and that in the end we’d all be missing a part of us if we gave up on the forums.
Well, a few days later, Gregory Maguire (the author the forum was dedicated to) stumbled upon my post. I received the following email.
lostladyknight, I do not spend much of my free time on the forums and haven’t been back since they were first put online. However I recently stopped by to see the progress and was shocked by what I’d found. I’m sorry for the state that they are in and am contacting my agent to have something done for it as soon as possible. Please don’t give up.
I have read over all of your posts, emails, and other attempts to return homeostasis to the forums and wanted to personally thank you for all of the effort you’ve put in. You have a charismatic way with words and an obvious passion for the friends–family you’ve formed on those boards. Thank you for your dedication.
I am going to do everything in my power to see to it that you and your friends aren’t forgotten again. Your pleas for help will no to unheard any longer. I would like to personally see to it that you are rewarded for your hard work. If you will accept the position you will be made head moderator for the site. Plant A Note will be your second in command. Also, if you send me your home address I would like to mail you a special reward.
Thanks again for everything you’ve done over the years.
Gregory Maguire.
The reward I received was an autographed special edition of the novel,
Wicked. I’ll keep the internal caption to myself, however.
Gregory Maguire is the one author I respect more than any other. To receive such kind and inspiring words from him was the greatest compliment in my life. The fact that it was my speech, my determination, and my love of those forums that inspired him to help us was a truly amazing feeling. I must have been on the ball when I wrote that post. I guess I do have a way with words, after all.
And... that’s really about it. There is more I could talk about, bu this is probably already one of my longest post in this thread.
And I haven’t even critiqued. Oh well.
Some of the encouragement I’ve been given over the years was truly inspiring.
-LLK
