I think a lot of people have had a few bad experiences with writing, and as a result are turned away from writing forever-- afraid to write because of what other people say and think. I'm not saying that people shouldn't learn from criticism; however, I don't think that all criticism is warranted, and may dissuade writers from pursuing great ideas.
I'm sure you've heard of the saying "Those who can't do, teach." If I were add anything additional to that thought, it would be "Those who can't teach, criticize." When someone criticizes another person's work, more often than not they have no idea what they're talking about. 'How to write fanfic' guides blend the lines between teaching and criticism, but the ones I've read tend to do more of the latter than the former.
That is not however, my biggest problem with the guides...
My biggest problem with the 'how to write fanfic' guides are they paint with an exceptionally broad brush. I don't want to reiterate what you're saying above, but sometimes characters with traits which one would call 'generic' are some of the best characters I've come across. Not every idea needs to be creative to be successful, as a matter of fact, some of the most interesting characters are severely lacking in creativity. Why is this? Because they appeal to a person's familiarities. Sometimes staying within a comfort zone is a good thing, and it depends on what the author of the work is trying to accomplish.
This is the internets, but some of the criticism I've seen could lead a person toward dropping writing altogether. Either there is no appreciation for the work and it simply isn't worth it, or they lack the self-confidence to continue. Not everyone is going to be an excellent writer, and not everything an author creates is going to be great, but writing is something which gets easier the more you do it. The best word of advice I would give people looking to write fanfiction would not be to avoid purple-haired characters with large breasts, but rather to practice, practice, practice.
Anyway, I should get back to studying computer graphics... I have an exam today and must know the intricacies of phong and gourand shading (http://www.nbb.cornell.edu/neurobio/land/oldstudentprojects/cs490-95to96/guo/report.html), among other things... See you later. -.-;;
no subject
I'm sure you've heard of the saying "Those who can't do, teach." If I were add anything additional to that thought, it would be "Those who can't teach, criticize." When someone criticizes another person's work, more often than not they have no idea what they're talking about. 'How to write fanfic' guides blend the lines between teaching and criticism, but the ones I've read tend to do more of the latter than the former.
That is not however, my biggest problem with the guides...
My biggest problem with the 'how to write fanfic' guides are they paint with an exceptionally broad brush. I don't want to reiterate what you're saying above, but sometimes characters with traits which one would call 'generic' are some of the best characters I've come across. Not every idea needs to be creative to be successful, as a matter of fact, some of the most interesting characters are severely lacking in creativity. Why is this? Because they appeal to a person's familiarities. Sometimes staying within a comfort zone is a good thing, and it depends on what the author of the work is trying to accomplish.
This is the internets, but some of the criticism I've seen could lead a person toward dropping writing altogether. Either there is no appreciation for the work and it simply isn't worth it, or they lack the self-confidence to continue. Not everyone is going to be an excellent writer, and not everything an author creates is going to be great, but writing is something which gets easier the more you do it. The best word of advice I would give people looking to write fanfiction would not be to avoid purple-haired characters with large breasts, but rather to practice, practice, practice.
Anyway, I should get back to studying computer graphics... I have an exam today and must know the intricacies of phong and gourand shading (http://www.nbb.cornell.edu/neurobio/land/oldstudentprojects/cs490-95to96/guo/report.html), among other things... See you later. -.-;;