August 2020 concrit swap: brainstorming

[morbane]

Anon and signed-in comments both welcome

Who would be interested in making their own post in the community (as part of the August event) for feedback to be posted under it, and who would prefer to request and receive feedback entirely privately (ie, by email)?

Suggested resources:
-guides for concrit
-a set of questions for a reviewer to consider
-a list of genres for people to use to describe their fic, if submitting extracts

If requesting concrit on any published works, do people have a date cut-off after which the work is too old for them to want feedback on it? Maybe we can agree on a default age.

What do you find most valuable in concrit?

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

While I'd prefer making my own post to the community and receiving feedback there, I'd also be fine doing it over email. If the former, I like the idea of comment screening being an option for those who want it, although I'd love to read feedback on other people posted publicly too.

For me, nothing older than 2-3 years would be most useful.

[morbane]

Thanks!

[(Anonymous)]

Re: date cutoff, since people develop new interests, styles, skills, etc. at different rates--not to mention some writers are more prolific than others--why set a shared cutoff? I don't see any practical need for this, like improving matching. I'd prefer each writer indicate how far back they're interested.

[morbane]

That's a good point. I was thinking of having a default in case people didn't specify, but it makes as much sense to have a form question be "do you care about how old the fics are" so that people who care can set a time and people who don't can indicate that.

[(Anonymous)]

I think that's a good idea. With a default cutoff you have the risk people will worry if it's really okay to pick stuff near the cuttoff or if the person they're assigned actually only wants concrit on the newest fics but didn't remember to mention it.

Valuable concrit

[morbane]

Riffing on this idea, but not, like, authoritatively--

Some possible basic questions for readers
-Were there any points where you didn't understand what was going on?

-How easy did you find the prose to follow?

-At what points did you naturally stop reading and take a break?

-Were the scenes and settings easy to visualise?

-Did the characters seem to act consistently?

-Were the characters sympathetic?

-Were the characters' motivations clear? When they weren't clear, did it seem as if you were meant to understand, or as if the mystery was a deliberate choice?


(I don't actually think these are all good questions - just brainstorming ideas. I'm sure they could all be improved, supplanted, or cut.)

[(Anonymous)]

As I don't publish anything anon, I would have to use a piece already on AO3 which would immediately deanon me. Is that what other writers would be doing? I have worries about the concrit itself but there are some pretty strange and obsessive people on ffa and I worry a little on being identified on meme.

[morbane]

I think some other writers would be doing that, but it could also be arranged that your sign-up details stay hidden, so only the people who are matched to give you concrit know who you are.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks. I meant that I don't mind the crit on my AO3 account but I want to not give ammunition to unpleasant people on the internet. This exchange sounds like something I could give a go.

As well as general guides and suggestions, perhaps there is a way to allow people to say what they really want the criticism to concentrate on, or what they would like to reviewer to ignore. For example, I might already know that the story is weak but story is not my main concern - I want to know if my characters work or my world building is not too confusing. That may save annoyance and effort for the reviewer.

[morbane]

Re: your second paragraph - definitely. I know I'll want to include some suggestions along those lines in my own sign-up.

[(Anonymous)]

Do you have any idea what the schedule for this is going to be like?

[morbane]

Hi! Sorry for the delay!

The proposed schedule is now up at the next post:

Sign-ups: August 2-7
Matching: August 8-9
Deadline: August 24
Pinch hit deadline: August 31.

[(Anonymous)]

Could past letters or prompts in them also be something crit is given/asked for?

[morbane]

Not in the main round of the exchange. Since this is my first time running it and I'll be doing a lot of handmatching, I'd like to stick to prose this time. I was considering a madness/free-for-all period after the main swap, where people could submit things but would not be guaranteed feedback.