Young Writers Society

Just received this review on my work:

"THIS is the kind of thing that gives this website a bad name and gets it website banned from school wifi networks. While the story is beautifully written it has two huge flaws. A) you NEVER use quotation marks (oh my god I can't tell you how annoying it is to read something with no quotation marks around dialogue) and B) your story is more than a little messed up. I feel obliged to remind you that though this website has age ratings, there is nothing to prevent minors from reading 18+ content. Can't you write something a little more age-appropriate for this website? I want to read something of yours that DOESN'T make me want to puke. Your writing style is beautiful and profound and you obviously show care in editing your stories, because there aren't any huge grammatical mistakes or misspellings. I find it a shame and a waste that you write about such dark, twisted things. This story was just as horrid as Part I, which makes me wonder why I even bothered to read Part II. Maybe it was the vain hope that Part II would be less gruesome. Go write something PG-13, THEN post it here."

What's your opinion on a review like this? Do you think he makes good points, that the site should have minors always in mind?

I was a bit heavy handed in my response to him but I find this kind of thing incredibly sancitmonious and arrogant, despite some kind words, and it angered me a little. Why read something you are going to hate? And to tell someone to write something PG-13, as if that's the only thing that should be allowed.

Have any of you received obnoxious reviews that are nothing more than personal matters of taste?

Sorry if this is in the wrong place, I wasn't sure.

YWS has absolutely no censoring for literary works. We allow absolutely everything to be posted, so long as it is rated appropriately.

I'd appreciate it if you'd PM me the link so we can continue a discussion there.

Thanks for the reply. I've PMed you but I'm not asking for it to be taken down or anything, I just wanted to know what people thought about this kind of thing

For me there are different types of morals you can impose. Both of them are uncomfortable to receive, but one is more useful than the other.

The first, as illustrated above, is imposing conservative morals about what is "good" and what is "bad". These are the "you shouldn't write this because it's horrible according to my moral standards" reviews.

Then there are reviews imposing a slightly more... liberal slant. These are the ones that say "Why are you writing the bisexual as promiscuous? Why is that girl only good because she's average looking and doesn't wear makeup? Why don't you have more [marginalized group] in the work?"

These are reviews that make you pick apart your own assumptions about things like gender, sexual orientation, race, right and wrong. They can be just as odd to get, because it means examining yourself and realizing your own biases.

I actually consider those positive, because they help you become a better writer because people are asking you to represent the reality of the world. There are diverse women, there are all sorts of diverse groups outside of white, two genders, and heterosexual.

But I'm very much into representation and actually having a cast of characters reflect my reality, which is very much full of weird and wonderful people.

What's your opinion on a review like this? Do you think he makes good points, that the site should have minors always in mind?

If you didn't rate it properly, or rated it inappropriately, I think this would be a very good point to make! But, seeing as you rated it 18+... bringing up the rating was probably not helpful! STILL. It might have been helpful in that case.

Why read something you are going to hate?

Because, sometimes morbid curiosity takes over. I mean. I hated Catcher in the Rye with a deep, deep passion. Yet, every once in a while, I think, "Maybe I won't hate it this time!" So I pick it up. And then... UGH.

Have any of you received obnoxious reviews that are nothing more than personal matters of taste?

I've gotten reviews for like... things entitled "Chapter 11" (or something similar like that) that say, "This didn't make sense by itself. You should really write a summary of the other chapters so I don't have to read the other chapters."

Um... thanks for the review? XD

i saw that review when i was reviewing Moral Zero Part II, and was going to jump in to defend you, but Snoink had already commented and i felt it'd be a moot point.

i interpreted his review just as you did, sanctimonious preaching. i'd just ignore it and focus on rational reviews. you handle the sensitive subjects portrayed in your story professionally and, like you said in your reply to his review, he wasn't the target audience for it anyway. anything rated 18+ is bound to contain material that will offend sensitive readers, so what did he expect?

Thanks horrendous Also I like that with such a name you have a puppy as your default. When I link the first part of my story on facebook that puppy image is what comes up