How to Write a Good Fanfic

3.1.2.1 - Critique Isn't Yucking on Your Yum

One of the things which happens every single NaNoWriMo is someone whose anti-critique. More specifically, they consider critique "yucking on someone else's yum". This is important because one of the rules in the fanfic threads is to not yuck on someone's yum.

Can we say bad writing is the yum of any writer?

I actually struggle with seeing this as the yum of any writer unless said writer is purposefully trolling or purposefully writing parody. In fact, my Fan Works series falls into the latter; I created a bunch of fictional writers who are bad fanfic writers and have the canon characters and other writers interact. I wouldn't say any of these writers have the yum of being a bad writer. In fact, the very idea of being a bad writer would – well, result in major denial on their parts, but many would argue the person critiquing was just "yucking on their yum".

Does critique mean the person doesn't like your yum?

Nope.

Take my character Sailor Paladin. Said character enjoys LGBT content because she is herself LGBT. I've not yet decided whether or not she's attracted to the opposite sex or not, but she's definitely attracted to the same sex. In fact, her username which is what my characters go by is derived from Sailor Moon and the two LGBT characters who ended up censored in the American dub, but also her sense of justice regarding LGBT matters.

One of the stories she critiqued – and honestly so far the only LGBT content I've done for the Fan Works series at this point – made her feel uncomfortable with how the LGBT content was presented and voiced this. This led to the writer of the story accusing her of being anti-LGBT – a writer who I might add is actually not LGBT, but a heterosexual female who is into LGBT content because she wants to be woke.

I bring up this example from my writing because – well, it bothers me that I have seen heterosexual females accuse actual LGBT people of not liking their yum when lol and behold the person is actually the yum they're writing about. For me this personifies the issue of accusing someone of yucking on your yum simply because they left a negative review you did not like.

Shouldn't a writer be allowed the yum of only receiving positive reviews?

I get the fact there are writers out there who only write because they want to receive praise. They'll argue to their blue in the face that receiving only praise is their personal method of having fun. The problem with this logic is they argue about dictating to them how they should have fun, yet ignore the fact by doing this they are dictating to others how they should have fun in fandom.

For example, I enjoy helping writers grow by critiquing their work. I do this more on ffnet than on Wattpad, but I've seen a lot of writers grow. Of course, I've also seen writers who are only writing because they want the praise quit. I struggle with taking these writers seriously due to the fact – well, their enjoyment in writing is getting blind praise regarding what they write.

Me, I enjoy writing because I've got a story stuck in my head that I want to get out. I enjoy writing because I want to grow as a writer. I enjoy writing because it allows me to get ideas across to others, but to explore various what ifs. Part of the enjoyment also involves saying what I mean to say rather than something I didn't, but also how successful I am.

I also think it is important here to note that most fanfic writers do take their writing seriously. They do want to improve their writing but succeed in what they're doing. They're not in it just for the positive praise but do want to know what they're doing wrong. Despite the fact most fanfic writers do want feedback on what they didn't do right, this minority who want to push the fun of receiving only positive reviews still tries to push their idea of fun onto the rest of fandom because it ruins their fun.

What about the readers?

I also think it is important here that this argument always leaves out the writer and definitely says a reader can't say anything negative regarding the work if something bothers them. It ignores the fact reviews and comment sections of works aren't just for the readers who positively enjoyed the experience, but for those who didn't as well.

Of course, "don't like, don't read" gets tossed about a lot as well. If we go back to Sailor Paladin, the writer basically told her "don't like LGBT content, then don't read", but Sailor Paladin specifically read the story because she likes LGBT content. What she got from the story wasn't what she felt she as a reader was promised experience wise. She did not find the reading experience fun, yet apparently she's not allowed to say as much because that would ruin the writers fun.

What is the real issue?

What the writer really wants is to have their fandom experience in a bubble where they can enjoy fandom in the manner they want to enjoy fandom. This is not how real-life works, but fandom is a part of real life. Way to often we focus on the escapism aspect of fanfic and forget that escapism isn't something unique to fanfic – original fiction writers do this as well, but that this escapism ends once we publish online. They argue about others being the "morality police" or the "fanfic police" yet ignore the fact that's exactly what they're doing.

In fact, I think it is important to note that sites like Wattpad – any writing site for that matter – has rules dictating that the writer isn't allowed to dictate what goes on in their comments or review sections. If you use the other sites, you can look them up there, but Wattpad says the following: "constructive comments are welcomed, as long as they are given in a respectful manner."

What the anti-critique crowd is trying to argue is that such comments are not welcome even though these sites clearly say they are. More importantly, they're trying to argue that any form of constructive comment is not respectful towards the writer. They try arguing that they're doing it for free, that nothing can come from constructive comments, yet the first is mute and the second is far from true.

Actually, the second argument flies in the face of what anybody whose critiqued writing knows.

What about the young writers?

There's also the argument that we should encourage young writers to write and not discourage them, yet not once does this argument stop and think about the young writer discovering whether writing is their thing.

Truth is, while some young writers jump into fanfiction writing because they love writing others don't. For some, it's a trend that they see their friends doing so they go along with said trend. They don't realize writing actually involves a lot of hard work, so yes – getting constructive comments will end up being a major shock.

What the anti-critique crowd wants is for young writers not to go through the phase of re-evaluation every writer goes through in their writing journey. In fact, writing's not a journey at all for the anti-critique crowd. It's about having fun and others not ruining said fun. More importantly, the movement has nothing to do with fostering the growth of young writers, but protecting ones own self interests.

What if it's actually not a reader's cup of tea?

How do you the writer know?

Well, there are times you know that the writing isn't the reader's cup of tea, such as when someone complains about the ship your using. However, what was once prevalent in fandom – complaining about the ship used in a story – isn't very prevalent now. Instead, the anti-critique crowd are now trying to force out those who do like what they're writing about also painting those who like what they do as the enemy. They're also asking that readers settle for what they get instead of asking for a better attempt at a given concept simply because the writer is doing it for free...

Except... is the readers time and praise really worth so little?

Is it really okay for a writer to say, "I don't get any money from you, so your opinion is invalid?"

Why is it okay for the writer to express, but not the reader?