criticism

Hmm.. as for me i tend to drop the fic that i don't like after half of the chapter (in example too OOC, too many grammar mistakes ^_^ and leave no review (sorry.. ) But, yea, i will give a thorough criticism if someone that ask me too (never in brutal way, because i like to point out where the writer can improve/mistake in the fic) because there is difference between hurting someone's feeling and giving advice.

For all i knew if someone just said "Please update soon" means that the reader is content with my style of writing and enjoy it. Though i'd love to have a constructive critic, as long as that person didn't say: change everything about your writing style. That's just... *sheepishly scratched head* (that is like they say i don't like your skin color, change it! lol, as silly as it is, i'm comfortable in my own skin)
But i try my best to be as perfect as i can (English is my 2nd language) by having Beta (to me Beta is God-like, i kinda worship them) and stuffing materials about the series as much as i can (and edit it again if someone else point out the wrong fact)

When I read and if I find something off or something that does not work, I will lend some criticism--always constructive, though. I find it is a disservice to give anything other than constructive criticism because how are you going to grow as a writer if you do not know what you're weaknesses are? That doesn't always mean the writer will take said criticism, but that's a totally different road that I won't go down.

I would rather someone be utterly and brutally honest even to the tiniest detail, but even I have a limit to how much I see it on my own work. On FictionPress, someone commented on nearly everything I wrote (everything except my shoujo-ai story [coincidence? No.]) and was extremely fair on it. I could see his point in everything and he told me what he did like. Of course at first I was less than impressed, so I had to wait a few days and reread my work before replying. Deciding which pieces of advice or points is up to me, I know that, but he's left me a little paranoid about putting up more stories. I want the brutal criticism, even if it only lists the negative points, I really do, it's just that I guess, that even if it's a fair critique, if I see so many at one time I feel down, like I don't want to update for a while.

I do try to give a critique, it's just that I'm more of a comment reader. Basically what happens is that either everyone's already said what I want to say, and so I don't need to critique, or I see a whole bunch of "OH THIS IS GOOD PLEASE CONTINUE!!!" even when it wasn't "outstanding" to me, so I just list the errors or improvements and opinions that I thought could make the story better, of course in a full explanation instead of a sentence per 'error'. It's not that I think the story needs to get down a peg or anything, I just think the author would like a reality-check from time to time. Whether it's harsh or not I think depends on whether I use sarcasm or an exclamation point. One time, even when I tried to explain the negativities as bland or as impartial as I could, some other person, not the author herself, called me on it and say that I need to be nicer. That only happened once though. Some authors don't reply, and some others actually thank me, either way, they read what I thought and they're more aware. I've never had the authors themselves say I'm too harsh, and no one has called me a flamer so. . . I don't know. I don't consider myself a flamer because I take the time to explain what I think instead of accuse without basis, even if I don't say "I like it." Usually there are people who review before me who specify what they like, and that's usually why I like it too, so it's already been noted. Maybe I am wrong, and maybe I am too harsh. Will I change? To be honest, probably not because it's the fastest way to get my point across.

Then there's the whole issue of critiquing an in-progress story without knowing if that "mistake" was planned or not, and critiquing a finished story when some authors carry the motto "When it's done, it stays done" making the improvements I note useless.

As for the "Beta" thing, maybe the person took on more burdens than he or she could handle. I accidentally do it all the time, so it's not really "hearing their own voice" or acting like their on a high-horse, it's just a matter of misplaced priorities I think.