critique and explosions and a meme

[erastes]

Ok - this is a problem I encountered in fandom, but I never thought I would find it in professional - and I stress the term - professional fiction land.  I am of the same mind as gehayi for not understanding why historical fiction - or historical romances can't be historically accurate. Go shoot us - everyone has their pet peeves, and mine (as you will know if you've read any of my reviews - although I throw my hands up RIGHT NOW before anyone points, that I know I've made mistakes in my stories) - is historical accuracy - no-one's perfect - but I TRY.

If someone posts a piece of fiction online - e.g. in the public domain - not friends locked, then it is, as far as I'm concerned, in the public domain and is available for praise or critique.  If I put a snippet on line, and I have many times, then I'll take the rough with the smooth.  And I have.  People point out historical inaccuracies - some a lot more serious than Ms Potts did with gehayi - or typos and I was GRATEFUL.

Thing is, there are writers who don't agree.  They don't want their mistakes pointed out, they don't want people to help them improve as writers. They want the small pond of their peers to squee and praise and tell them how great they are.  This is fanbrat behaviour imho. If you are big enough and ugly enough and have the cojones to write it and put it out for people to read, then you take the critique as well as the brownnosing.

And if someone points out flaws, you swallow your tears and anger (hell, we all have them) and you say "thank you very much, I appreciate it that you took the time to read and cared enough to comment"

and on a much nicer note  technosage Interviewed me!

1. Why do you write gay fiction?

One cock good. Two Cocks BETTER.

2. Name three authors who have influenced your writing.

Hmm. Influenced is probably too strong a word. I don't ever think that I'll ever be as good as the writers who I most adore. Austen, Eliot, Pratchett, Rowling (she helped me name characters, taught me cliffhangers and taught me to write the last chapter first)

3. If you could add one book to the mandatory curriculum for being a human, what would it be?

Irony: Not just a little bit like Iron by Erastes.
Seriously though.  TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE by R A Heinlein. Read it. Live it. 

4. Where is your favorite place you've ever traveled, and why?

I've travelled all around the world and Venice is where I want to live. It's like a water colour that someone has spilled water on. It's divine.

5. Sunrise or sunset, why?

BOTH!  My house sits East West so I get the best of both worlds

1. Leave me a comment saying anything random, like your favorite lyric to your current favorite song. Or your favorite kind of sandwich. Something random. Whatever you like.
2. I respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.
3. You WILL update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to ask someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be asked, you will ask them five questions.

Comments

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

(would it really be likely that The Grand Sophy could burst into a situation and reorganize everyone's lives for them, without somebody pulling her up short and telling her to butt out?)

Well, that's sort of the plot of Austen's 'Emma' :-)

I loathed the one contemporary Heyer I read (Barren Corn) and I'm not wild about her non-Regency historicals like The Great Roxhythe, but I adore the Regencies and I've read the detectives many times.

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

It may be a matter of timing, then--I disliked Charlotte MacLeod on first reading, and she's now one of my favorites.

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love her books! I was so sorry to find out she'd died a few years ago.

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Same here, though the last two in the Sarah-Max series were falling off in quality. I wanted to see more of Balaclava College and the Rhyses.

[janedavitt.livejournal.com]

The Balloon Man was definitely sub-par but she wasn't well by then, I believe :-(

I loved the Jenny/Madoc ones.