1)Do you fdk all of them, only the ones you like, only the ones you have something to comment on them, only the ones written by your friends...?
I leave very little feedback on the boards, because I read very little on the boards. Nearly everything I read, I read after it's been completed. I send feedback if I feel I have something to say - whether it's something as simple as "I really enjoyed this story, it brightened my day," or something as complicated as analyzing some bit of dialogue. Who it was written by - whether I'm friends with that person - plays no role in whether I respond. Well, honestly, I'm *less* likely to leave feedback for people I'm good friends with because I can tell them what I think in person.
2) Do you always try to be "the nice guy"? If you don't like something, you just say that you like it, you say nothing, or you say politely you didn't like it?
Very rarely do I leave negative feedback, but that's simply because if I don't enjoy a story, I stop reading it. I have very little time for fanfic in general, and because I spend so much of that time (at least right now) writing, I have even less time for reading. There are so many fantastic stories out there that I don't spend a lot of time reading stories I don't absolutely love. However, if I am enjoying a story and have constructive criticism - questions about dialogue or characterization or something - I'm very likely to leave that. Again though, it's almost always done privately because of the way I read. I'd probably be less likely to leave that kind of detailed fdk on the boards.
3) When you like something very much, do you let your enthusiasm show, or you just say "it was very good"? Also, do you fake to be excited when it is about a story that wasn't so good, or when it is a *good* story but not a *great* one?
I think I'm pretty good at letting my enthusiasm show. I don't use lots of exclamation points or anything like that, but I go into detail more and talk about why I really liked something. And I never fake anything. <G>
4) If you are a writer too, do you feel offended when someone says they didn't like something on your story (or even your whole story)?
No, not at all. However, I get irritated when people say things like "I hate all stories with HG Wells, so I'm really not enjoying this." I feel like saying, "Okay, then go read something else and leave me alone to post this story for people who like HG Wells." But that is VASTLY different from saying, "I don't like the way that HG Wells is taking over the situation here. I'd rather let him push Lois and Clark in the right direction and then let them make the decision for themselves." or "I don't think this story really makes sense this way. Wouldn't it make more sense if you changed the order and of the scenes so that they have time to get to know each other better first." Those are still pretty broad, sweeping criticisms, but they *say* something; it's constructive. That's the kind of feedback I love. I have made MAJOR revisions to two of my stories after receiving feedback like this. If I didn't want honest feedback, I wouldn't bother posting to the mbs, I'd just send it straight to the archives.
Great question. I can't wait to see what everyone else says.
Annie
