Update - 8/20/17

"I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses."
- Johannes Kepler

That's the attitude I take when I choose to review someone's "work" on this website. You can of course debate how meaningful my critiques are, but I do my best. I lament that the readership on this website is composed mainly of mindless dullards who don't even know what a good story is, let alone have the ability to examine what worked and what didn't. People who will praise you for anything you write no matter how insipid or trite just because it includes a romantic pairing they like. It's not insightful, and it's not helpful at all. There are people here who want to improve, yet all the feedback they get is "update soon pls." Pathetic. I do my best to point out areas of weakness. I am sometimes blunt and sometimes harsh, but reviews like mine are the kind that some authors here desperately need. It's the kind I would prefer to have gotten back when I was a writer here. Sadly, many writers do not feel the same. The very same authors who say on their own profiles that they're here to try and improve their writing throw a hissy fit when you point out their areas of weakness. Because for these know-nothings, it isn't actually about "improving", it's about getting a positive reaction.

I see no value in "shipping" stories which have sadly become the norm in fanfiction. I see them as genuinely pathetic. As if it's so vitally important to see Katara and Zuko from Avatar falling in love or some junk. It's trite and it's not creative. I truly believe the shipping phenomenon really just exists to make up for unfulfilled love lives. This, I think, is the case for authors just as much as readers. I think it's why self inserts are so common, as the really just drop the pretense. These characters are proxies for a sad author to project themselves onto. Frankly, they're even more pathetic. I try to avoid that crap where I can.

I think there is potential in fanfiction to expand on the worlds and stories of established media. It can be an exercise in writing within the confines of someone else's established world or a way to continue a story when some plot threads were left unexplained. One can express their fandom by changing small aspects of a story and exploring the changes that would ripple out. Instead, we get 'Naruto tires to find his place in Hidden Leaf High School. Can he win the heart of Sakura, the cheerleading captain?' Ooh, better get comfy for that page turner!

I don't know. I know I'm ranting, but I really do think there's potential in fanfic, but it goes so squandered. It's no wonder this hobby has no respect. That's why I do my part. I try to review stories with an actual critical eye. That way maybe the author and others reading the reviews might take the quality of their stories a little more seriously.

Oh, and if you get a review from me talking about how "symbolic" your story is, it's just for fun. To be frank, it usually meant I found your story pretty unremarkable and wanted to just see if I could create some symbolic subtext around it. Hopefully we can both have fun with it. Or you can tell me to go bother someone else, and I won't review your stuff again :)