But people are entitled to their opinions!

[mamajoan]

Sometimes one has only oneself to blame. Follow me down this path of cause and effect:

1. A friend mentions that she found a review of her original fiction in someone else's livejournal.
2. I go check out said review because I love said fiction and am interested to see what was said.
3. I browse through the person's other lj entries and follow a link marked "reviews of uber-Xena stories." Because I'm vain and want to know whether my uber-Xena story is reviewed on this page.
4. I find my story reviewed on this page, in not entirely complimentary fashion.
5. I get slightly pissed off.

Now, I know it's bad form to email a reviewer and say "hey, you missed the point of my story." So I'm fighting the temptation. But to summarize: About my story Learning the Ropes, the reviewer says that it's well-written smut but it's not actually about Xena and Gabrielle. I have, she says, simply slapped those names onto a pair of characters who bear no resemblance to the canon characters.

Well. First of all, much of the point of uber is that you twist the characters to some extent to make them fit the new setting. And second of all, basically, I disagree with her assessment. I put a lot of thought into the characterization in that piece, and I feel that it works. Of course, as has been so thoroughly discussed in thamiris 's journal, people can disagree about interpretations of character. But I gave my uber-Xena a background somewhat similar to that of the real Xena, and the Xena-Gabrielle relationship in the story reflected much of what I saw as their actual relationship at the time I wrote the story. (Please ignore the atrocious construction of the previous sentence. I'm a little distracted.)

So now I find myself in the uncomfortable position of being one of those authors I complain about. You know, the author who hears criticism of her story and whines, "But nooooo, you just don't get what I was trying to say! You're so meeeeean! I worked so hard on that story, waaah!"

Okay, gritting teeth, resisting urge to email reviewer. Putting the whole thing out of my mind. Any minute now. Yeah.

Comments

If it makes you feel better

[bearblue.livejournal.com]

I thought your characters were pretty darn on target...Don't know what the reviewer read, but it wasn't learning the ropes...

Re: If it makes you feel better

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

thanks babe! *hugs*