Birthday greetings and a little bit of self-pity

[speaker_to_customers]

Happy birthday to globalfruitbat and to darkestarx

I hate ‘Rhyming Review Day’ at ‘Twisting the Hellmouth’. Getting a bad review is so much worse when someone has gone to the trouble of writing it as an epic poem with 9 verses detailing the shortcomings of my portrayal of each of the characters.

Comments

[sevedra.livejournal.com]

my sympathies

if it is any consolation, I am sure they are completely wrong!

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Actually I hope that the reviewer was not completely wrong - in an earlier review (s)he admitted to liking the set-up and called it 'original and entertaining'.

[pfeifferpack.livejournal.com]

It clearly was a case of waste
to allow reviews from those with no taste.
Your tales are pleasure
Your talent a treasure
they should be happy that they have been graced!

~~~

My dad once said tis better being still
than opening your mouth your foot for to fill.
So reading such rot should not make you blue
Those that critique quite often can't do.


*hugs*
Kathleen

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I can't really claim that the reviewer has no taste - in an earlier review (s)he praised the setting and originality, although wasn't impressed by the characterisation. On reading stories by that reviewer, however, I have discovered that (s)he is a Super!Xander fan. And one who can't spell 'Chloe'.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I think the most complex verse I've written today was

Roses are red
violets are blue
I think you mean "first kiss"
but "fist" will do too...

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

I thought of doing one saying

"Your portrayal of Giles has a linguistic flaw
He'd never say 'gotten'; it's a word he'd abhor
The same goes for Wesley, and Lydia, and Spike
Such Americanisms are things we don't like

but I resisted the temptation.

[artistshipper.livejournal.com]

I'd be happy if someone wrote that much for me, even if it were non-complimentary. But I'm going after the infamous Samael prize, so that might be why....

Your writing is excellent, and while I don't necessarily like all of it, I certainly affirm that you are a superb author. Don't let a (few) idiot(s) get you down.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

I almost never bother to give non-complimentary reviews. I just give up and move on to look for a better story. The only time I've ever written a long non-complimentary review was in the case of the story that I obliquely referred to in a recent post as my nominee for 'worst fic of all time' - and that was only because it had been so good for the first 95% of its length that the appalling ending drove me into a fury so intense that I was unable to restrain myself.

[crossreactivity.livejournal.com]

Whoever it was they're clearly in error,
Such stories as yours could not be rarer.
To write a review
So obviously untrue,
Raises serious questions
About the author's intentions.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Your change of name confused me for a while. I had thought that you'd defriended me when you disappeared (as I thought) from my f-list and I was really upset.

Thank you!

[crossreactivity.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry you were upset. I posted (http://crossreactivity.livejournal.com/81270.html) about it at the time, but I should probably have followed up with a footnote or something on subsequent entries... [formerly spikes_lady]. You weren't the only one who was confused.

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

9 verses --? I suppose, in theory, it's a compliment that they would go to so much effort ... but that's not the way I'd feel about it. :-(

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

[gillo]

Ouch.

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

Oh dear!

I can't say that all your stories are my cup of tea because I'm not really a crossover person, however your writing is always fabulous and I have never found any fault with your characterisations.

I'm aware that we do all see the characters somewhat differently--often leaving me wondering if the authors actually watched the same show I did--perhaps this person has a very different view of how the characters should behave and sound? lol

And I noticed your comment above...Giles saying 'gotten' and 'anyways' are definite pet hates of mine! *shudders*

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I've read some of that reviewer's stories today and (s)he appears to be a Super!Xander fan - which makes me feel rather better about criticism of my characterisations. And, in a 'Smallville' crossover, (s)he keeps spelling 'Chloe' as 'Cloe'.

[ezagaaikwe.livejournal.com]

Nine verses!? Sounds like an obsessed fan\stalker. I think your writing rocks, and if I haven't read you lately (other than your shorter pieces) it's because the crossover references go over my head (not au courant here). I have to plead "New mom-ishness" too. But it's not the quality of your writing, I assure you!

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[arkeus.livejournal.com]

Well well...

Strange to see that author complaining about oocness, when his own stories are in the "fun" category, meaning that it has some "uberness" (which i tend to love when well written, i admit).

I must agree though that your characters all passed by some difficult phases, but they grew the stronger from it. Of course, you know my own quibbles with your fic (i tend to dislike spike, and dawn is a noncharacter for me) but while your main characters aren't my preferred ones, and i would like some of them to be a tiny bit different, you bring them *alive* in this tale, and your writing there is more than decent - in fact, it's the kind of writitng that makes me realize i "forgot" to eat my last three meals.

Though i must agree, to have a criticism in such a form is always a blow :/

Oh, and thanks ofr the tidibits you left in the response!!! Liked them :-)

[speakr2customrs.livejournal.com]

Thank you!