Postive or Negative Comments?

Pink is right, those are the ones my comment was especially aimed at, and actually the only ones I knew about. Are there others besides the crew of validators who do work after the story is submitted for loading? In the validiation process I include all the people who do the editing, the synopsis, the icons etc. I know my stories require editing and without it my submissions and many others would lack a quality that is seen on this site. I know the people in Library Admin work their magic every day and we all benefit from it, so this thanks also includes them.

That being said, if I did miss any group of people who make this library greater by using their time and efforts to work on other writers stories, then I also want to thank them.

Unlikely as it sounds with all that thanking you were doing, you did indeed forget someone! You forgot to thank Miss Thrashbottom, CS!! And I expect you will want to thank me for reminding you!

In the immortal words of David Beckham thanking a long list of people in order to seem duly humble when receiving some award: "And I'd like to spank..."

In my turn, CS, I should really like to thank you for being so generous in your appreciation. The nature of validation is to ensure that what the author is expressing gets over to the reader clearly and accurately, easily read, but without in any way altering the nature of the intended content. Thanks for that - and I do enjoy it!

On NO! Now I will have to report to her.....and get spanked...gosh, I wish I could quit smiling so much.

Thanks Blimp...you made my day.

Back to the original question:
When readers respond vehemently to something I've written, I know I've done my job developing a character, a theme, et al. It also means that the person commenting on my story read the details. I'm flattered my story has been read, more so that it's commented upon. I don't write for the reader; I write for myself. If you read and comment positively or negatively, thank you for reading my work.

Well, I'd cetainly hope that the reader reaction (if any) would reflect my intentions RE the particular story I'd written. If I had deliberately described a one-side domestic discipline relationship and it was criticized as unfair by a reader, I would have to agree with that--not all spankings administered are justified, after all.

OTOH, if I'd tried to portray a caring, affectionate relationship between spanker and spankee but it was interpreted by a specific reader as being harsh and cruel, then I might want to figure out why that impression somehow was created from his/her perspective.

Of course, I do agree that feedback, whether positive or negative, is (or at least should be) valuable to a writer, and I likewise agree about an author writing primarily for him/herself--if other people (readers) enjoy his/her literary efforts as well, that's the 'icing on the cake,' which is always quite appealing... --C.K.

I don't agree that if comments were only positive, they would have no meaning. If the positive comments highlighted a particular aspect- character dev't and growth, for example, that would motivate the writer to continue to grow and experiment. Negative, unpleasant comments are deflating and sometimes a writer will focus on a negative and set aside all the positive and become discouraged. No writer can meet every readers needs. A reader with manners should make an effort to say something positive about the piece of work- opening sentence, a description of an incident, even reinforcing what another commenter cited. We all need encouragement- my mother always said,"You catch more flies with honey than vinegar." I 'm for watering down the vinegar and sweetening the honey.

Clearly a wise woman, though her adage makes me wonder a bit about your American diet!

Are those two words really linked in this context? Why should negative be unpleasant? I know we've gone insanely politically correct but we are adults and should be able to take polite and hopefully helpful critique surely! I would much prefer genuine comments than loads of 'great story' comments... I don't think I've seen many unpleasant comments in the last few years either, although I have seen constructive criticisms.

For me, I'll keep the vinegar and the honey as they come, thanks...