Authors: A question

I am new to this site and have yet to post a comment. Why? Mostly because it seems that the comments by others on here are a quick thanks or "I liked it. " I wonder, do you want more meaningful comments even if those comments contain some suggestions for improvement?

Recently, I read a great story, but the ending ruined it because the main character did something that violated everything the author said that character was and I don't mean the person grew as a person. I am a published author, not spanking related, and have taken courses on story writing, and yet I don't want to come off as a know it all especially because I have no time to write spanking fiction and the authors here provide a free service for which I am grateful.

Simply, do you want critical comments if they are worded politely in order to grow as an author or would you rather get a word of thanks?

Generally, you should be nice. Most of us are amateur authors, not professionals. We write spanking stories for fun, not profit, and being criticised is not so much fun, and will likely not be profitable either.

That doesn't mean there is no place for constructive criticism. But try to be gentle. Some authors may not mind criticism so much. I personally don't mind criticism (much).

Better, if you feel the need the criticize, write the author a private message (if they're here) and ask if they mind.

I am not a professional author, I write for fun and I love receiving any feedback. The way I see it criticism (hopefully constructive) is simply a way for me to learn as an author and hopefully write a better story next time. Having said that, I think Jefesee is right in that a private message is a more appropriate way way of offering advice. There is a button on each author's page to send them a message, so it's not that much more difficult than leaving a comment.
Nswitch also known as the thereader0987

Speaking for myself as an author, the answer is "hell yes I want critical comments". Being human, I will also gladly accept worshipful praise, but an informed tip about how to improve my work is a wonderfully useful thing.

As a commenter, I not only try to be polite when offering such a comment, but I try to balance it by pointing out something I liked about the story.

Any type of comment has value is appreciated. But you are correct---just saying "nice story" doesn't tell the author anything. It's best to say what you liked or why you liked it. What I think authors want most is feedback. I know I do.That said, if you think something amiss in the story, you might just say "I was puzzled about...." or "next time you might wish to consider...". These are polite ways of suggesting things to an author without being unduly harsh. I frequently suggest things to authors that they might have changed or tried, but I do it in a constructive way so that that author's efforts are not demeaned. We are all trying to help each other become better writers.

I agree with Rollin — when constructive criticism is phrased politely, I think most of us are not only capable of dealing with it, but also willing to learn from it. I would like to add, however, that just as most of the authors here are not professional writers, most of the readers are not professional critics, and I am more than happy to receive comments in the "nice story" category. Still the greatest pleasure is when a story results in an intelligent exchange with a perspective reader.

I accept any comment. As a writer though, what I really look for is constructive criticism. Criticism does not have to be negative or positive and constructive criticism is what helps us grow as writers. If I did something that made the reader question what they were reading or a character behaved in a manner that was not true to how they had been drawn in the story,then I want to know. These aren't things that we'll always pick up. I have no problem with someone just saying nice story, that's good to hear, but I really value someone going beyond that, too.

Speaking for myself, I enjoy criticism and advice from my readers. If I made a misstep in my story or could have done something better, you can bet I want to know about it.

I don't mind constructive comments at all. I have a hard time editing my own writing because I know what I was trying to say and my brain tends to fool me sometimes by filling in what was supposed to be on the page rather than what my fingers actually typed.

When I criticize a story, it is usually about a character that had not been, in my opinion, fully developed or a plot that was somewhat confusing, at the end. I tell them that a part two is needed for completion. I might not like the story, so I say so. Only my opinion. The writing might still be very good except the plot. I never destroyed an entire story. Actually, I never had to run down a story and I never would. I am not an expert on commenting, so why completely destroy a story. It wouldn't be fair. I am not an expert.