Author, Part Five

[farla]

So I only reviewed a couple people yesterday, but I did get a post-worthy reply. Remember that AAML story I was sort of positive about? Among all the others I was kind of bitchy about?

I hope this lays to rest once and for all the idea people take it better if you're nice and compliment parts.

Name: Warlordess
Profile: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/258238/
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Subject: re: Your review to The Cost of Living

A response to your review at http://www.fanfiction.net/r/5569628/

Well, I honestly disagree with most of your review. In fact, I feel like you
just wanted to insult me throughout.

Firstly, I use ages to my advantage. They tell readers where the characters
probably are, both in the series and on an emotional level. As for the
dialogue thing, I barely understood what you were saying. You just kept
quoting some random line about "Hello," or whatever. If I used a
'"Hello!" he
said', then it was a typo. And I have no idea what a speech verb is but I've
been using this kind of grammar for years and have no intention of stopping.
I'm sorry if that disappoints you, but it flows easier in my opinion, and
apparently the opinions of most of my readers.

I've battled with capitalizing the word "Pokemon" a lot over the years. In
the end, logic won out. Anytime the word is mentioned in the show or in the
game (no matter what the scenario), it has been capitalized. The same thing
goes for "Pikachu." It doesn't matter if it's the actual name of the Pokemon
or not because it's still the name of the Pokemon. If that makes sense. Again,
anytime those things are typed in the game or anime, the names are
capitalized. Always. It's never written, "A wild rattata has appeared!" It's
always, "A wild Rattata has appeared!" The same thing goes for Pokemon moves.
They are always capitalized and it gives them more of an existent air, so I
use the same method. Also, it's the same with "Poke-" and any variation of the
word. PokeCenter, PokeMart, Pokeball. They're always capitalized in the games
so I do the same.

Also, Pikachu's cage not shattering on impact was explained. In Pokemon, Team
Rocket always finds some special something to make it seem like they've got
their hands on the infallible plan. More than once, there has been mention of
items that can withstand the elements (whether it's Pikachu's thunder power or
nature). And who's to say the cage didn't float in the water? The current was
very powerful so it kept getting washed around and around. By the time Ash had
caught up with it, the ground had evened out with the mainland for the most
part, and the only reason Pikachu was below the surface was because that same
strong current had wedged him between those two rocks.

Misty not sending out one of her Pokemon was explained, along with Ash's. If
Ash wouldn't send out one of his own Pokemon - if he truly knew better - then
I doubt he'd agree with Misty sending out hers, even if it was to help him
out.

As for the whole, "Don't jump in when none of us are going to help either,"
that's definitely not what I was going for. Ash is smart enough to know that
Pikachu is his Pokemon partner, his responsibility. He would never be okay in
telling his friends that they needed to follow him into danger. Just because
they do in most cases doesn't mean he's demanded it of them, and notice he
never asked them to. In the anime or in this fic.

That being said, both Misty and Brock's feelings make more sense. Brock is
the one who feels morally in charge of the group as he's the oldest, so he
tries to lead Ash in the smarter direction - to look for help. When Ash
ignores this and dives in, Misty becomes frustrated and angry. She's mad at
Ash, she's mad at herself. She doesn't know who she's mad at so what does she
do? She takes it out on Ash anyway because it's the easiest thing for her.
It's second nature now. On the other hand, she really is worried for him. And
she never stopped worrying for Pikachu. Notice in the PokeCenter that the one
thought that honestly goes through her mind is that it's only okay because
Pikachu made it out of the situation. Knowing that, she tries to focus on her
next problem - discovering Ash's tendancy to overlook all obstacles of danger
when it comes to his friends. It's not necessarily selfish or possessive. She
just knows he's a good guy - he's her best friend - and she wants him to live
long. She also knows that nobody else wants to see him die early either. It's
not just about her. She brings it up to him. What about Brock? What about his
mom? She wants him to know that the consequences extend beyond just him.

Plus, one of the biggest parts of this fic is when Ash asks her what she
would have done if it were Togepi. She doesn't answer him, but you can tell by
her reaction that she isn't sure what she'd do either. That being said, she'd
probably at least consider doing the same thing as him. She doesn't value her
Pokemon's lives any less than he does. It's not about that. What it is, is the
realzation that this girl doesn't want this boy's stupidity and ignorance to
be the death of him. That's why it's a one-shot, because it's about the moment
when those feelings take over anything else she may be thinking of or
wondering about at the time.

I'm sorry to take a sharp tone in replying to this review, but I felt that
everything you said was a little uncalled for. You kept cutting and cutting my
story down and had nothing good to say. And you know what they say about
having nothing good to say.

BTW, ages may not be the best way to start a fic, but the word [Huh.] is
definitely not the best way to start a review either. You know, for future
reference when you feel like criticizing a writer so harshly.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Maybe the way you offer your advice is somewhat harsh, which is why those you review can't seem to accept it. There are different kinds of criticism and it's hard to understand what you say in between the lines when all the other person seems to hear is, "wrong", "oh, this too", "and let me make sure I try to explain this SAME THING eight different times even though it's only going to make it exceedingly complicated and difficult for you to understand by the end of it".

That's not to say that what you tell them is wrong, but maybe throwing a couple positive notes in their direction wouldn't be a bad idea either. Let alone you publicly posting their response on the web so all your friends can roast them just because they didn't like what you had to say, and you didn't like what they had to say back.

Agreeing to disagree is a marketable way to coexist.

[farla.livejournal.com]

Of all the reviews and authors who throw tantrums, you think this is the best one to argue it's an issue of harshness? At any rate, you're welcome to tell me how you'd reword the review.

Agreeing to disagree is a marketable way to coexist

But a terrible way to improve.