Fic Talk > General Discussion

Concrit

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Carter-Orange:
Ritz, I never know when to use the , or ; either :)  I just put them where I think!

RokofAges75:
I can answer the question about commas vs. semicolons! :)

Say you have two complete thoughts, such as:

1.  Constructive criticism can be really helpful.
2.  I wish I got more of it.

Instead of keeping them two, separate, simple sentences, you decide you want to combine them into a compound sentence.  You have a couple of choices:

1. Constructive criticism can be really helpful, and I wish I got more of it.
2. Constructive criticism can be really helpful; I wish I got more of it.

In the first example, you would use a comma because you have a conjunction (and) to join the two complete thoughts together.

In the second example, the semicolon just takes the place of the period that would separate them if you made them two sentences.  You don't need a conjunction when you use a semicolon.

There are lots of other uses for commas, too, but when joining sentences together like this, the rule of thumb is that if you're using a conjunction (and, but, or, since, so, etc.), stick a comma before it, and if you're not using a conjunction, use a semicolon.  Which route you go is just a stylistic choice.  In this case, I would prefer #2; I think it sounds better.  Some writers might prefer #1.  Both are right!

Hope that helps!

Carter-Orange:
Thanks Julie, that's really helpful :)

RokofAges75:
No problem!  I never used to use semicolons much, but now I love them!

cabybakes:
How do you guys feel about concrit, has there been a case where you got some and it helped you turn your writing around?

I love betas for this very reason...I think in a good beta relationship, you get concrit but in a way that you can actually do something about it.  It has helped me so much to have a great sounding board for my ideas and someone to read and give feedback before it is out there for all to see.  For me, it's sometimes frustrating to get good concrit after you have finished a project because you can't make changes and really utilize it.  I am kind of feeling like this with the reading challenge we are currently doing.  I love the feedback/concrit I am getting, and wish it would have come along when I was writing instead of after the fact.

Do you get offended when you see concrit? I know some people get defensive about it at times. Why?

When done in a positive, constructive way, no.  Sometimes, people can be really mean about it and that isn't constructive or going to have any positive impact on a writer.  I think another reason people get offended is because they don't see their own downfalls and when given honest feedback, it forces them to face a weakness that they don't want to see. 

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