Thoughts on the Internet and its effect on artists

[Happygun]

A recent debate I had on a webcomic board and the process of editing one of my novellas got me thinking about one of the dangers the Internet poses for aspiring writers.

Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of Zero Punctuation has said one of the cruelest things you can do to an artist is tell them their work is flawless when it isn't. Art may be subjective, but there is such a thing as craftsmanship. It's what makes the difference between a well-written story and a poorly executed one. And no artist, no matter how skilled, is perfect. When an artist starts to believe his work is flawless he stops trying to improve it, thus it can only get worse from that point on. That's why constructive criticism isn't just helpful; it's necessary to becoming a better artist.

One of the paradoxical things about the Internet is it's tendency to insulate people. Forums, clubs, webcomics, etc. draw together individuals with (un)common interests. They form tight-knit communities, create and exchange art and stories, and ideas. This in itself isn't a bad thing. Quite the opposite. However, there are dangers inherent in this, touched upon in an old article on Something Awful: http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/in ... d-sexy.php Briefly, artists and writers in these small communities receive nothing but praise because the content appeals to the community. This can stunt their growth as an artist. It can also restrict their subject matter, so even if they are/become talented artists they never create anything beyond the scope of their adopted community. It also unduly inflates their ego.

I've received a lot of praise for my Lycanthrope Club series and very little criticism, constructive or otherwise. However, whenever I have an editor outside the community go over it they find lots of problems - not only bad grammar, structure, pacing, and voice, but weaknesses in the plot itself. And 90% of the time their observations are right on the money. Its humbling, but helpful. It reminds me that I'm still a talented amateur at best and I shouldn't take myself too seriously.

[Kris@WLP]

No artist who has ever run afoul of the goons of Something Awful (or worse, Portal of Evil) will EVER suffer from lack of criticism.

(Incidentally, BAR-1 is a bit of a goon himself- in the past he's gleefully forwarded me links to Encyclopaedia Dramatica related to WLP, which always make me cringe.)

Criticism is good, but only when invited, and only when it is limited to specific aspects of the work. When the jabs go ad hominem, they're useless.

[Happygun]

Unsolicited criticism, as long as it is constructive, reasonably civil (i.e. not ad hominem*), and not spammed, is fine. The artist can choose to ignore it, of course, but if he didn't want any criticism (good or bad) he shouldn't have made it visible to the public.

And whole treatises could be written on the psychology behind trollsites. It's not as simple as "they cause misery for the lolz" but it's not too far from the truth.

*Unless you're Nietzsche

[bar1scorpio]

Yeah, we're so little discussed, it seems any talk about us is enough to make me happy...