I do think that on balance it would have saved us both a lot of stress if I had just ignored it. I'm determined to try that next time :)
I used to think that I was happy with concrit, but now I think it's more complicated than that. I'm very glad to have suggestions from people who are reading the story as it progresses and clearly know what I'm trying to do, who have suggestions for what I could do to improve a story they are already enjoying. And who are also people whose writing I know and admire, so that I trust their opinion.
I'm much less happy to have it out of the blue, unmixed with any sign that the commenter enjoyed anything at all, and expressed in a way that makes me doubt that they understand what I'm trying to do, or even what I did do. Particularly when they're strangers with whom I have no relationship at all, and who have come in swinging.
My personal impression was that the commenter was deriving enjoyment from acting superior - handing down their wisdom to a poor simple writer who clearly needed it. But I could have misinterpreted and it could well be that they were trying to be helpful in a very unhelpful way. I think I can live without knowing :)
Re: Thoughts
I used to think that I was happy with concrit, but now I think it's more complicated than that. I'm very glad to have suggestions from people who are reading the story as it progresses and clearly know what I'm trying to do, who have suggestions for what I could do to improve a story they are already enjoying. And who are also people whose writing I know and admire, so that I trust their opinion.
I'm much less happy to have it out of the blue, unmixed with any sign that the commenter enjoyed anything at all, and expressed in a way that makes me doubt that they understand what I'm trying to do, or even what I did do. Particularly when they're strangers with whom I have no relationship at all, and who have come in swinging.
My personal impression was that the commenter was deriving enjoyment from acting superior - handing down their wisdom to a poor simple writer who clearly needed it. But I could have misinterpreted and it could well be that they were trying to be helpful in a very unhelpful way. I think I can live without knowing :)