critique wanted I Have No Idea What I Am Doing

[Lonk Chase 255]

I was working on a fanfiction called 780 (BTW SHAMELESS PLUG https://www.fimfiction.net/story/302011/780)and suddenly I got a Reddit comment saying that my story is complete crap:

I actually listened to this guy a little bit, but I'm still a little worried because of these things:

When I goof, I get criticized, sometimes harshly.

When I do something right, I get little to no response, most of the time just a number going up.

Is this what happens when I create? Does nobody give any real thought into my work except the people who are happy to tell me how much of a crappy x I am? Or am I just overreacting and I shouldn't worry about it?

It's not just in brony-dom either:

(yes, the second video's thumbnail is stupid. I was just trying out my new Intuos.)

(I've been in rough terms with Joseph, but not ContreFeu. Contre's always like that.)

(EvoLutioN is still Joseph btw)

 

This is why I'm afraid to try to make content anymore. People will just point out my flaws and not my strengths.

Should I keep trying?

[Bogrick Grey Mane 2,594]

Most people find it easier to criticize somebody's work in a negative way, rather than providing positive feedback.

Stick at it and just ignore them, whatever you do, don't get involved in a slagging match with them. Just take a deep breath, relax, and carry on.

It's not hard to spot the difference when somepony is trying to give you good critique, or if they are just trolling you for the fun of it

 

As I said, stick at it, after all Shakespeare never gave up  

[SFyr 1,982]

  I'ma be straight to the point with this first thought:

Starting out, everyone sucks. Do you believe in being a creator enough to deal with that and take the sometimes harsh road of getting good at what you do?

From what I've seen/experienced, the difference between higher-up artists of all kind (writers included) and those who don't have the skill, is that said artists found a way to persevere and continue because they want to create, regardless of what others think or say at the time. If you're creating fully for the approval/praise of others, then you might not make it through the negative/quiet lull of starting out. If you're creating for your own reasons, approval, or to just create something that others enjoy, you stand a good chance, especially if you build that up as you go. 

Some criticism is worthless, I'll admit that. There's people that find it amusing to harass others or attack their work. It sucks, and the best you can do is to learn when someone's opinion shouldn't be listened to. Early on, you might not even get the positive voice to balance them out, but you're doing well in getting your work out there and going for it anyways. People are more inclined to focus on the negatives, so I get that it can be hard, especially if it leaves with the wrong impression that you're doing everything badly.

However, some negative criticism is still immensely valuable, especially if they articulate the areas that ruined the enjoyment for them. Again, that can be hard though, given it's pretty discouraging to have your work ripped apart a bit, but this is one of the most valuable ways to improve what you do. Mistakes are the best learning material. Just hang in there, find what you enjoy about creating, and learn as you go.   You'll get there, promise.

 

Also, some general advice:

1. Don't get defensive if people don't like your stuff; ideally consider whether they're worth listening to and either do so, or ignore them. Reacting poorly can leave a bad impression for others.

2. Study those better than you, or professionals in the creative field you're pursuing--for example, reading published (or well-liked) stories is a great way to get a good intuition for writing conventions. Looking online for tips is also a great overview for points that might be missed.

3. Find the positives in your work yourself, and remind yourself of them. Don't wait for other people to point them out.

4. Same as the above, but with negatives too. Evaluating your work honestly is very important.

5. Don't rely entirely on what others say, but don't entirely block them out either. "You can't please everyone" is a very valid saying ...that sometimes people forget entirely, or use to justify shoddy work. The truth is that it just means you'll likely always have someone take issue with what you do, but that shouldn't stop you from doing it.

[Bogrick Grey Mane 2,594]

Ya see 'lonkfania', I wish I could have put it like SFyr, but I couldn't. But next time I'll do better at trying to get my point across