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Message

Subject: Re: The problem with JMS's Spider-Man
Date: 17 Mar 2001 05:10:49 GMT
From: jmsatb5@aol.com (Jms at B5)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe

>It often seems like the only opinions considered important by the creator
>are the ones praising their work. The critical ones become unimportant, and
>I think that's harmful to the creative process.
>

Here's the biggest thing I've learned about audience responses: no matter what
you write, at one end of the bell curve will be those who love it uncritically;
at the other end of the bell curve are those who hate it uncritically; most
folks fall somewhere in the middle.  As long as more stay in the middle than
edge toward the "it sucks" category, you're doing okay.

Criticism based on logical points should always be considered.  "I didn't like
it" isn't as valid because not everybody's going to like everything, and you
can't keep moving around the flagpoles to please everyone.  Taste is
subjective; some like milk chocolate, some dark chocolate, some that
abomination white chocolate.  You can't argue taste.  But you can definitely
argue points of logic and verisimilitude.

 jms

(jmsatb5@aol.com)
(all message content (c) 2001 by synthetic worlds, ltd., 
permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine 
and don't send me story ideas)