Introducing: In Defense of

All good stories deserve criticism. Feedback is an essential part of the writing process, as the creator’s impression can vary greatly from that of the reader’s. It’s always handy to hear fresh perspectives. But, sometimes, minor critiques and notes can go too far, spiraling away from helping the writer and more into making a statement for yourself. This is especially apparent in modern culture, where it can be easy to forget why we should value others’ opinions and reasons behind certain choices, especially when it comes to storytelling.

Differences in opinion are inevitable - and that’s perfectly alright, so long as debates are kept neutral and open-minded. And that’s what this new type of blog post is all about: handling common disputes over fictional stories, in hopes to gain new perspective on them.

In these posts, I’ll be taking characters, plot points, or even entire stories, addressing common complaints or problems people find with certain aspects of their portrayal or execution. I will, of course, share my own thoughts, though the goal will be focused on common criticisms rather than my own personal preferences on the subject. This way, I hope to shed new light on some of the issues you might find with the subject at hand. As for a general outline, I picture it as follows:

• A brief introduction of the topic and common controversies surrounding it
• My summarized opinion or review of the piece
• A list of major criticisms or problems most people have with the topic, as well as my responses to those critiques
• A closing paragraph summing my resolution

I think these will be a neat way to handle refuting feedback, though I aim to keep this ultimately neutral and open to differences in opinion. And, if you have any suggestions for characters, events, or stories you’d like to see me discuss, leave a comment and I might write about it, eventually. (Keep in mind: I haven’t watched, listened to, or read everything. Odds are, lots of the suggestions you give me won’t happen at least for a while. Nevertheless, please share any ideas you have!)

That’s it for now. I look forward to sharing these discussions with you all, and I‘m excited to hear your opinions on the characters, plot points, and stories brought up. But, until then, I bid you adieu.