To Cringe Or Not To Cringe

[AliceMoonvale]

Actually enjoyed it. Pretty unique style with the diary entries.

The only thing that's hard to accept is that you only get told a tiny part of the story. Makes you wonder what really happened, especially since the first-person narrator and main character like to joke a lot.

You just summed the core theme, thank you!
Diaries only tell you what the person WANTS to write down.
It's only up to them to decide if they want to tell on themselves or not, or by accident.

 

[Eldoria]

I appreciate the feedback, but my review of your review is that you are giving me advice on how to write a normal story, an immersive cinematic first-person present tense action fiction. Which mine is not. My story is an epistolary psychological horror. The tag for unreliable narrator is there because the story precisely is vague, messy and intentionally distant emotionally.

It feels like you are critiquing me for not writing a different genre. Which is fine, just not relevant to me personally.

I use the diary syndrone or the 'distance' for pure psychological stakes.
You know she will survive, but why? What is she actually doing?
What is she hiding? Is she even human? Why does her perception feel.. off? Warped?

My goal isn't immersive, sensory, “be in the scene” type of survival horror. It's reading the diary of someone who's not okay. The distance and flatness is intentional, the meta-commentary is a mask. If I followed your advice entirely, I would definitely lose the clinical, detached creepy factor I'm going for, as I take mild inspiration from the journal sections in American Psycho, The Yellow Wallpaper, House of Leaves and of course the king of them all: Dracula.

Anyway, before I create more of a wall of text, thank you for taking the time to read!
Feel free to revisit.

Well, maybe my judgment is biased this time. I already suspected the diary style was 'probably' intentional. But when I remember the diary syndrome in other fiction... it feels odd. In short... I don't mind if you don't accept my feedback.

But could you explain why you gave a laughing reaction? Honestly, after taking the time and thought to write feedback... a laughing reaction could be read as a rude response, as if you were laughing at this volunteer work.

So, I hope you'll be more thoughtful in your reaction. A like or a formal reply would be more polite. Try to understand it from the feedback giver's perspective.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

Well, maybe my judgment is biased this time. I already suspected the diary style was 'probably' intentional. But when I remember the diary syndrome in other fiction... it feels odd. In short... I don't mind if you don't accept my feedback.

But could you explain why you gave a laughing reaction? Honestly, after taking the time and thought to write feedback... a laughing reaction could be read as a rude response, as if you were laughing at this volunteer work.

So, I hope you'll be more thoughtful in your reaction. A like or a formal reply would be more polite. Try to understand it from the feedback giver's perspective.

Oh Eldy, please don't tell me you're like some of the other girls who get triggered by emoji reacts.
I found it funny because it wasn't too relevant to me at all, and I briefly thought I was in the twilight zone.
This is probably why you wouldn't like my writing style, I insert immature comedy everywhere.

If emojis hurt your feelings, there's nothing I can do about that.
But thank you for discussing things with me!

 

[Eldoria]

Oh Eldy, please don't tell me you're like some of the other girls who get triggered by emoji reacts.
I found it funny because it wasn't too relevant to me at all, and I briefly thought I was in the twilight zone.
This is probably why you wouldn't like my writing style, I insert immature comedy everywhere.

If emojis hurt your feelings, there's nothing I can do about that.
But thank you for discussing things with me!

I'm a fussy nerd when it comes to reactions. Yesterday, I was a bit upset because a new member didn't respond to my feedback at all... and instead asked for feedback in an open feedback thread.

Well, I'm sensitive about that. To me, reactions aren't just about emojis, but about social etiquette. If someone doesn't want to greet us, it means we're considered non-existent (not human)... and that's even more impolite than just arguing. So, you can call me a fussy little girl because that's just how I am.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

I'm a fussy nerd when it comes to reactions. Yesterday, I was a bit upset because a new member didn't respond to my feedback at all... and instead asked for feedback in an open feedback thread.

Well, I'm sensitive about that. To me, reactions aren't just about emojis, but about social etiquette. If someone doesn't want to greet us, it means we're considered non-existent (not human)... and that's even more impolite than just arguing. So, you can call me a fussy little girl because that's just how I am.

Yeah, I saw that. I found that funny too.

And that's fine. I've been using emojis the same way I did as a kid in 2001.
I naturally use them as a reflection of how I feel in the moment, I never attributed etiquette to smiley faces.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

Looks at my own, purposefully written diary-style novel

Late, but now I want to know what your novel is.

 

[Makimaam]

Why is she wearing a mask?
I guess you'll just have to fucking read to find out, now wontcha?

I fell for this bait and now I can’t fucking stop reading. Send help.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

I fell for this bait and now I can’t fucking stop reading. Send help.

I like fishing. I'm a master of bait.

 

[Anonjohn20]

I like fishing. I'm a master of bait.

You are the master baiter!

 

[JHarp]

Late, but now I want to know what your novel is.

A Final Message in these Apocalyptic Times

WARNING: This book focuses on what some might call an insane protagonist, enough that drawing a line like the protagonist from School-Live would be somewhat reasonable. This was not written to target any person or condition. - - - - - - - Everything is gone, the few zombies that...

www.scribblehub.com

Granted I've not been writing as much as I would want to, been dealing with my family member who has severe dementia which has impacted a bunch of my stuff and free time. Kinda hard to focus when leaving my room to use the bathroom has him standing in the hallway when I come out just to know who is in 'his house'.
I do have the next chapter mostly written, just not enough mental to proof read the thing.

 

[AliceMoonvale]

A Final Message in these Apocalyptic Times

WARNING: This book focuses on what some might call an insane protagonist, enough that drawing a line like the protagonist from School-Live would be somewhat reasonable. This was not written to target any person or condition. - - - - - - - Everything is gone, the few zombies that...

www.scribblehub.com

Granted I've not been writing as much as I would want to, been dealing with my family member who has severe dementia which has impacted a bunch of my stuff and free time. Kinda hard to focus when leaving my room to use the bathroom has him standing in the hallway when I come out just to know who is in 'his house'.
I do have the next chapter mostly written, just not enough mental to proof read the thing.

Interesting.

I'll take a look at it, I don't think I've ever seen someone write in like, a video diary transcript.