Therefore, could a rational dissection of a story - thus totally negating the emotional content of the story - be desastrous to a story ?
And vice versa ?
That's just what I'm currently pondering about. I'm still undecided.
This is an interesting question. Let me first state that a good 'dissection' of any story does not and should not negate the emotional content. A good critiquer does not even comment on subject matter for that belongs to the sole discretion of the writer. If that particular subject matter is of no interest to the reviewer, that should be stated right up front. And, I usually inform a writer if their genre is not my cup of tea. However, that does not mean I still can't offer constructive criticism as to tone, point of view, characterization, dialogue, setting and plot. Those are the key elements which should be addressed when giving a good critique. Grammar issues should be resolved by the author. If the author does not have a basic familiarity with the rules of grammar, then they have no business claiming literary license. How can you break rules that you're not familiar with in the first place? At least that's my point of view.
I've discussed the art of giving a critique so many times that I've lost count. And every writer differs in their approach. Reading an author's work with an objective eye is difficult, imho. But it's something I have (in the past) forced myself to do because there is a lot to be learned in giving a critique. Also, there are some good websites online that have excellent information about what should go into a critique. I always try to temper the 'negative' with positive feedback. Otherwise, what's the point? No one learns anything by being told their work is lousy.
So, to answer your question, Alrik: Yes, it is disasterous in my humble opinion. The fact that the emotional aspects of a story are even separated from the whole is something that should not be done. You're not performing a root canal as a reviewer. You're reviewing a story and emotions play a huge part in storytelling. It would be like separating the components in water. There would be no H2O with out the (HH) and (O). LOL At least that's how I look at it.
Faralas <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mage.gif" alt="" />
