How to say something good about a story when there’s nothing good about a story? writing

How to say something good about a story when there’s nothing good about a story?

So I've posted a couple comments on the critique thread, and I have so far found redeeming qualities in all of them. But I've read stories in the past where everything was just shit.

Now, I've read a bunch of articles saying you're supposed to be asking things like "what were you trying to achieve here?" and so on. Honestly, though, that's not what readers are going to be doing, and it's not what your form rejection letter will say.

If I go around telling people their story is great except for X and Y, aren't they just going to keep screwing up X and Y? I mean, how is stroking someone's ego supposed to help them improve?

I don't care what you were trying to do with X. The point is… whatever it is, it isn't working.

So how do you tell someone they're not even on the right path without completely destroying them? I really don't want to be a prick and crush someone's dreams, and certain things are a matter of personal preference/taste, but there are some things that are simply unacceptable across the board.

What if a story is filled with those things in every aspect of the writing? What do you say?

(I know, most people just don't say anything, but is there an acceptable way to approach this?)

Submitted March 05, 2016 at 08:33AM by JimLanney
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