[quote=@NorthernKraken]
[color=fff200]I admit, I may have been overly harsh. But I stand by what I said in my review. I apologise for the fact that I may have gotten overly personal, [/color]
[/quote]

So that's the case, I apologize for having to defend myself in such a combative manner. (For lack of a better term.)

[quote=@NorthernKraken]
[color=fff200]but I think instead of shouting back in turn, it would be more helpful to consider the reasons why. In all honesty, I (and others I've spoken to) found the tone you took in your reviews to be a little arrogant. For one, the [i]extensive[/i] rewrites of other people's work were somewhat offensive and incredibly unhelpful. [/color]
[/quote]

Instead of pointing out the mistakes, I should have considered why you made them? It doesn't really matter why you made those assessments of how I think in a review. It was unwarranted. I did not do the same to anyone else.

How is providing potential writing alternatives offensive as a fellow writer and reviewer? It's only offensive if you entirely ignore my context and aim. I explain why I do most of my edits, if you disagree, all that needs to be done is a shrug. I'll never be offended at someone that edits my work. I'll simply agree or disagree, like the writing process is suppose to be. You don't think publishing a novel is like this? The editor will tell you to cut a thousand words and if you've never had someone give you the advice to make contractions, you might literally have no idea where to start.

And again, you can say that and I can't really tell you if you're right or wrong. Because you don't explain what isn't helpful or not about them...

If I simply said "I don't like this." or "I did like this." does that actually help anyone either? Or is it a shallow pat on the head/knife in the back? (Depending on strong said opinion is.)

[quote=@NorthernKraken]
[color=fff200]Also from what I saw, you bassically applied paint stripper to anything that made the peices interesting or unique. 'Fluff' and 'padding' are often deliberate stylistic choices, oftentimes they make up elements of voice. [/color]
[/quote]

But notice how that "unique voice" is done by literally everyone, and all the time. It's a writing crutch to me. Like using 'very' in any sentence. Almost everything I did removed legitimate errors and make people stay consistent with using contractions. If people didn't like what I did, all they needed to do is what Callie did, and I will reply in kind in return. 

I never consider my review "the end all be all". I always expect a reply on my positives or negatives. Just like I know, none of my (or anyone's) stories will ever be perfect. Reviews are precisely the same thing. Sometimes I'll be wrong and make mistakes. I can't implore people enough to show me which edits were actually vital to the stories intentions. So I can learn where I went wrong and if it's actually clever writing, I have one more tool in the trade.

[quote=@NorthernKraken]
[color=fff200]Anyway, moving on.

when discussing censorship, I think it's worth remembering that free speech goes both ways, and doesn't make you immune to criticism. I strongly dislike your story, and I feel like the themes contained within were deeply unsettling, but I would absolutely fight for your right to post it. As an individual, not a government, I don't have the ability to censor [i]anyone[/i]. [/color]
[/quote]

I've never claimed I am immune from criticism. Not in that review, nor anywhere ever. I'm the rare person that will thank you if you point out a mistake in my writing and actually correct it almost immediately if it applies.

But yes the themes were supposed to be unsettling...that's kind of whole thing about censorship. But I don't want to get too deep into it.

[quote=@NorthernKraken]
[color=fff200]Another note, a 'failed' rape is still a sexual assault. It is still traumatising, and it is still illegal.[/color]
[/quote]

But that doesn't really change anything I mentioned.

1. Should a writer be allowed to touch upon those subjects? If not, why not? Why is murder any less unsettling (or legal) than someone being shoved into the ground? (I don't think double standards should dictate what I can and can't write.)

2. Does my story correctly portray the act and character doing the act as vile? Do they get punished? And it is important to my story? (Yes, yes and yes.)

[quote=@NorthernKraken]
[color=fff200]I honestly don't have the time or energy to waste addressing each and every point you make, but I think you would benefit from remembering that your work doesn't exist in a vacuum. [/color]
[/quote]

That's a shame. Because if I felt that strongly that someone screwed up. I'd take the time. And again, I'm not dumb. I know its a touchy subject. Oddly, when you originally told me my review made you feel like it was even worse than my story. I say "it almost feels sleazy to use this plot point" but it is important to the story and relevant to my aim. I'm not unaware of the double standard that a naked chest is censored on television, but not if its heads been chopped off.

I simply don't agree that anything should be off limits. And I did attempt to make it as minimally graphic as possible. I don't sexualize it. Even if the MC may or may not be crushing on her. She's literally still fully clothed and I don't dwell on the scene any longer than I have to.

[quote=@NorthernKraken]
[color=fff200]Inaccurate portrayals of 'insanity' and 'madness' can and do reinforce real world stigmas against mental illness and disability in general.[/color]
[/quote]

I don't make any ties to any real disorder. It's symbolic. I explain that and frankly I don't need to for the average reader to clue in that something's a miss. "Phantom Vision" isn't a real illness to portray. And fiction has mad characters in them. Half the stories here do. And you didn't seem to mind about those ones killing people. So why exactly?

[quote=@NorthernKraken]
[color=fff200]Ideas surrounding female 'purity' and the 'sanctity of virginity' can and do have incredibly harmful effects on sexual assault survivors - both in how they treat themselves, and how they are treated by the world around them. [/color]
[/quote]

If we pretended the rules of my story supported advocations of anything, those criminals would be losing a few inches. I'm not exactly watering anything down here.

And again, it's a story in older times where this thing was much more likely to occur, and the actual feelings portrayed in the story about the expressed symbolism are made by the character himself.

[quote=@NorthernKraken]
[color=fff200]If I sound preachy, it's because I am being. These are issues that are incredibly close to my heart for various reasons I don't particularly want to get into here. If you're going to be discussing these issues in your work, I strongly suggest investing a little time into researching ways you can do so without perpetuating harmful stigmas. [/color]
[/quote]

I don't necessarily mind the preaching. But the presumption that I don't already do research on topics of any kind. I have. And any harmful stigmas you attribute to the story was committed was by the fictional character. Not me.