Building up instead of tearing down
This is a topic that might come across as sensitive, so be forewarned. I will apologize in advance if this offends anyone, because it is not my intent to do so. This is something that came to me late one night that I needed to write down.
Everyone starts out somewhere. Ernest Hemingway didn’t write “The Old Man and the Sea” when he was 7, and I’m sure Margaret Mitchell wrote her share of duds that never saw the light of day before she penned “Gone with the Wind.” Those two names are perhaps two of the greatest authors in American History. Their novels have stood the test of time, are constantly being reprinted, and anyone lucky enough to have a first edition most likely treasures it and busts it out on special occasions when they are showing a newcomer their library.
So, ask yourself this: what if no one stepped forward to encourage them when they first started writing? What if someone got a hold of a little ditty Mr. Hemingway wrote when he was you that he worked very hard on, was proud of, and proceeded to tear it down and make fun of it? What if Margaret Mitchell was rejected from publishing house after publishing house and didn’t have those one or two people to reaffirm her talent and urge her to keep pursuing publication? Would we have those two amazing works of literary art today? Would we have been robbed of the chance to read about the Civil War through Scarlet O’Hara’s eyes? What if no one stepped forward and told either of them “Hey kid, you got some talent?”
The world of fan fiction is vastly different than the classic literature we are all forced to read in High School, but the message is the same: we need to be building up confidence instead of tearing it down. Just because someone’s story isn’t the most perfect grammar you have ever read, or just because there are some inconsistencies, or the characters talk weird, that doesn’t mean the author didn’t put a lot of time and effort into that story. So, what good does it do us or them to make fun of it?
A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, when I was in the 8th grade, one of my best friends’ sister died. It was a very difficult time for her. A year later, I noticed that my friend was still nowhere close to healing from her sister’s death. In my 14 year old mind, I decided that writing a story for her as a tribute to her sister might help out. I spent a lot of time on this story. It wasn’t very long, but it took me about 2 months to write it. I was really proud of it, and in my naivete, I gave it to my friend, hoping she would understand the meaning behind the gesture. She assured me she liked it and thanked me for taking the time to write it. I was really happy that my gift seemed to help…until I overheard her making fun of it an me because it was the “dumbest thing she had ever read,” and she proceeded to talk about how stupid I was for even writing it.
Of course, looking back on it, it was a really dumb story, but at the time I was absolutely heartbroken. I knew the story wasn’t a Pulitzer prize winner and I knew I wasn’t anywhere near a novelist, but I had always enjoyed writing, so I was foolish enough to think that I could parlay that enjoyment of writing into a gesture of goodwill for my friend. I know that the only reason I ever put pen to paper ever again was because of the encouragement I got from my parents, my older peers and my teachers. Now, in the 17 years since this incident, I have written a lot of really, really dumb stories. There are some that I read back over and I cringe. What’s more is that I let other people read them, because there were people out there who encouraged me to do so. They always looked for the good aspects in the writing, and used constructive criticism on the bad.
That isn’t to say it’s not hard when I get a bad review on my fics, because it does sting. But because I had that encouragement when I was first starting to explore my love for writing, I keep plugging away, trying to think of ways to write better.
I have been perusing some various websites looking for fan fiction for series other than Twilight, and what I am noticing is that there isn’t a huge community to support these writers. Those of us who write Twi-fic are very lucky that there are so many stories, so many authors, so many communities for us to immerse ourselves in and get the support we need to keep going. Other fandoms don’t have that, and their writers are considerably younger and more impressionable.
I also realize that there are some people out there who have no desire to learn, and they just want to jot down their thoughts and leave it at that. There is really nothing at all wrong with that, but in the midst of the people who don’t care are the people who are really looking for honest feedback and suggestions on how to get better. So, needless to say, it upsets me when I see a story made fun of just because one person didn’t like their story. That person could be a 14 year old who was trying something out for the first time ever, and was brave enough to post it for the world to see. If we tear that person down instead of encouraging them to keep at it, they might stop writing forever, never exploring how the love writing can enrich their life.
I’m not going to lie, I have made some quips about stories I’ve read that I felt were less than stellar. I’m not saying I’ve been the perfect example, and I’m not going to say that I’ve never made fun of a story. However, my attitude changed when I was reading a somewhat obscure story the other night and it was from a young writer, and it was in their chapter notes that it was the first thing they had ever written, and the writer also asked for help on how they could get better. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great either and my first impression was to scoff…but then I remember my experience several years ago and felt bad that I didn’t read the story with a more open mind. I know how many people have laughed at the stuff I’ve written, but because I have a great support system, and belong to different communities where I can get feedback, constructive criticism, and help developing my skills, I keep at it. If we all looked at the young, new fan fic authors with that same attitude, we could help mentor a new generation of writers instead of discouraging them from writing ever again.
Hey, what can I say? I’m a teach-the-world-to-sing-have-a-coke-and-a-smile kind of girl.
Have a blessed day!
Very insightful piece. I have been writing in some form or another all my life and have personal experience of something then same happening to me, except I was much older than 14.
I had been working very hard on one story I had spent years jotting down ideas for and years writting snippets for, going back to it every so often between other projects. This was my baby. Finally I spent 5 months putting it together and another few editing and reshaping it. I posted chapter one on a website feeling very proud of myself and my baby only to have to ripped apart and mocked by a couple of people. I later found these same people had a very negative response to the quality of their own work but it was too late, the damage had been done. I lost faith in my own ability and gave up writing for a solid year.
It was only through my introduction to fanfiction that I have come back to my love of writing and the encouragement I found in this fandom has been priceless. When I come across young writers I often PM with encouragement and what little advice I feel I can offer. It costs nothing and is always appriciated.
Thanks for your support girls. And truthfully, I am not talking about anything remotely close to what Sarah spoke of before.
My whole point was that A) Other fandoms don’t have the same luxuries that the Twific writers have when it comes to communities that support their work. Just look at TLYDF, ALASL, The Fictionators…all of them are there to help out the Twific writers. And those are just a teeny fraction of the blogs out there created for that purpose. The other fandoms are lucky if they have a community on ff.net and maybe the official website for the books has forums. There isn’t much out there. So, for someone to brave that and post a fic up there when they haven’t been exposed to betas and blogs and a mash of other things to help them before they get started…that is amazing to me.
B) I’m hoping we can embrace some of these new writers and pull them into our community as not a Twific community, but a WRITING community. Share the wealth of knowledge we have gained from being Twific writers and readers.
So, the point I am really trying to make is that, yes it sucks when people make fun of your work, and honestly…stuff like that is always going to happen. But if these new writers have a community to support them, they will learn to brush off the hateful remarks and keep striving to make their creations better.
Sorry, I’m way to wordy. I haven’t a tendency to not puntuate my point. *lol*
Thanks for reading girls!
Yes Kari – IPoN must be finished. I would be heartbroken if it wasn’t…I’m admittedly attached to it. :D
And Sue, I had no idea you were putting this out there and I’m so happy that you did.
As a fanfic writer, I openly welcome constructive criticism, the key word being constructive. I try to keep this in mind when offering advice to others in the way of a review or personal message or when executing my beta duties. The last thing I would ever want to do is make anyone put down the pen.
I will never understand the need for bashing or criticizing just for the sake of criticizing, after all, what purpose does it serve? “Amusement” is the only answer that comes to mind, and really, is it all that amusing to publicly bash someone’s heart and soul?
I really respect your point of view on this. Thanks for braving the possible onslaught and putting it out there.
Susan, I think you’re amazing for writing this. Truly. While it’s true that fanfiction writers are putting their work out their for scrutiny from everyone and anyone, they’re not asking for verbal harassment.
When you’ve poured out your heart and soul into something you’ve written – not to mention your free time that could’ve been devoted to something else – it does shatter your confidence a bit. I’ve gotten a couple of pretty bad flames, and while I generally get over it after a day or two, I usually go into a temporary creative slump in which I have difficulty focusing on anything.
And I start thinking, “Is this little hobby of mine even worth this sort of stress? This is supposed to be about fun. I’m writing for my enjoyment & I’m posting for the enjoyment of readers. Why even bother if I’m just going to get torn down and harassed?” (Yes, I have experienced mild harassment since I started IPoN.)
But ultimately, I have this great support system and friends in the fandom – and these incredible readers who would kill me if I ever dreamed of quitting IPoN, lol. (That would never happen, by the way. I’m far too committed.)
Love ya, woman! Hope you’re having a great week!
-Kari
Sue, this is one of the truest things ever spoken in terms of getting people to develop talents. People who are belittled for their efforts are far less likely to continue to try. Even brilliant artists will give up if they are torn down rather than helped. I was once told I didn’t have any creativity in me so I might as well just not bother trying to create. While it’s true I’m not a creative writer, I have a ton of creativity in me, and I’m always creating, but I think of the years I wasted believing I had no artistic talent, no creative ability, and it quite frankly pisses me off.
I never make nasty comments to authors about their work. Even when it was my job to critiique works of fiction for publication, I found ways to do so that weren’t hateful or negative. I tried to help authors build themselves and continue to learn. How horrible a person would I have been if I had read They Tell Me of a Home and ripped apart the bad spelling instead of seeing the amazing writing underneath? Daniel might not have gone on to be published by St. Martin’s Press (third book is out this month, y’all – seriously excellent writing!!). There are so many ways to encourage early writers, while still being honest about the weaknesses they need to work on, that don’t crush them.
I think we need to be careful not to hurt people’s feelings when they’re not hurting ours. We need to remember that when an author puts a story out for others to read, they are putting a piece of their souls up for the world to see, and there is never an excuse to harm another’s soul simply for sharing. Excellent points made!!