Comments on: Building up instead of tearing down http://myvampfiction.com/2010/03/building-up-instead-of-tearing-down/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alitriona http://myvampfiction.com/2010/03/building-up-instead-of-tearing-down/comment-page-1/#comment-435 Alitriona Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:55:38 +0000 http://myvampfiction.com/?p=1625#comment-435 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. 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.

]]> By: SusanAshlea http://myvampfiction.com/2010/03/building-up-instead-of-tearing-down/comment-page-1/#comment-433 SusanAshlea Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:16:07 +0000 http://myvampfiction.com/?p=1625#comment-433 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! 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!

]]> By: Jules http://myvampfiction.com/2010/03/building-up-instead-of-tearing-down/comment-page-1/#comment-429 Jules Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:34:15 +0000 http://myvampfiction.com/?p=1625#comment-429 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. 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.

]]> By: KariAnn http://myvampfiction.com/2010/03/building-up-instead-of-tearing-down/comment-page-1/#comment-426 KariAnn Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:44:08 +0000 http://myvampfiction.com/?p=1625#comment-426 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 <i>does</i> 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 <i>anything</i>. 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 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

]]> By: Meesh http://myvampfiction.com/2010/03/building-up-instead-of-tearing-down/comment-page-1/#comment-423 Meesh Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:24:00 +0000 http://myvampfiction.com/?p=1625#comment-423 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!! 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!!

]]>