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Post by Ximena on Sept 17, 2012 17:48:53 GMT -5
It cuts off. All I see is the title. It was fine earlier today, that's why I thought maybe you'd taken it down. I know Tab couldn't see it either.
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Post by Lee on Sept 17, 2012 18:34:53 GMT -5
OK, I am late to the game on this one. Just got home from work.
I actually reinstated anon commenting when I got home, because I thought authors wouldn't like eliminating anonymous commenting. For example, I am looking at Ruth's last story, and more than half of the comments she got were from anonymous commenters, all very very positive. Would those people have created an account just to write a comment on her story? Likely not.
As far as I know, this is the first troll we've had on the stories board. There have been some negative comments in the past, but I think they've always been respectful and constructive. So my instinct is to keep things the way they are.
Alternately, I can make a setting to approve all comments, which will eliminating trolling as well. But then you'll have to wait till I'm around to approve. I can probably manage to log in once a day.
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Post by Inigo Montoya on Sept 17, 2012 19:43:45 GMT -5
I was like Emma. I saw this thread earlier on my phone and was confused. I had noticed some of the comments had gotten snarky but missed the all out flaming/trolling.
I think that is horribly unfortunate. I do appreciate the work all our authors do. They put a lot of themselves and their time into it. It sucks that some people use anonymity to be asses to people who are doing positive things.
Thanks for your work, authors and mods, I appreciate all you do.
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Post by janewheeler on Sept 17, 2012 20:38:03 GMT -5
I want to encourage all of the writers, regardless of whether their story is my cup of tea. Sean, if you're reading this, I am not a vampire kinda gal, but I was kind of tickled just wondering how you would make things work! I hope you're not discouraged. I think every story has something that other readers and writers can learn from, whether it's a nugget that we enjoy or a scenario that we want to avoid. But most of all, encouraging other authors means that I and everyone else (selfishly) have more to read, and that's good for everybody  |
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Post by Ximena on Sept 17, 2012 20:39:45 GMT -5
I want to encourage all of the writers, regardless of whether their story is my cup of tea. Sean, if you're reading this, I am not a vampire kinda gal, but I was kind of tickled just wondering how you would make things work! I hope you're not discouraged. I think every story has something that other readers and writers can learn from, whether it's a nugget that we enjoy or a scenario that we want to avoid. But most of all, encouraging other authors means that I and everyone else (selfishly) have more to read, and that's good for everybody +1 |
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Post by Inigo Montoya on Sept 17, 2012 20:57:47 GMT -5
A Vampire story??? How fun would that be?!? I'm bummed that I missed it entirely. Damned trolls.  |
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tuna
Full Member
Posts: 217
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Post by tuna on Sept 17, 2012 22:47:08 GMT -5
Hey guys, I haven't been coming to the site much but I have been following the blog quite religiously. What I want to ask you guys is, is there any particular way to get in touch with a particular author? only, I would really love to write to "ei manushe", if possible. We are from the same part of the world and I just love what she's done with the writing. can anyone tell me if I can find her here somewhere. If she is willing to be found that is.
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Post by janewheeler on Sept 17, 2012 23:53:33 GMT -5
She's emailed me with the address xxxxxxxx. (Doesn't sound particularly secret, so I'm posting it publicly.)
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tuna
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Posts: 217
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Post by tuna on Sept 18, 2012 3:33:30 GMT -5
Thanks Jane  |
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Post by Pisti on Sept 18, 2012 4:43:57 GMT -5
A Vampire story??? How fun would that be?!? I'm bummed that I missed it entirely. Damned trolls. It was indeed quite promising. I hope Sean will post it again. |
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Post by Ximena on Sept 18, 2012 6:15:41 GMT -5
A Vampire story??? How fun would that be?!? I'm bummed that I missed it entirely. Damned trolls. It was indeed quite promising. I hope Sean will post it again. Agreed! |
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tuna
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Post by tuna on Sept 18, 2012 22:16:51 GMT -5
A few words on the recent incident at the blog: I am going to play the Devil's advocate but please understand that this is NOT to say that I condone trolling; however, being rejected is part of a writer's job. As a professional writer, I get rejected everyday. Every single day I am judged on my writing style, on my intelligence, on my level of knowledge, on my ability to frame things.... and there are days I feel quite despondent. But its just what one "should" expect when one starts to write. If I were touchy or sensitive about my writing, I should have kept it to my journal, even self-publishing in blogs or other such non-professional platforms does mean that you are inviting the public's adulation, indifference, scorn, meanness, judgement or praise. You just gotta take it, and keep writing. I am sorry, but if any one really started writing seriously, there is nothing that will protect you, no mods or no friends in the outer world. it gets you down, but then the rewards are also great. please remember that there will always be more people who like your stuff than there are the ones who dont. and even if that doesnt happen, you just gotta chinup and write if thats what you think you want to do. so a big thump on Elenore's back, you did the brave thing, and Sean if you are reading this, just take it like a man okay? some of the greatest writers of all humanity had to hear stuff far worse than what was dished out to you I am guessing, and from more erudite and powerful trolls Hope you guys dont hate me for saying this, but it resonates with my life on a day to day basis.. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2012 3:36:03 GMT -5
Hi Tuna,
I would like to address some of the point you raised, and I am glad you raised them as it did make me think and that is always a good thing.
Firstly, and I would say most importantly, you say that as a PROFESSIONAL writer to are faced with rejection and negativity. The point of the site, to me, is that the writers on the whole are HOBBIESTS. They like to kick off their workaday cloaks and disappear into worlds they imagine in order to relax, to stretch themselves creatively (away from tedious business report writing) and have fun. I for one really appreciate the mix of stories that appear here, some from people with a professional writing connection but also from your ordinary Joe, giving it a shot. To publish on this site is a huge step for most people. And for some, I believe, it is probably too huge a step and they keep silent but are sitting on some fantastic stories. This is a free site to access, the writers do not get paid, their stories are there just for the readers benefit, they don’t really get anything from it so to be slapped in the face it harsh and uncalled for and just made the anon person look a prick. This should be a safe place to post a story, it should be an enjoyable experience and not just a forum for elitist. How are you ever going to get better if you cannot get your stories out there for positive/ constructively negative feedback.
Secondly, suck it up and take it like a man seems a bit harsh. To be honest he did, he responded in like through the posts and after been trashed by that person, probably felt embarrassed and took down his story. I really don’t blame him.
Thirdly, comments like Sean received, and I did read most of them, were belittling full of smugness of someone who, I assume, is a well-practised writer and happily pointed out that the stories flaws without giving any advice as to how to improve the story. As someone who enjoys writing also, I treasure all the comments on all the stories so that I gain insight how to improve my own writing and that one did not help in the least. If there was bad grammar then they should have stated where and how it should have been done, perhaps offer to help through the private messaging area or if they were that disappointed, why not just stop reading the story?
There are some fantastic people on here like Jane Wheeler and Ximena that have offered time and time again to help any newbies. They are straight talking, which is what you need but they offer solutions and not just problems. Whoever that person was, if they weren’t just a Troll and to be honest I don’t think that they were, they should take note and put their observations to good use and not just grumble.
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tuna
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Post by tuna on Sept 19, 2012 6:45:44 GMT -5
Hi Tabby Cat, Thanks for taking the time to engage. First of all, I have nothing to offer re what you say about Trolls and the person who attacked Sean in the blog. What motivates a troll is not my look out, besides its not as though I am trying to say that writers deserve to be attacked, I am just saying that unpleasantly, this does happen, in all forms of writing and my concern is what we ( I am including myself, since I am also trying to speak for myself here as a writer though I haven't written for the blog as yet) as writers should do in such situations. Not only in the practicals but also in the emotionals. To your first point, that no one is doing this for money-- yes, I agree. I don't get paid for the majority of what I write, but I do get criticised, believe me . To say that someone is a professional writer is not (only) or literally to say that he/she earns money through it, but to actually say that the person takes writing seriously. and to me, any person who has the persistence, idea and energy to see a story to its end, sometimes through multiple episodes is a "writer". Its a lot of hard work, so I am sorry I cannot think that people do it just for "fun"; it requires commitment and motivation as I am sure each one of our writers on the blog who have started a story and seen it through to its logical conclusion, have. Anyhow, that wasn't the point; I was saying that making your story available in any form whatsoever, in blogs, myspace, facebook, or even lending it to a friend to read-- actually does qualify as public, in varying degrees, but still public. And once your writing is out of the pages of your journal or the files on your computer, you just have to take what you get and still keep doing what you do. I apologize if take it like a man sounds too harsh. its something I would have said to myself or any of my writer friends who frequently go through this shit. It was meant in good faith. Re-reading your post makes me a little concerned; I hope I have been able to communicate that I am not advocating for Trolls here, I am only trying to say that its important to keep one's conviction in the face of adversity. Its a pretty old truism. And writers need it the most, to be a writer is always to be insecure. It seems to me that I have been given a slice of a diatribe which would have benefited a Troll. But I am going to take my own advice |
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Post by Lee on Sept 19, 2012 6:54:43 GMT -5
I think that both Tuna and Tabby have good points. Writers DO have to deal with negative comments and they should be able to deal with that. But the difference here is that nobody would put what that anonymous commenter said in a review. It was essentially a personal attack.
Negative comments will be allowed. Comments that are rude or mocking will not. In the past, there have been writers with grammar issues, and commenters have managed to point this out to them gently, without resorting to the kind of language that was used in the comments on Sean's story.
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