 The last couple days have been rough. I'll try to explain best I can without spewing out my own vitriolic diatribe. I felt wronged. I felt the need to defend myself. And then I found myself in a corner, feeling attacked on many sides even though there were many in that corner with me. Sometimes people open their mouths before they know the whole story, sometimes I think people just don't get the conflict, and sometimes people just disagree with you, or are defending the people in their own corner. I felt on the ropes. My writing was being attacked, and you know what? I'm a writer, it happens, I may bitch a little, I may get down, but I don't get sour grapes. I know not everyone is going to like what I write. But it wasn't just that my writing was disliked. I also felt like I was mistreated, then, in my opinion, and others would say different, I feel like my character was attacked and my dedication to my craft was attacked. This angsty, emotionally driven person has a hard time just letting it roll off her. So she speaks her mind. She tries to stop herself, but sometimes fails. I don't feel bad for defending myself, because I feel like I was right in doing so and believed in what I was saying. I just don't like how far it went. You may judge my writing, but you may not judge me or my journeys if you don't know me. That is the last time I will speak of this. Sorry if I sound like a lunatic. I promise, I'll be more "normal" (normal for me anyway) tomorrow. Hey, don't forget to check out the Write Hope auction, there are some really great donations to bid on, money going to Save the Children Emergency Fund. Thanks for listening to my rant. ~Megan |
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Thought Provoking Thursday: Angst
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People are mean, and internet only makes them meaner because they can wield their (often very blunt) instruments from a place of safety. They won't separate the art from the artist most of the time. When something sucks, the purveyor also sucks. Since words are our resume, we're forced to reckon with the widely-held notion (that I think all of us have) that writing we deem unpolished or unrefined is indicative of an uneducated or inexperienced writer.
ReplyDeletePeople in any form of entertainment have to take a lot of hits to their pride and egos, and when the public is displeased, the knives come out and things often turn bloody. We see it in every industry. And often the criticism goes beyond the product itself. I've seen professional reviewers wonder aloud whether a certain director is on drugs or was dropped on his head as a baby and therefore has no instinct for story, editing or visuals. People will ask whether a writer actually knows English or maybe performed sexual favors for his or her editor. We see actors and actresses belittled for exploits in their personal lives and then allow that to reflect somehow on their talent. It doesn't matter that Tom Cruise is generally an entertaining guy in his films (at least in my opinion), because he's "fucking crazy for jumping on a couch and being a Scientologist." lol
We pour everything into our art, yes, but when we offer it up to the world as a trade, what we're essentially doing is putting a big "Kick Me" sign on our backs, and some people are going to kick hard. And because those people invested their time and/or money into us, our art now belongs to them, and we can only stand idly by and watch the massacre. And if we fight them, they'll only hunger more for our blood.
When I edit, I often try to cradle my criticisms in softer, gentler language. I don't want to kill spirits, but I don't want to coddle. I want to empower. I want people to see what they're capable of and then believe they can grab it. It's a tough line to walk and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Often a harsh editor or reviewer just wants to drill a hole in a writer's skull and pour the wisdom in, but it never really works that way.
That reviewer was perhaps a little too blunt, but I've seen much, much worse, and you probably will once Never Eighteen is released like so much chum in shark-infested waters. At the very least, this serves as a good thing to cut your teeth on before the real fun begins next year.
But couched inside of every one of the slings and arrows people will toss at you is an opportunity to prove them wrong by rising above their cheap shots. If they say you're immature or have no grasp of grammar and voice, worker harder (through your books) to show them that you are not what they say you are. It may not win them over, but it will make those who already like your work even happier. And you might even win over a few converts along the way. They will see someone who busts her ass and only keeps getting better and better. They will see an evolution from a newbie to a seasoned pro. We all like that.
I can't stand the movies of Michael Bay. I think James Patterson, Dean Koontz, and Nicholas Sparks are some of my least favorite writers working today, and I can't account for their success. But all of those names I just mentioned are wildly successful in spite of my little opinion. They just aren't speaking to me, I guess, and that's okay. But heck, all of them have done at least one thing that made me sit up and take notice and go, "You know, I'm so not a fan and I never will be, but this...this isn't half bad." And I think they'd probably consider that a victory.
At any rate, keep moving, head held high. Keep doing your thing. You may do something someday that will surprise even your most hardened critics. :)
Thanks Allison. I can see why you wouldn't want to have written that twice. LOL. As a writer of course I expect that people will dislike and even hate my work. I will take that when it comes hopefully with grace and dignity. What bothered me so much about this was that this person was reviewing in a contest. What's more, he mistook me for a teenager (which I took as a compliment on my voice) then continued to say I did not have a grasp on the English languagem, my entry should not be considered a book, and I should not be considered an author.
ReplyDeleteAs a forty *cough* something woman, I can take that, after screaming and cussing, and maybe even crying for a few minutes. Had I been that teenage girl he/she thought I was, I might consider never writing again.
Amazon said (in a private email to me) that they're reviewers are supposed to be constructive and helpful, neither of which this person was.
So there's that. If they do something about it, great, if they don't, fine. I probably won't enter again (I'm hoping I won't have to) but I would hope that no one entering the contest in the future would have to deal with that kind of nasty review.
Thanks for your words. You rock.
Just keep writing and put this behind you.
ReplyDeleteI can be riled up for hours and days after a run-in with this type of person.
I do my best to avoid emotional, dramatic people. I used to have a few so-called friends like them, and they were draining. I also avoid co-workers who act that way. I don't want to always be on the edge, listening to that type of person or being in a position to defend myself. I don't deserve the constant stress on top of all that I have to do.
I was once in a crit group years ago that was a joke, and some of the members were rude (mainly because they hated YA). I left, joined a kidlit group, and have been better off ever since. I barely think of the old crit group anymore. They weren't even working towards publication, but were hanging out and acting like critics. I didn't even take them seriously when they attacked my writing. They even looked upset that I wasn't feeding their trolliness. Because they thrive on people's reactions.
Thanks for sharing Medeia. I definitely try to surround myself with positive influences, but the sour apples always come out of the woodwork every so often. I'm glad you found a good group to work with. Negativity is not fun.
ReplyDeleteOh, Megan, I completely hear you on this. People really can go overboard. I agree that people should make a point of keeping our work separated from us, but not everyone is so enlightened.
ReplyDeleteI'm really sorry both for the original abuse of this, AND for the fact that nobody could stop beating the horse after it was long dead.
And they're still beating it. Can't even go there right now.
ReplyDelete