If I've overstepped my bounds, then I ask that the admins unpublish this, no questions asked, no hard feelings. I feel like this needs to be stated, though.
I'll keep it simple. All I ever wanted from this community is mutual respect. That's it. You don't have to like what I write, or the style in which I write it. You don't have to comment or read it. But please, please be respectful of each other.
If you don't like something, or you don't see what you like, then contribute by writing, or if you feel you have no talent for it, like I have none with short stories, then ask that writers consider writing shorter pieces. Challenge us!
I made a comment earlier that every time I get yelled at for not writing the way someone wants me to write, I have to take a step back. I never said I'd leave over it, but I have to evaluate if it's something I've done, or if the person in question is just being an ass.
For the last year and a half I've watched people complain about, and have been the target of personal attacks for, writing something they didn't like, and I'm tired of it, be it blogging too much, or more recently things like commenting too much or the Superverses.
I love this community, and I want to see it remain a positive environment. If you care about the site's integrity, and don't want to see it degrade into a shite hole where no new stories are ever posted, then please, just have respect for others.
That's all I ask, and I believe that's all Erin asks, but I won't pretend to speak for her or the admins. In the end their word is law and I could be totally off-base, but this is what originally drew me in and made me make my first post, and I'd like to think that's what draws future authors in as well.
Comments
Respect
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Really
agreeing with you Zoe. There's been a bit too much whining sometimes and sometimes it can become a communal bitch session and those can get out of hand and turn into drama. I've had a few "Attacks" by a few people here in the form of critiques and writing style. I blocked them unfortunately because I would have rather not but the last thing I wanted starting out was getting hits from the grammar and punctuation trolls oh and a you can't post like that you newbie troll. The sites awesome and there are a few people on here who still try to ruin it for the rest of us by being "Constructive."
I love your writing. I like Robynn and I like your intent to try to bring her story along as she grows up. I'm not a kid story fan usually but I like a few of them your's is to me neck and neck in a 4 way tie with Dreaming of cheers, A new style of education, and princess and the plague if the age group is a genre then you're one of the best.
Keep writing, I am there's a few people that comment that really keep my going. Just hearing from them that they like and even understand the stuff coming out of my brain just cheers me up. I've even made some awesome friends through it.
Let's not let the trolls win.
Bailey Summers
Respect and Balance
Zoe,
We all struggle with this, some more, some less. A single comment, at the wrong time, can weigh more heavily than a dozen kind and supportive remarks for the very same chapter(and yes I enjoy writing serials :) ).
At the same time the very freedom that Erin allows us to be ourselves often comes across to others as sometimes harsh when we didn't mean anything hurtful. I guess that is the difficulty of trying to deal with emotional issues and fantasies and other very personal stuff using only the written word, something that was originally invented to allow governments to keep track of taxes.
Is there a magic answer? No, too many humans involved. :)
But the vast majority of us try, and the occasional gentle reminder never goes amiss. Of course if that doesn't work then Erin generally adopts her firm voice to tell us 'Settle down, all of you!'
Persephone
Persephone
Non sum qualis eram
That's true. I know I
That's true. I know I struggle with not letting what I say get misinterpreted. The last thing I want is to have people upset with me, online or offline.
I tend to try to avoid commenting on hot issues that come up because of that, because I hate having people upset with me. I feel like, unless the other person is just completely irrational (which is incredibly rare), that it reflects badly on me.
That's why I say that if someone has a complaint about something, they should instead try to encourage rather than just posting a blanket statement decrying whatever it is they're upset about. You really do catch more flies with honey (Although I never knew why anyone would want to catch flies anyway ;-))
Err... Sorry. I completely forgot where I was going with this. It is so bloody hot today. Intrinsically though (I hope that's the right word) I think I agree with you, somewhere in that mass of rambling sentences I just typed. :-D
I'll try it again when I've gotten cooled off a bit - maybe a cold shower or two. Hate summer.
Thank you
Thank you for saying this! Unfortunately, I see too much of this happening lately, and it's one (but only one) of the reasons I've slowed my comments to almost nothing. I'm afraid that, in trying to comment myself, I'll manage to say something that combines unintentionally with the >ever< so "helpful", ever so >invidious< criticism (and outright vileness!) that some people feel the need to inflict on others for no good end. Combined with a lack of time to spend considering each and every comment to the degree that that warrants (one of the other reasons), I fear that I might end up hurting someone else unintentionally.
I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT!!
Better to bite my tongue clean off than that. Discretion is the better part of valor, and the first step forward on any path to wisdom. Thank you for so eloquently voicing that feeling!
And in the fwiw, I really like your stories! ^__^
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"