A little about my writing.
I just thought it would be helpful to talk to some of the newcomers about my point of view in writing. Yes, I am Muslim, and was fairly heavily emersed in that culture until just recently. So, my understanding of the cultures is somewhat better than some. I have no Military experience in the Middle East. Mine was during the Vietnam war and I was a non combatant. Yes, I was Military Police for 3 years … It’s complicated.
No, I do not intend to try to convert anyone to Islam. I was Christian for over 30 years, but when they tumbled to my being Transgendered, they could not get rid of me fast enough. No, I am not as bitter about it as I was, we all have our struggles. Merry Christmas.
My characters need to be more real, more emotional, and touchy feely and I am working on that very hard. It is tough to write about violent situations, yet not be so explicit that I re-traumatise those who have lived through the really bad stuff. Also, it is hard for me to write about really violent domestic situations because I am expert on that and do not want to re-injure myself.
I am American and have lived most of my life in Oregon, USA. I’ve had a lot of friends from the UK and recently just decided to write “UK Englisher” and as a matter of fact my word processor is set for UK English. Why did I do this? I have no idea but I am having fun! LOL So, if any of you UK folk decide I have something wrong, please be gentle with me. I do try to accept correction gracefully.
So, if there are any out there who feel the need to um “correct” my work after I publish it, please keep in mind the above. My writing is quirky and I likes it! There is a UK author who believes I may be queen of the “messed up metaphor“, or goddess of the “split idiom”. Rest assured, I do this on purpose, so those of you who are tied at the naval to the academic method of writing, please just keep your hands off.
There are several of my stories that are not complete, but my situation is now much better in terms of writing atmosphere. You know, cosy corner, spicy tea, comfortable chair, good keyboard, and a nurturing residential situation, so there is much more incentive to create.
My plan is to, Inshallah, finish “Lt Katia” in 2-4 chapters, and then by special “demand” J go back and write a suitable conclusion to “Ms Frankenstein”. After that, I plan to suitably conclude “Changed By Aliens”. I have a post destructionist piece that has been gathering dust since the early 90’s, and then there is a very fun Space Opera that I’d like to publish.
Yes, I have been sitting here trying to gather my creative wits about myself so I can finish Ch3 of “Lt Katia”, hopefully to be published by Tuesday. I feel like a suitably Corseted Victorian woman gathering her skirts about herself in preparation to wade a nearly frozen creek.
Much peace
Khadijah
Comments
I like the imagery...
...'suitably' corseted sounds so nice on a Sunday afternoon, yes? I'm glad for the tapestry of culture and faith you have woven for your story, by the way. It lends itself well to giving us a glimpse into Lt. Katia's adventure. Thanks for writing, dear Khadijah.
Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena
Love, Andrea Lena
Is that Naval like in Naval Academy
Or the other navel? There is nothing wrong with comments that are
negative as long as they are constructive. You want to publish we
are the audience. My current story is BWANA and I have a story on
Fictioneer called "The Bandits Lair." It's not on BCTS because I
do not feel it is what is being done on BCTS. But I do have a blog
telling people where it is at. I ask for comments and I get very few.
I would like constructive criticism to help improve what I do but do
not get it. My stories are full of errors but I get very few comments.
Perhaps people click them on, do not read them, and move on. If you
have stories that are being commented on you should be happy they are
being read. Comments in my stories are so low I do not plan to post any
stories on BCST but just blog a reference to where it can be read.
My story BWANA has five comments. Two are mine and I asked one person
for his opinion. So in reality a story that has over a thousand hits
has only two comments. I would remove the story from BCTS but one
author has done me the honor of putting me under their best story list.
Good or bad comments should be ok. You are not trying to make people
happy but get a response. There is nothing worse than no response.
I am quite sorry for your pain.
I will make it a point to look up your work and to comment on it. I usually try to be gentle, unless someone really pisses me off and then I have to worry about one of the Mums around here, um "Mumming" me.
I have had a few, mostly kind comments on almost all my stories but I am also not the most prestigous writers here. No you will never see my star on the sidewalk in "Twannyhood", LOL.
Much peace
Khadijah
The Point
I was trying to make is that a comment good or bad
is always good. It provides you with feed back.
And the whole point if your new at writing is to
get feedback. It is the only way you will improve
your skill.
This Blog Is NOT about Comments
While I must belatedly admit that comments feel very nice, my mind set at the beginning was that I write for my own pleasure. Bitching at those who do not comment will not increase the comments.
If you look at my stories, while they are not literary master pieces, they are from my heart, and for some readers they do not fit the profile. If you analise the most popular stories, there seems to be comonalities there, though I have not spent a lot of time thinking about them.
Loosely, they are generally about a boy between 9 and 16, turning to a girl. The ones where they are attending normal schools have been popular. I am not sure where this "ret-con" push came from, but those stories seem to be popular, though I doubt that I will write one; just not my cuppa tea.
I used to like Corsetting TG stories, with a nice stern Governess, though I don't do much with sex appliances.
You see, each of us has our own interests and if we choose to write something that is not within the realm of those interests, then we the writers must bear the consequences.
Much peace
Khadijah
You have to realise...
...that most people don't feel qualified to comment. Then too, we're a consumer society, and expect to be entertained with no effort on our own part other than twitching our thumbs on the remote controls. Typing out a note can be exhausting.
When's the last time any of us wrote to the author of a novel we read, a film we've gone to see, or a show we saw on the telly? Should we thank every actor individually? Do we?
I suspect not.
Our institutional gratitude is so stunted these days that one sees the credits -- a film company's formal "thank you" to most of the people who worked on a given show -- reduced to a miniature box so the owners of the station can run profitable ads or self-serving internal blurbs whilst the credits roll as an indecipherable high-speed blur.
I strongly suspect that the general level of interaction in this forum is close to infinitely more than that experienced by most authors in the "real world."
I myself have written to authors, musicians, and others and have seen them express their astonishment that anyone bothered at all, although most authors and people in the public eye have websites that make interaction fairly easy in this modern era.
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
I actually have tried to write a book Author
Andre Norton was one and Elisabeth Haydon was the other. It was extremely hard to get any contact information at all.
Much peace
Khadijah
For most authors...
...even those without websites, you can send a letter in care of their publisher. The publisher will send it on, but if the author is hugely popular, you may be shunted off to a flunky.
Usually *someone* replies, though. One of the last notes I sent off invited an author to contribute to a trade magazine. I received a note from her assistant apologising for the fact that the author had a lot of demands on her time, and would be unable to contribute, but thanks so much for asking.
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Well said
I don't have huge numbers of readers. I could say I don't care, but that woule be slightly untrue. The real answer would be 'I don't care that much', as I write largelyfor myself. What I do care for are the soft core of regular readers and commentators (yes, you, Ms ex-Gwen, and Bev, and others) who stir me to keep trying to produce something not only readable but meaningful. I have things I want, I need, to say, but sometimes I find myself stuttering and stammering as I try to get it out. A good comment can clarify that notion, ease its birth, and make me feel sweetly wanted.
Brill Khadijah
Keep it up 'gurl' I like your Sci-fi stuff.
I'll Skype yuh when yuh get back from Iowa.
Love and hugs,
Merry Chrimbo.
Bev.
XXXXX
Growing old disgracefully.
Bev, the crisis seems to have eased.
So, we will likely not be leaving until early Tuesday AM. I have a luverly pic of the ice on Lake Erie, with my disobedient room mate standing where she ought not! I knew not to scold her, as she would only step out further on the ice. And if I went to switch her, she'd likely just take it from me and give me a good hiding. :)
I'll be on another couple hours.
Much peace
Khadijah