There are days that are so f'ing depressing where nothing goes right, and you have to wonder why keep trying? Still have a bad headache from the concussion that makes concentrating - and thus work - very difficult, so I'm getting further behind every day. Son's truck died inexplicably on the freeway yesterday, which means more $$$ I can't afford. Oldest is home from college and already making a mockery of house rules, and I'm getting zero backup from my spouse. A noted author I otherwise like has resorted to massive bullying against a principle and innocent character, making the tale difficult to follow because of my intense dislike of bullies getting away with crap (adults bullying, too!). And after years of struggling with how to tell a major tale, i get accused of a stand-in writing it because someone thought it too dark for their tastes. Things like this suck the joy out of life itself.
Why do I even fucking bother? I don't have a good answer (or any answer) right now.
Comments
*hugs*
Please Mister Elrod don't let the ignorant comments of another get you down. I'm a fan and I totally saw your signature through it.
I know who I am, I am me, and I like me ^^
Transgender, Gamer, Little, Princess, Therian and proud :D
You can't always please everyone
As a publisher and editor I try and leave a comment on the stories I read. The author put a whole lot of effort into writing the tale. They deserve a review for their effort. It may not be the rave reviews the author was looking for but it will be an honest review of what I thought. It is what I ask of those who don't like my stories. Put it out there and tell me. I love the critique. Even the ones where they only rave with no meaning or logic. Either way my stories have touched them and stirred their emotions.
I myself have written stories that set the keypad on fire and melted the monitor. They made the worst of those deviant sordid stories off another un named site look like children's tales. I vowed to never let them escape into the wild of the net.
We don't always write in our comfort zone. When pushing the envelope outside our accepted stories, there is the chance we might be a winner or we might not. I know everyone's story is their child. They gave birth to it and watched it grow into the story they shared with others. Although one wants everyone to shower us with praise about what a wonderful child (story) we have. Real life instead of a story doesn't always turn out according to our script.
Whether one is driving, flying, or writing, there are going to be potholes along the way. We can escape and hide in our own novels for only so long before we have to face the real world again. And yes for all the rough spots, there are some really good times too.
Write what you want. Don't expect to please everyone. It is an unattainable goal. If that is your only reason for writing you will never be happy.
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
As a publisher
As a publisher, which I don't know of what you've produced, then you of all people should have known not to question whether he personally wrote the story. To say or imply such, that he allowed someone to hack his work is affront onto his character.
You yourself said it had two strikes against him when he set the story. So therefor your mind had to already be close on how you felt the story was going to go. Elrod had mentioned time after time that the story was going to be dark. Just because he chose not to go into the main character from even the beginning should have been clear. Elrod had been trying different styles and if dark stories were not to your liking than I would say its best you have stayed away, because that third strike was within easy grasp.
Yes I take criticism to heart and so does he but that last statement you made, to me, was uncalled for.
Thoughts
After reading what is bugging you ,it takes this old guy back to when I was growing up & my Dad and I had long sessions of shootin the bull.... He made a point of always letting me know that opinions are like butt holes everybody has one and everyone...and they all stink.. in other words, please your self first and screw the others.... please you first my friend if others gripe, check the gripe out & then do as you want.
and thats my opinion(snicker)please you first
So...
I got nothing motivational or a solution except to say....... except that I really like your writing Elrod.
Here is one of my favorite imgur posts I've come across --- It's not cats or dickbutt. I promise. I hope it helps provide some cheer. None of the messages on the wallpapers are directed at you from me.
Wallpaper - Insane Inspiration
Internet High Fives All Around
Stardraigh
( •_•)>⌐■-■
My Deviantart
(⌐■_■)
You my friend, have great friends
Elrod, I'm positive if your friends could have got their hands on me I would have been tared and feathered. Friends like these don't come easy nor that plentiful. Their kind of friendship has to be earned with time and honest trust.
Your life is blessed. Cherish and nurture them for they will be there with you when those like me show up to deride you. Life can't be wasted if one has cultivated such friends as these.
always
Barb
Chiffon Publishers 1986-2002
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Don't forget to include yourself
In that list of friends. I cherish your feedback and the support you've given me over the years. If Vicky could forgive Anya for a major slight, then I can't stay angry at you for expressing their opinions. Please don't stop helping me with my writing.
Part of my reaction was due to mild depression; When I conked out and got a concussion, i got doctors interested, and now I'm wearing a heart monitor to rule out problems there. It's precautionary, but it makes me feel old and fragile, and contributes to feeling blue. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and end up overreacting. Please forgive me for being so thin-skinned at times.
Imagination is more important than knowledge
A. Einstein
Blame it on PMS, I do
IF Maggie Finson's Fey can have a lightning and thunderstorm PMS moment are we to deny ourselves any less??? Some never get past that PMS visitor no matter how old they get. For some reason whatever, it got hardwired in their brain. The monthly visitor might not be there but the mood swings sure are.
Hon, when someone such as I knocks your months of hard work, you have every right to come back with an attitude. You, and your friends were defending your efforts, your baby. Trust me doll, you and your friends are fluff bunnies when it comes to poison pen retort. I'm not being mean when I say you aren't even in the junior league much less the big league of critiquing someone who trashed your efforts.
It's one of the many reasons I love you and all your friends. You're so honest. You haven't learned the art of deceit and poison pen. You say what you feel rather than going for the kill and blood letting.
You were honest and sincere and you were protecting your hard work. I'm proud of you. I admire your writing skills. Your friends came in to give their honest opinion. I would have been terribly saddened if you and they cared so little you didn't stand up for what you believed was a great story.
You and they were true to yourselves. God knows there is so little of that in this crazy old world anymore.
Elrod and His Wonderful Friends, I think all of you are amazing. Each of you did good. My critique wasn't meant to hurt Elrod or any of you although I obviously did. I would put many of the stories I have read here up against anything the NY Times posts as best seller. But then paper publishing is all politics and has nothing to do with authors who can actually write.
For the record, I think Elrod is a great author. But most of all I cherish him as a friend above all else. I know his life isn't all roses. It is one of the things that makes him a great author. He dives into his stories.
If I ever bad mouth another one of his stories I'm going to turn the computer off and go on a long vacation until the PMS and lightning passes by. And hope none of his friends find me.
always
Barb
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Elrod, belated congrads on a gritty& great tale about Anya ...
* * * * SOME POSSIBLE SPOILERS * * * * *
also explored a lot more about her grandmother's past.
Given the ability of Bikini Beach's magic to massively rewrite someone's entire life history there HAS to be a dark side lurking about. Magic that powerful but essentially neutral must have so called *good* and so called *bad* counterparts.
BTW I got the impression the Wizard's Court is a tad bit embarrassed. IF they had tried Grandmother honestly in the past perhaps the twisted wizards daughter would not have been consumed by thoughts of revenge for a murder that was self defense and would have lived?
Take a break but do continue. There ARE plot threads to tie up. ONE WHOPPER was hinted at before but confirmed publically here, that a certain person IS Anya's... you know.
And beyond that we have lives messed up by Anya when she was being influenced that still need mending if it can be done.
And the poor girl trapped by that weird pendant her father gave him as a boy. We still have no clue about that though maybe now that Grandmother is on good terms with the old clan...?
And so on.
John in Wauwatosa
P.S. Hope all the tests find what is wrong and that you will soon be on the mend.
John in Wauwatosa
True
Its true that there has to be a balance of both good and evil. I'm not saying that for Elrod but that is my belief, nor am I going to try and speak for him. We all have our own ideas on how far each side should progress.
By my own impression I would say that BB is tame in how the magic is used. This is of course by design of its creator and I'm very happy with that as here it could have lost a lot of value if it were to have run amok with no clear set of rules. This isn't to say that authors couldn't write what they wanted it just wouldn't be considered canon.
To me the Wizards counsel is run by a bunch of fools who's only outlook is to look out for themselves. This may not have been so in earlier times, but given the course of past events, if we were able to see them further back we would see that they held themselves back on several occasions. One to me would be fear. Maybe back in medieval times or puritan times. The fear of being identified and used by others for their own purpose. Their weaknesses on how they were captured perhaps. Perhaps there are other reasons, for why would a group of people hole themselves up away from our world with so much power? I could come up with many other questions but for now I don't see the purpose. I don't question Elrod on the reasons as I feel BB is big enough without expanding on an area that we know so little about.
I'm not sure that the clan could help Melody with the problem that she has. There are underlying reasons on why Mel can do some things and I'm just about there on explaining why. There are stories that I'm working on, it's just that I'm a slow writer compared to others. I can conceptualize a story from beginning to end, the problem is expanding it out. Parts are a struggle for me as I can't type or write fast enough on what I'm seeing, feeling or trying envision, to put into words.
I've heard the hints and yes I do have some background on where the pendent came from but... As they say only the father knew and unfortunately he's no longer around. For all intents and purposes the 2nd rewrite of Mel's history prevented her father from obtaining the pendant thus preventing a time continuum problem. But I will give it some serious consideration.
Ibi
Elrod, belated congrads on a gritty& great tale about Anya ...
* * * * SOME POSSIBLE SPOILERS * * * * *
also explored a lot more about her grandmother's past.
Given the ability of Bikini Beach's magic to massively rewrite someone's entire life history there HAS to be a dark side lurking about. Magic that powerful but essentially neutral must have so called *good* and so called *bad* counterparts.
BTW I got the impression the Wizard's Court is a tad bit embarrassed. IF they had tried Grandmother honestly in the past perhaps the twisted wizards daughter would not have been consumed by thoughts of revenge for a murder that was self defense and would have lived?
Take a break but do continue. There ARE plot threads to tie up. ONE WHOPPER was hinted at before but confirmed publically here, that a certain person IS Anya's... you know.
And beyond that we have lives messed up by Anya when she was being influenced that still need mending if it can be done.
And the poor girl trapped by that weird pendant her father gave him as a boy. We still have no clue about that though maybe now that Grandmother is on good terms with the old clan...?
And so on.
John in Wauwatosa
P.S. Hope all the tests find what is wrong and that you will soon be on the mend.
John in Wauwatosa