RESPONSE
"Well, I think some of the older or veteran members on here are just a little jaded. A lot of people who post on this site are young, and whether they write things like poetry or short stories, novels, etc, they don't really understand the kind of sacrifice that is necessary to become at the least decent, let alone great at what you do. I will admit when I first came to this site my 'work' was pretty much worthless. I became interested in becoming a writer because of videogames. A Japanese role playing series called Final Fantasy captivated my imagination, and so I wanted to emulate that kind of aura with my own work. But when I started out, I was not reading, say, fantasy novels. Or anything else for that matter. It took me a bit of time to make the mental link that I did, but now I read more than I play videogames, and have been doing so for a good year and a half. I also don't watch any tv, just movies and sports. I still have a few achilles heels for instance. I'm not very disciplined when it comes to writing (ie I don't write everyday, not by a longshot), and I'm not a voracious reader (mainly because I read in voice, as it takes me at least 3 hours to read a hundred pages). But I think this is one of the problems with a lot of young people on this site, they don't really understand the sacrifice that is necessary to become good at what you do. And even if you become good, even then, the chances of becoming published are pretty slim. This place used to be very different though. It was very easy to find reviews and constructive criticism. I don't know why it has changed over the years, I gather it's because so many of those formers writers have left. I myself try to review those things that interest me (screenplays, fantasy) but the bulk of my time is taken up trying to improve my own craft. But I definitely see what you mean. It would be nice if this place could return back to the glory years (ie late 90s early 2000s). " -- Michael Harris, Detroit, MI. (2009-2-3)
"I would love to have been apart of it then. I mean don't get me wrong I am confident and mature enough with myself to handle criticism. I really enjoy this site and it's services I just wish people would be more encouraging, rather than leave unwarranted comments." -- Emory L Griffin, Georgia, USA. (2009-2-3)
"Things have changed on this site, as things do indefinitely with everything. I agree that the “nasty” comments are never welcome nor are they constructive. I came here not to gain fame or fortune, but to share and gather feed back in hopes of growing in my own writing. But, you must also agree that many writers here do not accept any negative criticism well. Simple things like typo’s and misspelled words are very distracting and make reading more difficult for the reader, and that is an easy thing to fix before posting. Others lately seem to be using this site as some sort of “rant”. I still come often, but not so often do I post reviews, perhaps that is because I find little I wish to comment on. " -- Mattie. (2009-2-12)
"You are a hundred percent right. There are many who can not accept simple, constructive criticism and they have no business here. I was just pointing out people are trying and this site is for feedback." -- Emory L Griffin, Georgia, USA. (2009-2-12)
"Read my submission called "Storymania" and you'll understand why." -- R. Bennett Okerstrom. (2009-2-24)
"Michael Harris is partially correct in his response to you. It is true that most of the veteran and older writers have abandoned this site. It has become a haven for juvenile writers whose offerings are mostly copycat, cult types, poorly written, with very little potential. In addition, the site is flooded with song lyrics written by wanna-be kids who think they can write songs even if they can't read music. I have been attacked by many young writers for posting non-constructive reviews which lacked sensitivity. How do you critique the work of someone hopelessly deficient in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and diction? You tell them to go back to school. Actually, I feel the best way to improve one's writing skills is to READ AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. And I don't mean crap. Read the classics and other good quality stories written by great authors. As far as criticism is concerned, there is an old Sicilian expression, which (when translated into English)simply says: "Sometime you have to slap someome in the face in order to get their attention." " -- Richard. (2009-10-27)
"How do you define crap in literature??? I thought that some of your work was crap. However, your opinion is different. Therefore, how can crap be defined?" -- Charlotte Weasley. (2009-11-8)
"Crap is a relative term applied to substandard works written by authors destined to be forgotten. Such works should never be included in any category of "literature." Classical English and American literature usually include only the best and finest of great authors whose works have stood the test of time and are relevant in any era. " -- Richard. (2009-11-24)
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