Yanking the Flying Tiger's Tail

[CopperSkink]

I never called anybody's work long or boring; I only said that's what content can be found in the "Novellas" section.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

I love this.

We play in the sandpit of a site that fights to protect free speech and stop creeping censorship then rail against things we don't like.

Carpe diem, live and let live! Copper, there's not much sex in non-erotic but I dip my toe there from time-to-time and find some treasures. Lynn has called you on this one. Within the rules of Lit, everything is allowed. You seem to want to prescribe how members write their stories and, with that, you miss the whole point.

I have read BDSM stroke stories that churned the stomach, dainty romances that seemed to be set in the nineteenth century and interminable chapters that go nowhere. They all have their place and all have their fanclubs and I will go on reading - with more selectivity.

The unique point about Lit compared with other erotic writing sites is the inter-reaction - the bit of mutual help. The boards that will give advice (good or otherwise).

Write your stories, ask for critiques if you want, but knocking others' efforts is not really in the spirit of the place.

 

[Firebrain]

There's plenty of work that is too long for what it is (shite) in all the other sections, too.

 

[PacoFear]

There's plenty of work that is too long for what it is (shite) . . . .

Kinda like this thread? (Said the guy who started it.)

 

[CopperSkink]

Since everyone seems to have decided what I was talking about without paying the slightest bit of attention to what I said, I suppose that's a lesson that the things I say don't actually matter. But since I'm hardly new to the Internet, that's no surprise to me. What is a surprise is that no matter how trivial the issue, in this case a simple prejudiced comment I made while my funny bone was itching, people flock from all ends, even those who seem to be in retirement, just to tell me how wrong I am.

I know it was a prejudiced comment. I just wish that there was more than one person who had to open their mouths that could actually catch on rather than chastize me for something I never actually got around to talking about. For having posted such a thing on an editing forum, you'd think there would be more people that payed attention.

At least not everyone missed it, and only one person had any kind of excuse to. But carry on, I suppose. Everyone on the Internet has to be a hero.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I love this.

Write your stories, ask for critiques if you want, but knocking others' efforts is not really in the spirit of the place.

I cant disagree more. Brutal criticism often transforms mediocrity into art.

Last night I read a wonderful interview of Steve Wozniak, the APPLE COMPUTER genius. He had some thoughts about criticism and how he copes with it. Confessing that he has a tender ass and hates autopsies of his engineering work, what he did/does is till the garden until he's confident his effort can stand the scrutiny. When the bases are covered all thats left is loony-tunes opinions and an opportunity to learn something new from real masters.

If youre THAT fragile maybe you oughta stay on the porch and make potholders.

 

[PacoFear]

If youre THAT fragile maybe you oughta stay on the porch and make potholders.

Yes, you can have the rocking chair right next to JBJ on the non-writer's porch. I hear it's quite lovely. And when you get tired of making potholders you can hobble down to the Lit forums to criticize everyone else's efforts, then retire to the safety of your porch and your knitting.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

PACOBELLE

My writing isnt the issue. No one's writing is improved if I post stories or dont. If my opinions are loony-tunes, ignore them; if theyre correct, theyre correct.

FYI If you post stories on LIT people steal them. Its depressing to see others get backslaps and money for your work.

 

[PacoFear]

My writing isnt the issue.

I think perhaps you mean your non-writing? Let's be accurate with our words shall we?

I only chimed in to point out the irony of you exhorting folks not to write if they lack the proper constitution for criticism. As you do not write yourself, it seems you've taken your own advice. In a strange way, I suppose it's very non-hypocritical.

FYI If you post stories on LIT people steal them. Its depressing to see others get backslaps and money for your work.[/

And you would know this how, exactly? Has someone been stealing your forum posts?

I'm not saying that you're not entitled to your half-baked opinions, JBJ. Or that you shouldn't be allowed to vomit them up on a regular basis. In fact, there's a certain rhythm to them that I've come to enjoy:

Dear author,

1) Your stuff is crap. The same as 99% of the other crap on this website that I spend all day on because I'm retired, alone, and no one loves me.
2) If you can't take my conclusive, unreasoned criticism you shouldn't be writing.
3) I just read [insert published author's name] and when he describes his characters' exploits in [World War I, World War II, the Korean War, or Vietnam] he makes it really interesting by [X]. If I wrote, I'd probably do [X] too.

Also -- on the off-chance that you're curious about an actual writer's experience with plagiarism -- yes, I've had to chase down folks who've reposted my stories as their own. For the most part, they're quite apologetic when caught - "Oh, wow, sorry. I didn't think you would mind," etc. Only twice I had to petition site administrators but that wasn't so bad really.

Toddle along now JBJ. I do so love to watch your "work."

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I think perhaps you mean your non-writing? Let's be accurate with our words shall we?

I only chimed in to point out the irony of you exhorting folks not to write if they lack the proper constitution for criticism. As you do not write yourself, it seems you've taken your own advice. In a strange way, I suppose it's very non-hypocritical.



And you would know this how, exactly? Has someone been stealing your forum posts?

I'm not saying that you're not entitled to your half-baked opinions, JBJ. Or that you shouldn't be allowed to vomit them up on a regular basis. In fact, there's a certain rhythm to them that I've come to enjoy:

Dear author,

1) Your stuff is crap. The same as 99% of the other crap on this website that I spend all day on because I'm retired, alone, and no one loves me.
2) If you can't take my conclusive, unreasoned criticism you shouldn't be writing.
3) I just read [insert published author's name] and when he describes his characters' exploits in [World War I, World War II, the Korean War, or Vietnam] he makes it really interesting by [X]. If I wrote, I'd probably do [X] too.

Also -- on the off-chance that you're curious about an actual writer's experience with plagiarism -- yes, I've had to chase down folks who've reposted my stories as their own. For the most part, they're quite apologetic when caught - "Oh, wow, sorry. I didn't think you would mind," etc. Only twice I had to petition site administrators but that wasn't so bad really.

Toddle along now JBJ. I do so love to watch your "work."

PACOBELLE

One more time! What I post or dont post has no bearing on the merits of what others write. IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE cuts no ice anywhere. As far as my own stuff is concerned I prefer to leave the criticism to the guy who is thinking about buying it.

I think youre afraid to ding anyone cuz theyll ONE BOMB your stories.

 

[PacoFear]

One more time!

Oh my, exclamation points now JBJ? I do hope you keep your little heart pills by the computer. Excitement like that could be dangerous at your age.

What I post or dont post has no bearing on the merits of what others write. IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE cuts no ice anywhere..

And one more time for you, old fella, "cuz" I sympathize with your struggles to read carefully through cataracts...

I'm not saying that you're not entitled to your half-baked opinions, JBJ. Or that you shouldn't be allowed to vomit them up on a regular basis.

As far as my own stuff is concerned I prefer to leave the criticism to the guy who is thinking about buying it.

Ah yes, more vague references to your array of never-to-be-identified published works. Sorry, but these reek of the sorts of claims that are hastily made by junior high school boys regarding "a hot girl visiting from Canada - you haven't met her" when they query each other about their sexual exploits. If anything "cuts no ice anywhere" JimmyB, it's unsupported puffery like yours.

I think youre afraid to ding anyone cuz theyll ONE BOMB your stories.

No, I don't "ding." I do, however, critique folks here when they ask for it. Fairly regularly too. But when I do, and this is where we differ my dear "character assassin," I give them my reasoning rather than conclusively crapping on their efforts. That way they can agree or disagree with my line of thinking. Follow?

Stay down old fella, you've bitten off more than you can gum today.

-PF

P.S. I'm curious, do your "published works" contain apostrophes? It's the key located between the semi-colon and the Enter keys. Us young folks who touch-type strike it with our pinkies. You old, well, peckers use what? One of your gnarled index fingers?

 

[AsylumSeeker]

You don't think having 746 people put you on their favorites list is good?

I might be misunderstanding the number. I thought #1 was best, #2 the second best, et al. So 746 is pretty bad if #1 is best. Maybe I don't understand, not the first time.

After having revisited this, I see now that the number indicates the readers who have favorited me. Understand.

 

[sr71plt]

I might be misunderstanding the number. I thought #1 was best, #2 the second best, et al. So 746 is pretty bad if #1 is best. Maybe I don't understand, not the first time.

#37 certainly isn't bad out of 48,940 (and neither would be #746, actually).

 

[sr71plt]

without paying the slightest bit of attention to what I said.

What you SAID (or, rather, posted) was a flat statement about novellas. Again, I think it's you who can't understand what you actually wrote.