What I learned in six months here

[StillStunned]

What I've learned in two and a half years here:

When I started, I wasn't such a good writer as I thought I was. By extension, that probably means that I'm not as good now as I think I am.

I enjoy experimenting with writing. I derive much more pleasure from trying something completely different than from getting 100k views on cheesy T/I story.

Once a story is plotted out, I lose interest in writing it. If I'm not close to finishing it at that point, I probably won't ever finish it.

There are people in the world who are like me, but completely different. And there are people in the world who are completely unlike me, and yet very similar. I'd explain, but you know what I mean.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

You tell us. Something has you interested in maintaining a profile and posting comments here. You've joined the band.

Why?

You know we're other people, right?

I'd answer, we band together to talk about writing Lit stories and being Lit authors. That's banding, to me. Maybe not to you.

The most common definitions of "band together" involve the idea of being united in a common cause.
I don't think the activity in the AH rises to that level. We certainly aren't united in any real sense. Nor, quite frankly can I see any reason we should be.

To quote Sir Terry:
"Pulling together is the aim of despotism and tyranny. Free men pull in all kinds of directions."

 

[crookedletter]

In my time here I've learned that a community of erotica writers on the internet is far more interesting than I ever would have guessed.

I've learned that what I thought would be a fun and easy diversion from my "real" writing turned out to be fun but not quite as easy and frivolous as I planned. I thought I could dash off some quick fantasies when I was feeling stuck or something. But it turns out I still care about making my characters as interesting as I can, and writing the best stories I can. Even if they all end up in more or less the same place.

 

[ElectricBlue]

And my attitude towards the AH is the same, more or less. I see what the AH could be, so I can't help being disappointed with what it actually is, even if it's not objectively a bad place to be.

What's your idealised view of the AH?

It seems to me that your natural inclination is to disagree, often just for the sake of disagreeing, because here you've disagreed with yourself.

This isn't trying to be clever, it's trying to understand how you tick. The question is genuine, what do you see the AH could be?

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Free men pull in all kinds of directions."

That's also true for selfish men.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

What's your idealised view of the AH?

It seems to me that your natural inclination is to disagree, often just for the sake of disagreeing, because here you've disagreed with yourself.

My natural inclination is not to go along with the flow. That's the MO of conformists. Also, I don't see how exactly I disagreed with myself in that post.

This isn't trying to be clever, it's trying to understand how you tick. The question is genuine, what do you see the AH could be?

Oh, it could be more than it is in many ways. I've mentioned some aspects in some of the previous threads. But it would take some time to properly expand on that, though. I'm not sure if I've the energy to do it, let alone argue about it once again. People don't really care about all that talk.

 

[ElectricBlue]

My natural inclination is not to go along with the flow. That's the MO of conformists. Also, I don't see how exactly I disagreed with myself in that post.

Obviously, but sometimes that loses you credibility, when in fact you do agree with something someone else says, because they don't quite believe you. They're looking for the "typical AwkwardlySet response", which is generally negative.

The sentence in italics. You say the place is disappointing, immediately followed by, "It's not so bad." Which is it?

Oh, it could be more than it is in many ways. I've mentioned some aspects in some of the previous threads. But it would take some time to properly expand on that, though. I'm not sure if I've the energy to do it, let alone argue about it once again. People don't really care about all that talk.

That's a cop out. You post saying, it could be so much better, but then you run away from any discussion. I could be cynical here and say that your first post was being deliberately controversial, your typical modus operandi.

Put your money where your mouth is, back your own rhetoric.

Join the band. We don't always want solo trumpeters, they're strident, always straining for the high notes; whereas what we need is a good solid rhythm section.

I want to tell you 'bout Texas radio and the big beat
Comes out of the Virginia swamps
Cool and slow with plenty of precision
With a back beat narrow and hard to master

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Obviously, but sometimes that loses you credibility, when in fact you do agree with something someone else says, because they don't quite believe you. They're looking for the "typical AwkwardlySet response", which is generally negative.

The sentence in italics. You say the place is disappointing, immediately followed by, "It's not so bad." Which is it?

Again, how's that contradictory? I clearly meant disappointing in the exact spirit of my post, in the sense of what it could be. Obviously, compared to most internet forums, AH is a tame place. Friendly for those who make an effort to fit in.

That's a cop out. You post saying, it could be so much better, but then you run away from any discussion. I could be cynical here and say that your first post was being deliberately controversial, your typical modus operandi.

Put your money where your mouth is, back your own rhetoric.

I might, depending on how much I can convince myself that it wouldn't be a waste of time. We'll see.

Join the band. We don't always want solo trumpeters, they're strident, always straining for the high notes; whereas what we need is a good solid rhythm section.

I don't think I've ever belonged to any majority in my life... not even in elections. It's who I am, I suppose. Or was my Lit name not enough of a clue?

I want to tell you 'bout Texas radio and the big beat
Comes out of the Virginia swamps
Cool and slow with plenty of precision
With a back beat narrow and hard to master

Doesn't sound like an Oz song at all.

 

[YmaOHyd]

No eternal reward can forgive us now for wasting the dawn.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

That's also true for selfish men.

Yes, "anyone who doesn't do what I want is selfish and bad"... demonizing people who disagree for thousands of years.
Odd how the self proclaimed independent free thinkers all seem to want conformity.

 

[lovecraft68]

You tell us. Something has you interested in maintaining a profile and posting comments here. You've joined the band.

Why?

You know we're other people, right?

I'd answer, we band together to talk about writing Lit stories and being Lit authors. That's banding, to me. Maybe not to you.

One can be here but be an individual who happens to be here engaging in whatever interests them and agreeing and disagreeing based on their experienced and opinions.

That's different than being part of a groupthink type clique that circles the wagons to both defend themselves and disagree with others.

What I'm getting at is just because you choose to be here doesn't mean you've signed on to be one of the band, but rather march to the tune of your own drum.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

What's your idealised view of the AH?

It seems to me that your natural inclination is to disagree, often just for the sake of disagreeing, because here you've disagreed with yourself.

This isn't trying to be clever, it's trying to understand how you tick. The question is genuine, what do you see the AH could be?

Maybe a place where people actually discussed writing in depth instead of using a superficial discussion of writing as an excuse to shamelessly pimp their stories.

Poster: I'm thinking about X in my story.

AH response: I did that in my story "Lisa Fucks her way through Fraggle Rock" *insert link*.

End of post.


There is no discussion of WHY they made the choice what they thought was effective, or what wasn't. What the alternatives might have been.

Since I've already quoted Niven's Law #6,
I'll end with his first law:

Writers who write for other writers should write letters.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

One can be here but be an individual who happens to be here engaging in whatever interests them and agreeing and disagreeing based on their experienced and opinions.

That's different than being part of a groupthink type clique that circles the wagons to both defend themselves and disagree with others.

What I'm getting at is just because you choose to be here doesn't mean you've signed on to be one of the band, but rather march to the tune of your own drum.

Exactly. Banding together implies a collective goal.
We don't have a collective goal here. Our individual goals may be similar, but we all succeed or fail on our own.
If your goal is to be a better writer, your success or failure in that goal doesn't impact me. It has no bearing on my improvement as a writer.

 

[lovecraft68]

Odd how the self proclaimed independent free thinkers all seem to want conformity.

Kind of like how everyone claims they have a thick skin until someone here doesn't like their story. Then we get the gnashing of teeth and filing of butthurt reports.

When people tell you they're "X" its weak sauce, It's when other people see that in them that its real.

When a man claims to be an alpha, he just proved to me he's a beta.

Talking it and walking it are two very different animals.