Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Response

I lied. You don't get me tonight. You get a response, from a guest rambler, to last night's guest ramble.

This is from Oz. A mate and fellow Xenite.


    I have spent about 10 years (with the Academy) doing my damnedest to encourage folks to write (and in the next breath, cajoling people to feed the writers to keep them wanting to continue to write). You can't get better unless you practice. Let's face it, most folks do not write the great American novel on the first try. I truly believe all stories have merit - from the shortest drabble to the longest epic. Writers put a piece of themselves into everything they write. It's not easy and putting your thoughts out there for folks to read and comment on takes courage. Who am I to judge their vision? Even if I too write and especially if I don't write. Don't misunderstand me, I think constructive criticism can be a great help to a writer. I am all for constructive criticism done privately. The operative words...CONSTRUCTIVE and PRIVATELY. I find most reviews of online works highly questionable. They tend to show the reviewer as believing they are more deserving of attention than the writer is deserving of respect. The reviewer obviously has strong feelings and a high opinion of their worth to the world at large, so doesn't the writer deserve a few moments of your time? Write them privately and explain your opinions/thoughts/views to them.

    I actually wonder why some are so judgmental or more importantly why they assume they are in a position to judge, especially if the stories are online. Online and available for FREE. It has always been my opinion that if you are really not enjoying a story, especially a story available to you for free on the net, then stop reading. If you really, really, do not like a story or how a storyline is progressing (or have a BETTER storyline idea)...instead of complaining about it...WRITE YOUR OWN.

    Isn't that how fanfic got started?

    Which brings me to reminding you that next month is FEED THE BARD month at the Academy. It's a month where we ask you to set aside some time out of your busy schedules to sit down and send some emails. Emails? Y'know, those things you send out to a wide variety of folks everyday. But what we are asking for are not your everyday emails. These are special emails. These are emails to Bards who have shared their time and talents with you over the past year. Bards who have given their stories to you…FREE. It doesn't have to be much more than a thank you or a quick note. I know as a writer and as a beta (my Bard shares her feedback with her betas) just how much any and all feedback means to them. It's an indication that the work is being seen and appreciated. Most Bards will respond as well.

    Yes, if a Bard follows you home…you can keep'm. LOL

    So get your "feeding" lists ready. The Academy loves to hear from Bards about their exploding mailboxes. Happy Bards mean more writing and more writing mean more stories posted and more stories posted mean more happy readers. Happy readers always heed the Academy motto (if you read'm, then feed'm) and the win/win cycle continues.

    Life is good.

    OZ, Royal Academy of Bards


You get me next week instead - because I'll let E & Tamara have any guest rambles we get over the next couple of weeks - it isn't fair if I keep snaffling them.

Happy reading.

Goodnight and may your God/s go with you.

Ze

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