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zinnithI'm not usually prone to fandom wank, but I just have a few things to say regarding the ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
mckay_sheppard situation of the last days.
If you know me, you also know that I like constructive criticism. I like it when people let me know about my mistakes so that I can learn from them. I like to know whether or not my stories work for people. I like to know what works and what doesn't. Seeing as English is not my first language, I like to know about my spelling mistakes, my grammar mistakes, pretty much all the mistakes I make, because that's how I learn how not to do the same mistakes again.
I like doing the same for other writers. I like to help my friends make their stories better. If someone asks me for help, I'm happy to give it. It makes me happy to know that people value my opinion so much that they'll take my advice under consideration.
But something that's never ever okay is mockery. If you have a problem with another person's writing style, you have two choices. You can choose not to read the story, or you can choose to let the writer know how you feel the story could be improved in a nice way.
But if you instead choose to mock the story, you send the message that you find yourself superior to the other writer and the only thing you will achieve is to make her feel bad about herself, and maybe even stop writing altogether.
Writing is a personal thing and it is my firm opinion that you should always, always write for yourself. You should write the things you want to write, not the things your readers want you to write. That's how we, as individuals, keep our love of writing alive. That's how we, as a writing community, keep the diversity of our writing alive.
I'm not really familiar with the way the whole thing started. I know the basics, that some people apparently had problems with the length of another writer's stories. And that's fine, everyone is allowed to have their own opinion. There are, however, good and bad ways to express that opinion. What makes me very disappointed and sad is that I have been a big fan of some of the writers who have chosen to take part in the mockery. They have inspired me a lot in the past, and I expect more from them.
We all have a responsibility towards each other to keep our fandom a place where we can have fun together, where everyone can feel like they are welcome. We don't want an elitist fandom where only a few people dare to post stories. We owe it to each other and to ourselves to encourage other writers and help them improve their writing.
Of course, we also owe it to each other to listen to advice and constructive criticism. That's how we can keep the quality of SGA-stories as high as it is. But mockery is not the way to go.
Okay, rant over. Feel free to discuss.
mckay_sheppard situation of the last days.If you know me, you also know that I like constructive criticism. I like it when people let me know about my mistakes so that I can learn from them. I like to know whether or not my stories work for people. I like to know what works and what doesn't. Seeing as English is not my first language, I like to know about my spelling mistakes, my grammar mistakes, pretty much all the mistakes I make, because that's how I learn how not to do the same mistakes again.
I like doing the same for other writers. I like to help my friends make their stories better. If someone asks me for help, I'm happy to give it. It makes me happy to know that people value my opinion so much that they'll take my advice under consideration.
But something that's never ever okay is mockery. If you have a problem with another person's writing style, you have two choices. You can choose not to read the story, or you can choose to let the writer know how you feel the story could be improved in a nice way.
But if you instead choose to mock the story, you send the message that you find yourself superior to the other writer and the only thing you will achieve is to make her feel bad about herself, and maybe even stop writing altogether.
Writing is a personal thing and it is my firm opinion that you should always, always write for yourself. You should write the things you want to write, not the things your readers want you to write. That's how we, as individuals, keep our love of writing alive. That's how we, as a writing community, keep the diversity of our writing alive.
I'm not really familiar with the way the whole thing started. I know the basics, that some people apparently had problems with the length of another writer's stories. And that's fine, everyone is allowed to have their own opinion. There are, however, good and bad ways to express that opinion. What makes me very disappointed and sad is that I have been a big fan of some of the writers who have chosen to take part in the mockery. They have inspired me a lot in the past, and I expect more from them.
We all have a responsibility towards each other to keep our fandom a place where we can have fun together, where everyone can feel like they are welcome. We don't want an elitist fandom where only a few people dare to post stories. We owe it to each other and to ourselves to encourage other writers and help them improve their writing.
Of course, we also owe it to each other to listen to advice and constructive criticism. That's how we can keep the quality of SGA-stories as high as it is. But mockery is not the way to go.
Okay, rant over. Feel free to discuss.
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-26 09:29 pm (UTC)I understand that even the people I admire and look up to are human, but when very popular writers do something stupid and hurtful like this and then get encouragement and lots of appreciative comments, it sends the message that it's okay. And it's not okay, not even if you're a Big Name Fan.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-26 09:48 pm (UTC)I tend to try and treat fandom the way I would my cat. He loves my attention, and he doesn't have it, he goes out to do something guaranteed to grab it (i e. he bats at blinds, licks plastic bags, paws at my bookcase to pull down my paperbacks, etc). If I can get past my initial urge to get up and grab him, he will usually stop his annoying behavior. Ignore negative behavior, and praise positive. If I don't like a story, or if I don't like someone spamming my communities, I simply hit 'page down' or backspace.
Everyone gets frustrated, but I really thought the SGA fandom had moved beyond this sort of juvenile mocking as a means of taking care of an issue.
The thing is from what I've read, the point of the mocking stories was to chasten a writer, keep her from posting short-short stories and spamming the community with her WIPs. And that hasn't happened: the writer in question is not sorry she spammed the community with short stories, and she's not promising to change her behavior (though new community rules are forthcoming, I'm assuming). What has happened is there is a message to all the new writers/and lurkers thinking about becoming writers: if you write or behave in an unpopular manner, other fans will rally in hurtful ways to teach you a lesson.
It's pretty discouraging to see that. And you're right, it's not okay.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-27 06:07 am (UTC)Since the first writer technically didn't break any rules (although she could have been more considerate to her fellow comm-members) I really can't see any way to justify the mocking fics. Like you said, it sends the message that you have to write/post in a certain way or you will get bullied. After what I have understood, the mods were already working on a solution to the problem when these authors decided to take it into their own hands.
I hope the poll will result in clear rules re: posting behaviour so situations like this can be avoided in the future.