Writer's Block Daily

It seemed to me it was what you were suggesting. I know you and the others do mean well.. it felt like I was in a Catch-22 situation. I like to apologize if I seemed quite rude — I didn't know if I'm forever going to keep being a shadow in the sun. I think everyone deserves a chance to get listened to and be understood here. I mean it.

I'll always listen for ways to improve — to get better. I was so anxious writing stories again, after so long waiting, and I suppose I let the pent-up tension get to me. I don't know what to say further at this point. I'd always wanted, from this lonely point on the planet, to imagine the look on people's faces after I show what I have festering in my head. Whether I made them blush, if I made them cry or cheer.

@Cygan: If you'd edited this poem further, I'd think you have a nice haiku on your hand.

edited 7th Apr '11 6:49:58 PM by QQQQQ

I don't know.

I'm not usually a very critiquey person. I try to when I can, but usually, I fall into little traps like the one I just did- noticing one thin, and it just bugs me as I try to continue.

It's my notes for a scene! :(

edited 7th Apr '11 6:53:39 PM by CyganAngel

As one thing to add, I'd like to say we can give our feelings to those who'd written their pieces (not critiques) — what parts did you like? The chipper personalities? The atmosphere? Or how they wrote it? Feedback like this can greatly encourage people to write more.

What would you do in such a situation?

You are shrouded in the darkness cold, naked, and alone. Destitute and broken you seek the light, but there is none. You can continue on in the gloom, but is that a satisfactory life for you? In your wanderings you come across a dry tree branch. You could light it and find more sticks for yourself, but is this who you are? Hesitating a bit you take the stick with you, only to find others groping around with sticks in their hands. Do you light your stick and proceed to light the others' sticks regardless of whether they help you or not?

We all have to make our own decisions over how to carry out our lives, but only you know who you are in the dark...

AND YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Alright then. Had dreams. Two of 'em. Both had my father in 'em. It's peculiar. I'm older now then he ever was by twenty years. So in a sense he's the younger man. Anyway, first one I don't remember too well but it was about meeting him in town somewhere, he's gonna give me some money. I think I lost it.

The second one, it was like we was both back in older times and I was on horseback goin' through the mountains of a night. Goin' through this pass in the mountains. It was cold and there was snow on the ground and he rode past me and kept on goin'. Never said nothin' goin' by. He just rode on past.. and he had his blanket wrapped around him and his head down and when he rode past I seen he was carryin' fire in a horn the way people used to do and I could see the horn from the light inside of it. 'Bout the color of the moon.

And in the dream I knew that he was goin' on ahead and he was fixin' to make a fire somewhere out there in all that dark and all that cold, and I knew that whenever I got there he would be there. And then I woke up.

edited 7th Apr '11 7:25:53 PM by QQQQQ

Why do I love these two? They're going to die.

Needs to happen more outside of your serial.

I think when you ask people to critique your work who did not read it on their own will, you are naturally going to receive more mechanical comments than emotional ones.

@QQQQQQ: You mean I need to give people more of those comments, or just that it doesn't happen often outside my thread? I know that I do need to do more reading of other people here if I'm going to be expecting to be read.

Both.

I know it sounds elementary, or remedial, or whatever, but I guess people should critique like they want to be critiqued. If you want people to include all of the rights/wrongs in your work in their review, do the same for others.

In the highest room in the tallest tower/

A princess sits, unable to leave/

She is not imprisoned, not this sweet girl/

Instead, she is hidden, safe from those who would harm her for/

Being what she is/

It's quite a lonely life, but/

She does not mind, for/

She is not alone/

A stalwart blade stands in front of her/

Always cautious, always ready/

Prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure her Princess's safety/

Together, yet forever apart/

The two struggle/

Searching for that feeling/

Yearning for a companion, someone to ease the burden of their existence/

But alas!/

'tis too late/

They have been found/

And now/

The stalwart blade must charge/

Carving a path for her Princess to walk safely/

No matter the consequences/

She shall determine/

She will not give up, will never lie down/

Until/

She is assured/

Her Princess is safe/

Forever after/

I'm sorry I haven't been very good about giving others feedback. How about this—unless I am seriously, seriously pressed for time, each time I make a post of my own writing, I make another post to help someone else in another WB thread.

I suggest you give as honest, helpful of a feedback to other people's writing. Write them like the reviews you get. I hope you get as much satisfaction from that, as finishing up another one of your chapters. I think we have enough helpers in all the other threads as it is.

edited 7th Apr '11 8:58:58 PM by QQQQQ

I don't feel that anyone should have to feel OBLIGED to give reviews and feedback.

Why not?

In this topic which requires no feedback at all, we have gotten more feedback per page, with a narrower time gap between initial post and reply, than most of the other threads.

I imagine we want to be heard, and communicate casually here. I think the idea of "critiques" (as we know them — the "You did X sentence/wording wrong" kind) has taken its toll on people. That sort of feedback is helpful only in the least and it doesn't really help encourage anyone.

(I italicized these two words for a reason.)

Now feedback should not something you have to oblige yourself in doing. The idea of tedious schoolwork, doing chores comes to mind. You know how much passion you have doing these. What I think is, we need to encourage people to do give out their opinion, and let them know they're being heard.

edited 7th Apr '11 10:42:44 PM by QQQQQ

I think I may have successfully written a truly loathsome character. I have before written characters that could easily qualify as Complete Monsters, but up to this point there has always been some slight redeeming factor—excluding magnificence or audacity—that has prevented said characters from completely vile, be it love, pain or even just an utterly alien perspective. But this person... I really hope that I don't overdo it.

Toll? Whatcha mean? I've been told stuff like that before, helps a lot.

For instance, I wrote something recently entirely meant for character development, but I most got comments pertaining to everything else.

That doesn't mean it was a complete failure. For one, it meant they saw no immediate problem with my characterization, at least comparatively speaking. And at the same time, the things they did point out had some points I hadn't considered, and also give me a frame of mind of want I want to do when I get down to writing the actual interaction.

I honestly think people are biting the hand that feeds them, or ignoring the whole beggars can't be choosers or what else have you. Not everyone is going to critique in the same way you are, and not everyones is going to do it in a preferred way, because everyone has different opinions on what makes an optimal critique.

Does reading a review of someone giving me emotional feedback encourage me to write? Yes. Yes it does. But at the end of the day, all it really does is stroke my ego. I know that it can have it's benefits, but that doesn't mean it's the only way to review something. You need the entire rainbow. You need to fans that read on choice and just say what made them happy, and you need the callous bastards that will tell you what doesn't work. Now, while I am merely a wannabe-callous bastard, I do think that everyone in the critique thread currently are pretty good at what they do. Are they all a bit mechanical? Yes. Why? Because to be honest, you need to learn how to walk before you can dance. That doesn't mean it's the only way to review something, but that doesn't mean it's wrong either.

edited 8th Apr '11 3:16:21 AM by MrAHR

Still feeling kinda off from whatever bug hit me a day or two ago. I've kept up on my standard 750 words a day, but not my Script Frenzy pages. Not feeling too bad about that, though — at least now I actually know WTH my script is actually going to be about, even if it currently only has seven pages.

Also started compiling Chapter #2 of my current story, and after skimming it I'm starting to feel pretty good about it. Still got a vague feeling that it's missing something near the end, though I still don't quite know why. Need to figure that one out.

Also also, the sick thing has made me nocturnal. Which would explain why this is showing up here at, oh, four in the morning. It feels like it should be the afternoon or something.

QQQQQ isn't saying that people should be bound to give reviews. QQQQQ is saying that if people give the feedback they want, then they are more likely to receive it. At least that's the vibe I'm getting.

@ Everyone: What is feedback? What is critique? What do writers want to hear from people when their works are read? (Don't use the words critique or feedback in the answers to either of those questions)

edited 8th Apr '11 4:56:56 AM by EldritchBlueRose

Writers want... encouragement. They want to know that its' worth their time to continue writing.

At the same time... Equal to, or perhaps greater than that desire, is their desire for improvement. They want to be told what they're doing wrong, so they can fix and improve it; they want to be told what they are doing right, so they know where they have solid talent, and so they know that their works are not valueless.

They want to know what they're doing wrong, but equally they want to know what they're doing right. Things like "This bit didn't quite work" and "I really like the part where...".