[Rob B]

COOL OFF PEOPLE!!

Bir: your post (starting with look im 16?was a little out of hand. If you have a personal issue with what somebody posted, email them. However, You DID open yourself up to the criticisms by asking for feedback. Granted KATS could have worded things a little less 'harsh' or more positively, but there is truth to some of what she said. The way you worded your response was that you basically ignored the comments, "Yes thats a good idea but I'm not going to incorporate it" It is kind of self-defeating (to yourself) and a dis-service to the people who take the time to read your story and respond to it; to ask for advice and feedback and more or less ignore it. Or you could have said that they were good suggestions, I will consider that in my next story (if you want to leave the story as is)

KATS (and everybody else for that matter) A positive spin can always be used when issuing harsh criticisms. Check the member profile before you reply directly to somebody in the forum and realize to whom you are directing your comments.

You can be 16 and still be serious, or not that's your choice. But,you posted a story here and asked for feedback, that sounds pretty serious, to me. If you have [b]revised it a hundred times already, what is one more re-write going to hurt?

Umesha-stop doing my job!! (JUST KIDDING http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif) thanks!

EVERYBODY-REREAD YOUR POST BEFORE YOU HIT SUBMIT.

Just trying to do my job here as moderator. Email me personally if you would like to address anything else.

[KATS]

Bir, I hope that you do continue to read this thread. When we post to these boards (or any board for that matter) the reader can not see your expressions or hear your inflections (just like in a story). This is especially true if your responses are written in hast and/or while you have high emotions. It is hard to determine the intend of posts. I already admitted that I may have had the wrong idea. I was asking for clarification on your intent. I really don’t understand why my honest and sincere questions evoked the response you gave. Perhaps I’m just getting to old to remember what it was like to be 16? I don’t mean to lecture, but perhaps you did not realize this before hand.

On the other hand and on a more personal note, what does my opinion matter? There are going to be people and editors that do not like your stories. I refused (and still do) to even read one of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s books because of what one of her editor said to me when I submitted a story to her magazine. If you do pursue writing, you will get much worse criticisms than mine, MUCH WORSE. It simply comes with the territory, regardless of how good you write. You just have to develop a thick skin and learn to take advice/comments that will help you and disregard advice/comments that does not apply to you.

As far as how “serious” you take writing, I don’t think I phrased that very well. What I meant was artistically, not wether you wanted to get published. There are many people who write because it pays the bills. I write because I have to. It is a way of expressing myself and I do take it very seriously. I always have, even when I was 16. I push myself very hard and I expect the same from others. Sometimes I suppose I expect too much. My apologies.

And for the record, I never said you were not a good writer. I did read the story. You have a talent for writing. How good you will eventually get is entirely up to you. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

Umesha, so I’m uptight, eh? http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif I’m also a b**** sometimes, but I guess you figured that out already. (I am just trying to lighten the mood, see the smiley face?, so please don’t think I’m snapping at you.)

FiztFlagg, I understand and apologize. I have a problem with saying what I think and I forget that sometimes it’s not necessary. I did not intend to evoke such emotions. Perhaps I should have e-mailed from the start or perhaps even this should have been e-mailed.

[wynnyelle]

wow yeah.

Bir, all I meant by my post was that when an author publishes a book, the feedback he/she gets can certainly be applied to the author's future works. I assume that's why authors want to hear what their readers really think of their finished work even though they don't intend to change it, so they can serve out something even better next time.

As for being 16, I've been serious about what I write ever since I started writing--about 12 or 13. Revising something a hundred or so times definitely means you take it seriously. Congratulate yourself. Many writers don't get past writing the first draft.

[Pluvious]

I can certainly see why someone would want to get some feedback on their first story, even if they didn't intend to rewrite it any further. There does come a time when you just want to move on to another story and would simply like to see what others think about what you have done-especially if you are still young and not into writing for money just yet.

I'm not sure why the criticism of Bir. It seems very unfounded and unnecessary. And anyway, I'm fairly certain most people who post stories on this or another site do it to get some praise, rather than a critique. That may not be what they most need, but they need to figure that out for themselves.