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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2003 14:59:28 GMT -5
[couldnt fit in title]But its probably a load of rubish[/couldnt fit in title]
Why do people beat them selves up about rejection? I do it, we all do it, but why? We know we are going to bounce back and we know if we send it in again it will probably make it but why? Are we angry with ourselves for not living up to our expectations or for not doing the same as someone you admire? Or are we sad at the fact that someone thought that what came from our hearts, our deepest feelings dont cut it or make the grade?
Personaly I dont care about rejection, but I feel that I should. I feel that it means I didnt really care about what I wrote and if i put just that little bit more effort in, maybe I would be accepted. But is it even really about being accepted? We all write because we love it rite. And if we dont were just selfish and surperficial! When we write we come alive and show people waht we feel. So if this is accomplished and our feelings are out, does it matter if we are published. Yes, because it means more people are reached, and no because it shows you had the heart to air your ideas, if that makes sence(whic as the title suggests it probably dosent).
MY friend said stories are pointless, its like you are too scared to put acroos your ideas as yourself, and have to use made up characters to do it for you. Is this true? What do you think on this? In a way I get were he is coming from because its like we are too scared to say things as our slefes. But truly I think it is completly false, our characters our our creative licence, our way of getting things acroos in a different and possibly better way.
All these things are just pouring out of my head and I dont know what is true and what I belive, but I would like to hear your views. I also realize these thoughts could make me the most unpopular person on the forum, so go easy, as I said, I'm not sure what to beleive.
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Post by sollunaestrella on Mar 9, 2003 15:19:25 GMT -5
I see what you mean. I write because I love to, but I also like having my opinions known--"it shows you had the heart to air your ideas, if that makes sense," as you said. Yes, that makes total sense to me.
In truth, I don't know why being rejected makes me feel awful. It is probably because it makes me think that my piece wasn't any good. It is also probably because it means that I didn't live up to my own standards. After all, for me, being published can even feel awful. I wished I had never written "Tears of the Sea" or The Ideal Neopia articles. I hate them, and for that, I don't really like them being shown to other people. I have this set of--perfectionist, I'll admit--standards that make me feel good--yet more often bad--about anything that I write. When I write something, it makes me feel important--like a leader or a creator: I am in charge of my own world, and I can boss my characters around however I wish. It hurts to feel like my own world--however ideal or messed up it is--is unfit.
That's how I feel.
There might be some people all about the trophies. That isn't necessarily that bad as long as they work hard at writing and they enjoy it. I tell you that it feels nice to have sixteen shiny trophies sparkling on my userlookup, and I'm not afraid to admit that it would feel even nicer to have more than that. It's just not what it's all about for me.
As for stories--sometimes, you just don't want to portray anything deep or philosophical in a story. Sometimes you do--I like to convey something special within a story, but that;s just a way to put it. Whenever I do, I'm telling you that I am not cowardly about it. I can be straightforward and direct about it if I want to, but sometimes those words aren't adequate. They can't sufficiently express something. Then, you have to use a story, and whether it's in the first person or third has nothing at all to do with anything. Just because you say, "I went to the store" rather than "Fire went to the store" is a stylistic choice, not a matter of whether you're afraid to speak for yourself; and sometimes, writing as if you were the character is better for that particular story. Sometimes, it isn't.
As for not wanting to have anything deep in your story--doesn't anyone ever just have the urge to write something for another's entertainment? I mean, it's great to write for moralistic reasons as well as entertainment, but sometimes it's just better to write a funny, humorous little piece with no point at all.
Well, that's a rather long post--erm...yeah. Those are my views, anyway.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2003 15:25:57 GMT -5
I get what you mean. I guess it depends on my mood. LIke this morning in the times I saw that the Scared Quest For A Spoon was published, and I emediatly thought, how can you write something completly pointless like that? But when I came back to it half an hour later, I thought, thank god for the funny people. Its grate o have a story for the purpose of entertainment.
I wish I could write something funny and pointless, but I just start to think, oh what a waste of space I better stick a moral in here somewhere. I really admire people who can do that. I dont think I have enought faith in my own writing.
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Post by TK on Mar 9, 2003 15:35:25 GMT -5
You said everyone beats themself up about rejection. I don't. Really, something I wanted to get in has always gotten in. With the exception of two, but in retrospect, they weren't all that great. I've never had to edit something and send it in again for it to be published. Things of mine haven't been published before. For instance, some of the first things I sent in were comics. Didn't get in. An article. Didn't get. But the first thing I got in...I knew it was better than anything else.
And really, there's no need to beat youself up about it even if you found it unfair. Life goes on. Just write a new piece and hope it will get in. In the big scheme of things, the Neopian Times isn't very important. I'm not saying it's pointless, but there are far more important things to be angry at.
As for the story thing, that's totally untrue. For instance, what if you write a story using yourself as a character? In a couple of my stories TK is me. TK isn't my real name, but it represents me. Even if you aren't your own character, it's different. Not all stories are written to get a point across. Sure, sometimes they have that, accidental or not, but that's not always the point. Stories are great ways of getting points across. Plato used stories to explain his theories. Socrates, his educator, was one of the characters. He was able to get his point across. I don't think he used Socrates' name instead of his own because he was afraid, he just chose that name as a way to show respect.
And really, don't be afraid of what we think. I don't think your thoughts would make you unpopular here. Sure, you may say something regrattable and get someone miffed, but I don't think we're really a hating bunch. So if you ever want to get a point across, even in a little rant, as long as it's understandable, I'll read it.
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Post by TK on Mar 9, 2003 15:37:16 GMT -5
I get what you mean. I guess it depends on my mood. LIke this morning in the times I saw that the Scared Quest For A Spoon was published, and I emediatly thought, how can you write something completly pointless like that? But when I came back to it half an hour later, I thought, thank god for the funny people. Its grate o have a story for the purpose of entertainment. Glad you shared my sense of humour! I like pointless stories, just for fun. Not all of mine are like that...sure, they may not be something to base your life on, but something with an enjoyable plot. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2003 15:40:46 GMT -5
And really, there's no need to beat youself up about it even if you found it unfair. Life goes on. Just write a new piece and hope it will get in. In the big scheme of things, the Neopian Times isn't very important. I'm not saying it's pointless, but there are far more important things to be angry at. Thats what I'm saying, I'm asking why people beat themselves up, I dont. I havent sent anything in in ages. Well, nothing that got received because my e-mail has packed up. I dont think your a hating bunch. I think that as writers we can get very oppinionated, but we dont seem to exprees it on each other, not directly at least. Ok, I'v lost the plot, what was I talking about again? ;D |
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Post by TK on Mar 9, 2003 15:42:21 GMT -5
In truth, I don't know why being rejected makes me feel awful. It is probably because it makes me think that my piece wasn't any good. It is also probably because it means that I didn't live up to my own standards. After all, for me, being published can even feel awful. I wished I had never written "Tears of the Sea" or The Ideal Neopia articles. I hate them, and for that, I don't really like them being shown to other people. I have this set of--perfectionist, I'll admit--standards that make me feel good--yet more often bad--about anything that I write. When I write something, it makes me feel important--like a leader or a creator: I am in charge of my own world, and I can boss my characters around however I wish. It hurts to feel like my own world--however ideal or messed up it is--is unfit. I agree totally. I don't call myself a perfectionist, because I know it's not true. I don't strive for perfection, but I do try for a job well done. For instance: "Luck: The Diving Line Between the Rich and the Poor" and "NP Made Fast? No Way!" are two articles which I'm ashamed of. Just plain awful. And the Ideal Neopia was made when you just started out in the times, those articles of mine were only a few months ago. I wish they hadn't been published. I don't care about the trophy, I'd like the wiped from the times taking those two trophies with them. |
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Post by Princess Ember Mononoke on Mar 9, 2003 15:48:47 GMT -5
*looks at her three best stories, Through Another's Eyes, Vullard's Eye View, and Different Perspective* Honestly, does anything in any of those stories sound cowardly to you? The truth is, it is sometimes easier for people to understand stories than it is for them to understand articles. Plus, people must be bored to death of articles about the Lupe/Chia debate and the war. A story makes it fresh and entertaining. A story gets points across in a way that articles just sometimes can't. Like my fifthe grade teacher used to say in regards to writing, "Show me, don't tell me. Don't just say 'it was nice,' or 'it was fun.' Prove it." In my mind, there is no better way to do that than through a story.
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Post by Oily on Mar 9, 2003 15:49:41 GMT -5
Sometimes rejection hurts. If you've poured a lot into a story, slaving over it then getting it rejected because it doesn't fit into the guidelines is rather painful. If it's rejected because it's bad, then I don't mind - I know it didn't make the grade, so it shouldn't have been accepted. Stories are not pointless. We don't express ourselves through stories because we're too scared to talk about ourself. We express our thoughts and feelings about other subjects through stories. But can I talk about myself when I don't know all of me? No. But my characters - they have their own motives, their own lives, and I can know them down to their deepest secrets. And because I've never been an Aisha, saved Neopia and fallen in love  I write deep moralistic stuff constantly - yet I have had a funny story in the NT. The funny one was a lot easier to write. Humour is needed but I'd rather move someone to thought than laughter (just my personal preference). |
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Post by TK on Mar 9, 2003 15:59:16 GMT -5
I write deep moralistic stuff constantly - yet I have had a funny story in the NT. The funny one was a lot easier to write. Humour is needed but I'd rather move someone to thought than laughter (just my personal preference). Humour can be a lot easeri to write than morale. Moral needs to be planned out a lot more. You need to think of the moral and a way to appropriately portray it. You don't even really need to plan out humour stories. Sure, you need to put a bit of thought into it, but in those stories the plot isn't strong (it doesn't need to be) so that's easy. Those jokes you can think of and place as you're going. |
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Post by Princess Ember Mononoke on Mar 9, 2003 16:15:49 GMT -5
Personally, I find humor harder to write than moral. Or at least, I find GOOD humor harder to write than GOOD moral. The thing is that I just stink at making people laugh. I really don't know how to be funny.
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Post by sollunaestrella on Mar 9, 2003 16:19:37 GMT -5
Personally, I find humor harder to write than moral. Or at least, I find GOOD humor harder to write than GOOD moral. The thing is that I just stink at making people laugh. I really don't know how to be funny. That is often the case with me, but I have an occasional good moment of humor. It isn't normally with Neopets, though. |
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Post by spectrum on Mar 9, 2003 22:44:42 GMT -5
Unfortunately for me, I have no idea what it's like to even write something. I think if it get's rejected, just say "crud" or whatever, save it, and show it to some one else later. I mean, you know you're entering it with a chance that it might not get in, so if it doesn't well, that's that. Just to be clear, we ARE talking about submiting stories for the Neopian Tmes, right?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2003 15:35:04 GMT -5
Personally, I find humor harder to write than moral. Or at least, I find GOOD humor harder to write than GOOD moral. The thing is that I just stink at making people laugh. I really don't know how to be funny. I am very funny acctualy! But I think its just because I'm generally a fool and say wierd silly things without thinkng, so I find it very hard to plan humor. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2003 15:36:31 GMT -5
Im going to write a story, trying to dictate these points. Will you guys help me, I'll post a general rought copy and you can give me some hints and tips.
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