Mike C

Utter bull. Intellectual isolation leads to stagnation.

So far winky and the ox have posted the two most pretentious posts in the thread under the pretence of anti-pretentiousness. You're both laughable.

There's a time and a place for elitism, and I'm often the first to promote it, but through your posts you've demonstrated that if there were an intellectual elite here, you'd be waiting outside the door wondering what was going on inside.

Sure, there are a lot of people in here who will never get published, or even try, and a lot who are more in love with the idea of being a writer than the act itself, but I'm pretty sure you two fall into that category. Criticising the 'little people' that you obviously consider inferior to yourselves confirms that.

If you're both that intellectually high and mighty that you're too good for the rest of us, find another forum.

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valeca

Seconded.

You know those actors and comedians who momentarily hit it big for a bit they tried once, then kept doing that same bit over and over and over, never coming up with any new material, until it became utterly and obviously embarrassing to everyone else?

Yeah...

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lin

And isn't that just incredibly post-modern?

I have to disagree with you here, Selorian, because writing isn't like music or ballet or engineering. It's not technical, it's just really one's manner of speaking. Up until recent times writers didn't go study terminology, they just wrote. It's one field where sheer talent is virtually the only coin.

You can see that when you look at some hopelessly messed-up piece of writing posted here and realize that there is nothing you can tell or say (oops, SHOW or say that will help.

Many, many writer create great books without even thinking the terms POV or adverb or pacing, or whatever.

They are useful in talking about what is written, and analyzing, but not of any great help in actually writing.

Is "knob" "bonk" spelled backwards?

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Mr Sci Fi

This coming from a guy with 1,308 posts since July.

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winkash

Don't think I regret it.

Please, check the difference in meaning between solitude and isolation.
As for the best of your post, I only have to say that reading comprehension is something writers should not skip.

Oh, no Mikey, no hard feelings, please. I do want to be here and appreciate your feedback. Besides, I love all sizes of people.

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"All, all is theft, all is unceasing and rigorous competition in nature; the desire to make off with the substance of others is the foremost - the most legitimate - passion nature has bred into us and, without doubt, the most agreeable one."
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RomanticRose

Some say posers post here. Others say that posers are the ones that don't post any work. Since I have never posted any work on this forum, but I do get paid for writing, what does that make me? Just asking.

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winkash

I don't know. Why should you worry about it when you've already achieved what many seek here?

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"All, all is theft, all is unceasing and rigorous competition in nature; the desire to make off with the substance of others is the foremost - the most legitimate - passion nature has bred into us and, without doubt, the most agreeable one."
Marquis de Sade

lin

Probably underpaid.

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Ilasir Maroa

I think you may have screwed up your metaphor, NTO. Readers are comparable to the car drivers in that they want to get from point a to point b. Writer's would be the manufacturers because they build(write) the product. Writer's sure as hell better know what the **** they're doing if they want a working product. Or at least, that's what your metaphor should be saying if you hadn't tried to pull the wrong conclusion from it.

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RomanticRose

Oh, yes. But I'd rather be underpaid for writing than overpaid for doing anything else.

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HarryG

The OP is obviously not a writer, and merely wants to post his, sometimes observant views, but usually downright silly ones, wherever he can. He’s intruding in a writing community, that may have many faults, but it’s one he plainly doesn’t understand.

Of course he’s a welcome relief from the boring stuff about character development and showing rather than telling, and most people know that he is writing with his red nose firmly in place.

Keep it up, keep entertaining us, arsehole.

Drezzal

Haha, he's a knob alright

Shawn

I love your posts, Mike.

Unless your on some throw-back of Baker Farm and your name's Thoreau.

I hate writing and I hate being a writer and I hate being thought of as a writer. Despite sweet whispers to one another that "rejections get better," they don't. You just pour all your desires into a pen and paper and you end up getting rejected for some two cent amateur who decided to have his say.

That being said, some people do concern themselves too much over the construction of a story or the theme when we are supposed to be demonstrating one thing: character. If the reader connects with them, I could care less who the protagonist or the antagonist is, or how many foils I have for my supporting characters, or how many spanners I can cram into my toolbox until it's full to bursting.

And, saying this with the utmost bitterness in my voice, once you create a wonderful, lovable, and sweet representation of a person that's deep down in your soul, you'll get thrown to the wayside.

So, Ox, in answer to your question: I'm a poser. If that means that I can keep my dignity and create my characters and express myself without being laughed at or told to change a fundamental part of my writing (because I know I'm right when I'm right), then I'm perfectly okay with that. I conform to nonconformity.

But I'm certainly self-aware enough and secure enough in who I am than to tell other people what they aren't or are without getting to know an individual.

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Aevin

*slow claps for Shawn*

Only a bit of sarcasm on that one. I agree with almost everything you said. Character is very important, and if I can't publish something while saying what I need to say ... Then I won't publish anything.

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Talia_Brie

I'd have said all that but ... I just didn't want to.

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