Sometimes I get angry...

[minviendha]

Is this a reasonable thing to get angry at? Not the poster, but a few of the comments and the article itself, the general tone of the writer, etc.

*sigh* When I see these things, I hardly know what to think. One the one hand, the advice from a published author is helpful, but on the other...some of the things he says, and the tone that comes through in both articles - just...rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it hits too close to home. I don't like comments that all, or even most, teenagers suck. Someone comments that it could damage their esteem and hence their ability to write at all, and though the poster thinks that any teenager would just shrug that off...I know I couldn't. If someone truly told me that my writing sucked, I'd probably stop. Because, seriously, what's the point of doing something if you can't even do it well? In my opinion, the word "suck" implies irredeemable, stinking refuse. So if my writing sucks...that's not good. That's not even something like "your writing could be a lot better," or "this needs a heck of a lot of work." It's just...negative.

I know my writing isn't necessarily publishing quality. I know that I can and probably will get a lot better, as I have since I started writing in kindergarten with stories about dogs. But that doesn't mean that, right now, my writing is horrible. That it sucks, in other words.

And even when he alters the generalization to "most teenagers" or "nearly all" teenagers, it's still essentially the same statement. After all, it's easy for me to say that I'm part of that very small percentage whose writing doesn't suck, but....you never know, and I don't really believe that.

Plus, his tone is just condescending and kind of...nasty. At least it seems so to me. And some of the comments in the post....just plain tactless. Or the exchange:

"I don't like the generalization that all teenage writing sucks."
"Sry, it does"

Or something along those lines.

*sigh* I need something useful to do to take my mind off stuff. I feel lonely and isolated. This is no good.

So yeah. I'm done...and maybe I can get back to life now. Or something. There was something meaningful I wanted to say here, but I forgot what it was.

Comments

[princeralis.livejournal.com]

Wow, I just read both articles and I agree with nearly all the points he made. I thought both were great.

It's an interesting thing to consider as a teenager. I mean, I'm well aware that my writing sucks (all too aware), and I can understand how a lot of teenagers would take the statement "all teenage writing sucks" personally. But the point of the article is that just because your writing is not 100% quality now, that doesn't mean that there isn't the possibility of growth and improvement-there is. If you keep going, even during times of mega-suckage, then you'll get better. As he put it, "'suck' is a correctible phenomenon." That's the important thing.

[dame_grise]

Okay, first off, hie yourself over to sartorias's journal. I think she has a public post up for this and some seriously good things to say. She's a published writer of YA fiction.

Second of all, I agree that most novice writers, not just teenagers, have times when they can't take being knocked. I got a seriously nasty critique once from someone I thought of as a friend once, and I've been really cagey about who sees my 'real' writing since then.

"Your writing sucks," is not a valid critique. Broad generalizations don't help anyone.

Keep writing. I haven't seen your 'original' work, but your role-playing writing bodes well for at least a good start at writing well in non-fan material. That's the best advice ever. Write. Write, write, and write some more.