critique and explosions and a meme
Jul. 5th, 2007 10:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
erastesOk - this is a problem I encountered in fandom, but I never thought I would find it in professional - and I stress the term - professional fiction land. I am of the same mind as ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
gehayi for not understanding why historical fiction - or historical romances can't be historically accurate. Go shoot us - everyone has their pet peeves, and mine (as you will know if you've read any of my reviews - although I throw my hands up RIGHT NOW before anyone points, that I know I've made mistakes in my stories) - is historical accuracy - no-one's perfect - but I TRY.
If someone posts a piece of fiction online - e.g. in the public domain - not friends locked, then it is, as far as I'm concerned, in the public domain and is available for praise or critique. If I put a snippet on line, and I have many times, then I'll take the rough with the smooth. And I have. People point out historical inaccuracies - some a lot more serious than Ms Potts did withgehayi - or typos and I was GRATEFUL.
Thing is, there are writers who don't agree. They don't want their mistakes pointed out, they don't want people to help them improve as writers. They want the small pond of their peers to squee and praise and tell them how great they are. This is fanbrat behaviour imho. If you are big enough and ugly enough and have the cojones to write it and put it out for people to read, then you take the critique as well as the brownnosing.
And if someone points out flaws, you swallow your tears and anger (hell, we all have them) and you say "thank you very much, I appreciate it that you took the time to read and cared enough to comment"
and on a much nicer notetechnosage Interviewed me!
1. Why do you write gay fiction?
One cock good. Two Cocks BETTER.
2. Name three authors who have influenced your writing.
Hmm. Influenced is probably too strong a word. I don't ever think that I'll ever be as good as the writers who I most adore. Austen, Eliot, Pratchett, Rowling (she helped me name characters, taught me cliffhangers and taught me to write the last chapter first)
3. If you could add one book to the mandatory curriculum for being a human, what would it be?
Irony: Not just a little bit like Iron by Erastes.
Seriously though. TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE by R A Heinlein. Read it. Live it.
4. Where is your favorite place you've ever traveled, and why?
I've travelled all around the world and Venice is where I want to live. It's like a water colour that someone has spilled water on. It's divine.
5. Sunrise or sunset, why?
BOTH! My house sits East West so I get the best of both worlds
1. Leave me a comment saying anything random, like your favorite lyric to your current favorite song. Or your favorite kind of sandwich. Something random. Whatever you like.
2. I respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.
3. You WILL update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to ask someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be asked, you will ask them five questions.
gehayi for not understanding why historical fiction - or historical romances can't be historically accurate. Go shoot us - everyone has their pet peeves, and mine (as you will know if you've read any of my reviews - although I throw my hands up RIGHT NOW before anyone points, that I know I've made mistakes in my stories) - is historical accuracy - no-one's perfect - but I TRY.If someone posts a piece of fiction online - e.g. in the public domain - not friends locked, then it is, as far as I'm concerned, in the public domain and is available for praise or critique. If I put a snippet on line, and I have many times, then I'll take the rough with the smooth. And I have. People point out historical inaccuracies - some a lot more serious than Ms Potts did with
gehayi - or typos and I was GRATEFUL.Thing is, there are writers who don't agree. They don't want their mistakes pointed out, they don't want people to help them improve as writers. They want the small pond of their peers to squee and praise and tell them how great they are. This is fanbrat behaviour imho. If you are big enough and ugly enough and have the cojones to write it and put it out for people to read, then you take the critique as well as the brownnosing.
And if someone points out flaws, you swallow your tears and anger (hell, we all have them) and you say "thank you very much, I appreciate it that you took the time to read and cared enough to comment"
and on a much nicer note
technosage Interviewed me!1. Why do you write gay fiction?
One cock good. Two Cocks BETTER.
2. Name three authors who have influenced your writing.
Hmm. Influenced is probably too strong a word. I don't ever think that I'll ever be as good as the writers who I most adore. Austen, Eliot, Pratchett, Rowling (she helped me name characters, taught me cliffhangers and taught me to write the last chapter first)
3. If you could add one book to the mandatory curriculum for being a human, what would it be?
Irony: Not just a little bit like Iron by Erastes.
Seriously though. TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE by R A Heinlein. Read it. Live it.
4. Where is your favorite place you've ever traveled, and why?
I've travelled all around the world and Venice is where I want to live. It's like a water colour that someone has spilled water on. It's divine.
5. Sunrise or sunset, why?
BOTH! My house sits East West so I get the best of both worlds
1. Leave me a comment saying anything random, like your favorite lyric to your current favorite song. Or your favorite kind of sandwich. Something random. Whatever you like.
2. I respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.
3. You WILL update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and offer to ask someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be asked, you will ask them five questions.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Re: Oh, snap!
Date: 2007-07-06 08:22 pm (UTC)I'm very happy you are still writing it!
Would you like questions?
Re: Oh, snap!
Date: 2007-07-06 09:16 pm (UTC)Re: Oh, snap!
Date: 2007-07-06 10:13 pm (UTC)2. Would you think about trying to sell your Austen stories?
3. Do you think HEA is essential in romance?
4. Do you think Charlotte Collins was happy enough?
5. Favourite tipple?
Re: Oh, snap!
Date: 2007-07-06 10:35 pm (UTC)2. I'd love to. Do you think anyone would buy it? There's some shocking shite in the way of professionally published follow-on Austenfic, and I think mine is already better than most of what I've seen (though it still needs much work). I just wonder about the market. Insights?
3. What is HEA? (Oh dear, does that answer mark me as a complete novice?)
4. Happy enough for what? I think readers in Austen's time would perhaps have pitied Charlotte, but her situation was by no means uncommon at the time, so they would have looked upon it as realistically as Charlotte herself did. Apart from a silly and stupid husband, she had ample cause for happiness or at least contentedness. Modern readers recoil at her fate, however, so I'm sure she wasn't happy enough for most of them. I've never felt the urge to write her a happier ending, at least, though I know it's popular to drop poor Collins on his head on sharp rocks and similar, to releive Charlotte of his tedious company.
5. Just one? Okay... Gewurtztraminer, if we're talking wine. Whisky if we're talking spirits.
HEA
Date: 2007-07-07 12:20 am (UTC)Top Torquere drama, Erastes!!
Re: HEA
Date: 2007-07-07 06:32 am (UTC)