Yeah, those threads bother me. The author is supposed to want to tell the story and therefore they need to tell it how they want to, which includes all the details of characters, plot etc. so they should come up with it themselves.
Sometimes someone just needs a push. Sometimes someone just needs to disagree with what you already decided. I've fought down a desire to verbally smack someone for wanting to be shoved every few feet. Starting up discussions that are more "what's it like to have this experience?" is actually pretty helpful. Apparently I'm blood-phobic, and it's quite an acid trip to faint that hard. With enough willpower, I can cooperate with whoever's trying to get me out of a faint. That's something a stoic would not know without me telling them. In one story I needed to kill someone slowly and have it be an accident. I finally decided to create some bizarre infection. Then I realized that my story would be just fine with a normal infection. I think that one was solved either through research or through a general site with a medical sub-group. (Who seem pretty squicked at the writers coming in and asking for information on how to kill someone through trauma.) In another story, I needed someone to be marked from birth, and it took a discussion ranging from cleft-palette to how I just might have had to re-tweak my premise so that wild limb deformity would be less of an issue. Someone finally pointed me to winestain birthmarks and whatever condition gives people white patches light pinto horses, and it would have taken me forever to get that answer, if I ever did think of it. Back to a problem with one story, I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it even after re-reading it several times. The answer was "I hate your character for being such an idiot about X issue."
I have to be honest, especially since I have actually said something on a few of those threads. I don't mind something here and there. What I mind is post after post after post of someone wanting you to do it for them. When they ask a question, then ask you a question about your answer, then another. On and on. Then 2 hours later they've started another thread about a completely different story and you know they haven't written the first word of the first one. I mean come on. There's a limit, isn't there? I can't write a fantasy novel about who knows what for someone else. I have my own novel to write. Helping out when someone is stuck I am happy to do, brainstorming their entire plot and their characters for them, right down to their powers? Ummmm... No.
I don't mind helping people brainstorm if they're stuck and need some ideas to get their mind going. It can even be fun. I do mind when someone expects to be given a complete solution, or makes specific demands like Also, those kids should get off my lawn.
That is pretty ridiculous, thing is that a lot of people here are twisted enough to figure it out. Simple answer, he's either superstitious or most of his white socks turned blue because he washed them with a new pair of jeans or some other bleedy-garment, maybe a towel. Though about the new train-of-thought... I think sometimes those are the same stories turned unrecognizable. I hate to breed any atmosphere of hostility, but maybe a bit more verbal smacking is in order? Maybe every stupid question answered is met with a cone-of-shame? I doubt the software can handle it, but if enough of the professionals get nasty, the "kiddies" would think twice about it.
On the other side of this coin, when I visit non writer forums to research. I get attacked with cliché cyber bullying “What you want me to do write your story for you?” When all I wanted was some background for my next Vampire a defrocked Pentecostal snake handler with a grilled cheese fetish .....ya dig ? I personally have no desire to extinguish any one's elses passion by mandating their creative process parallels mine ...ya dig ?
True enough. In a more hostile environment, I would have never gotten my birthmark answer. (Not only is cleft pallet inheritable, it seems, but a crapsack world is the perfect place for it to happen on a non-unique level.) This was a forum whose main purpose was for bashing fanfiction, and just had a sub-forum for research. (Same forum where I described a story that attacked me in my sleep and someone said it would be the worst story ever to cross that fandom if I did write it down and share it.)
Don't think anyone minds the research questions, especially when it's asking other people's take on experience, like what it feels like to be drunk or knocked out, as that's not something people should feel pressure to go experience just so they can write it into a scene. But like the warning that states the character and plot development stories aren't just for sharing or receiving feedback on character or plot sketches, so to perhaps there could a focus more on discussing plot, umm, I dunno, development, which has little to do with asking where your character should have been born to be a bad girl (often these questions are making connections that are head-scratchers anyway). Just because you're gaining an idea by someone supplying an answer, doesn't mean you're actually learning anything, much less how to write better. And isn't that the point of these forums? I don't consider someone not being able to come up with a character trait on their own a writing issue, much less a discussion on character development (as listed and stated under forum headings). I don't personally have any stake in the matter, I simply avoid those forums unless I'm really, really bored, as like most of us here I joined to continue learning about crafting (and teaching) fiction, and those two forums in particular seem to becoming more of 'quick and easy answer' forums instead of 'learn to write' forums. So, what seems to happen is a lot of the actual discussions on designing a plot or developing characters ends up in the general forum, which isn't really a big deal, though, so shrug.
This forum, that forum, little forum, phat forum the internet lends itself to bullying , the "beer muscles" of the digital age...take everything with a grain of salt...who I am to judge what works for others.
I do agree with Trish it is a little annoying when it obvious the person is doesn't even try writing the story before asking the other questions and some questions I do respond with only way they will know is by writing the story - you can't tell someone how characters that have never met each other will respond etc. I guess though I am not a serious writer never have been - I write because I enjoy telling stories and it is the handiest medium to do that in.
I know how you feel Tesoro. I really don't understand either. Maybe I'm the dense one? When I think "witches" I get an image in my head. When I think "horses" I get an image in my head. When I think "aliens" I get an image in my head. It's MY image and it won't be like anyone else's, that's where originality comes from. Maybe these kids who won't stay off Islander's lawn just lack the confidence to run with the images in their heads? Is that what I'm missing?? If so, I stand by my earlier assessments... Just write it! If it's bad learn from it later. You don't learn by thinking about writing it.
writing is an art (or at least it should be) and art is a way of expressing oneself. My ideal of writing isnt about pandering to the majority's expectations but rather to write what you believe in. Asking for help to develop YOUR story isnt really what i have in mind when it comes to putting out your art, that slowly becomes putting out a product
I think so too. For me that is the best parts of writing, that I can create my own world, people and events without having to follow any standard. People can do and be whatever I want them to be and do. The total liberty and freedom of creation. All the possibilities!
Although i had forgotten another early thread on here gave me the idea for calling Angus The Royal Oaf - I knew I hated the Barbarian Prince which I was calling him. It was a niggle of mine and Minstrel will need an acknowledgement for that lol My post about fantasy cliches taught me what was really lazy plot devices and they all came out of my story. My post about white falcons got me information. I actually had someone approach me with the very complaints on this thread - I remain unrepentant lol My stories are original and mostly mine but sometimes I needed just a little nudge to get over the hurdle. At the time I was accused of doing this I was actually at various stages of four different novels. They are much better because of the various threads on here than I could have written solo. Cream and Black came up after a discussion with Show - thing is Angus, Cream and Black, Socrates and Nate etc are entirely mine but sometimes help deciding birdforms etc has enriched them. Fact is without that one I would never have come up with Royal Oaf in a million years of thinking moment I saw it with the lists I was given it was perfect. My story with Cream and Black is now set Umber Bridge, Penshire. It is so perfect, but without the discussion and someones suggestion of Umberton I would not have it. Also have a Duke of Crimson Cove which I love someone came up with. The story is mine but sometimes someone else has a knowledge or background I don't have and can come up with something a ton better.
