To Writing Spirit regarding Panatrophia, you're gonna tag me but not unblock me? · 5:53pm Apr 23rd, 2020
I don't know if you'll notice this, but I'm getting this off my chest. Here's the comment I wrote before seeing I was still blocked
well, I was certainly not expecting to see anymore of this comment since I was blocked earlier. This story doesn't feel empty because the heroes lost. It feels empty because it's empty, oh AND the heroes lost. The emptiness and the unbelievabilty are separate issues. It could have been less empty and still unbelievable, or maybe a good explanation could have convinced me. There's a story out there where one of Daring Do's adventures discovers ancient radioactive waste, but don't know it and kills a lot of ponies. I didn't particularly like it, but I bought it. But you asked what I didn't find conceivable about it, so I answered that. You didn't ask what made it feel empty, you admitted to that, that you'd decided not to put any explanations in
Before you ask me why I haven't unblocked you yet, maybe first ask why I blocked you in the first place. This kind of a non-response is exactly why.
First off, I'm glad you've decided to clarify that the emptiness and the believability are two separate issues. I don't know why you didn't bother to clarify that in your original responses. If it's because I didn't ask, then I don't know what to tell you.
Let's look over the conversation we had. You left a comment on my story talking about how many horror stories you've read are empty. When someone else asked you what do you mean when you say a story is empty, you listed out a bunch of things that you think a story shouldn't be missing in order to for it to not feel empty, correct? That's when I respond to you with why I didn't feel the need to have those things in my story in particular. I can't say that for other stories you've read so I thought why not give my process instead? So I did. I gave my explanations as to why I didn't include them, hoping in some way that you'll understand where I'm coming from, perhaps even revisit the story with those things in mind.
Then you responded to me that, and I'm quoting you here, that you think my reasons for doing so might convince you in original fiction, but because you don't look at fanfic the same way you do original fiction that it's our job to convince you that it's believable. Bear in mind, this was the response you're giving me right after talking about why the stories are empty and what we writers should do about it. There's was no ''by the way' or oh, one more thing'. No attempt made to separate the two.
So I ask you what's not believable in my story for you then. You reply: "the heroes of the story losing and having to accept it's the end."
And now, you're telling me that it was a wholly separate issue?
My advice to that is before you tag a blog post about 'comment section etiquette', maybe learn a bit about how comments work first. As much as I desperately love to, I can't read your mind.
And even with this blog post here, you didn't even bother to convince me about the points you're making about my story.
It feels empty because it is empty? Not because you feel like it's empty? I've already told you in my first response, the emptiness is there for a reason. You feel it's empty for a reason, that reason being—and I can't believe I have to spell this out to you—that's what you're supposed to be feeling. It's a horror story that's supposed to be a tragedy. You're feeling what Twilight is feeling at the end of it. Me needing to explain it to you just means that you're not really reading the story at all.
Also, the heroes losing? How is that unbelievable? Are you going to attempt to explain to me why heroes losing in stories would ruin the experience of the story for you, or is it something that you're discriminating only towards My Little Pony stories for some odd reason? And are you gonna talk about believability with regards to my story instead of someone else's? I never asked you what I didn't find conceivable about the Daring Do story, I'm obviously asking about mine. And if that's really the reason, care to properly elaborate why instead of leaving it there like some vague footnote I'm supposed to decipher with the help of a friend? If you're not going to bother trying to explain what made you feel that way, then I'm going to follow your lead and not listen.
Now then, by now you should know that I've unblocked you, if only because I'm giving you another chance to properly explain what's bothering you clearly and concisely in my story. I've spent the better part of an hour typing out this response, so it's only fair that you do the same. It's good anyways since it looks like you have a lot on your chest you want to say. Just put a bit of effort into thinking what you want to say before posting it, that's all I ask.
If, however, I see another comment that points out at an issue that you have with my story but you don't bother to elaborate, then don't be so shocked when you return my blacklist again.
5248766
okay here we go. Let's try to clear things up. I didn't clarify they were two separate issues because I didn't realize I needed to. It seemed clear to me
I say it's empty because it is lacking in detail. You explained why it was lacking so I felt like that was that even if I didn't necessary agree. For example your comment about knowing why
the answers in the scientific vein are enough for me.
not MLP in particular, but fanfic in general. The reason is I am familiar with the characters, I am familiar with what they beat. Why are the fanfic writers' threats worse? So I suppose it's not all fanfic. Create a story with OCs in a familiar setting I suppose I'd judge it by different standards, since those characters would be 100% yours and not have competing versions out there.
So,
5248827
Alright, finally something I can work with.
Regarding the answers bit, the example that I've used in that comment is referring to our quarantine situation. I'm basically drawing comparisons between a real-life pandemic with this fictional one. In our real world, we know where the disease came from. We know how it spreads. It's because we know that we're now stuck in our homes right now. Now, when we ask why it's happening to us now, why it's happening to people you know, you're not going to get an answer that's going to make sense. That was the point I was trying to make with that comment.
Nevertheless, you're still saying that it's empty because of that. And like I've said, it's supposed to be like that. Twilight doesn't even have a proper scientific answer as to what disease was. Of course, that's because, as she figures out near the end of the story, it was never a disease in the first place. I wrote it that way so that you can feel the hopelessness that Twilight's going through. That no matter how hard she tried, she soon realised she was never going to succeed in the first place. This story wasn't meant to satisfy you. It was meant to drain you.
This then ties into your other complaint, which was how was this particular threat worse than anything she had faced. Well, the story already kinda stated that. This threat isn't something that the Elements of Harmony can just blow away. How can you blow away something you can't see? Discord tried to snap it, but it won't disappear. This was a threat that was invisible, that not even a thousand-year-old spirit of chaos could dismantle, for reasons unknown. This threat is really different from everything they've faced so far and, as we know, Twilight learned that the hard way.
Honestly, however, I just feel like I shouldn't need to explain all this to you. The answer to your questions are things that, if you've really sat down and read the story I've written, you won't be questioning in the first place. It's just telling me that your standards for fanfiction are really just getting in the way of you fully enjoying a story. I'm not saying you need to discard those standards to be able to enjoy what I and the other writers have written; I'm saying that you shouldn't need those standards to dictate your views on how a story should be told. Maybe the emptiness is there for a reason. Maybe the threat they're facing is certainly worse than anything that came before. Yet you're so blinded by your own questions that you refuse to see the answers that are already written before you. The problem I had was that you seem to have made up your mind about my story and potentially many other stories before you even fully understood what they were trying to go for. That's why your comments just seem short-sighted. Like it's somehow the fanfic writer's job now to explain things to you because you didn't bother to understand what they're hoping to achieve.
Lastly, how did all this start? I was very annoyed with your initial comment of saying how many of our entries felt empty. Not just my story, but several other stories as well. Think about that, was that comment really necessary? I know you have opinions and I know you're free to share those opinions, but what's the point of you even saying that in the first place? What value does saying that bring to the table? It was, to put in simply, empty, ironically enough. I know for a fact that if you posted it in the Barcast forum thread that it isn't going to fly well. Consider yourself fortunate when you've decided to leave it on mine instead.
Now, I'll have you know, I'm planning to delete the exchange we've had in the comments section of Panatrophia. Not because I look bad in them—I honestly don't care—but because they add nothing substantial to the experience. If anything, it's a distraction. A bloated, stupid distraction.
All I'll say to you now is that think about what you're gonna say before you say it. Otherwise, you're just going to waste everyone's time, yours included.
5248871
okay, I do get you going for the coronavirus comparison. But while I am unhappy and angry about the things that are happening, I'm not feeling the sort of existential issues you seem to be suggesting. So it's not going to reach me there. You're not going to be able to play on an emotion I'm not feeling.
And again you're assuming that I voluntarily chose those standards. I've been reading fanfic for decades, seen stories I liked and stories I hated and thought about what gave me those feelings.
5248909
And there it is. This was what I've been waiting for.
See, that's fine. I'm not saying that it's wrong to not be able to feel a certain way about a story. The problem, again, was you phrasing it as if it were the fault of the story. You said, essentially, "this story is empty because I don't have all the answers". You didn't say "I feel as though this story isn't affecting me emotionally". You're not relaying your experience with the story so much as you're implying that the story made a few mistakes that don't fit your world view. Even after all the explaining I did, I'm fine with you not getting this story at all, I really am. What I'm not fine with is you spouting off blanket statements before even realising what exactly is hindering your enjoyment of this story.
It's fine if you don't enjoy it. Frankly, I was somewhat suspecting this to be the case from the very start. If you are, however, going to voice out why you don't enjoy it, just think it over and figure out what to say. Properly translate those opinions onto paper. Otherwise, people will certainly get the wrong idea and you'll end up with a situation like this.
Perhaps I am. I will assume one other thing though: you're voluntarily abiding by these standards regardless. Again, I'm not asking you to cast them aside. I'm asking you to reconsider them as you read a story. To that point, there's really no reason for you to treat fanfiction differently from any other kind of fiction. They're both stories, so why hold them to different standards? Because you know the universe of one and not the other? It's a baffling double standard to make.
That's not enough, It'll never be enough.
Reading isn't a trade job. You can't brute force it. You don't become a better reader through time and hard work alone. You become a better reader by opening yourself up to different ideas from different authors. Variety is the key here, not time. It's variety that allows you to decide whether or not you like Stephen King or Mary Shelley more. Whether you're a bigger fan of Orwell's 1984 over Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and Huxley's Brave New World. Reading shouldn't just be about confirming your tastes, it should also be about exploring them and about expanding them. Reading is about enlightenment. Time has nothing to do with it.
I guess my advice for this would be to not limit yourself whenever possible. Just keep an open mind and always look for something new to read. And not just something new, but something that challenges what you know.
Now, I don't intend to respond to any of your comments after this. I think I've got what I wanted and said what I wanted to say on my end. I can only hope you take my words to heart and learn from this. I know I certainly will.
Thank you for your time,
5248945
okay, again it just seems like we're talking past each other. Because when I said the story was "empty" I was 100% talking factual content. That the story did not tell me enough not that it did not make me feel. So the blanket statement you're saying I put out, is not at all what I actually said
And I don't understand why it's baffling to you that when a writer treats a character or setting differently than the way that made me want to read about or watch them, I stop wanting to read about or watch them. I did think of another example of when I do this, when I was collecting comic books and the creative team changed I would often drop the books within a few issues of the change. I'd give it a little time but if the characters no longer reflected what I liked about them I felt no need to keep putting my money or time into them
And reading fiction is about entertainment for me, I stick to non-fiction when I'm looking to learn or be enlightened
5248969
*sigh*
That's still your opinion. It's not fact. Stop conflating the two. I'm not writing to satisfy your standards. I don't need to tell you how everything works, alright? I don't need to spell out how the sickness happened because it's not important to the story I want to tell you. You still can't get that even after all our exchanges.
Then stop reading fanfiction altogether. Fanfiction is about exploring the possibilites of what could happen. If all you want to read are the characters and setting being treated the same way over and over, just stick to watching the show. Stop demanding fanfiction writers to play to everything that the show does.
Or you can, I don't know, be entertained and enlightened at the same time?
This is exactly what I meant when I said I'm not going to bother with someone who refuses to open his mind in the first place. You refuse to believe in anything other than yourself. If nothing fits to your beliefs, it's their fault, not yours. You can do no wrong. You can believe no wrong. You're always the right one in the argument. You don't need to back up your opinions? Why bother when you're right? When the world knows you're right?
I was never going to respond to you, but your self-centered approach is honestly disgusting for me to read. Frankly speaking, I don't want to have another interaction with you or ever see you near one of my stories again.
In other words, I'm blocking you. Go be selfish somewhere else.
Thanks for nothing.
you didn't have to respond, but it is amazing. It's my fault that you didn't sell me your story. You're a great writer, as long as the reader agrees with everything you say, and you accuse me of arrogance
5249124
5249109
Garfan... as Writing Spirit has explained and implied, we fanfiction writers don't take orders from our readers. We can take advice, but the reader is not in control. They don't get to say how the story goes, what will happen, what should happen. Only the writer decides those things.
If you don't like it, that's fine... but you shouldn't give people a hard time over it. They have different tastes than you do, and when we write stories, it's usually to satisfy OUR OWN INTERESTS, and see what others think of it.
But if you're not satisfied with the stories you read-- if you want things to go your way... then write your own stories, but don't expect other people to do YOUR stuff, YOUR way, for YOU.
In the end, it's not the writer who has the problem... it's YOU. You can't respect their tastes, their desires, and "decades of reading fanfiction" will not back you up.
People block you because they are tired of your constant complaining and annoying them to point of distraction.
phahahahahahahahah funny