First Week Reflections

[MaudeBlack]

Hello, hi, howdy, ho-ho-ho,

Well, well...

It's been a wild first week (actually posting this late due to 'factors').

I've loved every minute of it - even the cheeky scamps who have taken great delight in informing me they will always negative vote my stories. Who knew a free site could elicit such a reaction.
The only thing I'm disappointed with is my naivety in such matters.

Fifteen stories published for your enjoyment. I hope you find something of value in at least one of them...and then tell me so I can rinse and repeat!

It's tough when the stories I've enjoyed working on the most attract the most critical response and negativity.

I must try hard.

But already feel I am learning a lot and my stories, grammar, typo's and general ability has improved over the course of an intense writing week.

I set myself a target of writing a story a day, for a week, as a personal challenge. The most I've ever written over the past twenty something years has been an email. In the end I managed to get 15 published.
Which I am proud of.

Creativity was never something I thought I had...and reading a few messages, something I still lack.

I want to keep trying. I will take onboard the supportive comments. I will read the negative ones. I have cried a couple of times over the past week from a couple of 'persistent critics'. I say that not for sympathy (I neither want or need it), I say that because it's true and I'm a firm believer in speaking the truth about how one feels.

Anyway, I'm just rambling now as it's cold and wet outside and my cat keeps nudging me for attention/food/cuddles.
He's old and it scares me.

I've encountered more lovely people on here than 'Gatekeepers' and for that I am truly grateful.

Be kind and respectful to each other.

Maude

Xx

 

[Treeview]

Hello, hi, howdy, ho-ho-ho,

Well, well...

It's been a wild first week (actually posting this late due to 'factors').

I've loved every minute of it - even the cheeky scamps who have taken great delight in informing me they will always negative vote my stories. Who knew a free site could elicit such a reaction.
The only thing I'm disappointed with is my naivety in such matters.

Fifteen stories published for your enjoyment. I hope you find something of value in at least one of them...and then tell me so I can rinse and repeat!

It's tough when the stories I've enjoyed working on the most attract the most critical response and negativity.

I must try hard.

But already feel I am learning a lot and my stories, grammar, typo's and general ability has improved over the course of an intense writing week.

I set myself a target of writing a story a day, for a week, as a personal challenge. The most I've ever written over the past twenty something years has been an email. In the end I managed to get 15 published.
Which I am proud of.

Creativity was never something I thought I had...and reading a few messages, something I still lack.

I want to keep trying. I will take onboard the supportive comments. I will read the negative ones. I have cried a couple of times over the past week from a couple of 'persistent critics'. I say that not for sympathy (I neither want or need it), I say that because it's true and I'm a firm believer in speaking the truth about how one feels.

Anyway, I'm just rambling now as it's cold and wet outside and my cat keeps nudging me for attention/food/cuddles.
He's old and it scares me.

I've encountered more lovely people on here than 'Gatekeepers' and for that I am truly grateful.

Be kind and respectful to each other.

Maude

Xx

hi Maude

Its time for me to wind down. I'm going to go and read some of what you shared. I'll let you know what hppens. Maybe not now...after going over the edge I'm usually sexhausted and fall off to sleep. I will write back.

 

[darwin1859]

It's tough when the stories I've enjoyed working on the most attract the most critical response and negativity.

I must try hard.

But already feel I am learning a lot and my stories, grammar, typo's and general ability has improved over the course of an intense writing week.

It is tough, and I hope you have a thick skin. I have enjoyed the stories of yours that I have read. I think you are a good writer and I like that your stories are often a bit edgier and sometimes have a plot ("Ravenous" and "Motel" have [simple] plots; "Sucker" does not). Both kinds are good.

 

[StillStunned]

Creativity was never something I thought I had...and reading a few messages, something I still lack.

Creativity can be like an oil well: it lies dormant all your life, but when it's tapped it comes gushing up. When I first started writing, I could barely contain it long enough to switch on my laptop. That rush when the words flow onto the page, story after story, it's just incredible. Hold on to it, enjoy it, and let it take you wherever it wants to go.

I want to keep trying. I will take onboard the supportive comments. I will read the negative ones. I have cried a couple of times over the past week from a couple of 'persistent critics'. I say that not for sympathy (I neither want or need it), I say that because it's true and I'm a firm believer in speaking the truth about how one feels.

Negative comments can be good. We're often blind to our own shortcomings, and criticism can help us see where we need to improve. But if it's just a hateful response without anything meaningful, just remind yourself of this: for a brief while, every single reader lived in your creation. They shared your world, your characters, your words. Something that a short while ago was only an image in your mind has spread around the world. Isn't that an amazing thought?

So keep writing, and write whatever you want to. Lit's the perfect place to experiment with all kinds of ideas, styles, genres. There's an audience for everything - write it, and people will read it. So push your limits, write something you never thought you'd consider even reading, or delve into your most obscure fantasies, or just write simple stories about people having fun. And never let anyone here tell you that you should be doing anything different.

Drop by the Authors' Hangout for some discussions about "the craft", and many, many discussions about publishing on Lit.

Anyway, I'm just rambling now as it's cold and wet outside and my cat keeps nudging me for attention/food/cuddles.
He's old and it scares me.

I have two of my own who are getting wobblier and wobblier. Very scary. But it's another excuse to sit on the couch and write, so they can snuggle up close.

 

[MaudeBlack]

Creativity can be like an oil well: it lies dormant all your life, but when it's tapped it comes gushing up. When I first started writing, I could barely contain it long enough to switch on my laptop. That rush when the words flow onto the page, story after story, it's just incredible. Hold on to it, enjoy it, and let it take you wherever it wants to go.

Negative comments can be good. We're often blind to our own shortcomings, and criticism can help us see where we need to improve. But if it's just a hateful response without anything meaningful, just remind yourself of this: for a brief while, every single reader lived in your creation. They shared your world, your characters, your words. Something that a short while ago was only an image in your mind has spread around the world. Isn't that an amazing thought?

So keep writing, and write whatever you want to. Lit's the perfect place to experiment with all kinds of ideas, styles, genres. There's an audience for everything - write it, and people will read it. So push your limits, write something you never thought you'd consider even reading, or delve into your most obscure fantasies, or just write simple stories about people having fun. And never let anyone here tell you that you should be doing anything different.

Drop by the Authors' Hangout for some discussions about "the craft", and many, many discussions about publishing on Lit.

I have two of my own who are getting wobblier and wobblier. Very scary. But it's another excuse to sit on the couch and write, so they can snuggle up close.

What wonderful feedback and comments, thank you so much. I am genuinely touched by this.

I love your description of creativity. This first week has been a frenzy of activity - and how you put it is perfect, I simply cannot wait to get the words onto the page.
I think part of it is my concern that at some point I'll open my laptop and nothing will happen, and that will be that.

That's an amazing way to see my work - it's incredibly powerful to view it that way, and so very true. Receiving comments from people in America and Australia have given me such a buzz - 'Wow you are sat thousands of miles from me, reading my words'...it blows my mind.

My boy is getting the wobbles. It's now becoming hard to ignore. The cuddles have become longer and more meaningful.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and all your wonderful guidance.

Xx

 

[LucieLou007]

i really liked reading them, your a good writer

 

[MaudeBlack]

i really liked reading them, your a good writer

Thank you so much. I've loved reading your work as well. Some of your pieces are inspired and certainly get me in the right places.
Xx