Trump
401 2017-08-18 20:56:57
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
402 2017-08-18 20:52:01
Re: If you can't say something nice ... (72 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Dill Carver wrote:
It was a completely different site back then; almost unrecognisable. The entire dynamic has changed and the front page had a different function compared to nowadays.
Novels, Short Stories and Poems were ranked by review in a kind of league table. This led to an extremely competitive environment (for those who were in the race). 'Highest ranked novel' on the site was a hotly contested position. The most successful novels would win expert or professional reviews on a monthly or periodical basis.
Not just the writers were judged, reviewers were ranked and graded too. Those reviewers who chalked-up the most reviews were recognised in the same league-table fashion but also the reviewers who were deemed to be the most helpful and effective and expert were recognised and awarded accredited status.
The competitive nature of the site back then inevitably led to a lot of passion and emotion. It was an extremely vibrant and exciting community and inevitably the emotions boiled over, flared-up and caught fire regularly.
The site in effect has leveled-out. It is a passive and uncompetitive place. A safe and stable environment. It has gone from the excitement of a fiery bull-pit of a free-for-all rodeo to the sedated day room of a retirement home.
I tried to think of a way to describe to a former member the atmosphere of the site today. I love 'the sedated day room of a retirement home!' You are so right, Dill! No comparison today to its former fire and brimstone days. Lots of participation back then, as we tried to knock the Number One novel off its perch with every chapter we posted of our own work! I do miss the competitiveness of the old site. LOL! Not to mention the reviewing competitiveness between Sonny and Flo, always at the number one and number two spots as far as reviewers went. I also liked the banner at the top that picked out a novel and gave the author's name and the name of the novel.
403 2017-08-18 20:32:42
Re: If you can't say something nice ... (72 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Norm d'Plume wrote:
Mariana, that limitation of the site has been addressed. I just published three chapters for the same book and only the last one shows up. If someone clicks on it, they're taken to the posting view where they can select any of the chapters to review.
Yes, Norm's right. Today, if you post chapter 12, followed by 13, then 14, only 14 will show up on the front page. But that's not the way it was in 2008 when I joined. If you posted more than one, they all showed up, which of course knocked someone else's newly posted work off the bottom of the front page. That's when this particular person got pissed and sent me that blistering review.
404 2017-08-18 17:22:28
Re: If you can't say something nice ... (72 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Dill Carver wrote:
Suin wrote:I can't believe someone would say that to you Marilyn! Your writing has been a joy to read!
Marilyn Johnson wrote:"Hey, idiot, don't hog the front page with all your shit nobody wants to read anyway. You can only post one per day, and it's not too late to get your money back for the enrollment fee."
What kind of person would say that?!
I remember the incident... I think it was either 'site admin' or me. Maybe both.
I didn't want to give you a public flogging, Dill Carver. But since you've brought it out yourself... LOL!!!
405 2017-08-17 22:56:32
Re: If you can't say something nice ... (72 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Rachel (Rhiannon) Parsons wrote:
if someone attacks a man of low self-esteem, the thinks less of himself, if someone attacks a man of high self-esteem, the thinks less of the person who attacks him. Constructive criticism could be defined as the kind you'd do yourself of yourself, if you were outside of yourself to do it.
hhmm ... okay. Is this the same thing as being beside yourself? I have been there before!! 
To clarify my original post:
I am not saying don't give negative reviews. I am saying do it in a way that isn't mean. Be nice. Your tone is everything.
Anyone on here can give me a review with as many negatives as they want to. It doesn't bother me. But if you say it in a mean, condescending way, I might cut your heart out and hand it to you, not for WHAT you said, but how you said it. I have enough confidence in my own writing abilities to not allow it to be a problem. However, I did NOT have that confidence when I first joined the site, and some of you folks scared the bejeezus out of me! Some were heartless and down right cruel. I remember the first day I posted 6 chapters of a western novel I'd been working on. I did not know in advance that an unwritten rule around here said only post one chapter a day. I got my head handed to me on a silver platter for doing that, within an hour of my first post. I remember one person in particular said, "Hey, idiot, don't hog the front page with all your shit nobody wants to read anyway. You can only post one per day, and it's not too late to get your money back for the enrollment fee."
I took down every chapter. A much nicer way to say it would have been, "You're new here and I know you don't know this, but we have an unwritten rule around here that we only post one chapter per day. That way everybody has a chance to have their work on the front page. Welcome to the site."
...just saying
406 2017-08-17 20:28:51
Re: If you can't say something nice ... (72 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Nathan B. Childs wrote:
We came here in the same year, and I remember many times when I didn't get the drift of a reviewer's comments. One of early reviewers was Sarah Scotti, who more or less took me under her wing. One of her first criticisms was how I had used a flashback during a flashback. Ah, the good old days.
By the way, keep your critters out of the partial eclipse shadow next Monday. Perhaps blinders for the donkeys if you don't have barn room.
A lot of dogs, all over the country, and other pets as well are going to have eye damage if their outside during the solar eclipse. Their curiosity will likely make them look at the partial eclipse, and even one glimpse at the sun will result in permanent damage.
Hey, Nathan! Yes, you and I got here the same year. I miss those good old days, too!
Thanks for the warning on the critters. I bought eclipse-watching glasses for all 40 of them!! XL for the horses and donkeys!! Our weatherman is predicting an overcast day for Monday, so we may not get to wear them! jk
Stay safe down there on the coast.
MJ
407 2017-08-17 16:56:46
Re: Don't let the dogs out! (4 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Dill Carver wrote:
I saw on the news that Marilyn Johnson has issued her entire menagerie (including Lil' Sebastian) with sun-block and dark glasses.
...whilst I nailed all of my neighborhood pets to a plank and pointed them directly at the sun, by way of experiment.
ROFLMAO! Dill Carver, last time you took on my critters you caused me to be a contest winner! That being the case, I shall buy a lottery ticket just before the eclipse because my 40+ animals and I live in the direct path of it.
(I actually do provide sunblock for all my white-faced critters because they blister in the sun like humans do.)
As per Nathan's warnings, it shall be hard to gather all my critters into a safe eclipse-watching place. Now I know how Noah felt when he was building the ark. "How we gonna do this, God?"
And God replied, "No worry. I am sending rain and storms that day, and the event shall go unnoticed by mere mortals such as yourself. Oh, ye of such little faith."
408 2017-08-17 15:33:32
Re: If you can't say something nice ... (72 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
corra wrote:
Sometimes your writing stinks[,] and there's no easy way for me to say it. Saying nothing at all might be "nicer" but...
Your writing stinks. ....
Your writing sucks a Big One, and if I were you I'd never put pen to paper again.
You should never consider putting ink in your pen again. It's that bad.
Why'd you come in here with your writing lookin' like that? Quit wasting my time on this shit.
I know you don't know everything like I do, but trust me when I say this sucks big time. You need to learn how to write a simple sentence. Google it if you are smart enough to spell it. It's g-o-o-g-l-e. And be sure to put a dot com after it (.com). Then hit enter (it should be on the right hand side of your keyboard).
:'(
409 2017-08-15 12:24:03
Re: SOL HAVE WE BEEN HACKED??? WHAT IS CYCO? (23 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I think it's secret code for telling us we're all psycho!
410 2017-08-15 04:03:16
Re: SOL HAVE WE BEEN HACKED??? WHAT IS CYCO? (23 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Dagnee, can you change the title of your post so Sol sees it faster? Maybe put his name in front of it? Don't know if that would help, but it may. It's still happening with me.
411 2017-08-15 03:59:00
Re: SOL HAVE WE BEEN HACKED??? WHAT IS CYCO? (23 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
John Hamler wrote:
Good. I thought I was going crazy all alone. Although there might be an HBO hacker out there who thinks our manuscripts are worth pirating. That would be flattering, actually.
LOL, John! I believe we've been hacked again. Sol will have to figure out what this is.
SOL!! Are you still awake? We have a site problem!
412 2017-08-15 03:57:00
Re: SOL HAVE WE BEEN HACKED??? WHAT IS CYCO? (23 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
That link took me to a profile page with ">alert("Cyco") on it. I thought it must be a bug, so I blocked the user, but it didn't help.
413 2017-08-15 03:54:55
Re: SOL HAVE WE BEEN HACKED??? WHAT IS CYCO? (23 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
It just started with me. I've been on and off all day, but this started about 30 minutes ago for me.
414 2017-08-14 21:57:06
Re: Contest idea: westerns (6 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
We could all saddle up for a showdown at the O.K. Corral. Wyatt Earp may not be there, but some other savory characters may appear. Somebody would end up being named Sharpshooter Extraordinaire and could ride off into the sunset with a smile on their face.
I like the idea! Good one, Mike! Yee-Haw!
MJ
415 2017-08-14 21:50:35
Re: If you can't say something nice ... (72 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Mariana Reuter wrote:
BTW, it may be easier if Marilyn hints who she is addressing more clearly, otherwise half of the writers here will crucify themselves, or will, just in case, frantically start checking each and every of their reviews within the last week.
Kiss,
Gacela
I would never do that, Gacela. A public flogging is not what I'm after here. I am merely bringing this up as a discussion in hopes that everyone will be kind. No one should crucify themselves unless they are guilty of this misdeed.
Have a blessed day, all.
MJ
416 2017-08-14 16:30:01
Re: If you can't say something nice ... (72 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
K L van Kriedt wrote:
I live with a guilty conscience (instilled by my parents) so of course I think, Marilyn, that you're pointing a finger at me, although you and I have had plenty of pleasant and constructive back and forth reviews.
You never crossed my mind, Karen. The reviews I was so appalled over are not reviews on any of my personal writing. It had to do with reviews given to others, and in particular to new people who have just come onboard here. Writers who have so proudly and bravely posted their first few chapters, only to have that confidence in their ability to write shot down in one fell swoop by a nasty comment telling them to go back to school and learn to write. There's a right way and a wrong way to offer help, and I raise my hackles when I see a review from someone who is cold and calloused.
You're right. You and I banter back and forth frequently, and I've come to value your opinions and respect your talent as a writer. I've never seen anything from you except pleasant suggestions and comments, and you always offer 'why' when you make a suggestion. I've read some reviews you have given to others, and not once have I found anything offensive from you. I always look forward to a lively discussion whenever I see your name pop up in my review box. Thanks for all your help.
Cheers,
MJ
417 2017-08-12 23:23:07
Re: If you can't say something nice ... (72 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
j p lundstrom wrote:
Not only was I inundated with remarks I know were meant to be helpful, I didn't understand what the remarks meant!
Ooh, I just reread your response, and thought I would bring this out: You are right! When I first joined in 2008, someone told me I had changed POVs. I had no clue what a POV was and had to look it up! This is what I mean. People who are new to writing don't always know what the comments mean or why their reviewer said what they did because they just don't know the ins and outs of all the rules of writing. This site is for learning.
You hit the nail on the head, JP. This is what I mean. Don't just tell me I switched POV, show me how I did it and why I shouldn't do it again. That's how you learn! I know what a POV is now, thanks to this site, but to the new writers on here a review can be daunting!
418 2017-08-12 23:17:25
Re: If you can't say something nice ... (72 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
j p lundstrom wrote:
Are you talking to me? I hope not--I do get carried away at times. Sometimes there's just so much you want to say, you'd like to sit down side-by-side with the writer and explain things. Didn't we used to have a forum for that on the old site?
LOL, JP, you never even crossed my mind! You've done reviews for me and you are so very kind all the time! No, the reviews I read this morning that pissed me off were not reviews for my own personal work. They were for other writers on here. Just too much for me to let slide by without saying something about it.
Cheers to you, friend!
MJ
419 2017-08-12 22:22:40
Topic: If you can't say something nice ... (72 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
When I was a child, my mother always said, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
This morning I read reviews given by some reviewers on here, not on MY work, but on the writing of others, and I am appalled at how cruel some of you can be. Is that necessary? Seriously? There is a difference between 'constructive' criticism and downright meanness. Kind, constructive words should show the correct way, not criticize for it not being correctly written.
The best way for you to discourage someone, especially a new writer, is to be mean with your reviews. There were more than a few I read, and I couldn't believe some of them. Telling a person they don't know how to create a sentence, or how to write a paragraph, or how to do punctuation is not only cruel, but unnecessary. They wouldn't be here if they knew everything. This site is for learning, and whether you believe it not, you don't know everything either. Not everyone writes the same way you do. Not everyone knows all the rules to abide by when it comes to the art of writing. They are here to learn, else their work would be in the best-sellers list at Barnes & Noble, and so would yours.
I am not pointing fingers, but you know who you are. I am asking you to take my mother's advice. If you don't like what you're reading, don't be mean about it. Close it and go to something else. You do not have the last word on someone else's hard work. Don't try to rewrite what they've written unless they ask you to. I am taking up for those who have been too kind in their replies to your sarcasm and hurtful words.
I rest my case.
MJ
420 2017-08-11 13:30:59
Re: Any interest in a collaboration project? (6 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I challenge Ann Everett to take this on! Both of you write with such quirkiness and wit that I think I may be hard-pressed to figure out who wrote what!!
421 2017-08-10 12:19:45
Re: Dilemma (10 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I agree with Vern. I have a friend who wants to read everything I write, and occasionally she will say, "This doesn't sound like your voice at all. I don't care for this one because ...." It happens. I would definitely speak to him in person about all that you've mentioned and let him decide if he wants you to offer up your review for the world to see. My friend's honesty has made me a better writer.
422 2017-08-08 20:27:35
Re: Contest Winners Announced (23 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Thanks for all the kind remarks, and thanks to Sol for such a fun contest! There were many worthy stories submitted, and it surprised me to find one of mine chosen as a runner-up. Congrats to Seabrass and to graymartin, too. I'm glad I wasn't a judge because that would have been a tough task. I am looking forward to the next picture contest. It's always fun to see how many different angles one picture can evoke.
MJ
423 2017-08-08 00:36:23
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
orange smoke
424 2017-08-07 20:28:30
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Very, very, biggly terrible.
425 2017-08-05 21:40:26
Re: Say the first word that comes to mind... (1,634 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
hysterical
