My initial reaction to this is "Do Not Feed the Energy Creature." But I have a feeling that some of this needs to be addressed before this community melts down.
> I have noticed that some quite promising writers have left, notably Nyx,
> Zan, Lara and Weyoun.
Weyoun is still here and by his own statement taking a break to avoid burning out. Lara has had a case of writer's block for some time, much to the disappointment of many of us.
Nyx, well, the last I saw of her was the Aerie mess, when I'm sorry to say she was pushing some buttons and I tried to stop it before it reached a point where my temper would get the better of me. There have been repeated attempts to check on her; I'm assured she does this sometimes when she's writing and, having no way to physically check on her, I have to trust that and hope we see more of her in the future.
zan's network problems are legendary, and she has told me in the past to assume that's the cause if she drops off suddenly. Again, I have to hope that's the problem (or, perhaps, uni) and that we'll all get our Kaleidoscopes fix sometime soon.
Assuming you've actually been in contact with either and are not just a troll, please ask them to email me.
> I have noticed also the ridiculous notion of certain people acting as if
> they are a kind of mother hen, and the way certain people defer to them!
> The way Mutant Mike sucks up to Luned and Silrana makes me physically ill.
You know what? This crap makes me physically ill.
You don't like a particular writer? Don't read them.
I've long said that we desperately need a killfile capability here, but the closest we can come is paying attention to the author of a post and not reading it. It takes self-discipline, yes, but it can be done. It doesn't take long to learn which stories you don't like (and which threads have degenerated into fluff) and simply not scroll down past the title/author block.
> He may as well polish their shoes while he is at it. I find this
> particularly offensive because with this attitude they are putting off
> other budding writers, even though their writing is only quite average (It
> seems as though they are writing for an audience of preschoolers - eg the
> irrational fear of bats, really.
Really? And your degrees in psychology are from what universities?
I suggest you sit yourself in a library and read through the literature on Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome before you start throwing such comments around.
As someone who suffers from precisely that affliction, I found Tisha's response to the trauma of her capture and to witnessing Dynaheir's torture spot on.
> Also the lack of imagination in characterisation, ie using game dialogue
> (A Cappella) - It conveys no foresight and feelings of the character ).
You don't like it, don't read it. Personally, I enjoy picking out the subtle hints at possible future twists in A Capella. Some game situations can't be avoided in a retelling of the game story; it's what a writer does around that retelling that determines whether I'm hooked.
> Thankfully this is offset by some writing that actually tries to convey
> not just an idea but a feeling, emotion etc. Namely writings by such
> people as Devon, Nyx, Zan, Darkmistress, Jeannette and Justen.
Then don't rant at the rest of us. Post responses to their threads.
Constructive support is a much, much better way of expressing yourself than a flame. And, at least in my case, your having contributed such in the recent past would have made me far more likely to take you seriously now.
> Really, the whole 'we are the leaders' attitude should stop.
?
The only time that pops up are when we are getting dangerously close to a flame war or a troll shows up. If someone takes me standing up for myself as a grab for power, then they need to look to their own preconceived notions. I certainly have nothing in mind beyond either self-defense or defusing a situation before it becomes an all-out war, and it is my belief that the others here who have been targeted with such accusations in the past are operating out of the same motives.
> This is a free forum for writing, so nobody should feel that they have to
> defer to the certain 'rules' of what is acceptable and not! If the views of
> these 'key' figures were accepted as gospel, then there would not be any
> creative variety in the stories.
Might I suggest that these rules you are objecting to are a figment of your imagination?
This isn't high school. There's no grand conspiracy to keep people in line here. We write what we enjoy writing; if certain of our group are more prolific than others, that's a matter of personal style.
Yes, we see a lot of Luned and Silrana. They write at an unbelievable pace. (Don't argue with me, ladies. For someone who usually can't finish an on-topic story before the quiz ends, it is unbelievable.)
> We may as well just go and play the game,
> if that is the only dialogue and characterisation we see.
Then I suggest that, if you are so unhappy with the Attic, that would be a better use of your time.
Better yet, create your own fic board and make your own rules. Then you can exclude anyone you don't like. That's the nice thing about the internet; you're not stuck with having to socialize with certain people if you don't want to.
> I hope that any new writers who see this will have the courage to write as
> they feel and to not be afraid of what might be *frowned upon* by the
> those who consider them above the rest of the board.
The only thing "frowned upon" here is graphically sexual material. By agreement, following considerable open discussion on the board, we try to limit the stories to a PG-13 level.
I personally don't care for the heavily angsty stories that proliferate in other fandoms. I don't care for certain subjects and certain writing styles, and I avoid those among pro writers as avidly as I do among fanfic. I also have a life outside of the Attic, and it's not exactly low-maintenance.
If someone is taking my choice not to comment on something as an indication that I think they shouldn't write it, I can't help that. They are trying to give me control over their self-esteem; I'm certainly not trying to take it. I don't want the job.
> Sorry all, but I just couldn't stand it any longer.
Neither can I. I've had it well past over my head with this sort of thing, and previous versions of it have made me seriously consider either setting up a rival board, along a different model, or dropping out completely.
I have reached the point of being ready to swear off making serious comments on anyone's stories, since it now appears that certain of us must not only provide feedback for everyone but it must also be of a certain length and depth of critique.
The thing is, I like our community. I miss the people who have to drop out, and I celebrate when they come back. I would hate to watch it come apart, but the more I see of this sort of resentment the more I worry.
However. I am who I am. I'm not going to swallow my anger when someone pushes me, just to keep from rocking the boat. I'm not going to waltz though here pretending that I just love everything and everyone here. That will only create resentments of a different kind, and you wouldn't like me when I'm truly angry.
Blue Screen
