fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2763 ]

[ SECRET POST #2763 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2763 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 060 secrets from Secret Submission Post #394.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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I think it's mainly because if you only write for attention, you're going to have a bad time of it.

Anyone who does anything creative should know there are going to be times when you don't get a lot of attention or people may not be liking what you're doing. You have to have the will to go on anyway or else you probably shouldn't be writing.

This goes times infinity if you want to be any level of professional (I know a lot of people do fanfic for fun, but I've met equal amounts of people who would love to write their own series) because you typically won't be able to show your work to the public when it's finished. And if you don't have a kind editor or working team, you may never get any real kudos until that time.

There's nothing wrong with liking feedback, but OP wasn't even saying any feedback is good, they're looking for a specific number which just struck me as odd personally.

Sorry, when it's finished = until it's finished

People keep justifying it as feeling like people who want attention aren't doing themselves any favors, which is fair enough (I'm not sure I agree but I can see the argument), but that doesn't explain the anger directed at them.

AYRT. I wasn't taking it all as anger though? One anon admitted to joking. I wrote a comment above where I wasn't angry, more curious as to why OP felt the need to do things that way.

It's not all anger but there is some anger and mockery there even at the idea of needing validation for writing, not just what OP is doing, and I really don't get it.

I think it's partially the tone of the secret, it's not just "Hey, I like attention!" but saying they actively won't do things if they don't get it. It's one thing to like attention, it's another to refuse to do things if you don't get it.

Also this is F!s, typically admitting to wanting attention never goes well (actually, I don't think that goes well in fandom in general.)

(no subject)

sarillia - 2014-07-27 21:12 (UTC) - Expand

Yeah. I thought it was funny and commented like "Oh, you suck" but it wasn't supposed to be serious. I'm a little surprised at how pissed a couple people on the thread are.

I could understand being angry if someone enthusiastically posted part of a WIP with promises for updates, and then was like "nah just kidding pay me in reviews/kudos first"

(reply from suspended user)

I think a lot of people find the wording of the secret very cynical, which is why they're replying so strongly.

(reply from suspended user)

That I do agree with.

I totally agree with you on this. Actually, I agree with everything that you've written in this thread. I'm just generally appalled by this thread.

And all these comments psychoanalyzing the OP aren't cynical?

But why are other people the main determining factor to how much fun it is? I draw a lot of fanart, the attention is certainly nice and can put me in a good mood, but it has no basis on which piece I had the most fun painting and which piece I like the most (in fact, a lot of my more popular pieces are things I like the least.)

Attention also comes with a lot of annoyances, so it can be nice to get away from people sometimes and just create.

I think people are just worried if OP only creates for attention. Like I said it can end up being bad for you if that's your one motivating factor.

(reply from suspended user)

Because getting external validation feels really fucking good - on two levels. One: Appreciation, ego-stroking, what-have-you! It's base, but let's be honest, it's the whole reason video games are a thing (especially achievements/trophies/lolol). Two, as a fanfic writer you know how much fun finding the exactly right fanfic can be, so knowing you did that for someone is pretty cool!

Singing in the shower is awesome, but isn't singing to a church full of people or even just in a car full of people having a good time oddly more exciting? Same thing. Only because writing is ~art~ enjoying the feedback somehow magically becomes damaging or some BS.

Anyone who does anything creative should know there are going to be times when you don't get a lot of attention or people may not be liking what you're doing. You have to have the will to go on anyway or else you probably shouldn't be writing.

No. You don't get to dictate who should or should not be writing. That's something writers decide for themselves. If someone wants to stop writing because they're not getting any feedback for it? That's their decision, not yours. You don't "have to have the will to go on", because this isn't some clichéd sports movie where everyone has to keep trying until they drop.

Repeat after me: Writers can write if they want to. Writers can stop if they want to.

Repeat after me: Writers can write if they want to. Writers can stop if they want to.

LOL, that's a difficult concept for many to grasp, it seems.

I think you really misunderstood that sentiment, anon. It's not "you must keep writing because I say so". It's advice: if you want to be successful as a writer - or any kind of artist - you're going to have to deal with time periods where you don't get the attention/feedback you wish you had, and power through them.

Of course you can stop writing whenever you want. For most people, it's just a fun hobby. For some, it's more than that. /shrug

This is exactly the sentiment, thank you. I wasn't telling anyone to write or not write, I was simply expressing that if you end up having a bad time because you aren't getting the attention you wanted, writing may end up being hard. It wasn't meant to be taken as an order of any kind, just advice.

Lots of people take up creative pursuits that are in the end, not for them. Not everyone is meant to be a writer, or an artist, or a musician. I would never tell anyone to stop if they were really enjoying doing it, but I also know about the realities of each of those professions. It's okay to quit if it's just a hobby and you're not having fun at it.

Direct quote from your original comment, anon:

"Anyone who does anything creative should know there are going to be times when you don't get a lot of attention or people may not be liking what you're doing. You have to have the will to go on anyway or else you probably shouldn't be writing."

Not "... or else writing will be hard". Writing's always hard at one time or another. Telling people who need encouragement (which is all writers at one time or another) that "you probably shouldn't be writing" isn't as helpful a piece of advice as you seem to think.

I don't think I misunderstood. The original comment said that "anyone who does anything creative" (again, "anyone", not just people who want to be a successful writer) needs to power through lack of feedback, and that's simply not true. Nobody "has to" to do anything. Yes, it'd be good to learn how to write even without positive feedback, but to say that if you can't/don't want to, "you probably shouldn't be writing" is a little douchebaggy.

(no subject)

diet_poison - 2014-07-28 04:12 (UTC) - Expand

I'm just going to point to what diet_poison said, because you seem to have misunderstood what I was saying. I have no intention of dictating who writes and who doesn't, I just wanted to warn of some of the problems that can come if your only motivation is attention.

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