Work Room - Week 7

[clauderainsrm]

Given the nature of the topic, http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/504693.html I figured it was appropriate to continue to mentor each other

Comments

[xo_kizzy_xo]

Hmmm...good question ;)

I haven't heard that phrase in ages! My older relatives sometimes used it, but it was always tag-teamed with the word essentially meaning the same thing in their ethnic tongue. And it was always said while playing cards...

:hoping this posts because LJ's been rather ornery these last few hours:

[snarkerdoodle]

As for advice, I would encourage many writers to trust their pieces more -- there were several this time around where there was 'introductory' fluff at the beginning that just wasn't necessary, but felt like the author was trying to ease in or make the topic connection really obvious or something. Several ones that, three or four paragraphs in, I went "OK, *here* is the real start of this piece" -- where it would have been a more powerful piece to have started there, etc.

It's similar to the use of the prompt phrase itself -- I don't need the topic phrase thrown into the piece unless it actually *fits* the writing/piece to use those words. ("Inconceivable" was one where I really noticed people trying to use that word itself, and it just didn't always work -- people don't really use 'inconceivable' all that much in everyday speech, whereas other wording with the same meaning would have been more natural to the speaker/setting/whatever.)

[xo_kizzy_xo]

:nodding: I've picked up on that a lot too, and I think you're correct -- it's not only lacking trust, but I think, in some cases, lacking confidence. I can understand that, especially if you're new, you're still not quite sure how things are going to go in the poll, and you could very well be intimidated by other writers here.

As somebody who's considered to be easily intimidated IRL, I can only say this: You're only intimidated if you let yourself be intimidated. One of my old bosses used to get into my face about not trusting myself even though I knew exactly what I was doing. It's not easy. I still have my moments, but at some point you find your own path in overcoming it.

[xreesex]

I agree to an extent, I find a lot of weeks where people take the topic word or phrase so damn literally and it's like reading the same entry over and over and over and over again. It gets tedious, and I start just voting for people who went in another direction. The food memory one this week was really... well, a good example of that.

[alycewilson]

This.

[sweeny_todd]

I actually use this word with my family!

----

I find it hard to give constructive crit - I guess if I know that someone is open to it, I am more likely. I am happy to recieve con crit! Fiction isn't my forte, and I have been struggling this season, as I Write For Science, and when you write for journals it tends to be in quite a passive voice. So I am actively trying to write in a more exciting way!

that means I love it when other peoples writing has that sense of immediacy, and action, and fun!

There are a few writers who I check out every time (one is actually playing the home game at the moment) because they are writing comedy. I LOVE funny stuff, and I love seeing where these comedy writers are taking the prompts.

That doesn't mean I don't enjoy other stuff (I do! I do!). Still on the humour thing, it is such a personal thing! sometimes I read an entry, and I enjoy it, but other people seem to have been left in stitches. And there we have one of the challenges of comedic writing!

[rt_sparrow]

Writing "the funny" is kind of like surfing. (Not that I surf...) If there's a wave to catch, I can catch it, but it's hard to create.

I got lucky this week, because what's not funny about gingerbread porn. :)

[sweeny_todd]

oh I agree - it is challenging! Which is why I really appreciate it when I find it, I think. I also agree (I think this one was actually my first thought) that humour is really hard to force. Really Hard!

[xo_kizzy_xo]

I generally won't give concrit unless somebody asks me specifically for it. Giving it unsolicitated, to me, is akin to barging into your home without invitation.

[bakerlooline]

I don't have anything specific to say about others' entries so far, unfortunately, but I would love concrit on my own entries. if anyone is so inclined I would love to hear what stood out for you and what about how I wrote a piece got in the way of you enjoying it.

[standgale]

I don't know if you have already, but if you make a comment on your own entry asking for concrit then this will remind me and I shall endeavour to provide, and I assume others will too. I'm not sure if there is an existing LJIdol protocol for this, but I like putting my writer's notes in a comment so that the entry stands alone in the post.

[teaberryblue]

I tend to find that a lot of the people who leave notes asking for concrit don't actually receive it well, which frustrates me.

[pixiebelle]

This.

[elionwyr]

Huh. So Wikipedia reports bupkis is..

"Often translated as meaning small round fecal pellets"

Two poop prompts in one season? *quirks eyebrow*

[pixiebelle]

I believe it means "nothing at all". Like you know bupkis about something you know nothing about. Does that make sense?

[elionwyr]

*nod*

But the literal translation is "goat droppings."

I call hijinks!

[jem0000000]

I think it's actually a derivative of a word that means goat droppings; surfing around, I found that as a couple of definitions, but was more likely to find "means nothing; does not mean goat droppings". I think I checked six to eight different sites.