why oh why do I follow metafandom?

[lonely_lycanth]

Nothing gets my goat more these days than the ridiculous hypocrisy in articles linked in metafandom every day. I mean, really. From children playing at being righteous victims, or worse, playing at being "educated crusaders for justice" to people who just plain think they're a lot smarter than they actually are

Comments

[tuxedo_elf]

I don't see why anyone would not put their voice into their writing. Fiction is an expression of creativity, and therefore an expression of your 'voice' surely? Giving a story your voice does not mean doing the tale an injustice.

[lonely_lycanth]

I'm not saying it's wrong to write in one's natural voice. Plenty of people do it, and some people are lucky enough to have a natural voice that is transparent enough to suit almost any story without any real adjustment

[lexixanatos487]

She also doesn't seem to have considered the idea that the narrator and the writer are different people, and as such, would think, speak, and write in different ways.

We covered that in high school English... O.o

[lonely_lycanth]

We did too, but people often forget that that also applies to third person, not just first and second.

[dorkle_07]

I love your American Idol analogy. It's perfect for the situation! I see what you mean though. I myself am not a good writer by any means, but when I write as much as I try to really keep myself out of it, it's impossible for me to write it without putting a little bit of myself in there. I feel like when you completely separate yourself from a story it's really hard for your readers to identify with any of the characters because it just seems so sterile and text book.

idk idk I don't ever look at Metafandom.

Also, here! Have some sexy mud covered Iceland Anthony Bourdain! *hands*

[lonely_lycanth]

I know that I have a tendency to speak with authority on these matters too, but I think the difference between them and me is that I am ranting in my own journal, not publishing preachy essays to remind myself and everyone else how smart I am. And my issue with the dash was more the fact that she was using it as an example of HER voice, in an essay where she was preaching to everyone else about the mistakes they were making, when she isn't even up to snuff herself.

I really need to take it off my friend list, but I never get around to doing so.

Yayyy. I hope it's not too terrible, but if it is, feel free to be blunt in telling me.

[lonely_lycanth]

I do try to be honest with myself about what I do not know, but I am probably wrong sometimes, and also do my best to learn from my mistakes. (And I also double check things--I had the em/en dash entry on wikipedia open as I typed the entry! The language and linguistics articles on wikipedia are actually quite authoritative, according to my linguistics professor when I was at school.) I am glad, though, that you have confidence in my grammar nazi ways.

[antinous_wild]

Re: dashes

To be fair, experimenting with punctuation is a tried and true way of developing a voice. As long you know the rules of grammar and punctuation, I feel like breaking those rules (purposefully) is legitimate.

[lonely_lycanth]

That's very true. I could argue, though, that most "purposeful" experimentation is flawed, in that there's usually already an alternate punctuation mark that performs the same function. It's a good point, though.

[aldehyde]

ah metafandom. you explained the whole writer's voice thing really well. i would've encouraged you to re-post this as a reply to that essay, but metafandom seems to be a hive of douchebags.

[lonely_lycanth]

Oh do I ever agree. I mean, at least now they're discussing writing? It's at least a step in the right direction. Nothing to me has been worse than "racefail 09." (I will never understand livejournal's tendency to give every mistake or argument a ridiculous title.)

In other news, your icon made me laugh a lot.

[aldehyde]

(I will never understand livejournal's tendency to give every mistake or argument a ridiculous title.)

it seems like this has become the trend everywhere on the internet though! i usually find it amusing ;)

i know, this icon is genius.