File spoon-archives/sa-cyborgs.archive/sa-cyborgs_1996/96-08-21.230, message 177


Date: Sat, 13 Jul 1996 13:16:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: bhaatasari <gajjala+-AT-pitt.edu>
Subject: Re: this list


> And I know a lot of other people out there have had the same idea.  Why
> shouldn't they?  It is, after all, a great idea, no?:-)
yes it is.

but let's not get too euphoric about it.
A few cautionary points - which i intend to add to the new info sheet when
Lakshmi, maybe a few others and i eventually put together.

1)this is DEFINITELY a public space.

2) we cannot *protect* anyone from being flamed or from 
unjust/unwarranted criticism or accusations

3) sometimes posting your work online *may* affect your chances of 
getting published elsewhere, but so far it hasn't really affected mine.
But that's mostly because I have not published - recently - in very 
mainstream United Statesian publications.

4) If you are a shy person - wait awhile and see how the list goes before 
you send out your writing. While I'm sure that the core group and most of 
the members on this list are not likely to be damaging in the way we 
criticise, our comments may touch on a very tender and/or vulnerable 
point and beginning writers do not always recover. They are more 
sensitive than the more established who eventually (no doubt) learn 
either to shut out criticism altogether or to examine the criticism and 
see what they can learn from it. 

5) It is important to accept the compliments and praise as TRUE -as true 
as the criticism:-) or we will just be subjecting ourselves to ...whatever.

However, there are enough of us core members (i still have to get back to 
some of you one on one with the details...) to be able to try and crowd 
out any offensive intruder who we feel is being unnecessarily critical or 
just plain rude and disgusting. This does not of course mean that all of 
us core members do (or will) agree on all the how-tos and what-tos of 
creative writing:-)...

Having said that, i'd like to say that posting online and finally having an
audience that actually "talks back" can be exhilerating. And who knows, 
this forum may eventually lead us to publishers... 

possibilities, possibilities.


but watch out for the stray rude person who has no qualms about attacking 
people online ...

if you are a "seasoned" online interactor, and have had your share of 
flame wars and not been completely silenced by arguments online, posting 
your creative work should n't be too hard.

if someone does not respond to you on the list, but decides to pay you a 
compliment or advice off the list - that's quite nice of them. Although 
paying a compliment on the list is nice too.

but there are some people who can send you nasty, humiliating and - what 
was that word?- vituperative - messages directly - off the list. 
this is not the fault of "the list" - however, if such harrassment occurs, 
we can discuss this online without necessarily naming names or forwarding 
personal email messages.

the focus of this list will be our writing - those who post. this is not 
a place to discuss works pubd elsewhere - unless it has a direct 
relevance to one of the people's work or it is actually their work, pubd 
elsewhere and needs to be discussed in relation to what was/will be posted.

I have partaken in interactive writing (sorta) on some other lists, and
this can be fun too. So if someone decides to continue something that 
someone posts - i don't think we should be too startled or offended. It's 
a compliment, usually.


i'm sure i have more - the good and bad of posting your creative 
work online. and most of it is based on experience. I have been almost 
compulsively posting my work online since March 1994 (approximately) and 
have had some of the experiences i am "cautioning" all of you about. 

A writer works hard at writing, and in writing s/he places hirself in a 
vulnerable position - exposing deep emotions and thoughts to a wide range 
of people known as "the audience" who react in various ways - very often 
they react in deeply personal/subjective ways, even when it is supposedly 
objective, academic criticism (but that's just my opinion;-)) - these 
reactions are not
the "word of God" - it is up to the writer to decide what s/he wants to 
writer about and how s/he wants to do so, after considering what s/he 
wants from hir work.

> about "established" writers needing support and encouragement as well.  At
> first when I read a certain name you had mentioned, my mind immediately
> balked, I must admit.  But if this is going to work as a creative and safe
> space, we should be as open as we can and support everyone who shares
> their work equally. It is easy to criticize well known names because we
> tend to forget that there is a person behind the persona.  But that also
> means that "established" writers should avoid assuming a hierarchical
> position as well.


I agree.

good luck,

and please post.

I plan to - often and compulsively - if no one else will;-).

looking forward to a *great* list!

Radhika


   

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