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So Thursday night I had problems with my clutch (oo-er!), then the fridge died yesterday - and today, the internet exploded!
Long story short, someone attacked a reviewer for giving their work a bad review, which prompted someone else to write a piece effectively saying that if your writing is for public consumption - grow a fucking backbone (my wording, not his) and learn to take criticism.
My take on this is that I like criticism. I haven't had anything published for a while, but that's because much as I tried to continue on post-stroke, it was just too hard and disheartening. But I think I"m getting my mojo back.
I think good negative criticism helps you find the flaws in your writing, and bad negative criticism is something to be ignored. I'm not talking about anyone in particular here, but bad critics are usually more concerned with how cleverly worded their put-downs are, than giving a balanced review.
But for me, the unforgivable sin in reviewing is to spoil the story for the reader. You don't give away plot twists, you certainly don't tell people how it ends - but some reviewers do just that.
When I am actually writing, I put up all the reviews I can find, positive and negative. For me personally, part of being a writer is to take the negative reviews and acknowledge them. They are valid opinions. I don't have to agree with them, but they are just as valid as my hatred of Van Helsing, and my love of Zoolander.
So, am I wrong to write comments about the reviews, or to mess about and play silly buggers? I don't know. Given that virtually no part of my life is hidden in this LJ, it would feel weird not to comment on the reviews.
So here are links to my comments and reviews for Of the Mermaid and Jupiter, Best Seller, and two lots for Sold
Out.
I'd be interested in people's opinions. Have I crossed the line without realising?
Long story short, someone attacked a reviewer for giving their work a bad review, which prompted someone else to write a piece effectively saying that if your writing is for public consumption - grow a fucking backbone (my wording, not his) and learn to take criticism.
My take on this is that I like criticism. I haven't had anything published for a while, but that's because much as I tried to continue on post-stroke, it was just too hard and disheartening. But I think I"m getting my mojo back.
I think good negative criticism helps you find the flaws in your writing, and bad negative criticism is something to be ignored. I'm not talking about anyone in particular here, but bad critics are usually more concerned with how cleverly worded their put-downs are, than giving a balanced review.
But for me, the unforgivable sin in reviewing is to spoil the story for the reader. You don't give away plot twists, you certainly don't tell people how it ends - but some reviewers do just that.
When I am actually writing, I put up all the reviews I can find, positive and negative. For me personally, part of being a writer is to take the negative reviews and acknowledge them. They are valid opinions. I don't have to agree with them, but they are just as valid as my hatred of Van Helsing, and my love of Zoolander.
So, am I wrong to write comments about the reviews, or to mess about and play silly buggers? I don't know. Given that virtually no part of my life is hidden in this LJ, it would feel weird not to comment on the reviews.
So here are links to my comments and reviews for Of the Mermaid and Jupiter, Best Seller, and two lots for Sold
Out.I'd be interested in people's opinions. Have I crossed the line without realising?
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I thought I'd make some small changes to the rather American-centric meme that circulated recently. Oh, it had stuff from other places in the World, but there was an awful lot of US stuff there. Once I started though, I decided instead that it should become a really Australian meme. So here you are...
( Mark which of the following you've experienced... )
( Mark which of the following you've experienced... )
Not to much to report. Removed Vista, installed Ubuntu. Ubuntu can't detect my wireless because it doesn't have the drivers, have tried to sort this out, and after exhausting myself initially, have not bothered trying to figure out wireless yesterday or today.
Tried installing XP, but kept getting blue screen of death from both disks, so reinstalled Vista just so I could have net access, and have installed Ubuntu so I can duel boot. I'm not setting up anything much on Vista, because I know once I can get the wireless issue figured out, Vista will be going bye-byes because I hate it so very much.
That said, I have installed Lightwave so I could do an experiment. I have a set picture that I have rendered on each PC I've owned/used over the years. I have the file set aside, so it always renders with the same settings. On first PC it took just a smidgen over three hours. Next one was about an hour forty, one after that around fifty minutes. The one I got from Barnes knocked it down to about six or seven minutes. My previous comp rendered it in around three minutes, when it was working properly.
( Test rendered picture below cut... 800x600 200kb )
The new PC, under Vista, renders it in 58 seconds!
Looking forward to trying it out on Ubuntu at some point to see if there's any difference.
The thing that is boggling my mind is, the second PC mentioned above is the one I did the Aussiecon 3 Opening Ceremony animation on. After a catastrophic accident with my hard drive I lost the entire opening and had to re-render a heavily reduced version, partially because I'd lost a bunch of models, partially because of render times. It took two and a half days, rendering madly on two PCs (the second being the much slower one) and I just barely got it finished with all the sound and such in place by the first day of the con.
If I'd had this PC, and all the models, I would have been able to recreate the entire original animation, probably overnight. Freaky.
Tried installing XP, but kept getting blue screen of death from both disks, so reinstalled Vista just so I could have net access, and have installed Ubuntu so I can duel boot. I'm not setting up anything much on Vista, because I know once I can get the wireless issue figured out, Vista will be going bye-byes because I hate it so very much.
That said, I have installed Lightwave so I could do an experiment. I have a set picture that I have rendered on each PC I've owned/used over the years. I have the file set aside, so it always renders with the same settings. On first PC it took just a smidgen over three hours. Next one was about an hour forty, one after that around fifty minutes. The one I got from Barnes knocked it down to about six or seven minutes. My previous comp rendered it in around three minutes, when it was working properly.
( Test rendered picture below cut... 800x600 200kb )
The new PC, under Vista, renders it in 58 seconds!
Looking forward to trying it out on Ubuntu at some point to see if there's any difference.
The thing that is boggling my mind is, the second PC mentioned above is the one I did the Aussiecon 3 Opening Ceremony animation on. After a catastrophic accident with my hard drive I lost the entire opening and had to re-render a heavily reduced version, partially because I'd lost a bunch of models, partially because of render times. It took two and a half days, rendering madly on two PCs (the second being the much slower one) and I just barely got it finished with all the sound and such in place by the first day of the con.
If I'd had this PC, and all the models, I would have been able to recreate the entire original animation, probably overnight. Freaky.
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Have dashed off three quick flash stories this morning in an effort to catch up. I have about six all written just needing a final edit, but while I've been finding the time to write them, haven't been finding time or mental energy to edit or post.
Odd that it's easier for me to quickly write three fresh stories, but there you go.
Patience
Communication
Amber
Odd that it's easier for me to quickly write three fresh stories, but there you go.
Patience
Communication
Amber
Two more flash pieces up...
Reflecting on the Past and Touch of Spirits
Touch of Spirits is my sixth story! Yay! I was looking for inspiration and found a random title generator. It gave me a bunch of names, and that one gave me a story idea :)
Now aiming for ten! *fingers crossed*
Reflecting on the Past and Touch of Spirits
Touch of Spirits is my sixth story! Yay! I was looking for inspiration and found a random title generator. It gave me a bunch of names, and that one gave me a story idea :)
Now aiming for ten! *fingers crossed*
Here is my first ever story for nano_WriMo, a newly created month of flash fiction writing in November, as opposed to the original NaNoWriMo which is National Novel Writing Month.
It's also been cross-posted to the actual nano_WriMo community, which is where I'll be posting the rest.
( Oidhche Shamhna )
It's also been cross-posted to the actual nano_WriMo community, which is where I'll be posting the rest.
( Oidhche Shamhna )
Nick Stathopoulos rang today for a chat. Amongst other things, he mentioned the photographic gallery just up the road from where he lives, and that he thinks my work would be entirely suitable for an exhibition there...
*blink*
*blink*
*blink*
Nick said he'll go up and ask to see what would be required, because he likes my photography and really wants to see an exhibition of it.
I know it may not happen for all sorts of reasons, but still... Nick likes my work that much?
*blown away*
*blink*
*blink*
*blink*
Nick said he'll go up and ask to see what would be required, because he likes my photography and really wants to see an exhibition of it.
I know it may not happen for all sorts of reasons, but still... Nick likes my work that much?
*blown away*
Comment on this post. I will choose seven userpics from your profile and you will explain what they mean and why you are using them. Post this along with your answers in your own journal so others can play along.( Read more... )
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At Conflux I was chatting with a mate and something got brought up to which I said 'I don't know if you saw my Livejournal post on such-and-such,' and she replied, 'I read everything you write.'
It kind of surprised me, mainly because I figure people have better things to do than read my LJ. Okay, I know I have a couple of hundred readers, but still my expectation is that they'll dip in from time to time, rather than read me regularly. Sure, there are people with whom I try to make sure I read all their posts, but I don't expect others to do the same with mine.
But when I stopped to think about it, I remembered a few comments from various people. A couple of folks who, on discovering this journal, went right back to the beginning and read through the whole thing. The people who commented on how they regularly go back and check to make sure they haven't missed posts. So, even if my friend was not quite that zealous, some people would appear to be.
So, this is a question for that small group of you that go to the extra effort to read most, if not all, of what I write on here. See answering it as a way to say thanks.
Why? Why read so much of what I'm carrying on about?
I have a fair few anonymous readers, people who don't have LJ's, or at least don't use them to comment. So what draws you here? I mean for many folks, we're friends, but that doesn't require you to read every bloody thing I write! For some, we've barely or never met. So what is it that keeps you coming back? Especially for periods like the last year where, let's face it, it's been a bit of a chore at times.
I'd prefer the casual readers, the folks who only bother with it when they just happen to see a post, to not respond.
For those of you who go out of your way to keep up with my written meanderings, no matter when you end up reading this, no matter if you don't have an LJ account, I'd love know why.
All comments screened unless you clearly tell me otherwise or end the comment with a "Yes".
It kind of surprised me, mainly because I figure people have better things to do than read my LJ. Okay, I know I have a couple of hundred readers, but still my expectation is that they'll dip in from time to time, rather than read me regularly. Sure, there are people with whom I try to make sure I read all their posts, but I don't expect others to do the same with mine.
But when I stopped to think about it, I remembered a few comments from various people. A couple of folks who, on discovering this journal, went right back to the beginning and read through the whole thing. The people who commented on how they regularly go back and check to make sure they haven't missed posts. So, even if my friend was not quite that zealous, some people would appear to be.
So, this is a question for that small group of you that go to the extra effort to read most, if not all, of what I write on here. See answering it as a way to say thanks.
Why? Why read so much of what I'm carrying on about?
I have a fair few anonymous readers, people who don't have LJ's, or at least don't use them to comment. So what draws you here? I mean for many folks, we're friends, but that doesn't require you to read every bloody thing I write! For some, we've barely or never met. So what is it that keeps you coming back? Especially for periods like the last year where, let's face it, it's been a bit of a chore at times.
I'd prefer the casual readers, the folks who only bother with it when they just happen to see a post, to not respond.
For those of you who go out of your way to keep up with my written meanderings, no matter when you end up reading this, no matter if you don't have an LJ account, I'd love know why.
All comments screened unless you clearly tell me otherwise or end the comment with a "Yes".
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I recently got a set of Moo Cards made, and they've proved rather popular. For those who don't know, Moo is a company in the UK that makes mini-cards, about half the height of the standard business card. They do text mini-cards and photo mini-cards, and on the back there's room for a few bits of info.
This lot have my name, LJ, cafepress, and eBay addresses, and the line "writer, artist, bastard, wanderer..."
I rather like them. I'd been thinking about getting business cards made, and this way they'd feature some of my photographic work, which appealed.
So below the cut is my first set. A few people asked about them, so I thought I'd chuck them up and give a quick run-down. All the pictures were taken this year, and I've put the cards in order of popularity, from most to least. ( Read more... )
The cards are good quality, thick, and the pictures came out looking much nicer than they do in this shot. I'm looking at getting a few more batches made up using different shots and with different details on the back. Hoping to do one lot of people shots.
There are probably different companies locally able to do the same thing, but I have to say I enjoyed the ease with which I was able to get them made. Upload the shots, place them, pay for them, and wait.
This lot have my name, LJ, cafepress, and eBay addresses, and the line "writer, artist, bastard, wanderer..."
I rather like them. I'd been thinking about getting business cards made, and this way they'd feature some of my photographic work, which appealed.
So below the cut is my first set. A few people asked about them, so I thought I'd chuck them up and give a quick run-down. All the pictures were taken this year, and I've put the cards in order of popularity, from most to least. ( Read more... )
The cards are good quality, thick, and the pictures came out looking much nicer than they do in this shot. I'm looking at getting a few more batches made up using different shots and with different details on the back. Hoping to do one lot of people shots.
There are probably different companies locally able to do the same thing, but I have to say I enjoyed the ease with which I was able to get them made. Upload the shots, place them, pay for them, and wait.
.
