|
|
Post by Zoom on Feb 3, 2013 22:58:46 GMT -6
I originally went to the Proboards homepage to create a forum, but eventually realized it's easier to join a forum than to make one from scratch. So here I am. I hope my guess pays off.
I don't really think of myself as a writer, but I enjoy putting words on paper, and I'd like to get better at doing it.
I am an artist, though, and I'll be attending (an art university that I won't name because I'm paranoid) in the fall. I think I'm actually pretty good at it, and if this place impresses me and I stick around you'll probably end up seeing some of my work.
I also:
- spend literal hours on Quora and Wikipedia
- pretend to be a tourist in Google Earth
- design show posters for fake bands (WHAT WE ARE and THE CONTRABAND at the OPAL, 7-10, $15 19+)
- mess around in FL studio - I don't know anything about it but I can make music I like to listen to
- am trying to learn to play guitar (I have a whole seven chords down now!)
- am putting together a Series III Landrover with my dad
- am 19 years old but I still play like a kid sometimes. Today I tried to roll a massive snowball down the front hill. It broke
- have luckily found a real life best friend. It still blows my mind that in this tiny rural community there happened to be two near-identical people and they happened to meet.
- design and wear my own jewelry, sometimes
- worry that my personality is regressing (I'm on a gap year so there aren't many character-building oppurtunities...I've had to create my own)
Oh and I like to talk about myself.
|
|
|
|
Post by sapphire on Feb 3, 2013 23:56:44 GMT -6
Welcome! I think you'll find that we're a pretty friendly forum, and I certainly hope you'll think it was worth joining!  I wish I was more of an artist. Honestly, I've just never had the patience for it. It's awesome that you're going to school for it, though! I attend an art school, too, but as a writing major. Sounds like you're the kind of person who will fit in perfectly around here. |
|
|
|
Post by Zoom on Feb 4, 2013 0:54:56 GMT -6
Lol, I never had the patience for writing I don't think I've ever finished a story. That's part of the reason I'm here, actually. I figure if I post it somewhere I have a sort of commitment to it. I like it here already! |
|
Spectre
Storyteller
"You can't be sure if Internet quotes are accurate." -Abraham Lincoln
Posts: 274
|
Post by Spectre on Feb 4, 2013 10:46:06 GMT -6
Hey, Zoom. You're exactly right- having accountability is a huge reason I've been able to keep stories going on this site, as opposed to throwing a few ideas into a notebook and forgetting about it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Zoom on Feb 4, 2013 11:41:44 GMT -6
Sweet, I like being right.
It's already working, too! Last night I did some serious work on my thingy.
|
|
|
|
Post by Endovia on Feb 4, 2013 20:22:42 GMT -6
Welcome to The Echo, Zoom! I hope you enjoy it here. I definitely think posting your work as you go a long helps you stay motivated and keep writing it. |
|
|
|
Post by Zoom on Feb 4, 2013 20:59:12 GMT -6
The feedback really helps, too. Just knowing that somebody paid enough attention to your work to form an opinion is pretty sweet.
My gut instinct is not to post anything ever unless I'm %100 happy with it, but hey. There's an edit button.
|
|
|
|
Post by Endovia on Feb 6, 2013 20:00:02 GMT -6
Yep, that's why we have that button. We're also all writers, too, and so we understand a lot of work is in progress. We're just here to help everyone get better. |
|
|
|
Post by GiannaRose on Feb 7, 2013 11:01:01 GMT -6
Hey, Zoom! I have the same thing- no patience. The only writing stuff I have willingly finished so far are poems, (and not very many of them) and the feedback really helps. The most annoying thing is when friends just say "good job" or "I like it" b/c they are afraid of offending you.
|
|
|
|
Post by Endovia on Feb 7, 2013 20:21:49 GMT -6
I agree, Gianna. Though I don't think my friends are afraid of offending me, I just don't like asking for critiques because it's not helpful from friends, unless I have a specific point or question. Otherwise, it's just vague positive comments, which I almost dislike more than negative reviews. (Sure, it's nice to hear you've done a good job, but it's not productive. You're just left static.) At least, if you're saying it's terrible because of this and that I can focus on improving. I don't like critiquing friends either. Er, this sounds like you guys aren't my friends, (well, you know that's not what I mean) but it's awkward because you don't want to hurt their feelings since you know how dear it is to them.
|
|
|
|
Post by sapphire on Feb 7, 2013 22:26:59 GMT -6
Off of this site, I don't read and critique non-writing majors' work anymore.  My classmates are in the same situation as I am, and we all understand that no one is being unnecessarily harsh or malicious - also, we've been working together for nearly four years now, so we all genuinely want to help each other. Same deal with this site - if you're here, I assume you're here to get better, so I don't hold back. But with friends, it's harder to tell exactly what they're looking for. One of my friends has written a novel and is a fairly serious writer, but when I asked her how in-depth she wanted my critique to be, she didn't really say much. I think I intimidated her. It's too easy to offend people in real life. And I feel the same as Endovia: if all I get are vague compliments, I feel like it wasn't really worth it. It's one thing if someone honestly thinks your work is incredible (always an awesome feeling), and it's another entirely if you think they're just complimenting it because they don't want to put forth the effort to tell you what they really think. |
|
|
|
Post by Zoom on Feb 8, 2013 1:19:51 GMT -6
I always feel like such a hyprocrite though when I ask people to be as harsh as they need to be, because even though I asked for it and I know it's actually helping me, I sometimes get hurt anyway. Hopefully I've been good at concealing it, though, because a) it'd make it harder to get an honest review out of them next time and b) I am a force of nature.
My guess: I've just got to get used to it. The irritated patch on my self esteem will callus eventually. Right? Anybody?
(And I definitely hate+pity the kid who can only say "I dunno" when you ask him for his opinion, doesn't matter what on. Intellectual laziness is the worst kind.)
|
|
|
|
Post by sapphire on Feb 8, 2013 2:30:26 GMT -6
That is exactly what happens, actually, Zoom... My first year of college, I left nearly every critique in tears. Now? I just brush off the comments I don't agree with and work on fixing the rest. No big deal. You'll get there, too. |
|
|
|
Post by Zoom on Feb 8, 2013 4:53:24 GMT -6
Aw, poo. PAIN AHEAD
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger, I guess. And, hopefully, a better writer.
It is interesting though that here, critisism doesn't bother me hardly at all.
|
|
|
|
Post by Endovia on Feb 8, 2013 15:52:48 GMT -6
I think reading and hearing critiques are completely different. With a verbal critique you feel like you need to respond immediately to it, and so you might not say the best things or what you really mean. With a written critique you can read it over and take the time to process it before formulating any comment in response.
|
|
)) xD
