Or in your case, write the Universal novel this fan is waiting for.

What’s your website? I’d like to check out your blog if you’re willing.

Sounds like perhaps you’ve attended a writers’ workshop, eh? I have gotten a number of supportive phone calls and emails from my diverse group of friends saying, ‘That sucks,’ each in their own eloquent way.

And a few writer friends have emailed to say, ‘Yup. That’s not all that unusual.’ I have gone to writer workshops before, but they were smaller, local. I never traveled out of state for writing and I had these stupid expectations. LOL.

And I have to balance this out with the fact that I DID get some good stuff and good comments on the written evaluations – learned a few things about my writing. So this is really a mixed blessing. The next time I write about reflections on this experience it might be under the web heading ‘Gratitude.’ I’m already moving in that direction.

Thanks for carrying the flag for (what I imagine must be) years, Jayne. I can sort of hear a deep sigh coming from you as you wind up the ol’ familiar speech: ‘Listen…introducing a SECOND bikini color doesn’t count as character development.’

Inevitably, the writers are astonished that I find this shallow and offensive.

I ranted in my blog recently, “If I have to read one more story by an aspiring male writer in which the only female characters are thinly disguised blow-up dolls, I’m going to chop down a big tree and start crafting me some clue-by-fours.”

So yeah, I understand your frustration. I hope you’ll be able to find a critique group that’s a better fit for you. Speculative fiction writers are often more open-minded critiquers, in my experience.

Pretty formidible memory though. You nailed the quote…

The experience didn’t turn me off from being a writer – not in the least. But I am rethinking ways to approach developing writing skills. Maybe sitting in a room having a manuscript read by random strangers isn’t the way. The lack of relationship, the lack of trust. I mean…one dude lumps gay-themed writing to kiddie porn! Why would I want feedback from a guy who thinks gay = child pornography?

On the other hand, there were a couple manuscripts that really impressed me. One woman wrote this beautiful, heart-aching piece about having to put down a beloved horse. Her writing ‘hurt,’ in that good way where your heart breaks a little bit. So I definitely can learn from other writers – I need to do that.

And people who are very DIFFERENT from me will have unique perspectives and gifts, so I can’t get too stuck only having people I love and trust give me feedback. (Though having an editor I truly trust makes me very happy – I have never had an ‘editor relationship,’ and I didn’t know it was a good, good thing.)

I will have to work on this.

BTW…love that episode of Buffy. One of the Gaia witches replies to Willow’s suggestion to do a REAL spell, “Um…some stereotypes of witches are um…not very empowering.” Or something to that effect. It’s a great quote. I tried to find the exact words on http://www.imdb.com but no joy.

While you work to build your writing skill, sifting the grains of gold from the dross, NEVER forget what you have already accomplished with the innate power of your fiction. I doubt very much that any of your classmates will ever be able to say the same, and had they any inkling of this power, they would be both humbled and embarassed by the pettiness of their vision

I’m smilingly reminded of the Buffy episode “Hush” (season 4), where Willow is politely but firmly ostracised by the wicca group she was attending in hopes of developing her spell skills, while they busied themselves with “empowering lemon bundt cakes and gaia newsletters”.

Keep the faith!

I’ve been sitting around the house feeling shitty all day because I don’t like how this worked out. I wish there was some sort of ‘undo’ for peoples’ comments.

The DD woman referenced in the post above? She was smart. Clever observations in class. Good writer. Why’d she have to talk shit? The YPD guy was also smart and goofy, likeable. Why’d he have to vehemently insist that this one-dimensional character was a realistic portrayal?

It makes me sad.

Prejudice always surprises me, but moreso when the person spouting it doesn’t realize what they’re saying is very prejudiced and yet *insist* that it’s not.

I had a guy once tell me, “I don’t hate ALL black people – some of them are okay. The ones who act white.” He had no fucking clue that this was wildly racist; he thought he was open-minded.