giraffe

And I think I've explained WHY it's boring me. I don't just say "yawn" and throw out insults.

midnightpoet

Taking an asshole personally is stupid. I can see you have your reasons for leaving, you've explained that much, so if it's what you feel you need to do, do it.

But don't pretend it's all because of anotherronism. You've been fighting against the 'restrictions' for ages, so when he came back, he was convenient for you to lash at about them, then you got your panties in a bunch when he lashed right back.

Some of us like the rules. I've said it almost every time the rules have been loosened that I hate it. Because the rules are what makes TW. It's the whole point behind the threads. You've obviously found somewhere else that will let you write however the fuck you feel like, which is obviously what you want, so good for you.

But ThinkWrite was started with rules and reasons, so don't get sand in your vagina that some of us want to keep those rules. I've been very close several times to leaving ThinkWrite all together (with a whole lot less drama than you're doing it), long before anotherronism came back. Mainly because of you and your determination that the rules are stupid.

If you find somewhere you love to write - Great! If you find that place has rules and restrictions, follow them or GTFO...

giraffe

Midnight, I understand your point. If I told you that every drawing you do has to be exactly 400 characters - no more, no less, what would that do to your creativity in drawing? Kill it.

I was trying to expand the freedoms in writing stories just a little bit and got my ass kicked over it. I know acting is a very personal experience for you. You need to take direction seriously. But if the playwright was told his play had to be exactly 10,001 words - no more, no less, he would never write it.

I write and perform music and if a venue told me I could only play 30,000 notes - no more, no less, I'd say bye bye which is what I'm doing here. Most other TBs demand an exact word count. I said 250 to 350 so I'm banished. There's total rigidity.

Next time you play a role, I want you to only use 59.6% of your ability. You have to reach that but not go over. If you feel inspired to do better, then squelch it.

giraffe

I did find a forum that's not restrictive of crestivity, so have fun in this.

giraffe

creativity.

midnightpoet

Listen, Giraffe, I know you feel your creativity is restricted, and I can understand your reasons why...

But. I. Don't. Feel. This. Way.

The 'restrictions' were clear when you joined in the process, so why are you bitching about them now?

You've written some very good stuff. You've written some crap. We all have.

You give all these examples as to why this is limiting creativity, so let me give you one...authors write books all the time. Journalists write articles. Playwrights write plays. Do you think any of those things get published without editing? NO. The publication process is one of editing, revising, editing some more. Rewriting, cutting, eliminating some, adding more. Nothing...NOTHING can be published without editing.

And THAT is the point of ThinkWrite. Not to inspire or restrict creativity, but to teach editing. To take raw creativity and refine the skill. To polish talent it, refine it, learn to color inside the lines without losing the creativity there. If you can't show creativity within rules, then maybe you really aren't that creative.

Qsilv

Had to laugh at the "maybe you really aren't that creative" crack... I often write things to the list but then don't post 'em BECAUSE I recognize they're just mechanically fulfilling those rules but lack that spark of creativity... there needs to actually be a story to tell FIRST.... and then the game is to fit it in.

Gotta agree that the essential value in TW is not free-form-sans-editing. No more so than drawings in TD.

Do some loose splashes occur? just get dashed off and submitted that way? should they (gasp) be allowed?? pfff... sure, sure -- and still sure.

There's just no point to getting all het up over it.

Rules can be stifling if/when you take them that way -- or if/when there's a Patriarch physically threatening your life over 'em -- but that never needs to be the case on the 'net, where you can simply smile and move to a different page.

midnightpoet's said it all straightforwardly and yet amazingly kindly.

So I'm just adding my agreement, lest in this case silence be taken for a different opinion.

midnightpoet

And giraffe, you compared having restrictions here to ristricting creativity when acting. When I act, I say exactly the lines given to me. That's the rules I follow. The interpretation and delivery are my creativity.

Look at it the same way here, the word list and count are the rules, what you do with them is the creativity.

giraffe

Midnight. With all due respect for your craft, the playwright wasn't limited to an exact word count. Symphony musicians have to be exact and also allow the conductor to interpret how they perform. But the composer wasn't limited to an exact number of notes.

I'm not complaining about the rules. But when I was the Grand Torchbearer, I chose to say the word limit is between 250 and 350, and the Pope kicked me out. I don't have time for those control trips.

giraffe

I think that is restrictive of creativity. Why can't I choose a variable word count?

giraffe

And publishers HIRE editors. Is this an editing forum or a creative writing forum? I'm not rebelling, just wishing the "rules" were more lax.

Qsilv

er... giraffe? who's enforcing these rules?

giraffe

Qsilv. As long as the Grand Inquisitor is trashing our work, I choose to leave. There are other boards that aren't this rude. I gave one example and I'm going there. I'll check in sometimes. It's been nice to read your stories.

giraffe

Salieri told Mozart he uses too many notes. It was an ego trip. Michelangelo was banished for years to working in the marble quarries because his boss was the Pope. He broke the rules and you'd think we have evolved but NO.

This isn't a rant on anotherronism - just a commentary on strictness over crearivity. I've gotten very shitty reviews on my music and song writing. They hurt. I thought in here we could hang out as writers without the doom of being told you are crap. I was wrong. That's my story and I didn't use any of the rules.

midnightpoet

Giraffe, you're NOT GETTING IT and your stupidity is really wearing thin. I did not say that playwrigts are limited to an exact word count. I was saying that all published work needs to be edited.

This is not saying that anything published needs to fit an exact word count. Very few things do. But the exact word count forces editing which is the point.

And you said it - everyone was trashed...you're the only one taking it personally and having a bitch fit. No one else trashed you so why is anotherronisms opinion so damn importatnt to you that you need to have a hissy fit over it?

If you don't like the rules, then leave. Don't bitch and moan and say you're going to leave but don't. No one was rude except Ron and no one else had a problem just letting it go. You're crying and moaning about it.

So either leave or stop making such a big deal, don't respond constantly saying you're going to leave. The bitch fit is getting real old...so please, just go...everyone else wants to play nice and you're ruining our fun.

hugs&kisses&good riddance.

giraffe

xoxo to you too. I'm glad you're not the one singled out as the scapegoat by the God of Ronism. I tried to write another story and couldn't get past the first few words. It IS my over-sensitivity that holds me back. But that's where my creativity comes from, too. Maybe in a few weeks I'll feel comfortable writing here again.

giraffe

See you then - or not.

anotherronism

giraffe: I've finally figured it out. I knew you were stupid and I knew you wouldn't leave but now I know who you actually are. You are the alter-ego of another user here whose ID begins with the letter "k".

I'm not gonna call you out on it completely because, for a time, I was actually "friends" with that person.

But you are them. Oh yes, you are.

And you are just plain-f-ing-stupid as a bucket of rocks. Seriously.

Your stuff sucks. You cannot edit and all the "rules" are the reason why.

No - it's just cause you're a dumbass.

And I thought you were leaving.

I AM leaving. But I just wanted to check back in an note for my own accord that you had not actually left as I predicted. I'm vain that way.

I'm gonna do a test. It's just a little thing. But I'm gonna try to write you next post. Let's see:

Midnight. Do you see how insulting this is. Wihtout saying why. He is so insulting but never says why. He don't criticize or offer anything. He just thinks he's the God of everything then tries to banish me. Well - I ain't leaving casue of him.

Dumbass.

giraffe

Anotherronism. I don't have multiple screen names. Since we both like this board, can we possibly shake hands and stop putting good people through this? It must bore them to death. We all have our own level of writing and drawing expertise. I've mentioned that I suck at the drawing. You are really good at that.

I think of myself as a better fiction writer and a way better musician. You can keep railing on me as much as you want, but I'm trying to offer you the olive branch. Will you accept it?

I do a lot of railing on political blogs. My favorites are Boston.com (The Globe) and The Swamp from the Chicago Tribune. Those are both good outlets for anger. I don't think this should be an angry forum. I'm glad you created it because I've had a lot of fun here.

I won't entirely leave. But I WILL respond to anything someone says to me.

Once again, I'm not "k" - whoever that is. Olive branch?