who or what validates your work?

One of my grandmother's favorite stories was about my older brother, when he was about five. She was working in her vegetable garden, and Bill came along to watch and "help." One of the plants she was tending was a squash plant, a vigorously growing hill of a plant, laden with yellow crookneck squash, many of them with their blossoms still attached. My brother was ecstatic. He went on at great length as only five-years-olds can, so grandmother told him she would bring some in for the night's dinner. "Oh no! Granma, you can't, 'cause I just hate squash to eat, and you know that my mother makes me eat everything you cook, so pleeease, pleease don't cook any squashes granma. Let them stay on the pretty plant. They're much betterer still growing!"

Children can just be great. Ann and Betty, your posts are heartwarming. Were there any shark's teeth in the gravel. Betty?

From Stuart on Goodreads:

"'The Power of Persuasion' by Shelagh Watkins is a masterpiece of modern day writing -- highly recommended."

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1425.Best_Literary_Fiction_

The validation brings tears.

I am slow to feel validated. While Arirang: The Bamboo Connection had many rave reviews, the PA author bashing at Absolute Write had its impact on the value I held for my work and the statements from those who liked it.

Rejection letters also take their toll in spite of the acquisition letters that say the contract is in the mail.

Regardless, I am compelled to write and to submit for publication. I eat too much chocolate, though, the drug of rejection angst.

Shelagh, that was a good review on "The Power of Percussion" great to see you writing about drums.




(Did we go through this once before?)

If a things worth saying, it's worth drumming up twice:

"Shelagh, I have read June Auston's Prude and Precipice and even though I don’t have any idea what your book, The Power of Percussion, is about, I suspect that the snapshots can be very useful in explaining how drum rolls and eye rolls can be used to place emphasis on certain points. I don’t ordinarily like picture books, but in this case I might make an exception ...

Wait, I see from Betty’s post where the discussion is about Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, so never mind."

Yep, that's it all right. Thought so.

Shelagh wrote:

From Stuart on Goodreads:

"'The Power of Persuasion' by Shelagh Watkins is a masterpiece of modern day writing -- highly recommended."

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1425.Best_Literary_Fiction_

The validation brings tears.

Bravo, Shelagh!

dkchristi wrote:

I am slow to feel validated. While Arirang: The Bamboo Connection had many rave reviews, the PA author bashing at Absolute Write had its impact on the value I held for my work and the statements from those who liked it.

Rejection letters also take their toll in spite of the acquisition letters that say the contract is in the mail.

Regardless, I am compelled to write and to submit for publication. I eat too much chocolate, though, the drug of rejection angst.

DK,
You give them (AW) too much power, Don't let them diminish your accomplishments.

Who cares what they say?

Thanks, Alice. I can intellectually ignore things, but emotionally they tap into the core on their own. Fortunately, I have an excellent publisher for Ghost Orchid ;and the anthologies, The World Outside The Window and Romance of My Dreams carry short stories that exemplify talented authors, me included. It's just a higher climb when tearing down occurs. I will see how Ghost Orchid is reviewed and take some measure of success from that work.

DK,

Don't give them that satisfsaction. Stand on the rubble they create and your are higher than they ever hope to be.

D.K.

Read the article Shelagh put on the agent thread. It really puts the AW PA thread in its real light and you might enjoy reading it. At least I did. It acknowledged how I've felt about it all along.

Shelagh,

Very nice.

Carol

Thanks Zada! Don, your posts are a delight and keep everyone on the forum entertained -- long may it continue!

Carol, I have waited patiently for someone else to say exactly what I think about the way PA authors are ridiculed by some members of AW. I'm actually sorry that it was Dave who tripped and fell but someone was bound to do eventually.

Actually, folks, I just realised my own theories have been ridiculed on the forum too:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38537&page=11

Alice, you're totally spot on to say they try to diminish your accomplishments on that board.

There is a little voice that comes to me that says "You can show them you're a real author." And that doesn't mean arguing with them there or here, but just in working to get my book published, to be a winner. I know they won't care or acknowledge success, but there is still that challenge there, and I love challenges.

No matter what happens, I have pride in what I have done, and know I'm still learning as well heading in the right direction and being on the right path.

Carol

Ahad,
using your posted web address for AW, it was the first time I peeked-in, and having read what was posted, it will be the last time.
You know what you're talking about. They don't and their ignorance shows.

And yet, they insist they never put down PA authors, only the publisher.

Ann

Ahad,

I learned one good tip while here --they are not allowed to discuss anyone not able to respond to them --so do whatever you have to do to get yourself banned and they cannot put you or your book down any longer.

It is sad when a group can find nothing better to do than pick on fellow authors.

Individually they are probaby very nice people, but there is a mob mentality there.

Don't worry about them, Ahad. There are some very good, very talented authors who post on AW, and then there are the hacks with little or no talent, the mid card players and the would be gurus, and a handful of wannabes who can't point to any achievment of their own other than a stack of rejection notices. Some of them have made thousands of posts at AW, and that seems to be the bulk of their recent writing.

There is a distinct difference between the majorty of the people at AW and these low life types, and it isn't hard to tell which is which.

I posted there a few times but it didn't take long to see that small bunch for what they are. To tell the truth they aren't very good writers and some of them don't appear to be very smart.

Forget about them, they've made their petty little contribution to slamming PA and PA authors their main goal in life, and it's just a pathetic attempt to get attention. What they should be doing is trying to figure out how to become better writers, and to attract attention in that way.

Carol Troestler wrote:

There is a little voice that comes to me that says "You can show them you're a real author." And that doesn't mean arguing with them there or here, but just in working to get my book published, to be a winner. I know they won't care or acknowledge success, but there is still that challenge there, and I love challenges.

No matter what happens, I have pride in what I have done, and know I'm still learning as well heading in the right direction and being on the right path.

Carol

Carol

You are a real author. You are showing them nothing. Don't make them the basis of your validaition.

They have not motivated me to do anything their way. If anything all of their harranging has moved me in the oposite direction.

I honestly feel like writing another PA book.

Who knows --maybe I will.

I put my foot in my mouth by bringing up the "AW" word; please let it go. There is the glass half full and half empty theory - I saw it half full until I was caught in their web. Then I began to see it half empty. I think taking joy away from a person is unkind, and the world needs more kindness.

It's still the same glass. It's up to me to know the difference, with the support of those whose opinion merits its weight.

dkchristi wrote:

I put my foot in my mouth by bringing up the "AW" word; please let it go. There is the glass half full and half empty theory - I saw it half full until I was caught in their web. Then I began to see it half empty. I think taking joy away from a person is unkind, and the world needs more kindness.

It's still the same glass. It's up to me to know the difference, with the support of those whose opinion merits its weight.

DK,

Now you are talking! We all have our own reasons for writing--mine was to bring hope to folks--my book has done that. I am quite satisfied.

If I wanted to have a best seller I'd have written a different type of book.

Don't worry, DK, I trust all the members here to behave like adults. I never did put any credence to anything the bashers said. Respect has to be earned and I don't respect those who are willing to put another person down to build themselves up.

Over three years ago, Linda Bond sent me an email to inform that I had been mentioned (not in a bad way) on a basher's forum (AW) and decided to check it out. I saw that PA authors were being discussed as though they were second class citizens so I joined and told them how rude I thought they were. My posts were ported to the "Take it Outside" Board because they were suppposedly off topic. I couldn't see how a PA author on a thread that was all about PA could post anything off topic. I quickly wised up and realised that only negative comments were on topic and anything positive was not. I decided that the opinion of bashers, who could only see the negative side of anything, was worthless.

Quote :

Read the article Shelagh put on the agent thread. It really puts the AW PA thread in its real light and you might enjoy reading it. At least I did. It acknowledged how I've felt about it all along.

Thank you Carol and Shelagh. I read that article with a high degree of satisfaction. I have heard a couple of people involved say that the AW comments do no real harm to PA authors, but I don't believe that is true. People tend to believe what they read, and it seems to me that much of the negative publicity and reporting about PA would have to be detrimental to sales, and by the same token, to PA authors' ability to get bookstores to stock their books.

Ann

It seems there are some who want to use the large black brush to paint everyone the same. And there is that word again: basher.



Post #4939

This was her experience. Yours may be different. End of story. AW serves a purpose to some. Stop blasting others and labeling authors/people for their different beliefs.
Yes, I know that some people at AW are not nice. That happens anywhere you go. Many others at AW are very nice, caring people who see the publishing industry beyond any one publisher. There are also others on other boards who are not nice, too. And calling people bashers is not nice.

A member here has suggested more than once that I join, but I would always be "the basher", so I don't think I should at this time. I feel that opposing P's OV are not necessarily welcome here even though, like I said, there are two sides to every story.