Forum: Author Hangout

How do I report this to Lazeez?

If they made the threat through the messaging system you go to the message in the system and in the top right corner is a link 'Report' you click on that and follow the leads it gives. You can do this with any abusive messages through the system. By reporting the message Lazeez can link it straight back to the account involved.

Lazeez said that the person won't bother me.

Result! And a lesson in what to do to e-mail threats in future.

AJ

Interesting reaction. If I want you to go with your story in a direction I would like, all I've to do is threat you to not go there.

I've had a similar reaction, which I've discussed here before. After I included a character the readers didn't like, the (a couple of them) down voted me with 1-votes, and then wrote to complain, explaining why. Thinking they might reflect a wider complaint, I asked for details, and tried to rephrase the passage while keeping the wording consistent with the rest of the story AND keeping the subplot largely intact.

Rather than discuss it further with me, they started issuing demands. If I didn't write exactly what I dictated, they would punish me by one-bombing every one of my stories.

Since they wouldn't even discuss the issue rationally, and tried to make a non-political subplot political by dictating what I was allowed to say in a story, I doubled down. I not only returned the original writing, but I extended the subplot, having the character return, even more extreme (unhinged) than before.

And the two readers did exactly what they threatened to do. They've downvoted every single one of my stories. The funny thing is, while SOL still allowed me to, I could track when those solitary 1-votes were made to track their reading, and observed that they actively read every chapter of every story I wrote, within a couple of days of posting. So they were clearly fans of my stories.

I got back at them though. When they started 1-bombing my other stories, I told them (via a blog post) that they were being irrational, as they couldn't register further complaints if they couldn't go any lower—and then I introduced the repeat of the same character. Ever since, they always downvote with 3s. If they like a particular chapter, they'd up-vote the one chapter to 5s, and if they disliked it, they'd downvote to their original 1-bombs.

It was entertaining to watch such fanaticism from those who enjoyed my writing SO MUCH they couldn't quit reading. It's both encouraging and depressing, humorous and sad.

Don't let one really bad reader cause you to change the story. From the sound of it. That would actually hurt the story not help it.

I can't agree with this more. While I encourage feedback, and take it ALL seriously, I won't violate the story, no matter WHAT they suggest. After all, it's your story to tell, not theirs. If they don't like it, they're free to quit reading whenever they like.

In the past I've had a lot of comments from readers wanting me to take a story in a certain direction and not another.

I tell the reader to write that story themself. Sadly I don't believe I've been very successful at encouraging them to take up the pen :(

AJ

Sadly I don't believe I've been very successful at encouraging them to take up the pen :(

That's because no one uses a pen now, it's all on the touch screen except us dinosaur types who use keyboards.

no one uses a pen now

You'd be surprised.

At the meetings of my writers' group, it's very rare for people to attempt writing exercises electronically. And several of them prefer to use pen and paper for their main writing, before transcribing the first drafts onto computer.

Like you I'm a dinosaur - I hate using touch screens.

AJ

Like you I'm a dinosaur - I hate using touch screens.

The problem with the touchscreens is the devices using them are usually too small for a decently sized keyboards to be displayed on them, thus you can't use the touch-typing skills on the damn things.

People supposedly write whole novels on mobile phones. A one-time visitor to the writers' group said that's how they were writing theirs.

Ugh! But I guess that's better than not writing at all.

AJ

People supposedly write whole novels on mobile phones.

I can see it now: Frd sd, "U no it ain't true." - as they type leet stories.

I know someone who uses their smart phone as to take notes while doing field examinations, it has a voice to text app that records it for him while he walks around looking at the building and dictating notes to his phone. Later he cleans it up on his computer.

a voice to text app

That could be useful for authors who can't use a keyboard. Now how can they make a smartphone display braille ;)

AJ

The thing that gets me is the keyboard on my son's smart phone is so small when I tried to use it I hit 4 letter at once unless I use a thin pen to tap the screen, which kid of defeats the purpose of the thing. He has a Bluetooth fold out keyboard he carries for use with his tablet, and his fingers are smaller than mine. Seeing the crap makes me glad I've an old cheap phone that's just a phone.

Hint or tip: turn your hand over (palm up) and use the end of your fingernail to tap, it's like four built in stylii on your hand.

It is the tip of my finger that hits the four letters at once. I don't have long fingernails so I can only use my finger tip which is four times bigger than the tiny squares they use on the touch screen keyboards. If I let my fingernails grow to be longer than the tips of my fingers they catch on things and break off in a way that tears into the growing area of the nail, and that hurts.

That could be useful for authors who can't use a keyboard. Now how can they make a smartphone display braille ;)

There's a device called a Braille Speak, which many social services will provide for blind people, but otherwise are fairly expensive. You type on them (in braille notation (don't ask)) and then read the notes back in raised metal dots, one line at a time. You can even connect them to a braille printer (even more expensive) which will print it out on braille paper.

At the meetings of my writers' group, it's very rare for people to attempt writing exercises electronically. And several of them prefer to use pen and paper for their main writing, before transcribing the first drafts onto computer.

I'm guessing it's mainly an older crowd? Like the classic readers of old, who were quick to switch over to typewriters, most authors now work electronically, simply because they can get more work completed much sooner. Transcribing handwritten text involves a LOT more time, introduces many more errors, and requires multiple revisions to restore to it's original form (if anyone even remembers how the original was written).

Handwriting boosts creativity, mainly because it slows one down so they can plot out the next line, and identify issues in the current line, but it also inhibits the flow of creativity that typing rapidly allows. It's beneficial for writing exercises, but problematic to do on a regular basis.

No brother insisted on writing like that. He's never written another book since, despite it's success.

Handwriting boosts creativity, mainly because it slows one down so they can plot out the next line, and identify issues in the current line, but it also inhibits the flow of creativity that typing rapidly allows. It's beneficial for writing exercises, but problematic to do on a regular basis.

If you're like me ... I learned how to write in cursive in the second grade. And then even practicing my penmanship never helped it improve. Which is why I taught myself how to type in the fourth grade - I honestly have trouble reading my OWN handwriting.

Which was a real bitch in college, with all the notes I had to take for classes.

I think awnlee jawking was being metaphorical when using the phrase take up the pen.

I did wonder if he meant for them to do a super-human feat by picking up the state pen! I think the state government and the guards might object to that.

I think awnlee jawking was being metaphorical when using the phrase take up the pen.

Indeed ;)

AJ

I think awnlee jawking was being metaphorical when using the phrase take up the pen.

For most of us, the only time we take up a pen is to stab someone with it. 'D

It is a pretty standard UK expression.

It is in the U.S. too. I was just having fun with the idea.