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Shoud bad writers stop writing
A recent topic that I'm jumping on late. Actually I've been thinking about this and reading what others have said and pretyt much my feeling is that No, bad writers shouldn't stop writing.
Especially in an area where the writing falls into the hobby category rather than the profession category.
I've been taking dance lessons and I'm getting pretty good at it. I go out dancing socially and I see a lot of different dancers. Some are GREAT! They have loads of natural talent, they work on their dancing all the time, they just look wonderful to watch (these usually end up doing competitions). Then you have the dancers that are good social dancers, they don't want to go to the competition level, they work on their dancing and they have fun. Then you have the people who, no matter how long they've been taking lessons, can't dance. They have no rhythm, their movement isn't smooth, it's just not working for them. However, they are out there dancing and having a good time. Dancing is fun, it's something they enjoy and so they go out and dance.
Actually there is another category, people who can dance competently and work at it but don't really feel the music and even though they can do all the steps they don't flow with the music.
This is the same with writing. You have the people with loads of natural talent, who work at writing, and could do amateur or ProAm competitions.
There are writers who may not have as much talent as the "born writers" but they work at it and their stories are good and no one shakes their head and labels it badfic.
There are writers who know all the technical skills but they don't feel the rhythm of writing and it shows.
And then there are the people who just don't write well, for whatever reason, but still write.
What they alll have in common is they enjoy writing (at least I hope they do). It's fun, they like it, it's a great hobby.
Fanfiction is a hobby. It's something that people do because they enjoy it and have fun with it. BTW I'm using hobby because fanfiction isn't something you do professionally and I don't see "hobby" as an insult.
So yeah, people who don't write well should keep on writing. No one is forcing anyone to write and no one is forcing anyone to read what's written.
Especially in an area where the writing falls into the hobby category rather than the profession category.
I've been taking dance lessons and I'm getting pretty good at it. I go out dancing socially and I see a lot of different dancers. Some are GREAT! They have loads of natural talent, they work on their dancing all the time, they just look wonderful to watch (these usually end up doing competitions). Then you have the dancers that are good social dancers, they don't want to go to the competition level, they work on their dancing and they have fun. Then you have the people who, no matter how long they've been taking lessons, can't dance. They have no rhythm, their movement isn't smooth, it's just not working for them. However, they are out there dancing and having a good time. Dancing is fun, it's something they enjoy and so they go out and dance.
Actually there is another category, people who can dance competently and work at it but don't really feel the music and even though they can do all the steps they don't flow with the music.
This is the same with writing. You have the people with loads of natural talent, who work at writing, and could do amateur or ProAm competitions.
There are writers who may not have as much talent as the "born writers" but they work at it and their stories are good and no one shakes their head and labels it badfic.
There are writers who know all the technical skills but they don't feel the rhythm of writing and it shows.
And then there are the people who just don't write well, for whatever reason, but still write.
What they alll have in common is they enjoy writing (at least I hope they do). It's fun, they like it, it's a great hobby.
Fanfiction is a hobby. It's something that people do because they enjoy it and have fun with it. BTW I'm using hobby because fanfiction isn't something you do professionally and I don't see "hobby" as an insult.
So yeah, people who don't write well should keep on writing. No one is forcing anyone to write and no one is forcing anyone to read what's written.
no subject
Ah, but the difference is, these 'bad' dancers are TRYING to learn. Sure, they may have no facility for it, but they're taking lessons, they're giving it the old college try, learning the steps, taking instruction, etc.
The type of bad writer I was talking about - or rather, the type that drives me bananas, are the ones who can't be BOTHERED to do the basic stuff like use spell check or watch the show or proofread for grammar/punctuation.
Those are things everyone can do, like taking dance lessons and at least attempting to *learn* the steps.
And those are the writers who consistently fall back on the "it's just a hobby, it doesn't need to be right as long as I enjoy it" defense.
If you take a different hobby, like say, skydiving, or flying, or something, you better make damn sure you learn everything you can or follow the rules and be the best you can be at it. But for some reason, it's okay to be half-assed about writing, because "it's just a hobby."
Sorry, this is just one of my hot-button issues.