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Rebecca Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 February 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 4496
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| Posted: 12 October 2018 at 12:11pm | IP Logged | 1
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"This lends to the legend that it is very hard to break in, of course, since such people do not accept that it is the poor quality of their work that is keeping them out."
I would expect a "breaking in" is much easier when you are just really really good at the widest range of skills possible... even if you are in some cow town the person signing the paychecks has never heard of before. You have to become your own best critic, right?
I've met a lot of people who simply go bonkers and seem destroyed personally or angry at criticism, which is not helpful to where they say they want to go. Sometimes at least criticism is meant as an act of generosity, especially bluntly put. If you get some this means someone sees enough in your work to take it seriously. If you flip-out that door will be slammed shut and probably forever. I have been subject to editors who I disagreed with but they are who I am writing for (especially when I'm new, I have to get through them to get to anybody else after all), but I kept it private, thanked them and went where they wanted me to go as best I could and made the sale. As an editor I was able a few times to take someone who had something and develop it, to recognize their blind spots and how to work around them perhaps or where to go to build whatever muscles there they needed. I kind of liked the diamond in the rough I could actually help, a few needed no help, and I learned stuff from them sometimes. I won't mention the unhelpables other than to say you are kind and encouraging because they are unhelpable. Once in awhile one might see through all that to demand real help, and I might then see if they could handle it. A good editor I think has to keep a bulk of people who might be customers/readers themselves where they will still think positively of you even though you know privately there's little to no chance you'll ever be buying from them. It's a business, you can't afford to eff up the business side.
So if famous comic writer (same for artist) does tell you what's wrong with your work, that there puts you ahead of a large number of other people who can only cling to "well, I'm better than so-and-so is." Aim for the top not a bottom rung. Who is worth having around that's just going to be a little better than the lousiest person working?
I guess that's all my fifty years of wisdom I have to share. Who do I think I am? Someone who just wants to help as they were helped. It's not about me or even about you; it's about the work you say you want to be able to do. Oh, and one more thing... "I was born to write/draw whatever famous character".... I just don't know about that, and I would keep it to yourself as what is gained by saying such a thing about something that has existed without you up to now? Also, this is where the people stab each other in the back and then it's divided we fall. Not good, not very professional.
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Trevor Thompson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 13 June 2015
Posts: 346
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| Posted: 12 October 2018 at 2:58pm | IP Logged | 2
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Brian Floyd. You’re me. Ha ha. I can come up with ideas and basic plots but I’m not really that good at executing them. I’m definitely not ready for prime time.
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Trevor Thompson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 13 June 2015
Posts: 346
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| Posted: 12 October 2018 at 3:02pm | IP Logged | 3
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Rebecca, being a good writer is like anything in life you want to be good at and that’s to write. I’m a better writer than I was at 10 that’s for sure. I doubt any of the so called great writers just woke up and became great writers.
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Rebecca Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 February 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 4496
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| Posted: 12 October 2018 at 6:57pm | IP Logged | 4
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I like those teachers and professionals who believe that where there's a will there's a way. With a fair bit of sweat and a Strunk & White's by my side I can put something together that is publishable. I may not have all the information, or creative muscles, right this moment, but I can build both, it can be done, it has been done. It's just a matter of time really once the will, the desire, is there.
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Brian Floyd
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 July 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 8348
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| Posted: 12 October 2018 at 7:00pm | IP Logged | 5
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I'd also like to add that the aforementioned `cannibal serial killer who likes to pickle victims' eyes and keep them' idea has nothing to do with the novel idea that I have. That was just the stupidist idea I could think of while making that particular post.
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