Friday, September 01, 2006

I don’t get why people are so bitchy on the loops.. and the Big Lebowski

Ha! I managed to get the word bitch into the first line.

I belong to a couple of writer’s loops, mostly as a lurker. If I have something useful to add I’ll pop in, but on my loops, there are other, smarter people there ready to answer the questions posed.

I find my loops informative, and for the most part, friendly..

For the most part… but then there are the touchy people. The ones who leap to offense at the smallest inference.

One big long discussion on one of my loops was about E-Publishing, a hot button topic for sure. People whined, moaned, verbally stomped their feet because their E-publishers weren’t RWA recognized. They threatened to leave RWA, they ranted on and on about how their publishers were twice as good as the snotty New York publishers.

A couple of people attempted to explain, or in some cases, disagreed. In my opinion, their statements were reasonable and very general.
The furor that erupted. The many, many posts(in all fairness, from the same five or six people) who leapt down those women’s throats. Attacks that were personal, nasty - in a word - bitchy.
So much for that discussion. No one else after that would have posted, why bother?

Or the loop where half the executive left because of one post, that from what I understand, was mis-read.

Or the loop where people have actually referred to each other as stupid. But then they’ve also called agents and editors stupid as well.

Sheesh… People’s names are at the bottom of these posts. Anyone can read this stuff. I know there are a few women who’ve posted on my loops that I’d make a point of avoiding if I saw them at a conference.
If I feel this way, what about the editors and agents who might be reading these loops?

The loops can be great, informative, helpful and a nice pick me up when we need reassurance or advice. If everyone on there is using them for that reason, and not to air grievances, or their frustrations.

But hey, I’m saving my energy for my family, and my writing, and my day job. There’s not a lot left of energy left over to take offense at what someone I’ve never met - or ever will - said.

As for the Big Lebowski. It’s up there as one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. Why? Because it bored me to tears, went nowhere, didn’t even try and pretend there was a semblance of a plot. I didn’t get the charming quirkiness of the characters, I just found them annoying and pointless… and I know there are lots of people out there who disagree and I’m OK with that..

3 comments:

Molly O'Keefe said...

The loops have made a very small pond even smaller. Which - I agree has been great in some respect. Sharing information has given us all a firmer grasp on our own careers - but holy cats! When it goes wrong it goes WRONG!!!

Stuff gets around - act like an idiot on these loops and it will be known on other loops - in chapter meetings and for sure in the corner booth at the Duke of York. Why jeopardize your professional reputation but jumping to conclusions or even handling personal issues on the loop? Go off list, people. Off list.

The Big Lebowski -- just rewatched it. HILARIOUS. The Coen's are strange storytellers because there doens't seem to be any plot - which is part of the reason Sinead hates it - but it's actually got loads of plot - it just isn't as great as The Dude character.

Maureen McGowan said...

Why can't we all just get along???

Seriously, people need to grow up. Or at least take a long deep breath before responding to something publicly.

A big name agent is on one of my loops. Something most of we loopers didn't know until someone said something about her and she piped in to correct the information.

Some people's reaction when they found out she was on the loop was funny... Like they thought they couldn't rant about agents anymore. ANYMORE? Why would you ever rant publicly about agents? And yes, like it or not, the loops are public.

Now in the corner booth at the Duke of York? That's another matter.

Wylie Kinson said...

Where are these loops that I can witness career suicide and privately chuckle at other's stupidity?? :)
Personally - I tend to lurk rather than get involved. As a relative newby to the writing world, I don't have much to offer anyway ... as you can tell! But writer's (of all people!) should understand the power of words and how they can affect a reader. Would you let a manuscript get sent before it was properly 'aged', rewritten, and edited? NO! Tsk Tsk... blogs and loops can be dangerous! Once it's out there, it can't be taken back.
And where is this Duke of York place where all can be aired and shared??

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