Lacarnum Inflamare's Journal (original) (raw)

I was trying to respond to koanju over this kerfuffle on that Harry/Remus list,
when I started bitching about maturity of people...and then that kind of turned into rant/essay on writing in general. I'd love your thoughts on it :)Intro
When I speak of maturity, I don't mean by age at all. I've hung around in various fandoms for the past five years enough that I've seen 16 year olds carry themselves so well that if she didn't tell you she was 16, you'd never have guessed it.

So, exactly am I talking about then? I'm talking about how a writer carries themselves, views their work, and reactions to it. While everyone handles writing in different ways, there are some general groupings we all seem to fall under.

The Immature Writer
We've all seen them and we loathe many of them. Here are some common themes for them:

1. These are the people who churn out fic after fic, like a production line. Oftentimes, they are WIP, many of which will never see completion. Sometimes it's because they've the attention span of a gnat, sometimes it's because they paint themselves into corners because they wing it as they go. These stories are often quite disorganized and logic can go missing.

2. These are the people who will write OOC characters and claim that "this is how they see them," ergo, it's perfectly legit that Harry acts like Malfoy and that their fic isn't AU at all, no sir. Mary Sue-ism also runs rampant in this group, as many of these writers tend to be just starting out and they are consciously or unconsciously writing fantasy fulfillment. While there is nothing wrong with that per say; the ability to recognize and avoid Mary Sue takes time and maturity.

3. Stylistically, their stories are nothing to write home about. While a few do have the horrible "See Draco run. Run, Draco, Run!" style, the rest are better written, just unexciting. Literary devices are non-existent, or limited to simile (and the occasional metaphor). Often, there is a lack of variety in sentence length, structure, etc. It's decidedly legible, but can't really draw a reader in.

4. They refuse to use a beta. Like many writers, their self-confidence is rather low, and their ego easy to shatter. Unlike more mature writers, however, they refuse to put their fic on the line in the name of betterment, and instead just post it as is.

5. They are the authors that decry "Read and review or I won't post the next part!" aka holding their fic hostage. Maybe they do it because the feedback keeps them inspired; maybe they do it because they want reassurance that their fic is truly being read. Whatever the case, this is a classic symptom of an immature writer. On the other hand...

6. They crumble under the weight of a constructive criticism. They leave lists, flame people, wail at the unfairness of it all. Even things like gently suggesting using a spell check is enough to decry "flame!" Because of this, you often see a variation of theme 5. That is, they only ask for *positive* feedback when you read & review, or else to not bother.

General commentary on the immature writer:

Not every immature writer is going to show all the symptoms, but all will show one, if not more. Case in point: a writer I knew was incredibly prolific, she probably wrote at least three-four stories a month. Problem was, they desperately needed polish. She refused to use a beta though since they "wouldn't see things my way" and was afraid that her fic would be ruined. It was actually a shame, because the base fic was good, it just needed a bit of help.

Immature writers most of the time are hardly bad people; but since their fic is often so rough (and occasionally their manner, esp. the people who hold fic hostage) it's rarely going to appeal to a large audience due to all the flaws within it.

Middle Age
Or that time in between immature and mature.

1. The hyperactivity of some immature writers has started to calm down. Instead of writing a ton of fics each month, they begin to spend a little more time on each one. Gradually, more of their WIP will become completed. They may even start to not post until their story is complete; it varies on the writer. Plot holes get smaller, and fewer corners are painted in, because more time is devoted to the story.

2. These authors have thankfully moved on from Mary Sue-ism. It's not uncommon for them to start having knee-jerk reactions of, "Oh my god, why did I write this?" Or at least, "Why did I write and share this?" Like many of us, they may indulge in a bit of fantasy fulfillment now and then, but they've gotten to the point where they can just enjoy it for what it is without feeling the need to share it with others. There still maybe characterization problems, but they do start to decrease and become more believable.

3. Stylistically, their works show a world of improvement. The author begins to branch out more. Perhaps they go for some new devices; perhaps they fiddle around with new POVs that they haven't tried before. Whatever the case, there is a distinct improvement from earlier work. The flip side of the coin being that often they can go overboard. What once might have been a lack of description suddenly turns into so much that it's either inappropriate for the tone of the fic, or you lose the reader because the prose is so muddled.

4. The author admits they need a beta. Often times they will turn to a friend, and in turn they will receive some spelling/grammatical advice and a pat on the back and their content with it, because hey! They got it beta read, and that's what they're supposed to do.

5. A writer may still have occasionally hold a fic hostage, but they've started to outgrow this, especially since their writing has improved and they're getting more feedback anyway. Constructive criticism still stings them, but they've started to see the merit in it. They may not necessarily respond to it, but they won't go crying "Flame! Flame!" either.

General Commentary: Most people I think fall into this category. At this point, writing has improved greatly beyond how a person started out with, and quite possibly they've built up a nice little fan base to keep them going. These writers may never become great, but they certainly produce fic that's enjoyable to read, if still flawed.

Maturity
The elusive stage that many of us reach for, while others couldn't care less about since they're having fun anyway. This group is much, much smaller than any other group in a given fandom.

1. WIP tend to be much fewer at this stage than any else, as many have moved onto only posting when a story is complete because they find it easier to write this way. OTOH, what WIPs are out there, are easily a notch above the rest and well worth waiting for the next part.

2. Characterization is not a problem at this level. The author may experiment a touch, but the person is undeniably the person they say it is. Original characters may creep into the picture, but they are fully fleshed and definitely not Mar(t)y Sues.

3. People have developed their own trademark style. They know what voices they like to use, they've got a firmer grasp on what's appropriate for a fic. Some authors may still drown you in their prose, but at least it's well written.

4. The author decides it's time to find a new beta, one who not only does grammar/spelling checks, but also tells them what's really wrong with a fic. They want to know if something doesn't read well, if a character doesn't sound like it's supposed to, and just want to know if everything makes sense in general. They know such betas can be hard to swallow, but in the end that it's worth the pain of seeing your fic torn to shreds.

5. Mature writers don't hold their fic hostage. They do ask for feedback, and some even invite constructive criticism because having a third person's opinion can open your eyes to something that you, or your beta might have missed.

General Commentary: It's hella hard to get to maturity, but if a person keeps writing and keeps trying to improve than they'll get there eventually. Even though the best writers still sometimes write fic that makes you go "WTF were they smoking," these guys produce fic that's generally well worth the read.

Conclusion
Realistically, very few people neatly fall into any one category. An otherwise mature writer still may have style or characterization issues, but as much as we may wish it, not everyone can be a great writer, but if a person tries to the best of their ability, that's maturity. Conversely, someone who is immature by writing nothing but rather questionable Mary Sue WIPs may show maturity by never once begging for feedback because they write for themselves and no one else.

Even so, a little maturity in just the way you handle feedback would do a world of good for any fandom, so kerfuffles like what happened on the Harry/Remus list would cease to occur.