7 days of self-promo - day 7

[kassidy62]

I had to think a bit about this final day - something I'm really proud of? I am proud of some of my work when I do it, but later on I pick it to death, or doubt if it's good, you know? So for me I'd say it's hard to maintain that sort of positivity over the long haul. There's a couple of stories that I like quite a bit, a couple of vids I'm fond of, but out and out proud? I just don't know. But then I remembered my second (and last) zine! A massive Starsky and Hutch anthology entitled Blood and Destiny.

I stayed up way too late for months in a row, learning layout and how to do bleeds for print, and editing (I WISH I hadn't been quite so anti-comma at the time, but oh, well) - the point is, I ended up with a 550 page (293,000 word count) Starsky & Hutch anthology: a perfect bound, paperback book.

I learned a lot, worked with a lot of talented people, including Sonja T, my lovely friend who does most of the artwork for my original fiction nowadays. She put in an incredible number of art pieces into the zine, over twenty (and she did almost as many for the first zine I did). I had some brilliant writers participate in the anthology with seventeen new stories, trivia and reprints. It was truly a learning experience, and I'm proud of the book and of the work and skill of the participants involved.

Excerpts and more

Blood and Destiny cover by Sonja -




 And that's a wrap! I did it - got all 7 days in:)

Comments

[kassidy62.livejournal.com]

Competition in society is brutal, and I'm divided as to how I feel about it. I think it's most likely a natural thing with a species as dominant and numerous as we are, which doesn't make it any easier of course. And there's a lot of qualifications and conditions to add to this statement, but I do feel an outsider perspective can be really useful for my writing. And I think that a thoughtful, balanced, mindful, *helpful* edit (in and out of fandom) is almost an art.

However, having said that, I will also say that I had a few very bad experiences myself in fandom that involved edits and the like. Hopefully I learned a few things from the situations, including when to reject or disagree with criticism. I also think I had a couple of times where I offended others with my edits, which I deeply regret, but learned how to be more mindful of others.

However, as to being proud of work I've done? I think you're right, and I'm not sure how much of being unable to experience an uncomplicated, out-and-out pride in my work has to do with others, versus with myself being too self-critical (and/or how much those two things have influenced the other). Something to ponder!

[greenlady2.livejournal.com]

"...but I do feel an outsider perspective can be really useful for my writing...."

Sure, if that's what you want and how you feel. Honestly, I don't care how other people write or how many betas or editors or story-ripper-aparters they have, as long as that's what they want.

What I object to is being told I should want it. And I've seen the brutality of it directed to others, and I want no part of that. Ever.

"...and I'm not sure how much of being unable to experience an uncomplicated, out-and-out pride in my work has to do with others, versus with myself being too self-critical (and/or how much those two things have influenced the other)..."

Yes. I have no way of knowing which is which of course. Sometimes even we ourselves don't know. For myself, I'm super-critical of every word I write while I'm writing, but when I'm done, that's it, and I'm never going to rip it apart and start over. If that makes me a bad writer in the eyes of others, I simply don't care. But if other writers like this 'process', that's fine with me. I think people should write the way that works for them.

But being super-critical can be disabling, I think. :-)

[kassidy62.livejournal.com]

I agree being super-critical and also self-conscious can be disabling, not to mention taking away pleasure in the work itself, which really is a shame, isn't it?
Discussion about an issue is one thing, but as for forcing views on someone else, my reaction in short is: screw that.
I particularly dislike being preached at instead of spoken to as a person, you know? I've seen that quite a bit, frequently cloaked in some weird sort of righteousness.