on Losing faith in humanity - this is a rant

I'm beginning to think I shouldn't bother posting on authorstand anymore.  Between the hyper-christians telling me my stories are encouraging behavior god doesn't like, and an old retired woman living in florida who is extremely insecure.

As I mentioned, I wrote a story for a Winter Contest.  Part of the deal is then I go through other stories written, reflect on them, rate them and give them my comments.

For this particular entry, the woman didn't write a story, she wrote a diary entry, basically explaining a winter day.  There was no plot to speak of, or character development.  It was a post basically.  It was also rife with grammatical errors to the extend that I actually couldn't understand parts.  Due to this, I gave her 2/5 stars and wrote for the review:

"Sweet, but not really fiction.  There were several glaring spelling errors as well and while I don't like to harp on them, if they inhibit my ability to read a sentence, that detracts."

This woman was upset with my review and wrote me a personal message in response:
" My spell check finds O mispelled words and, the rules of this contest did not specify fiction, this happened in my life and are my feelings about winter, nothing wrong with that, now is there?"

Okay, that is fair, I should have written "a story" and "grammatical"  I reply:

"No, it doesn't have to be fiction, but it does need to be a story - which it isn't really. Some errors just in the first two paragraphs: "Later as a teen, ice skating, and sledding on the biggest, most dangerous hill of all, forbidden to younger children." (not a sentence) "As a young married," (a young married woman?) "Most remembered" (missing a subject) "everything set up," (everything was set up) True, I should have written grammar errors.  Your comment on my comment is well taken, I'll see if I can edit my comment.  My review remains the same though, lacking a plot and a story, and full of grammatical errors."

 She responds to this even more harshly:

 " I think people get lost in all this review business, we ask for reviews not critics, no one likes a critic! frankly I don't care a wit about reviews, i write for fun and my friends and family to enjoy."

Ok.  I guess nobody likes me?  This is not news.  And I doubt she doesn't care about reviews if she is messaging me.  But I respond anyway, hoping to indicate to her that I am not exclusive to her in giving poor ratings, if it is justified. 

" And that is fine!  I'd encourage you to keep writing what you love.  But a review is a critique.  Both words, review and critique, mean to highlight both the positive and the negative of your writing.  You did do a good job of making a sweet little piece, which I noted in the review.  But for a contest, I am going to follow the guidelines in the review.  I'm going to be honest in it, because that is who I am, and what I expect of my writings as well. "

Okay.  That is that.  End of story right?


Of course not Kara.  This is the internet we are talking about.


She sends me a message this morning: 
"Just for the heck of it, read some of your reviews, made my day and gave me a hearty laugh, I would never write mythological  or ghouls and gobblins gibberish let alone read it! you would not like my review for sure, so I will refrain, that's how truthful I am,... but so glad, I checked to see what your writing is all about...  LOL   Good Luck!"

(to reference what I wrote for the contest, see an earlier post, however, in summation, it was based in mythologies of the world)

I guess I shouldn't respond to the troll, but being part troll myself, sometimes I can't help it.  First I thanked her for her review (too quickly).  Then I realized it wasn't a review.  It was a rant:


"I'd say that you haven't looked at what my writing is all about if you didn't read it though.  So I retract my thanks.  You haven't helped me grow as a author at all :(.  If you don't like the topic of mythology though, I suggest you look at the last thing I wrote for a contest, which is a children's book about trees.
http://shop.authorstand.com/Products/9917-indecision.aspx

I guess I write things too quickly, because when I first read your most recent message, I took it that you were trying to provide me with real room for growth. Upon looking at this message a second time, I get the feeling you are angry.  That is too bad.  I am not angry with you.  Just wanting to grow and an author!

Anyway, have a great Christmas!"

Again, I know it was stupid to feed the troll.  But for whatever reason, this opened the flood gates of river crazy:


"Have you read my childrens stories? they are about animals mostly or my Xmas story for kids with loads of pics. to go with the story... many of my readers believe I should offer it to disney for a movie, and I had real publishers after me for my big novel, which I am working on a 2nd. but I am retired and not looking for a job or interested in publishing in hard cover...I do not write about inaminate objects for kids either, and Harry Potter Suks in my opinion, don't care how much $$$$ she made on them. I am a happy author here, I write when I feel like it, it's not a job. And my Winter one for the contest I wrote in about 10 mins. You may want to read my poem to authors/writers for Xmas it's a hoot! This old Gal does not get angry but will respond to unkindness, in a heart beat! Oh and P.S. I do not get hung up on typos etc. if my word processor catches it fine if now..then figure it out, readers.. you should see the mistakes right from the library on novels..  OMG"

Man.  People like this make me loose my faith in humanity...  Don't feed the trolls Kara...